Rating: 
Summary: Pleasurable, but entirely predictable.
Review: Plain was not at her best with this novel. The events are predictable, and the sugary-sweet ending is less than realistic. Plain has many better books to choose from. This one is pure cotton candy. Fans of Plain will read it, but with some disappointment.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring, predictable account of a dysfunctional family
Review: Remembering which characters were which made reading this book a bit tedious. The only characters that were remotely developed where Cynthia and Andrew and the tragedy of losing their twin children. My question after reading about the near drowning of Lucy is why didn't anyone go to the hospital? It was a disappointing fairy tale of a meddling wealthy grandmother, her piggish, stubborn children, and alas from these children we have their equally rediculous offspring.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the Belva Plain I'm Used To!
Review: There is something this story is missing. Everyone in 85 year old Annette Byrne's family is at war with each other. She wants to gather her family together at home and have them all make peace even knowing the strong bitterness between them. Annette does just that, and they all have a big fight with one another until an incident happens to bring them together while meeting at Annette's home.
I don't know-this story lacked something though. I think it was that she didn't develop the characters enough for the plot which was shallow somehow. I see where more could have been developed and elaborated on before the run-in with each other at the meeting took place. Belva Plain usually writes with more depth than this with each one of her characters in the past books I read of hers. This just wasn't really developed quite enough.
Rating:
Summary: DULL!
Review: This is a book you read on a cross-country flight simply because there's nothing else. The plot is trite and predictable---you know, for example, the moment Annette's widowed friend is introduced that she will be paired in the end with Annette's widowed son. The characters are flat and one-dimensional, and the dialogue (and the characters' thoughts) follow a formula. Don't waste your time on this one---wait for the "Movie of the Week" to be made from it and then switch the channel to something else.
Rating:
Summary: Empty, cliche-ridden froth
Review: This is a story that has already been written many times, mostly by people like Barbara Taylor Bradford. Not only is it totally predictable, right down to the almost-drowning in the icy pond, but the characters are all flimsy, one-dimensional people and, mercifully, completely forgettable. To add insult to injury, the paperback is priced at around six dollars, even though the print is DOUBLE SPACED! What a rip-off. I have not read any of Plain's prior work and certainly won't be buying any of her books in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Feel-good novel with predictable plot and characters
Review: This is definitely not one of Belva Plain's best books. Is itwrittenjust to make us feel good - to be in line with the festive season? I find the plot too predictable. I rushed to finish the book, not because it is good, but because I was bored and wanted to go on to another book. I do not object to the reunion of all the characters except for that of Cynthia's and Andrew's. No doubt both were at fault for the separation, but I feel that while how Cynthis behaved was understandable, what Andrew did was unforgivable.
Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Christmas gift and a very nice story
Review: This story is particularly meaningful if you have relatives that are at odds with one another - and who doesn't. The matriarch, Annette, finds a way to bring everyone together, but only a near tragedy can open communication and help form bonds. It is a very realistic description of a family and a story most people could relate to. This is a book you can read easily in one sitting. I got an autographed copy from my son for Christmas and I am very pleased - since I am a Belva Plain fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful
Review: This was the first Belva Plain book I read and it was great. I loved the the entire plot. It was very true to life. All of the women in this book are very strong and to be admired. Annette was a very lovable character who brought her children together in a kind of sneaky way but for all the right reasons. I admired the daughter, Cynthia for the way she carried on after all of the tragedies in her life. This was a wonderful book and I would reccomend it to anyone as well of any of her other books.
Rating:
Summary: Dull and predictable; truly disappionting.
Review: This was the most trite, cliche, and predictable book I've had the displeasure to read in a long time. I stayed with it just to finish for my book club, but I'm mad to have spent $7 for a double-spaced silly, happily-ever-after soap opera. I will not be so foolish with her book(s) next time (if there is one for me!).
Rating:
Summary: Blah!
Review: What happened to Belva Plain? I used to enjoy her novels - this one is TERRIBLE. First of all, no one would put up with Annette, the bumbling old fool of a woman who interferes with everyone's lives but then is portrayed as a sweet, tolerable, darling. UGH! Secondly, the syrup drips heavily when an extremely unlikely accident claims the lives of a pair of twins, and when another little girl falls in a frozen lake, you can not only see the ending clearly, everything from that point on is predictable and ridiculous. I can't figure out what the point of the whole story is. I began to feel bored when Annette's young friend condones her wishes to plan a surprise get - together of enemies, and I nearly fell asleep trying to keep this motley crew of characters straight. Don't waste your money on this one, in fact, don't even take it out of the library and waste your time.
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