Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous!!
Review: Alli has loved Sam all her life. Sam has loved Tessa (Alli's sister) since they were children. Tessa and Sam were an item back in high school, and Alli always ended up as the 3rd wheel.
Then Tessa, the beauty of the sisters, is offered the opportunity of a lifetime to go modeling and she takes it leaving Sam by himself with a broken heart and a lot of alcohol. Alli took the chance she had been waiting for all her life, and comforted Sam in ways she had only dreamed of.
9 years later and Alli and Sam are unhappily married with a child that came from that night of broken hearts and alcohol.
Sam seems to resent Alli for tying him up to a life he never asked for (however he adores his daughter), but has grown accostumed to.
Alli, on the other hand, is sick and tired of being the cause of so much unhappines in Sam's life and to add insult to serious injury, she finds out that Sam has not forgotten Tessa after all this years and actually keeps wondering of what his life would have been with her in it, and without Alli and Megan (their daughter) in it. So she decides to set Sam free, even if it hurts her like crazy.
No, dont think she does it for the noble reasons, she is sick of loving Sam with all her heart while all this time he has never told her that he loves her, or anything similar for that matter.
Now, Sam is confused, and angry at Alli for separating him from his family and most importantly his daughter, after he has finally resigned himself to that life, but no matter what, Alli is not backing down. She is sure she deserves a man that loves her back, and she doesn't want to keep on going with her life without ever having experienced that feeling.
To add a nice twist to the story, Alli and Tessa's gradma suffer a stroke and Tessa and Alli must now face each other after 9 years of emotional injuries, hatred and tons and tons of resentmet.
The story is simply beautiful and so beleivable. I was so enthralled in the story that I simply could not put it down and had to finish it that same day I got it.
Alli is a real wounded woman and simpathizing with her is so easy, even when she is behaving like a child. And how could you not after putting yourself in her shoes, however, she takes control of things most of the time and does the right thing as well.
Tessa is not as likeable as Alli, but she is not hateable by any chance. You can see her point and understand why she is seeking for a second chance with Sam, the man she thought was meant for her, before her sister came crashing into her relationship.
Sam is a great man, he's so very real and palpable.
Overall the story is impossible to put down. It's funny, heartwarming, sincere, bealivable, sad and beautiful. I highly recomend it. My only complaint is that I wish the epilogue had been longer and gone into more detail!!
Rating:
Summary: Serious novel about relationships
Review: Allison Tucker is younger sister of Tessa and they were left as orphans at a young age. Alli knows she always loved her husband Sam even when he was her sister Tessa's boy friend. Years ago, when her sibling left town to become a supermodel, Alli made a plan for Sam, got pregnant, and they married. Alli feels Sam's heart still belongs to her sister. Alli leaves Sam. She is tired of fighting for Sam's love. Not even in ten years of marriage, has Sam told her that he loves her. She thinks Sam has stayed with her because of their daughter, Megan. Alli understands you can't force someone to love you, and she wants to be loved for just being her. Then tragedy strikes. Her grandmother, Phoebe, the strong woman who raised the sisters suffers a stroke. Tessa returns home after being gone for ten years. Neither sister wants to see the other and go back to old wounds. Now three people have to deal with the past and decide what the future holds for them. This was a great book and show you how we have to be ` Just the way we are "
Rating:
Summary: A great read!
Review: Allison Tucker is younger sister of Tessa and they were left as orphans at a young age. Alli knows she always loved her husband Sam even when he was her sister Tessa's boy friend. Years ago, when her sibling left town to become a supermodel, Alli made a plan for Sam, got pregnant, and they married. Alli feels Sam's heart still belongs to her sister. Alli leaves Sam. She is tired of fighting for Sam's love. Not even in ten years of marriage, has Sam told her that he loves her. She thinks Sam has stayed with her because of their daughter, Megan. Alli understands you can't force someone to love you, and she wants to be loved for just being her. Then tragedy strikes. Her grandmother, Phoebe, the strong woman who raised the sisters suffers a stroke. Tessa returns home after being gone for ten years. Neither sister wants to see the other and go back to old wounds. Now three people have to deal with the past and decide what the future holds for them. This was a great book and show you how we have to be ' Just the way we are "
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: Barbara Freethy has really given us a treasure with JUST THE WAY YOU ARE. While it's a phenomenal love story, it also weaves a marvelous tale of relationships and family ties. It reminds us that fate always has a few surprises in store for us. This one glows as the holidays approach. A definite keeper!
Rating:
Summary: Ms.Freethy has outdone herself..................
Review: Barbara has out done herself with this one..........This was such a warm and wonderful story that I was not able to put it down.Such a warm and loving story between two sisters and the the man they both love. I was so thrilled when Sam chose Alli over Tessa.I was so afraid that Alli would walk away from him,but knowing how much she did love him,she was willing to give love another try. I was sad that Grams did not love Willliam the way that he loved her,but her true love was John..............
Rating:
Summary: Closer To Home by being "Just The Way You Are"
Review: I always enjoy Barbara Freethy's style of writing before. She always manages to create characters that real, who are not flawless, and fill with insecurities -- which make them real human. And the new novel "Just The Way You Are" impresses me just like others. We have Alli, a mother with 8-years-old daughter, who always feels like she could never compete with her older sister. There's Sam, who still, somehow, hangs on to the past and seems to take it for granted the life he lives now. And there's Tessa, a supermodel who tries to cover the pain of the past by locking them away from her mind. All three must try to deal with the problem so they can move on. With the help of a very good observer, who manages to see people behind his camera and find the real them inside, and an 8-years old girl who loves her family with all their flaws and mistakes. I really love this novel so much. I finished it in 3 hours, unabled to put it down once I started. Jimmy's character is the one that I enjoy most. I believe in his opinion that eye is the window to human soul. And camera sometimes can capture the feelings better than our own eyes. He's the most likable characters from Barbara Freethy's novel I read so far - I've read 4 of them. And I also understand the strain in the sister's relationship - Alli and Tessa - as I have a sister myself. We aren't like them because so far, my sister and I are really doing fine. But I understand the jealousy, the feeling of insecurities, and that is why I feel so much closer to home with this one. In the end, it's the lesson we have to learn as we grow old. We have to accept the people that we love, just the way they are.
Rating:
Summary: The best romance novel I've read in a long time!
Review: I had never heard of Barbara Freethy before and purchased this book on a whim and boy am I glad I did! Freethy weaves a moving story of love, hope and even betrayal around her three main characters Alli, Tessa and Sam. She portrayed each character's feeling with such conviction that I couldn't put the book down, I actually finished it in one sitting! My advice to anyone considering purchasing this book is to buy it... the only thing that you would regret is finishing it too quickly (like me!)
Rating:
Summary: Just The Way You Are
Review: I have read every one of her books and in my opinion she just doensn't write fast enough! She didn't let me down this time either. It was absolutely wonderful. I was laughing and crying at the same time. It was different from her others, especially when she made the main character a little on the jealous side, but it made the book that much more enjoyable and easier to relate to. I have always liked how Barbara puts a little of the supernatural in her books. I read the book in one day, my housework suffers but I know it will still be waiting for me when I put the book down!
Rating:
Summary: Just The Way You Are
Review: I have read every one of her books and in my opinion she just doensn't write fast enough! She didn't let me down this time either. It was absolutely wonderful. I was laughing and crying at the same time. It was different from her others, especially when she made the main character a little on the jealous side, but it made the book that much more enjoyable and easier to relate to. I have always liked how Barbara puts a little of the supernatural in her books. I read the book in one day, my housework suffers but I know it will still be waiting for me when I put the book down!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I ordered this book before it was published because I enjoyed all the other Barbara Freethy books so much. This was the best one yet! Tessa and Sam had been in love but Tessa's sister Alli tricked him into sleeping with her, became pregnant and forced a wedding. For nine years Alli felt Sam still really had feelings for her beautiful sister and finally decided to give him his freedom to explore what he really wanted in life. The book takes you through periods of anger and sympathy for each of the characters. I could not put it down. I read it in two evenings. Now I can't wait for the next Freethy book.
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