She had, for the past 30+ years, never been allowed to think for herself. James was always hard on her, even though he loved her. He laid out the clothes and shoes she was to wear wherever they were going. He dictated her life and it revolved around him. As mayor of Cider, Vermont, he was well-known and liked. No one knew about his dark side except his wife—not even their grown daughter, Laura.

The supporting characters were sharp, believable people, such as her neighbor, Jane. While this book addressed many problems faced today in marriages, it is one that is almost never talked about. The main characters, including the ‘new interest’ that surfaced in Rena’s life, was true-to-life, loveable (in some cases) people. This author, Ms. Doreen Lewis, was unknown to me; however, I really like her writing style.

It is good to see someone honestly focus on the circumstances some women face, such as how to let go of one aspect of her life yet better her emotional side. There were some horrible conditions that emerged which made for a much better plot. How Rena dealt with her own grief, plus that of her daughter and her estranged husband, was critical for her emergence into another frame-of-mind living. When she had an accident and hit the older gentleman, Eddy Alexander, she had to consider what was best for HER!

This is a good book with very interesting communication between adults of different generations about how a bad situation could surface uniquely for all involved. There were definitely surprises in the book! Overall, I liked the book and what it projected!

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Very sensual

Reviewer: Brenda Talley
May 2, 2007