Better Days Ahead
Charlie ValentineMainstream romance
Available from English Mill Press
ISBN: 978-0-9772187-0-7
March 2006
| Ms. Valentine is a great storyteller. In this, Book 1 of her trilogy, she tells an extraordinary story of four American families in the 1950's where you become involved in their lives - the hopes, dreams, pains, losses, challenges. The main characters you meet first are Sarah Robbins, a nightclub singer with an alcohol problem who lives in Cleveland, Ohio; Neil Dvorak, a cabinetmaker in Detroit, Michigan who has strong feelings about family after being raised in an orphanage and is devoted to his daughter Vicky; Dolores Drake, a mother of two daughters who is expecting another child, living in Purvis, Alabama with an abusive husband and the horrors of racial hatred; and the wealthy Strattons, parents Alfred and Delilah and son David and wife Karen, all living in Southern California. Three of the families move to the West Coast to California to better the lives of their children. When all their lives begin to overlap, there is tremendous drama. She has some very lovable characters and some you will despise. Despite everything the characters go through, there is always a sense of hope, looking to the future, wanting to make things better.
I became so very attached to the characters in Ms. Valentine's book I couldn't put it down until it was completely read. I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy, Harbor Nights. Ms. Valentine has an extraordinary ability at storytelling. Her characters jump off the page and capture your imagination and your heart. I wanted them to succeed in their attempts to better their lives. I can't wait to read more books by Ms. Valentine. I recommend this engaging story to everyone.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Ellen |
