MIRACLE by Danielle Steel

Another great book by Danielle.
Quinn had lost his wife Jane and his daughter would barely speak to him.  So, he decides to charter a yacht and sail for several months.  While aboard he reads the journals his wife had written, feeling even more guilty for being away so much of the time building his empire.  He returns home to San Francisco, and having decided to sell their home starts the long hard work of sifting through a lifetime of belongings.  On New Years Eve a terrible storm blows through and literally blows down tress and wrecks all sorts of havoc.  He meets his next door neighbor while assessing the damage.  He needs roof work as well as other work done to repair the damage.  After having no luck finding a contractor he calls one of the referrals and Jack is able to come and look at the damage.  It turns out to be just what they all needed.  Quinn finds something to help take his mind off of Jane, Jack finds friends, and a teacher in Quinn and Maggie the next door neighbor finds a reason to live again.
All the while Quinn is having a sailboat built that will allow him to sail for the remainder of his life.

AMAZON - Miracle

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THURSDAY'S CHILD by Sandra Brown

What would you do if your identical twin asked you to be her for a few days?   If you are Allison Leamon; you are not able to turn your sister Ann down.  However, Allison will have to fool Ann's fiancé while Ann undergoes breast implant surgery.  She has not told Davis, her fiancé she is having the surgery.  Allison and Ann while they are  twins are different in personality.  Allison is quiet and works in research, wearing glasses and plain clothes.  Ann is outgoing, does not wear glasses and likes bright colored clothes.  The first evening as Ann checks into the surgical center, Allison meets Davis and his long time friend for dinner.   She trips and falls right outside the restaurant, losing a contact in the process.  Davis orders Ann's favorites, including alcohol, beef and pate.  Allison drinks very little and rarely eats beef and doesn't like liver.  But, she does her best.  Then while dancing with Spencer-Davis's friend he makes a pass at her.

Will the guys find out?  Will Allison finally find love?

AMAZON - Thursday's Child

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

LETTING GO by Pamela Morsi

What would you do if the husband you loved was dying of cancer?  What would you do if the treatments had to be paid for-would you insist on every possible chance?  Even to the detriment of your future?

That is what Ellen Jameson did, she never admitted to herself or her husband that he might not survive. She mortgaged the house, used all their savings and investments and in the end Paul passed away.  Now 5 years later, she has lost her home and business and had to file bankruptcy.  She her daughter Amber and Jet, Ambers 3 year old daughter move in with her mother Wilma.  Ellen attempts to see the best in everything.  Amber was a very good student, she was very responsible; helping Ellen with the caring of her father.  After his death and the subsequent problems she went a little wild.  She got pregnant and gives birth to a biracial daughter.  Jet is a sweet mannered child much like her grandmother.  Wilma has been in and out of marriage and her last one ended after his death.  Now his children are trying to force them out of their dads home.  And, to top it all off Ellen must find a job.

AMAZON - Letting Go

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

SUNSET IN ST. TROPEZ by Danielle Steel

Three couples. long time friends meet for their annual New Years Eve get together.  Eric and Diana, Robert and Anne and Pascale and John.  They try to meet up at least once a month and have taken several vacations together.  They decide they need another trip for the end of the summer.  They decide to spend August in St. Tropez and locate a realtor who finds them a lovely home to rent.  Then tragedy happens, Anne dies of a heart attack.  Robert is not sure he wants to go without her.  Eric has an affair and he and Diana may not survive.
What will happen?  Will they all survive?

AMAZON - Sunset in St. Tropez

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

SUMMERLAND by Elin Hilderbrand

Have you ever wanted to go back in time to high school? This story will transport you back. It does read by people instead of chapters i.e. Jake or Hobby. This is a story about a group of people that live on Nantucket. These are people that live there year round. You have Zoe Alistair and her twins Penny and Hobby who are 17. Then there is Jordan and Ava Randolph and their 17 year old son Jake. As well as Al and Lynne Castle their older two sons are away at college and Demeter is their 17 year old daughter. These are the main families of this story. The kids met the first day of preschool. Jake loved Penny ever since. Now they are all Juniors in high school, Penny has an amazing singing voice, Hobby is a star athlete, Jake starred alongside Penny in the school musicals and Demeter was around but not really part of any group. On the day of graduation for the senior class most of the families and kids made the rounds to different graduation parties. The gang included after all next year they would be graduating. After hitting up some parties they end up at a party on the beach. There is drinking but Penny never drinks. Before leaving Demeter and Penny head up into the dunes and when they return Penny is in a state. She demands to drive and ends up crashing the car. Penny dies, Hobby is in a coma with multiple broken bones, Jake and Demeter are pretty much not hurt. The police discover a bottle of alcohol in Demeter's purse. What is going to happen? Jakes mother has been asking to return to her native Australia, Demeter continues drinking and everyone still wonders what set Penny off.



AMAZON - Summerland



SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

I HEARD THAT SONG BEFORE by Mary Higgins Clark

A good suspense story.

Six year old Kay goes with her father to the Carrington estate, where he was their landscaper.  He needed to check on the lighting before their dinner party that night.  She takes advantage of her fathers permission to use the restroom, to explore the mansion.  She had heard there was a chapel and she wants to see it.  While there she overheard a couple arguing, after she hid when she heard them coming in.   Years later she goes to Peter Carrington to ask permission to hold a fundraiser at the mansion.  Kay had been raised by her grandmother, after her daughter passed away when Kay was 2 weeks old; then a couple weeks after the above adventure her father was presumed to have committed suicide.  His body had never been found.  Kay's grandmother is not happy when Kay and Peter have a whirlwind courtship and marry.  Peter has been a person of interest in a death that happened the night of the party 22 years ago.  What will happen?  Did Peter kill Susan along with others?

AMAZON - I heard That Song Before

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE by J.K. Rowling

The fourth book in the Harry Potter series.  This is a long book, 734 pages.
Harry is allowed to go to the Weasley's for the last bit of summer.  Mr. Weasley, his children along with Harry and Hermione go to the Quidditch World Cup.  With some problems accruing afterward, the Ministry of Magic goes into long hours to combat the problems.
Once back at school, they learn that there is to be a Triwizard Tournament, but due to the dangerous nature of the tasks; only students 17 and older can apply.  Two other schools will be coming to Hogwarts for the school year so that a student of theirs can participate.  On the day the champions are announced, somehow there end up being four instead of three and Harry is one of them.
Add to the regular schoolwork, the getting ready for the tournament and staying alive during them.  He also has been having episodes where his scar is extremely painful.  Is it because He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is around....  If so, Harry could be in danger.  Can Sirius his godfather help him?

AMAZON - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS