 Contemporary Romance |
HOMECOMING Rochelle Alers BET/Arabesque November 2002 (4) Jeanette Cogdell |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS: |
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Reporter Dana Nichols returns home to Mississippi to discover the truth behind her parents' long-ago murder-suicide and clear her family's name. The last thing she expects is an instant sensual attraction to handsome, dedicated doctor Tyler Cole--or that her investigation would cause someone to attempt to destroy Tyler's career and reputation. |
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REVIEW: |
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With her mother murdered in her sleep, their house burned down, her father found guilty of both crimes, and then committing suicide, Dana Nichols has lived the type of childhood no child should have to experience. Now after spending over two decades away from the tragedy that was her beginning, Dana has returned home to bury her maternal grandmother, the last of her family. But Dana also has a secret agenda. She plans to spend the next four months of her leave, from her investigative reporter job, to learn the truth about her parents’ death and to clear her family name. Someone, however, doesn’t want Dana to learn the truth and has set out to stop her and anyone who assists her.
Tyler Cole is new to Hillsboro, Mississippi, but likes what he has seen and has recently built a large beautiful home there, although he has no plans to marry. With medicine as his mistress, Tyler doesn’t have room in his life for anyone else but his patients, until he meets Dana and is consumed by her powerful allure. Tyler doesn’t understand why Dana causes him to feel the way he does and in no time finds himself giving in to those emotions deciding to convince Dana to stay in Hillsboro with him.
With a strong resemblance to her beautiful mother and attracting the attention of men wherever she went, Dana feared she was headed down the same path as her adulteress mother. After her father’s betrayal, she finds it difficult to trust men and once meeting Tyler and learning he is a doctor like her father was, Dana is determined not to get involved with him. Her strong attraction to him and the security she feels in his arms convinces her otherwise. Even thought she embarks on a short-term relationship with Tyler, Dana refuses to let him or anyone else deter her from her plans.
I was intrigued from the first page of the prologue of this story. With such a dramatic introduction I was enthralled in the story and anxious to learn the truth. As always, Ms. Alers has created characters that come to life with her every description. Dana and Tyler were perfect for each other. The secondary characters were just as vivid and lent much to the storyline.
I loved the scene when Dana meets the Coles and Tyler is surprised and jealous to learn that she isn’t quite the stranger he thought she would be with all of his family. However, this reader did not take lightly to the fact that Matt Sterling was excluded. (You’ll pay for that one Ms. Alers - LOL)
The mystery has a twist at the end that left this reviewer flipping back through the pages to find out exactly who did what. The climatic ending was rushed and revealed in a matter of paragraphs that spoiled what should have been a gripping conclusion.
An opinion, (and we all know what they say about those). Family trees are great when it comes to remembering who married whom and had how many children and their names, but it takes away from the story when one of the surprises is revealed before you even begin the book.
All in all, I did enjoy HOMECOMING and watching the union of Dana and Tyler develop. The Hideaway series may be coming to an end, but with Ms. Alers, you can always expect an excellent story filled with vivid characters a compelling storyline. |
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jeanette@romanceincolor.net (5th October 2002) |
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