Header PromotionReady for Marriage by Debbie Macomber (HR #3307 - April 1994)
Sequel to Ready for Romance.
This one was OK. I didn't like it as much as the first book.
From the back cover:
What do you do when you love him - but love isn't enough?
If you're Mary Jo Summerhill, kindergarten teacher, and you're in love with Boston blue blood and political hopeful Evan Dryden, you get out of his life. You do it by lying to him, by telling him you've found someone else. And you break his heart....
All because you believed that you didn't belong in his world. All because his mother said you weren't the "right kind of wife."
That happened three years ago. Now your parents need legal help-Evan's help-and you go to him. You discover you're as much in love with him as ever. You don't know how he feels, though, and you wonder: Does love ever get a second chance?
This book was OK. My biggest problem with this book was that, although both Mary Jo and Evan claimed to be completely in love, neither of them seemed to be willing to fight for the relationship. They were both guilty of it but she was especially bad. She didn't seem like she was willing to make any effort at all to make it work.
The other thing that bothered me about this book was not quite as big a deal but it was something that took me completely out of the story and bothered me enough that I had to go back and reread a section just to make sure I wasn't imagining things. In order to avoid spoilers, I'm going to change the issue involved to "getting a dog" (there were no dogs involved in the telling of this story). At one point she expresses her concern about the fact that he loves dogs and would never be happy if he couldn't have a dog and she hates dogs. So he tells her not to worry, they won't get a dog. Then 12 pages later, the next day, he tells her that he has the greatest news. He's so excited. He's getting a dog. Huh?
Rating: 2.8
I think I read this one...
a while back...but the cover must have been different.
I thought it was ok, but you're right...i was mad at both of them, for not fighting hard enough for the relationship.
Terri
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Hi Karen - as I remember
"I kind of expected this premise to annoy me but was pleasantly
surprised by the execution. I liked the way they each stuck to their guns but managed to find a solution all the same."
Like your dog analogy - have to admit it didn't make an awful lot of sense until I refreshed my memory
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Hi
Terri - Their attitudes really bothered me. After reading the first book, I was looking forward to reading this one but it didn't go at all like I expected. I thought he would go after her and then when she turns up at his door, neither of them really seemed like they were willing to make any extra effort and fight for each other, the supposed loves of the their lives.
Sadhbh - I guess I didn't really see it as "sticking to their guns" as much as not really willing to make any sacrifices or comprises so that they can be together. As for the dog analogy,
thanks. Just trying to get my point across without spoilers. 
Hi Karen,
I read this one so long ago, i don't remember anymore what i thought of those issues, but i just checked my book program, and i gave it 3 stars...so looks like i thought it was good, but not anything great...likely for the same irritating reasons.
Kathy D
Hi Kathy
Thank goodness for those book programs
. Yeah, I can see not remembering this one. It was OK but nothing extra special that would make it stick like some of the other Debbie Macomber books I've read. But hey, you can't love them all. 