Each of the three stories in this trilogy is so different. The appearance of all the siblings in all three books definitely keeps them very closely related stories, but each one is very much the story of one of the three Chauvin children. I absolutely LOVE them all; they all have a poignancy all their own and the characters are facing challenges unique to each of them, but at the same time there are similarities as they each struggle with the changes that finding each other has brought about. Suzanne, well she's amazing. She never had any self-confidence or strong identity of who she was, but finding her brother and sister began something in her own life that took over. Her journey and discovery of just who she was and what she had to offer is inspiring and I truly enjoyed watching her relationship with the people in her life. None of it came easy, but when things worked out it was all the more sweeter. And the relationship between Suzanne and Tom, well suffice it to say that I still get teary-eyed when I recall all they'd gone through. Outstanding story and Outstanding series... definitely a trio of books that anyone would love ~ IMHO, of course.
RATING:
Excellence: Excellent to Outstanding ~ 4.5 stars
Steaminess: Sensual
BOOK READ:
Janice Kay Johnson; Kids by Christmas; HSR #1383; November 2006
3rd in the Lost..But Not Forgotten trilogy
SYNOPSIS:
Suzanne Chauvin was six when her parents died and her younger brother, Lucien, and baby sister, Linette, were given up for adoption. Long having blamed herself, she finally hires a Private Investigator to find her siblings, twenty-six years later.
* * * * * * * * * *
Suzanne has, at last, received approval to be an adoptive parent, but instead of getting just one child, her new family are a sister and brother pair: Sophie, 10, and Jack, 7. Their father abandoned them and their mother long ago and their mother had recently died due to complications of MS. More than happy to become a mother to two children needing a home, she also feels that she can somehow make up for losing her younger siblings years ago. Suzanne's life hasn't been easy; while her siblings were put up for adoption she stayed with an aunt and uncle. But her uncle and cousins really had no use for her. She married her high school sweetheart who only wanted to control her. Two years previously she got rid of him and was finally on her own. Long feeling like a failure, it doesn't help that her next door neighbour is a paragon of tidiness and achievment. Now if only she could ignore him and the effect that he has on her.
Tom Stefanec has been Suzanne's neighbour for five years. He's seen her survive an abusive marriage, change careers to open her own business and now she's taking on motherhood. He has long admired this gutsy woman who never quits, and now that she could use some help, he finally has a chance to develop a relationship with her. He very much likes her new children, and finds himself falling deeper and deeper in love with all of them. Will she be able to give him a chance?
Books read in April: 19
Har / Sil ~ 8
Others ~ 11
October's MEMBER OF THE MONTH
kalyko ~ Reading: One of life's little joys and a much needed reward!
