Customer Reviews

Beneath the Willow

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The plot is as described elsewhere.

I can understand being fearful of loving again after tragically losing one's lover. But eventually the fear should lessen some to allow for the possibility of letting someone in. In Paris' case, it rages on and on to the point that she pushes Sloan away over and over. Sloan for her part, despite being an intelligent woman, continues to return so she can be pushed away again.

I wanted to like these characters, but they weren't written well enough to care about.

The author has real potential - her scenes of Barney in the house are quite good. Her descriptions of Missouri in the summer are beautifully drawn. Once she gets characterization down and combines them with her other obvious writing talents, she will be an excellent writer.

I will continue to read the author hoping her talent develops, but will quit after the third book if there is no improvement because there are just too many excellent writers writing lesbian fiction to put up with mediocrity - authors like Radclyffe, Gerri Hill, and Ronica Black.

Having enjoyed Kenna White's first book, `Shared Winds,' this reader looked forward to reading `Beneath the Willow.' The book proved to be an enjoyable read with interesting characters and an engaging story line. However, when compared to `Shared Winds,' it's a little disappointing.

Main characters Paris and Sloan are both strong, admirable women. Paris has been lamenting the death of her long-time partner, Gabriella, in the events of 9/11. She seems to be existing in a black hole devoid of emotion and filled with long hours running her cardiology practice in New York. Friends and family have been unable to pull her back into the real world. Paris heads to Missouri to handle some business dealings regarding her late grandmother's house, but finds herself mixed up with a shady property manager and rekindling an adolescent romance she didn't even know existed. Resisting the pull of her heartstrings, Paris doesn't know how to handle her conflicted emotions. She wants to run back to her safe life in the big city, but also aches to find solace in Sloan's arms.

Great story, but that's where things start to break down a little. The property manager is more a distraction than necessary. Paris stands up to him, but doesn't really come across as the powerful woman seen in the rest of the book. The story itself has several minor inconsistencies that are distracting as well. These are mostly timeline issues and physical descriptions, but things that should have been caught and corrected nonetheless. It is this lack of attention to detail that made the story a slightly lower quality than `Shared Winds' in this reader's mind.

This is an enjoyable book I'd easily recommend to friends. It's only White's second book, but she has a raw talent that could easily develop into a masterful art. Keep writing Kenna!

The story flowed readily. The characters that populate it are wonderfully endearing and unique, they are fully fleshed out and become very real to the reader. Paris has some issues to overcome to be whole before they can have a relationship. I liked them both from the get go and liked them even more as the story progressed.

I especially enjoyed the delightful flashbacks to their shared childhood and also the current day interactions with Sloan's young nieces.

The humor in the writing was laugh out loud funny at times.

The review by MystBear makes some good points.

I don't want to spoil the ending but I was disappointed by the characters actions towards each other in the last chapters. I expected more self respect from Lindsey and more empathy for their lover from Paris. Otherwise it was a very good read.

Kenna White tells a nice story. This is her second book and she delivers again very nicely on a story about two women who discover each other and have to overcome a problem that threatens to separate them. In this case there are two problems, the tragic loss of a loved one in 9-11 and half a continent. What makes White's books nice is that, as you're reading what is a nice story, she sneaks in a scene that makes the whole book worthwhile. In this book it's an incident about a beloved pony that makes you feel for the emotions of a character that doesn't exist except on paper. White hasn't written the great American novel, but she has got a very nice book well worth reading here.

Coming from the mid-west this story was nice....everyone remembers that one you loved first....very well done.

I love Kenna White's simplistic, yet filling romance stories.
This is the second book that I have read from this author.
The book reflects on the main charcter's childhood and the one special friend that she revisits each summer. They eventually let their feelings out and become much more than friends. The book made me long for my youthful summers.
The one thing that I did not like about this second book is that the author seemed to have felt the need to throw in some bad language. It just did not fit with the old fashioned romance. Otherwise it would have been a classic love story.

This is one book that everyone should read. It is a wonderful love story and also a suspensful story.Kenna White is a very good author and has written two other books that should not be missed.

Kenna White has outdone herself in her second novel.

The character development and the flashbacks in time help bring the characters into perspective.

Paris and Sloan seem to have fallen back into their childhood rut except for Paris has some issues to deal with.

Sloan is patient and I love the ending.

Check it out and see.

I really enjoyed this book as much as her first one and would recommend it along with the first book.