Customer Reviews

Cloud Nine

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I just finished reading Cloud Nine and could not stop crying, nor could I put the book down until it was finished. Be sure to keep plenty of Kleenex handy, as you will need them for this book!

This was one of the most beautiful love stories I have read and Luann Rice is quickly becoming another favorite author of mine. I just finished reading Home Fires by her the night before and now Cloud Nine - what an emotional ride!!

Rice writes stories that grip your heart and soul and she does not let go until the story is over. Her character portrayal, especially of teen-agers, is so realistic, that you feel that they are your next-door neighbors and closest friends! Cloud Nine embraces all the nuances of family life, which has experienced death and familial loss, and the heartache that that causes. It embodies tragedy in multiple scenarios consisting of divorce, remarriage, cancer, and several deaths, yet, contained within all of these facts, there is a ray of faith and hope that life can and will get better. There is hope of reconciliation and the miracle of love working its magic. The character's live are not portrayed here as "perfect", but are wrought with dysfunction and pain, due to real-life experiences.

I found this story's ending to be bittersweet and wish that it did end differently, but once again, I am reminded that life is not perfect and life sometimes does not play out as we want it to - it is just fe being life. Rice expertly captures that feeling with Cloud Nine and conveys it so beautifully to her readers. You are swept up into the emotions of the drama and you cannot help it.

I absolutely loved this book and once again Rice demonstrates to us that love has a powerful and healing effect, on both the young and the old. Her message is of embracing life each and every day as a gift to yourself and to your loved ones, as one never knows what the next day will bring.

How did I miss this book in hardcover? It's exactly the kind of story I love--full of emotion, beautifully but simply written, totally romantic, and so TRUE in feeling that every single character comes fully alive. This isn't a pretentious story and, yes, it's a tearjerker but of the best possible sort. I felt so good when I finished reading it--despite the fact that I wished it would never end. So, for anyone who loves good women's fiction, who loves a good love story, who loves to read about families and their complex relationships, this is the PERFECT choice. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I loved the story of Sarah Talbot, who owns a bedding store called "Cloud Nine". When the story begins, Sarah is about to take a special flight to celebrate her cancer being in remission. She enjoys the flight so much that she decides to retain the services of the pilot, Will Burke, to take her to Elk Island. She left her hometown years before, but has decided to make the trip back to see her long lost father and the son she left behind.

Along the way, Sarah ends up bonding with Will and his daughter, Susan, and the trio help each other with all of the issues they are facing. I rated the book 4 stars because I'm not a big fan of romance, but in spite of my tastes, I really found myself enjoying the story and wondering what would happen next. If you are new to Luanne Rice, this is a great book to get your feet wet with. Rice is a wonderful source of comfort reads, and this book is no exception. If you are in the mood for a comforting and inspiring story, read "Cloud Nine."

LuAnne Rice is probably my favorite author. I've read several books this winter and by far, this was my favorite. You feel like Sarah is the girl next door that you've known all your life. It's such a sweet story with amazing content. The last twenty pages, I had to put down because I got so upset. Haven't read a book like this one in a long time. You will remember this one for sure. A great beach read!!!

Trapped on an airplane with this book, I had to drag out a pen and write in the margins to keep still. Words like, "hackneyed, trite, and insipid" kept appearing. Call me an English major, but if this is what's leading the market today we're in trouble.

I have read, and thouroghly enjoyed, many of Ms. Rice's books in the past. Cloud Nine, however, was a great disappointment. The plot was trite and contrived, the characters lacked depth and believability, and the dialog was absolutely ludicrous.

While reading the book, I got the distinct impression that Ms. Rice had a deadline to meet and simply threw down some words on paper without much thought and sent it to her editor, who, by the way, should never have allowed it to be published in the first place. Cloud Nine reads like a dime store romance novel, which may intrigue some, but I found the entire reading experience boring and intellectually unstimulating.

This is the first book I've read by Luanne Rice, but it won't be the last. I'm now online to find others by her. This was an impulse buy, after reading the story description on the back of the book. This book truly shows you the meaning of "love" and how precious it is, especially with our children. Anyone wanting to find a "feel good" book should read this, but have your kleenex box handy.

I am a GREAT fan of luanne Rice! i'm researching and buying books before they hit the shelf! This one, i will have to say was the hardest one to "get into" that I have read of hers (and yes, i have read all that are out!). BUT, once I got into the 4th chapter it was impossible to put down. The last few chapters were the ones that got to me! This happens to be Easter weekend and I was sitting on one of our NC Beaches reading this book and crying my eyes out. The ONLY time I stopped reading was to look around to see if ANYONE was looking at me. I finished the book, fried my skin and then ....went into the house. my husband's response was "look at you". i didn't know if he was talking about my red and swollen eyes or my sun baked skin!
This is definately a book to buy and enjoy! one of the best of ms. Rice's that I have read in awhile! Go buy it now! Don't stop until you have it in your hands and then grab a box of tissues and a beach chair!

This is a story of today, about a woman with a second chance who takes nothing for granted.

Sarah Talbot has suffered immensely with a life altering surgery. Her son Mike, unable to tolerate the illness, leaves her to fight her battle alone. He goes to Maine to live with his grandfather - Sarah's father - and her Aunt Bess on the family homestead.

A chance meeting with a pilot and his daughter enriches Sarah's life more than she feels she is deserving of. Susan and Will have secrets and problems of their own. A death of a beloved son/brother; the divorce and remarriage of Susan's mother to Julian, are but a few obstacles they have to face as a team.

This is a story about coming to grips with what life throws at you. Sharing your thoughts and feelings, opening yourself up to additional hurt, in an effort to find the human touch that we all need and desire. If I have learned something from Ms. Rice's story, it is that no life is ordinary - we each have the opportunity to touch someone deeply and we should strive to do just that in our lives. This is a moving and emotional story, I for one am looking forward to reading more of Luanne Rice's books.

Romances aren't really my favorite type of book but this is exceptionally good because it's very believable and very real. This story isn't dripping with unrealistic doting devotion. This story is so "real life".The characters are so easy to identify with as well as the jobs they have and the businesses they own. Life and love aren't always fair or easy to deal with, and this book touches on all of those things as well as the wonderful way the author describes the landscape and surroundings. I enjoyed this book a lot. Buy or borrow this book, you'll devour it and feel like you actually know these characters.