Customer Reviews

Halfway To Heaven

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Author Susan Wiggs departs from the Great Chicago Fire setting of her recent novels and takes the reader on a journey to late nineteenth century Washington. There, the reader is treated to a heart-warming romance and a bird's -eye view of the politics of the times.

Miss Abigail Cabot, daughter of Senator Franklin Cabot, seems to be an utter social failure, always causing some disastrous event at important gatherings. At a recent wedding, her deformed foot nearly gave way just as the scoundrel, Virginia Congressman, Jamie Calhoun, rescued her.

Charmer Jamie notices Abby's adoring gaze falling on Lieutenant Boyd Butler, son of the vice-president. But Boyd has eyes only for the beauteous Helena, Abby's sister. As Abby agrees to pen Helena's letters to Boyd, she discloses her heart's innermost feelings, and Boyd falls in love with the letter-writer. Jamie decides to aid Abby in transforming herself into someone desirable by Boyd, even as Jamie shows interest in her studies of astronomy. Jamie's friendship with Abby blossoms, even as he needs to convince himself that he is only acting in his self-interest -to attain the support of Senator Cabot for anti-railroad legislation.

Rounding out this intelligent romance are supporting characters such as Professor Rowan, neighborly nutty professor and object of Helena's desire as well as Princess Layla, the woman who had chipped away at Jamie's heart.

Ms. Wiggs has set her romance apart from the rest as she alludes to the secrets in Jamie and Abby's hearts that they must unravel as the surface tension between the two leads to a deeper emotion. In a genre where beauty is often paramount, Abby and Jamie's view into each other's souls is augmented only by their support of each other's most passionate causes. For a lovely lyrical read, Ms. Wiggs' latest creation is not to be missed.

Halfway to Heaven is the first book by Susan Wiggs I've read. What a treat! Her distinct style hooked me quickly, transported me back to the world of 19th century Washington, D.C. politics, and kept me turning the pages.

The main characters, Abigail Cabot and Jamie Calhoun, immediately captured my heart because they were portrayed as two very human individuals whose imperfections make their story all the more believable. Lively dialogue snaps back and forth as Jamie attempts to teach the very intelligent, unconventional Abigail the social graces. All the while, they fight the growing awareness of their love for each other.

With a distinct style, Ms Wiggs paints wonderful and evocative word pictures of her well-researched historical period. The detailed personalities of her engaging secondary characters add yet another level of depth. Senator Franklin Cabot, the aloft father; Helena, the shallow, but not so shallow sister; Professor Rowan, the neighborly nutty professor and object of Helena's desire; Lt. Boyd Butler, the vice president's son and Abigail's unrequited love interest; and Princess Layla, the woman who destroyed Jamie's heart.

The captivating plot moves smoothly with humor. Her believable characters and their interaction draw you into the scenes with their hints of the plot twists and turns that lay ahead. The conclusion draws Jamie and Abigail's story together with a satisfying resolution and the author even promises a follow-up of Helena's story.

Halfway to Heaven is an enchanting love story that will stay with you long after the final page.

I have read a few novels now by Susan Wiggs - Miranda, The Firebrand, Horsemaster's Daughter & A Summer Affair. All extremely good - especially the last two (which are a series). I have taken to this author as she is a master with the written word. I so enjoy authors that are able to draw out human emotions from simple descriptions and a few well placed words and thoughts. Her writing draws you into another world - just as a good book should. Her books are really simple love tales but, the journey is the best part of her stories and characters. Just like life...it's the fun of getting there that is the sweetest treat.

In Halfway to Heaven she does it again. The magic of an unexpected love. This story was extra fun because we can all empathize and feel for a leading lady who is less than beautiful, less than graceful, less than perfect - just like most of us - we can relate to Abby in this story. She was more brains than beauty, more deep thought than wisdom and more science than mystery. But...she was charming all around. It just took a very discerning eye to see the real woman beneath the surface. Her father missed it. Her sister even missed it. The world around her certainly missed it.

But...our leading hero, James - or Jamie as he began to be called - didn't miss it. He saw it clearly.

Jamie saw her as a boring, brown wren at first - much as the rest of the world did. But...upon deeper viewing he saw a lovely bird ready to spread its wings and soar with the right guidance. His guidance. Mind you...Jamie had his own needs to be met - getting in with the right politicians to get his agenda fulfilled in Congress but, he didn't mind playing fixer upper with Abby along the way since her father was an important connection locally. His assistance in polishing Abby into a social butterfly with the right clothes, social graces and dancing charm was much needed. Jamie was helping Abby capture the man of her dreams and in turn, Jamie would get political clout. Everyone would win.

Along the journey of evolvement to a real woman Abby made him laugh, think, and explore the world in ways he had forgotten. He was hurt from the past, reserved from previous hurts and closed to the idea of giving away his heart but...Abby managed to break past his polished and handsome exterior to find the real man beneath the surface. Jamie's friends missed the true man beneath. His family missed it. The world around him missed it.

But, our leading lady Abby saw it. She saw Jamie for the wonderful man he was. Complete with dark memories, deep loss, lost first love, scars and all. Still she saw through him. To the real man. Her ability to see deep changed him as well.

Nothing is more soul stirring than hearing a man tell a woman she made him better than he could ever hope to be. Abby did that for Jamie. And in turn, Jamie made Abby a complete woman. I loved how Abby developed into a confident and courageous woman by the books end - she took what she wanted instead of waiting for the world to give it to her. I loved how Jamie realized the past must be just that and he can only have a future by looking forward. Being apart, they realized they were stranded on earth - and alone. By being together, they were already halfway to heaven.

I liked that SW did not make Abby and Helena's father into a bad guy. He was busy with work and alone since his wife died and making the best of being a widowed father. I liked that he loved his daughters and simply wanted the best for them even if he seemed distant and distracted at times. I also liked some of the other secondary characters in this story too - interesting people - sister Helena, scientist Michael Rowan, the princess etc. I plan to read Enchanted Afternoon next so, I'll get to hear Helena and Michael's story next.

SW rarely goes into a lot of details in her love stories in terms of physical intimacy or relations. Instead, she uses the gift of the written word to make you dream and visualize and fantasize about "the what if?". She makes you feel the longing, the hurt, the confusion and all the love that is between the main characters and because she is so good at this, I rarely miss the love scenes. If anything, the emotional tugging she does to your head and heart are more powerful than any "quickie" could be.

If you have not found this author yet, I would recommend you do so. She always writes a great story - realistic and easy to follow and creates moving and memorable characters. She is on her game and it's a pleasure to buy her books. Happy reading!

Susan Wiggs is one of the few authors I read without consulting reviews, without worrying if her latest effort will simply follow the hackneyed plotlines of traditional romance, becoming predictable and two-dimensional. I was excited to find her newest creation in the bookstore yesterday afternoon, started it on the train ride home, and finished it before midnight that night - I just couldn't put it down. I was so completely drawn into the evolution of her characters that I managed to forget reality, if only for a few hours.

What's more, I really fell in love with both the hero and the heroine, so much that I really cared about what befell them as the storyline progressed. It was wonderful to mark the progress the heroine makes as she grows, as she learns more about herself, and I fell in love with the hero over and over again with each evidence of his enduring faith in this girl, despite her lack of self esteem, despite her lack of obvious beauty, despite his own lost faith in himself and in love. Instead of painting him as the perfect hero, Wiggs instead makes him human, and through his actions and his faithfulness to others, we see him as heroic and redeemed.

Morever, this book illustrates an important lesson: how important it is to believe in yourself, and how that elusive self-confidence is really what distinguishes the popular from the wallflowers, more than simple aesthetics. We see the evolution of the heroine from shrinking, bedraggled violet to the confident, unfurled rose.

On a side note, Wiggs deftly inserts a subplot, involving the heroine's sister, without detracting from the overall plot (a worthy feat in itself). I gleefully expected a setdown for the sister, for her self-absorption and lack of support for the heroine, only to completely reverse my sympathies, as the author revealed more. The sister was not the only character for which I experienced this fluctuation of emotions; with the heroine's first love interest (the only plotline which Wiggs seems to recycle frequently, but with great skill so that it doesn't grow too old), I was prepared to hate him, then admired him for his ability to fall in love with heroine through words and not just appearances, and then fell OUT of love with him, but with no hard feelings, as they both realize the superficiality of their feelings. All in all, these transitory relationships were very well drawn, with a sense of flow, yet not diverting the reader's attention from the main protagonists. Meanwhile, I eagerly anticipate the next book, as I want to know what will befall the sister.

This book reminded me of how much I enjoy this genre, for its belief in second chances, in life, in love. A truly fresh perspective on the well-trodden but rocky path of falling in love, one that was thoroughly absorbing and well-written. Read it, if only for the opportunity to travel to another dimension, away from the harshness of reality and current events, where people believe in each other, in love, and in a better world.

This story was good, though definately not one of the best. I enjoyed reading a little about the politics of the 1800's, and some of the social issues, but mostly I liked watching the heroine, Abagail Cabot, grow. It was kind of an "ugly duckling" story, though not exactly, since the heroine changes the way she sees herself more than she changes her appearance, though she changes that too. I though the hero (Jamie Calhoun) was a bit of an ..., but I suppose he turned out to be a basically good duy, although I'd say that he was rather willfully blind when it comes to some things, and the stunt he pulled with the letter made me want to beat him with a large stick. He interferes repeatedly in Abagail's life trying to "help" in order to win her father, the most powerful senator at the time's support of his stand on the Southern railroad building. He is rather high handed in his handling of our good heroine, but he really does genuinely want to see her happy as it turns out, and so he sets out to remake her so that she may win the heart of the vice president's son, Lt. Boyde Butler, who by the way, took one look at the beautiful Helena (Abagail's sister) and just about fell on his face. I also liked that Abagail's sister (Helena) turned out to really love and care about her Abagail and their family in her own way, more than just society and their opinions unlike some other books. I thought it was really cute that she had a thing for the good professor, though I didn't like the professor half so much by the end of the story. He started out as the sexy absentminded academic type, and ended up being an ... But still, it was really nice to watch Abagail grow, and go from being totally clumsy and having absolutely no self esteem, to being so sure of herself, and so much more certain. All in all, I'd say that, though not one of my favorites, it was a nice story- a decent rainy day read- and recomended as such, expecially if you follow the series. (The Charm School, The Horsemaster's Daughter, Halfway To Heaven, and Enchanted Afternoon<-- that's Helena's story)

In the late nineteenth century, everyone in the highest circles of DC social life knows that Abigail Cabot, though a senators daughter, is a weirdo. Unlike debutantes her age including her sister, Abigail prefers astronomy to balls. However, her feelings change when she meets Lieutenant Boyd Butler III. She wants him with all her heart, but he has no interest in her.

DCs most eligible bachelor, Senator Jamie Calhoun, needing her fathers help, promises to assist Abigail in getting her man. Something weird happens to Abigail and Jamie. They fall in love, but he refuses to believe in such a wasted emotion and she is confused over her former infatuation for the lieutenant and her sudden desire to only be with Jamie.

Readers will think they journeyed to nineteenth century upper class Washington society with the depth inside Susan Wiggs strong historical romance. The story line is fascinating mostly because the cast brings alive an engaging period of Americas past. The lead couple is a charming duet who struggle with his and her respective growing awareness of love for one another. HALFWAY TO HEAVEN takes the audience all the way to readers heaven with another winning novel from Ms. Wiggs.

Harriet Klausner

I was thoroughly delighted and enchanted by this romance. Susan Wiggs raises the art of the historical romance through her excellent characterizations, and weaves her tale with a perfect blend of history, humor, and heart. The main characters are intriguing, wise, obstinate, and very real. I adored Abigail as the heroine - she was intelligent, inquisitive, unique. I loved the way Jamie's story unfolds, bit by bit, rather than in a clumsy exposition like lesser writers would have succumbed to. The secondary characters are also richly drawn and add color and depth to the story. This was my first Susan Wiggs novel I've read, but it certainly won't be the last!!

While I have always enjoyed Susan Wigg's book, especially her Chicago Fire Trilogy, Halfway to Heaven was somewhat laborious for me to read. In fact, it took me six weeks to get through it. Unlike some of her others that were real page turners where I could not wait to sit down and read, this was a book that I put down for a few days and then maybe only read a half a chapter at a time. I kept looking to the end pages to see how much was left.

The characters of Jamie and Abbie are very endearing and they are not the problem here. It just seemed that we knew the point of the story right in the beginning. The road to the conclusion seemed contrived if not predictable and it took way to long for me to get there.

It's not that it is a bad book, but it was a disappointing one considering some of her other wonderful works.

Tender, funny, poignant. This book has it all. I am a sucker for a well developed story that doesn't insult my intelligence where honest yet sometimes confusing feelings are concerned. Abigale is not a "perfect" physical specimen which is a departure from the norm, but makes up for it with her wit and inteligence. Jamie's Pygmalion style role to bring Abigale to her full potential is romantic in it's poignancy and full of humor. This book was brought to my attention by a customer of mine. She has never led me wrong and this time is no exception. I am currently looking for Susan Wiggs sequal story of Abigal's sister Helena and other offerings by this new found (for me) author. Thank you, Susan Wiggs

I got this book for my wife who gave the following review: "I was totally captivated by this story from beginning to end. It was like watching a romance movie. All the characters came alive to me...Jamie Calhoun,the Cabot sisters. Thank you Susan Wiggs I look forward to reading some more."