Customer Reviews

Hold Close the Memory (Candlelight Ecstasy, No. 335)

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

i'm actually a really big fan of heather graham, but this was a big disappointment for me.
As the other reviews described this novel tells the story of a heroine who is left to raise her twins alone because her husband disappeared, presumed dead, and buried as so, for about ten years. but, as she finally begins living again, moving in with a bf, the hero returns. But its a bittersweet return because hes an unmitagated total jerk who not only had returned a few months earlier but had cheated on her in multiple really hurtful ways that made me, as an empathetic person, absolutely furious. SPOILER. He cheated on her during his capture, with a vietnamese woman who he had a child with. sure devils advocate says he was suffering alone, but if he was so in love with his wife, couldnt he keep his pants closed? apparently not. not even when hes back home in the states within hours of his wife can he do so when he sleeps with the widow of the officer he had been with who has been in his grave all these years. WHY IS THAT OKAY? i just dont understand why in the world a grown smart man would think sleeping with a widow would be right if he still wanted his wife. As the story goes on, not redeeming itself, hubby brings said widow that he cheated with to the house of his wife, and tells her about it a week after shes stayed with them for a bit. what a low blow. i guess the reason it bothers me so much is i could imagine, can you, how much that would hurt. you waited so long, and when he came back, he didnt trust you, got furious that you finally seemed to have moved on a little, and yet then you find hes been a jerk (amazon says no cursing but believe me i a much more descriptive word for him), and slept with other people too with a whole less thought and consideration than she ever had. WTF. maddening =this book. of course, in the end, everythings okay "aw i love you and i dc about what you did" grrr. usually graham has a lot of unfounded jealousy, he hasnt/wont/isnt considering cheating, but the heroines insecure, which is okay. but this was a nightmare.
heather graham has produced some wonderful novels, but clearer she got better with time, because this absolutely stunk.

Kim Trent had struggled to live after her beloved husband was missing in Viet Nam for the sake of her twin sons. After Brian is declared dead and a body is returned for burial, Kim rebuilds her life. With her sons' encouragement, she dates and, after 12 years without Brian, has found love again with Keith Norman. Then Brian appears on her doorstep, alive and ready to continue with his life and his marriage. Kim is a different person, can she choose between her new life and her first love, father of her children?

Engrossing, an emotional storm that tears into your heart. Extremely deep for a series romance. However, Brian was at times a very unlikeable hero. He came back and spent months with his parents, writing a book, without calling his wife. He spent time before that in military hospitals being checked physically and mentally, again refusing to contact his wife or allowing the military to call her. He slept with other women, while knowing he was still married, yet condemns Kim for moving into a new relationship while believing she was a widow. He talks and writes about his experiences with strangers, but refuses to talk to his wife. Brian is a bit immature, but this does not detract from the story. If you want deep, heartwrenching stories that make you think, try this one.

This book was fantastic! It is definitely one of the better romance novels. The storyline is very realistic, considering that many women have had loved ones disappear only to have them come home again. When Kim's husband comes home, after she thinks that's he's been dead for 12 years, you feel the anger, pain, and confusion of the leading lady. There are many tender words, steamy love scenes, and heartbreaking moments. I recommend this book to anyone who loves romances, but hate when they are long and drawn out. This one is short enough to read in one day; I know I did!

!!! was that? I believe Ms. Graham was trying to hard to make us think Brian was perfect, when in reality he was a JERK! He slept with other women during his captivity, had a child by one special Vietnamese woman, and 'they' named the child Kim after the wife he was cheating on?? What? He ecapes, makes it back to the States, and instead of going to his wife, Brian goes to his parents and the wife of the man really in his grave and sleeps with her. What? Then he invites her to stay at their house? What? Brian told Kim he understood why after 8 years she moved on and that she needed to understand why he was with other women? What? Kim was told Brian was dead. She buried him. Put flowers on his grave every month. She was a widow for all she knew. He could be reasonably sure that Kim was still alive and he knew he was still married. I don't get this story! Kim should have stayed with Keith ( the guy she moved on with ), he loved her. I'm not sure Brian really loved her or just couldn't give her up because the thought of her had kept him going ( when he wasn't getting a 'treat' from a Vietnamese women or the widow of a friend). If you don't like cheating...skip this one!