Customer Reviews

Just Rewards

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

 

 

I really did enjoy this continuing saga of the Harte family and their ever-thriving Harte-empire.

Evan Hughes is preparing to marry her cousin Gideon Harte, and is pregnant expecting twin boys. India Standish is going to marry the artist Dusty Rhodes, and she is also pregnant with their first child. And Tessa, Linnet's sister and true rival in the Harte business is deeply in love with the famous Jean-Claude. They just become engaged in the book when Jean has to travel to Afghanistan to fight in the war, and Tessa is worried sick when he is suddenly reported missing over there.

Johnathan Ainsley is still after revenge for Paula for cutting him out of the family will. On the day of Evan's wedding he sets a bomb in the church and blows a big hole in the wall. Paula had a feeling that Johnathan would find a way for revenge at the wedding, so they wisely moved the time or the whole family would have been killed.

Linnet wants to modernize Harte Enterprises with many new exciting ideas, however her mother Paula, of whom is the boss of course, doesn't fall for this at all. Paula has never wanted to change the business from her grandmother Emma Harte's foundation. And Linnet was still trying to push these ideas on her mother in the office one day when Paula has a sudden aneurysm and is taken to the hospital very quickly. Paula has a very long recovery after this and may not be able to work again.

And to make all matters worse, Angharad Hughes, Evan's sister is engaged to the evil Johnathan Ainsley. No one can trust Angharad as she is a malicious person and has a jealousy that is awful in the family. Elayne, Evan's other sister is directly the opposite, and a very nice person.

The only thing preventing me from giving the book five stars is the author's singling out of Angharad and Elayne because they were adopted. They were not even included in the family tree at the beginning of the book, AND called "The Adoptees," very often when mentioned which I thought was prejudiced. Bradford also used the word "fondlings" when she spoke of them at one point in the story, and that seriously made me angry.

But other than that, it was a wonderful story and Bradford did an overall great job.

I absolutely loved Woman of Substance and others that followed. So I eagerly bought this book to follow the saga of the Harte women especially. However, even though I had read the first books, I found this one was much too confusing with the constant reference to the past relationships. Much too much time was spent on the past relatives and not enough story line.And there are far too many past relatives. I think Bradford is still an awesome writer and I will continue to read other books by her. But I do believe it's time to put the Harte family to rest and start something new. And it was a great ride. What a family----truly wish they were real and alive today. They would have been fun to know.I'm a shopaholic---and would love to shop in their store. But it's time to move on. I had a hard time finishing this one------a sign to me that it's a worn out story. Sorry.

With Just Rewards, BTB has managed to write the worst book of Woman of Substance series! Emma's Secret and Unexpected Blessings lacked a certain punch and certainly rewrote the history of the first 3 books. However, the characters in those 2 books were at least likable.

In this book, Linnet appears to be a unbelievable snob - pretty much turning up her nose at Evan's sisters because they're adopted (People without the noble Harte/Oneil/Kallinski) blood aren't as good as everyone else.

Evan's mother, father, and grandmother love Evan much more than her adopted sisters. Apparently, Evan's sister was a 'foundling' and has no chance of being as good as a Harte.

Evan is shocked that her father would feel that he is cut out of her life! However, she allows her 'in-laws' to plan her whole wedding, ends up having a secret ceremony in which she is more concerned that Paula and Shane attend than her own parents.

Paula, who used to be one of the smartest business women in the last 30 years, has all of sudden become one of the dumbest.

In the past, BTB made her heroines a bit too perfect - but at least down to earth. Now, we're supposed like people that seem to be insensitive snobs.

Also, this certainlly doesn't appear to be the LAST book of the series...

What happened to the "Substance" the author showed in her previous Harte sagas. This book falls flat on its face. The author spends most of the story explaining and re-explaining the Family relationships between the characters and describing their wardrobe. She fails to develope any story line of substance and her wonderful villian Jonathan is a wash out. Obviously this is not the last of the books if you read the last chapter(will not divulge its contents) But unless the next book is better than this one - don't buy it -its not worth it.

What is the one thing that women know, and know well? You guessed it...shopping! So who better to run a retail empire than a family of women? Strong, determined, confident women, that is. The descendants of Emma Harte could be no less.

Running an empire, however, is no easy job, and while these women love their work and take pride in growing and maintaining the empire begun by their illustrious matriarch, no empire can survive without its share of intrigue and drama. It is this kind of drama that makes the reader want more.

From their first appearance in 1979 in A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE to this sixth (and final) installment in the riveting family saga, I love the Hartes! By now I feel like I know them personally and want to find out what's going on in their lives. That's what JUST REWARDS gives us a chance to do.

Barbara Taylor Bradford drew me in immediately with the story of Emma Harte. Who doesn't love a rags-to-riches story? Who wouldn't love the story of a servant, impregnated by the son of the manor and then abandoned, who climbs one step after another until she's at the top of the heap? Add the beautiful Yorkshire countryside of England and the big city drama of London, and you have quite a novel.

In JUST REWARDS, the main players are the fourth generation Hartes, the great-granddaughters of Emma Harte. Tessa, Linnet, Evan and India are the main players in this installment; they are marrying, giving birth and trying to find that balance as most women do today between family and career.

As much happiness as there is in the lives of these four women, all is not smooth. An ugly specter from the past rears his head in the form of Jonathan Ainsley, Emma's grandson and uncle to the girls. While family and tradition may be the main theme for most members of the Harte family, revenge is the only thing with which Jonathan is concerned.

As is the case in so many books, the question here is whether good will triumph over evil and what damage might be done in the meantime if and before the good guys win.

Bradford gives us what so many authors don't these days: a sense of family, a sense of tradition, and a glimpse into the life of the rich and famous.

Fans of Bradford will be delighted to reacquaint themselves with tried-and-true favorites from her previous novels. But even a reader new to the Hartes will enjoy this book as the author gives us enough history to acquaint us with the past but in a style that never bores.

--- Reviewed by Amie Taylor

As usual Barbara Taylor Bradford finds a way to entwine new

character's into the story to keep it going...I found myself

not wanting this book to end as I did the other's.

Without giving away the story line, I'll say I was surprised

at some of the changes in the live's of the main characters.

AND I wouldn't be SURPRISED if we haven't heard the last of

this family's trials and trivia's.

As an avid reader of the Harte series, I found this book an interesting look at Emma's great grandchildren, specifically her great grand daughters. Earlier books in this second Harte trilogy had significant portions imported from the first trilogy. It was refreshing to see none of that in this book. It is nice to see the younger generation forming relationships as close as that between Paula and Emily. Somewhat surprising is the only token presence of Paula who is supposed to to be as formidable as her grandmother. Emma and Paula are the matriarchs of the Harte clan, but Emma seems to have more influence on the family than Paula. This is in spite of the fact that Paula is alive and Emma is dead. Paula wants to keep Emma's dream alive, but loses the "vision" she is purported to have so she can have a conflict with Linnet. American great granddaughter Evan is a central character and her American family is a big part of the plot. Jonathan Ainsley makes another appearance and is as villanous as ever.

Although this is supposed to be the last of the second Harte trilogy, the ending seems to suggest that there will be at least one more book. It does not seem like readers of this series have heard the last of Ainsley's connection to Evan's adopted sister.

Would like to note that the first review written of this book does not describe this book, but rather Unexpected Blessings, which is book two of this trilogy or book five of six in the Harte series.

Platinum penned Barbara Taylor Bradford has written the last in her Harte family series, which began with A Woman of Substance in 1979. Terry Donnelly, who reads the Unabridged version, and Kate Burton, who reads the Abridged edition, should both be dubbed golden voices.

Well remembered for her vocal performances of Emma's Secret and Unexpected Blessings, Burton needs no introduction. Daughter of Richard Burton she has numerous stage performances to her credit and delivers Bradford's stories with cool, crisp diction in an enjoyable to hear voice.

Familiar to TV audiences through her appearances on Law and Order, The Irish and How They Got That Way, plus others, Terry Donnelly possesses a stage trained voice that is perfectly suited to Bradford's unconquerable women.

With Just Rewards we find Emma Harte's descendants, most notably her great-granddaughter, Linnet O'Neill, who despite some family opposition wants to bring the family business up to date.

Her hopes are entwined with her sister's attempts to begin life anew after divorce, one cousin is planning a posh wedding, and another introduces trouble.

Bradford fans will find the conclusion to this romantic saga irresistible, especially as delivered by Burton and Donnelly.

- Gail Cooke

I have read all six books in the saga of Emma Harte. I loved Just Rewards, just felt sorry that it was the end. I'm hoping that maybe she will add another book to the saga. She is my favorite author.

I liked this author's previous book "A Woman of Substance," so I ploughed my way through the rest of the series. The quality of her writing and characterization has steadily deteriorated with each successive book. I actually find myself sympathizing more with the "villains" than the supposed heroines of the piece. Every time heroines Linnet or Evan refer to Evan's "adopted" sister, the supposed "bad seed" Angharad or old Edwina thinks that "genetics is everything," I feel like slapping someone. Maybe Angharad is jealous and envious because her family was so obviously biased to the supposedly perfect Evan! I feel the same way about Linnet's sister Tessa, who rapidly became my favorite character in this series, such as it was. Tessa's jealous because everyone DID favor her little sister Linnet, who reminds everyone of Emma Harte. The whole family's devotion to the great-grandma who died more than 30 years ago is unnatural. And, sadly, Bradford's dialogue stinks as much as her characterizations. I don't know if even a soap opera would take her on as a writer.