Customer Reviews

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow: A Novel

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow by Francis Ray is a very human
account of one woman's struggle to right her life after
learning secrets which turned her world upside down.

Talk show host Madison Reed is loving her career but
struggling with her marriage. Then a tragic automobile
accident kills Madison's husband Wes and the young woman
whose tire he was changing. The woman's nine month old
daughter, Manda is unharmed. Before Wes dies he begs Madison
to care for the baby. Once she promises, Wes tells her that
he is the biological father.

Madison is devastated. She wants to hate someone, but
Wes is dead and Manda is an innocent victim. She begins a
tug of war; can she really care for her husband's child by
another woman? In steps Zachary, Wes' good friend, he offers
to assist Madison, promising that he will always be there to
help. But Zachary shared secrets with Wes that he is afraid
could destroy Madison and turn her against him.

I felt the same anticipation you experience as you ascend
for a wild roller coaster ride, knowing once you reach the
top you are in for a treat. The secrets kept you hanging
on to the bar as Ms. Ray brought this intriguing ride to a
climactic end. This is a very good read.

...

Meet Madison Reed mega talk show host and her TV corrspondent husband Wes. They are the perfect couple.....or are they? After tragedy strikes and Madison miscarries their unborn child.....their marriage seems destined for divorce court.
They drift apart and barely communicate with one another, just when Madison is ready to call it quits another tragedy stikes. This time more devastaing than she could ever imagine. Her husband is critically injured in a car accident, and while in the hospital he confides in Madison a secret that he shared with only a few others. While Madison attempts to cope and understand the hand she has been dealt, she also finds herself falling in love, even though she feels with the wrong person. Will she be able to handle all that has been given to her? You'll need to read the book to find out.

Francis Ray tells and amazing story of death, deception, acceptance, and love. This is the first book I have read by this author and my actual rating is 4.5. I look forward to reading more of Francis Ray's work in the future.

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Madison and Wes Reed appear to be the perfect couple, living the good life in the eyes of the public. Behind close doors they are sleeping in seperate bedrooms speaking to each other only when neccessary. Having lost a baby Madison puts her emotions in a box. West keeps his inside only to find solace in the arms of another woman. An unfortunate accident takes Wes life along with a woman Madison later learns is his mistress. Nine month old Manda is left with out a mother. Wes dying confession and request to Madison are to take care of Manda she is his child. Wes best friend Zachary is there to support her through all the craziness, but he has secrets of his own. Ms Francis Ray takes us on a ride of secrets, lies, denial, love, friendship, strengths,and weakness no emotion is left untaped. A must read, when you get past one shock there is another shock waiting for you.

I know when I read one of Francis Ray's books I am going to get a novel with all the elements of a good storyline; family dynamics, romance, and suspense. Additionally Ms. Ray's graces us with well developed characters and intelligently woven tales of middle/upper African American lifestyles.

Madison and Wes Reed appear to have it all; successful media careers, a custom built lavish home, and the lifestyle of the rich and famous. But there are cracks in the carefully constructed facade that are threatening to crumble to pieces. After a devastating miscarriage, Madison has becomes withdrawn from her husband, and Wes, unable to express his feelings, becomes equally inaccessible to his wife. When tragedy strikes, secrets, lies, and deceit are discovered. Madison hardly has enough time to grieve for her husband when she is confronted with the evidence of Wes's most deceitful deeds.

Madison is comforted by Zachary Holman, Wes's friend, and a successful homebuilder. He forces Madison to face her fears and impels her to look within herself to be the compassionate, loving woman that he knows she is. Meanwhile Madison feels compelled to keep up the masquerade of the grieving, devastated widow but because she is in the public eye, wolves in sheep's clothing are constantly looking for dirt. Madison also has to contend with Wes's parents, a self absorbed couple, who value class and economics above everything else to the extent they are also carrying around demons that lies and secrets have created.

There are imposing secondary characters who enrich the storyline as well as support the main characters. This novel is a lesson in what can happen when a couple lacks communication in their marriage, how life choices and circumstances can change momentarily, and how one woman faces her tribulations with her head held high. There were some predictable moments in the story but kudos are in order for Ms. Ray as a classic story teller.

Dera Williams
APOOO Bookclub

Francis Ray really knows how to tell a story and make you not want to put the book down. That's what happened to me when I bought this book. Since I own all of her books and have read many of them more than once I was not disappointed and neither will you be once you start reading.
On the outside Wes & Madison had the perfect marriage. All of that came to a halt when Wes is involved in an accident and on his death bed makes a confession of betrayal no wife would want to face. With the support of her family, co workers and Wes' best friend Zachary, Madison is able to start putting her life back on track and take care of and love the most innocent one of them all.
There is so much I want to say about this book but, I want you to experience the same feelings that I did as I read it. You will want to read it again and again. Go out and purchase this book or order it now. You will be so glad that you did.
Other boooks by Francis Ray: Forever Yours, Heart of the Falcon, Until There Was You and Silken Betrayal

In one stoic night, Madison Reed looses her husband, finds out that he had an affair, and is left with proof of the affair....a nine-month little girl named Manda. Consequently, on the same night, little Manda looses both her parents, orphaned.

Zachary is every woman's' dream...A virile man of his word, chivalrous, strong, protective, caring, and confident. He made a promise regarding Manda that he MUST see through. Madison and Zachary are thrown together, made to depend on one another and cooperate to triumph through tumultuous situations. Consequently, just when the ominous clouds are moving scandalous secrets threaten to crumble the foundation these two strong characters built.

Francis Ray's writing made my heartache. I wanted to reach out and comfort Madison; to remove her from the levels of grief that were stacking on top of her. In less than 50 pages, Francis established the problem, painted the setting, and sucked me into the poignant plot. Such passion, raw emotions, and unbridled needs.

The sensuality...erotic passion gave me shivers. Ray eloquently writes tasteful love scenes that make you squirm. Tender scenes that are more mental and emotional than physical. Shooting electric currents of desire, she deftly builds tension and anticipation between multiple characters and in various situations.

Ray wrote so sensually that I closed my eyes and could feel the depth of love and contentment. I Know Who Holds Tomorrow illustrates over and over the importance of love, honesty, and trust in any type of relationship.

Although the description of Madison's life is believable, and I found the cheating of the husband plausible, I found the actions of Zach truly unbelievable in making Madison accept her husband's child with another woman almost from the day of the husband's death. There was no healing allowed, very little grieving allowed, no time to get over the pain of the outside child, just Zach's insistance of shoving the child into Madison's life. Although I understand the child needed a home, and Zach wanted her placed before going to a posibbly uncaring foster home, forcing her on Madison was just a bit much. Maybe Madison would have taken the child in later, after she had time to grieve, but to force her to take the child that quickly just didn't work for me.

Francis Ray, no doubt, is an adept storyteller. She knows how to build her plot, develop her characters, and give her story a realistic feel through actual settings and believable dialogue. In her latest offering, she does just that through characters we can feel and with whom we sympathize.

From the heroine, Madison Reed, a strong yet vulnerable woman yearning to fill the void of her husband's death, to the man who becomes her hero, Zachary Holman, a tender, caring individual who at times seems too good to be true, and to the baby who is the center of this story, Manda, a delightful child who is surrounded by love, Ray convinces us that her skills are to be commended.

The only parts which didn't command the most attention were those that include the sub-plots which included a romance that seemed to compete with the primary characters' romance, however, there was enough action and spiciness through the main storyline to make I Know Who Holds Tomorrow a most enjoyable read.

WOW, what a powerful, soul-searching and renewing book. Francis really out did herself with this one and I'm sure it'll be another bestseller for her. This book is worth reading again and worth passing on to others. I Know Who..tells the story of Madison and Wes Reed the perfect couple. Or so they appear to be. Their lives are turned upside down in more way then one after a tragic accident that results in two deaths. The other colorful characters are baby Manda, Gordon, Louis, Zarchary, Helen, Edward, Camille, A.J and Vanessa Reed. Once these people start to cross paths, their lives will never will be same. I couldn't put this book down. While reading you learn how family secrets, betrayal and shame can destroy you and all that you cherish. You learn how to give of yourself unselfishly, restore your hope, faith and trust not only in yourself but, in others. This book is well worth every dime and then some. You won't and can't be disappointed. Thanks for a wonderful book Ms.Ray, it's more of a 10+, in my book.

This was a great read. I wanted to give the book 5 stars but I started to get really annoyed because the mistakes in the book. I also couldn't give it 5 stars because I couldn't belive that Madison hooked up with Zachary so quick.
The book is about Madison, a talk show host and her husband Wes, an anchorman. They are Americas hottest couple and evryone thinks that they have the perfect,ideal,picture book marriage. In reality their marriage is suffering. Madison doesn't realize how bad her marriage is until her husband was in a horrible car accident when he was helping a lady change her tire on the side of the street. While Wes is in his death bed he tells Madison a secret that will forever change her life.
The book is really worth reading because Francis Ray does a great job of making you feel like you are in Madison's shoes. I commend Mrs. Ray for writing a book that deals with celebrity marriages because it made me realize that they aren't perfect and they have problems like many other couples.