Love and Devotion [Paperback]

Erica James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

Harriet Swift has her life organized just the way she wants it: a satisfying career, her own immaculate flat, and a new boyfriend. But her well-ordered world is turned upside down when her only sister is killed in a car crash. Harriet has never been the maternal type, but with an orphaned nephew and niece to look after, she has no choice but to leave her old life behind. Divorced Will Hart also thinks he has the perfect life. A firm believer in living for the moment, Will has a terrific relationship with his teenage daughters and has happily swapped a career as a lawyer for that of an antiques dealer. Then a startling revelation causes his life to unravel. Both Harriet and Will have no choice but to piece together a new future for themselves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A very moving novel about life, families and love." -- SUNDAY EXPRESS S MAG, 5 June

About the Author

Erica James grew up in Hampshire and has since lived in Oxford, Yorkshire and Belgium. She now lives in Cheshire. She is the author of eleven previous bestselling novels, including GARDENS OF DELIGHT, which won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 536 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752865455
• ISBN-13: 978-0752865454
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #510,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely read, October 22, 2006

By 

Janet Rowell (West Linn, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love and Devotion (Paperback)

Erica James is a well-known and award-winning British author who will appeal to many US readers. Reading this book is like curling up with a cup of tea and having a wise and thoughtful friend recount a good story. The subject matter is sad - a young woman and her husband are killed in a car wreck, leaving two children to be raised by an unmarried sister and her parents. But the tale is well told and there are many moments of humor. A romance unfolds, and a prominent character is attracted to two different men, but it's not like typical schlock where you know from the outset which one she's going to end up with. Over the course of the book, a mystery is resolved, a marriage strengthed, people suffer and grow, and of course much tea is consumed. The plot lines are not especially original, but they're also never hackneyed. All the characters (and we readers, for that matter) are treated with affection and respect. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives up to it's title., April 25, 2006

By 

Ann (Knightdale, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love and Devotion (Paperback)

Great Book!!!

Will: 45, self employed, carefree, once stay-at-home Dad devoted to his daughters & still butting heads with his (re-married) ex-wife.

Harriet: 32, independent career oriented & keeping her promise to take care of her sister's kids while feeling second best.

Jaw-dropping circumstances, twist & turns and occasional humor all work together to form a very realistic story that will keep the pages turning. Ms. James also does an excellent job intermingling the supporting characters.

Well worth reading. So, curl up and enjoy this walk into the lives of neighbors Harriet & Will as they deal with the hand life deals them.

3.0 out of 5 stars Predictable but enjoyable, November 28, 2011

By 

SHR (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love and Devotion (Hardcover)

This is about Harriet Swift and what happens to her life after her sister & brother-in-law are killed in a car accident and she takes custody of her young niece and nephew. There are a whole lot of other interconnections going on, as well as how the parents and other friends cope with the deaths and it is a very interesting study in reactions to grief and change, as well as the way we rebuild our lives and accept what fate brings to us. The ending is predictable (maybe I just read too much of this stuff) and the stops on the journey to the end are also predictable but it is well written enough that I forgave it that and just went along for the ride.