Lover's Lane [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Jill Marie Landis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2003

A New York Times Bestselling Author

Carly Nolan has built a life for herself and her son, Christopher, never getting too close to anyone and carefully concealing her troubled past from the folks in the isolated haven of Twilight Cove. Until now. Private investigator Jake Montgomery has been looking for elusive Caroline Graham since the day she disappeared with his best friend's baby. As Carly cautiously allows him into her life, she never imagines that Jake, caught between his mission and his growing passion, poses a threat to her protected world.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A magazine photo of a painting takes PI Jake Montgomery to Twilight Cove in search of the elusive woman and her son who disappeared six years before following the death of the boy's father, who was Jake's best friend. Jake discovers that Carly Nolan is not a trashy bleached-blond gold-digger but a devoted mother, talented artist, and hardworking waitress. As he tries to find out why she fled from his friend's parents, whom he thinks wanted only to support her and be involved in their grandson's life, he begins to fall in love with her, the town, and a fixer-upper Craftsman-style house that had been his beloved stepfather's dream. This tale of a one-time abused foster child who survived a tortured childhood to become the kind of mother she wished she had had, who will do anything it takes to raise her son, is heart-touching and impossible to put down. Landis' compelling depiction of characters extends even to the villainess and six-year-old Chris; the pacing and plot are dead on, and consequently this love story is a joy to read. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“A heartwarming, sexy page-turner.”
—SUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS

“Jill Marie Landis is the author you’ve been looking for.”
—KRISTIN HANNAH

“Characters to love [and] emotion that tugs at the heart.”
—DEBBIE MACOMBER

“ENGAGING . . . [A] HEART-RENDING STORY.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Jill Marie Landis can really touch the heart.”
—JAYNE ANN KRENTZ

“With her first foray into contemporary novels, Jill Marie Landis utilizes all the power and emotion that has made her such a beloved storyteller. Her characters are compelling, believable, and possess all those troubling human foibles.”
—Romantic Times (Top Pick!)

“Jill Marie Landis spins a passionate tale of gripping emotions, rich in feelings of devotion and love between a mother and her son.”
—NoHo>LA magazine

“An unforgettable story about new beginnings and searching for a place to belong . . . A heartwarming and insightful love story.”
—Abilene Reporter-News

“A strong, engaging relationship drama that hooks the reader from the start through a fully developed secondary cast supplementing the prime plot. . . . Readers will appreciate this robust family drama.”
—Midwest Book Review

“Heart-touching and impossible to put down. Landis’ compelling depiction of characters extends even to the villainess and six-year-old Chris; the pacing and plot are dead on, and consequently this love story is a joy to read.”
—Booklist

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 633 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (September 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078625730X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786257300
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,515,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JILL MARIE LANDIS'S twenty+ novels have earned distinguished awards and slots on such national bestseller lists as the USA TODAY Top 50 and the New York Times Best Sellers Plus. She is a seven-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award in both Single Title and Contemporary Romance as well as a Golden Heart and RITA Award winner.

Her works include historical romances, contemporary single title romance with a hint of suspense, inspirational historical romances, and most recently the new Tiki Goddess Mystery series that launched with the successful Mai Tai One On.

Jill Marie resides in Hawaii with her husband. When she's not writing or sitting on the beach reading, she enjoys visiting with family and friends, raising orchids, working in her garden, plunking on the ukulele, dancing the hula and quilting, but not all at once.

She enjoys hearing from readers at www.jillmarielandis.com
facebook, and at www.thetikigoddess.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love is sometime found in the place you least suspect, May 28, 2005

By 

Frederick A. Babb "An Author," (http://www.frederickbabb.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lover's Lane (Mass Market Paperback)

Sometime in the past, a young mother is made an offer that most would have to think about. Caroline Graham had plans on marrying her son's father until tragedy struck, causing Rick's untimely death. His parents, millionaires without a sense of humanity, want to raise the only his only son. So they offer Caroline a million dollars for her child. Arthur Litton, the attorney that makes the offer on behalf of the grandparents, is quick to remind Caroline that she would have no chance of winning a court case and would be best to take their offer. When Arthur leaves her that fateful day, she leaves town and seems to have mysteriously disappeared from life.

Fast forward to the present day. Jake is a PI that was assigned to track Caroline down when she first disappeared. He also happened to be a friend of Rick. After everyone else had given up on every find Caroline again, Jake still pursued it, not for the economical compensation from Rick's parents, but for the sake of knowing that his friend's child was being raised properly.

A picture of a painting leads Jake on what he feels will be another wild goose chase. Yet, there is something about that painting that reminds him of the ones that Caroline left behind in her disappearance years ago, that he has to investigate.

The story goes on to have Jake find Caroline; only now she is called Carly. While attempting to find Rick's son, he finds love along the way. I could go on and tell you the story, but it is best to read the book. You will find the warmth of a small town, the fears of a single mother always looking over her shoulder and refusing to open up to anyone and a man that finds true love while never realizing that he also had someone right beneath his nose in love with him.

A must read for any romance fan!

Frederick A. Babb

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Twilight Cove......, August 13, 2004

By 

Julie Jordan Scott "Writer, Life Coach - Owne... (Bakersfield, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lover's Lane (Mass Market Paperback)

At first I resisted reading this book. Romance is normally not my thing. There it sat, on a shelf at my parent's house while I was on vacation and the next thing I knew I had not put the darn thing down.... .

The tight, engaging writing of Jill Marie Landis was coated in magical dust which seemed to intoxicate me. There was a bit of "swirlyness" as I wondered to myself "is this a suspense, crime type book or is this a romance novel?" yet Landis managed to bring it back to focus, mostly because of the characters of Carly and Jake.

The other "characters" which I found to work so well were the "character" of Carly's art and the fictitious village of "Twilight Cove". I found myself reveling in the simple descriptions and the house Jake was planning to restore was an excellent metaphor for Carly's life - although that restoration, wisdom tells us and Carly shows us, will come from one source only - herself.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOOD READ WITH NICE TECHNIQUE, September 29, 2004

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lover's Lane (Hardcover)

The author is a wonderful story teller. She uses a very interesting technique, not new, but certainly well done here. The sudden ending will set this one up well for an assumed sequel. This is not the sort of book/story I usually read, but I must admit to have enjoyed it and am looking forward to more. Well Done! Thank you Ms Landis.