No Simple Thing [Paperback]

Sara Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2005

Fiercely independent and proud of it, Kate Van Horn loves her life as a successful, single New York woman. She has no plans to marry. And children? Out of the question. But when she falls for Alec Callahan, all bets are off. Alec seems perfect in every way, until she discovers he brings more to the table than good looks and irresistible charm -- namely, a young daughter from his first marriage and a hateful ex-wife. When her husband's ex makes it clear she'll stop at nothing to make her life a living hell, Kate is faced with a most agonizing question--what do you do when love asks too much? This is the story of a woman's journey down a path she never imagined she'd take and the lessons learned along the way. It's a story about finding love, finding beauty in the ordinary, and finding strength in unexpected places.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A compelling tale of the choices one woman makes for love pitted against another woman's obsessive desire to get revenge." -- Allreaders.com, February 2005

"A fascinating contemporary tale [that] will grip the audience..." -- The Best Reviews, March 2005

"Sara Miller is an author to keep an eye on if NO SIMPLE THING is any indication." -- The Book Review Forum, February 2005

A book of raw emotions, of giving and receiving and coming to terms with what's important. A very good read. -- Book Review Cafe, April 2005

A compelling read! The characters have emotional complexity...and the twist at the end will stop readers in their tracks. -- Roundtable Reviews, March 2005

About the Author

Sara Miller is the author of a popular wedding planner and 18 children's books published by Random House, Reader's Digest and Golden Books. This is her first novel for adult readers. She lives with her husband, three step-children and two dogs in southern Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: UNLIMITED PUBLISHING LLC (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588321142
• ISBN-13: 978-1588321145
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,917,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing story..., April 3, 2005

By 

Michelle Carey "An enthusiastic reader" (Norwalk, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Simple Thing (Paperback)

I finished this book in one night - I could not put it down. I truly loved this book. As a soon-to-be step mom, I appreciated a story that deals with the complicated challenges of family life today. Kate's honesty about her struggles really had an impact on me. This book is not only for people with kids or step-kids, it is for anyone who wants to read a novel about a strong women, the challenges life presents her, and how she manages to get through it. I highly recommend this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, April 4, 2005

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: No Simple Thing (Paperback)

Kate Van Horn is a successful business woman. Her independence and strength are evident to all that know her, but when she falls in love with Alec Callahan her frailties begin to surface and Kate is confronted with her own inward demons.
Alec has a beautiful little girl from his first marriage, a child that is fine on weekend visits, as far as Kate is concerned, but when circumstances change and she is to become a permanent fixture, Kate is not so sure how she feels. To complicate matters, Alec's ex-wife is not a stable person, but one that is set on destroying any happiness that Kate and Alec might hope for.
In this story, Kate begins to deal with many inner conflicts, beginning with her own relationship with her mother. She battles feelings of anger and rejection, deep seated emotions of her own strength and weaknesses.As her life begins to tumble and spin out of control she searches deeply for the true meaning of life and love. Is she able to overcome her own feelings of inability and allow love to take it's journey in her life? A book of raw emotions, of giving and receiving and coming to terms with what truly is important. A very good read.
Shirley Johnson

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anything but your average story-Highly recommended!, February 23, 2005

By 

Meg McGann - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Simple Thing (Paperback)

NO SIMPLE THING is the gripping story of successful, happily single Kate Van Horn who gets more than she bargained for when she falls in love with Alec Callahan, an older man with a child from his first marriage. We first meet Kate a few weeks before her wedding when an important meeting is interrupted by a threatening visit from Alec's ex-wife, Cheryl. Kate is disturbed by the threats and worries that this is a sign of things to come, asking herself, "At what point do you decide to call off your wedding?" As she ponders this question, we follow Kate back in time to when she first met Alec and fell in love, making it easy to understand why she ends up choosing to marry him, even with all his "baggage".

But this is not your typical "happily ever after" storyline-which made it such an interesting read. A lot of complex issues are dealt with: balancing work and family, loving another woman's child, and coping with mental illness and substance abuse to name just a few. Between Kate's very honest, human reactions to the new pressures in her life and Cheryl's crazy antics that just keep getting worse, I couldn't stop reading this book.

The ending, as well, is far from typical, but I closed the book feeling satisfied with the outcome. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances.