Off Season [Paperback]

Jackie Calhoun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

After the tragic death of her long-term lover, Jenny has kept her aching heart under lock and key. Then she meets Rita, an attractive woman whose own heart is trapped in a prison of grief and loss. Less than a year ago, Rita's father shot and killed her mother and himself. As their friendship grows into a relationship, Jenny and Rita begin the journey toward hope and healing. Only Pam, the seductive former wife of Jenny's brother, threatens their fledgling relationship.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Bella Books (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967775302
• ISBN-13: 978-0967775302
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #389,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Skip this one! Poorly written, poor character development, June 12, 2006

By 

Slash "MSlashB" (Westminster, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Off Season (Paperback)

Definitely something missing here! I have read a LOT of lesbian-centered fiction and this one just seemed to miss the mark from many perspectives. The book was not very well written... often hard to follow the flow of the dialog and the plot was all over the place. Story lines were introduced and not fleshed out very well and character development was non-existent. There really wasn't any basis for why the two main characters fell in love and the supposed 'love triangle' just didn't make sense to me either. I couldn't figure out the attraction there at all!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Huh? Did I miss something?, May 14, 2006

By 

K. Johnson (Twin Cities, MN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Off Season (Paperback)

I generally like books by Jackie Calhoun. She presents interesting characters in intersting situations. Such is not the case with 'Off Season.'

From the description on the back cover, the reader is expecting an exciting love triangle, a little bit of anguish, and a lot of romance. However, these characters lead mundane, gray, boring lives and their romances follow suit. At a minimum, the book kept my attention. I kept turning the page, expecting something exciting to happen, but it never did.

This story is like an old black and white film on a rainy Saturday afternoon. It keeps your attention long enough that you don't turn it off, but you won't "stand around the water cooler" discussing how good it was either.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old into New, June 3, 2008

By 

Angie (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Off Season (Paperback)

"Off Season" is the story of Jenny and Rita who must heal themselves if they are ever to create a meaningful relationship. The setting takes place in one of Wisconsin's most scenic locations along Lake Michigan in Door County. There, Jenny works for her brother Joe in an antique mall, which he owns with his second wife, Cheryl. While grieving over the premature death of her partner, Jenny meets Rita. Unfortunately, Rita is also grieving over the loss of her mother's shocking death at the hands of her violent father, which Rita had witnessed. Weighed down by her own unhappiness, Jenny doesn't think she's strong enough to deal with Rita's as well. So, Jenny avoids getting personal with Rita. This opens the door for Pam and her flirtatious nature. After a couple of sexual exchanges with Pam, Jenny, despite her loneliness, realizes that Pam doesn't offer the loyalty that Jenny needs from a partner. Meanwhile, antiques have disappeared from the mall and from one of the summer homes on Sturgeon Bay where Jenny, Rita and Pam work as painters for Joe's off-season remodeling business. Bill Houseman, one of the antique dealers, is suspected of stealing the items. Pam, who is also suspected, searches for and finds them on Houseman's property. By now, Jenny has opened herself to Rita while Rita still struggles with her depessing memories. It takes Houseman, angry and unfriendly as he has been, to shake Rita loose from her demons. A good read for anyone who likes romance with a little borderline mystery.