A Place to Belong : Serenity House (Harlequin Superromance No. 1088) [Paperback]

Kathryn Shay (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373710887
• ISBN-13: 978-0373710881
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,352,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathryn Shay is a lifelong writer. At fifteen, she penned her first 'romance,' a short story about a female newspaper reporter in New York City and her fight to make a name for herself in a world of male journalists - and with one hardheaded editor in particular. Looking back, Kathryn says she should have known then that writing was in her future. But as so often happens, fate sent her detouring down another path.

Fully intending to pursue her dream of big city lights and success in the literary world, Kathryn took every creative writing class available at the small private women's college she attended in upstate New York. Instead, other dreams took precedence. She met and subsequently married a wonderful guy who'd attended a neighboring school, then completed her practice teaching, a requirement for the education degree she never intended to use. But says Kathryn, "I fell in love with teaching the first day I was up in front of a class, and knew I was meant to do that."

Kathryn went on to build a successful career in the New York state school system, thoroughly enjoying her work with adolescents. But by the early 1990s, she'd again made room in her life for writing. It was then that she submitted her first manuscript to publishers and agents. Despite enduring two years of rejections, she persevered. And on a snowy December afternoon in 1994, Kathryn Shay sold her first book to Harlequin Superromance.

Since that first sale, Kathryn has written twenty-two books for Harlequin, ten mainstream contemporary romances for the Berkley Publishing Group, and two online novellas, which Berkley then published in traditional print format.

Kathryn has become known for her powerful characterizations - readers say they feel they know the people in her books - and her heart-wrenching, emotional writing (her favorite comments are that fans cried while reading her books or stayed up late to finish them). In testament to her skill, the author has had a one of her books serialized in the December 2003 COSMOPOLITAN magazine and has been quoted in PEOPLE and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. She has won five RT BookClub Magazine Reviewers Choice Awards, three Holt Medallions, two Desert Quill Awards, the Golden Leaf Award, and several online accolades.

Even in light of her writing success, that initial love of teaching never wavered for Kathryn. She finished out her teaching career in 2004, retiring from the same school where her career began. These days, she lives in upstate New York with her husband and two children. "My life is very full," she reports, "but very happy. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to pursue and achieve my dreams."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A powerful tale of healing -- Highly recommended, November 1, 2002

By 

C. Penn "WordWeaving" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Place to Belong : Serenity House (Harlequin Superromance No. 1088) (Paperback)

Fifteen years ago, Darcy's mother left her at Serenity House, a home for wayward girls. A promise of two months turned into four, and eventually seven. Despite the painful experience, Darcy maintained her free spirited lifestyle through boyfriends, marriage, two children, and divorce...

Author Kathryn Shay boldly tackles difficult life challenges in A PLACE TO BELONG. Both Darcy and Hunter have struggled with failed marriages and bad reputations. Both struggle with self-images in ways that will endear them to readers. They also both love their children, who are sparkling additions to the tale. The greatest strength of the novel lies in Hunter's challenge with his son's ADHD and his realization that he also has it even as an adult. A PLACE TO BELONG comes highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars intriguing contemporary relationship drama, October 8, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Place to Belong : Serenity House (Harlequin Superromance No. 1088) (Paperback)

In 1987 Hyde Point, New York, Mrs. Mason dumps her daughter Darcy at the Serenity Home for troubled girls as suggested by law enforcement officials. Darcy pleads for her mother to give her one last chance, but she walks away leaving her child there for seven months.

Fifteen years later, Darcy is so well behaved she has no fun. She raises her two precocious preadolescents by herself and runs Tender Time Day Care. Hunter Sloan has just moved back to his hometown in order to have his grandparents help him with his frightened, "handful" five-year-old son Braden just dumped on him last month by his ex-wife. As Hunter tries to be a good father for the first time, he receives help from several townsfolk. He also falls in love with Darcy who reciprocates. Though they have that and spousal abandonment in common, Darcy and Hunter have demons from their respective first marriages and their time as "bad" children to overcome if they are to make it together.

A PLACE TO BELONG is an intriguing contemporary relationship drama that also includes an engaging romantic subplot. The story line focuses on the two adults and three children, with only Meli not seeming to have any deep problems. Though solutions seem simplistic, sometimes reaching out is all that is needed as many caring people offer a hug to Braden and his dad and Hunter gets through to shy Claire by naming her his statistician for the soccer team. Readers will appreciate this upbeat tale in which love begins to heal the wounded.

Harriet Klausner