From Library Journal
The four up-and-coming romance writers featured in this charming collection are all in top form, delivering stories that are both romantic and funny, with subtle spiritual messages. In Bergren's "Tarnished Silver," stained glass expert Jemma Stuart is dismayed at the time she has to spend in tiny Stillwater, IA, restoring the windows of the local churchAuntil she meets handsome pastor Samuel Tucker. In "Twice in a Blue Moon," Barbara Jean Hicks tells the story of two childhood friends, now widowers, who surprise themselves by falling in love. Another unexpected romance crops up in Jane Orcutt's "Texas Two-Step" when Molly Merriweather Fuller finds out that she and her estranged husband, Clay, will inherit a house if they both live in it for three months. Rounding out the collection, Suzy Pizzuti's "The Boy Next Door" features Lucy Burns and Trevor Bacon, whose long-term friendship takes a turn toward romance. If patrons are demanding light summer reading, libraries won't go wrong with this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Porch Swings and Picket Fences has the subtitle Love in a Small Town. It's a set of four stories set in towns that most tourists would pass through without stopping. Each town has a strong set of moral values and a sense of community that is as much part of the stories as the four couples we are introduced to. "Tarnished Silver" by Lisa Tawn Bergren - Jemma Stuart pegs Stillwater, Iowa as a copy of each of the other small towns she's worked in returning old stained-glass windows to their former glory. Manhattan is her home and there is no comparison. Samuel Tucker, the pastor of the church that employs her, bets he can change her mind. Thus begins an uneasy romance, with the inescapable fact that neither can leave the places where they've put down roots. It's up to Jemma to find the compromise between her heart's desires. "Twice in a Blue Moon" by Barbara Jean Hicks - Cait Reilly and Jack Van Hooten had been best buddies most of their lives. Time and life had separated them. They both had married but were now single following the deaths of their spouses. Jack returns to Pilchuck, Seattle to visit his sister. When he encounters Cait, he is perfectly willing to pick up the friendship where it left off. But Cait seems to want something more, and it wasn't exactly what Jack had in mind! "Texas Two-Step" by Jane Orcutt - Molly Fuller returns to Crunk, Texas for a divorce and to settle her Great-Aunt Electra Merriweather's will. Aunt Electra had been Molly's and Clay's biggest supporter when they married against their family's wishes. Now's she's counseling from the grave. Aunt Electra leaves Molly and Clay her house, but the terms of the will force them to live in it as man and wife for three months. Molly is furious, but to keep the house in the family she agrees. After all it's only for the summer, then she and Clay can go their separate ways. What can happen in three months? "The Boy Next Door" by Suzy Pizzuti - Lucy Burns and Trevor Bacon had lived next to each other in the same duplex much of their childhood. Lucy greets Trevor's return with an enthusiastic renewal of their friendship. And Trevor is just as willing. But when Lucy realizes her view of Trevor as a brother has changed to something else, she decides the quickest cure is to find Trevor a girlfriend. Trevor has the same notion about Lucy's love life, which leads to some odd dates. And the two of them struggle to ignore the truth that's right under their noses. Porch Swings and Picket Fences is a nice collection of stories that anyone can pick up and enjoy. The character's faith flows naturally, but is not preachy or intrusive. A fun read that will leave you smiling! Curl up in the hammock with this one and forget the world for awhile! A delightful peek at the small town life we all feel nostalgic for! Romance on the porch can't be beat! Linda Fitzner --
Copyright © 1999 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved --
From Literary Times
