Customer Reviews

Tidings of great joy

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Taylor MacKensie and Ria Lavender met during a Christmas party. They had a one-night stand and a few weeks later, Ria discovers she's pregnant. Ria proposes to Taylor, so her child would not be born illegitimate.

And now Ria lives with him and shares everything with him. She discovers more about Taylor, his tenderness and his personality. Taylor begins to enjoy Ria's company and little by little they're living together in a comfortable way. But disaster strikes and could Ria and Taylor survive the obstacle together? And what about their previous mates before they met each other?

I think this book is ok. Not all that good but not really bad either. It falls into that average level. I mean there is tenderness and the romantic part but it just seems a little bland compared to Sandra Brown's other books.

This is one of my favorite Sandra Brown books, and one that I re-read most often, because the love story of Ria and Taylor is so far off the beaten track, you can't help but root for them. One night of passion turns into a committment neither of them could turn their backs on, even when all the odds seem stacked against them. They put up a brave front for the sake of Taylor's voting public, and Ria's family and professional colleagues, and all the while they are falling so deeply in love with one another, you can't imagine an outcome that does'nt have them strolling off into the sunset. Be aware though, they do have their share of ups and downs, tragedies and triumphs, but all in all, "Tidings of Great Joy" is a must read for any fan of true romance.

When I read the summary of this book, I thought it would be pretty good, so I went out and bought it -- even before it went to paperback, which is saying a lot for a cheapskate like me :) Now I wish I hadn't wasted the money. The ending of this book was one of the most moronic things I've ever read in my life. I won't spoil it for anyone who wants to read it, but believe me, it's not worth the time. I liked the idea behind the book, no matter how unlikely it was... but the end had just TOO much corniness for me.

Architect Ria Lavender engages in a one night stand with the mayoral candidate Taylor McKensie which results in a pregnancy. To insure that her child is born legitimate, she talks Taylor into marrying her. When the two set up house, they develop feelings for each other. When tragedy strikes, can Ria count on Taylor to help her through their darkest days and not concentrate on his political career?

An early effort by Brown, it's schmaltzy, trite, and though it has some unpredictability in the plot, it just isn't well executed. The dialogue is also a little on the vapid side. The best thing about it - the length - you can easily finish it in a couple hours. Thank goodness she switched gears and concentrates on romantic suspense.

Well, I enjoyed it! It's my first Sandra Brown book to read, but won't be my last. I wanted something fun and quick to read and this was it. I laughed at some things and felt like crying at others. I can see it happening- people getting so caught up in their lives and careers that they get too picky in choosing a mate - well, this was one of those times when due to Christmas Eve Party infatuation the result is a baby. Ria and Taylor (the ones involved) after much discussion decide to marry for reputations sake and legitimacy of the child. After moving in together they get to truly know each other- they realize just how much they enjoy married life with each other. The love bug starts to bite. Disaster hits and they turn to each other to make it through it. But then there is the question as to whether to stay together or end a marriage that was at first based on everything but love. Hey I enjoyed it and I like both Ria and Taylor- but I will agree that the very, very ending was not realistic and that disappointed me. I won't give it away - but she should have ended with the first "surprise" at the end and that would have been grand.

This novel is classic Sandra Brown. I was not as pleased with this novel as I was with many of her others, though I must say this is still an excellent read.

For new readers of this author, I'd save this for later. What I have found with experience is her longer books tend to be better. The faster the read, the less satisfying the book becomes.

This novel tells the story of how a one night stand on Christmas Eve can change a persons life forever. What I will say is that the stars of the show Ria Lavender and Mayor-Elect Taylor MacKenzie definitely have the best sex life I've ever read about. If for nothing else let that be the reason you read the book!

Excellent job by Sandra Brown, though I'd suggest starting with a more substantial book of hers if you've never read her works before. Other than that, another master piece!

I'm a huge fan of Sandra Brown's, but I'm sorry, this book stunk. I'm not even finished with it yet, but almost, and I can't imagine that she's going to redeem herself in the last quarter of the book. I believe it could have been a good book, if she would have written it in usual Sandra Brown style. I had just finished reading The Alibi (for the 2nd time) and The Witness, so maybe I was expecting more from this book than what I got. Leaving the suspense part out of the Alibi and Witness, I still thought they were better love stories. I couldn't connect with either Ria or Taylor and usually I'm drawn in in the first few pages of her books. Personally, I'm not quite sure what Ria saw in Taylor and I'm no prude either, but the sex was a little too much. She could have written it better, I think. And I'm not slamming her, because she's a great author, but if her name wasn't splashed across the front of this book, I'd never guessed that she wrote it. It was too trivial for her. However, the Alibi is a wonderful book, along with The Witness, Breath of Scandal. Fat Tuesday and Mirror Image are also great reads.

This book was not worth the time it took to read it. The beginning was fairly good and to marry until the baby was born was a good idea. However, the ending was so stupid it wasn't worth the time to read. There was too much emphasis on descriptive sex. I'm not a prude, but enough is enough already.

This book is an insult to paper. It is shallow, and trite with no meaning. The ending is absolutely criminal in its stupidity. Giving a baby, another human being as a gift,....on a trial basis in case they don't like it?... my God how barbourous! Sandra I am ashamed of you!

From the back cover:

From the author who knows all the secrets of a woman's heart comes a tantalizing tale of holiday romance--as a young woman discovers how a night of passion can change your life, and your dreams, forever...

Tidings of Great Joy

Ria Lavender is the last woman in the world to be swept away by a smooth line and a seductive smile. A talented architect, she's just beginning to savor the fruits of her success when she meets a man who will change everything. Mayor-Elect Taylor MacKensie is handsome, charming, and charismatic. Still, Ria never imagines that she'll leave a Christmas party with him, or that, caught up in the magic of a snowfall and a bottle of champagne, she'll give in to desire. Eight weeks later, Ria knows she's carrying Taylor's child.

To give their baby a name, Ria persuades Taylor to marry her--at least temporarily. But while Ria soon feels a surprising tenderness--and passion--for Taylor, she fears his prime concern is protecting his career. Ria vows to keep her distance from the man who holds the key to her heart...until life teaches them both a lesson in miracles--and love.

And my review...

Wow! This was the first book I had ever read by this author, but it most certainly will not be my last. I bought this from a thrift store, thinking that such a thin little Christmassy story (just over 200 pages) would be a nice piece of fluff to pass a few hours. After all, that's what it looked like from the back cover description: a one-night stand resulting in pregnancy (a theme that I don't usually like much), a marriage of convenience for the baby's sake, and then love following. It would be cliched, right? Boy, was I wrong!

The story grabbed my attention almost immediately, and wouldn't let it go. While I didn't like the whole one-night stand part, I was able to get over it very quickly because both characters were just so likeable. Also, as they were willing to do the right thing for their unborn child, I was able to forgive their mistake and start to cheer for them. They were well-drawn people, and I could keenly feel all their hopes, wants, fear and desires. These days, it seems so seldom that you can find a book where both the hero and the heroine are loveable. Usually, one of them is annoying or a downright jerk. But not in this story. Lia was very likeable, and Taylor was so sweet. Every woman should be lucky enough to have a man like him. (Fortunately for me, I do! :)

As for this book being a piece of fluff? Wrong again. I found myself crying through many parts of it. It was that touching. The author had the almost perfect mix of clashes between the lead characters without making it overwhelming or annoying. And cliched? Nope. I don't want to give away any pivotal plot points, but let me just say that there was a twist in the middle of the book that I did not see coming.

My only complaint with this story was that the Christmas aspect of it was over very quickly (after the first chapter) and only makes another brief appearance in the end. But the rest of the story was so good that it more than made up for this one small flaw.

I ended up staying up late just to finish this story. I just couldn't put it down. This book went straight onto my keeper shelf, and I'm going to be on the lookout for more books by Sandra Brown.