Rating: 
Summary: Set in the 90s but clinging to the 50s
Review: "Sunshine and Shadow" has some redeeming qualities--the plot is moderately satisfying and the writing is good--but I simply couldn't stand the heroine. The book should have come with a review: "If you wish you were a Stepford wife, you'll love 'Sunshine and Shadow.'"Thirty-something Benni Harper is the perfect hausfrau: cooking, volunteering, promising her dirty dishes that she'll meet them later, and making jokes with her friends about how "all men are the same." She's also unremittingly--cloyingly--sweet, good, and patient. At one point she tackles this really obnoxious woman, and for just a moment I thought she had snapped from the pressure of trying to be perfect and had resorted to violence to make the woman shut up. I was somewhat disappointed that this wasn't the case. In a 1970s flashback, when Benni complains to her first husband about how "things are changing too fast" and "why can't things just stay the same?" she's predicting her later life: living in the 90s but clinging to the 50s. Or perhaps the 1870s. It's difficult to know which decade she'd prefer.
Rating: 
Summary: Now and then
Review: Benni Harper's widowed grandmother Dove is getting married to Isaac Lyons who is a world-renowned photographer. After the wedding Dove has second thoughts. She has been widowed for over 30 years and is finding adjusting to marriage harder than she expected. The fact that Isaac has groupies always trying to get his attention doesn't help. Benni was also widowed. Jack, her first husband, died in a car accident. She married Police Chief Gabe Ortiz. They have had their ups and downs but things are going fairly well now. Benni's cousin Emory and Benni's best friend Elvia were recently married. Emory bought Elvia Blind Harry's bookstore. She is having a grand opening and is very nervous. Benni helps her. Author Emma Baldwin whom Benni had interviewed back in college and was Benni's favorite author comes to the grand opening to speak about her books. Benni is excited to see her again. They renew their friendship. Gabe's friend and former undercover partner Luke comes to town supposedly on a case, he's now a PI. He is later found stabbed to death Someone is stalking Benni. Gabe is concerned it could be someone from his undercover days before they were married. Benni and her first husband Jack were ranchers. Now Benni is the folk art museum curator. This book parallels her life back in 1978 with Jack and her life now in 1995 with Gabe. This is done so well and you know that there is a reason for it, but you don't know the reason until the end. I truly enjoyed this book. It was so well written. The parallel plots are expertly weaved. The characters are developed so well and the setting is so real that I find myself having to put down her books. I just want to keep reading and find out what happened. I think this is the best in the series yet. I thoroughly enjoyed the surprise ending. I highly recommend this book and that you read the whole series.
Rating:
Summary: Now and then
Review: Benni Harper's widowed grandmother Dove is getting married to Isaac Lyons who is a world-renowned photographer. After the wedding Dove has second thoughts. She has been widowed for over 30 years and is finding adjusting to marriage harder than she expected. The fact that Isaac has groupies always trying to get his attention doesn't help. Benni was also widowed. Jack, her first husband, died in a car accident. She married Police Chief Gabe Ortiz. They have had their ups and downs but things are going fairly well now. Benni's cousin Emory and Benni's best friend Elvia were recently married. Emory bought Elvia Blind Harry's bookstore. She is having a grand opening and is very nervous. Benni helps her. Author Emma Baldwin whom Benni had interviewed back in college and was Benni's favorite author comes to the grand opening to speak about her books. Benni is excited to see her again. They renew their friendship. Gabe's friend and former undercover partner Luke comes to town supposedly on a case, he's now a PI. He is later found stabbed to death Someone is stalking Benni. Gabe is concerned it could be someone from his undercover days before they were married. Benni and her first husband Jack were ranchers. Now Benni is the folk art museum curator. This book parallels her life back in 1978 with Jack and her life now in 1995 with Gabe. This is done so well and you know that there is a reason for it, but you don't know the reason until the end. I truly enjoyed this book. It was so well written. The parallel plots are expertly weaved. The characters are developed so well and the setting is so real that I find myself having to put down her books. I just want to keep reading and find out what happened. I think this is the best in the series yet. I thoroughly enjoyed the surprise ending. I highly recommend this book and that you read the whole series.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent series
Review: Earlene Fowler can be depended on for a good story with interesting characters, and the beautiful background of the central California coast. In this, the 10th. book of the series, she tells parallel stories of heroine Benni Harper. One of the stories takes place in 1978 when Benni is married to young rancher, Jack Harper, and the second relates incidents in 1995 when Benni is married to Gabe, the local chief of police. Prominent in both stories is Emma Baldwin, an author whom Benni had admired in her younger days, and whom she interviewed for
a paper when she was in college. Another character is Luke, a friend of Gabe's whom he used to work with and who is back in town to visit. Fowler carefully weaves these stories together, much like a quilt pattern, and emerges with a well-told tale which has unsuspected connections at the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: From the rave reviews of this book, I was expecting a much better mystery novel. I thought it was at best rather ordinary. The plot is more a why-done-it than a who-done-it. There were far too many unnecessary side characters and not enough suspects. There were also far too many lengthy descriptions of the settings, the details having little bearing on the plot development. The story line is thin, and much of the book seems like filler. The main character (Benni Harper) although very observant does not seem intelligent enough. I thought I was ahead of her too much of the time.
Rating:
Summary: Super Author
Review: I am hooked on Earlene Fowler's series of books. I don't know what I am going to read next after I finish all her books. She is a super author. So real and down to earth. I heard of her thru the quilt world. Truly a real winner! ! ! !
Rating:
Summary: Another wonderful book
Review: I can't believe that Earlene Fowler has again written another wonderful adventure for Benni Harper. The book was fresh, exciting and with melancholy here and there. It is the kind of book that you will want to reread immediately just to experience it one more time.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I liked it much better than Steps to the Altar. The thing that makes this book so enjoyable to read is the author's ability to make the reader feel like they are part of all the character's lives - not just Benni and her husband. I espcecially liked finding out more about the character of Jack.
The only negative is that there are way too many typos in the text of the paperback version. Ms. Fowler's writing deserves a better presentation.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: If you love mysteries, or love quilts (or folk art) and a great romantic story, you will love the Benni Harper mysteries. Ms. Fowler is a great story teller. I can't wait to see what she comes up with in future books in this series. The books are clean but true to life, without a lot of the garbage language that has infested other authors' work. ... Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: I love Benni Harper!
Review: If you love mysteries, or love quilts (or folk art) and a great romantic story, you will love the Benni Harper mysteries. Ms. Fowler is a great story teller. I can't wait to see what she comes up with in future books in this series. The books are clean but true to life, without a lot of the garbage language that has infested other authors' work. ... Enjoy!
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