Rating: 
Summary: there's no place like home after this warm novel
Review: High priced New York attorney Raine Cantrell desires full partnership in her law firm. However, a family emergency forces the reluctant Raine to return to her hometown of Coldwater Cove, Washington. Even then, if it did not involve her beloved grandmother she would not go. When she arrives home, she finds her grandmother has been hospitalized. The woman's three foster children are barricaded in the family home so that family services cannot remove them. Finally, her mother is in jail for arson while practicing some pagan rituals in the nude. By the time Raine straightens out everything, Raine remains in town waiting for the judge to evaluate the foster care situation. The senior partners at her law firm inform her she is losing her competitive edge over other associates for the next seat on the board. She also finds herself attracted to Sheriff Jack O'Hallorhan, a widower with a precocious little daughter. Raine must decide between her love for her family and the law enforcement official and her desire to be big city law partner. HOMEPLACE is a wonderful love story and family drama that warms the heart and soul while inspiring the readers. JoAnn Ross surpasses even her high level of quality with a complex and believable tale of choices. The subplots and the supporting characters add a rich texture to a novel that is sure to be dubbed one of the special books of the year. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Homeplace could have easily have been called Heartplace
Review: because that's just where it takes up residence, your heart. JoAnn Ross's story of facing the past and finding the future is one that kept me glued to my seat. Jack and Raine were a couple I longed to see beat the odds. I love her categories, but I'm finding new depth and beauty in her single titles. I can't wait for Far Harbor!!
Rating: 
Summary: Sweet and Soothing
Review: Given the present state of the world, it is very calming to curl up with a good, old-fashioned fairy-tale, and that's what "Homeplace" is. JoAnn Ross has created a well-written, pleasant story of a hard-driving New York attorney, Raine Cantrell, who comes back home to her roots in more ways than one as she flies back to the Pacific Northwest to see to some family problems. Almost immediately, she encounters the town's sheriff, Jack O'Halloran, who she views as a small-town cliche. Raine's problem is that she is so self-protective, she views almost everyone as a cliche, rather than opening her heart enough to see their humanity. Thus, we meet Raine's flightly wiccan mother, Lilith, who does things like conducting a pagan ceremony in the nude (to Raine's horror); grandmother Ida, a feisty physician who refuses to get old; three troubled teenaged girls, one of whom is pregnant; all from Raine's initial rigid point of view. The gradual melting of that rigidity, combined with the inevitable (and very sexy) romance between Raine and Jack, makes for a satisfying, heartwarming read. I recommend it to anyone who needs to take a break from stress, and wants to read a truly nice love story. The end of the book contains a preview of an apparent sequel, "Far Harbor," which is a favorite among... reviewers. I definitely will read that too, and am glad to have discovered JoAnn Ross!
Rating:
Summary: A new twist on family ties -- don't miss this one
Review: I just loved this book -- it's a page-turner with a heart of pure gold. How can you not love Raine, trying to deal with her family and falling helplessly for the incredibly sexy Jack. This was a one-sitting read for me...too bad about that dinner I never fixed. :-)
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the Romance?
Review: I read the reviews on this book and cannot disagree more. This book was not at all romantic. Raine was not a character I liked at all. She was snooty, mean and just completely not likeable. I couldn't see what interest the kind soft hearted Jack would have in her other than sexual. She wouldn't be a person I would want around my daughter. Even so the romance in this book to a back seat to everyone else. I was 3/4 of the way through still waiting for the real romance to start. In addition, being in the juvenile justice field myself, it would appear not a lot of research was done in this area. I repeat WHERE'S THE ROMANCE.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty bland contemporary romance
Review: Normally I pass contemporary romances along to my mother and my sister. This one's going right back to the used book store. I finished it but overall is was a flat, tedious read for me. So what doesn't work in this book. For starters, Raine and Jack are both entirely two-dimensional to be very interesting. It's as if the author invested all of her creativity in the supporting cast (which is plenty colorful). Nothing happened to make me care if they got together. Also, as a former attornery, the legal aspects were pretty shaky. Still, I may well read the sequel, Far Harbor, since I already like Raine's sister.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty bland contemporary romance
Review: Normally I pass contemporary romances along to my mother and my sister. This one's going right back to the used book store. I finished it but overall is was a flat, tedious read for me. So what doesn't work in this book. For starters, Raine and Jack are both entirely two-dimensional to be very interesting. It's as if the author invested all of her creativity in the supporting cast (which is plenty colorful). Nothing happened to make me care if they got together. Also, as a former attornery, the legal aspects were pretty shaky. Still, I may well read the sequel, Far Harbor, since I already like Raine's sister.
Rating:
Summary: A heartwarming romance....
Review: Raine Cantrell is a big shot lawyer in Manhattan who has clawed her way to the top hoping to make partner at one of the most prestigous law firms in the city. After winning a big case, she sees herself on the fast track to partner. Until she gets a call from her hometown of Coldwater Cove, Washington. Sherriff Jack O'Halloran knew exactly what to expect after talking to Raine on the phone regarding the three juveniles that had barricaded themselves in her grandmothers house. He expected a pushy, uptight, stressed out lawyer, which is exactly what he got. And then some. What he didn't expect was the attraction that sizzled between him and Raine. They were adults, so surely they could indulge in a brief affair, with no strings attached. What they didn't count on was Jack's four year old daughter, Raine's pagan mother and her pushy grandmother. Nor did they expect the plight of three teenage girls to bring them together. Homeplace is a wonderful story of finding out who you are. It shows you that no matter how far you run, your family will always be waiting for you to come home.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: The characters were great as well as the story. I especially liked Jack. He was written to be so sweet and sexy how could I not like him. I will definely read Far Harbor when it comes out.
Rating:
Summary: Formulaic Writing
Review: The first 2/3 of HOMEPLACE is a story about a woman, Raine Cantrell, going back to the town she grew up in to help her grandmother. While she's there, some old issues with her mother are brought up. The last 1/3 of the novel is a romance between Raine and the sheriff, Jack O'Halloran. Maybe if either of these two stories were done well, it wouldn't have been such a problem, unfortunately, neither was. In the family drama portion of the book, Raines family is comically self-centered. Some issues are brought up including the anger Raine feels toward her mother for never being there for her when she was growing up and not providing a stable home. This was resolved by Raine being told she's too judgmental, that is who her mother is. I just don't think that a lifetimes worth of anger is going to be resolved quite that simply. The romance aspect of the book was even worse and more superficial than the family drama aspect. First off, all of her family members have undergone complete character changes and are now wonderfully supportive. The romance itself was, frankly, boring. I kept finding myself looking at the page number to see how much longer the book was. If I was smart I would have just stopped reading the first time I caught myself doing that. I can't finish this review without including one thing that drove me nuts throughout the entire book. The story takes place in Washington State, and yet New York City is continually referred to as "the city." I know this is a petty complaint, but I really don't think people in Washington think of New York when someone says "the city."
| 
