Fly Away Home

Rating:
Summary: Different strokes
Review: As usual I'm amazed how the same book affects different people in such polar opposite ways. Still the book was better than I thought it would be, considering how overwrought most of Cates' historical romance books are. A Horse Whisperer wanna be, Fly Away has some good moments, though some of its emotional excesses aren't so much wrenching, as they are unbelievable.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling and Emotional!!
Review: FLY AWAY HOME is the perfect book to cozy up with as the days are getting longer -- Kim Cates has created interesting characters whose reactions are totally believable. Loving Ireland the way I do, it was easy to imagine the setting for Eve's castle and the neighboring horse farm. I hope Ms. Cates has more contemporary Irish settings for readers in the future. I loved the way she resolved the relationship between mother and daughter. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Compelling and Emotional!!
Review: FLY AWAY HOME is the perfect book to cozy up with as the days are getting longer -- Kim Cates has created interesting characters whose reactions are totally believable. Loving Ireland the way I do, it was easy to imagine the setting for Eve's castle and the neighboring horse farm. I hope Ms. Cates has more contemporary Irish settings for readers in the future. I loved the way she resolved the relationship between mother and daughter. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Written!
Review: I had not read any of Kimberly Cates work before - and fear I'll be out hunting for more now that I have. I really enjoyed reading this book - and read it cover to cover in a day's time. As an avid equestrienne, I have a hard time with reading a book using horses within the story when the author blantantly has no clue about what she/he is/was writing. I thought Fly Away Home was wonderful, and enjoyed reading it even if I found myself crying over parts- (I've become sentimental in my old age).

Rating:
Summary: A srirring romance
Review: In abject poverty, from the time Tori was born till she was four, Eve Danaher raised her by herself because her lover rejected the child. For some unknown reason, when Victoria turned four, Chad Tollivar claimed his daughter and with tons of family money behind him destroyed Eve in court. Not allowed Eve to go near the child over the next fourteen years, Chad also hid Victoria from Eve. However, Eve saw her beloved Tori's picture in the paper as valedictorian of her high school. Eve attends the graduation, but Tori rejects her.

Needing to finally escape and regain her lost spirit, Eve flies to Kilrain, allegedly a home of an Irish ghost. While healing, she meets Michael Hallochan. As Eve and Michael fall in love, they argue over whether a child is always better off with his or her parents, especially the mother. Her previous relationship leaves the American unable to trust in the love of a handsome charmer like Michael.

Relationship drama fans will want to fly away with this warm contemporary romance with a bit of the supernatural sprinkled onto the plot. The story line is filled with angst, as readers will empathize with Eve's plight. Eve and Michael are the epitome of the walking wounded while the support cast adds depth from both sides of the Atlantic. Though slick Chad seems to have unravelled too easily after almost a decade and a half of perfect smoothness, Kimberly Cates provides her audience with a stirring tale of love.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: DROWNING
Review: The first book of Ms. Cates that I read was RESTLESS IS THE WIND. I was struck by the powerful emotions of this book and I looked forward to others equally as powerful. But I have discovered that there can be too much emotion -- that there is a danger of drowning in it. And that's what I felt like here. I felt manipulated by all this angst, and I found myself skipping over parts trying to come up for air. There is a certain truth to the dictum "less is more." Less would definitely have been more in this case. I don't think I'll be trying another.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful love story sure to touch your heart
Review: This is a beautifully written love story on many levels. There is the story between Eve and Michael that developes slowly. Fourteen years ago Eve had her daughter stolen from her by her ex and his powerful family. Since then she has felt the pain of losing her daughter every minute of every day. She has not been able to let anything else into her heart and soul except that pain. She flees to this Castle in Ireland to finally try to heal. What she finds there is love, love from the old lady who owns the castle and who is laying in the hospital waiting to dye so she can be with her lordship. She will not leave this earth though until her Michael -treasure has some who will love him and take care of him as he has always taken care of all the creatures of the world- animal, children and all people he meets. Then there is the love she finds in the damaged sould of a boy named Rory. He too has built up a wall around his heart and soul, a wall built by years of abuse by his parents a wall no one dared to touch until Michael and his equally damaged horse came into rory's life. Rory was drawn to the wild damaged horse because he saw himself in that horse. Like with himself, no one was willing take a chance on the horse and he knew all to well what it felt like to be misunderstood. The bond that grew between him and the horse was the turning point for Rory. Then comes Eve and she because of all her pain in her life is able to break down the rest of his walls and let him know the wonder of feeling loved and accepted. Michael gives Eve those same wonderful gifts, he also gives her the strength and courage to fight to have her daughter a part of her life. Michael with his caring heart takes away her aching lonliness and fills her with so much love. This was the First book of Kimberly Cates that I've read, and I was totally blown away by it. It is filled with so much warmth and makes you feel everthing that all the characters are going through. This one is a keeper and I'm sure I'll read it again and again!

Rating:
Summary: Fly Away From This Book
Review: This is the only book I've read by Kimberly Cates and it will be the last. I was disappointed in the lack of horse content and
the barrage of emotional analysis that was unending. It seemed to me that Ms. Cates had no faith in my ability to make inferences or draw conclusions when it came to the characters.
She wrote repetitively and tediously about feelings and motives, yet her descriptions of the Irish countryside and other scenes were very weak. I've been to Ireland to ride horses and it really is quite magical. This book isn't.

Rating:
Summary: Fly Away From This Book
Review: This is the only book I've read by Kimberly Cates and it will be the last. I was disappointed in the lack of horse content and
the barrage of emotional analysis that was unending. It seemed to me that Ms. Cates had no faith in my ability to make inferences or draw conclusions when it came to the characters.
She wrote repetitively and tediously about feelings and motives, yet her descriptions of the Irish countryside and other scenes were very weak. I've been to Ireland to ride horses and it really is quite magical. This book isn't.