Farelli's Wife

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining relationship drama
Review:

FARELLI'S WIFE is a wonderful relationship drama that fans of the sub-genre will gain much pleasure from reading. The story line is entertaining and poignant as everyone poorly copes with the death of Rosemary. The lead couple is a divine duo and the secondary cast augments the tale. However, what makes Lucy Gordon's novel so hauntingly superb is Rosemary, who was a good, kind person loved by anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. This, in turn, makes for a dilemma as no one, including Franco and Joanne, want to do anything to hurt Rosemary. This great novel refreshingly does not depend on an ugly former relationship to bring the lead couple together. Instead their love must honor, yet overcome, the healthy loving previous relationship.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Double.
Review: Joanne Merton fell deeply in love with Franco Farelli when a young girl, but Franco had eyes only for her older, beautiful cousin, Rosemary. Joanne knew she had no chance and, after Franco and Rosemary married, she kept her distance. Now Franco is a widower with a six year old son. When he first sees Joanne, Franco sees his beloved Rosemary, driving a knife into Joanne's heart. She wonders if he'll ever see her as Joanne, not a faint imitation of Rosemary.

Intense, but Franco's change in attitute was too abrupt. The relationship with his mother is also very weird.

Rating:
Summary: Double.
Review: Joanne Merton fell deeply in love with Franco Farelli when a young girl, but Franco had eyes only for her older, beautiful cousin, Rosemary. Joanne knew she had no chance and, after Franco and Rosemary married, she kept her distance. Now Franco is a widower with a six year old son. When he first sees Joanne, Franco sees his beloved Rosemary, driving a knife into Joanne's heart. She wonders if he'll ever see her as Joanne, not a faint imitation of Rosemary.

Intense, but Franco's change in attitute was too abrupt. The relationship with his mother is also very weird.

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL, MOVING STORY!
Review: What do you do when "the other woman" in the life of the man you love is his wife, your cousin, hard to live up to -- and dead? Rosemary is, to say the least, a hard act to follow. But when Joanne is called upon to step in after her cousin's death and take care of her small son and, incidentally, his father, this is exactly the situation in which she finds herself. She loves Franco, Rosemary's husband -- and he loves her. Yet Rosemary still seems to come between them. How they resolve this dilemma, how they work through their grief at her death and finally find the courage to move on makes for a beautiful, tender, moving story. It brings a lump to your throat, tears to your eyes and, ultimately, joy to your heart. This is a wonderful, haunting book. Be sure to turn the last page and read the short epilogue. It's easy to miss.

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL, MOVING STORY!
Review: What do you do when "the other woman" in the life of the man you love is his wife, your cousin, hard to live up to -- and dead? Rosemary is, to say the least, a hard act to follow. But when Joanne is called upon to step in after her cousin's death and take care of her small son and, incidentally, his father, this is exactly the situation in which she finds herself. She loves Franco, Rosemary's husband -- and he loves her. Yet Rosemary still seems to come between them. How they resolve this dilemma, how they work through their grief at her death and finally find the courage to move on makes for a beautiful, tender, moving story. It brings a lump to your throat, tears to your eyes and, ultimately, joy to your heart. This is a wonderful, haunting book. Be sure to turn the last page and read the short epilogue. It's easy to miss.