About the Book:
When Elliott Cruz first courted struggling single mom Karen Ames, it it was a romance worthy of any Sweet Magnolia fantasy. The sexy personal trainer made it his mission to restore Karen's strength—physical and emotional—and to charm her children.
Now, a few years into the marriage, colliding dreams threaten to tear a few years into the marriage, colliding dreams threaten to tear them them apart. Elliott's desire to finance the business opportunity of a lifetime with their hard-earned "baby money" stirs Karen's deep-rooted financial insecurities. It's the discovery that their brother-in-law is cheating on Elliott's sister—and thinks it's justified—that puts their irreconcilable differences into perspective. Will their own loving fidelity be a bond so strong they can triumph against all odds?
My Comments:
Most romantic novels tell the story of how a couple met and fell in love. Midnight Promises is the story of how a couple learns to live that love. Elliott and Karen love each other and and want their marriage to work. However, each is the product of his/her upbringing. Elliott has more of his macho Latino dad in him that what he realizes, and Karen's ex taught her that she couldn't count on anyone besides herself. As they learn to trust, to discuss, to work together they truly become a couple.
I enjoyed the story. I thought it got a little overly sweet at times, and for Karen and Elliott,everything works out beautifully, probably better than it would in real life. Fans of the Sweet Magnolia series will enjoy catching up with old friends and life in Serenity. It is mentioned several times that Karen and Elliott are intimate,however, we don't get to watch.
One criticism I have is that when Elliott's sister and brother-in-law are discussing divorce and she mentions getting a Catholic annulment, her husband remarks that it will make their children b--(illegitimate). Here is what the Canon Law Professionals website has to say about that:
At the time of the child’s birth, they were born of a legal marriage in civil law and a putative marriage in canon law (which means that everyone thought in good faith that the marriage was valid). So at the moment of the child's birth, he or she was civilly and canonically legitimate. An annulment DOES NOT retroactively affect a child's legitimacy.
I don't expect a treatise on Canon Law when reading a secular novel; however, there was little reason to bring up this response, and in my opinion, Woods should not have brought up the topic of the legitimacy of children in an annulled marriage unless she was going to properly explain it.
I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley. Grade: B.
Other Books by Sherryl Woods which I have reviewed:
Oooooo I love your new header! Very classy!
ReplyDeleteI keep telling myself I should read another Sherryl Woods book!
I hate it when authors insist on talking about Catholicism without knowing what they're talking about. I'm reading a book set in a Catholic church right now and by page two I was going, "This MUST be a Protestant author."
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