TUESDAY POTPOURRI: IS LOVE IN THE AIR FOR YOU? — FEB. 5

What springs to mind for you during the month of February?  Love matches?  Romantic reads?  The other day, I shared an excerpt over at Snow Chronicles:  Love is in the Air.  A snippet from Interior Designs that spotlights a romantic moment for the characters.

In February, I do find myself drawn to books and movies about love.  Like on the weekend, I watched some old favorites like The Object of My Affection, with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd.

As many times as I’ve seen this one, I still choke up at some of the scenes…and then have those feel good moments at the end.  Yeah, I’m kind of a sucker for a happy ending.  Some of the time.

I also enjoy movies that are thrillers…and even though I know every scene that lies ahead in Fatal Attraction, I still enjoy some of the lusty moments between the characters.  Despite knowing how it will all end.

Right now, though, I’m engrossed in a book that may or may not have a romantic ending.  I don’t know that yet, but I’m sure there will be a few scenes along the way, like the one I shared in my Teaser Tuesday.

So what are your favorite things in February?  Do you love romance…or ignore it completely?

WEEKEND POTPOURRI: LOVE LETTERS — THE LOST ART — A MOVIE REVIEW

In this era of text messaging and e-mails, a movie about a letter seems quaint. Charmingly so. And a letter from a secret admirer that sets off a chain-mail reaction amongst teens and adults in one Southern California neighborhood sets the tone for a feel-good flick.

I first saw Secret Admirer (Widescreen Edition) in the 1980s when it came out and watched it over and over with my teens.

Seeing it again in a time when letter writing is a lost art underscores how romance can also seem out of reach in a highly technological age.

Kelly Preston totally inhabits the role of self-absorbed teen Deborah Anne, while Lori Loughlin very effectively portrays the girl next door. C. Thomas Howell made me laugh as he bumbled along, chasing after the beautiful Deborah Anne, when his heart really belongs to his best friend.

A fun movie with lots of nostalgic moments made for a pleasant afternoon of viewing. Four stars.

***

Now that I’m on a nostalgic kick, who knows what I’ll grab next?  Pretty in Pink?  St. Elmo’s Fire?

What do you think of these oldies?

PURSUING HAPPINESS FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS — A REVIEW

The two of them were polar opposites: Blake was a handsome, rich rogue who loved to play, while Maxine was a renowned psychiatrist called in to assist with traumatized and suicidal adolescents.

Despite their differences, they loved one another, had three beautiful children, and then divorced. Their differences finally did them in.

It would be many years before Maxine would try again, but Blake moved seamlessly through his jet-setting world with gorgeous women on his arm. None of them lasted, though.

Maxine’s romance with internist Charles West seemed like the perfect match. They had much in common, they were both grown-ups, and the only obstacles seemed to be her three children and her ex-husband.

Rogue is a charming tale of romantic adventures gone wrong, a world filled with beautiful people and beautiful places, and what can happen when two people pursue happiness from opposite directions.

So what catastrophic event will change Blake in a major way? And how will Charles react to the ever-present shadow of a charming ex? What do the three children bring to the mix? And how will unexpected events upend the lives of these characters?

Despite the predictability of a good part of the plot, I enjoyed this story more than many by this author. I liked the characters and the storyline that delved into psychiatric issues, catastrophic natural disasters, while balancing these themes with just the right touch of glamour to make the story feel like both a humanitarian junket and a red carpet event. Funny and charming dialogue at key points along the way made this story a quick and fun read. I’m giving this one four stars.

---

A TENDER & ROMANTIC REUNION — A REVIEW

At seventeen, Marni Lange fell in love with a very handsome young man during a summer in Maine. The romance was cloaked in secrecy, which added to the pain and guilt she suffered after a tragedy that abruptly ended the relationship.

Fourteen years later, Marni is the CEO of the family corporation, poised to launch a very special magazine. And who should show up as the photographer hired by her publishing division? None other than “Web,” now known by his full name of Brian Webster.

What follows is a story that might seem predictable, but that brings to it the conflicts, obstacles, and finally, a resolution that was denied the two of them years before.

While First, Best and Only had very little in the way of a plot, the romance was portrayed beautifully. The settings were gorgeously described and the reader could feel herself right in the midst of it all. Enjoyable story that earned three stars from me. Not Delinsky’s best work, but a sweet tale nonetheless.

GLITZ, GLAMOR, & PREDICTABILITY — A REVIEW

When Colette (Coco) Barrington was growing up, she was surrounded by the Hollywood lifestyle, with her father in the movie business and her mother a mega bestselling author. It is no surprise that her older sister Jane also grows up to join the movie game as a top producer.

But Coco wants nothing to do with that life. After graduating from Princeton, she begins law school at Stanford, but drops out and creates a dog walking business. A way to enjoy life on her terms. Unfortunately, her family disapproves, and even though her father is now dead, her mother and sister miss no opportunity to show how much they cannot understand her choices.

Jane is also a bit of a bully, treating Coco like a recalcitrant child, whom she somehow wrangles into house-sitting when she and her partner Liz go to New York. Their home in San Francisco is gorgeous, and should be a treat. But Coco is still frustrated by how her sister always manages to get her way, and is then stunned to meet an unexpected houseguest; someone she recognizes from the movies. Movie star Leslie Baxter is even more handsome in person, and before she knows it, Coco and he are involved in a passionate love affair.

From this point on, the story can conceivably only go in one direction. The two will meet obstacles along the way, have a few disagreements about the lifestyle, and may even part for a bit. But there will definitely be some kind of happy ending, since this is a romance novel. Even knowing this, I did enjoy the story, with the descriptions of beautiful settings, scenes, clothing, and jewels. The glitz and glamor that Steel can present to the readers is as predictable as the plot. Because I did like the lighter fare for a change, I’m giving One Day at a Time: A Novel3.5 stars.

---