Remember when, by Judith McNaught

Published by Pocket books, April 2006

Grade: D+/C

About the book:

When multinational tycoon Cole Harrison approached
her on a moonlit balcony at the White Orchid Charity Ball, Diana Foster had no
idea how extraordinary the night ahead would be. Foster's Beautiful Living
magazine was her family's success story, and Diana knew that, single, childless,
and suddenly unengaged, she was not living up to its lucrative image of upscale
domestic tranquility. And now the pride of Dallas billionaires, Cole Harrison,
was closing in on her with two crystal flutes and a bottle of champagne...


The tall, lithe former stableboy couldn't negotiate
his way out of a contract with his crusty uncle, Cal - he had to bring home a
wife, and soon, or see Cal's share of the business Cole had created go to an
undeserving relative. A man as coolly analytical as he was arrestingly
attractive, Cole decided that his bride-to-be should be rich in her own right,
meltingly beautiful, and a woman of impeccable character...Diana
Foster!


It was the perfect solution to their respective
dilemmas, and, after a lot of champagne for Diana and some skilled persuasion
from Cole, their lips met in a long, slow, bargain-sealing kiss. Neither one
dared imagine that a match made in logic's heaven might be headed straight for
an unexpected, once-in-a-lifetime love...

Diana used to know Cole when he was the stable boy at her friends ranch. She had a crush on him, but never told him about it. They would talk a lot, and sometimes Cole would want to kiss her, but he never acted on it because not only was he 'the help', but he was also older than her.

About 15 years after she sees him for the last time he comes back to town and he is really rich. Diana is also successful having started a magazine kind like Martha Stewart. Diana has been publicly dumped by her fiance and her perfect world is slowly tilting sideways, because she is becoming forgetful and not paying attention to everyone around her. She is normally Ms. Perfect.

Cole is being forced by his uncle to get married and have babies. If he doesn't do it, then he wont get to stay in charge of the company that he has worked his ass off for. After Cole finds out about Diane, and then sees her at an auction he decides that she woudl be the perfect one to marry. He doesn't parented to be in love with her though. He tells her the truth about his uncle, and after a while she agrees to marrying him.

There are a lot of things I didn't like; 1) I never felt that Cole really loved her. Even at the very end. It didn't feel like a love story.

2) All the business talked bored me. I skipped the pages when it all started up. I tried to stay focused because it was important to the plot of the book, but I didn't understand it.

3)There was a time when they were younger when Cole gave Diana a gift. She seemed to treasure the gift when he gave it to her, plus it was also given to her the last time they saw each other, yet it was never mentioned again. It would have been nice for Cole to walk into her room and see the gift there or something.

4)We never found out Diana's reaction when Cole left the ranch. It was a sudden departure, and I'm sure that Diana would have had a reaction because she visited him so often, and she liked him.

5)I felt nothing for the characters. I didn't care if they laughed, cried or died.

One good thing I have to say is that I did like the first part of the book (when Diana was a teenager) Her relationship with, Corey, her new step-sister was sweet. I bet if the book had been Corey's story, it would have been better.

Every breath you take, by Judith McNaught
Published by -Ballantine books
Grade: A

Back cover reads: High atop a snow-covered hill, the stately old Wyatt mansion is perched like a crown, its stone spires pointing upward, its stained glass windows glowing like colorful jewels. Such opulence means success and, surely, happiness. But on the eve of wealthy philanthropist Cecil Wyatt's eightieth birthday, all the money in the world won't bring back his missing grandson, William Wyatt. The only thing for certain: Foul play was involved.

The family, the police, the media-all have tried in vain to discover the young man's fate. Now suspicion has turned shockingly toward William's own half-brother, the rather distant and enigmatic Mitchell Wyatt.

Kate Donovan never dreamed that a chance romantic encounter on a tropical island paradise would tag her as a suspect in a high-society murder case. But after Kate tangles with the darkly charismatic Mitchell Wyatt, she finds herself cast in a shadow of guilt and mistrust. As the Chicago police tighten their net, it will take all of Kate's ingenuity to clear her name. With her calm, cool wit, and the help of a man who may or may not be a dangerous catch, Kate vows to claim the life and love she desires.

I really enjoyed this novel a whole lot. This is the special edition version of this book. There are added scenes that do not appear in the first hardcover version. I wish I knew what the bonus scenes are. I am searching all over the internet trying to find out what they are. Argh! Why can't the author let us know on her website what she added to this version? I hate not knowing. The only thing I am able to find out is that this version is better than the original because it makes more sense of things.
That doesn't help me at all. I want to know specifics.

The players: Mitchell is a millionaire who was raised as an orphan. He had the best education, worked with he best minds in business and can have any woman he wants.

His whole life he has thought that wealthy benefactors have been paying for his eduction as part of a charity. The truth is that he comes from a very rich family who decided to send him away after he was born. He was illegitimate and his father and grandfather didn't think he would bring any good to the family. Mitchell's mother was just a gold digger who was happy to sell her son for the right price.

Mitchell's older brother, William finds a safe containing all the information about Mitchell and is upset that his family kept him a secret all these years. William wants a relationship with his brother, but just as soon as they start to get close, William is murdered. Soon after the brothers grandfather finally acknowledges Mitchell as one of his heirs.

Kate is a single child who lived her whole life with her father. Her dad owned a pub that he later turned into a fancy restaurant. Kate was raised in the Irish pub and was somewhat of a wild child. She got into a little bit of trouble when she was younger but straightened out when she saw how much it was hurting her father.

She has been dating the same gut for four years. His name is Evan, and he is connected to Mitchel in a significant way..Evans father is the lawyer who arranged for Mitchell to be sent away when he was infant. Kate and Mitchell have no knowledge of this connection. Even though Evan and Mitchell have met, he doesn't know that Evan is the boyfriend.

Mitchell and Kate meet at a resort and it's love at first sight (or lust at first site, whatever)
After 2 days Kate is willing to dump her boyfriend and continue a relationship with Mitchell. They make plans for her to break up with Evan, and then meet at the docks afterwards.

Things do not go well when Kate tells Evan that she is leaving him for Mitchell. Evan demands to know the name of the man she is leaving him for and as soon as she tells him, he gets even more upset and tells her some things about Mitchell that upset her. Kate calls Mitchell to find out the truth but she finds out that he has checked out of his hotel. She automatically thinks that Evan is telling the truth about everything and goes back home with him.

While Kate was talking to Evan he got a phone call that his brothers body has been found and he needs to come home now. This is where I fall in love with Mitchell! Even though his nephew begs him to come home right away he decides to put it off for a few hours so that he can meet up with Kate and get her settled on his friends boat. He goes to the docks to wait for her and ends up waiting there for hours. Evan had convinced her that Mitchell was using her to get back at Evan and his father, which is all lies of course! SHe has no idea that Mitchell really does care for her., He waited and waited at the docks. Oh my gosh, it broke my heart. I wanted to crawls into the page and kiss Mitchell.

This is where I get mad at Kate. First she sees Mitchell at a party and instead of talking to him to try and clear things up, she acted all cocky and showed off her engagement ring she got from Evan. Mitchel calls her an amoral bitch, and walks away from her. Then she finds out she is pregnant and she doesn't even tell him. Her reasons for keeping such an important announcements from him are lame at best 1) He called her a bitch at the party-Get over it Kate. I'm on Mitchells side for that one. And 2) She didn't think he wanted kids.

Gimme a break!

Get this, almost three years go by and she still hasn't told him that he is a father. Little Danny (named after her own father) is kidnapped, and the kidnapper is wanting 10 million dollars in ransom. Kate's only option is to contact Mitchell and ask for his help. and oh yah-and tell him that he is also the kids father!

Mitchell, being the awesome man he is, comes up with the cash within 2 hours. Danny is found alive and unharmed, and he is the spitting image of his father. The meeting between father and son is very sweet. I love a man who turns to mush around kids. It's my favourite scene in the book and it was the first one that I turned too after I finished the book and re read.

Our couple has a very long talk and they get everything out in the open. Of course, one of the first things that Mitchel wants to know why she hasn't told him about his son and she gives him those 2 excuses. Like me, he doesn't buy them, BUT he still apologizes for calling her a bitch and swears that he will never talk to her like that again. Very sweet of him to do that, but *I* still think she deserved it.

Kate isn't done annoying though. Get this-A day after her son is saved from a kidnapper, and she is reunited with the man she claims to love she agrees to go out on a date. Oy! Ok, ok, so she doesn't actually go on the date; she just leaves for a half hour in order to think. The point is that Mitchell thinks that she is really on the date that she told him she was going to. Again, I wanted to climb into my book and console him.

*Sigh* She finally realises that Evan is a filthy liar. Mitchell forgives her for finally believing him and they start off again where their affair ended nearly 3 years ago. Mitchell whisks them off to Italy and they get married in a church with friends and family present.

I do find that it ended all pretty suddenly. I turned the page expecting more, but all I got was the expert for the next book. Still though, Every breath you take is my new favourite book. I admit that Kate is not my favourite heroine, but Mitchell more than makes up for it. I'm sure that I will re read this novel many times.

The pros: The mystery aspect was pretty good. Mitchell is suspected of killing his brother, but it's dealt with pretty fast, so we know the authorites know they have the wrong man. I don't like it when those story lines drag on, and this one didn't.

The pros: Mitchel isn't an ass. He is a very powerful alpha male, but he is NICE. I Love, love, love that.

The cons: The only thing we learn about Kate's mother is that she lives in Cleveland. Thats it. I'm thinking that she left when Kate was a baby because the mother is not included in any of her childhood memories she shares with Mitchell. I would have liked to have known more about Kate's mother. Actually, I would have liked it better if she had just said 'My mother is dead' and left it at that.

Run out-don't walk-right now and pick up this book. You'll love it

Whitney, my love, By Judith McNaught
Publisher-Pocket books, June 2000 (re print)
Grade: B+

Back cover reads: Under the dark, languorous eyes of Clayton Westmoreland, the Duke of Claymore, Whitney Stone grew from a saucy hoyden into a ravishingly sensual woman. Fresh from her triumphs in Paris society, she returned to England to win the heart of Paul, her childhood love...only to be bargained away by her bankrupt father to the handsome, arrogant Duke. Outraged, she defies her new lord. But even as his smoldering passion seduces her into a gathering storm of desire, Whitney cannot -- will not -- relinquish her dream of perfect love.

I give many thanks to Ames and Zeek for suggesting that I read this book. I'm not a fan of 'Classics', and since its written on the front, back and inside of the book how much of a 'classic' this novel is, I had been putting off reading it.

Whitney, who is a less than lady like teenager, is in love with Paul. She goes out of her way to be around him and draw attention to herself. It's never good attention. Her father has had enough, so he send her to live with her aunt and uncle in Paris. While in Paris she blossoms into a beautiful woman, who follows propriety. She has gotten many offers of marriage, but she is holding out for her childhood love back home.

During her years in Paris she becomes good friends with a wealthy man from a good family, who is also the brothers of a friend. Thats Nickie. Nickie courts Whitney, but she is clear that she just wishes to be friends.

Meanwhile, a Duke has been noticing Whitney. He tries to flirt with her but she is pretty curt with him and doesn't at all fall for him smooth talking ways. The Duke of Claymore decides he wants to make Whitney his mistress, so he has her investigated, and finds out that her father is almost in the poorhouse. Then he decides that he wants to make her his wife, so he gives her father one hundred thousand dollars for her hand. As you can imagine, Whitney is not at all pleased about that.

Whitney is torn between her love for Paul, her passion for Clayton, and she also deals with Nickie wanting to marry her all at the same time.

It took everything in my power not to flip to the back pages and see who she ends up with. One minute I was rooting for Nickie, then I wanted her to be with Paul, then I yelled at her to give Clayton a chance. I had a hard as time making up my mind as she did.

There are over 700 pages in this book, and there is a whole lot going on, but it;s no confusing at all. There is never a dull moment, and I didn't want to put the book down for a second.

What I liked: The ending was really sweet. I realise that the author re wrote the ending, and I have not read the original, but this one was great. It takes place after the birth of Whitney's first child and a tradition is upheld.

I also liked how the hero was patient with her. She treated him badly a lot, but he never gave up on her. Although, There are times when he was pretty damn mean to her. I actually felt my bottom lip quiver at one point, and I almost started to cry

What I did not like: Speaking of crying; Whitney cried a lot. Usually I don't complain about heroines who cry, because I am a big cry baby, but she cried all the time.

Maybe it was part of the re write-I don't know, but near the end there are way to many pages dedicated to Whitney's brother, and a woman he doesnt even end up with. Those pages bored me, and then angered me. Why make us read all that? There was no reason for it. If not it, I would have said this was a perfect book. Oh well, I'm sure it will stay one of my favourites for a long time just the same.

Besides the ending re write, I'm told that there are 2 extra scenes. Does anyone know which scenes are missing from the original release? I'm just curious.