World Famous Comics: Taste of Honey (1930's Trilogy)
Taste of Honey (1930's Trilogy)
By: Eileen Goudge Publisher: BBC Audiobooks Average Rating: Binding: Audio Cassette Format: Unabridged Label: BBC Audiobooks Number of Items: 13 Publication Date: 2003-06
Product Description: In this remarkable follow-up to Stranger in Paradise, Eileen Goudge returns to sun-drenched Carson Springs, an idyllic community where the only thing juicier than the oranges is the local gossip...
Disappointing I listened to this unabridged book on tape in the car. I had never read or heard this author before, and I'm not sure if it was partly the reader's voice (blah) but the characters seemed one-dimensional to me. There was a lot of action, but not much insight as to what the characters were thinking or why they did what they did, or frankly, why I should care. Some graphically described sex scenes thrown in (not well-written or interesting either) which juxtaposed with the rest of the book and its theme. None of the characters were really likable or interesting, in my opinion, either. Just when I was starting to get into a character, two more were added, until there were too many to keep track of or want to. Perhaps it would have been better experienced reading and not on tape. I hope so!
Won't read this author again I picked up the taped version of the book to listen to on the way to work and back. I find the plot silly, and the characters too cardboard. I am offended by the language around adoption, which hasn't been used in over 20 years ("gave the baby away"). I also find the writing cliched and uninteresting. There is nothing new fresh and here. Don't bother.
Good follow up to "Stranger in Paradise" This is the second book in the Carson Springs trilogy. Former fallen nun and now divorced, Gerry Fitzgerald suddenly has a desire to find the daughter that she gave away 28 years earlier now that her friend Sam is with child. She has continued to work at the convent in the beekeeping operation (hence the title), and is having an affair with the local celebrity conductor, Aubrey.
Claire Brewster knows that she was adopted, but did not want to disappoint her adoptive parents by looking into her adoption, until a call from Gerry changes her life. Claire has always done what is expected of her, including going to law school, despite not having a desire to practice the law. Her childhood sweetheart is her fiancé, though they have never gotten around to setting a date.
She meets Gerry and her half siblings, then returns to the SF Bay Area, but continues to think about the town of Carson Springs. A few months later, Claire decides to relocate for a little while to get to know them and pursue her passion - opening a tea shop. When she purchases a fixer upper, and gets closer and closer to her handyman, her relationship with her fiancé takes a back burner. And she forages a friendship with her birth mother.
Despite a couple of continuity flaws that should have been caught in the editing process, (Alice is mentioned as Sam's oldest daughter in one paragraph, then a few pages later, she is the youngest; Ian is listed as being 15 years Sam's junior - Sam is 48 and Ian is 31), it stands alone as a pretty good story. There were a few too many plots going on all at once though - and a few too many characters that did not bring anything to the storyline.
The Pain of Adoption is Obvious In This Story With carson Springs still reeling from Samantha Kiley's romance with a younger man, her best friend, Gerry Fitzgerald, fires up the town with another sensational scandal. The child Gerry put up for adoption twenty-eight years ago-and kept a painful secret from her family, has come back into her life. But not without a lot of bitterness attached.
Claire Brewster is a successful attorney engaged to her childhood sweetheart. She hurt her parents feelings when she chose to find her biological mother and family, most of whom do not welcome Claire into their fold.
A bittersweet tale, and I enjoyed this book. As you read, you could feel the pain of rejection and all the hurt it brings to a child who is rejected by their natural family.
Pretty Damn Good This was the first book I have ever read from this author and I was pleasantly surprised how much I loved it. I generally have a few authors I read on a consistant basis and I generally do not stray from them, but I picked this one up out of the blue one day and I am happy for it. It is well worth the money and time to read this book. I am now searching for the other books in this series.. Thank you Eileen....
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