"A genuine, humorous, tale of heaven sent love"
Life in the fast lane had finally caught up with Geneva
McBride. No doubt about it, she was dead. Geneva had been a
bad, bad, girl. She'd lived for excitement, making her poor
husband's life a living hell. Still he had loved her, and
had tried to make her happy. She'd abandoned him shortly
after their daughter was born. Responsibility had not been
her thing. Much to her surprise however, she hadn't been sent directly
downstairs. Instead she was to be given another chance to
make amends and earn her angel's wings. Apparently the Big
Guy had a sense of humor. The punishment was to fit the
crime. Geneva was charged with finding the perfect mate for
her former husband, Jonah. Jonah McBride was at the end of his rope. Everything
meaningful in his life had failed to thrive, his marriage,
the Blue Moon diner which had been in his family for
generations, and now, worst of all, his baby daughter
Katie. Jonah didn't miss his late wife Geneva, she'd left
him long before she'd actually walked out the door, but
Katie did. She wasn't eating or sleeping in spite of his
best efforts, and he was terribly frightened. Just when things couldn't get any worse Jonah discovered a
beautiful young woman lying unconscious in the ladies room
of his diner. The woman was battered, bruised, and smelled
of liquor, but to his surprise the moment he'd turned his
back she had calmed his precious daughter and had put her
to her breast as if she was her own. That is exactly what the woman believed. She had no memory
of her accident but was overjoyed to have found her
way "home". She believed that Jonah was her beloved
husband, and that Katie was her baby girl Lizzie. Jonah's
conscience tugged at him, knowing that another man and
child could be out there missing her, but he couldn't bring
himself to disabuse her of the notion. He told himself it
was best to indulge her delusion until she recovered her
memory, best for him and for Katie. Angel was the answer
to a prayer,
she cared for his home as lovingly as she did for Kate and
himself. She'd even turned around the diner, drawing in
customers with her remarkable voice. As the days went by it
became harder and harder for him to imagine a life without
her. He wanted to make it all real, but he was living a
lie, and lies always came back to haunt one. Cocky as ever Geneva thought her assignment would be a cake
walk, but of course Angel's past had to catch up with her
eventually. In the beginning Geneva was blissfully unaware
that her task was twofold, but self awareness dawns with
each obstacle she had overcome to insure Jonah's
happiness. Like Dorothy in Oz, she soon realized that the
best things in her life had been in her own back yard. She
hadn't changed enough to forget about the wings, but she
was truly contrite and wanted Jonah, Angel, and Katie to
become the happy family she hadn't been able to give him.
Her shock is even greater than Jonah's when she discovers
out who Angel really is. What had the Big Guy been
thinking? Angel's past made Geneva look like a saint! Could
love change a woman like her? Could Jonah accept her for
who she really was? In the end it is out of Geneva's hands
for as they say "it takes two to tango" and Jonah has to
come to terms with his own role in the failure of his
relationships. Although there are moments of truth, and moments of
despair, the tale is lightened with much humor, as Geneva
thwarts all attempts by Jonah's friends to discover Angel's
identity before her task is accomplished. What I really liked about this story was that it was about
real people, with real flaws, and obstacles to surmount.
They don't become perfect, but have to come to terms with
what can be changed, and what must be accepted. The ending
is a happy one, with several surprises. I'd love to find
out what Geneva does with her second chance. Wouldn't you?
A highly recommended debut, I look forward to more of Ms.
Altom's work. Copyright © 2003
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted May 19, 2003
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When bad girl Geneva McBride died, she assumed she'd go
straight to hell, but it turned out the Big Guy had a sense
of humor. To earn her angel's wings she had to match her
former husband with his ideal mate. Luckily, she had a
foolproof plan--well, almost foolproof. Heaven Sent . . . Ever since Jonah McBride's wife had left him and then
passed away unexpectedly, his daughter had been sick. Plus,
his restaurant, the Blue Moon Diner, was failing. His life
didn't truly spiral out of control, however, until he
discovered a woman sleeping in the ladies' room--a woman
who awoke believing they were married. Clearly the beautiful blonde suffered from amnesia. But
when she nursed his child with practiced ease, Jonah
figured the truth could wait a few days--just until his
baby's health improved. As the white lies added up, though,
his house suddenly felt like a true home, his business took
off, and the lady responsible made him weak with desire.
Now, Jonah planned to prove their love was the real deal.
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