"Heaven Grants a Second Chance"
I love stories about redemption. Who among us hasn't said
at one time or another, "If I had it all to do again, I
would have done things differently."? HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES
will make you believe in second chances. Tom McAllister had been an only child, raised by
super-critical, controlling parents. Although he admitted
that
this had made for a terrible lonely childhood, he had
repeated this pattern once he'd found someone of his own to
love. That is why his wife Anne finds herself feeling lost
and alone in the middle of a posh New Year's Eve party. Tom
is so busy working the crowd that he's all but forgotten
her existence. No, Anne was not typically a push over, but she had married
Tom for all the wrong reasons. He was handsome and charming
and could have had any girl he'd wanted, but he had pursued
her relentlessly, and while she was still grieving over the
sudden loss of both her parents, she'd agreed to marry him.
Anne had never failed at anything in her life and she'd
given more than was reasonable to make him happy. He
dictated what she ate, what she wore, the color of her
hair, and had even convinced her to give up her dream of
going into law enforcement, but no more. Tomorrow would be
her independence day. New Years was a time for resolutions and Anne was
determined to turn her life around. She was going to pursue
her dreams, and Tom would just have to understand. She
thought she could use a little help though, so she turned
to the heavens and made a wish on the brightest star. She
asked that Tom understand her desires this once, and as an
afterthought that he work harder on their marriage, to be a
more loving and caring husband. She left the party without
him. Tom never made it home. Anne grieved deeply and then
pursued her dreams alone. However there was a complication.
Her guiding angel, by the name of Milton had put her wish
in the "to be granted box" before he'd discovered that
Tom's number was up. Somehow the wish had to be fulfilled.
Six years later Tom awakens from limbo and is given a
mission. To redeem himself for his lack of care, he must
find his wife the perfect mate to make her happy. If he
succeeds he will earn his way into heaven. He is given the choice of three bodies to inhabit while
performing the task. One is an old lady on death's door.
The advantage is early admission. The second is an
adolescent addict with all the problems that entailed. The
third is not much better. He is Drew Falcone, a mob
informant in the witness security program, who happens to
be Anne's first assignment. Although it's not the ideal
situation, the man has a healthy body. Tom chooses to become Drew. However there are a few things
that Milton neglected to mention. Like Anne, Drew is
actually a Federal Marshall. His assignment is to ferret
out traitors within the agency. He was also Anne's soul
mate, but because she'd chosen to marry Tom they hadn't met
as they'd been meant to. He'd had nothing to lose in taking
this high risk assignment -- except his life. Anne feels
oddly connected to the man before Tom takes over his body
and it worries her, considering his profession. In that
moment Tom takes the time to really look at his wife. She's
completely different from the way he remembers her. She is
beautiful, natural, and voluptuous. He can't remember why
he wanted her any other way, and he vows to make it up to
her and find her someone to make her happy. When the
critical moment comes he takes over Drew's body.
Unfortunately people are still trying to kill them, and the
next thing he knows he's on the run with the one woman he
had ever loved. The more time they spend together the more
certain he becomes that he can't give her up. Could he be
the man to make her happy? Oh my! You can't help but love Anne. She is every woman
who's ever wanted to be loved for just her self. She's
strong, courageous, and passionate. Tom's situation is
fascinating. He has Drew's "muscle memory" and Tom's memory
as well. Although the two integrate to a degree, it's
especially touching when he realizes that although Anne is
definitely attracted to his new body, it is HIS soul that
she's fallen in love with. I can't wait for the second
story in this trilogy. Highly recommended. Copyright © 2003
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted June 11, 2003
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