Lisa Verge Higgins

Heaven in His Arms was a refreshing change of pace for a historical romance that was filled with unusual elements. First of all, it takes place in 17th century, colonial Canada when the country was still known as New France and largely unexplored. Both lead characters are also French. The heroine trades places with one of the King's Girls (the equivalent of a mail order bride, except she was sent by King Louis XIV's decree) who was bound for Quebec to become a wife to one of the men who was show more already settled there. The hero is a fur trader and intrepid explorer who loves the land and can't stand to be cooped up in a settlement. The characters take part in an expedition from Montreal to a tiny outpost on Lake Superior, battling nature and the elements all along the way, so fans who like epic adventure mingled with their romance should really enjoy this one. Despite all the exciting uniqueness of the story, I can't say that I fell in love with it immediately. The hero does a few things in the beginning that made me want to slap him, and early on, the adventure element seemed to outweigh the romance. However, the further and further I got into the story, the more and more it drew me in, until I was fully invested in all the ups and downs of the relationship and couldn't wait to see what challenges they might face next.

As I mentioned, Andre, the hero, kind of got on my bad side at first. Initially, he doesn't seem to have a compassionate side at all. He appears to be a stubborn man with selfish ambitions whose mistress is the land and she calls to the wanderlust in him constantly. The last thing he wants is a wife to muck up his plans of adventuring in the wilderness, but the government has decreed that he must marry in order to receive his fur trading license. He goes to meet the King's Girls, not really caring who he marries. He'll take anyone as long as he gets his license and can get away from the settlement as soon as possible. Andre chooses a sickly girl, simply because he doesn't think she'll survive, which will leave him free to do as he pleases. He seemingly has no care for his new wife whatsoever, leaving her to languish in a hospital for days without ever checking on her and only leaving instructions for her burial. When Genevieve recovers and goes after him, he doesn't recognize her at first and is ready to cheat on his wife with her, not knowing that she is his wife. As one can see, there doesn't appear to be much to recommend the guy at this point, but as the story progresses, I discovered that he was not as bad as I originally feared. In fact, I came to admire and appreciate him very much. Even though Genevieve is doing everything in her power to seduce him, Andre refuses, for quite a while, to take her virginity on the hard ground within earshot of his men. His excuse was that he still wanted to seek an annulment when they returned to civilization, but it was pretty obvious that he was protesting too much. As it turns out, there are events in his past which make him quite vulnerable and afraid to allow himself to fall in love. We also find out that Andre has done some very nice things for some of his men, but he hates for anyone to know about them or make a fuss. In the end, Andre did harbor a soft heart beneath his hard body and stubborn personality. It just took a while for him to let it show, but when he finally did, he gave himself fully to Genevieve, body, heart, and soul and trusted her even when he found out the truth about her origins.

Genevieve was a strong, brave young woman to do what she did by switching places with the King's Girl. For years, her life was a desperate fight for survival, and finally tired of that, she took measures which she hoped would ensure her future. She aches for a home, husband, and family to call her own, and is willing to marry a stranger to find that peace she craves. She is just the kind of spitfire heroine I love, one who is tough and feisty without being TSTL or annoyingly obstinate. I liked her spunk in chasing after her errant husband and forcing him to take responsibility for her. It was pretty ingenious how she essentially blackmailed him into taking her with him on his expedition by threatening to go to the governor and request an annulment on the grounds that he was mistreating her. Andre expects Genevieve to cave no more than a couple of days into the journey and start whining to return to civilization, but she surprises everyone with her fortitude and determination. She's suffered through far worse than trekking through the wilderness, so she's not about to complain. She also doesn't want her husband to set her aside when they do return, so she's determined to seduce him and consummate their marriage if it's the last she does. Genevieve's backstory made her an incredibly sympathetic heroine who I greatly admired. She has many secrets in her past which she doesn't share with Andre, but she does share every other bit of herself with him and loves him to distraction. I liked how Genevieve intuitively knew that Andre was in love with her too even though he stubbornly refused to admit it for a long time. She just instinctively knew that he couldn't possibly treat her with such gentleness and passion if he weren't.

Andre and Genevieve made an interesting pair. They both have very troubled pasts, but are not what I would traditionally call tortured. This is because neither of them is particularly dark and brooding. Instead, they are both strong survivors who will do anything to stay alive which I admired a lot. Andre and Genevieve both have very bold personalities, so they begin the story spending quite a bit of time arguing. This isn't usually something I care for in a romance, but it didn't annoy me like it usually would, because it fit the situation and they gradually simmered down as they fell more and more in love. Their butting of heads also made for some amusing moments too. It did create a rather tumultuous relationship, but at least, I felt like I understood them most of the time, even though their stubbornness sometimes kept them from communicating effectively. When Andre and Genevieve finally give into their feelings for one another though, their passion is explosive and their love scenes are some of the most sensual I've read in a book that is only moderately descriptive.

In addition to the wonderful characters, Heaven in His Arms has richly drawn settings with lots of descriptive narration. I felt like I was there with Andre, Genevieve, and his men in this pristine, virgin wilderness. It makes me think of all the men and women of old who sacrificed in order to settle the western lands of North America, and yet, for someone like Andre, it really was no sacrifice. He loved the wilderness so much and was so curious about what was still out there that it was no hardship for him to explore, but it was still very dangerous. If it were not unfriendly Indians, then Mother Nature could take her toll on expeditions like theirs. Still, reading about their adventures left me feeling invigorated, so a part of me can understand why they would want to go on these journeys. It was like the setting became a character unto itself. Anyone who enjoys their romance laced with adventure should really like this one.

Heaven in His Arms was a very well-written book that was quite different then any other historical romance I've read and one that I would highly recommend. The story may have gotten off to a slightly slow start for me, but it just got better and better as it went, making it a keeper in the end. This was my first read by Lisa Ann Verge, but it certainly won't be my last. It appears that her career as a romance writer was somewhat short-lived and more recently she has been writing women's fiction, but I'm certainly looking forward to checking out some of her other works. show less

The Proper Care & Maintenance of Friendship is a heartwarming story of self discovery and second chances. After Rachel's death from cancer, long time friends Jo, Sarah and Kate, each receive a posthumous letter with a last request. Honouring Rachel's dying wishes proves to be a challenge for the women who are forced to confront uncomfortable truths and learn valuable life lessons. Kate is asked to parachute from an airplane and rediscovers her lost zest for life and adventure, Sarah is show more encouraged to open herself to love, and career driven Jo is given the care of Rachel's greatest treasure, her daughter, Grace.

With warmth and humor, Higgins invites us on a journey with these women as they step out side their comfort zone and find courage they never imagined they possessed. The four women, Rachel, Jo, Kate and Sarah are reflections of women we may know, or in fact may be, and as such easy to relate to. Their tasks are not easy for any of them but their doubts and missteps endear you to the characters as much as their triumphs. The friendship which has endured despite their differences, is enviable and Higgins captures the bond wonderfully.

The story is emotive, heartbreaking and heartwarming in turn but ultimately is a light, easy read. The plot is fairly predictable for the genre but in a way that is comforting.

This is a great choice of book for when you need a little reassurance you are not alone. A celebration of life and love, The Proper Care & Maintenance of Friendship is an enjoyable read and a reminder to live every day as if it is your last. show less

When you look at your own life, do you see the things that might be out of balance? Do you recognize when you lose a part of yourself that you should never have allowed to slip away? Can you see the past as it really was without romanticizing it? For friends Jo, Kate, and Sarah, the answers to these questions are a resounding "No" but they are going to be offered the chance to see their lives as their friend Rachel saw them and scariest of all, to change.

The novel opens with Kate, a married show more mother of three who is afraid of flying, standing in the doorway of an airplane ready to skydive for the very first time. She is terrified but this is Rachel's dying wish for her: to jump out of an airplane. Each of the three women have letters delivered to them after their bright, vibrant friend Rachel dies of cancer unexpectedly (unexpected in that she didn't tell her three friends she was dying). The letters challenge the women. They ruffle their worlds, sending shockwaves into lives all around them.

Kate used to be a risk-taker, spontaneous and fun. Now she's subsumed her personality in her marriage and her children. She's content enough but when she fulfills Rachel's directive to jump out of the plane, she finds that content is not enough and that she needs to experience the wild joy and blazing happiness she used to feel.

Jo is all career woman with no roots. She doesn't rely on anyone and doesn't want anyone to rely on her outside of her job. And yet Rachel chooses to make Jo her young daughter's guardian, trusting that Jo has a great store of love and understanding inside herself. She offers Jo not only her daughter but also a sense of connection.

Sarah has spent years working as a nurse in some of the most challenging spots in the world but she is unable to let go of one man in her past. Rachel's final request of Sarah? Find Dr. Colin O'Rourke and either make it work or let it go and move on, able to live a full life.

The novel is quite clearly chronicles the growth and "coming of age" (despite their ages) of each of the three women through the insight of their late friend. It is also a novel of connection and friendship between women. Jo, Kate, and Sarah are very different people who have maintained a close friendship despite their differences and their different paths in life and it is fitting that together they must weather the trials set out for them by Rachel since it was Rachel who originally brought them together. Each of the characters is well drawn and unique. I did have one quibble about them though: Jo's caricature as a career woman who immediately makes a muddle of her life once she has Grace is a bit stereotypical and over the top. And while I suspect that many people would at least try to honor a dear, dear friend's final request of them, Rachel's uncanny knowledge of exactly how each of her friends needs to grow as a person and what action will make that happen is the tiniest bit deus ex machina. Overall though, this is a nice friendship and growth story. Fans of women's fiction will appreciate the connections between the women and enjoy the reminder to live life to the fullest each and every moment. show less

This book made me want to take a few weeks off from "life" and take a road trip with some old high school girlfriends! Claire, Jenna and Nicole each have their own life burdens they've packed up to take along on this road trip of self-discovery. They'd hoped to leave those burdens behind, but along the way, they help each other deal with their "issues" instead of burying them.
The book shows the layers and depth of women's friendships. Friends who maybe haven't seen each other for years, but show more can pick up where they left off, and be there to support each other when they need it most!
A wonderful story reflecting that although life doesn't always work out perfect, having friends there for you no matter what, makes it all easier to bear!! show less