Jennifer Greene (1) (1948–)

I got this as an ARC, and really had no idea what to expect. So I was so happy to discover this is a great book. I can definitely see why this woman has won herself a heap of RITA Awards.

Conquer the Memories deals with an interesting conc...moreI got this as an ARC, and really had no idea what to expect. So I was so happy to discover this is a great book. I can definitely see why this woman has won herself a heap of RITA Awards.

Conquer the Memories deals with an interesting concept. Craig show more is a true alpha male, and deals with trying not to be too overprotective every day. So when his wife, Sonia, is attacked in front of him and he fails to keep her safe, his reaction in the aftermath nearly ruins their marriage.

Despite the strangely happy, romantic comedy-style cover, this book begins one night in Chicago and then moves to a farm in Wyoming for almost the entire story. It’s fairly dark, with Craig having no idea how to be the husband he was before – even to the point of not wanting Sonia to touch him.

Jennifer Greene writes fantastic characters. They all have individual personalities, and everyone seemed so real I could see them acting out the scenes as they were written. She has a natural way of writing that most people don’t seem to ever get, and I know I’ll be tracking down more of her work.

Conquer the Memories was first published in 1984; I’m guessing by the references to going home to watch CSI that the book has been updated for rerelease in 2011. However there were some times where I wondered why nobody had a mobile phone in an emergency, and I don’t think the fashion has been changed – purple and green jumpsuits to wear to the office anyone? But it wasn’t a big thing, so I didn’t care.

I really liked this and read it in one sitting. It wasn’t quite special enough for a five star rating, but it was everything you could want in a contemporary romance.

Worst quote:
his taut male breasts

Best quote:
He was going to have to get over his habit of falling in love with his wife over and over again on a daily basis. show less

Pink Satin was a quick, heartwarming romance. The book remained lighthearted and fun even in the face of more serious topics like insecurities and a potential stalker, both of which I usually find tedious and annoying. Greene is a wonderful writer and I will definitely be returning to her books since I enjoyed this one so much. Her writing style made the book flow very easily but it was the voices she gave her characters that drew me in.

The chemistry between Greer and Ryan was tangible, very show more satisfying to read about. It was easy to picture the two of them as my neighbors and their romance actually playing out. The craziness to their situation and the circumstances of the relationship only added to the believability. Greer keeps receiving creepy phone calls from The Breather and to alleviate her fear, she seeks out company. Enter Ryan, a new neighbor, who ends up sprawled across Greer's robe clad body then somehow talks his way into her apartment for dinner so that he can protect her. A normal beginning, their situation is certainly not but it fits them perfectly. Ryan was a very sexy hero and not just because of his looks. His protective and caring nature are what made me find him delicious. What woman wouldn't love a man who played chess in the apartment's hall to calm her down, stormed into her apartment whenever he heard the phone ring to protect her or carried her cat about between apartments even though he dubbed it his nemesis just to keep her happy?

There was a slight plot to Pink Satin other than the romance. It definitely took the backseat but it was still interesting and held my attention. It was also well integrated into the romance, they never felt like separate entities.

See my blog for quotes and my thoughts as I read: http://bitten-books.blogspot.com/2011/03/early-review-pink-satin-by-jennifer.htm... show less

Good suspense and a sweet romance. Lily has come back to Pecan Valley to get some questions about her parents' deaths answered. Her father was accused of setting the fire that killed them because he was depressed over losing his job. She and her sisters were then separated and adopted by families in different states. The three of them have agreed that that doesn't sound like their father at all and Lily is determined to get to the truth.

When she gets to town one of the first people she show more meets is Griff, owner of the local ice cream parlor. Griff has the reputation of being something of a bad boy, never committing and being rather lazy. She understands what they see, but she sees something else when she looks at him. She sees a man playing a part while he cares intensely about the things that matter to him. He looks like he's lazing about his ice cream parlor, dabbling in experimenting with flavors, but she sees the way he's given the kids in town a safe place to hang out. She's especially impressed with the interest he has taken in some of the kids who are victims of abuse.

Griff sees a pretty young woman who is looking for answers to the mystery of her parents' death. He's drawn to her like he's never been drawn to anyone else. Since she's arrived in town there have been several fires set and the people in town are looking at her like she's the one doing it. He knows she isn't, after all, she's been with him during much of her time there. But he's afraid that she could be in danger from whoever is responsible. I loved seeing the way he was determined to take care of her, even though she kept trying to resist. He was surprised by how well she seemed to understand him, which made him a little bit nervous, too. The more time they spent together, the more he could see having her with him all the time. It was sweet to see how he cared for her each time she had to deal with another fire being set. I loved seeing him realize the depth of his feelings when he nearly lost her. The epilogue was funny and sweet as he dealt with her sisters.

The suspense was really well done. It was obvious that someone was feeling really nervous about Lily and the questions she was asking. I loved seeing each step of her journey and how the information kept building. Each fire that was set had a link to the questions she had, and each one made the townspeople suspicious of her. The fires also seemed to be escalating, which made Griff even more worried that something bad would happen to her. As more information came to light I began to have a suspicion of who the firebug was, but the reasoning still eluded me. When the final confrontation came I really wondered how it was going to be resolved. I thought it was well done and the after effects were pretty realistic.

The only problem I had was that nothing was really said about Griff's background. It's obvious that he has money but I finished the book with no idea where it had come from. I would have liked to learn more about what made him who he was. show less

Fun book. Rosemary is hiding out at her family's lodge on Whisper Mountain. She is a botanist working on research about orchids which gives her a great excuse to be there. Six months ago she called off her wedding and refused to tell anyone why. As a result she's getting pressure from various family members who want her to "work it out". It has left her with doubts about her judgment when it comes to men. When she meets Whit and his eleven years old daughters she falls for them all. She show more hadn't realized how lonely she had been until they burst into her life. She was determined to help them through this Christmas as they dealt with the loss of wife and mother. I loved the immediate connection she had with both girls. She was able to tell the differences between them right away and was able to relate to each as they needed. I especially liked the way she dealt with them as more information came out about their relationship with their late mother. She had been immediately attracted to Whit but expects only to be friends as she feels he is still grieving deeply for his wife. She is determined to help them have a good Christmas and comes up with lots of activities. I loved the fun filled friendship that developed between them and how it so quickly deepened to love. Her confidence levels were so low that she didn't realize that Whit had come to care for her too. I loved the way that she was able to open up to Whit about her ex (ewwww!!) and how big a difference it made to her. The scene at the lodge on Christmas Day was great and the perfect ending for the book.

Whit wanted to get the girls away from the sad memories over the holidays. I loved the way that he was such a great father to them. His love for them was so obvious and so deep. He was also somewhat out of his depth when dealing with them now that they are getting older. When he met Rosemary he felt an immediate attraction to her, but was trying to concentrate on the girls. His marriage had not been the best as his wife had been a selfish materialistic woman. They had stayed married for the girls' sake and he was dealing with some guilty feelings over his relief that he was no longer married to her. She had also done a lot of damage to his confidence with the way that he could never do anything right in her eyes. I really enjoyed seeing him with the girls in all their various attitudes. I loved the teasing and the hugs. I also really had fun watching him try to deal with some of the things like the shopping trip. His panicked call to Rosemary was priceless. The way that his feelings for her developed so quickly really surprised him but he wasn't afraid to pursue it. It went a little better once he was able to convince her he wasn't mired in grief for his wife. I loved his interactions with her family on Christmas Day. The only thing that could have improved the book would be an epilogue. I'd like to see how things were a year or two later. show less