Average customer rating:
- Must read!!!
- I wonder if I missed something?
- Too Good to put down!
- A Must Read
- I do have to wonder, really.
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Don't Ever Wonder: A Novel
Darren Coleman
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| African American
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
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Contemporary
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ASIN: 0060594861
Release Date: 2005-06-28 |
Book Description
Nate, a "reformed" womanizer, is still recovering from a tragedy and swears that his days of being a player are over. Has his new faith and new woman really tamed him, or is he just biding his time until he re-enters the game? Brendan is the type of man every woman wants -- until she gets one. But, since his heart was broken, Brendan has vowed never to commit again. Cory, a successful businessman, has it all on track. Or does he? Will his affair with his sister-in-law come back to haunt him?
Each man must confront his own ideal of manhood and intimacy as he embarks on an emotional roller-coaster -- one that will keep you on the edge of your seat, as well as give women an inside look at what brothers really want.
Download Description
Nathan Montgomery is the "reformed" womanizer. Recovering from a tragedy, Nate swears his days of being a player extraordinaire are over. He's even found God. Has the new woman in his life--and the new Spirit--really tamed him or is he just biding his time until he feels the need to re-enter the game? Brendan Shue is the type of man every woman claims to want--at least until she gets one. Recently broken up with the woman he hoped was the love of his life, Brendan has vowed to steel himself when it comes to women and relationships. Cory Dandridge seems to have his head on straight. He's a successful father, husband, and businessman. But his house is not a happy home. When an old flame sashays back into his life, he wonders if he made a mistake by doing the right thing. In the tradition of Eric Jerome Dickey, sequel DON'T EVER WONDER is a sizzling, drama- and seduction-filled tale of how men come to terms--in the most startling ways--with love, sex, women, and intimacy.
Customer Reviews:
Must read!!!.......2007-03-27
Read it a few years back.. but D Coleman is a terrific writer...
I wonder if I missed something?.......2006-11-10
I'm stunned by the number of 5* reviews this book received. If you're a fan of stories with a lack of characterization and no defined purpose or priorities...this one is for you!
Don't Ever Wonder is worse than Before I Let Go. Cory and Brendan's only focus was bedding as many women as possible with no regard for anything or anyone. I grew bored reading about the multiple women walking in and out of their lives and their juvenile masses of uncertainty. It was hard to keep track of the women in this story. Even Nate who was suddenly holy couldn't keep his libido under control or get his life on track. And to finally be told what Nate's profession was after any discussion of it had been strangely avoided fell out of place in the book, in my opinion. It wasn't a good fit. The author's feeble attempts at concrete story development were over-shadowed by ridiculous and unbelievable sub-plots. This book would be great if it wasn't for the fact that I've read so many other books of this genre that are much better and actually contain dramatic elements to keep the reader hooked.
I have to ask, did Darren Coleman really write Do or Die? That book was so fascinating. It's unbelievable that the same person could author this nonsense as well.
Too Good to put down!.......2006-05-20
Ok, Mr.Coleman did his thing! I did not read the first book which I will now go back and get the history of Corey, Nathan, and Brendan.
Wonder was a page turner from start to finish. Mr. Coleman expressed so many different angles of a true playa's perspective.
I am glad that in the end all of the men grew up...except that I will never understand how Corey and Trina still got together considering all of the DRAMA they put each other through!
I guess they both were just CRAZY!!!! I want to congratulate Mr. Coleman on a well written story told from the male's perspective.
This was my first reading of his work and he certainly has gained a new fan. I am patiently waiting for Ladies Listen Up!
Go get this book I guarantee that you will not be disappointed and will be pining for more from this author.
A Must Read.......2006-05-15
If you read Before I Let Go you have to read the sequel, Don't Ever Wonder. It was great and I was so into it that I did not want it to end. I loved the way the characters matured and Coleman answered a lot of questions that I had. This book had me at the edge of my seat. Keep up the good work!
I do have to wonder, really. .......2005-12-17
I just finished reading Darren Coleman's novel "Don't Ever Wonder", and I have to admit that it is a very gripping novel with three fascinating characters. There's Cory, the man in love with two sisters; Nate the "playa", who is dealing with guilt over the death of a close friend and seeks God to find forgiveness and a new way of life; and Brendan, the good guy who always seems to find himself in love with bad girls.
For a person who is looking for an African American novel with drama and plenty of scenes to steam up the reading glasses this might be the one for you, but for someone like myself, who is still trying to find a novel that presents African American males in a positive light and one that deal with African American male/female relationship in a point of view other than who can get someone's bed without damaging emotions or someone's self-respect, this one leaves me wanting, unfortunately like numerous others I have read. This is not an indictment of all African American novelists; I haven't read them all, not to mention other works that Mr. Coleman has written. Yet, as an African American male who is acutely aware of the challenges that we face a African American males, especially in the relationships with the women we love, it doesn't help, even for the sake of drama, to perpetuate the idea that all of us are either "dogs" or we have been hurt by sisters so much that it makes us want to be dogs.
As a Christian, I think Mr. Coleman's book does do us a service; it makes us aware of the fact that when a person does decide to make a committent to Christ, we who are established in the faith should try to nurture those who are new in their experience. Nate really needed some good male mentoring, that would have kept him, I believe, in the straight and narrow, and if Anita, the pastor's wife, was to be with him, it would have worked out another way besides him having an affair with her.
I had planned to be a little more scorching with my review, but I think the points I made were sufficient. There is one thing that I do enjoy in the recent trend in African American novels written by male authors, including Mr. Coleman's book; we do see the fact that there is a sense of friendship a and brotherhood rarely discussed when it comes to African American men. "Don't Ever Wonder" is an excitable, interesting read, even though there is something I am looking for and I still have to keep looking when it comes to African American fiction.
Book Description
Acclaimed author Jen Holling presents the stunning final novel in her sensual trilogy, set against the windswept hills of Scotland, about a trio of sisters with witchcraft -- and passion -- in their blood.
Rose, the youngest of the MacDonell sisters, is more concerned with her father's mysterious illness than with her impending marriage to her childhood sweetheart. A gifted but frustrated healer, she decides to beg help from William MacKay -- a reclusive laird who is renowned not only for his ferocity, but also for his healing powers. Denied entry to his fortress in the cold, harsh mountains of the far northwestern highlands, Rose uses cunning to force her way in, and William is duly intrigued with this bold slip of a girl. But securing his help may not be enough to save Rose's father. For there is something darker at work in the glen, something more powerful than William's and Rose's magic combined, and only the soul-deep passion that shadows their mutual desire can help their love prevail.
Customer Reviews:
It was good.......2007-02-19
I am a die hard fan of romantic novels. I have all three of the series and I absolutely love them they are all really good.
What an ending!!!.......2006-08-29
This is the third installment of The Brides of the Bloodstone trilogy. It's the story of Rose, youngest of the three MacDonell sisters. While they were little girls, their mother, a powerful witch, was burned at the stake. In fear for their lives, their father hid them separately. Now many years later, and on his deathbed from a mysterious illness, the MacDonell has summoned his daughters home.
Their lives are still in danger so he has arranged each of them to be married to men he can entrust with their safety. Rose, the youngest and blessed with the healing touch, is betrothed to Jamie MacPherson, a childhood friend she hasn't seen in years. Her wedding, however, has been postponed so she can devote herself to discovering the source of her father's illness.
Despite her many efforts, her father continues to deteriorate. To Rose's mind, her only hope is William MacKay, a gifted healer also known as the Wizard of the North. Since her many letters to him have gone unanswered, Rose decides to travel to his fortress to see him in person.
William is determined to shun the girl who has traveled many miles to see him, but curiosity forces him to disguise himself and seek her out. What he finds is a beautiful woman who is dedicated to helping others, even at risk to herself.
His fascination with her finally forces him to see her and eventually agree to travel to MacDonell castle to see her father. But in truth there is a sinister plot behind the MacDonell's illness and his wife's death and this mysterious enemy will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
This was such a great ending to a wonderful trilogy. The plot of the MacDonnell's illness and the mother's death at the stake is woven throughout all three books. It is finally resolved in this last tale but what an ending. Jen Holling has done a masterful job weaving several storylines together to create an enchanting tale of love, treachery, and greed.
Saved the best for last.......2006-07-22
The final novel in the MacDonell Brides trilogy, this is the story about the youngest sister, Rose, a powerful witch and healer.
She was only eight when witch hunters burnt their mother alive. Sent far away from her home, she's waited for the day when she could return to Glen Laire and be with her family once again. Now her wish has finally come true, only to find out that her father is dying. For all her healing powers, nothing seems to cure whatever ails her father. Frustrated with his declining health and her inability to heal him, she writes to William MacKay - the reclusive Lord of Strathwick and a very powerful healer. But when he ignores her letters, she braves the wildness and sets off to the northern highlands ready to beg him to see her father.
William, the so-called Wizard of the North, is known for his great healing skills. But with Scotland in the grip of a nationwide witch hunt, he has been a virtual prisoner in his own home when his own clan has turned against him. When Rose appears outside his fortress, he initially denies her entry. But her persistence soon wins over, and before he could think twice, he accompanies her back to Glen Laire to try healing her father, only to discover that they are dealing with witchcraft that is beyond his powers.
MY SHADOW WARRIOR is, in my opinion, the best novel in the trilogy. It is more character-driven and we really see the attraction grow between the main characters. Rose and William are well suited, connected together by destiny and the magical powers they were born with. We see more of the characters from the first two books, as they help Rose and William uncover the person behind the witchcraft that is slowly killing their father. Some new secondary characters are also introduced, and I thought William's daughter, Deidre, was simply adorable and her own special ability adds to the fun.
While this book can stand-alone, it is better to read the other two novels to get a richer understanding of the MacDonell sisters. I must admit though that the mystery regarding the black wizard is rather obvious from the first book, however, I enjoyed the trilogy especially this book. The first two novels are MY WICKED HIGHLANDER and MY DEVILISH SCOTSMAN.
Excellent.......2006-06-09
Third in the series, this novel wrapped up the rest story lines left dangling in the other novels.
The romance in all three novels was excellent. All were equally entertaining. I read the entire series between Saturday and Thursday of one week, while working full-time.
My only disappointment in the whole series was that the villain was obvious from the first time he was introduced, and it took three novels of Alan suffering before the matter was FINALLY resolved.
Holling doesn't disappoint!.......2005-10-10
I am not and never have been a romance reader, but I'll always read Hollings books. She is that good. And I have to agree with M. Rondeau: Holling saved the best for last. I didn't see how she could possibly do any better than the riveting first two books of the McDonnell series, but My Shadow Warrior is like the finale of a dazzling fireworks display. Rose is such an endearing heroine, and her dilemmas (saving her dying father, trying to escape a past of abuse at the hands of a 'foster' family) make for a heart of compassion as well as inevitable faults. Very realistic, very identifiable. And hero William McKay breaks the mold when it comes to love interests. His past is as tortured, if not more, than Rose's, and his heart is just as big. The darkness surrounding him adds tension to his and Rose's already tense and knee-weakening attraction. And readers of the first two novels will be glad to see Gillian and Isobel again as they work with Rose to get to the bottom of their father's illness. The climax you have been waiting for happens here!
Product Description
Book Club Edition Hardcover
Product Description
Set 3 MacDonell Brides Series : My Devilish Scotsman My Shadow Warrior My Wicked Highlander
Amazon.com
Author James Luceno returns to the prequel biz with Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil, a novel sure to be required reading for die-hard fans of George Lucas's galaxy far, far away. Written with Lucas's blessing, Luceno's tale leads right to the opening sequence of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, setting the stage for the fiery conclusion of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire.
As the action begins, the Republic and Jedi have seemingly pushed the Separatists and Sith back into the outer reaches of the galaxy thanks to the clone army deployed in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. But as victory seems near, the ruthless General Grievous--think Darth Vader on steroids--emerges from the shadows. In the battle against Grievous, Anakin Skywalker--who is a little Vader-ish too these days--and Obi Wan Kenobi find themselves in a race to discover the identity of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious and unravel the web of duplicity surrounding the Separatist uprising.
While essential for obsessive fans, Labyrinth of Evil is a clunky novel and Luceno struggles with Lucas's ungainly and Byzantine plotting. Full of cumbersome, Star Wars technophillia, the novel merely serves its purpose by fleshing out the thin line between Episodes II and III. True believers will revel in the level of technical detail and tantalizing nuggets of trivia while the less zealous could satisfy their Star Wars cravings by checking out Timothy Zahn's masterful post-Episode VI works. --Jeremy Pugh
Book Description
The war that erupted in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones is nearing its boiling point, as the dauntless Separatist forces continue their assault on the teetering Republic–and the diabolical triumvirate of Count Dooku, General Grievous, and their Master, Darth Sidious, fine-tune their strategy for conquest. In Episode III Revenge of the Sith the fates of key players on both sides of the conflict will be sealed. But first, crucial events that pave the way to that time of reckoning unfold in a labyrinth of evil. . . .
Capturing Trade Federation Viceroy–and Separatist Councilmember–Nute Gunray is the mission that brings Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, with a squad of clones in tow, to Neimoidia. But the treacherous ally of the Sith proves as slippery as ever, evading his Jedi pursuers even as they narrowly avoid deadly disaster. Still, their daring efforts yield an unexpected prize: a unique holotransceiver that bears intelligence capable of leading the Republic forces to their ultimate quarry, the ever-elusive Darth Sidious.
Swiftly taking up the chase, Anakin and Obi-Wan follow clues from the droid factories of Charros IV to the far-flung worlds of the Outer Rim . . . every step bringing them closer to pinpointing the location of the Sith Lord–whom they suspect has been manipulating every aspect of the Separatist rebellion. Yet somehow, in the escalating galaxy-wide chess game of strikes, counterstrikes, ambushes, sabotage, and retaliations, Sidious stays constantly one move ahead.
Then the trail takes a shocking turn. For Sidious and his minions have set in motion a ruthlessly orchestrated campaign to divide and overwhelm the Jedi forces–and bring the Republic to its knees.
From the Hardcover edition.
Average customer rating:
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Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars)
James Luceno
Manufacturer: Century
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Star Wars
| Media Series
| Series
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1844138712 |
Book Description
In this extraordinary thriller, rich in the atmospheres of medieval and contemporary France, the lives of two women born centuries apart are linked by a common destiny.
July 2005. In the Pyrenees mountains near Carcassonne, Alice, a volunteer at an archaeological dig stumbles into a cave and makes a startling discovery-two crumbling skeletons, strange writings on the walls, and the pattern of a labyrinth; between the skeletons, a stone ring, and a small leather bag.
Eight hundred years earlier, on the eve of a brutal crusade to stamp out heresy that will rip apart southern France, Alais is given a ring and a mysterious book for safekeeping by her father as he leaves to fight the crusaders. The book, he says, contains the secret of the true Grail, and the ring, inscribed with a labyrinth, will identify a guardian of the Grail. As crusading armies led by Church potentates and nobles of northern France gather outside the city walls of Carcassonne, it will take great sacrifice to keep the secret of the labyrinth safe.
In the present, another woman sees the find as a means to the political power she craves; while a man who has great power will kill to destroy all traces of the discovery and everyone who stands in his way.
Customer Reviews:
Boring; Predictable.......2007-09-29
Yet another da Vinci Code wanna-be/clone. Self indulgently too long (by about 200 pages), with very pedestrian, predictable writing (and full of typos - where were the editors??). What gives this book any interest/color is its descriptions of this hot, arid corner of southwest France and its history (although the history is quite superficial).
Eh.......2007-09-21
Labyrinth is the story of the Holy Grail, the Crusades, and the Cathar heresy of the 13th century, as told through the experiences of two women: Alice Tanner, living in 2005 and Alais Du Mas, living in 1209. They have a lot of more in common than their first names. One afternoon, while on an archaeological dig, Alice finds a brooch as well as a cave with human remains in it. The narrative goes back and forth between the two time periods.
The book's premise is interesting, and I thought it a good idea to tell the story through the female perspective, but I thought the author got too bogged down in describing every single little thing! The devil may be in the details, but I thought that the describing of everything really detracted from the story. I also didn't like Alais's character. Mosse makes the same mistake that many writers of historical fiction make: the character was too modern for the time in which she lived. In short, there are better works of historical fiction out there on the medieval period. Don't waste your time with this one.
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse.......2007-09-19
If only Kate Mosse had published her novel not in 2006, but shortly after the astonishing success of the Da Vinci Code, it perhaps would've received the literary respect it deserves, instead of coming last in a slew of novels involving the subjects of the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar, and what they mean in the present day. The quote on the back of the paperback edition from the Kirkus Review really says it all: "A quickly paced adventure that wears its considerable learning lightly - and of higher literary quality than The Da Vinci Code, to which it will inevitably be compared." And yet Labyrinth goes more than a few steps further, not just adding new and original twists to the myth of the grail, but adding a new depth and level that hasn't been seen before. As for the truth behind it all, Mosse doesn't offer a note of explanation, but leaves it to the reader's imagination.
Labyrinth opens with one of the two main characters, Alice, working on an archaeological site in southern France, where she finds a hidden cave and two skeletons within. She also finds a unique ring bearing an unusual symbol: a labyrinth. Notifying the authorities of the discovered site, with the skeletons it suddenly becomes a crime scene, and the archaeologists are kicked off the site. The reader is then taken back in time to the thirteenth century, where they meet the other main character, Alaïs, a young girl held back by tradition and ritual in a chivalric society where the knight and the priest are strongest. For the duration of the book, the reader follows these two characters, as they live their lives in parallel.
As Alice returns to her hotel, strange things start to happen, as strangers contact her about what she found in the cave, police telling her to describe exactly what she saw and confiscating her sketches. Members of the dig go mysteriously missing, as people begin to die for unknown reasons. Finding pieces of evidence, Alice weaves together the story bit by bit, and as she does she discovers that she is intrinsically linked to it all, and most importantly to Alaïs. Her strange dreams of this unknown girl from the late Middle Ages are the least of her worries.
Alaïs finds herself caught up in the changing and challenging times when the pope launches a crusade against the Cathars, a declared heretic group who believe that while God is absolute and utmost, the work they do in their lives is by their doing and not God's. It is a time when Christians are fighting Christians overtly because of their supposed heretical ways, but subversively because the northern French want the rich southern land of the langue d'Oc.
Wrapped in this dense plot is the story of the Grail, which every Christian of every group seeks, and it is only when the three ancient texts with the strange hieroglyphs are brought together, that the true way to the Grail will be shown. But the story of this Grail is not the one that we all think we know, but something deeper and more ancient that is tied in with this mysterious symbol of the labyrinth, and reaches back into Ancient Egypt and the founding of civilization.
While the last third of the book seems somewhat rushed, as Mosse forgoes the back and forth chapters through time, and relies on present day characters telling what they know of the past; there is an inevitable building that results in a climactic ending of not just character realization, but eye-opening shock on the reader's part, as they finally know the whole story. Like the symbol, Labyrinth is a story that begins simple and straightforward, but grows more and more complex, until the denouement when all is revealed and finally understood. Check out www.labyrinthbook.net for more information.
For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com
Interesting and entertaining.......2007-09-12
I enjoyed this book a great deal, primarily because the 12th century characters were so compelling (I agree with previous reviews that the modern-day Alice was not as interesting or believable as her Alais counterpart). The history and description of the Languedoc was fascinating. My complaints about the book are that, given its length, it did not go into very much detail about the Cathars and their theology, nor about what Mosse perceives the "true grail" to be. For such a long book, I felt like it wasn't until halfway through that any significant questions posed were being answered. Finally, and this is just a personal thing -- I find it irritating when big, open questions in a book (or a movie) are all tied up in a conversation at the end. I feel it's better to let it come out in the action of the story. Still, a vivid and very entertaining historical novel and worth reading.
Pointeless novel.......2007-09-07
This book is pointless, overlong, under plotted, and is "much ado about nothing". Unidimensional characters trapped in a maze of nothingness. For me, it was a stupendous disappointment from start to finish.
I kept reading it, expecting (hoping, really) about some kind of development or originality. I'd even welcomed silly plot twists! But you end up with plenty of descriptions of places and things (gotta fill those pages!) and pretty much nothing else.
My only consolation is that I did not pay for it.
STAY CLEAR OF THAT BOOK
Thanks.
C.
Average customer rating:
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The Hermitage
Manufacturer: Dell Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000BJUKN2 |
Product Description
the door swung wide----beconing her into a labyrinth of terror:::THE HERMITAGE.
Book Description
This study guide expands the discussion begun in The Divine Conspiracy, focusing on and clarifying key issues and encouraging a fuller understanding of Christian discipleship. Here you will find:
- Overviews and summaries of each chapter of The Divine Conspiracy
- Scripture meditations to enhance your understanding of the text
- Study questions to facilitate stimulating discussion and reflection
Customer Reviews:
Very Helpful.......2006-05-12
I guess I'm just not as smart as the previous reviewer. He is correct in saying that some of Willard's ideas are complex and provocative, but I disagree that this study guide is "insultingly immature." I found it to be very helpful in clarifying many of the more difficult early passages in the book. Like all good study guides it doesn't think for the reader, but assists him in thinking for himself. A highly recommended aid to a highly recommended book.
Oops!.......2006-04-25
If you are smart enough to read and understand the complex ideas that Willard presents -- and some of them are quite provocative -- then you don't need this study guide. It is almost insultingly immature. A group or individual is really missing out on the depth of this fabulous book by using this study guide.
Dump it and think for yourself!
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