Helpful Score: 1
Classic Jude Deveraux: clever, witty, compassionate and compelling all at the same time. Jude is the queen of one-liners, and she has some zingers in Heartwishes. The scene with Mr. Lang in the grocery had me laughing out loud, and I cheered Gemma on the "blowing magazines off the table."
One of the many reasons I love reading Jude's books, and Heartwishes in particular, is that if you go deeper than the premise, there's a lot more to it. You can read this book as a basic romance novel, or you can start reading between the lines and learn so much more.
Colin was a very flawed hero in the beginning. His lack of communication skills, and his pattern of picking fights with her to vent his frustration and disappointment are a common and often serious problem. How many men do we know who are like that? It sabotages relationships and more than once has been the cause of a breakup, even divorce. For me, his athleticism - creating his own body, if you will - was a way for him to express himself and feel powerful and successful at something while he was being controlled and manipulated by his father's wishes.
Jean (the Dragon, LOL) didn't have anything to go on but her own conclusions that he was jealous of her success, and she was fighting serious battles of her own that she couldn't share with him. She didn't turn to Colin for help because she'd learned not to trust men and he was emotionally unavailable. We see the problems and misunderstandings caused by keeping secrets, not being honest with our feelings, and basically being inauthentic.
Gemma's ability to break through Colin's barriers was a blessing to him, and she did it by being open and direct. She taught him a lot, as you'll see in the story, and Jude shows us how, together, they created a wonderful partnership.
Gemma's childhood experiences led her to her chosen profession. She became a jock while tutoring her "boys", and Jude reminded me that balance is necessary. I have a tendency to veer towards being either athletically or cerebrally focussed, and Gemma balances both well. Seriously? I didn't think an athletic, kickboxing history professor-to-be was stereotypical at all, LOL!! Both of her skills were necessary to the story.
For me, the hidden gem (excuse the pun) in this book was that Jude showed us a type of dysfunctional relationship, the damage it can cause, and that we shouldn't accept it as "normal" or try to live with it. Why not change it so we can have our own "happily ever after", instead of just reading about it in novels?
Finally: if you could be granted one wish from deep in your heart, for yourself or someone else, what would it be? It's not just winning the lottery, a new job or career, living in a particular place, it's an invitation to look deep in your heart and ask yourself what you really, truly want in life.
I highly recommend Heartwishes. It's a beautiful love story with a mystery thrown in (always love that combination), and I truly enjoy revisiting the Edilean characters.
One of the many reasons I love reading Jude's books, and Heartwishes in particular, is that if you go deeper than the premise, there's a lot more to it. You can read this book as a basic romance novel, or you can start reading between the lines and learn so much more.
Colin was a very flawed hero in the beginning. His lack of communication skills, and his pattern of picking fights with her to vent his frustration and disappointment are a common and often serious problem. How many men do we know who are like that? It sabotages relationships and more than once has been the cause of a breakup, even divorce. For me, his athleticism - creating his own body, if you will - was a way for him to express himself and feel powerful and successful at something while he was being controlled and manipulated by his father's wishes.
Jean (the Dragon, LOL) didn't have anything to go on but her own conclusions that he was jealous of her success, and she was fighting serious battles of her own that she couldn't share with him. She didn't turn to Colin for help because she'd learned not to trust men and he was emotionally unavailable. We see the problems and misunderstandings caused by keeping secrets, not being honest with our feelings, and basically being inauthentic.
Gemma's ability to break through Colin's barriers was a blessing to him, and she did it by being open and direct. She taught him a lot, as you'll see in the story, and Jude shows us how, together, they created a wonderful partnership.
Gemma's childhood experiences led her to her chosen profession. She became a jock while tutoring her "boys", and Jude reminded me that balance is necessary. I have a tendency to veer towards being either athletically or cerebrally focussed, and Gemma balances both well. Seriously? I didn't think an athletic, kickboxing history professor-to-be was stereotypical at all, LOL!! Both of her skills were necessary to the story.
For me, the hidden gem (excuse the pun) in this book was that Jude showed us a type of dysfunctional relationship, the damage it can cause, and that we shouldn't accept it as "normal" or try to live with it. Why not change it so we can have our own "happily ever after", instead of just reading about it in novels?
Finally: if you could be granted one wish from deep in your heart, for yourself or someone else, what would it be? It's not just winning the lottery, a new job or career, living in a particular place, it's an invitation to look deep in your heart and ask yourself what you really, truly want in life.
I highly recommend Heartwishes. It's a beautiful love story with a mystery thrown in (always love that combination), and I truly enjoy revisiting the Edilean characters.
