I first read this book in May of 2003 and loved it. Recently, my sister checked it out from the library and when I saw it in her house, I decided to re-read it. Still a great suspenseful love story. One thing I really like about this book is that the main character, Julie, doesn’t take the entire story to fall in love with the good guy. She realizes after a few chapters that Mike is the one for her. So many female characters in romance novels are stupid, and it takes them the entire book to pick the good guy over the bad one. This was a refreshing change.

This book will be a definite re-read for me. It was full of practical and specific things that I can and should do to help my son become a man of character. Some were common sense (eg: “Pick your battles when disciplining.”) and others were things that as a woman, I hadn’t really thought about (eg: “Rough-housing is essential. It’s good for boys to risk getting hurt sometimes.”). The book had a whole chapter devoted to sex education, and another one that described 11 character traits that moms should work on developing in their sons. This was an easy read, full of stories and examples, and I know it will help me to be a better mother to my son.

Another good book by Billie Letts. I love her unique and diverse characters and the way she weaves them all together in a believeable plot. It’s also very satisfying to read her books, as the “bad guys” always get their due in the end. There’s a lot that I could say about the way that she views all religions as equal, but I don’t feel like analyzing all of that right now. Just be aware of it when you read her books.