A Time for Hope

December 23, 2013
Jacobs fills the faltering sequel to A Place Called Hope with stilted prose and flat characters. In a plot driven entirely by unfathomably convenient coincidences, Libby Pulford escapes her abusive husband and takes her young son to Lancashire, where she can claim an inheritance if she spends six months living in her deceased grandmother's home. Her new neighbor, Joss Atherton, a retired policeman, takes it upon himself to protect Libby. Without a hint of chemistry or passion, Joss and Libby develop a mutual affection and prepare for the inexplicable and painfully contrived showdown with Libby's ex. Some details tease the reader with the possibility of depth or emotional satisfaction, but those moments quickly fall by the wayside.

February 15, 2015
Emily Dickinson says hope is the thing with feathers, a message heroine Gabi should have considered before marrying Stu. Once divorce looms, he is unmasked, revealing an unfaithful, violent man scheming for financial gain from the marriage, even, or especially, if it means terrorizing Gabi and threatening her physically. Tennessee Williams speaks of the kindness of strangers; this is embodied in Dan, a kind, compassionate PI sent to Gabi's rural Lancashire home with news of an unexpected legacy. He stays to help the traumatized woman, offering tea, sympathy, and assistance with painting a few rooms of the house she must sell. Dan's investigation uncovers Stu's possible link to some shady types in Prague, home of his mistress and business connections. Could this explain his desperation for the house sale? Though somewhat like a TV movie, the journey Jacobs takes readers on deep into the dark of Gabi's marriage and out in the light of her rescue is well worth the trip.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)