Summer Light

June 25, 2001
Few romance authors are able to portray the complex and contradictory emotions that bind family members as effortlessly as Rice (Firefly Beach, etc.), and in this enchanting, heartfelt tale, she showcases her considerable talent. Wedding planner May Taylor has suffered her share of life's blows. Both her parents died when she was young; her first love turned out to be married; and her six-year-old daughter, Kylie, claims to see angels. Nevertheless, May has managed to build a rewarding life for herself in Black Hall, Conn. When fate lands her on a plane with famed Boston Bruins hockey player Martin Cartier, she realizes how desperately she needs a soul mate and Kylie needs a father. The romance between May and Martin is swift but satisfying, and their lives seem almost perfect until Martin is forced to confront the ghosts of his past and the realization that he is going blind. Martin's blindness is symbolic of his lack of insight into his relationship with his father, Serge, a former hockey star who is serving hard time for gambling. Martin blames the older man for the accidental death of Martin's daughter, Natalie, and refuses to answer Serge's appeals. But the tragedy weighs heavily on Martin's conscience and, with May's guidance, he slowly learns to forgive and to have faith in those who love him. A warm and illuminating summer read, this poignant tale of love, loss and reconciliation will have readers hitting the bookstores on the way to the beaches. (July 3)Forecast:A national television and radio advertising campaign as well as print advertising in
People,
First for Women and
USA Today will ensure that sales of Rice's newest will exceed its 75,000 initial print run. The book will also receive a boost from the television adaptation of Rice's
Follow the Stars Home (which will air in May) and the May release of
Firefly Beach (Forecasts, Apr. 16).

March 1, 2001
Another fraught tale from Rice. Deserted by her father as a child, May works as a wedding planner and raises daughter Kylie, who can see and hear things others can't. This gift leads May to the love of her life, a seemingly smooth but ultimately enraged hockey player who really needs her help.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2001
May Taylor comes from a long line of wedding planners, but she herself has never had the pleasure, although she does have her wonderful daughter, Kylie, a special child who seems to feel things more deeply than others and who sees angels. It's Kylie who brings her mother and Bruins hockey star, Martin Cartier, together. For Martin, it's love at first sight, but May is leery of relationships. She finally agrees to marriage, but life is complicated as their careers require that they live alternately in Connecticut, Canada, and Boston. May is perceived as manipulating the NHL hunk into marriage by the press and fans, while Martin struggles within the shadow of his famous estranged father, Serge, a three-time Stanley Cup champion who squandered his fortune and family with his gambling obsession. With her gift, Kylie tries to unite the family in the face of tragedy, and the prolific Rice skillfully blends romance with magic.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)