Alice at Heart

November 15, 2001
Reclusive, wary, and known locally as Odd Alice, orphaned Alice Riley has always known she was different; but it isn't until she saves a child from drowning by using her phenomenal underwater abilities and links minds with drowning salvage diver Griffin Randolf and saves him, too, that her half-sisters learn of her existence, and she discovers how special she and Griffin really are. Old secrets, revenge, and passion fuel this compelling, intricately plotted story of love, trust, and acceptance, which successfully straddles the line between romance and fantasy and should appeal to fans of both genres. Recalling Susan Krinard's werewolf romances, Smith's new work nicely sets the stage for her projected romantic fantasy series, "Water Lilies." Smith (On Bear Mountain) is a respected writer of romances and other types of fiction and lives in Dahlonega, GA. [This title is also available as an e-book in Adobe Acrobat and MS Reader formats from iPublish.com Ed.]

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2002
Alice, an ugly duckling with webbed feet who never grew into a swan, is taking a frigid winter swim in Lake Riley, high in the Georgia Appalachians, when she has a vision of a drowning diver. She sends Griffin Randolph a mental message to breathe and establishes a telepathic link. At the same time a little girl falls into the icy lake on the opposite shore, and, amazingly enough, Alice is able to save her, but the rescue puts her unhappily in the spotlight and under suspicion. Then the three glamorous Bonavendier sisters of Sainte's Point Island show up at the awards ceremony and inform Alice that she's their father's posthumous daughter. When Alice arrives at the island, she discovers that she and Griffin have a mysterious bond, that a long-standing enmity separates his family and hers, and that the Bonavendiers' past includes a mermaid great-grandmother and accusations of piracy. Readers of Alice Hoffman will enjoy Smith's surprisingly convincing blend of romance and magical realism.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)