The life she wants

Title:

The life she wants

Author:

Summary:

In the aftermath of her financier husband's suicide, Emma Shay Compton's dream life is shattered. Richard Compton stole his clients' life savings to fund a lavish life in New York City and, although she was never involved in the business, Emma bears the burden of her husband's crimes. She is left with nothing. Only one friend stands by her, a friend she's known since high school, who encourages her to come home to Sonoma County. But starting over isn't easy and Sonoma is full of unhappy memories, too.

Physical Description:

330 pages ; 25 cm

Genre:

Domestic fiction.

Subject Term:

Widows -- Fiction.

Female friendship -- Fiction.

Self-realization -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Sonoma County (Calif.) -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Mira Books,

Publication Date:

2016

ISBN:

9780778330141

Publication Information:

Don Mills, Ontario : Mira Books, [2016]

Call Number:

CARR

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003196188	Adult Fiction	CARR Robyn	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr brings together a poignant novel with a rich tapestry of characters. A moving story that will leave the reader laughing and crying, as two friends confront their pasts and move towards their futures.

In the aftermath of her financier husband's suicide, Emma Shay Compton's dream life is shattered. Richard Compton stole his clients' life savings to fund a lavish life in New York City and, although she was never involved in the business, Emma bears the burden of her husband's crimes. She is left with nothing.

Only one friend stands by her, a friend she's known since high school, who encourages her to come home to Sonoma County. But starting over isn't easy, and Sonoma is full of unhappy memories, too. And people she'd rather not face, especially Riley Kerrigan.

Riley and Emma were like sisters--until Riley betrayed Emma, ending their friendship. Emma left town, planning to never look back. Now, trying to stand on her own two feet, Emma can't escape her husband's reputation and is forced to turn to the last person she thought she'd ever ask for help--her former best friend. It's an uneasy reunion as both women face the mistakes they've made over the years. Only if they find a way to forgive each other--and themselves--can each of them find the life she wants.

Author Notes

Robyn Carr is a best-selling author of romance novels. She studied nursing in college, but because she married her high school sweetheart who then joined the US Navy, Carr never had time to stay in one place and practice nursing. Instead, she became a reader of romance novels and then decided to write her own. Since that time she has written many historical and contemporary-based romance novels.

Robyn's titles include the Virgin River, Thunder Point, and Grace Valley series as well as a number of stand-alone novels. Robyn's titles, A New Hope and Wildest Dreams, made the New York Times bestseller list in 2015. Robyn's titles, Backward Glance, What We Find, The House on Olive Street and The Life She Wants, made the New York Times bestseller list in 2016.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Bestselling author Carr follows a woman who marries a multi-millionaire schemer (who commits suicide after being caught) and ends up as a nearly penniless widow. Emma Shay Compton is unsympathetic in the public eye-though she did nothing wrong and was unaware of her husband's fraudulent practices-and has to start her life all over again. She flees the east coast and returns to her childhood home of Sonoma County, where she confronts her past: Riley Kerrigan, the best friend who stole Emma's high school boyfriend, Jock, and got pregnant; and her difficult childhood with a typically evil stepmother who favored her own children over Emma. Emma ends up working for Riley, whose brother, Adam, intercedes on her behalf (he's had a crush on Emma for years) and Emma becomes part of Riley's professional cleaning service while developing a relationship with Adam. That she readily goes from living the luxurious life to cleaning toilets is a bit of a stretch, as is her involvement with one of the client's daughters, a huge infraction of Riley's professional rules. Too much melodrama, shallow character portrayals, and lifeless romantic scenes unfortunately undercut what could have been an insightful exploration of a woman's world turned upside down by circumstances beyond her control. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

Two friends are torn apart by their love for a single man. Emma, betrayed and hurt, abandons her childhood home in California to seek success across a continent, while Riley goes it alone, raising her child as a single mother and building a business her way. Then disaster strikes Emma, who returns home disgraced by her criminal husband and nearly destitute. Carr builds a story based on female friendship and, as a writer who is known for her strong characters and motivated action, brings together hope, friendship, and love. This is "feel good" fiction at its best. A well-realized sense of place enhances a plot that satisfies the listener's need for rational movement forward as two women explore their own mistakes, rediscover friendship, and find sweet romance. Therese Plummer reads with dramatic effect and perfect pacing. VERDICT Will appeal to fans of gentle romance who want a story with substance. ["For those who relish contemporary family sagas with strong female characters as well as readers who like their stories tinged with romance": LJ 7/16 review of the Mira: Harlequin hc.]-Janet Martin, Southern Pines P.L., NC © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.