Crazy in Love (32 page)

“Nick hates to leave every morning, and I hate for him to leave. Tia and I wave goodbye through the window; the weather is not yet warm enough for me to take her outside every day. ‘Maybe we should move back to New York,’ Nick said one night last week when he had to stay overnight in the city, but right away he corrected himself. Bennison Point is where we belong. This is our home.”

S.O., April 2006
Bennison Point, Black Hall,
Connecticut

About the Author

L
UANNE
R
ICE
is the author of twenty novels, most recently
Summer of Roses, Summer’s Child, Silver Bells, Beach Girls, Dance With Me, The Perfect Summer,
and
The Secret Hour.
She lives in New York City and Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Beach Girls
was the basis for the Lifetime television network miniseries, and
Silver Bells
was a recent Hallmark Hall of Fame feature presentation.

Visit the author’s website at
www.luannerice.com
.

A
LSO BY
L
UANNE
R
ICE

Summer of Roses

Summer’s Child

Silver Bells

Beach Girls

Dance With Me

The Perfect Summer

The Secret Hour

True Blue

Safe Harbor

Summer Light

Firefly Beach

Dream Country

Follow the Stars Home

Cloud Nine

Home Fires

Blue Moon

Secrets of Paris

Stone Heart

Angels All Over Town

ACCLAIM FOR
CRAZY IN LOVE

“An extraordinarily intimate portrait of love, both familial and marital.”

—Dominick Dunne

“Winsome and graceful . . . Luanne Rice proves herself a nimble virtuoso. What a bright and encouraging book [she] has written—like a porch light left on to show you the way home after dark.”

—
Washington Post

“Rice creates a memorable New England clan, four generations living side by side. . . . A book worth reading for a good look at a real family faced with change and full of all the things families are made of: love, secrets, traditions, and memories.”

—
Providence Journal-Bulletin

“Charming . . . Even if you do not have a family like Georgie’s, you will feel that they are there beside you, cheering you on.”

—
Chicago Tribune

“The writing in this book sparkles. It’s clear and bright and rippled with humor.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“A delightful book—droll and passionate, and tender.”

—Alice Hoffman, author of
The Ice Queen

“
Crazy in Love
is a fully ripened novel, bursting with the sweet juices of life. Luanne Rice creates characters so real, the reader is convinced their lives will continue past the final page but feels bereft to have to leave them on their own.”

—Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, author of
A Woman of Independent Means

“Rice conveys the delights and pains of loving relationships with verve and charm.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Rice’s trademarks are fine writing, a good eye for small detail, and an uncanny way of conveying the mysterious glue that holds families together.”

—Kirkus Reviews
(starred review)

PRAISE FOR THE TRANSCENDENT NOVELS
OF LUANNE RICE
SUMMER OF ROSES

“Rice masterfully weaves together a batch of sympathetic characters into a rich and vivid tapestry, all while exploring complex human emotions and the healing power of love.”

—
Flint Journal

“Rice continues the compelling story she started in
Summer’s Child
. . . [she] gives her readers an in-depth look at the devastation abuse causes to both the primary victim and her loved ones while simultaneously illuminating the healing that comes from love and loving relationships.”

—
Booklist

SUMMER’S CHILD

“Resonant and beautifully written, this novel offers a lyrical meditation on healing, a setting as soft and colorful as beach glass and a story that’s both suspenseful and tender. Rice excels at weaving the familiar staples of popular fiction into storytelling gold; her talent for portraying both children at risk and good men scarred by circumstance also dazzles. Above all, this book—one of Rice’s best in recent years—depicts the magical endurance of love with the sensitivity and realism for which she’s known.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Rice, a terrific storyteller and a poetic stylist, takes on a difficult and brutal subject and transforms it into a source of light and hope.”

—
Booklist

SILVER BELLS

“Lost souls, found again . . . Lyrical and lovely: a standout Christmas story.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“Book after book, Rice never fails to deliver a beautiful tale full of emotion. This book is destined to become an enchanting Christmas classic for future generations to enjoy for years to come. Stirring and poignant, it is full of hope and love both lost and found. It speaks to the reader of magic, miracles and pursuing your dreams, no matter what the cost. When the hustle and bustle of the holiday season start to get you down, pick up this book and let its magic work wonders as it enlivens your soul.”

—
The Best Reviews

BEACH GIRLS

“Like a milder Northern cousin of
Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood
, Rice’s latest celebrates the near mystical persistence of female bonds. . . . Gorgeous descriptions and sensitive characterizations . . . Few writers evoke summer’s translucent days so effortlessly, or better capture the bittersweet ties of family love. Those who can’t get to the beach will feel transported there upon opening this book, which will likely be a seaside essential for many readers.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“[A] beautiful and tender love story set against an idyllic backdrop of sand and surf and dealing with many facets of love. Another winner for Rice, who breathes life into poignant tales not only about love but also about forgiveness.”

—
Booklist

DANCE WITH ME

“A return to what the author does best: heartfelt family drama, gracefully written and poignant.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“In
Dance With Me,
Luanne Rice once again shows her ability to craft characters readers can relate to, both in their good and bad times.”

—
Orlando Sentinel

“Rice, always skilled at drafting complex stories, again reveals her special strength in character development—including all the ancillary personae who round out this tale of love, loss and hope.”

—
Newark Sunday Star Ledger

THE PERFECT SUMMER

“A beautifully crafted novel . . . Rice’s ability to evoke the lyricism of the seaside lifestyle without oversentimentalizing contemporary issues like adultery, anorexia or white-collar crime is just one of the many gifts that make this a perfect summer read.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“Rice has done it again.
The Perfect Summer
is hard to put down until the last page is turned.”

—
Sunday Oklahoman

“If you’re into stories that explore human emotions, that delve into different psyches and extol those who manage to triumph over some of life’s tragedies, then you’ll enjoy
The Perfect Summer
.”

—
Detroit News & Free Press

THE SECRET HOUR

“Familiar Rice themes of sisterhood, loss and the healing power of love are spotlighted, but Rice’s interest in the human psyche has its dark side as well. . . . The shore scenes, including a cinematic climax . . . [are] among the novel’s strongest. Rice’s heartfelt personal tone and the novel’s cunningly deranged villain make this a smooth-flowing and fast-paced effort, with justice served all around at the satisfying . . . conclusion.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Intense and emotional,
The Secret Hour
has everything [readers] have come to expect and enjoy in novels by Luanne Rice . . . infinitely appealing characters . . . a sense of family that is rich and satisfying. Beyond these familiar elements is the underlying current of the unsolved mystery—the suspense is spine tingling and well developed. This added dimension in
The Secret Hour
elevates the novel to more than just a deep, meaningful novel of family relationships, and makes it one of Ms. Rice’s best yet—A Perfect Ten.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

TRUE BLUE

“With its graceful prose, full-bodied characters and atmospheric setting, this uplifting and enchanting tale is likely to become a beachside staple.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Rice, as always, provides her readers with a delightful love story filled with the subtle nuances of the human heart.”

—
Booklist

SAFE HARBOR

“Luanne Rice has a talent for navigating the emotions that range through familial bonds, from love and respect to anger. . . . A beautiful blend of love and humor, with a little bit of magic thrown in,
Safe Harbor
is Rice’s best work to date.”

—
Denver Post

“Irresistible . . . fast-paced . . . moving . . . Through Rice’s vivid storytelling, readers can almost smell the sea air. Rice has a gift for creating realistic characters, and the pages fly by as those characters explore the bonds of family while unraveling the mystery.”

—
Orlando Sentinel

“Luanne Rice’s exploration of the difficult emotional balance between professional success, personal fulfillment and family ties is pure gold. Evocative descriptions add interest to an already compelling tale. Equal parts romance, mystery, and character study . . . Readers beware: don’t start this book at bedtime; you may not sleep at all!”

—
Library Journal

FIREFLY BEACH

“A beautifully textured summertime read.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“Rice does a masterful job of telling this powerful story of love and reconciliation.”

—
Booklist

SUMMER LIGHT

“Few . . . authors are able to portray the complex and contradictory emotions that bind family members as effortlessly as Rice. . . . This poignant tale of love, loss and reconciliation will have readers hitting the bookstores.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“The prolific Rice skillfully blends romance with magic.”

—
Booklist

“Luanne Rice awakens in the reader the excitement of summer and love at first sight in this enjoyable novel.”

—
Abilene Reporter-News

DREAM COUNTRY

“A moving story of love and reunion . . . an absolute joy to read . . . I finally put
Dream Country
down at 2 a.m. and almost called in sick the next day to finish it.”

—
Denver Post

“Superb . . . stunning.”

—
Houston Chronicle

“Captivating . . .
Dream Country
will cast a spell on readers.”

—
Orlando Sentinel

“Highly readable . . . moving . . . a well-paced plot . . . Rice pulls off some clever surprises.”

—
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

FOLLOW THE STARS HOME

“Addictive . . . irresistible.”

—
People

“Involving, moving . . . stays with the reader long after the last page is turned.”

—
Denver Post

“A moving romance that also illuminates the tangled resentments, ties and allegiances of family life . . . Rice spins a web of three families intertwined by affection and conflict. . . . [She] is a gifted storyteller with a keen sense of both the possibilities and contingencies of life.”

—
Brunswick (ME) Times Record

CLOUD NINE

“A tightly paced story that is hard to put down . . . Rice’s message remains a powerful one: the strength of precious family ties can ultimately set things right.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“One of those rare reading experiences that we always hope for when cracking the cover of a book . . . A joy.”

—
Library Journal

“Elegant . . . Rice hooks the reader on the first page.”

—
Hartford Courant

“A celebration of family and the healing power of love. Poignant and powerful . . . One of those rare books that refresh and renew the landscape of women’s fiction for a new generation of readers.”

—Jayne Ann Krentz, author of
Sharp Edges

HOME FIRES

“Exciting, emotional, terrific. What more could you want from a late-summer read?”

—
New York Times Book Review

“Rice makes us believe that healing is possible.”

—
Chicago Tribune

“Good domestic drama is Rice’s chosen field, and she knows every acre of it. . . . Rice’s home fires burn brighter than most, and leave more than a few smoldering moments to remember.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

BLUE MOON

“Brilliant.”

—
Entertainment Weekly

“A rare combination of realism and romance.”

—
New York Times Book Review

“Eloquent . . . A moving and complete tale of the complicated phenomenon we call family.”

—
People

STONE HEART

“A highly suspenseful, multilayered [novel], about the complex subtleties that lie beneath the surface of a family.”

—
San Francisco Chronicle

“Powerful . . . electrifying . . . The contrast between romance and reality is what gives this novel its wonderful, terrifying, always compelling tension.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“A joy to read. Luanne Rice has hit her stride as a novelist. The sense of foreboding is almost overpowering.”

—
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Deserves a place among the best fiction of its kind, alongside Judith Guest’s
Ordinary People
and Sue Miller’s
The Good Mother
.”

—Eileen Goudge

ANGELS ALL OVER TOWN

“The Cavan sisters are an inseparable trio. The complexity of their relationship will be appreciated by anyone who comes from a family of sisters.”

—
Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Miss Rice writes as naturally as she breathes, and this exhilarating first novel is obviously but the first of many.”

—Brendan Gill

“Breezy, romantic, and entertaining.”

—
Booklist

MORE CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR
LUANNE RICE

“What a lovely writer Luanne Rice is.”

—Dominick Dunne

“Ms. Rice shares Anne Tyler’s ability to portray offbeat, fey characters winningly.”

—
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Luanne Rice handles with marvelous insight and sensitivity the complex chemistry of a family that might be the one next door.”

—Eileen Goudge

“Rice has an elegant style, a sharp eye, and a real warmth. In her hands families, and their values . . . seem worth cherishing.”

—
San Francisco Chronicle

“Rice’s great strength is in creating realistic characters readers care about.”

—
Denver Post