Title: Certainly
Sensible
Author: Pamela Woods-Jackson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 312
Publisher: Wild
Rose Press
SYNOPSIS: Susan
Benedict and her daughters Caroline, the sensible one, Allie the high-strung
artist, and teenage Megan, are stunned to learn they are being booted out of
their family home when her ex-husband Daniel’s new trophy wife wants the social
status the address will bring her. The Benedict women find themselves in
unexpected financial straits, so oldest daughter Caroline is determined to help
make ends meet.
However, in order to do that, she
must consider leaving not only the job she loves, but the man who has her heart
- a man engaged to someone else. All
four women doubt their ability to make the transitions necessary to succeed,
but deep within each lies a well of strength only adversity can uncover.
REVIEW: I
really loved this story. Each woman showed her true strength that they had
within. Susan was a mom of three who hadn’t worked since her husband was
wealthy but had to start over basically. She got a job and then found a house
for them to live in. She had to deal with the moans and groans of the younger
girls because one had to go to public school and the other couldn’t continue at
the Music School she was attending. It was very hard on her but she made it
through.
Megan was the youngest and even
though she initially didn’t like the public school she learned that the friends
she made there were truly her friends. Not her friends because she had money.
Allie was always trying to find
love and she would be pushy even with the guys. When she finally has a nice
neighbor professor willing to let her use his piano to practice she blows him
off for another guy who only went out with her for the money he thought she
had. Soon enough Allie realizes what she did to the neighbor. They decide to take
things slow and continue their friendship. She knows that she doesn’t want to rush
into anything with him because it feels right. He is someone she can trust.
Caroline was the oldest and
decided to interview for another job to get more money to help her mom out. Even
though she loved what she did and she was in love with her boss. He was blind
to that fact even though he liked her too. He was promised to a woman who was a
society woman who was horrible. He didn’t even remember proposing to her. He
had been drunk. Caroline gets an offer to leave the company and he decides to
take matters into his own hands and gets his grandmother to help him hire
Caroline on fulltime to have the job that she deserves. He couldn’t live without her in
the office.
But throughout the whole story I wondered
if the absentee father would ever figure out what he was missing. I believe in
the end he finally understood what he had let his new wife do. He had abandoned
his children and they wanted nothing to do with him. They weren’t comfortable
going back to their childhood home and he never seemed to have time for them.
I loved this story. There were
several small stories going on at the same time and it kept the story flowing
smoothly and effortlessly. I liked Caroline’s boss’ grandmother. She tried
several times to talk to her grandson about marrying someone he loved and not
out of a promise from years ago. She tried to get him and Caroline together.
She actually set them up on a dinner date and they decided to stay and have
dinner together. It was a wonderful evening
but Caroline knew he was going to go through with the wedding anyway.
You will have to read this story
to see what happens to the Benedict women on this journey for them. Each one
has such a strong spirit and I admire that.
I highly recommend this book.
