"A great romance"

Three years ago, Nora Summers and Mark Walker were in love, but she rationalized that he was not ready to commit so she ended their relationship. He never learned why she ended it and why she left soon afterward.

Nora returns home and Mark picks her up at the airport. She surprises herself and her chauffeur by pleading with Mark to stay the night as she does not want to be alone in a place that contains ugly memories. Mark, who desperately wants Nora back in his life, readily agrees. They make love, but the morning after Nora has doubts as she knows that her heart will break when he leaves her again as her father did years ago. Thus she fears risking even a second one-night stand especially now that she is pregnant. As for him, Nora has left her mark on him so that he needs a lifetime of her, but how to persuade his beloved that he wants to raise babies with her.

Readers will deeply feel for the complex Nora as she struggles between her heart's desires and her experiences that people she loves abandon her. Ironically, in a Pygmalion Effect, Nora is causing Mark to leave. The story line is character driven as fans will appreciate the bewildered, patient, and desperate hero who seems unable to persuade his beloved that he wants forever too with her. Title aside, the pregnancy angle complicates the relationship by forcing the lead couple into communicating. However, the angle is unnecessary as the tale clearly belongs to the heroine, whose childhood has turned her into an adult that believes relationships are ephemeral at best.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted October 1, 2003