Love and Money / Ruth Harris

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Contemporary Fiction

Approximate word count: 125-130,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“New York Times bestselling author Ruth Harris has sold many millions of copies around the world in hardcover and paperback editions. Her fiction has been translated into 19 languages, published in 25 countries and selected by the Literary Guild and Book-of-the-Month Club. Ms. Harris worked in traditional print publishing as a copywriter, editor and publisher before turning to the exciting new opportunities in electronic publishing. She lives in New York City with her husband, writer Michael Harris”

In addition to this one, Harris has three other books available for your favorite eReader, plus two thrillers, co-written with her husband. For more, visit Anne Allen’s blog, where Ms. Harris contributes monthly.

Description:

“Deedee Dahlen and Lana Bantry share a father but not an inheritance, a lover but not a commitment. Deedee, born with a silver spoon, is adored and indulged--until her world turns upside down.  Lana, the child of a brief encounter, is humiliated and rejected--until she forces the world to pay attention.

Rich girl, poor girl, Deedee and Lana do not know of each other's existence and might never have met until their worlds collide when fate--and murder--bring them face to face.”

This book was traditionally published about twenty years ago. The author is now republishing it as an indie.

Appraisal:

Two words that come to mind to describe Love and Money are archetypical and epic. The story of a child born to privilege who ends up raised by poor parents is as old as Oedipus. I have vague memories, although I haven’t been able to dredge the details from the recesses of my memory, of a kid’s folk tale with two sons of a king, one raised in the castle and the other by peasants. These character types can be the basis of a great story, comparing the differences in the lives and personalities of the two characters.

It is epic, in that it follows the story of the sisters from birth until well into adulthood. The story covers a lot of ground, both in time and experience of the main characters. Think of something by Alex Hailey and the like. At more than 125,000 words, Love and Honor isn’t a quick read.

Although I largely enjoyed the book, I did a double take when a new product took poor-girl Lana’s company from “a regional business” to a player nationally or internationally three different times, with no indication the company had fallen on hard times in between. And the two sisters were described as step-sisters in at least one spot, which wasn’t technically true (they’re half-sisters). But these are just nitpicking. Overall Love and Honor was a fun, entertaining, and at times, thought provoking read.

FYI:

Some mild adult content.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four stars