Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
The dispute ends when Daniel dies in a plane crash, but his corpse is missing. At a memorial service for Daniel, all hell breaks loose leaving Stacy to wonder what is going on. Adding to her bewilderment is a string of crimes that include homicides and break-ins. As law enforcement looks into the situation, Stacy finds herself surprisingly attracted to two hunks intimately involved in the case.
GRIN AND BEAR IT lives up to its title as the story line combines tons of fast-paced action with loads of humor and a side order of romance into a palate pleasing thriller. Stacy is a fabulous protagonist trying to regain equilibrium in her life following her spouse’s desertion, but each step she takes seems to lead to a deeper chasm; still she refuses to quit. Readers will enjoy accompanying the heroine as she hunts for a new life, but only appears to land deeper in the quicksand of her previous one.
Harriet Klausner Diamonds Take Forever Jessica Jifi Avon, Dec 2005, $12.95 ISBN: 0060754745
Moroccan-American Michelle Benamou thought her life in New York was pretty good until her boyfriend dumps her and kicks her out of his apartment. She must move back home where she fears that her matchmaking mother will interfere with Michelle’s lifestyle. Her friends sympathize knowing how un-cool their parents are; for instance Michelle’s father owns a grocery shop.
However, her friend Benny informs her that he is undergoing an ugly divorce. She feels for him and they begin a long distance relationship as he lives in Los Angeles while she is in Nee York where she feels the city has the only opportunity for her to becoming a TV reporter. As the bi-coastal romance stays somewhat tepid, Michelle begins to reassess her life and how much her parents have done for her, but she still wants the diamonds that are forever around her finger.
The deep look at family relationships between immigrant parents and an Americanized daughter will grip the audience as assimilation begins to form a rift even when each member loves one another and is considerate and respectful of each other. Michelle’s efforts to break into media news are also deftly handled. However, the center of the tale is Michelle’s quest to find love, which seems somewhat pale compared with the profundity of the other prime elements. Still overall this is a perceptive well written character study.