Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Blog Tour and giveaway: Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London


(from the author's web site)
"Macy Lockhart's life shattered in a moment with the news that her husband, Finn--serving in the military overseas--has been killed in the line of duty. Their ardent and devoted marriage is over, leaving Macy alone and directionless. But while she tries to sustain herself with memories of Finn, the quiet, strong man who made her and their small Texas ranch the center of his life, it is wealthy Wyatt Clark who slowly brings joy back into her life. Her love for Wyatt may be less romantic than the breathless passion she'd once shared with Finn, but she vows to cherish him, and their marriage is happy and solid as a rock. Until the day that Finn, miraculously spared from death, returns home to claim his bride...
How can a woman choose between the two men she loves? And how will she make the right choice--for herself and everyone involved? "


My thoughts: The day the army showed up at Macy Lockhart's door and told her that her husband Finn was dead, her world just fell apart. After grieving for several years she is introduced to Wyatt Clark, a very wealthy and respected developer. Although Finn is always in her thoughts, Wyatt brings Macy some happiness and eventually she falls for him. After Seven months of marriage to Wyatt, the army drops another emotional firestorm on Macy when they tell her they were mistaken three years ago; Finn is still alive and will be home soon. He was captured by the Taliban and kept in prison.

Her mother, who is a lawyer, tells her she can either divorce Finn and continue on with Wyatt or declare her new marriage to be void. These are her legal choices, but what about her emotional choices? Although she is happily married to Wyatt, Finn is and has always been her true soul mate. Macy knows it is impossible not to hurt one of them in the process, but who will she choose? Can she just easily pick up the pieces of her old life or continue with the new and forget about the old?

London really knows how to portray her characters' feelings. This is one passionate, emotional roller-coaster of a romance book. I got caught up in Macy's story right from the beginning. Her anguish in making a decision is so evident and well written. There is also a serious side to Finn's story. As a returning vet he is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. This is not a huge element of the book but it does give an authentic voice to Finn's character. The one thing that kept him going while he was imprisoned was the thought that Macy was waiting back in Texas. His heartbreak at her indecisiveness is almost palpable. So much heart-ache!

At the end of the book you will find a readers group guide, a conversation with Julia and an excerpt from her book, A Courtesan's Scandal. Summer of Two Wishes is a thoroughly enjoyable read and I gave it a 4**** rating.

About the author: (from the back cover) Julia London is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of numerous romantic novels, including the Scandalous series: The Book of Scandal, Highland Scandal, and A courtesan's Scandal; The Desperate Debutantes Trilogy: The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount, The Perils of Pursuing a Prince, and the Hazards of Hunting a Duke; and the Lockhart family trilogy: Highlander Unbound ( a finalist for the Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for best historical romance), Highlander in Disguise, and Higlander in Love (also a finalist for the RITA Award). She is also the author of Guiding Light: Jonathon's Story, the NY Times bestsellingnovel based on the Emmy Award-winning daytime drama Guiding Light. A native Texan, Julia lives in Austin.

Visit Julia at her website here to read an excerpt of Summer of Two Wishes. She has a contest there you can enter for some delightful gifts.

Since the book Summer of Two Wishes debuts today, I am giving away my gently read copy to a much appreciated follower ( US and Canada only this time) who comments what you would do if you were in the same situation as Julia: stay married to your second husband or go back to your first husband and the reason why.

Winner will be selected by random.org. Deadline to enter is 5 PM August 23rd. Just a quickie little contest, so enter now and be sure to leave e- mail contact info. Thanks for visiting and good luck!

A big thank you to Sarah at Pocket books for a review copy.

Where to go from here; other blogs participating in the tour:deleted

36 comments:

  1. I would love to be entered for this contest, but that is sure a tough question. I think this is probably one of those questions that couldn't be answered because everyone's situation is different. I do know that I would have to seek prayer and guidance from the Lord before making any decision. Is that actually an answer? lol
    joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

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  2. Wow, what choice to make? Honestly, I don't know, no one could. Are there kids involved? That could make the decision harder (or maybe easier). How long has it been? I've heard the Catholic church teaches that once someone is declared dead, so that a spouse may remarry, if it is later found that they are still alive, the new spouse "wins", and that marriage is considered valid, and the old spouse is free to remarry. As a Catholic, I'd defer to the church in a case like this.

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  3. Tough question... I think I would stay with the present (new) husband - since that is my most recent commitment.

    janemaritz at yahoo dot com

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  4. Don't enter me, Kaye, but I wanted to tell you that is a beautiful review you did. Mine is pretty pitiful in comparison--perhaps I won't even post it after this...but really, you made the book come alive with your beautiful wording and heartfelt thoughts.

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  5. That is a hard question, and having had only one husband, to whom I'm happily married now, I am not sure I can imagine choosing someone else. I would want him, of course. But I can't imagine ending a current loving relationship. I do have one young widow friend who once told me that in such a situation, she would choose her second, newer husband. I think she felt that life must move on. Is that an answer?

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  6. Sign me up to win The Summer Of Two Wishes. I love Julia London! vanduzer1@yahoo.com.

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  7. Scarpettajunkie/Deirdra Van Duzer says stay married to the second husband as it has to be easier financially and emotionally I could not put myself through going back to number one.

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  8. Oh my gosh, how could we ever know what we would do in a situation like that? I'm pretty fond of my sweet hubby, though.

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  9. That's a tough question - I would have to stay with my current hubby though instead of going back to #1 even though he's the dad of my kids.

    msboatgal at aol.com

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  10. I think that I would have to honor the marriage of my first husband.

    Thanks for the giveaway.

    libneas[at]aol[dot]com

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  11. No need to enter me, darling. I'm dropping in to say thanks for the e-mail. I've got this posted over at Win a Book for you.

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  12. That is not a question that can just be answered without all the circumstances being known. In my heart, without anything else being known, I would go back to my first husband since that was my first and true lifelong commitment. But, that is if no children were involved, the first husband still loved me, etc. It could never be an easy decision for anyone involved. I can't wait to read this book.

    rebecca[dot]cox[at]charter[dot]net

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  13. I don't think you could ever know until you were in the situation, but I'm leaning towards remaining with the current husband.

    BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com

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  14. I can't say if I'll stay married to the current husband or reunite with the first one. Hard to know how we'll act in this kind of situation.

    janie1215 AT excite DOT com

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  15. I would stay with (new) husband . Summer of Two Wishes sounds wonderful.Please enter me in the giveaway.augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.Thank you.

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  16. I'd have to know a whole lot more details. I'm leaning towards staying with the present husband.

    chey127 at hotmail dot com

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  17. This book sounds extremely emotional and one that I MUST read!!! Excellent review Kaye!!!

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  18. http://summertravelandread.blogspot.com/2009/08/summer-of-two-wishes-by-julia-london.html

    tea (SummertravelandRead)

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  19. What a hard decision. I'd say I would go back to the first husband, but you never know what you'd do until it actually happens to you. I'd love to read this one!

    dlodden at frontiernet dot net

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  20. It's hard to place myself in such a hypothetical situation, especially since I do not have a serious boyfriend and have never been married. If I had to pick one though, I would say I would stay loyal to my second husband and stay with him.
    Thank you for the giveaway :)
    hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. Kaye,

    I did my best. I just don't know how to make a link. I'm using trial and error. This is my first year of blogging. So, I guess I can't enter the contest. Thanks for helping me.

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  22. Tea, of course you are entered! Your post as your answer was very well thought out and so complete.

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  23. This is similar to the situation in Anthony Michael Hall's The Dead Zone on USA Network! What a conundrum! There will be other factors to consider but my inclination (since I'm thinking of Anthony Michael Hall who played the first husband who woke up from a coma in his show) would be to go back to hubby # 1!

    delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  24. That's a hard choice to make. I would have to take my time and see who I feel the most comfortable with.
    Carol M
    mittens0831 AT aol.com

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  25. That is such a tough question and I honestly don`t know what I`d do, but I would probably stay with the current husband.
    wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

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  26. I don't really know either but I think I would stay with the current husband since the first husband may have changed after being away for so long.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

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  27. If I was in that position, I think I would stay with my second husband. Time has passed and my life would have changed and I would have moved on. I wouldn't want to shatter the relationship that has grown between me and my second husband.
    jen4777[at]hotmail.com

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  28. It would be soooo hard to choose. Especially if I was in the exact situation. I personally wouldn't take my first husband back if you paid me....but it isn't the same. lol

    bsby100 at gmail dot com

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  29. I really don't know what I would do...would love to read this one.

    karen k
    kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  30. That's a tough answer, and there is no simple way to respond. It would depend on so many variables. How is my current relationship with my current husband? How was my relationship with my first husband? Is he still the same person? Who am I "most compatible" with?

    There's no way to answer it.

    nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

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  31. I don't think this can be answered either. It would really depend on the individual situation. I really don't know how I would feel in this position. How can anyone? Book sound amazing!

    Thanks!
    dcf_beth@verizon.net

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  32. I don't think the decision can be black and white. How long has the 1st husband been presumed dead? How long have I been with #2? Are there kids involved? Do I still have feelings for #1? Part of me would be inclined to stay married to #2 but be a supportive friend to #1 but it also depends on how we all feel about the situation. If seeing #1 again rekindled all the passion and love we originally had then #2 would pale in comparison which would then have me going back to #1. It's a tough call. Feelings will be hurt most definitely.

    melacan at hotmail dot com

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  33. Count me in, sounds good, I follow.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

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  34. I'm going with what Jo-Jo said ;) but I'm more inclined to stay where I was.

    bookdragonslair at gmail dot com

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  35. Okay...I am going to jump in here even though it is a tough one. I would stay with the man I am married to now. If this happened to me, quite frankly I would not be the same woman that my thought-to-be-deceased husband once knew. I would be a woman who has suffered one of the most heart-breaking, life-altering events a woman has gone through. Yes it would be painful to make this decision and I would not make it lightly, but truly a life has begun with a man that I am deeply in love with, a man who has seen me through to the other side of a void that cannot be easily passed through. I would stay with the man who brought me through to the other side.

    That was TOUGH! :)

    Please enter me in your giveaway!

    kalea_kane(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  36. I stay with my present husband. Please include me in your giveaway.
    Thanks
    Debbie
    debdesk9(at)verizon.net

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