Cloud Nine

Amazon.com Review:
Thirty-seven-year-old Sarah Talbot's lengthy battle with cancer forced her to put life on hold. But a clean bill of health has given her a second chance and she's not about to take anything for granted. Intent on living life to the fullest, Sarah reopens her bedding shop, aptly named Cloud 9, and plans a trip to Elk Island, a tiny island off the coast of Maine, where her unfeeling father and runaway son wait. Family reconciliation has long been her heart's desire, and Sarah knows that now is the time to mend familial fences. On the short plane ride to the island, she finds an unexpected confidant in pilot Will Burke, whose own personal demons make him the perfect conversation partner--and so much more. As Sarah struggles to communicate with the father she left behind and a son troubled by his own father's death--and his mother's illness--she takes refuge in the arms of Will and discovers a love she never thought possible, a love that will sustain the two in this life and beyond. Both beautifully written and well plotted, Cloud Nine is a moving testament to the eternal power of love.

Wonderful story-Luanne Rice does it again here!:
Sara Talbot is the main character who never thought she would be around for another birthday. After she came down with a cancerous brain tumor the previous year, her odds of survival were very slim. After a prestigous neurosurgeon saved her life, she was in remission, and able to start her life anew opening her shop Cloud Nine. Life was good again, and on her birthday celebration, she meets Ted, who is divorced and has a daughter Susan. Susan and Sara hit it off right away when Susan visits her shop, and they become instant friends. Susan is one mixed up kid though. She lost a brother, Fred, in a drowning accident several years ago. Her mother Alice, never got over it, and so that is what caused her parents to split in the first place. Alice is remarried to this very wealthy man, Julian, of whom Susan can't stand of course. Susan is also a very insecure child, and during the book she changes her name several times from Secret to Snow, depending on the season. This all has to do with her brother. In the meantime, as Sara and Ted fall in love with one another,Ted, a pilot with his own privately owned planes, flies her over to the Island for Thanksgiving. Sara has a son Mike, who lives with his grandfather. He never got over the fact that Sara wasn't married to his father, and his resented her for it-and always had a cold feeling toward his mother. But this changes as time goes on in the book, and things happen; tragedy taking place. On this trip to the island, Susan, (Secret or Snow), sneaks on the plane with them though she wasn't supposed to. They reluctantly let her go, much to her mother's fury, but it turns out to be a good thing-in some ways. She and Mike start to fall in love with each other, and they both have things in common when it comes to death and their loved ones dying. I highly recommend this book and found it very heart-rendering to say the least. When you reach the end, it is definitely time for the tissues.

Kleenex, please.....:
Luanne Rice is a darn good storyteller. I very much enjoyed Cloud Nine. A wonderfully paced story. Plenty of time to get to know the characters. Clound Nine is filled with warmth, laughter, heartache. Some suspense. Romance. Family dynamics. Mother/daughter. Stepfather. Ex's. Dad/daughter. Mother/son. Family roots. Places in the heart. Fun in the snow. Good stuff, painful stuff. Well-done. Have tissues at hand, if you have a heart, you will need them.

Good story; almost too sad:
I have read almost all of Luanne Rice's books, and this is the most heart-wrenching I've read. I loved the characters, although they are very similar to other characters in Rice's other novels. Rice includes the same conflicts with divorce, family ties, and dealing with death and dying as in some of her other novels. But it is a good story of love, friendship, communication, and family. Far better than CRAZY IN LOVE and STONE HEART. I enjoyed DANCE WITH ME, HOME FIRES, and DREAM COUNTRY about as much as this one.

Could have been better:
It was a good concept, but the story was over-done. Too dramatic for my tastes...It was more or less satisfying, but not on par with writers like Pam Houston, Jo-Ann Mapson, and Sue Miller. The dialogue was too predictable-every character was a "mold" and expected to react a certin way. The dad who has a chip on his shoulder, the single mom with cancer, the teenagers...it was a nice summer read, and I will probably read others by the author. Those who like chick flicks/romance movies will be the ones who will like this book the best.

Boring:
I tried and tried to finish this book, but couldn't. The story and characters were so boring, I gave up.