A Home of His Own

Another Men Of Glory winner! It's fun to watch Phoebe and Lewis interact as they move from childhood friends to marriage partners. As always Judith Bowen gives us real characters, who, while flawed, are people we care about.

Love grows and manifests in many ways. The adoration of a very young Phoebe Longquist for her older, bad-boy jailbird neighbor blossoms into love over the years. But is it really love, or just lust?Older, wiser, more savvy about the world, Lewis Hardin knows love when he feels it. His evolution into the man he wants to be for himself and Phoebe is hard-won. You'll find yourself rooting for him and dreading the complications that threaten to destroy him.

In Glory, Alberta, Phoebe Longquist and Lewis Hardin have known each other on and off for years. They first met when she was ten and intermittently encountered one another over time. With no indication of romance between them, their marrying one another might be a bit of surprise to family members if they knew that the duo were husband and wife.Although Lewis is prepared to shout he loves his spouse with all his heart to anyone who will listen, Phoebe wants it kept secret, especially from their families. At least she feels that is best for the moment because her parents would faint that their little darling would marry an oil rig operator who is a former convict, even one who has served his time. Lewis has more than made up for his felonious past and is a success, but cannot get Phoebe to allow them to tell people. Now he learns a secret about his own past that makes him reconsider everything important in life.A HOME OF HIS OWN is an entertaining Men of Glory tale that stars two intriguing characters. The opening chapters are quite different but fun as the lead players meet at various early stages in their lives. Phoebe's rationale for hiding her marital status from her parents is a stretch, but makes for an amusing series of subplots even if some seem irrelevant to the main story line. Judith Bowen provides series fans with a warm entry.Harriet Klausner