Belle Pointe

The sultry, lush Delta of Mississippi parallels the richness and heat of this steamy story of a marriage strained to the breaking point, family secrets, intimacy, and yes, even murder. Anne Whitaker is tired of her famous husband's professional athlete's fishbowl life, which, for her, is without challenge or reward. Anne had an interesting and successful career as a television journalist when she first met Buck, but was unable to continue it when they married. After six years of being Buck Whitaker's trophy wife, she wants more. When Buck continues to refuse her the child she knows will fill the void in her life, she throws away her birth control pills, convinced that when Buck finds himself a father-to-be, he'll be as excited about the prospect of parenting as she will. But before she has an opportunity to share her new pregnancy with him, her body betrays her. The symptoms indicating a miscarriage force Anne to drop the surprise on Buck at an important social event, where he's the keynote speaker. Buck Whitaker's got his hands full with contract negotiations. At thirty-seven, he's aging for the pro baseball circuit, and also has some bad press following him due to an unfortunate steroid-connected death that occurred at his home. He's blindsided by his wife's confession of her secret pregnancy and his ego suffers knowing that Anne feels there's something missing in their marriage. Coming from a dysfunctional family, Buck knows having a baby doesn't fix things, and his anger, fueled by his righteous indignation, ends up causing an accident culminating in Anne's miscarriage and a serious injury to his knee. Anne leaves Buck to return to his Delta hometown in Mississippi, where her father and stepmother now live, not knowing if she can ever forgive Buck for their loss. Buck follows his wife home, knowing only that he must heal the breach between them, or nothing will matter in his life. In need of something to occupy her time while she heals emotionally, Anne immerses herself in Buck's family's history, which has always fascinated her. Buck focuses on two goals, to repair the emotional damage he's done to their marriage, and to repair the physical damage he's done to his knee. When Anne's research threatens old family secrets, and danger threatens Anne, Buck must now find a way to save his wife's life. Will they find the missing link in their marriage before it's too late? And will they find the missing link to Buck's past, saving them both now? Karen Young brings these characters and this story to life as lavishly as the Delta soil brings life to Mississippi. I've enjoyed many of this author's books in the past, and this is one of my favorites. Enjoy.

BELLE POINTE is a story of two people who make life-affirming decisions while dealing with the discord and mystery surrounding their lives. The vibrant and believable characters make this another Karen Young page-turner. The story begins with an emotional Anne Whitaker fearing the worst is happening at a gala fund raiser where her husband Buck, the St. Louis Jacks all-star pitcher, is the key-note speaker. She begins to have problems and knowing she should get to bed immediately, asks Buck if they could leave but he refuses not knowing she is 10 weeks pregnant. She tells him of the pregnancy just before his speech and his reaction is not what she expected; quarrelling on the way home as he drives too fast, they crash and Anne loses the baby. Unable to forgive his words and actions, she blames him for the accident and the miscarriage. She leaves him not knowing if their marriage can ever be saved. Seriously injured from the accident and out of baseball for the season, Buck tries to win back his wife by following her to a place he wishes she had not gone, his home town of Tallulah, Mississippi and of Belle Pointe, the beautiful Southern mansion were his relatives and their dark secrets still reside. When Anne sees Buck's brother, the arrogant and self-centered Pearce - no two brothers could be more unlike - and his mother, Victoria, an unloving, stern business woman, she begins to understand Buck's reasons for keeping his distance and at his reluctance in being a father. A reporter by trade, Anne finds a peculiar connection to a man named Baker then Buck recalls a memory from his youth that causes him concern. He turns to Anne, unknowingly placing her in the midst of a dark secret while launching the story into further mystery. She continues to delve into the archives against the request of Pearce and Victoria. Finding a connection between a long ago hunting accident and a Viet Nam veteran, Anne wonders what other skeletons jangle in the closet that Pearce and Victoria feel must be kept locked away. She continues to research Tallulah history then almost dies in a fire, Buck goes after the suspect and Anne finds her heart. These are only a few of the many conflicts they face while realizing their love for one another and solving the mysteries of the past. In a romantic setting, it is also about remembering where you are from, about family and making the best happen for the future. Please don't miss BELLE POINTE, by Karen Young. You will not be disappointed!

At a charity event to raise money in which her husband St. Louis Jacks star pitcher Buck Whitaker is the featured speaker, a distracted Anne knows she must tell her spouse that she is ten weeks pregnant. When she starts bleeding, she informs Buck that she is carrying his child and needs to go home; he persuades her to let him give his talk then they will depart. On the way home he acts as if he does not want the child just before they crash when he swerves to avoid a deer in the road. She miscarries. Unable to forgive Buck for his behavior before the accident, Anne leaves him to return to their hometown of Tallulah, Mississippi where she hopes to heal and determine whether she should divorce him. To pass time, Anne begins looking into the history of BELLE POINT, the plantation owned by her husband's family. Her investigation begins to reveal secrets that frighten her mother-in-law; who fears her standing as a pillar of society would crumble so she will do anything to insure they remain buried. Buck follows Anne home because he loves his wife and wants her back in his life, but first he knows he needs to gain her forgiveness with how he reacted when she announced her pregnancy. BELLE POINT is an exciting regional romantic suspense in which much of the action comes late in the story line as readers learn early what motivates the lead couple, especially their separation and what inflames the key support players. The story line starts out slow until Anne finds strange connections between Viet Nam and 1985 involving the name Baker; As Anne plays amateur sleuth, readers will wonder what she will ultimately uncover and whether she and Buck, still in love, can reconcile in this fine Magnolia State thriller. Harriet Klausner

BELLE POINT is a warm and tender love story woven into a suspense drama. It starts with the emotional roller coaster of a miscarriage and will keep you turning the page until the very last word. Ann and Buck have been married for years, but are now on the brink of divorce. To reach `happily ever after' they must dig deeper than passion to discover if their marriage can be salvaged. The wife of a popular sports star, Ann Stewart has become disenchanted with their superficial lifestyle and fishbowl existence. She knows her husband isn't ready to start a family, but longs for a baby and gets pregnant without telling him. His reaction to the news leaves Ann questioning the very foundation of their relationship. Hours later, Buck's reckless driving causes a car wreck, landing them both in the hospital. Ann loses the baby, and Buck's injuries put his career in jeopardy. Grieving for her lost child, Ann seeks refuge with her father and stepmother in the small Mississippi town of Tallulah. Buck follows her to Mississippi and declares his intention of winning her back, but Ann worries that it is too late to rekindle their love. Can she forgive him for causing the death of their child? Hoping for a distraction while she wrestles with decisions about their future, Ann accepts a job as a newspaper reporter, resuming a career she abandoned after her marriage. Fascinated by Belle Point, the plantation owned by Buck's family, Ann starts poking around in the newspaper archives, researching the history of both Belle Point and the people who lived there. She hopes to learn more about her husband, and the dark secrets that plague him. But someone doesn't want her uncovering history, and will stop at nothing to prevent her continued research. An arsonist visits the newspaper and Ann almost dies in the fire. Will she discover the secret that motivates a killer before someone dies? Can she forgive Buck or is a divorce looming in her future? I highly recommend BELLE POINTE! It's Karen's best yet!