D'Alessandro's Child

This tightly written story is a keeper. Catherine Spencer's talent for weaving heart-rending suspense with sizzling passion had me wishing the book would never end. The plot twists are excellent, the characters well-defined and far more skillfully drawn than those found in most other Presents. No snarling hero or silly heroine here, but two sympathetic people caught in an impossible predicament, with no easy way out. An emotionally satisfying read and Five Stars all the way.

D'Alessandro's Child is one of Catherine Spencer's best books. The characters are much more complex than those in many category romances. The heroine is immature in some ways but when push comes to shove, she certainly stands up for herself, both with her odious parents and with Michael. She shows much growth in maturity during the story. From the beginning, her love for her child shows that she is not a woman anyone can walk over, no matter how it seems at first. Later, she takes the initiative in many situations. She comes across as a real person, not a cardboard, generic heroine. Michael also is very human and real, emotionally torn by the dilemma in which he finds himself. He shows great kindness in his treatment of his ex-wife to whom he owes nothing. The reader can feel the conflicting emotions within him as he tries to do the right thing. Altogether, an emotional and uplifting story.

Catherine Spencer's story of two so unlike people, Mike D'Alessandro and Camille Whitfield, drawn together is a super tale. Her plot is so evocative of the complex world we share. Mike and Camille are irresistibly drawn together by an intense passion they cannot deny. But Mike cannot tell Camille of the real bond they share. How Mike finally reaches out and claims Camille's heart is a stirring sstory of romance and adventure. Catherine Spencer describes in exciting detail the joys these two lovers share. Try as they may, they cannot still their passion for each other. Yet only slowly do they come to understand how much more they share. The wide embrace of their love includes compassion for the less fortunate and caring understanding for the persons who have failed them.This is a story that satisfies our longing for the warmth of caring people and the delights of passionate love. I savored the strength of Mike, a man willing to pursue the woman he desires and to go after the son he was denied. The awakening of Camille as she learns to follow her heart is so exciting as Catherine Spencer describes the intense pleasure Camille finally experiences as a full woman.The final chapter shows us Camille as a strong, mature woman aware of the romance life holds and ready to choose her future.Catherine Spencer again has given of her superb imagination and sensitive understanding of human nature. D'Alessandro's Child is a romance to read and to treasure.