Crazy in Love

Crazy in Love is the story of three generations of women, and the way love has effected each of them. Set in costal Conneticut, this charming novel deftly illustrates the many dimensions of love. Pem is the fading matriarch. Still strong in body, her mind is betraying her. She often can not remember if she had breakfast, or the names of her granddaughters. Once a formidable woman, she is now becoming child like and dependent. Determined to live out her life in the home she and her husband built, Pem becomes a larger burden to her daughter every day. Honora is quickly becoming the head of the family, now that her own mother Pem has started to sucumb to alzheimers. Strong and independent, she is a closet worrier. Will her daughter's marriages fail? Will the plane her son in laws commute in daily land safely? What will become of Pem as her mind deteriorates further every day? Clare, the eldest sister is a devoted wife and mother. Serene, calm and in control, she stubbonrly refuses to show her art work, or use any of her advanced degrees, and spends her days on the family property, looking after her brood, and painting.. The secret she reveals to her sister is at once shocking and expected. Georgie, the youngest sister is obsessed with her husband, Nick, having an affair. She goes with him on business trips, stays overnight with him in the city when he has to work late, and worries every moment they are apart that he is with another woman. The strain of constant suspicion is becoming too much for Nick to bear. Georgie will need to find her own way before she can heal her marriage, if it isn't too late. This novel was sweet and poignant, I came to care about the characters, and by the end of the book, I was holding my breath and wishing the best for them. It's a quick, easy read, perfect to take on vacation, or to read while waiting in a doctor's office.

I can't help myself. I had to give this four stars because of Rice's writing skills. I didn't care for the book at first but kept reading and somewhere around page 60 or so I was drawn into the characters and had to hang on. When the book came to an end I did not want them to go away. There is just something about LuAnn Rice's writing that keeps me coming back for more stories. A sequel to Crazy In Love would be nice. I want to know Tia and Helen and dear Nick a little more. What happens when Pem finally passes and how the sisters carry on. Do Nick and Donald change jobs? Maybe you have to be of a certain age to like this book as much as I did. I have two sisters and an aging mother in law. I know worry and love and jealous thoughts too and since moving my home three times in ten years have learned to become an observer too. I enjoyed the homebody spirit and fierce determination in Georgie's personality to protect the homes and family created by her people. This struggle does go on more than we know. Look around and become an observer yourself. I bet you can find a Georgie and Nick among you!

CRAZY IN LOVE was an enjoyable read. If you like the slight wackiness and comforting domesticity of the late Laurie Colwin's novels, you'll enjoy CRAZY IN LOVE. This was my introduction to Luanne Rice, and I am looking forward to reading her other novels.

Let me start off by saying that I would recommend this book only to hard-core Luanne Rice readers. If you're like me and have read every one of her newer books, and enjoyed them all tremendously and you're looking for more...her earlier works are worth reading. Obviously with the knowledge in your mind that usually an author's earlier works are not as polished. Now that I have read ALL of her books, I can say I did enjoy her earlier works, although not as much as her newer.This book is almost like an anatomy of a marriage. We see the things that can drive people crazy, the feelings they don't talk about, the things they keep inside. It's also an anatomy of a family, it's structure and the roles each person fufills. While the marriage of Georgie and Nick is at the center of this book and we watch the two try to keep their marriage close while Nick works ungodly hours- it's about so much more. It's about Georgie trying to find a bit of her own independence and her beginning to examine what is it that drives her to be a jealous, worrysome person. It's about the tight-knit relationships she has with her sister, mother and senile grandmother. At the heart of the book you have a woman searching to find peace and happiness within herself.Again, I did enjoy this book. The beginning was a bit slow, however the story and the character development really picked up about half way through the novel. I am glad that I've had a chance to read all of Rice's books, seeing how she really polished her writing ability into the dynamite author she is now. If you haven't read anything by her before, I would recommend starting at one of her newer books like Dream Country, Perfect Summer or True Blue.

This novel reads like a letter from your best girlfriend: it describes the ins and outs of one couple's life as they navigate marriage and their respective needs.The narrator, a woman whose purpose in life might be defined as mastering the art of the relationship, is in love with her own husband--but must find a way to balance that love with the realities of his (and her) life.