Honey

This is the 3rd book in a 4 book series and all 4 books are worth buying. I've read all 4 and my two favorites are this one and the first, "Harmony." However, "Hooked" and "Hearts", #s 2 and 4, are hot on their heels. An enormously satsifying aspect to "Honey" is that it recounts in detail the early history of baseball and puts us right into the heart of an early team that tours the USA around the turn of the century. I have very fond memories of baseball because my grandfather took me to the Cleveland games when I was a child. This book tapped into the love of the game and in its early days you also see the sport in its purer form before millions of dollars were attached to its every move. This is not boring history though because the author has put us among some very lovable characters who play on and own the team. The hero is a former big city player who plays for this Montana team in order to raise money to help his friend Cap who needs extensive medical work for a head injury. Unlike their big city counterparts, most of these ballplayers are drawn from the community and work other jobs but are making time for baseball to make a professional team a reality for their town. The heroine is the daughter of the team's owner. He is forced to let his daughter run the team when his owner-partner is the man he most despises in town. That new partner insists that anyone but he manage the team. This is a wonderful, touching love story between these two protagonists and also a powerful tale of the ups and downs of a life in baseball during the turn of century in America. I highly recommend it.

Stef Ann Holm is not only one of the very best Americana authors, but one of the very best overall fiction authors, in my opinion. Her Brides for All Seasons books are truly a joy, and Honey is a wonderful third installment to the series. I loved the references to characters of the first two books - Harmony and Hooked - as well. It was nice to revisit them.Camille Kennison, the heroine, is beautiful and very likeable. She has grace and style, but hasn't found a man to make her want to marry. One of her biggest desires is to earn her father's respect and approval.Alex Cordova, a pro baseball player retired from the game is troubled by his past and comes to Camille's town of Harmony, Montana to sort things out and carry on.As fate would have it, Alex winds up on Harmony's baseball team and Camille ends up managing the team. Ms. Holm weaves a sweet and wonderful tale of turn of the century era lives and baseball - colorful in every way, from the players to the superstitions they had. Romance and the boys of summer are wonderfully interwoven in this book.The secondary romance with Hildegarde and Captain is also touchingly sweet and well written.This book is a page turner with loveable characters and historically correct references!A Keeper! Looking forward to the Hearts book that finishes the series, although I wish this Brides series would go on forever!

Even though I absolutely hate baseball this book gave me the chance to appreciate the sport for what it was a hundred years ago. Unlike today, baseball was about the love of the game rather than the love of the money. As far as the characters go I absolutely loved all of the Keystones baseball players. Each on had a distinctive personality that gave the book its unique light. Adding to this were the two lovers and sweethearts Alex Cordova and Camille Kennison. The sensuality between these two characters lit up the entire book. The author truly displayed her extraordinary talent for romance writing when she created the creative love scenes between the two. What I also appreciate about this book is how the author portrayed Camille as a moderm-minded woman who knew what she wanted and had no trouble going after it. My only problem with the book is the ridiculous hats that Camille always wore and the author's inclination to describe each one with painstaking precision. However,that is a minor thing in comparison to all of the good qualities of this book.

Stef Ann Holm has done it again. "Honey," is a wonderful book with a rich, multilayered story and great characters. It's senusal, funny and well written. I was captivated by the turn-of-the-century flavor of the book and the wonderful descriptions about baseball. Alex is a great hero.

In 1898, Baltimore Orioles star, Alex "Grizz" Cordova has a running dispute with New York Giants catcher Joe McGill. However, their rivalry turns ugly when Joe crowds Grizz as he swings the bat. Soon afterward, Grizz quits baseball.Three years later, the new American League has formed to include a franchise, the Harmony Keystones, in Montana. The team owned by acerbic James Kennison loses its first thirteen games. Desperate for a win, James vows that anyone who can get Alex Cordova, a woodworker living in Harmony, to join the team will manage the Keystones. James's daughter Camille pulls off the coup. Alex signs a contract because he needs money to take his friend, Captain, to Buffalo for special treatment of a brain injury that appears to be worsening. She takes over as the manager, but her new star fails to produce because he seems reluctant to really throw the ball. As Camille tries to understand why, she begins to fall in love with Alex, who reciprocates her feelings. Will that be enough to overcome the tragedy that keeps him from making any commitment beyond the Captain?HONEY is a fabulous historical romance that centers on a 1901 professional baseball team. The story is filled with authentic references to players like Cy Young, whose personalities seem as real today as those of Sammy, Mark, and Junior. Alex is a great character who takes full responsibilities for his actions. Until love for the team and Alex hits her, Camille wants to gain the respect of her father who sees her solely as a dumb beauty. The third novel in Stef Ann Holm's "Brides for All Seasons" series will gain the author an MVW (Most Valuable writer) award.Harriet Klausner