Sing Me Home

Lilac Elizabeth O'Malley, or Lil, is a lady that has had more than her share of losses. She is a survivor seeking to overcome the death of the only man she ever loved, Robbie, her child, her brother... well you get the point. Lil has the kiss of misfortune planted squarely on her life. That makes her a perfect target for country and western singer, Jonathan Van Castle. Jon is a washed up performer on a comeback and comes with his own share of skeletons in the closet. Their coincidental meeting in the bookstore that Lil is packing up leads them on a relationship based partially on a need to be needed. Lil needs someone to raise her from the gloom and doom of her life while Jon needs a wife to help get custody of his two children that currently reside with their abusive mother, Belinda. Belinda is a real bad lady and the author writes the role believably great, as you will quickly love to hate her. Anyway, as Jon and Lil's relationship blossoms from a state of need into authentic love, the story quickly excels into a shocking culmination as Belinda's trumps common sense as the custody hearing approaches. Filled with plenty of love, revulsion, ardor, idiocy and compassion lined with a trail of lies, this tale by debut author Corgiat promises us an exciting new voice in the romance world. I, for one, welcome her work, even if it means more competition.

This is a first time author but the book reads like one from someone much more experienced. It deals with a young widow still reeling from the death of her husband (and her subsequent miscarriage) and the marriage of convenience she enters into with a country music star (in order to help care for his two pre-teen children so he can get full custody of them). Very enjoyable.

Jerri Corgiat makes her characters so real in Sing Me Home that I expected to see country music star Jonathan Van Castle being interviewed on CMT after I finished reading the book!This is an absorbing book filled with charm and tenderness. Although it's the ageless story of redemption through love, Corgiat manages to make it fresh and alive. You want to spend time with her characters and you root for their eventual success. She has an especially gifted touch with descriptions of her setting and people. You feel the heat of a Missouri summer and can see the landscape of the Ozarks region. Readers will not only fall in love with Jonathan, they'll also be head over heels for the town of Cordelia and the entire O'Malley clan. Luckily, more books appear to be on the horizon so we won't have to wait for long!

Without a doubt, the best book I've read in months! Very, very engaging--I simply could not put this book down. The characters were so well drawn that they seemed real, and the plot never stopped surprising me. Nice, clean, evocative writing. This new author is definitely one to watch!!

Three years ago in Cordelia, Missouri her husband died in a car crash because they were negligent in fixing bad brakes. That same day bookseller Lilac Ryan lost her unborn. Now she suffers guilt partially for living and for her part in the disregard of car repair.Country rock star Jonathan Van Castle heads home to pick up his two children from his ex-wife before stopping to perform at Lake Kesebwi, but gets off the tour bus in Cordelia for a breather. When he is recognized by rapid fans, he ducks into Lilac's bookstore but the proprietor fails to identify him. Lilac thinks he is a jerk because he knows so little about his kids. He buys books for them, but one is left on order that Lila promises to deliver.When Lilac's sister Mari delivers the book, Jonathan sees how great she is with his children so he proposes a marriage of convenience because he wants to help his troubled children, but realizes they also need a nurturing mother. When Jonathan and his children meet Mari's stunned extended family, he realizes he picked the wrong sister as Lilac is great with his preadolescents and he quickly falls in love with her.SING ME HOME is an intriguing family drama starring a vast band of players so that it is difficult at times to keep track of specific personalities. Still the story line is fun to follow as a desperate Jonathan struggles with a solution to help his problematic kids. Lilac admits she feels guilty, but is so good in relationships with everyone that she seems to have moved on. The ensemble adds chaos and depth to an intriguing romance between wounded warriors.Harriet Klausner