Tangerine Dream

This novel deals with contemporary social issues, e.g., inter-racial marriages, lesbian love affairs, corrupt politicians, investigative reporting, etc. The authors, in a way, act as advocates for tolerating other people's differences. A wealthy owner of a hotel chain had two sons from a marriage, Stacy and Simon. When his wife dies young, he has an affair with a black housekeeper that produces a third son, Simon. The sons are raised together and each has a successful career. Simon takes over managing the hotels, Sandy becomes a successful psychiatrist, and Stacy becomes successful in business and then goes into politics. But Stacy is corrupted by the money and power. As the story opens, Stacy's wife Gayle, and one of his twin daughters, Dylan, are on vacation in New Zealand when they are involved in a tragic traffic accident. When Dylan dies from complications, her secret journal is revealed, and family secrets start coming unraveled. There are some shocking relationships between family members, and a scandalous revelation about Senator Stacy Sterling that falls into the hands of investigative TV reporter Nick Nesbitt. Some people don't survive, but some survivors make new lives for themselves as they find new directions. A significant part of the story is set in a hospital climate, but there is also a significant amount of sailing for those with a nautical interest. I debated about my rating. I would give the novel an AO rating for adult only (there are some graphic sexual encounters), but it is a well written story with some unexpected relationships between the various characters.

Eighteen-year-old Gina Seely is despondent, because she believes she is responsible for the death of her parents and younger brother. She can't face herself any longer and decides to commit suicide by jumping to her death from the 15th floor of the new Sterling Hotel in Long Beach, California. Sandford "Sandy" Sterling, is Gina's psychiatrist, and it is his family that owns the Sterling Hotel chain. When he gets word that Gina is about to jump, he rushes to the scene. Stacy Sterling, Sandy's half brother, is a United States Senator from California and he is running for the presidency. He also seems to be on a quest to bed every underaged hooker in the Golden State. Taylor and Dylan are Stacy's twin daughters. Dylan is in New Zealand with her mother Gayle, who Sandy is in love with. Haley Harrison, the girl with the alliterate name, is Taylor and Dylan's best friend and neighbor. Haley has been in love with Sandy her whole life, despite the fact that he is years older than her. She is eighteen, he is in his middle thirties. Haley is black as is Sandy, because he is the product of his father's second marriage to a black woman. All the above we learn by the third chapter. Sandy saves Gina in Chapter two, by the way. Haley and Taylor watch it on CNN. Haley is so mushy in love with him. And they do seem perfect for each other. However, this story refuses to go where you think it should. Dylan dies in New Zealand and everybody's life is thrown out of control. Family secrets, some long buried, some not so old, come crawling out of their hiding places to wreck havoc. The clan, Stacy, Taylor, Sandy and friend Haley rush to New Zealand to comfort Gayle, who was severely injured in the accident that took Dylan's life. Stacy, slime bucket politician that he is, wants to use his daughter's death to further his campaign. Sandy, sees and seizes the opportunity to stay down under to be with and comfort the woman he loves, his brother's wife. And strange and forbidden feelings bring Haley and Taylor together and eventually sets them on a sailing voyage in the South Pacific, a voyage that will test and forever change them. And then their is Gina, come back to make everything right in the end. But even she, with the tough shell she's developed, cannot save them all. This lovely story touched my heart and made me cry. Had I not known better, I'd have sworn this was written by a woman. How can two men write like this? I've not read anything else by Mr. Douglas or Mr. Stewart, but from what little I know about them, I would not have expected this, rather I would have expected car chases, bodies galore and desperate women in trouble, certainly not a tender and touching story with an ending that I'll never forget. Sophie Cacique Gaul

Gina Seely is saved from suicide at the last instant and winds up becoming the driving force in this book about teenage girls in love, tragedy, hope, hopelessness, family, friends and adventure in the South Pacific. The story starts and ends with suicide, one successful, one not. We are privy to the private lives of a political family and we wonder how much of what is portrayed here really goes on, more than meets the eye I think. You know, this book might wake up some hidden feelings. It's almost the kind of story my mom might call forbidden.

My favorite all time book is THE HORSE WHISPERER by Nicholas Evans. Books like that only come around once in a blue moon. Well, I'm pleased to say that the blue moon has arrived again and it's shining brighter than ever. Like with Mr. Evans' masterpiece, I will read and reread TANGERINE DREAM again and again, probably on into my dottering old age. These are the kind of stories that make you cry, touch your heart, inspire you and live in your dreams. TANGERINE DREAM is about betrayal, love, death and sacrifice. It starts out with a fast pace, like a thriller, and one might think that's the kind of book the authors intended when they began, but then they got all gooey, the book changed direction and one could almost believe that a woman took over the helm. I simply can't believe my good fortune in finding another novel like this. I loved it and I'll keep on loving it for a long time to come.

I don't read that many mainstream novels, preferring mostly chick lit and Harlequin Blaze, however I do stray away from my preferences on occasion. I may be an airhead, but I did manage to struggle through college, so when I come across a book like Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Life of Bees," or "Tangerine Dream," I'm perfectly capable of appreciating fine writing. That said, "Tangerine Dream" came to me by way of my sister-in-law, another Harlequin Dreamer girl, who thought I'd enjoy a different kind of love story.And yes, I'll give her that, this is a different kind of love story, and you know what, romance girl that I am, I loved it. I cried at the end, then after a cup of coffee and a cigarette (that I bummed from my neighbor, because I only smoke when I cry), I started the book all over again. I just loved this story and I think you will too, but beware, because I guarantee you that it'll make you cry big crocodile tears.