The Burning Point

If this is the first review of the book that you have read, and you are a MJP fan, STOP READING NOW, buy the book and judge for yourself. You may love it, you may hate it, but it will better to just read it and decide for yourself.It is impossible to review this book without a "spoiler," so if you are still reading, be warned. Well into the story, the reader discovers that the secret in Kate and Donovan's past was that he was physically abusive to her during their marriage.Now, it is impossible to deal with this issue without controversy, and to have it show up in a romance novel plot is a bit shocking. But I gave this book 5 starts because it dares to raise this issue. Abusive heros are not uncommon in romances - in fact during the early days of romance they seemed the norm - but having a clear contemporary wife-batterer show up as the protagonist makes the issue explicit.At the heart of these stories is whether the flawed hero can reform. Traditionally, it is the love of the heroine that reforms the hero, which I think is a dangerous message. In this book, though, it is clear that love is not enough. Kate has to leave and Donovan has to face himself before he can change his ways. And he has to do it the hard way, by himself, with no expectation that Kate will ever return. In the end they do get back together (it is a romance, after all), but Donovan's changes are in spite of Kate, not because of her. In the end, I think this is a more positive message than most romances send.I do agree with the reviewer who wished that Donovan's reform was more explicit - I wished the story had SHOWED his hard work rather than told about it. But I do think that the book did show Kate doing a good job of setting her own boundaries, and is worth the read.

Kate Corsi's family business is explosive demolition. When her father dies in an explosion-gone-wrong, Kate returns home for the first time in a decade. There she's not only forced to confront demons from her past, but according to her father's will, she has to live with her biggest demon -- her ex-husband -- for the next year.Patrick Donovan knows that the blame for his marriage to Kate falling apart a decade ago lies squarely on his shoulder. But though he's changed many things in his life there is one thing that's never changed -- his feelings for Kate. Because of her father's will he has a chance to prove to her that people can change for the better, and that their love is still there, just buried deep and waiting to be resurrected.The Burning Point is a powerful story of a love that never died, and two people who are brave enough to reach into the recesses of their souls to find it. Mary Jo Putney proves her contemporary "voice" is every bit as strong as her historical "voice."

Do you like Mary Jo Putney's historical novels? Then you are in for a treat. Do you prefer contemporary or women's fiction? Then you are in for a treat. Ms. Putney is known for writing characters with depth and complexity, characters with very real issues, flaws, and problems to overcome, such as alcoholism or degenerative illness. In The Burning Point, she blends this talent with a contemporary setting, a fascinating current technology, and modern problem-solving techniques to create a riveting, emotionally satisfying read.In The Burning Point, a woman comes to grips with an intense, abusive relationship and helps mend a family fractured by death and divisiveness. But Ms. Putney never gives us cardboard characters, either all good or all bad. Each character must face their weaknesses and find the inner strength to overcome them. This process is fascinating; you feel, understand and empathize with their desire to 'do the right thing' and also to grow and fulfill their potential as completely as possible. For example, rather than present the abuser as a cliched villian, Ms. Putney brings us inside him, to see (in flashbacks) his horror during his growing realization of his problem, his acceptance (including therapy, support groups, and radical lifestyle changes) and his continuing struggles with feelings of guilt, self-disgust, and hopelessness.Seeing an issue from the inside out brings new possibilities and new insight. While this novel has romance, and a large extended family of characters, each character must privately accept and vanquish his or her own demons, finding their own path of truth and justice in a morally ambiguous world. In The Burning Point, abuse victims can see to their own healing, but they are never responsible for the redemption of the abuser. Can family rifts be healed, even after a decade of silence? Can an abuser recover, or is he or she a lost cause? Is there even room in the modern world for such notions as redemption and forgiveness? Ms. Putney gives us a hopeful 'yes', and I was left with a sense of satisfaction and promise, as well as a set of characters that I will not soon forget.

Mary Jo Putney has given her readers a contemporary romance with a touchy theme, and she confidently handles it with truth and tact. I have always enjoyed Ms. Putney's work. Whether it's a contemporary or historical romance, she has a way of drawing me in with the first page and giving me, as a reader, a substantial story with enough action and lively characters to keep the pages turning.In "The Burning Point" Kate finds herself back home after her father dies. Once there, she comes face to face with the man she once loved and married ten years ago. With the meeting come the memories of the secret. Later they learn that her father's Will stipulates that Kate and her ex-husband Donovan will have to live under the same roof, their old home, if they want to get the demolition business and inheritance. Although physically together under the same roof, the secret of the past keeps them apart, but this doesn't stop them from working together to solve the mystery of how the man they both loved and admired was killed and by whom.Where there's passion, there's a burning point, and Mary Jo Putney's gift of writing leads her readers to it every time. Without a doubt her readers will gather to the brightness of this passionate fire.Brenda @ MyShelf.Com

I love Mary Jo Putney's historicals, and was very much looking forward to her first contemporary. However, when I picked up the book for the first time and began reading it, I was shocked to discover that the subject was a reconciliation of a marriage that had ended due to abuse. Honestly, I thought she was nuts - how could that be remotely acceptable? But the story is well-written, as always, and I felt driven to see how the situation was handled. To my surprise, I thought that the issue of abuse was incredibly well-done. I actually felt like I learned quite a bit about the topic by "listening" to Kate and Donovan's discussions and thoughts, and "watching" them learn to deal with each other and themselves. I thought that Ms. Putney made it abundantly clear that Kate had needed to leave the abusive situation entirely for either of them to change or learn from the experience - this book in no way encouraged women to stay with an abusive spouse. Admittedly, a reconciliation in this situation is unlikely, but I don't think it is any more so than many of the plots in other romance novels. And while this may be an unusual forum for addressing domestic abuse, I think the author did an excellent job of showing all sides of the issue. Thank you, Ms. Putney, for a compelling read.