October 6, 2008
Plain's tepid latest focuses on two women—privileged but plain Gwen Wright and beautiful but poor Jewel Fairchild. Their lives occasionally intersect, and eventually Jewel marries a wealthy man and discovers that money can't buy happiness. Gwen, meanwhile, marries a poor but honest man—but she still finds herself drawn to Jewel's husband, and the foursome is soon tangled in a web of deceit. Unfortunately, Jewel and Gwen don't evolve throughout the novel; Gwen is a character that some readers might find intolerably perfect—smart, privileged, shy, well-spoken, with simple needs and a tragic past—but any irritation that one might have with her is eliminated by the calculating and shallow Jewel, who is too pathetic to be a legitimate antagonist and too tragic to really be hated. It functions well as a simplistic morality tale.
September 1, 2004
Jean Wright lovingly raises the daughter of a deceased friend, but they become estranged in adulthood--until the young woman has a child of her own.
Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 15, 2008
A tragic accident forces Cassie Wright, owner of the prosperous Wright Glassworks, to raise her late husbands love child as her own. Despite the painful daily reminder of his unfaithfulness, Cassie knows she is more than able to provide a privileged upbringing for little Gwen. As a member of the wealthiest family in Wrightstown, Gwen grows up to be quiet and smart, and cant help but compare herself to Jewel, the gorgeous, gossip-loving receptionist at the Glassworks who fantasizes about marrying money. Fast-forward a few years. Gwen falls deeply in love and marries hardworking electrician Stan; Jewel is the wife of the shrewd CEO of the electric company where Stan is employed. The four soon become entangled in a twisted web of lust, greed, and envy. Plain carefully dissects each characters thoughts, and arouses sympathy even when the most conniving among them get their due. The plotline is comfortably predictable, sure to satisfy Plains many loyal fans and others who seek safely entertaining fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)