Reunion

Feb 26, 2009 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jackie by: Therese

Shelves: work-review-related-reading, books-by-friends

Therese Fowler's sophomore book shows that she just keeps getting better and better. Reunion tells the story of Blue Reynolds, a nationally popular talk show host with a past that she's hidden for years--a short time in her heartbroken youth that led her to partying, doing drugs and ultimately giving a baby up for adoption. She discretely begins to search for that child 20 years later, ironically at the same time her career leads her to the same man who broke her heart back then. Past and presen...more

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Jun 15, 2009 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Summary:
Blue Reynolds lives a hard earned life of wealth and significance as an Oprah-esque host of her own syndicated talk show. Seemingly as put together and clean cut as they come, what the public doesn’t know is that behind the polished exterior Blue is trying to keep a secret from the world. Scorned by her significantly older married lover Mitch, Harmony Blue Kucharski (as she’s then known) picks up and runs away from her job, family and friends to live a drug and party filled existence. Th...more Summary:
Blue Reynolds lives a hard earned life of wealth and significance as an Oprah-esque host of her own syndicated talk show. Seemingly as put together and clean cut as they come, what the public doesn’t know is that behind the polished exterior Blue is trying to keep a secret from the world. Scorned by her significantly older married lover Mitch, Harmony Blue Kucharski (as she’s then known) picks up and runs away from her job, family and friends to live a drug and party filled existence. That is until she realizes she’s pregnant.

Scared, relatively alone, and confident that keeping the child is a bad idea she hires a midwife to facilitate a home birth and closed adoption. After giving her son up Harmony takes to rebuilding her life by focusing on a career in the media. Changing her name and navigating a series of increasingly important jobs Blue finally finds herself at the top of her field in The Blue Reynolds Show. As the premier talk show host in the counrty Blue does her best to use her influence for good in the hopes of filling the void her absent child left behind.

At the peak of her popularity Blue embarks on a mission to find her child all while keeping the secret from her family, majority of her friends, and most importantly the public. As luck would have it during a location shoot in Key West she runs into Mitch and his family and the process of rekindling their long defunct romance begins. Or does it?

Undertaking the secret search for her son, navigating the romantic entanglements between she, Mitch and countless others, as well as handling her career Blue certainly has more than her fair share of issues to handle.

Opinion
The Chicago base for Blue and her talk show was a bit distracting because of the strong resemblance to Oprah’s home base. Given the fact that Chicago didn’t play a major role in the story overall Blue’s childhood and subsequent career could have been set in any large city and worked just as well. In fact, the only point of geography that played a significant role in the story was Key West and in this case it was wonderfully portrayed and valuable to the progression of the story.

Furthermore, the main reason Blue was hiding the secret birth and child she’d given up should have been given more focus. Small references were made several times but it seemed minimally significant, more an afterthought than an actual expansion of the overall plot. To make the secret and it’s later fall out more believable it should have had more prominence throughout the story.

What I loved about this story is Fowler’s ability to build great characters. She does a fabulous job crawling into their minds then depicting it to the reader. Major players (Blue, Mitch, Julian) each have his/her own in depth back-story that intrigues enough to stand alone, yet they are intricately intertwined together in subtle places so subsequent relationships are all the more believable. of the story were well written with realism and focus to detail. Each character’s motivations and the interaction with his/her respective partner generated feelings of compassion, longing, and hope.

In the end, the beauty of this story lies in the strong relationships built. Not only does Fowler focus attention on numerous romantic entanglements, but also the strain of distant family relationships, the love parents have for their children, and the effects one’s professional choices have on their personal lives.(less)

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Jun 24, 2010 Ns rated it 4 of 5 stars

Therese Fowler brings some of the most compelling characters to life. I found this to be true in her debut novel Souvenir, and Reunion was no exception.

More promising than the premise, are characters who come to life in the most insightful, and compelling ways. Blue Reynolds is a woman at crossroads in her life, only it is a road she has long ago chosen and deliberately followed in the hopes of leaving her past behind. She creates her own reality, a reality that is better than one that requires...more Therese Fowler brings some of the most compelling characters to life. I found this to be true in her debut novel Souvenir, and Reunion was no exception.

More promising than the premise, are characters who come to life in the most insightful, and compelling ways. Blue Reynolds is a woman at crossroads in her life, only it is a road she has long ago chosen and deliberately followed in the hopes of leaving her past behind. She creates her own reality, a reality that is better than one that requires her to be raw, vulnerable and real. Instead she places her ideals in another, and in doing so her decisions have shaped much of her life. She is a woman with everything, and yet nothing substantial, whose secrets overshadow her relationship with her mother, sister, and men.

Mitch Forrester is a flame from long ago. The man, Blue once placed all her ideals into, and has never really let go. His memory, their past is something she holds onto and when a chance encounter reunites them, it also opens the door to a past never realized. Their relationship is founded with their past, and yet there is nothing tangible to propel them forward. What they do have is hopes and expectations for each other, and a kindred understanding of the circumstances that have brought them to this moment, their reunion.

Julian Forrester is Mitch's son whose relationship with his father is complex but one he is finding acceptance in. He sees the world through lens, capturing other people's moments; their happiness, triumphs, and tragedies. Yet, he is weary of always being on the other end, an outsider, a watcher and in Blue, he sees pieces of himself. She, too has grown weary of a life self-created. Rather than living, they are inventing lives. He, who watches behind lens, and she who lives in front, but their reason for doing so is more similar than they realize.

Together, the characters are more interrelated in ways they never considered. Drawn into a union of insight, hindsight, and wisdom that comes with time, will they each have the foresight to live as they are meant to. Only in doing so can they find themselves, love and begin to live.

The characters bring such depth and presence to the story, and at times it didn't feel enough. New relationships are beginning and identities are found but these discoveries aren't fully explored leaving us yearning and wondering.

The characters resonate with you well after you have finished reading.(less)

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May 27, 2009 Serena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Therese Fowler's Reunion examines the secrets many of us carry and how they can direct our lives and decisions. While some could consider this a light read, it deals with a number of deep issues, including teen pregnancy.

Harmony Blue Kucharski/Reynolds is a young girl with a deep crush on a junior professor and son to her boss, Mitch Forrester. After a whirlwind romance, Mitch breaks her young heart, and she embarks on a destructive path that ultimately leads her to a decision that must be kept...more Therese Fowler's Reunion examines the secrets many of us carry and how they can direct our lives and decisions. While some could consider this a light read, it deals with a number of deep issues, including teen pregnancy.

Harmony Blue Kucharski/Reynolds is a young girl with a deep crush on a junior professor and son to her boss, Mitch Forrester. After a whirlwind romance, Mitch breaks her young heart, and she embarks on a destructive path that ultimately leads her to a decision that must be kept secret after her career begins to take off. Two decades later, fate brings them back together in Key West, Florida, and Blue helps Mitch with his pet video project about writer's like Hemingway.

"In Chicago, the snow was falling so hard that, although quite a few pedestrians saw the woman standing on the fire escape nine stories up, none were sure they recognized her. At first the woman leaned against the railing and looked down, as if calculating the odds of death from such a height. After a minute or two, though, when she hadn't climbed the rail but had instead stepped back from it, most people who'd noticed her continued on their ways. She didn't look ready to jump, so why keep watching? And how about this snow, they said. What the hell? It wasn't supposed to snow like this in spring!" (Page 13)

Blue is a complex character floundering in her decisions and striving to find true happiness, and Mitch has tried all kinds of happiness, but has been unable to patch things up with his only son. Blue's mother, Nancy, is an aging hippie still looking for love, and her sister has found a family life she can be proud of, though she still seems to have a hard time dealing with her sister's success as TV personality--much like Oprah in Chicago.

"Without the interruption of commercials or the finite images of someone else's interpretation of a story, she could more easily fit herself into the romance or drama unfolding inside a book's cover." (Page 54)

Fowler's writing is down-to-Earth and captivating. The characters pop from the page. While there are multiple story lines in Reunion, Fowler weaves them well and transitions seamlessly between them. Although this book could be considered chicklit or women's fiction, there is much more beneath the surface; all readers have to do is scratch the surface.(less)

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May 23, 2009 Bonnie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reunion is the perfect book to escape the world for a few days or even a weekend, it will only take you that long to finish this wonderful novel. I was captivated by Reunion from the very first page and I was swept away right into the world of Harmony Blue and her life from the past to the present.

Harmony Blue reinvents herself into Blue Reynolds, the celebrity talk show host who appears to have everything she could ever want...or does she? We learn of choices that Blue has made in the past as a...more Reunion is the perfect book to escape the world for a few days or even a weekend, it will only take you that long to finish this wonderful novel. I was captivated by Reunion from the very first page and I was swept away right into the world of Harmony Blue and her life from the past to the present.

Harmony Blue reinvents herself into Blue Reynolds, the celebrity talk show host who appears to have everything she could ever want...or does she? We learn of choices that Blue has made in the past as a teenager and how that effects her life currently, some 20 years later.

Blue reunites with an ex boyfriend Mitch and his family, which includes Mitch's parents and son Julian. The story is then told in first person narratives between Blue, Mitch and Julian in alternating chapters. This style worked very well and smoothly for the reader and it explored the complexities and depth of the story nicely.

We travel with these inviting characters from Chicago to Key West and even to Iraq and get a feel for the climate and mood of these locations. My favorite location was Key West as the sun and mood drew me in. I am familiar with Key West from a vacation years ago and it swept me back to the beauty of this special place. While in Key West, Blue is faced with her past and she must find a way to face these hidden secrets and the consequences that will ensue. She learns about second chances and finding out who she really is.

I enjoyed Reunion and did escape into this wonderful novel over a weekend. I admit I would have much preferred to have been reading Reunion on a sandy beach instead of while taking care of a sick child but that is the life of a mom! This would make a wonderful summer beach read along with a Key West Lemonade or Mojito! Reunion would also make a great summer book club discussion book as there is so much to talk about You can even serve Key Lime Pie for dessert. For most book clubs, especially mine, it's fun to have a great drink and of course, dessert. If it complements the book, it makes it even more fun. This is the first book that I have read by Therese Fowler and it definitely will not be my last.
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Jun 01, 2009 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, general_fiction

Blue is best thought of here as “the white Oprah”. She’s enormously rich, enormously famous, and hiding an enormous secret that not even her own mother knows – she gave up a child for adoption when she was young and irresponsible and suffering from a broken heart. Reunion is the story of what happens when your past comes back to haunt you, and in this case the haunting is both good and bad. Blue is able to reconnect with a lost love, discover a new one, and at the end must make one of the bigges...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Romantics

I need a trip back to Key West, yesterday!!!! (3-11-12)

Tho truly a bit of "cheesy romance," it was just what I needed to unwind after reading endless student essays. The Key West setting did have me right back at "The Speak Easy" - our quasi-B&B on Duval Street- and I could follow the characters around town with the authentic descriptions of places like Hemmingway's Homestead, the Truman Annex/Little White House, and Mallory Square for sunsets.

The story had an "Oprah-esque" quality to it, wi...more

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Jun 22, 2009 cecilia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blue-covers

I was pleasantly surprised at how unputdownable Reunion was! Right from the start, I became immersed with Blue - almost as if I was part of her fan club, but I had the insider scoop that made her less invincible and more human. Her history with Mitch was more complicated than I made it out to be (he being several years older than her with some divorces under his belt) - and I could see the great influence each of them had on the other, but most especially Mitch's influence on Blue. Therese Fowle...more

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Mar 09, 2009 Tattered Cover Book Store added it

Shelves: jackie-recommends, staff-recommends

Therese Fowler's sophomore book shows that she just keeps getting better and better. Reunion tells the story of Blue Reynolds, a nationally popular talk show host with a past that she's hidden for years--a short time in her heartbroken youth that led her to partying, doing drugs and ultimately giving a baby up for adoption. She discretely begins to search for that child 20 years later, ironically at the same time her career leads her to the same man who broke her heart back then. Past and presen...more

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Aug 28, 2009 Peggy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Novel of a women (Blue) who has achieved success as a host of a TV daytime interview show. She tries to balance her career success with her past choices. In her past she has given up a baby for adoption and walked away from a man she loved. There are also complications involving her mother and sister. She has many loyal friends. Blue tries to chart a new course in a small house in Key West. The book echoed Ophrah's life story in some ways. I thought the book was slow at the beginning. The last t...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy those books where the main character discovers themselves by doing something crazy. In this case falling in love with someone she shouldn't while buying a cute little cottage with a gorgeous garden in Key West on a whim and then quitting her job. Makes me want to visit Key West and discover some cute little cottage that I absolutely have to have.

The guy she ends up with kinda squeabs me out.. SPOILER ALERT. She falls in love with the son of the man she loved 23 years prior. A man...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Jodi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read

One thing I liked about this book is that it isn't about what it appears to be. It starts when Harmony Blue gives birth to a healthy baby boy and gives him up for adoption. She doesn't really have a choice. She wants him to have a better life than what she has at the time, which is nothing. Fast forward 18 years and Harmony Blue is Blue Reynolds, another Oprah Winfrey out of Chicago. She's searching, in secret, for the child she gave up for adoption. Meanwhile, she has the chance to get back tog...more

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May 26, 2009 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I think I might have felt an immediate connection with Blue since my undergrad was in broadcast journalism. But the way that Ms. Fowler wrote the characters in Reunion really made me feel the warmth from each of them. I was hooked on this book from the very beginning (and I suppose that the reference to the band Journey helped some since I have become obssesed with them in the past couple of months). I liked the ways that the characters interacted and I liked each and...more

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Apr 08, 2009 Laurel-Rain rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once upon a time, a young girl named Harmony Blue Kucharski had big dreams. Despite all the evidence to the contrary – an unsettled childhood and adolescence only the least of it – she was a most unlikely candidate for the destiny she imagined for herself.

Fast forward more than twenty years to the confident, popular talk-show host of “The Blue Reynolds Show” in Chicago, and discover that some dreams do come true after all.

But what did that little girl Harmony Blue have to do to spin these dreams...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Alissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked her note at the back of the book about second books. She likened it to a second song from a band with a big hit. It needs to sound like the band, but not be just like the first song.

This book had similarities to the first, but with enough difference to not be super predictable. Overall a good summer read. Did not realize author lives in Wake Forest. References to Chapel Hill and local flavor fun.

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Sep 15, 2009 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nice story with lots of romantic tension. "Blue" is a talk show hostess based in Chicago. She has a secret - she gave up a baby for adoption when she was 19. She never told her family she was pregnant. Now 20plus years later she wants to find the young man. She also finds her first love but falls for his son instead. When her secret is revealed - all the vicious media junkies attack and Blue quits her show.

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Jul 21, 2009 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: chick lit fans

Blue Reynolds is an incredibly successful talk-show host (think Oprah) who looks like she has everything she could possibly want in life. But, Blue has a few secrets from her past that are holding her back - namely an illigitate son she gave up for adoption when she was 19. In the span of a few months Blue will have the opportunity to reconnect with an old flame and re-invent her life as well. A well-written and interesting chick lit book.

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Aug 06, 2011 Carla rated it 1 of 5 stars

Horrible horrible book. I couldn't even finish it. I wish there was a way to give negative stars. I Wouk have to give this book at least negative 3 stars. I don't think I will be adding any more books by this author to my reading list. I'm just glad I got it on clearance for less than $4.00. I understand now why it was on the clearance rack to soon. Do your self a favor and do not even try reading this book.

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Sep 28, 2011 Ginny rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this to be a well-written book by the author and for that reason I gave it three stars. But in terms of whether I enjoyed it, not so much. It's just that I don't much care for chick flick novels so it's my fault for checking it out from the library. Those that love that genre will find this an enjoyable and well-written story.

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May 24, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

This one didn't draw me in immediately, the way Exposure and Souvenir both did, though the author still manages to weave a compelling tale, drawing the reader right along.

I was very pleased with the journey, til I reached the first of the final three chapters. I think it all derailed a bit suddenly. Granted that kind of story and that kind of lifestyle is unpredictable -the events weren't unrealstic, just unexpected. I'd have liked to have seen things go much differently. I'd have liked to have...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was just the type of book I was in the mood for, a good story, told simply, a bit on the light side. I have to say that the main character had a little too much in common with Oprah for me not to think of her, which I found a bit cheesy. This is a good women’s fiction selection. I liked the author’s previous book, Souvenir, even better.

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Apr 30, 2011 Renae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Such a great story this author has shared here. Easy reading. I was hooked from page one. I think what stands out the most is the character development. Everyone seems entirely real. There is nothing unbelievable. Now I must read The Souvenier - Fowler's first novel.

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Sep 08, 2009 Betty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good read about fantasy of going back and re-igniting "first love" ...... sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Interesting twist at the end; didn't see it coming until close to the end. Not sure I agree with it, though.

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Apr 29, 2009 Deb-oh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book! Key West is probably my favorite place on Earth and this book captured the flavor and the feeling I get when I go there! Great characters, great story! Thanks Therese, can't wait for the next book :)

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Oct 18, 2010 Bird rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, womens-fiction-chick-lit, library-reads, love-stories

I admit that it got off to a bit of a slow start, and I was impatient for it to get going. But once I settled down and got into the grove of the book, I fell in love.

The narration switches between Blue, her old boyfriend Mitch, and Mitch's son Julian. It took me a while to warm up to Julian, but I liked him quite a bit by the end of the story.

***SPOILERS***
The ending felt rushed and left me feeling unfulfilled. He just shows up at her doorstep and suddenly they're in love and living happily ever...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Lori rated it 3 of 5 stars

soapy, but good. she ended up with the guy, who I thought should have died to give it more of a twist. loved reading about Key West, tho, now if only I had a couple million sitting around!

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Mar 02, 2010 Shaheen rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 08, 2012 Reca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, read-in-2012

This book was okay, but nowhere near as good to me as Souvenir was. There were point during the book where things just moving so slow that I wondered if things would ever be resolved. The ending picked up speed and got me very interested in the story, though.

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Jun 25, 2009 carol Cannon rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was so excited to read Fowler's second book since I had loved Souvenir. I was disappointed in this book. The characters never seemed to be developed. It all seemed to work out too easily. For me, it was not believable.

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Feb 11, 2013 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

My daughter and I disagreed about rating this book. I really enjoyed it but she thought it was boring. I cannot justify her evaluation. It certainly kept my interest.

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