I Take This Man -- Again

by Halston

I Take This Man--Again! by Carole Halston released on Nov 24, 1998 is available now for purchase.

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[ANGELIA]

I wish I hadn't taken this annoying book at all! Talk about STUPID!!!! They got married because she was preggers, she lost the baby, but they decided to stick it out, though they can't get along (except in bed where it's orgasms galore), he's immature, she's jealous of every woman he so much as says "good morning" to, she leaves, they divorce, then six years later (and a few affairs here and there) he decides he wants her back, just can't live without her! (He seemed to be doing okay the past six years.) Meanwhile, she was having occasional mediocre sex with a closet gay guy (imagine having his penis in her vagina while he was wishing it was in a guy's mouth or another part of his body) and pretending she's happy and fulfilled. Then, you get pages and pages (and pages, ad nauseum) of him saying "I want to get back together", and her saying "No way", and him saying "We belong together", and her saying, "No, we don't", and then just when he's starting to believe her, suddenly it's, "You're right, we do belong together!" Too bad he didn't say, "No, we don't, after all", and then left, while she found another closet gay to console herself with. At least it would have been a bit amusing, instead of just pure crap.

I should have done something more valuable with my time, like picked my nose!

[LBW]

Haven't read but providing synopsis from Fiction Data Base:
THE MARRIAGE-MINDED MAN...
Everyone told Mac McDaniel that he should remarry. But the only woman he wanted, he'd foolishly let go years ago. Now Mac vowed to move heaven and earth to win back sweet Ginger Honeycutt. But first he needed to get back into her life...

AND HIS INTENDED BRIDE
After a six-year absence, Ginger's sexy ex-husband was now her new neighbor...and colleague! Once-shy Ginger told him it was over, but this determined man wasn't listening. Nor was her traitorous heart. Especially when Mac said the words she'd always longed to hear. And even though Ginger knew deep down she'd never stopped loving Mac, the only way she'd take him again was for keeps!

[Rappaccini's Daughter]

I got bored and started skimming.

It's about a man, Mac, who wants to get back together with his ex-wife, Ginger, because he feels his life has been going nowhere since they divorced six years ago. Friends are married with kids now, another friend died...it's made him reevaluate his life. [They got married young because she was pregnant. She miscarried but they gave their marriage four more years before calling it quits.]

So, anyway, Mac gets a job as coach at the school where Ginger teaches. Does it deliberately because he wants to be near her so he can get her back. She doesn't want to marry him again, so I guess the majority of the book is him trying to convince her?

Actually, saying I skimmed this book is an overstatement. More like, I started out skimming, got bored, then just skipped past big chunks of story, stopping only when something interesting caught my eye.

The something interesting? At least to me...

Ginger had been dating a man for the last year and had actually...gasp!...slept with him!

Sure, it was only a few times (unlike most of the heroes in these reunion stories who are so busy wielding the magic wand it rarely has a chance to cool down), but still...a non-celibate heroine?!! I was so shocked I considered giving the book another chance. After I finished reading to the end, maybe I'd go back and read all the parts I skipped. After all, an author who was so forward thinking that she didn't re-virginize her heroine probably deserves another chance.

And then I got to the part where Barry, the guy Ginger had been dating and had slept with a few times, turned out to be gay.

What...the...hell?

So, I guess since ol' Barr is gay, the sex didn't count? And now Mac doesn't have to be jealous anymore? (he was spitting nails before--didn't want to talk about it--didn't want to think about it)

It was so satisfying to see the hero of a reunion romance getting jealous of the heroine's ex-lover. Usually it's her having to suffer in silence over his legion of ex-lovers while he gets to crow that he's the only one who's ever planted his flag in her hallowed ground.

Ginger to Mac:

"Later I have something confidential to tell you about Barry that will erase any jealousy concerning our friendship."


Might as well have made her celibate. *grumbles*