Taking Chances

To Love Again #17

by Janelle Taylor

Kirstin Lowrey wasn't accustomed to widowhood yet, but she was all too familiar with being at the beck and call of her three grown children and their children. Now, though, she had finally summoned the courage to start over again—a new job, anew look, and a whole new life far from her native Augusta, Georgia... all the way to California! Getting away was hard enough, but having an accident en route and ending up on a ranch in New Mexico was nearly disastrous. Especially when her all-too-welcoming host turned out to be a divorced doctor with an irresistibly appealing bedside manner. She and Christopher Harrison had a lot in common. And it wasn't so very far from New Mexico to California. Maybe they could even go there together…if Kirstin could just learn to let go of the past. Was it time to take a chance on a brand new future—time to love again?

Genres: Romance

559 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

About the author

The legendary Janelle Taylor was born on June 28, 1944 in Athens, GA. In 1965, she married Michael Taylor with whom she had two children, Angela Taylor-MacIntyre and Alisha Taylor Thurmond. Ms. Taylor attended the Medical College of Georgia from 1977 to 1979 and Augusta State University from 1980-1981. She withdrew from the latter after she sold her first two novels. Today, she is the author of thirty-nine novels, three novellas, and many contributions to other collections. There are thirty-nine million copies of her works in print worldwide and she has made The New York Times Bestseller List eight times. Ms. Taylor's works have also been featured ten times on the "1 million +" bestseller's list at Publisher's Weekly.

Some of Ms. Taylor's most recent books include By Candlelight, Someday Soon, Lakota Dawn, and Lakota Winds (due out in paperback in May 1999). She has also made contributions to other books including The Leukemia Society Cookbook, Christmas Rendezvous, and Summer Love. In addition, readers can see her as co-host of the QVC/TV Romance Book Club Show.

Ms. Taylor's interests include collecting spoons, coins from around the world, ship models, dolls, and old books. She loves to fish, ride horses, play chess, target-shoot, travel (especially in her motorhome and out West), hunt for Indian relics, and take long walks with her husband. Reading, in particular books set before 1900 and current Biographies, Thrillers, Horror, or Fantasy novels, is also one of Ms. Taylor's favorite activities. She is also extremely active with charity work and was even featured on the cover of Diabetes Forecast in February of 1998.

She lives in the country on seventy-nine acres of woods and pasture with a lake and a catfish pond. She writes her novels in a Spanish cottage which overlooks a five-acre lake, a working water mill, gazebo, and covered bridge.

Reviews

[Shirlene]

Kirsten Lowrey's husband had passed away. He had been controlling and overlooked Kirsten's needs while they were married. She had raised her 2 daughters and son mostly alone while her husband had lived his life for his work. She had recently been diagnosed with diabetes and was still working on controlling her high's and low's. She was also dealing with a son who was often cruel and demanding in much the same way as her husband was. Steve had a way of making her feel guilty for not dropping everything she was doing for him. Kirsten was just learning to say 'no' and he was accepting it without being demeaning to her. He and his wife were going on vacation and let her know that he didn't appreciate having to find a babysitter and threatened to keep the kids away from her. The children didn't behave and were a handful for anyone.
Kirsten worked for Medico in research as a technologist. She was being relocated to San Diego because the location was being closed. She was good at her job and they wanted to keep her. She was involved in an accident near Clovis, NM when she had passed out due to her diabetes. She was brought to the ranch owned by Christopher Harrison by the local sheriff because he was the closest doctor. Chris was surprised to find himself attracted to her.
Christopher had found himself married to a woman who married him because she knew that he would someday be wealthy enough to suit her lifestyle. She had left him for a friend who was also a doctor. Chris knew that she hadn't been in love with him and was bitter for being used. He had been stabbed by a crazy patient while working in the ER and lost the ability to perform the surgery he was known for. He was a top surgeon before the damage was done to his hand.
Kirsten was invited to stay at the ranch as Chris' guest while his housekeeper was away on vacation and she was learning to control her diabetes. Chris monitored her condition and got her on a schedule to eat and maintain her insulin levels. She agreed to stay for three weeks until she had to be in San Diego to begin work.
They spent as much time together as they could during those three weeks and they both fell in love. They rented an RV and did some camping and sight seeing. They met another couple whose wife had diabetes for quite a while. She gave Kirsten some tips and they became food friends during the weekend they spent traveling together. They agreed to meet up again sometime to vacation together in the future.
Kirsten used their time together to try and convince Chris to sell the ranch and move to San Diego to work in research with her. Chris was having a hard time accepting his liability and was basically in hiding at the ranch. He spoke with his daughter who was at first critical of his relationship but came to visit after Kirsten went to San Diego and found out how much her father loved Kirsten. She too suggested that he sell the ranch and get on with his life.
Chris and Kirsten argued as she left. Chris wanted Kirsten to quit her job, stay at the ranch with him and marry him. Kirsten was convinced that it would be better for him to move to San Diego. He came to visit two weeks after she left the ranch and she was surprised to hear from him that he was moving to San Diego to be with her. She didn't think that would happen.
Kirsten loved her job and had given up so much when she married and quit doing what she wanted to raise a family and do as she was told by her deceased husband. She had to stop talking to her son for a while. Both her daughters convinced Steve that he needed help and he agreed to go to counseling.
After Kirsten agreed to marry Chris and start their life in San Diego, she called Steve. She was surprised to hear him apologize for not dealing well with his dad's death. He was sorry for copying his father and treating her badly. He admitted to being selfish, demanding, and manipulative. Kirsten then told Steve that she was getting married. Chris had accepted a position with the same company Kirsten worked for. Steve agreed to come to their wedding. They were married on May 30th with their friends and family in attendance. They were both happy to have found a second chance at love and an opportunity for a glorious life.

[Amanda]

DNFing at 50 pages in. I found all the gender role talk very dated.

[Patti]

* 1/2 to ** stars