J.D. Faver

Not to be repetitive, I like the books description on the jacket and it sums it up nicely. The story has the flavor of "Sleeping with the Enemy", the obsessive abusive husband and Rene who has had enough.

You can't help but to fall in love with the contrast of characters in this quaint, remote town in Alaska she now calls home. The storyline and suspense throughout was great. I enjoyed seeing Rene developed a new sense of freedom and independence.

Overall this was a great read. There were a couple of relationships included in the story that forced romance where it did not belong. This took away from the story and threw a few chapters into disarray. Not to discourage, I still enjoyed the book.

If your looking for steamy romance, this is not for you. Romance is consistent with a PG movie with more feeling and embracing the moment.… (más)

Title: A Sandcastle Christmas
Author: J.D. Faver
Published: J.D.F.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Genre: Romance
Tags: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, + Seasonal / Holiday, + Extra Long
Rating: 5
Review:

"A Sandcastle Christmas" by J.D.Faver was one very good read and the first read for me by this author. I will say it will not be the last because I do plan on checking out more from this author's series. I found that "A Sandcastle Christmas" was a novel that had a little bit of it all from "infant abandoned in the a manger scene at church, it sets off a string of events including murder, a stalker, a lot of seasonal tension and heartwarming happenings for the gang" that will keep you turning the pages until the end. The characters were all so well developed, colorful, likable and so very intriguing. Many of the characters from Chloe and Rafael, Darla and Mike, Cassie and Javier and Sky, Zach and may other secondary characters will give the reader such a very intriguing read. This author has brought all of these characters together during this special time of the year with each one
bringing 'their own set of troubles with them.' The big question is will this sheriff will be able to solve these mysteries with the help of the community during this holiday season? At this time I will say you must pick up "The Sandcastle Christmas" to see how this author will bring it all out to the reader.

This novel is from 'The Edge of Texas series' and even though this novel can be a stand alone read I am going to suggest that the reader can get a better read on what has happened earlier by reading the series. Be ready for a Christmas story with some mystery though into this warm beautiful storyline of romance and "A Sandcastle Christmas" will give you a very good amazing read that I would definitely recommend to you as a amazing good read.… (más)

J.D. Faver’s tale is a familiar one where the wife musters the courage to break away from her abusive husband. With the help of her sister, she smuggles her children out of school and they relocate some place where the husband would never think to look.

On Ice is the story of Rene Nichols Desmond, a teacher by trade who takes her young children, Seth and Sara from their plush lifestyle in Houston, Texas and moves them to a quaint town called Sad Horse in Anchorage, Alaska. With the assistance of her sister Maddy, Rene carves out a new life for herself in a town that resembles the depiction of Colorado Springs in the TV series Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman only meaning to be set in modern times.

The denizens of Sad Horse are working class and friendly extending a helping hand to Rene and her family, particularly entrepreneur Brett LaCroix who seems more like a mountaineer than the CEO of a major corporation in town. Faver builds suspense periodically such as when Rene makes her escape and every now and again is inclined to look over her shoulder fearful that Mark has caught up to her. The episodes of suspense are balanced by lulls in the story creating a homey feel similar to the writing style of Sherryl Woods. These lulls comprise of learning about the townsfolk and their personal issues.

The women in town are nothing like the catty gals portrayed in TV programs like Desperate Housewives or GCB, but rather when they congregate it’s congenial and their conversations center around their domesticated lives while the men take responsibility for all of the labor-intense work needed in town. The sexes adhere to the stereotypes, which teeters Rene between the two spheres of being the kind and helpless woman and displaying the inner strength synonymous of the ideals inherent in Lady Liberty.

Faver’s story has relatable facets such as expressing feelings of being trapped, attempts to start anew, and working to adapt to a different environment from the one left behind. On the down side, the narration reads like an outdated story more reflective of 1972 than of 2012. For instance, Faver makes her female characters, Rene and Maddy, seem powerless on their own against their tormentor, Mark Desmond. Faver doesn’t take into consideration that family courts provide the abused spouse with orders of protection and restraining orders against the abusive spouse and enforced by the police department. The sisters depend on the help of neighbors to keep them safe and remedy the conflicts in their lives even when Rene has her “high noon“ confrontation with Mark where she must choose between fighting or taking flight.

Faver’s forte is in keeping her audience guessing how this will all end. Will Rene and Brett have a romance or will Mark kill her before she has a shot at true happiness or perhaps kill her sister and children? Faver drags out the suspense always keeping Mark a few paces behind Rene.… (más)