mini-ring back from kelsey10 (Kim); loosely tied to Sandcastles, but does stand alone. This time the focus is on Sister Bernie and the groundskeeper, Tom. Twenty-three years ago, in Ireland, Bernie gave birth to Tom's son, then left him in the care of the nuns and joined the convent. Now she travels with Tom to make sure he's OK, and learns that he was never adopted. The story backfills with Seamus (James') life in the institution, his love for a fellow child, Kathleen, who is taken back by her family when she is 13 & Seamus loses touch with her. Have the tissues handy for a good, but tearjerker ending. ( )

What Matters Most: I usually like Luanne Rice books, but not this one; in fact, I did not even finish reading it. It dragged quite a bit, and was also very depressing. Perhaps this was because it was a sequel, but it certainly did not hold my interest.

I liked the story. It was sweet and kept me listening. ( )

I don't typically read romance novels, but this one sounded interesting. I liked it, but I didn't appreciate the unrealistic points in the all too repetitive plot line. How many times can we possibly be told how blue Tom's eyes are, or how much Bernie and Tom, Seamus and Kathleen love each other? Overall, it was okay, but not earth-shattering. ( )

A sequel to "Sandcastles." Very disappointing. Rather than deal with the issues raised by the plot, Rice takes the easy way out. A bit of an otherworldly interlude at the end that felt completely out of place. ( )