ALASKAN MAGIC

Author: Carol McPhee ISBN: 1897261691 3/2007 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: CHAMPAGNE BOOKS

Fifty-something socialite Amanda Bennington finds herself at an unbelievable fork in the road. Freshly divorced and bitter as hell, she can now add homeless to her life’s description. Determined to counter the sudden upheaval in her life she adds to her difficulties by trying to cope at a wilderness lodge in Alaska. The complications of dealing with a vengeful raven and a scruffy, insolent bush pilot both of who resent Miss Hoity-Toity's intrusion are enough to send her scurrying south—except for her compulsion to learn the family secret.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

ALASKAN MAGIC by Carol McPhee is just that-magic. This book is a richly detailed adventure set in the Alaskan wilderness that is a joy to read. The setting is lush, the characters interesting and well-developed, and the story is told in a straight-forward, engaging manner. One of the signs of an especially good book is the ability of the author to completely pull the reader into the tale that's being told. That is precisely what happened when I read this book.

Amanda Bennington had it all: an affluent lifestyle, luxurious vacations and a closet full of designer clothing. But when her philandering husband Harold divorced her, she lost nearly everything. Penniless, homeless and filled with fury, she decides to spend two weeks in Alaska visiting an aunt she's never met. On the plane to Juneau she meets Layne Brewster, a man whose recent wife-finding expedition has left him disillusioned-and drunk. After he vomits on Amanda, which is undoubtedly the most disgusting first meeting I've ever read about, things between the pair become more interesting.

This is a good, solid love story, one that I may read again. It is a novel that I can easily recommend. ALASKAN MAGIC is a jewel of a book that is sure to please anyone with an interest in all things Alaskan.

Kay James