THE ARRANGEMENT

Author: Suzanne Forster ISBN: 0778324265 5/2007 SUSPENSE Publisher: MIRA

Alison Fairmont Villard wakes in a hospital bed with a face she doesn't recognize and a husband she doesn't know. Andrew Villard, a self-made millionaire, has a bright future but a shadowy past. When he tells Alison the details of their life together, she has no choice but to believe him—and to accept the shocking proposal he offers. It isn't just the partial amnesia that Alison suffers. She has her own terrifying secrets that can't be entrusted to anyone, even Andrew. Even the police suspect he was behind Alison's near fatal accident aboard his yacht and were ready to charge him with murder before her body was found, battered on the razor-sharp coral reefs. When the veil of amnesia lifts, it's too late. Alison is caught in a web of her own making. And now an FBI agent with a personal vendetta is about to blow the lid off her deadly marriage of convenience.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I am absolutely stunned by how great THE ARRANGEMENT is. Not that I didn't know Suzanne Forster was a great writer, but this book is just so great I could go on and on about it for hours.

At the beginning of the book, Andrew Villard is frantically trying to find the body of his wife. They were out on their boat when a storm kicked up and Alison was blown overboard. He searches for days before finally, blessedly, coming upon her broken and battered body upon some rocks. He is so happy to have his wife alive—for more reasons than the obvious one—and has no idea what he is going to do, when he realizes that things aren't what they seem. I felt almost immediately that there was much more to the story than what we were given up front. I had no idea how great a revelation it would be, or how awesome of a moment when we finally did get clued in to a little of what the mystery involves.

For the most part, Alison knows that she has a second chance at life, but she has no idea how to be what everyone wants her to be. She can't remember a lot of things, her husband treats her like a stranger, and she is practically falling apart because of a visit to her family home in Mirage Bay—one that she has put off for six whole months. She hasn't seen her mother and brother since well before her accident, and she has no idea what kind of reception she will get. Not to mention all the secrets and lies that she lives with everyday. What if she makes a mistake or says the wrong thing?

THE ARRANGEMENT is a must read for readers of all genres! Alison and Andrew are strong and brave, and I absolutely love the depth that Suzanne Forster gave to these characters. I fell in love with them and this entire story! I was kept on the edge of my seat, not once putting this book down until I had read every last word. Flawless, fabulous, wonderful—those are all words that I would use to describe this book. Ms. Forster, my hat goes off to you!

Kristal Gorman