1. The Face of the Earth
    Deborah Raney
    Howard Books / 2013 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$13.49 Retail Price$14.99 Save 10% ($1.50)
    4.4 out of 5 stars for The Face of the Earth. View reviews of this product. 27 Reviews
    Availability: In Stock
    Stock No: WW599975
4.4 Stars Out Of 5
4.4 out of 5
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Quality:
4.6 out Of 5
(4.6 out of 5)
Value:
4.5 out Of 5
(4.5 out of 5)
Meets Expectations:
4.5 out Of 5
(4.5 out of 5)
85%
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Displaying items 21-25 of 27
  1. Dancing Reader
    Utah
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Dedication to Marriage
    May 9, 2013
    Dancing Reader
    Utah
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 3
    Value: 3
    Meets Expectations: 4
    The story is a good one. What happens when your spouse is unaccounted for? How do you move on? Do you move on? In this case, Jill leaves a message for her husband that she is on her way home then never makes it. The days turn to weeks and the weeks to months. In the meantime, the attraction between Mitch and Shelley grows. What is the moral and ethical way to handle this?

    I liked the way the author handled the topic. I loved the way the marriage was treated as sacred even when Mitch didn't know if Jill was taken, left, or died. Mitch still viewed the marriage promises he made to Jill and to God as a sacred covenant even when he briefly questioned Jill's dedication. (view spoiler)

    It's a well written novel that provides a stark contrast to the eroding societal beliefs on marriage. For that I give it five stars. For the rest (story interest, engagement, character development), I give it 3.5
  2. Diane Huff Pitts
    Gulf Coast
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Current Issues--It Can Happen
    May 27, 2013
    Diane Huff Pitts
    Gulf Coast
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    The unthinkable. Someone drives off and doesn't return. Does life stop for Mitchell and his wife's best friend Shelley? Deborah Raney combines heart-rending mystery with forbidden romance in The Face of the Earth:A Novel.

    Raney's style delivers. The opening reminds me of a furious blizzard followed by a gentle snowfall but replete with drifts--you think it's safe to go outside, but unseen danger lies ahead.

    She creates "breathable" characters grappling with current issues. Authorities seek missing persons in epidemic numbers, so what happened to Mitchell's wife Jill? Social media spawns illicit relationships. The possibility is true in our society. Loneliness drives people together, but what if one is married?

    Deborah never leaves me hanging but it's resolution with a twist in The Face of the Earth:A Novel.

    (I was provided with this book for review purposes only, and no payment was received for this review.)
  3. Casey
    Oregon
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Real Life on the Pages
    April 25, 2013
    Casey
    Oregon
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    Contemporary women's fiction with a strong plot line that had me hooked from the back cover copy.

    What has become of Jill? Kidnapped? Run away? Nervous breakdown? Lost? Dead? Three hundred pages of trying to find this woman who has simply disappeared off the face of the earth. Husband Mitch is such a character to feel for. What is he to do? Searching, passing clues to the police and each one is a dead end. Can one even imagine being in such a position?

    I think the story does a good job of what that must feel like to have someone you love just disappear and you have no clue why. The story plays with great realism and yet still keeps our main characters likeable and as real as the people who might live next door.

    The ending is heartbreaking. It's one you know is coming, you have a pretty good idea of what has happened after reading the entire book. And on one hand my heart was saddened, on the other I was grateful our characters had their "answer".

    The story is the struggles faced with every human life. It's a love story twined through as real life story as what might be ripped from the headlines. It's a story that has its moment of difficulty as I traversed the literary landscape, but one I walked closely by each of the characters.

    This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through Litfuse for my copy to review.
  4. CharityUAusten
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    3 Stars Out Of 5
    Interesting Concept, Great Writing
    May 29, 2013
    CharityUAusten
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 3
    Meets Expectations: 4
    This book deals with a tough question that most of us don't have an instant answer to — if your spouse were to just disappear without a trace one day, how long should you stay alone? When, if ever, is it okay to let love back in? Obviously this book was a little different from the normal ones I read, and while I didn't absolutely love it, I still enjoyed it and found it quite fascinating and an enjoyable read. There was enough of a mystery/question through-out to keep me reading. Overall? A well-written book that I found interesting!

    **Litfuse sent me a free copy of this book as part of the blog tour. I wasn't required to post positively, only to review it. I was not compensated in any other way for this review.**
  5. Karen1356
    NYC
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    2 Stars Out Of 5
    Wrong Message
    May 24, 2013
    Karen1356
    NYC
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Deborah Raney's The Face of the Earth centers on how can Mitch Brannon "honor the vows he made to a woman who has seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth.

    While a good plot in thought, it just did not work for me. The mystery surrounding Jill Brannon's disappearance draws you in immediately but besides wanting to find out what happened to her, the excitement ended there.

    There seem to be so many possibilities of what could have happened but time and time again each clue turns up empty. However, what is immediately apparent are Shelley' s motives. Shelley is Jill's next door neighbor and best friend. One would think she would be grieving the loss of her friend instead of finally revealing her secret "love" for her Jill's husband. Her help during the situation seemed manipulative and she came off as needy and clingy. Her mentioning seeking direction from God all the while coveting another woman's husband portrayed her as a hypocrite. She seemed to capitalize on her friends disappearance to finally make her move on Mitch. She even seemed sinister at times when trying to convince Mitch to move on and that she was not going to compete with God. Mitch seemed to too distraught to really have fostered feelings for Shelley. He seemed confused and looking for comfort not even having time to sift through his emotions and grieve without having Shelley flirting and making advances at him.

    The story line could have been developed in a manner that clearly portrayed the hurt and recuperation that Mitch would have to endure without the ambiguity of whether he was honoring his marriage vows. His relationship with Shelley was clearly inappropriate depicted by their secretiveness and own guilty feelings. I felt this book sent the wrong message.

    I received a complimentary copy of above mentioned title from Litfuse in exchange for an independent and unbiased review.
Displaying items 21-25 of 27