Product Description
This first in-depth Ryan work has two parts: The biographical provides behind-the-scenes information and never-before-published interviews with Ryan's children. The reference part contains a filmography (70+ films:plot lines, themes, technical aspects, casts, credits, criticism), and a listing of stage appearances, television performances, narrations, guest appearances, recordings and videocassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A tribute to a master-actor
When I was watching a powerful western, THE PROFESSIONALS, one of the characters called my attention. He was a weak and quiet horse wrangler, but the man certainly had some kind of class. Later on, I found out actor's name was Robert Ryan. Since then, I was so interested in this actor, and tried to watch his films as much as possible. I came to notice many things about him. First of all, he was a very expressive actor, and most importantly he always had injected the air of intelligence and quiet grace through his presence. Strangely, he was not casted as the authentic heroes very often, yet he took the villainous parts frequently through out his career. His characters were most often outside of the law, but they had determinations for living, strong faiths for their intentions, and worries which cannot be shared with others. Thus, Ryan's characterizations were complex and most interestingly ambiguous. He was brilliant at expressing the sensitive troubled souls. Thus, he was always something to watch, and he was the one of these few artistic actors.

This quality was quite unique for an actor in America. Therefore, it is very difficult to classify him with other great actors. He was certainly not as popular as Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, or John Wayne. Maybe, he achieved same status along with Robert Mitchum or Richard Widmark, but they were more loved by the public. Some people suggested that Ryan had shared a same caliber with Van Heflin and Arthur Kennedy, but this opinion did not quite ring a bell, because Heflin and Kennedy were strong supporting players. Robert Ryan did not really play pure supporting roles in his golden days. Even his roles were villainous, even his name was not top billed, Ryan was successful playing the pivotal roles in the most of his films. And his characterizations were always powerful, charismatic, and even sympathetic. Thats why, we could say, there were no stars like Robert Ryan, and he was quite original. I was really pleased and thankful that somebody like Mr. Jarlett was sensitive enough to write about this irreplaceable actor.

Many of his films were as interesting as his actings. Mr. Jarlett points out many of the Ryan films as masterpieces such as CROSSFIRE, THE SET-UP, ON DANGEROUS GROUND, CLASH BY NIGHT, GOD'S LITTLE ACRE, LONELYHEARTS, ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW, BILLY BUDD, and THE ICEMAN COMETH. Mr. Jarlett carefully analyzes each film, and places them as the most successful examples which were showcasing Ryan's acting ability in best forms. I respect his opinion. However, I would add THE WOMAN ON THE BEACH, THE NAKED SPUR, INFERNO, MEN IN WAR, THE WILD BUNCH, and ...AND HOPE TO DIE to the must see list of this master actor.

Today, we are fortunate, because most of the Ryan films are available for our viewing. Frequently, they are recognized as the accomplished cinematic arts as well as the sincere provokers of philosophical thoughts.

Ryan brought back to life
Although most Ryan devotees focus on his more famous "film noir" vehicles as evidence of his skill, Jarlett illuminates his performances in scores of less known films. In Horizons West, Ryan's interpretation of a disgruntled ex-Confederate major achieves more in his portrait than the sum of the film's parts.
Return of the Badmen also featured Ryan's grim portrait of a cold-blooded bank robber that elevates an otherwise pedestrian horse opera to something nearly sublime. Other choice Ryan vignettes can be found in such early Ryan enterprises like Marine Raiders. Made in 1944 when America was fighting the Japanese, Ryan gives a stout performance that achieves real range, again raising a programmer to cult status. The author provides detailed film critiques from major publications (Time, The New York Times, Variety, etc.), providing readers with a glimpse at what critics of those time periods said about Ryan. I was pleased to note upon reading critical reviews of Ryan's character in Marine Raiders that film critic Manny Farber of Nation magazine compared Ryan with Gary Cooper, though in all honesty, Ryan easily outclassed Cooper as an actor. Perhaps Farber was referring to Ryan's quiet magnetism.
Jarlett addresses the question of Ryan's status as the cinema's epitome of the "noir" protagonist, noting his contributions in such "noir" gems as The Racket, Act of Violence, The Woman on the Beach, Beware, My Lovely, Caught, On Dangerous Ground (John Houseman lauded his portrayal of a disillusioned cop as a "disturbing mixture of anger and sadness"). I cannot think of another actor who deserved a book devoted to his life and works besides Ryan. Kudos to Franklin Jarlett for giving us his gift.
Jarlett illuminates the off-screen actor's life, noting that the actor and his wife founded the Oakwood School in California, which stills remains viable today as a solid, academically oriented institution of higher learning.
Besides the fifty or so movie stills, Jarlett's book features interviews with those closest to Ryan, and a glowing preface by John Houseman, who worked closely with Ryan on various stage productions before they became a fad.

Ryan is finally recognized!!!!
When I saw this bookat a local book store, I was ecstatic. I had long hoped that someone would write a biography on Ryan, and wondered why this amazingly talented actor never was recognized for his range, versatility, and talent. The picture on the book's cover grabbed my attention immediately: it was none other than Ryan's psychopathic Montgomery from the film noir gem, Crossfire. Oh great!!! I thought; someone finally decided to take on the task of researching material for a book about Ryan.

After purchasing the book, I rushed home to read it, along the way quickly perusing the scores of stills the author included. I was in my glory, since Ryan was my favorite actor growing up. The book is a fully researched tome that seems to have gotten to the heart of the matter. Yes, the book depicts a man whose performances seemed to exemplify the "art" of film-making, rather than the glitz of fame. Herein one can find definitive examples of Ryan's "art". Read Jarlett's reviews of early Ryan gem performances to understand just how great he was: Act of Violence, The Woman On The Beach, Caught, Beware, My Lovely were just a few examples of film as art, and the author seems to understand the ethos that drove Ryan.

I marveled at the author's ability to write with the same sort of artistic merit that Ryan endorsed: the book contains reviews culled from scores of cinema retrospectives on Ryan's films, including Cahiers Du Cinema, Films in Review, and so on. Jarlett's sources of information were first-rate. Who can deny the opinion of John Houseman, whose preface lauds Jarlett's acumen in discerning Ryan's talents?

I agree with one amazon reviewer who noticed Ryan's subtle touches of brilliance in The Racket, a film which portrayed him as a ruthless racketeer who nevertheless garners a degree of pity. The scene whereRyan's Nick Scanlon jauntily munches on an apple while trading words with Robert Mitchum's stalwart cop was a sublime melding of actor and prop.

But The Racket is just one of countless films in which Ryan lent his talents to make good films better. I wondered why Ryan never went after the blockbuster roles that contemporaries landed. Jarlett clarifies this point: Ryan simply didn't care about them, instead searching for artistic expression. The book discusses the great Hollywood directors with whom he worked, in classics such as House of Bamboo, The Naked Spur, On Dangerous Ground, Lonelyhearts, Odds Against Tomorrow, Billy Budd, The Wild Bunch, and his last most trenchant portrait in The Iceman Cometh. Who else but Ryan could have been better as Eugene O'Neill's anarchist Larry Slade?

The book is a one-of-a-kind, definitive exposition of Ryan's life and films, and I applaud Jarlett's commitment to finally bring the actor's life to the forefront. My only regret is that Ryan was not alive to have placed his imprimatur on Jarlett's superb biography.

A superior exposition of Robert Ryan's life and films.
Having seen most of Ryan's films when I was a child, I was again drawn to seeing them after purchasing Franklin Jarlett's authorized biography. I saw the book at a local book store, attracted by the book cover featuring the familiar scowling features of Ryan from 1947's "Crossfire", which earned him an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor that year. Before purchasing the book, I perused the fifty or so stills from his films, and the detailed filmography, which convinced me that I had made a smart buy. I can happily report that the book is an inspired piece of writing: Jarlett's literary skills make one want to read more. He obviously has gotten to the quick of the man, drawing from scores of film critiques from Cahiers Du Cinema and other esteemed cinema circles.
I read Jarlett's book with fascination after many years of waiting for someone to write a book about Ryan, who was one of the most undervalued talents in Hollywood. I always found it curious that although Ryan came up through the ranks at RKO as one of its contract players from the forties, along with Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster and Robert Mitchum, he never garnered the stardom that they achieved, as least with mainstream audiences. Jarlett amply elucidated the reasons for this phenomenon: Ryan simply didn't care that much about fame; he would rather appear in a film for artistic merit instead of for box office success. I only needed to look at Ryan's films from the forties, which Jarlett reviews in detail, to see what an amazing list of films there were. He obviously spent long hours researching the book, which contains behind-the-scenes stories that Jarlett elicited from Ryan's close circle of friends (John Houseman, John Frankenheimer, Lamont Johnson, Robert Wallsten, Arvin Brown and Millard Lampell).
I noted one Amazon reviewer to remark that the author captured the actor's essence in such performances as the racketeer in The Racket. I was likewise mesmerized by Ryan's quirky interpretation of the psychopathic ex-G.I. in Crossfire. I especially liked Jarlett's analyses of Ryan's other unsung gems, such as in House of Bamboo when Ryan says to his friend after killing him, "Why did you tip the cops, Griff?", or Beware, My Lovely, Act of Violence, The Naked Spur, to name a few. Another interesting fact that Jarlett brought out was that Ryan was the "film noir" king, with fourteen trenchant portraits in that genre over the years. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to delve underneath the surface of Ryan's screen presence since in real life he was the opposite of what he portrayed on the screen.

Ryan reaches out and grabs you from the pages!
You're watching an old black and white B picture and about to change the channel to something less cheesy and low budget.You notice a lanky, whiny,oatmeal-faced guy with beady eyes, who looks menacing, especially when there is an attractive female nearby. This guy is trouble.He's no good.But you can't turn away.You're hooked.

He's wearing a bad costume: a 1950's leisure suit, a safarijacket, or more happily, a trench coat or a uniform.He looks awkward, slouchinglike he's embarrassed to be so tall.

He's ruggedly handsome.Energy flashes from his eyes, his tense almost hysterical voice, his powerful physique.He's like coiled steel, a simmering cauldron, a smouldering oil well.A valve that's about to blow sky high.

The ladies go to pieces around him.They do stuff they shouldn't do, things they'll regret in the morning.

You notice he contributes a lot to good and not so good filmseven when he's got everything going against him.He doesn't need to be a likeable character, or have good lines, or a good costume, or anything.He infuses engergy and raw power into the movie, he makes it personal.Maybe they used him sparingly because they didn't know what they were dealing with.

The Wild Bunch: Ryan turns up sporadically but his role is central to the plot.Best scenes:He and fellow outlaw William Holden are entertaining two scarlet women in their hotel room.Ryan, in a fancy waistcoat, is worrying that the law is in pursuit so he's not even paying attention to his female companion.Is that fair to the girl?Later, he is shown being flogged in prison -unfortunate, but an opportunity to see him with no shirt on.

On Dangerous Ground:as a tough cop, he questions a hooker.She practically begs him to mistreat her:'are you gonna squeeze it out of me with those big, strong arms?' You betcha.In another scene, he tries to flirt with a girl, is rejected for being a cop, and the frozen pain of rejection on his face is raw, as if he got sucker punched with an ice berg.

Caught:he is a narcissistic neurotic millionaire who mentally torments a silly golddigger played lovably by Barbara Bel Geddes.Best line:'What's wrong, don't you think I like you?' As usual he's in comically silly, Thurston Howell the Third type outfits, and as usual he rises above it all.

Crossfire:preachy stuff about the evils of bigotry but worth enduring for Ryan as the least laid back guy ever in a Hawaiian shirt.

The Naked Spur:not to be confused with The Naked Gun, in this Western he's an outlaw with a price on his head and cute little Janet Leigh as his girlfriend.Jimmy Stewart is taking him in for the reward money, and to get the girl as well.He puts Ryan on a burro, not only to hinder his escape but probably also to emasculate him in Leigh's eyes.Ryan is a rotten, dishonorable character, but Leigh seems mighty reluctant to part company with him.I wouldn't wonder...

The Set-up: Ryan is a has-been boxer who- don't sweat the plot, you see him in boxing trunks, that's all you need to know.

Beware My Lovely:Ryan is compellingly creepy but beware, my lovely, the plot is el bizarro.

Clash by Night:Ryan mixes it up with bad-girl Babs Stanwyck while also flirting around the edges with young Marilyn Monroe. The fact that you get to see him in a sleeveless undershirt has nothing to do with my endorsement of this movie.

About Mrs. Leslie:Shirley Booth in a dreary tale enlivened by brief glimpses of Ryan in flashbacks,including a romantic scene on the beach, he's either wearing a white robe or white swim trunks or I just added that detail out of wishful thinking.

Odds Against Tomorrow:silly heist movie overburdened with heavyhanded antiracism theme.Just watch for the scenes between Ryan and the irresistible Gloria Graham - talk about sadomastochistic overtones!

Bad Day at Black Rock:a good message movie starring Spencer Tracy, with Ryan as (of course) the detestable townie wearing an idiotic red baseball cap as the character's pathetic phallic symbol -still, Ryan almost steals the movie from Tracy.

City Beneath the Sea:watch for the scene where he is really an s.o.b. to a dance hall girl, but somehow in a very provocative way.Hokum plot, awful outfits, such as a striped shirt, bandana and skipper's hat.The wardrobe mistress was surely hoping he'd get mad, storm the costume department, grab her in his arms, and...oh, sorry, I was daydreaming there.

There's one movie where he's a mob boss guy who, in the middle of buying off judges or having people bumped off or whatever mob bosses do, nags his younger brother about doing well in college, and chomps on an apple!

The Dirty Dozen:He's not one of the dozen, nor is he the lovable leader played by Lee Marvin.He's a martinet that no one likes, and he eats it up in the few scenes he has.

Fire and Ice! Two great, elusive movies featuring Ryan.

Inferno:Shows up on cable occasionally, he's a pain in the duff heir who has to survive on his own in the desert, it's just a great movie. He actually gets a good costume for once, he looks terrific in dusty white, loose-fitting khakis

The Iceman Cometh:One of Ryan's last performances, unavailable for years but came out on DVD not long ago. Depressing tale about barflies but powerful acting with Lee Marvin, Ryan, and a very young Jeff Bridges all making the most of their choice lines.

Comparing him with other great actors Ryan holds his own.His characters were multi-layered, intense, real, and somehow always likable - even the "bad guys". They were oddballs - harsh yet anxious, uncomfortable in their own skin.

I don't think Robert Ryan ever got an Oscar nod.Many wonderful actors and actresses never get nominated for an Oscar.After all, what really lasts are good performances.

Offscreen, Ryan was kind, reserved, quiet, and bookish.He wasn't into making the Hollywood party scene, preferring privacy for himself and his family. The most dramatic thing he seems to have done was when he and his wife, an unforgivably perfect partner for him since she was tall, gorgeous, and brainy - helped start a local grade school so their kids could get the best possible education.The school is still in existence today.

Nevertheless, he made quite an impression in person.

Somewhere in the book there is a description of him meeting a friend for lunch.When he enters the crowded restaurant, despite his unassuming demeanor, he draws awestruck stares from every woman in the room.Whether due to his height and rugged good looks - or also the hint of untold depths of passion that seemed to emanate from him?

You watch his B movie to the bitter end.The character Ryan created on screen had an inner life, something that reaches out to you.A man of passion, of mystery, wearing an ugly knit cap.Tormented by inner demons, he haunts a seedy waterfront bar where one foggy night you just happen to walk in wearing nothing but high heels and a trenchcoat, looking for trouble...
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Product Description
New York Times Bestseller

All-new stories from the authors of the New York Times bestseller "Once Upon a Rose", including"A World Apart" from bestselling author Nora Roberts, "Impossible" by Jill Gregory, "Sealed with a Kiss" by Ruth Ryan Langan, and "Kiss Me, Kate" by Marianne Willman. Love, passion, and desire . . . it all begins with a kiss.

Explicit content ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

books ordered
I haven't had a chance to read the book but I know it will be great along with the other books I ordered. I want to say the books arrived safely in just the nick of time.Thank you

back cover
-A World Apart by Nora Roberts: A ravishing medieval Demon Slayer arrives in twenty-first century New York to brave a strange new world-and a man who will be her destiny. -Impossible by Jill Gregory: The battle between two warring families becomes a battle of the sexes when a bewitching beauty finds herself kidnapped by her sworn enemy. -Sealed With A Kiss by Ruth Ryan Langan: Her father may have given her hand in marriage to a fearsome warlord, but it's his trusted warrior who captures her heart...-Kiss Me, Kate by Marianne Wilman: A lovely American inherits an English manor and her dreams of romance come true when she meets an enchanted prince.But is he her one true love?

A Lover's Kiss?
This is one of the series of collaborations about "One Upon a Time" persuasion by Nora Roberts and three of her writer friends.Previously, they got together on "Once Upon a Castle,' 'Once Upon a Dream,' 'Once Upon a Rose,' and "OnceUpon a Star."This is the precursor to the "serial" novel which is becoming popular now.Here we have different stories which revolve around a kiss.In England, a "lady" has visions of "A Man" who will enter her life and change it completely.But, "what would she know about a lover's kiss?"She'd never had a lover (poor thing); in fact, she'd only been kissed twice.

'Kiss Me, Kate' is not from Shakespeare but dedicated to all the women who have turned frogs into princes through a little magic (a kiss), and lots of hard work.A kiss is very special -- a magical thing if given by the right person.We all need love and kisses in this life throughout, not just as young women.Passionate kisses are the best, but the cursory kind can be acceptable as a token of his affection.Some men don't feel comfortable kissing a woman, but that's okay.To be kissed or not is not the end of the world, but it can be a beginning to a wonderful friendship.

GREAT!
It was shipped fast, and the book was in great condition! Thank you so much!

Is it over yet?
These stories were uninteresting, with unrealistic plots and underdeveloped characters. I have read some of the other books in this Once upon series and they have been mediocre, but these stories were all a complete bore. Save your money. ... Read more

Product Description

Harness the Science of Positive Influence

We all want to have a positive impact, but often, despite our best intentions, we're tripped up by subtle psychological states we're not even aware of. It doesn't have to be that way. In Lift, Ryan and Robert Quinn combine cutting-edge social science and real-world examples to describe four mindsets that will help you become aware of the unconscious ways you're holding yourself and others back. They offer tested, practical guidelines and practices for exerting positive influence in any situation. The Quinns go beyond mere tactics--if you take the lessons in Lift to heart, you will not simply wield positive influence, you will by your very nature become a positive influence.

Customer Reviews (12)

Exceeded my expectations
The writers did their homework - this is a thoughtfully written, easily accessible book for anyone who is ready to truly be a positive influence in the world. It is applicable to family life, school life, work life, and recreational life. It reflects the power in all of us to invite change rather than force it. Remember the parable about the sun and the wind? The wind wanted to prove his power -- and he bet the sun he could succeed better than the sun in getting a man to take off his coat? The wind blew and blew, but the man just held on to his coat that much tighter. Then it was the sun's turn - and he just beamed. The man was ever so willing to shed his coat! Lift lives up to its name and gives practical ways to be true to ourselves, and allow us to "beam" with integrity and insight for positive change. Thank you, Quinns!

A top pick for both business and general collections alike
LIFT: BECOMING A POSITIVE FORCE IN ANY SITUATION is recommended not just for business libraries but for social science collections and any interested in organizational change. It focuses on advances in psychology and leadership research to describe four questions that, when applied to any given situation, can create a more positive outlook. Personal stories demonstrate how the authors and others have applied the concept of 'lift' to home and work challenges alike, making for a top pick for both business and general collections alike.

Life's Winning Strategy
Ryan W Quinn has compiled a terrific winning strategy for anyone to use in dealing with life's perpetual challenges.In essence, Quinn suggests taking a positive perspective on any situation; this encourages a more pragmatic approach to dealing with any obstacle.There's no complaining; no whining; only positive, decisive action.

This helpful handbook to dealing with any situation is just what the doctor ordered.Read the instructions; answer the four key questions Quinn poses, and stay focused on producing positive results.It's a winning strategy and is especially helpful in dealing with the barrage of challenges facing most people nowadays.

Life is no longer simple; but this book can help eliviate much of the complexity.It's certain to lift anyone to a higher level, and that's a pretty good deal as far as I can tell.

Perceptions dictate reality
An assertive blend of applicable leadership, spiritual-ish truths and psychological awareness, showing how our mental states (and those of others) affect good decision making and how our perceptions limit or enhance what we see is possible in personal and organizational contexts. The book also teaches how to elevate your and others' state of mind to one which is purpose-centered - rather than problem-solving - and shows how the shift encourages more higher-level thinking and decisions. Many parables too; an easy and gripping read.

Yes, we can do better than reacting to problems and shutting others out.
You may have become numb to all the books, methods, systems, authors, consultants, and celebrities touting this or that idea that will change your life, bring you happiness, free you from the crushing chores of daily life, and throw in whiter teeth and shiny hair in the bargain.You would be forgiven for assuming that this is yet another of those books, but you would be wrong.Oh there is the catchy title that is also a metaphor and an acronym for the ideas the author is trying to share, and that is certainly the first impression you get with any of the normal books in the self-help genre.But for me, the similarity ends there.This book is about examining yourself and challenging your own motivations and responses to your life.There is no mechanism you can apply to avoid having to face your life and coast through it chanting some slogans as if they were mantras.Here you face deep and thorough self-examination from your harshest critic; yourself.But rather than beating yourself with a cudgel, the authors show you how you have bound yourself in chains and how you can remove them and find the freedom you think you want.Only real freedom can be intimidating because of its accompanying responsibilities.If you avoid them, you will engage in license and fall back into bondage.

Rather than talking about empowering yourself, the Quinns show you how to examine your habitual and well-worn responses to your life situation and take a fresh approach.Not to gain power over other people, or even to use power for good ends, but to use what they call "lift".The book uses flight as a metaphor for the mental and social processes they want you to recast in your life.They use it quite a lot and, I think, rather successfully.Of course, I can't take you through the whole book and work through all its features with you, but the core of the book that they use entire chapters to flesh out, are:

1) "What results do I want to create?"Almost all of us, at least I know it is too often true of me, deal with difficult situations by trying to get back to where we feel comfortable.We want to fix problems to get back to our life as it was before.But maybe we should be thinking about using the situation to see a new level of life, a transformed life for ourselves and those we love (or at least interact with).
2) "What would my story be if I were living the values I expect of others?"You will be shocked when you try to answer this question in a thoughtful way.You will see that much of what you (at least, I) do is motivated by external factors and often conflict with our true values and what we cherish most in life.This question points you towards becoming free to use your internal motivators by cutting yourself loose of those external chains.
3) "How do others feel about this situation?"Here you get outside your head and think about others and what you can do to best transform the situation by including them in your plans and efforts.The truth is that you will be happier by lifting others than by trying to soar through your life alone.
4) "What are three (or four or five) strategies I could use to accomplish my purpose for this situation?"Now you let go of your fixed responses and become open to fresh possibilities.

These four questions can help you achieve the lift the book is talking about.You don't need anyone to agree with you.You don't need anyone's help.In fact, the whole world can oppose you and yet when you achieve your own lift, you become such a positive force that others will find it hard to resist coming with you.You need no compulsion, no snappy patter, and no gimmicks.Just finding the source of your own lift in any situation will free you and those around you to transform any circumstance into an opportunity for doing good, experiencing vibrancy, and becoming profoundly connected to those around you and seeing your own life in terms of the richness you can bring to others because it makes your own life even more blessed.

The book has eleven chapters.The first two lay out the psychology behind the authors' thesis and their metaphor of lift.Three and four deal with being comfort and problem centered versus becoming purpose centered.Five and six deal with compromising our own values, even without our being aware of them, and replacing external direction with an internal direction that is consistent with our own true values.Seven and eight compares seeing others as objects versus focusing on them.Nine and ten talk about our normal resistance to feedback versus being not only open to feedback, but seeking it.The final chapter shows you how to integrate these principles into a power of lift in your own life.

The Quinns share experiences from their own lives (and the lives of others).They are quite frank about where they have failed, where their sources of pain were, and how they applied these principles.You might also be surprised that they admit the limits of lift.You can only lift yourself and invite others, but if they resist and want to stay firmly on the ground, well, there isn't much you can do but persist in transforming your own life.Maybe they will eventually catch on.Hey, it is very difficult to resist genuine love and attention for very long.

This is a very good book and I hope you can take the time to go through it slowly and thoughtfully.This isn't a book you can race through and use a couple of slogans as its message.Here, the most important aspects of the book are what your examination of your own life shows you in light of the ideas surrounding this metaphor of lift.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
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Product Description
Four enchanting, new tales of castles, spells, and happily-ever-afters..."Spellbound" by Nora Roberts

A bewitchingly beautiful lady casts a thousand-year love spell on the man of her dreams--and unleashes a nightmare that only true love can conquer."Castle Doom" by Jill Gregory

A Gypsy's prophecy spells love when an unlikely pair join to fight the unltimate evil--and find themselves in their own battle of hearts."Falcon's Lair" by Ruth Ryan Langan

A young American travels to England to free her father's friend from a fatal curse...and discovers a helping hand from a charming, handsome spirit."Dragonspell" by Marianne Willman

With the help of a meddling sorceress, a brave young princess sets out to save her kingdom--and wins the heart of a dashing warrior along the way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Not A Very Memorable Book
To be honest I read this book and after I put it down I didn't really remember anything about it. I like to read books that I remember and can think about . . . not the case here. Even after reading the summary of the book I had a hard time remembering what it was about. Hopefully the other books in this series are better.

Satisfaction plus
This book came in a very timely manner and in excellent condition. No complaints...

3 out of 4 Are Good!
Once Upon a Castle is a compilation of four stories by four different authors. All have mystical magic included and are set in times of knights, sorceresses, and royal families. Being a Noraholic (die-hard fan of Nora Roberts) I picked up a copy with the purpose of reading her portion of the book and tossing it into the library bin for others to read. Once I started, I decided to read the entire book and not just Nora's story. So here's what I think on each of the tales:

Spellbound by Nora Roberts

A delightful tale that actually is set in modern times with "memories" set back in ancient times of knights and witches. Brynna is an Irish witch. Calin is an American photographer. When Calin was young, he had an active imagination; at least that's what they termed it since he had a friend that no one else saw, and he knew things that he couldn't possibly have experienced (or could he).

Calin once again starts dreaming the dreams of the past and wonders if he's having a nervous breakdown. His parents convince him that he needs a vacation and suggest he go with them to Montana. Before he thinks, he blurts out that he's going to Ireland. He seems to have an agenda that he doesn't even know - he rents a car and drives to an enchanted castle and sees the woman from his dreams. She's gorgeous, she's everything he remembers, and she's Brynna, a witch.

The story gets a bit slow when Brynna is trying to let Calin remember their "past" on his own, all the while battling a wicked witch. The battling of Alasdair is not slow, but the bouncing from past to present is a bit tedious. It seems a legend has it that if Calin doesn't pledge his true love to Brynna within 24 hours (which is exactly 1,000 years since the curse has been enacted), then she must become Alasdair's mate.

The story ends with a clash, lots of magic, and tons of undying love. Ah, yes, a pure romantic, 'happily ever after' type tale.

It's interesting, but not as well developed as I've come to expect from Nora Roberts. It could very well have something to do with the short length of the story (each of these tales runs just under 100 pages). I wish she'd do a rewrite and fully develop the characters and plot - it would make a very interesting full-length book!

Castle Doom by Jill Gregory

This is the first literary work I've read of Jill Gregory and if this story is any indication of her talents, I'll definitely be reading more of her work in the future.

Castle Doom throws us into the middle of a battle over a kingdom. When Marcus, count of a neighboring land, went to talk with Archduke Julian about his reign of terrorism, he was thrown in the dungeon and is now about to be hanged. His sister, Arianne, vows to free him and sends word to Marcus' childhood friend, Nicolas that his life is in jeopardy. Nicolas arrives to rescue his pal and must match wits with his half-brother Julian in order to keep Arianne safe and free Marcus.

This story shows lots of various emotions, ranging from friendship to love to hatred to conceit; it definitely runs the gamut of feelings. It is also filled with humor and you'll find yourself chuckling several times in the short life span of this story.

Again, I wish it could have been lengthened a bit, but it was a quick and very enjoyable reading adventure!

Falcon's Lair by Ruth Ryan Langan

Of the four stories, this is the only one that I really didn't like at all. Felicity, a young American woman, travels to England when she receives a message that her father's old friend needs him. Since her father has recently passed away, she takes it upon herself to go even though she's never met this man, nor does she know what assistance he needs.

Felicity finds herself at the home of Lord Falcon and is thrown into a plot for murder. It is believed that a curse follows the Lords of Falcon's Lair and all of the men are doomed to an early demise. The oldest son of Lord Falcon, Chandler, has been missing in the Amazon jungles; the youngest son, William, was injured in a riding accident and is bedridden and slowing dying; while Lord Falcon shows signs of quickly failing health and his death seems eminent.

Felicity begins to uncover mysteries that surround these events and her life is then in danger. But when someone tries to push her down a staircase, her friendly ghost catches her just in time to save her life. This ghost is Gareth, the first Lord of Falcon's Lair and he appears to Felicity to point her in the right directions to help her solve the crimes. Not only is he a ghost, but he shape changes into a Falcon and flies off frequently.

The part that I don't like, or understand, is how a woman can fall in love with and have a romantic interlude with a ghost. Yes, it happened and I'm still shaking my head and wondering how and why. The story line is weak and contrived. The characters are well described and you can see the mental pictures clearly. Even with that clarity, I shook my head and wondered. This was a stretch for even my imagination!

Then there's the ending. You can see this one coming for miles and when it does finally get there, it's boring and anti-climatic. There's little imagination as to the plot and I would definitely recommend that you skip this short story altogether!

Dragonspell by Marianne Willman

This story showed a lot of humor along with the romance, which kept it from being predictable and made it highly enjoyable.

Princess Tressalara found her kingdom under attack and her father murdered by his top knight, Lector. She fled before she was forced to marry Lector and as she was planning her overthrow, she ran into Cador of Kildore, the most feared knight in the land. Since Tressalara is dressed as a young lad, Kildore at first believes the ruse and takes her to the camp as another sworn to help overthrow the villain Lector. Once he realizes exactly who Tressalara is, it's too late to keep from losing his heart to her.

Princess Tressalara is the ultimate in the fairy tale princesses - she's beautiful, kind hearted, and devoted to her subjects. Cador of Kildore, is the ultimate in knights - he's gorgeous, proud and brave. Yes, it was truly a perfect match.

The humor comes in with a subplot of two sorcerers and their ineptness. One is assigned to Cador and the other to Tressalara. In their attempts to help their humans remain safe, they have a series of mishaps that are hilarious. They turn themselves into frogs, into swans, and into mice. They spit at each other, and snipe at each other, but they always try to do what's best for their humans. It was a truly fun way to keep the reader glued to her chair and turning those pages as fast as she could read! This was a fun sideline.

If this humor and excellent weaving of a story line is any indication of Marianne Willman's writing abilities, then I'll definitely find more of her work.

My Conclusion

Three of the four stories were very good which makes the book definitely worth reading. I'd suggest skipping over Falcon's Lair but read and enjoy the others. The best part of anthologies such as this is when you get the book because of an author you really like and then you're introduced to new authors that you enjoy. Because of Once Upon a Castle I now have two more writers to read!

Wonderful collection
I had already read the Nora Roberts Spellbound in another book, but the additional stories were absolutely wonderful. I am glad I bought the book. Now I want all of the Once Upon books!

Sigh....
I have to admit, this is my favorite of the series.So far I've read all but the newest one (i'm working on it).I feel that the writing in this one is a little more interesting and thought out than the other books, but I would recommend it.All four authors have really pulled together a book where romance is just sweet enough (with some passion in the mix).Take it from me, I'm 19 and I love these books, so anyone should enjoy them. ... Read more

Product Description
Roberts heads the cast of writers that includes Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne Willman in delivering all-new tales of dreams and desires. Roberts' story, "In Dreams", concerns a beautiful woman who is drawn to a castle in the forests of Ireland and becomes the link to a stranger's past.Amazon.com Review
The four ladies who brought us Once upon a Castle and Once upon a Star are at it again with this latest anthology, Once upon a Dream. These stories revolve around the magic and dreams that draw our heroes and heroines together. At best, such as in Ruth Ryan Langan's "The Enchantment," the fantasy elements are naturally integrated into what is a fundamentally strong plot, and they help to emphasize the main romantic dilemma. At worst, the magical dreams start to feel a little bit like a Brigadoon plot device, and distract us from the characters. Even so, Once upon a Dream makes a nifty stocking stuffer, or an antidote to a slow weekend. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Wonderful collection!!!!
I had already read the Nora Roberts in another book, but the additional stories were absolutely wonderful. I am glad I bought the book. Now I want all of the Once Upon books!

A wonderful series of magical stories
This book has many enchanting stories full of romance and magic. A true joy to own

The fab four of the "Once Upon" series did it again!
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

In Dreams by Nora Roberts
Kayleen Brennan was on vacation in Ireland, exploring the countryside and hoping to find some goods for her family's antique store in the States. When out exploring, she gets caught in a bad storm. The enigmatic Flynn rescues her, and then her adventures really begin. He is cursed to spend eternity living only through his dreams, with one week every 100 years to truly live. He intends to make this week one to remember with Kayleen, hoping to convince her to be with him forever. She is drawn to him, but when she finds out his secret, will she be able to accept him for who, or what, he is?

This was another good story from a master, but has a tendency to get bogged down in details. Granted, the heroine is an antiques expert, but is it really necessary to go into so much detail about Flynn's furniture? Queen Anne this, Louis XV that, it is overdone and detracts from the story. Kayleen and Flynn make an interesting pair however, complementing each other in many ways. The story surrounding Flynn is intriguing, as to why he is condemned to the "life" he has. If one can get past the over-the-top detail in many places, this is a delightful story.

The Sorcerer's Daughter by Jill Gregory
Willow of Brinhaven's father, a powerful dream sorcerer, is imprisoned for angering the great sorceress Lisha. He is doomed to remain there for 100 years, unless Willow brings Lisha the Necklace of Nyssa, which is protected by the Trolls. He father vows to send out a dream to a protector for Willow on her quest, leading her through the Perilous Forest and Troll's Lair. But in error, the wrong person, Blaine of Kendrick, receives the dream. Blaine is known for causing trouble and his exploits with women, and he is the last person she should count on. But upon meeting, they are drawn to each other and eventually agree to go on the quest together. But the more they are together, the more Blaine wishes for a different quest, one to win the fair Willow's heart forever.

This was quite a fantasy tale, with trolls, sorcerers, and magic galore. It has a cute storyline, with details of Willow's quest, and the matching of wits between Blaine and Willow. Blaine is the typical "bad boy" of those days, and Willow is a young woman trying to overcome her position in life. The sparks between the two of them will light up the darkest of nights. There is also an interesting side story; the real reason Lisha imprisoned Willow's father.

The Enchantment by Ruth Ryan Langan
Annie Tyler is trying to make a real estate business for herself in Maine. Things are going fairly well, but she gets her break when Cordelia Sykes Carrington, one of the wealthiest women in the state, solicits Annie to sell her summer home. When Annie arrives, expecting to have the place to herself, she is surprised to find Ben Carrington, one of Cordelia's sons, show up as well. When they become trapped there together by a sudden storm, strange things begin to happen, with a lack of electricity keeping them cut off from the outside world. But even stranger is the fact that they are falling for each other. When the storm is over and things are back to normal, will they find their attraction is real, or just a dream?

This was an okay story, but probably the least favorite of this reviewer's in the collection. Too many things are far-fetched and unrealistic. Example, Isn't it rather strange that ALL the power in the house, all the phones, and their cell phones don't work, but the refrigerator works just fine? The point is made several times throughout how there was a power failure, but neither character thinks it odd that the refrigerator works when the stove doesn't. Some of these smaller details just confuse the story, distracting one from the love story between Ben and Annie.

The Bridge of Sighs by Marianne Willman
Claire is an American art appraiser, trying to overcome her recent divorce from her adventurous ex-husband, Val. She gets the chance of a lifetime when Count Ludovici of Venice, summons her from one of the oldest and richest families in the city, to inventory and appraise his extensive art collection. She can't resist the chance to return to Venice, where she was born, but left as a young child. Her ex-husband is also there, to photograph the artwork, much to Claire's dismay. Or is it? She still loves him but is convinced things will never work. When she starts having haunting dreams of a young girl, Bianca... a dream which fast becomes a nightmare, upon learning Bianca disappeared many years ago, believed to be murdered. Will Claire and Val learn to be together again, or are they truly meant to be apart? Who is the mysterious Bianca, and what happened that fateful night she disappeared?

This was probably the favorite story in the collection. Especially since this reviewer was reading it during her very own dream vacation in Venice! It was fun to be reading about the very sights being visited. The story in itself is well written, too. Claire is a bit lost; trying to find her place in her life after everything she thought she wanted falls apart. The addition of the sad story of Bianca, enhances the feel of the story, and makes Claire realize she needs to go after her own dreams if she ever wants to be truly happy.

All in all, this is a memorable collection. Each and every book in the "series" these four authors collaborate on is a delight, well worth the addition to any romance lover's library. One will want to make this addition to their "keeper" shelf!

A Delightful Anthology!
"Once Upon a Dream" is an enchanting anthology by four very talented romance authors.It's a nice, light read, and is wonderful for those days when you just need to relax!

The first story, "In Dreams" by Nora Roberts, is the best.Flynn has been sentenced to an eternity trapped in a half world of dreams, with only one week every century in which to live.Five hundred years into his sentence, when his week is just beginning, Kayleen Brennan, the dark-haired beauty who haunts his dreams, shows up at his door in the middle of a storm.Flynn brings her in and tends to her, and as the two spend time together, the ever-sensible Kayleen begins to see that there really is magic in the world.The romance these two share is both passionate and tender, and will surely warm readers' hearts.At the end of his week will Flynn trap Kayleen in his half world just to keep her with him, or does he love her enough to set her free?This is a highly original and magical tale, and I guarantee it will make you smile!

Next is "The Sorcerer's Daughter" by Jill Gregory, my second favourite story in this anthology.Willow's father, Artemus the sorcerer, has been imprisoned by the powerful sorceress Lisha.The only way to set him free is the retrieve the fabled Necklace of Nyssa and give it to Lisha, so Willow embarks on a highly dangerous journey to find the necklace.Concerned about his daughter and her journey through the "Perilous Forest", Artemus weaves a spell that is supposed to send and old friend to Willow's aid, but instead sends the infamous rogue Blaine of Kendrick, who's out to get the necklace for himself.This is a lovely, fanciful tale and it is sure to please readers.

Third is "The Enchantment" by Ruth Ryan Langan.Annie of Tyler Real Estate has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime when she is asked to sell the Carrington estate in Maine.She travels to the mysterious, deserted estate to check it out, just as Ben Carrington arrives to take one last look at his family home.With a little help from a ghostly presence, Annie and Ben get to know each other on borrowed time, and discover the enchantment of true love.This is an enjoyable and entertaining tale about taking the time for what's really important in life.

Finally is "The Bridge of Sighs" by Marianne Willman, which is the weakest story in the anthology, but is still worth reading.Claire of San Francisco's "Sterling Galleries" travels to Venice to appraise a very special art collection.In Venice, Claire runs into her ex-husband Val everywhere she goes and begins to wonder if she could fix what went wrong between them.Claire is also haunted by dreams of a troubled young woman from the past, and is determined to uncover the truth regarding her fate.This is a lovely story about righting the wrongs of the past in order to create a bright future.The plot of this story was a little weak, as were the characters, but that didn't stop me from reading and enjoying it.

Overall, "Once Upon a Dream" is a wonderful anthology filled with magic and love.Each of the four authors has created an intriguing, fanciful, and original story that will leave you satisfied and happy.So read this book today!

I think I can get used to these!
This is my first time reading an anthology of novellas. Since each story is less than 100 pages long, all my complaints are baically centered around their shortness.

There was a definate lack of character development in most of the stories, but my main complaint is the lack of growing love. The characters in Nora Robert's "In Dreams," Jill Gregory's "The Sorcerer's Daughter," and Ruth Ryan Langstan's "The Enchantment" all fall in love in less than a week. Marianne Willman's "Bridge of Sighs" involves a recently divorced couple dealing with the problems that caused the divorce, so they of course had more of a history.

One of my favorite things about romance novels is that you see the character's love grow and their personalties evolve, but this of course cannot be done in less than 100 pages. However, all the stories were delightful, and a good deversion to read separately at different times, so not to be overwhelmed by their shortness. Definatelty a fun read when you have an hour or two to just relax and lose yourself in the world of dreams. ... Read more

Product Description
Romance and magic meet by the light of the moon in this all-new all-star collection of Celtic tales from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts and New York Times bestselling authors Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne Willman. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

I liked 2 outta 4
Wolf Moon - Nora Roberts
THE STORY - This is about a young ambitious girl, Simone,who is bitten by a werewolf. She then dedicates her life to finding a cure while making her special bath and home products. While in town she runs into a man she instantly recognizes as her mate. She doesn't allow anyone close for fear of being found out, but she can't deny the instinct to be near her mate. Gabe has the same pull to her, together they work on finding a cure.
THOUGHTS - I liked this quick story. Gabe and Simone are well written and belong together. This isn't my favorite of the bunch, but it was good.

MOON WITCH - Jill Gregory
THE STORY - Princess Gwynna wakes up to find that the health and beauty of her sister has been stolen by a witch. In order to save her sister she must go to the witches evil lands, but only one man has ever made it out alive. Keir never wishes to return to those evil lands, but he is unable to allow the proud beautiful Gwynna go by herself. Together they must help eachother to keep sane and accomplish their tasks for justice.
THOUGHTS - this is my favorite book of the bunch, but as usual I get disappointed in the length of the book. I wish it was longer. All the characters are well written. The connection between Keir and Gwynna is tangible. I wish there was more of them to read, but I am now going to investigate Jill Gregories other works.

BLOOD ON THE MOON - Ruth Ryan Langan
THE STORY - In the highlands of scottland there is a rebel clan burning down other clans, abusing their women and children and killing all the men. Brave little Royce watches his brave brother die, then is stabbed himself. By a miracle he is still alive and he teaches himself to take out the rebel clan members one by one. One of the last clans still standing is run by Lady Alanna, she has taken in all the women and children that escaped the evil clan. Royce is drawn to Alanna and is unable to leave her to fend for herself, together they protect her clan.
THOUGHTS - this is my second favorite story in this book. Royce's and Alanna's bravery and cunning help save themselves and their clan. This story is fast paced and intriguing, but again too short. Their love is innocent and just made me smile.

WEST OF THE MOON - Mariane Willman
THE STORY - Phoebe has always loved Gordon, who is her cousin - that part is weird.... They were supposed to marry but 7 years ago he cancelled on her. She is now broke and going to live with Gordons father - she thinks to be a servant. Upon arriving she finds Gordon horribly scarred. He flirts with her, but keeps his distance. Phoebe is drawn to different fae workings trying to draw her into their trap. Gordon trys desperately to save her from his fate that is his personal hell. He is almost free, but if they draw her in he will lose her forever.
THOUGHTS - This book was very creative and well written. I would have liked to see more of the fae world, but in this book it is written as something bad. How can the fae be bad? =)

MoonShadows
This book was a surprise to me how entertaining it was.I have been a Nora Roberts fan for years and had never read this one before.Three out of thestories werevery good . The last typically was lacking.Overall an excellent read.

Good
Nora Roberts her books speak for themselves.I don't think I have ever came across a book of hers I did not like.

Nora Roberts "Wolf Moon" makes this worth buying...
This is a loosely connected set of paranormal stories. Nora Roberts "Wolf Moon" is ultimately the story that makes this anthology a keeper and it is the only reason that I gave this book 5 stars. The other stories were so-so and dull to the point of actually skipping pages just to get through the story.

"Wolf Moon" is the story of a female werewolf who caught the werewolf "virus" while on a vacation in Europe. Since then she has moved from town to town and has struggled to find a cure for her condition. She ultimately settles down and meets a vet who falls in love with her and wants to cure her.

I don't normally read werewolf fiction, but this story is so well written and the characters are so real that the story draws you right in. It's so good that you ultimately wish the story wouldn't end, like a good book.

I highly recommend this anthology, but only because of the Nora Roberts story. Perhaps borrowing from the library is the best bet for someone who wants to read before buying.

Not The Best
As some of the other comments go, the only story worth reading in this book was the one written by Nora Roberts.Her story was great, the others . . . not so much.I struggled to finish the other stories in the book and considered it a huge accomplishment when I was finally done reading it.As a whole the book is definitely not the best. ... Read more

Product Description
The Vaptons are an alien race of enormous lobster-like creatures whose fleet abruptly appears from an unknown—and unexpected—wormhole near Aquea (4th planet of Alpha Centauri A) only to find one of their territorial planets invaded by soft humans. Enraged into a monstrous fit of xenophobia, they indiscriminately nuke the Pacifica Colony and Moonbase then turn their deadly fleet to catch the recently departed Colonial Freighter Pulsar.

Hidden by the wash from her enormous ramjets, the vicious aliens approach the Pulsar from behind and coldly launch more nukes. Pulsar is taken completely by surprise and virtually destroyed by the cowardly attack. Thousands of innocent souls onboard the vast colonial freighter are brutally murdered in the explosions while thousands more expire from explosive decompression in the cold, bitter vacuum of outer space—but not all—there are hundreds of survivors in dire need of rescue.

Mounting a desperate defense, Captain Hansen and a handful of the crew martial Pulsar’s remaining weapons systems. One of these is the Captain’s Pinnace, a light, destroyer-escort known as: Nighthawk. Once aboard Nighthawk, the space-marines engage the murderous aliens, bravely fighting back with everything they’ve got—Pulsar’s own deadly arsenal—and the lethal battle takes some wholly unexpected turns for all!

Captain Hansen, Astrogator Toomey, Suzy Maitlyn and the remaining survivors also discover they are in a desperate race against time itself. The crippled and burning Pulsar is tumbling into an Interstellar Maser which means certain death for the hundreds who remain. Faced with a conundrum of epic proportions, and the fact that Nighthawk is simply too small to save any but a handful, and with the Pacifica Moonbase and the colony on Aquea destroyed—their very survival depends on whether they can assemble a makeshift spacecraft out of one of the Pulsar’s 10-kilometer engine pods hoping it will carry them safely away from the killer microwaves and make it back to an unknowing Earth. Time is running out!

However, the Vaptons want these vastly superior Earth technologies and, limping back to their home world, they regroup and vow to return and finish the job. Time is on their side!

The Bates Gravity Machine, so gravely needed by the Pulsar’s survivors, is held captive by a rogue and twisted virtual-entity known as Compsym Herkimer!

Worse yet, there is a vicious serial-killer onboard the still-burning remains of the Pulsar who has accidentally acquired a murderous and incredibly powerful battle-unit, known as a Mark II Dreadnought, and is hunting anyone and anything left alive with a deadly vengeance!
... Read more

Product Description
Although lumped together with Pop artists such as Roy Liechtenstein and Andy Warhol, and often the movement's spokesperson, Indiana and his paintings actually have an uneasy fit in Pop company, mostly because his work isn't grounded in the commodity-oriented (Campbell Soup) realism of most Pop Art.Instead, his work engages with literature and poetry and with the popular rhetoric of the American dream-all permeated by the particularities of his upbringing and life.Ryan's dual accomplishments are in articulating the dynamics of Indiana's art-especially the connections between the artworks and the sources of imagery and themes in his own biography-and in rendering a sophisticated and judicious roundup of the Pop Art movement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Book at a bargain
The book was in excellent condition and contains a wealth of information.Why buy a new copy!

Must Read!
Susan E. Ryan's "Robert Indiana: Figures of Speech", Yale University Press, is a significant contribution to art history.Although there have been several good monographs on Indiana, Ryan's is the very first that details and synthesizes his biography, art, and contemporary place.It reads like a mystery novel as it explains how Indiana's career stalled around 1970 even though in the sixties he was considered as seminal as Warhol and Lichtenstein.Concise, well written and provocative, Ryan's "Indiana" is a must for all those interested in contemporary art. -Herbert Lust ... Read more

Product Description
Four all-new stories of romance, passion, and magic..."Ever After" by Nora Roberts
"Catch a Falling Star" by Jill Gregory
"The Curse of Castle Clough" by Ruth Ryan Langan
"Starry, Starry Night" by Marianne WillmanAmazon.com Review
From the same authors who brought you Once upon a Castle comes Once upon a Star, a welcome addition to romance anthologies. Not only are the four tales extraordinary (linked together with the common thread of magic), each contains an element of enchantment. In Nora Roberts's "Ever After," the gift of an ancient pendant belonging to a fairy changes two lives forever. Jill Gregory's "Catch a Falling Star" finds a princess forced into a political marriage with a wife-murdering barbarian, while Ruth Ryan Langan's "The Curse of Castle Clough" offers a ghost who helps save a castle from the auction block and its owner from a life without love. Finally, a burned-out American tourist travels back in time to be rescued by--and to rescue--a handsome sailing captain in "Starry, Starry Night" by Marianne Willman. Sit back, put your feet up, and travel to distant times and places with four of romantic fiction's best authors. --Alison Trinkle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

I only liked one story in here...
And that's why I bought it. "Catch a Falling Star" is by far the best one and that's why I purchased the book in the first place. I didn't really like all the other three stories. The only con about "Catch a Falling Star" is that it's TOO short. That means I want more, MorE, MORE!!! But kinda figures since I knew it was an anthology and all the stories are bound to be short. Dang it!

I'm a sucker for stories like how everyone thinks of this guy as an "ass" but he's not really how everyone perceives him...kinda like Mr. Darcy;-P Sure proves how wrong everyone is and how the guy is sooooo sweet...(sigh)

Jill Gregory's Story was the best...
*** NORA ROBERTS-EVER AFTER-I assumed her story would top the others but I found it rather bland.I must give this author her due, however; she has an uncanny ability to give depthful insight into the careers of her heroines, whether it's a chef, an artist, a dancer, or in this case, a homemaker, Allena's true calling.Conal was okay, but this guy was supposed to be a famous painter yet very little was said about it; one line only, I think.Allena was a wonderful girl with a sparkling personality, the only saving grace to this story.

***** JILL GREGORY-CATCH A FALLING STAR-The best of the lot, I was hooked from the first sentence.Ambrose was a true hero, vulnerable yet strong, and extraordinarily handsome to boot.Princess Lianna was quite the heroine, she would have done anything to prove her love to Ambrose.I truly didn't want this one to end.

****RUTH RYAN LANGAN-THE CURSE OF CASTLE CLOUGH-I liked the premise of this story; Estelle goes to Scotland and gets to live in a castle surrounded by fabulous, historic antiques, and is rewarded with a magnetic hero, a handsome lord named Rob Cameron.But...as adorable as Jamie was, the heart and depth of this story came at his expense; his existence was sad.

****MARIANNE WILLMAN-STARRY, STARRY, NIGHT-This was a really good story; Rees was moody, but I didn't find him offensive in the least.Lily was great, half the time she didn't know if she was losing her mind, though!There was no great mystery here and the love scenes are definitely more detailed compared to the other 3 stories.

I loved this book!
I am a huge Nora Roberts Fan! Plus I love the fantasy -romance novels.This book, by 4 fantastic authors, offers 4 great love stories each with an extra twist.I liked the idea of four shorter stories because then I was able to get in my reading "fix" during my limited free time.

Wonderful collection of stories
I had already read the Nora Roberts Spellbound in another book, but the additional stories were absolutely wonderful. I am glad I bought the book. Now I want all of the Once Upon books!

A Truly Wonderful Anthology!
"Once Upon a Star" is a delightful anthology filled with four fantastic tales of magic and true love.Every story is well-written and utterly enthralling, making it nearly impossible for me to pick a favourite.Each of these four talented authors shines in the original and intriguing stories they have created.

"Ever After" by Nora Roberts tells the story of Allena Kennedy, who just can't find her place in the world.While in Ireland helping her stepsister Margaret run her tour company, Allena buys a beautiful star pendant.The next thing Allena knows, she has missed the ferry she was supposed to be taking, but then finds a boy with a boat to take her where she needs to go.But Allena ends up on Dolman Island, miles from where she should be, in the midst of a wild storm.
Reclusive Conal O'Neil finds Allena out in the storm and reluctantly brings her back to his home.Though at first he is rude and standoffish, Conal can't resist Allena's charms, as she makes his house feel like a home for the first time in years.But Conal knows from the star pendant around Allena's neck that she is the woman the fates have chosen for him.Determined to make his own destiny, and not allow his life to be dictated by fate, Conal tries to push Allena away, and may just be throwing away his one chance at happiness and true love!
Being a Nora Roberts story, "Ever After" is undeniably a fabulous read.

"Catch A Falling Star" by Jill Gregory is a wonderful historical romance with just a dash of magic thrown in.Princess Lianna of Penmarren has promised to marry Ambrose the Barbarian to keep peace in her father's land.But Lianna is terrified by the prospect, as Ambrose is a ruthless warrior who supposedly murdered his first wife.The day before the wedding is planned, Ambrose arrives in the middle of the night demanding Lianna marry him at once and return to his home at Crow's Keep.Ambrose's homeland of Blackenstar is once again under attack, and he must go at once to defend it.So Lianna marries Ambrose, counting on her father's promise that a great army will come to rescue her soon.
But as Lianna gets to know Ambrose, she finds he is not the heartless monster she has heard about.Lianna discovers the real Ambrose, a fair and compassionate man who his people regard with affection and respect, forced to defend his lands against a never-ending onslaught of invaders.Lianna finds incredible passion and tenderness in Ambrose's arms, and falls deeply in love with him.But soon the day Lianna has dreaded comes, when she learns the attack on Crow's Keep is imminent.Will Lianna find a way to save Ambrose's home?And will Ambrose believe that Lianna truly loves him, or will he be too shattered by her apparent betrayal to see the love she feels in her heart?
This was an excellent tale, that had me really caring about Ambrose and Lianna, and praying for a happy ending.

"The Curse of Castle Clough" by Ruth Ryan Langan tells the story of Lord Robert Cameron.Rob's heartless and incredibly wealthy ex-brother-in-law, Griffin Mackenzie, lent his late father fifteen million pounds for his many debts.Knowing Rob will never be able to come up with that much money, Griffin gives him one month before Castle Clough becomes his.Desperate to keep his beloved home from Griffin, Rob hires a highly regarded auction house in the U.S. to sell his precious family heirlooms in hopes of raising the money that way.
When Professor Estelle Sinclair arrives, she is in awe of Castle Clough's beautiful antiques.But when she finds out about Rob's plight from a helpful spirit, she joins him in his fight, and falls head over heels in love.As Estelle and Rob search for a way to save Castle Clough, they get a glimmer of hope from their spirit helper, the ghost of a young boy named Jamie.If Jamie can just lead them to the "Star of Scotland", a priceless diamond lost hundreds of years ago; their problems would be solved.But does the Star of Scotland really exist?And if so, will they be able to find it before Castle Clough is lost to the Cameron family forever?
This was a heart-warming tale containing a truly lovely romance and just the right dose of fantasy.I loved everything about it!

"Starry, Starry Night" by Marianne Willman is an excellent tale that rounds out the book perfectly.Lily Kendall is on a much-needed vacation in St. Dunstan's village in Cornwall.When she takes a nighttime walk along the beach, she gets caught by the rising tide, and narrowly escapes a watery grave because of a star-shaped window and the help of a handsome and mysterious man.The man, Rees Tregarrick, takes Lily home, leaves her with his housekeeper then rudely disappears.But when Lily awakes the next morning, she is no longer in Rees' home, but instead in a museum where Rees Tregarrick lived over a hundred years ago.Confused and off-balance, Lily is convinced it was all a dream.
Several more encounters with Rees, however, convince Lily that she has somehow found a doorway into the past.But Lily has fallen deeply in love with Rees, and wants to spend her life with him.Are Rees and Lily destined to spend separate, lonely lives yearning for what can never be?Or is their love strong enough to overcome time itself?
This is beautifully written and captivating tale that left me sighing over the magic of true love.

"Once Upon a Star" is a superior romance anthology that doesn't contain even one poor story.I loved all the tales in this book, and I highly recommend it.This is a terrific read and one you definitely don't want to miss! ... Read more

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Triumph over tough equations and get top scores on the SAT Math section!

If you're struggling with SAT math, you can rest easy-the new edition of McGraw-Hill's Conquering SAT Math is here. Written by expert math instructors, this updated guide is packed with drills, exercises, and sample questions, as well as full coverage of SAT multiple-choice and constructed-response math problems.

Customer Reviews (2)

This is an exceptional study guide
I got this book to help me prepare for the SAT math section and i think it is very good except the fact that the problems on there are so hard, i felt like this book was more of a challenge than the actualy SAT math. I think what they did was get the hardest concepts and problems and combined it together to make a study guide so you can practice ways to solve it when you encounter a similar situation on the actual test. The explanations are handy so if you miss a quesiton, you know HOW to do it right. I didn't use this book alone to help me study since i used at least 3 other books but i would recommend this to some who are looking for challenge. Personally, i like Barron's but that's just my opinion. I found the format of this book to be a bit tedious and boring.

Good SAT Math study material
It is a good resource in preparing the new SAT test. It provides detail solutions for math problems. I use this book for my SAT Math tutoring class. The basic responses from my students are quite good. Overall, it is a good study material. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

outstanding on Jung and Shamanism
This is a lost masterpiece I wish more people knew about.I am a Jungian therapist and mythologian graduate student.This is one of my favorite books in the Jungian canon.The prose is stellar and popping, and provides a remarkable articulation of archetypes and Jungian psychology.It can serve as an introduction to Jung or to Shamanism, and provides links between these esoteric fields that few attempt and even fewer master.Excellent.

Disappointed in the price
I guess my timinng was wrong and I hooked up with the wrong boodseller because the price I paid was 2 and 1/2 times what the suggestedretail was and shortly thereafter I saw prices on used that were a fraction of what I paid. ... Read more

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In 1938, Ulrike Walter, a beautiful young German musician, is engaged to be married to Erich Hinkel, a member of the Hitler Youth. But when she meets Inspector Cameron Ross, a Scotland Yard policeman, whose father is a colonel in British Intelligence, her life will be changed for ever. When war is declared, Ulrike flees Germany for the safety of England but is instead cruelly imprisoned as an enemy alien. Her only hope of rescue is Cameron, who, despite his better judgement, is falling in love with her. Then Erich is captured by the British and incarcerated in a prisoner of war camp in England. He faces interrogation by Cameron Ross, the one man who stands between him and Ulrike, the woman who means more to Erich than life itself... ... Read more

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More Robert Ryan at his best!
Ryan is an extremely gifted story-teller, mixing actual events with an engrossing novel.Foundit to be a most entertaining tale.

War Time Hearts and Horrors
Robert Ryan's historical novel Night Crossing is an intriguing blend of literary ingredients consisting of murder, World War II history, action adventure, family drama, and romance. This marvelous mix of stirring together everything a reader could want in a story, offers an engaging and interesting war-torn tale of events that are shocking, frightening and sad.Yet, Ryan pulls on the readers heart strings and serves up a healthy dose of love, hope, and determination against odds that seem unlikely to overcome. The blurb on the cover misleadingly promotes this book as more of a historical romance but I found that this is primarily an espionage filled spy novel, toting a
love-interest in the background.

Although this is a German holocaust story, the author showed great talent in describing horrific events by just touching on them lightly in the background so that the reader is aware what is happening and what abominable acts occurred, without being so graphically described that you get put off not wanting to read it. This I found appealing because a lot of WWII holocaust stories are very difficult to read, often so disturbing, not allowing people to fully learn and grasp what happened during those years of struggle and bloodshed. I was enthralled with the sections of adventure and terror beneath the seas in the German U-boats and learned a lot of what it was like for those brave men living in claustrophobic, damp and odorous conditions that often turned out to be their tombs.

Our entwined characters are a Scotland Yard British spy named Inspector Cameron Ross who starts out investigating a murder in Berlin; a young and beautiful German violinist named Ulrike Walter who inflicts tragedy upon herself in order to remove herself from her father's overbearing protection; Erich Hinkel her Hitler Youth soldier-boy fiance who early in the story departs for the war- cause as a U-Boat code cipher; and Alex Schuller a Berlin street cop who has high aspirations of climbing the ranks within Hitler's reign.

The novel switchbacks from character to character as each of them experience the horrors of war in their own way, each finding hardship and pain, yet each having the perseverance to survive brought on by either the love of one woman, or by the lust for power.

With mysterious coded messages traveling from Berlin to London, exciting adventures in an underwater submarine, first hand experiences of the London Blitz, a love-triangle between two men and one woman scattered across the Atlantic, and a background entity of classical musicians of the time, I cant help but say that this is a marvelous page turner that not only helped me get a clearer picture of World War II Europe and what these hardened people endured, but gave me a few nights of a truly enjoyable yarn well spun. This was the first book by this author I have read, leaving me to eagerly pick up his others. ... Read more

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In 1964, a young Australian girl, Linda Carr, is trying to track down the wreckage of the Liberator bomber in which her father died when it crashed in North Italy in 1944 during World War Two. She employs the help of Jack Kirby, a British Mosquito fighter pilot who was on operations in the area when her father died. He is now a motorcycle racer competing in the Isle of Man TT, but he is finding it hard to adjust to life during peacetime. He too was shot down during the war and spent some time helping the Italian partisans on the ground so he knows a great deal about Nazi brutality, betrayal, corruption and the settling of scores that was the partisan's life in Italy at the time. He also fell in love with Francesca, one of the partisan leaders, and he is keen to find out what happened to her and renew their affair. However, what they uncover is more dangerous and complex than either Linda or Jack could ever have imagined. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Angreat idea but just never quite gelled for me
This book started off so well. It begins with a letter from a father to his daughter during the war, and then there is an amazing scene talking about a body which has been hidden in an isolated part of the Alps. Concealed for years and for some unexplained reason - the unfortunately the whole thing really fell apart for me.

The daughter is now grown up and wants to find out what happened to her father, he was a fighter pilot and disappeared during a mission over Italy. She wants to know what he did and where he is now although she has no illusions about whether he is still alive.

The story does follow twists and turns but I found the romance elements in it confusingly unnecessary, it was like they were there by rote and in the end I have to say that I just didn't really care that greatly what happened. Maybe the genre of a World War 2 novel cutting back and forth to the 1960s just wasnt interesting enough.

There is a nice acknowledgement in the back in which Ryan talks about his inspiration for this book and so on which actually made a better story to me than the book itself.

I don't think this book is generally reflective of Ryan's calibre as an author. ... Read more

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For gamblers and fun-seekers, Atlantic City is a place to chase your dreams. But for taxi driver Ed Behr, it's where his personal nightmare is all too real. He is haunted by violent flashbacks to his time in prison and sustained only by his obsession with finding Honey, the girl who promised him everything. Then he recognises one of the old gang from the days before the bad things happened that got them all sent down. Except for Billy Moon, that is, who went on to bigger and better things while they were left to rot. And now Ed has a plan that's going to reunite the gang, make enough dough, and sort out Billy Moon once and for all. Maybe even get Honey back too. That's if he doesn't get them all killed first... ... Read more