RIGHTEOUS LIES begins well. Grace Templeton is called for an unexpected meeting at her fertility treatment center. Rancher Jack Hansen, his twin brother and the brother's wife are there as well. These are high-stakes pregnancies. Grace's child was conceived using her late husband's sperm. Jack Hansen has donated his sperm to his brother, who became sterile due to cancer treatments. The brother's young son has a rare disease and needs a stem cell transplant from the closest possible match. You can probably guess the twist--there's been a mix-up. On one hand, Patricia Watters takes this potential soap opera and makes something interesting of it. Her characters are complicated and given strong back stories. The emotional tension is realistic. For example, Grace has no problem loving the child she's carrying, even though it isn't the one she expected. Jack's sister-in-law isn't as fortunate. She develops serious psychological issues that cause Grace to worry for the safety of her late husband's son. It's here that Watters begins to turn her romance novel into a clumsy "family values" platform. It isn't enough that the sister-in-law has a bad reaction to carrying a stranger's baby. Watters reveals that she's actually a shallow, unstable flake. Why? Because she didn't initially want children and expected her husband to deliver on his promise to help her open a fitness center. In Watters's world career girls and owners of fitness centers are promiscuous Jezebels. Further, neither the diabolic sister-in-law nor another pivotal character (can't share specifics due to spoilers) breastfed. In this novel, not breastfeeding is akin to child endangerment and a possible precursor to infanticide. Watters "message" takes over the book to the point that Grace, who begins as fun, empathetic and engaging, is slowly transformed into a self-righteous shrew. She loses all of her gentleness, all of her compassion. Grace has two goals: save her late husband's son from the crazy and selfish glamour girl and show Jack that she's the domestic goddess who can heal the wounds left by his tragic past. What bothers me about Watters's approach is that it sinks a perfectly entertaining romance novel. Her setting is well crafted. Her dialog--when she lets her characters speak for themselves--is snappy and moves the narrative forward. This is why I gave the book three stars when I'd rather have given only two. I'm not saying that fiction can't represent an author's personal viewpoint. Nor do I believe fiction can't be a vehicle for education. Novels can change the world...but not when employed as a sledgehammer. I've read novels categorized as family values, clean, religious or Christian and had wonderful experiences. It's all in the telling. The stronger the message, the softer the touch. RIGHTEOUS LIES isn't a bad book, but I don't plan on reading the rest of the series. Grace's husband died & She got his frozen sperm placed inside her so she could have his baby and always have a piece of him. Then she gets this call and she meets Jack & his brother Sam and his wife Susan. They find out Susan got Grace's dead husband sperm and she got Susan's brother in law Jack's sperm. Things go a little nutty from their Susan goes into full panic she doesn't wanna have a dead man's baby, She only did it to help her dying son Ricky. Grace is in full shock she can't believe she was having Jack's baby, a guy she didn't even know. More so beyond mad that Susan was having her dead husband's child. That day something bad happens and Grace almost goes into full labor, safetly they stopped her labor. But she has to be on bedrest and so she has no one she really wants knowing what's going on now. Jack takes her to his house.. Read this book to see how Jack and Grace cope with getting ready to have a child together. I couldn't put this book down til I was done, Really great book. I really felt like I was going through this as I was reading it.
What do You think about Righteous Lies (2011)?
An interesting premise with some supporting characters that are very easy to hate.
—Nela93
