Simple Gifts: Just Curious / Miracles / Change Of Heart / Double Exposure (2001) - Plot & Excerpts
Well I have only read two short stories from this pack:Miracles and Double Exposure.This will be my "Miracles" review. I had not really liked the character of Nick much cause of all his "cherry" crap, and also because i liked Clayton Westmoreland more, but I was still curious to read his story. But now that I have read it, I don't feel very linked to his character at all. I mean, I knew more about this guy from "Whitney, my love" and "until you". The characters have not been explored deeply or let me put it simply; not explored at all. I don't know why Judith McNaught even bothered with writing this novelette about Nick when she clearly was too busy to do justice to the characters. The female lead role which I vaguely remember from "Until you" popped up into a full fledged girl in the novelette only because of her link with her grand mother. That is all McNaught was able to share about her. There is no sign of romance on any level and yet in the end, every thing falls into a perfect shape in a single page. I found that very infuriating that when the novel was supposed to begin, it abruptly ended, leaving me dumbstruck. It shocked me that, that was that with the novel. But I forget it was not a novel but a novelette. But Nick I think deserved more, the poor guy. I actually feel sorry for him. after being dumped by Whitney and rolled around for two whole novels he ended up with only fifty three pages to his credit.
I do not like Anthologies. I do not like them at all. I very much enjoy being absorbed in a book and one book with four short stories just does not cut it. Miracles - Judith McNaughtI got this book (from the library thank God) because I was dying to ready about Julianna bSkeffington and Nicholas (Nicki) DuVille. I have loved Nicki since he was first introduced in Whitney, My Love. As far as I am concerned he was robbed of his own book. It makes me miserable even more after reading "Miracles" because the story that Judith McNaught wrote was a great idea and I would have loved to have read it not so damn rushed. There could have been so much more content. I just feel ripped off.Double Exposure - Judith McNaughtOkay so this was the second reason for wanting to read this book. I wanted to read how Spencer Addison and Corey Foster got married. I was actually satisfied with the length of this story. I wasn't as invested with Corey and Spence. It was a nice story. Just Curious & Change of Heart- Jude DeverauxThis was my first exposure to Jude Deveraux and she is a pretty good writer too. Once again, I just thougth the stories were way to quick. Much to fast and I wasn't invested or involved enough with the characters. They just fell into love way to quick for me to enjoy. It didn't deter me from perhaps looking into reading anything else by the author so that is good.
What do You think about Simple Gifts: Just Curious / Miracles / Change Of Heart / Double Exposure (2001)?
Just Curious was the best of the lot. I really liked the feisty personality of Kate. But I would have liked a little bit more explanation as to why does he actually falls for her than the reason given. I mean life is not a joke, after all.Miracles was more of a historical romance than contemporary romance and well, as with all the other stories in this book, it felt rushed at the end. And the starting scenario is built up rather draggingly slow. It was an okay read.Change of Heart is not believable for the sole inclusion of a "12" years old boy as the matchmaker. The story was dull and the falling in love phase sounded too meaningless to take seriously.Double Exposure was too strange 'cause there has been given no clue as to why and when does Spencer actually falls for Corey. The characters are taken from Judith McNaught's Remember When and I was excited to read it. Apart from that, the wedding thing was kinda hilarious and totally unbelievable.
—Sana
I read Miracles and Double Exposure only and boy am I pissed. I was in love with Nicholas in Whitney, My love and Until You. I was upset when I found out his story was a short since he had all the qualities of a hero who deserved his own book but I trusted Judith McNaught and read it anyway. You just crushed my trust into dust Judith. 53 pages only and all that crap about her grandmother. There are short stories only ten pages that tell you more about a character that you did in this story. And it breaks my heart! Because Nicholas had SO MUCH potential. Julianna was perfect for Nicki. and they could have had a better story.My disappointment is just out of control. This story was rushed and the dialogues were meh.
—Amna C
WARNING: If you already have A Holiday of Love and A Gift of Love, you have these novellas.A slight rant - this was a reprint of 4 short stories that had been previously featured in the 1996 and 1997 anthologies listed above. The publishers probably made a mint in 1998 from people who thought that they were getting NEW Deveraux and McNaught stories, when all of these had appeared in anthologies just the last two years before. Very misleading and underhanded - I was confused and I worked in a bookstore at the time!
—Bree
