BITTERSWEET RAIN

Virile son and his young stepmother struggle with a blazing mutual passion under the nose of the disagreeable old father/husband. This plot line has long inspired great writers, including Racine and O’Neill. It now forms the plot line of BITTERSWEET RAIN, a melodramatic romance novel by a leading practitioner of the genre. The author pushes all the usual buttons despite her numerous intelligent solecisms. Joyce Bean narrates in kind. She has the perfect blend of personality and style for this material--safely middle class, adult but not overripe, with just enough intelligence and technique, and no depth whatsoever. Y.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]