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| What the Reviewers are Saying about Always and Forever
"Craig's characters tugged at my heart. They walked out of the past and sat down beside me as I read." Jodi Thomas, New York Times Bestselling Author.
"Ms. Craig has a wonderful sense of storytelling . . .[ I ] found it to be a fascinating story with intrigue and subtle nuances I would expect to see from a more seasoned writer." Robyn Roberts, Once Upon A Romance. "Readers are sure to enjoy this one!" Marilyn Heyman, Romance Reviews Today. Romance Readers at Heart "Gretchen Craig’s debut novel, ALWAYS AND FOREVER, receives a standing ovation from me! I absolutely loved it. It’s a novel rich in compelling characters, beautifully described landscapes and enough drama to keep you reading until the end. " ALWAYS AND FOREVER tells the unforgettable story of Josie and Cleo. Josie is the plantation owner’s daughter, and Cleo is her slave. However, as Josie finds out later, Cleo is really her sister and the life that she has known is going to take a very tragic turn. Despite the hardship and losses in Josie’s life, Cleo also has obstacles to overcome, as well. In the end, it’s the bond of family that helps them to survive. Miss Craig pulls you into the lives of Josie and Cleo and the people all around them. She writes each character with great detail until you feel like you know them personally. I felt like crying with Cleo when the flood hit, and giddy when Josie was falling in love. There’s nothing better than having an author transport you to another place and time. That time would be 1830’s Louisiana. For Josie and Cleo, it was a time of growing up and trying to survive whatever life threw at them. Neither of them could ever imagine that it would be the love of one man that would turn their lives upside down. I would definitely recommend reading Gretchen Craig’s ALWAYS AND FOREVER. I was happy to discover that Miss Craig has a sequel to this book in the works. I’ll be anxiously waiting for it! Julie Kornhausl awarded ALWAYS AND FOREVER the BLINKING ROSE Freshfiction.com A must read epic saga of New Orleans life circa 1800's reminiscent of Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. “Categorizing this book as Historical Romance greatly minimizes its impact. This is a story that is reminiscent of the great epic novels of early writers such as Mitchell and Steinbeck. . . . At times this story is quite realistically raw but never disappointing.” Review by Sandra Wurman Historical Novels Review: AN EDITOR’S CHOICE "Behind this novel’s nondescript title and cover art lies one of the most entertaining historical novels I’ve read in a while. The powerful opening scene captured me immediately. On a Creole plantation in 1823 Louisiana, five-year-old Josie’s father, Emile Tassin, uses his wife’s pearls to buy back his dark-sinned mistress and their daughter from slavers. To protect young Cleo from his jealous wife from that point forward, Emile makes Josie promise to take good care of her half-sister. Over the next 15 years, Josie tries to keep her vow, but she’s not always successful." "Josie and Cleo grow up together, mistress and slave, although Josie remains ignorant of their blood connection. Adolescence, personal tragedies, and financial crises etch new lines into their personalities. Characters always carry the heart of a saga, and I became fully involved with the lives of Josie, Cleo, and their families. Despite the closed little world she inhabits, Josie remains a good person, and as she matures, she adjusts her relationships with everyone around her. These include her sharp-eyed Grand-mere, Emmeline, who struggles to teach Josie how to run a plantation; handsome Phanor, whose poor Cajun heritage makes him an unacceptable suitor; and her elegant second cousin, Bertrand, whose sensuality attracts her, but whose roving eye follows Cleo." " Though labeled as a romance, this is really a family saga in the grand old style, told by a master storyteller. The setting is vividly described, from the sugar cane crops and wild honeysuckle on the Tassins’ plantation to the nightclubs, velvet evening gowns, and deadly yellow fever in antebellum New Orleans. Racial issues, always at the forefront, are handled realistically and perceptively. I can’t say how much I enjoyed visiting with Craig’s fascinating and believable characters; while I was reading, the hours flew by. Highly recommended. " Review by Sarah Johnson |
-"Ms. Craig's tale of age-old
values and true love hoping to conquer all will captivate the audience." Maria
of The Mystic Castle.