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Private Lives
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Plot Summary of Private Lives
"

Mira, Apr2003, 6.50, 448 pp.
ISBN: 1551666790

In Houston, Jesse and her mother Gina D'Angelo live with Newberry Award winner Elizabeth Walker. Though opposites, Gina and Elizabeth have been friends since they met as foster children two decades ago. The D'Angelos moved in with Elizabeth following the kid's father Austin Leggett throwing both of them out of his home. Gina has since asked for child support, but Austin refuses to pay and counter files for custody. Though he hates this case, attorney Ryan Paxton represents Austin because his client's father, a senior partner in their firm, asked him.

Ryan implies that Gina and Elizabeth might be gay and rips both in other ways when they testify. Still, the judge rules joint custody. Austin persuades Angela to accompany him to discuss the finding, but she refuses to give away what their daughter needs. He bruises her. They meet again, but Gina ends up comatose after a car accident. Ryan believes that Austin caused the accident and helps Elizabeth because the shocked Jesse is the most important person in this fiasco. Soon Ryan and Elizabeth fall in love, but both know Jesse comes first.

Austin shows no redeeming quality and his behavior after Gina is comatose seems out of character. However, PRIVATE LIVES hooks the audience because of the rest of the extended cast. The story line is fast paced, but contains delightful sidebars that make the lead couple seems so real as both want what's best for Jesse. Fans of romantic suspense will encourage Karen Young to reveal the PRIVATE LIVES of Elizabeth's two sisters who make strong appearances in this terrific work of romantic suspense.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Private Lives
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - Present (2000-2010)
Action/suspense subplot? Yes
Action: - chased by/chasing kidnapper/killer
Lovers are competitors Yes
competing in - business arena

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - lawyer creature
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - writer
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Texas

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related? - 60%
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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