SULLIVAN BARNETT: LOST SOUL
Sullivan’s Miracle by Lindsay Longford (
STATS:
At the beginning of the book, Sullivan Barnett is a reporter in love with a woman who is sick of body and sick of heart, resigned to the fact that she won’t be able to stay with him and regretting that a part of her had always been too afraid to trust their love. Her refusal to lean on him makes him furious and grief-stricken—as he says to her “When you turn away…I don’t exist anymore….It’s never been like this for me. I never knew I could be so lonely until you came into my life. When you’re not with me…there’s nothing.” But Mary Elizabeth (“Lizzie”) asks something terrible of the man who loves her—to leave her—because she thinks it’s what is best for them. Sullivan refuses, telling her he’ll settle for the time they have left. When he has to leave for work, he’s sure he can convince her to let him stay, but he never gets the chance.
THE
Shaggy hair, angular face, cantankerous reporter too thin for his height, “unnerving emptiness in his blue eyes.”
LEADING LADY:
As different from his “Lizzie” as two women can be, cop Maggie Webster pushes Sullivan over the edge. He fights his attraction to her but it’s too strong to ignore for long. When he realizes that Maggie might be Lizzie reincarnated, he must struggle with his conscience—does he want her simply because of who she was, or who she is? And what will he do when she’s shot and would rather stay in a coma than come back to a man who wants a woman she can never be?
BOTTOM
This is a super-charged emotional book that is beautifully written and with characters that come alive. Sullivan is the classic lost soul, a tortured hero who Longford expertly manages to make likable and redeemable. To tell you how good it is, I tore my library apart when I couldn’t find my copy and immediately went online to buy another one.
QUESTION OF THE
June 10th, 2008
Virna 
in
Hero Files, Lost Souls, Virna's Heroes |
Everyone loves a good hero, but what do readers, agents, editors, and writers love most? Join us as we delve under the covers and find out!
June 10th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
When I was a little girl, my Daddy called me “Trottin’ Sally” because I couldn’t run. After his death when I was 15, my family called me that to cheer me up. My brother still calls me that occasionally. It always brings back memories of my Dad. My husband always called me “Honey” or “Hun”. To this day no one is allowed to call me either. After his death, the thought of anyone calling me that made me ill. But I guess my secret thrill is when someone calls me their “best friend” That is truly special.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Fannie–I think most people forget the power of a few simple words. How a casual endearment can make us feel valued and happy so long as it is accompanied by genuine emotion. “Best friend’ is probably a term used so frequently it has lost some of its umph (”BFF” for example) but it can be a lifesaver! Thanks for sharing your “secrets!”
June 11th, 2008 at 10:19 am
My BFF, is a gal, I worked with for over twenty years. I call her ‘girlfriend,’ and she calls me Lopez. We rarely use each other’s actual given name. This is such a part of our friendship, that when we both we’re still working those who knew us, would reference the names too. Our families don’t even know what our first names are, and when it comes up they’re completely confused as to who we’re talking about.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Lee, this is the BFF that is more than just a fun label, but a rock to lean on. Good for you!
June 12th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
I assume you are automatically excluding chocolate from the list of secret pleasures, right?!
Secret pet names that no one knows but my husband and me. =)) Enough said.