Touching Stars

By Emilie Richards

Touching Stars

Emilie Richards

Gayle Fortman has built a good life for herself and her three sons. Divorced from charismatic broadcast journalist Eric Fortman, Gayle has made a success of Daughter of the Stars, a popular bed–and–breakfast.

Then, on the eve of the eldest son Jared's graduation, Eric returns, but not for the celebration. He nearly lost his life in Afghanistan and needs a place to recover. Gayle realises this might be the last chance for her sons to establish a real bond with their father, and offers him a summer at the inn and a chance to put things right. But can the pieces of their broken lives be mended, or are they better laid to rest?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Sep 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781742912318

Emilie Richards

USA TODAY bestselling author Emilie Richards has written more than seventy novels. She has appeared on national television and been quoted in Reader’s Digest, right between Oprah and Thomas Jefferson. Born in Bethesda, Maryland, and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Richards has been married for more than forty years to her college sweetheart. She splits her time between Florida and Western New York, where she is currently plotting her next novel.

Reviews for Touching Stars

[anneofia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

According to a short biographical sketch on the inside back cover of the paperback I was reading, Emilie Richards' novels feature "complex characterization and in-depth explorations of social issues, a result of her training and experience as a family counselor." This is very evident in this novel, which has good characterizations and a thoughtful, if unusual plot. In her story, Richards describes a family who has been broken by divorce for a dozen years. After the ex-husband almost loses his life, he is invited back to the family's home to rest, recuperate and get to know his sons, of whom he has seen very little over the past years. The novel focuses on their summer together, not leaving much doubt in the reader's mind as to what will happen in the end. The story is well-told and realistic I suppose, but nevertheless a sad commentary on what divorce can do to our families in this day and age. I would personally wish it had ended differently.

[ruthjoec · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this third book in the series. A woman who has been divorced for years allows her ex to recover from a serious injury in her home/bed & breakfast. Her sons are getting older and need to renew thier relationship with their dad. A middle-aged woman takes stock of her life and decides how she wants to spend the rest of it.