Billie Coleman Kingsley, beloved matriarch of the clan and founder of a fabulously successful fashion empire, is dying. As her family gathers together in this time of sorrow, the indomitable Billie offers new hope to heal the rifts that separate them. Even as her own strength fails, Billie instills courage, fortitude, and her conviction that life goes on after tragedy. From the seductive waters of Hawaii to the rustic splendor of Vermont, from the family's sprawling Texas ranch, Sunbridge, to the exotic beauty and high-tech ...
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Billie Coleman Kingsley, beloved matriarch of the clan and founder of a fabulously successful fashion empire, is dying. As her family gathers together in this time of sorrow, the indomitable Billie offers new hope to heal the rifts that separate them. Even as her own strength fails, Billie instills courage, fortitude, and her conviction that life goes on after tragedy. From the seductive waters of Hawaii to the rustic splendor of Vermont, from the family's sprawling Texas ranch, Sunbridge, to the exotic beauty and high-tech glamour of Japan, the Colemans have been driven apart by the passions and betrayals of a new generation. But now, as they deal with the shattering news of Billie's illness, all the Colemans must transform their lives. "A sequel without equal...A stunning and emotional conclusion to the story of a family that readers have come to care for and love." - Los Angeles Daily News
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This was the final chapter to the Texas Rich series by Fern Michaels. I waited anxiously for it, but ended up being disappointed.
The premise was good, but the story was rushed, and many important elements, which would have made it a great read, were left out. For example, too much focus was given to Susan and her hatred for her dying mother (something which seemed to come out of thin air and was never mentioned in the series before), while Sawyer, Bille's devoted granddaughter and a beloved character from the previous novels, was given almost no focus on her point of view toward Billie's death.
Some of the characters I loved in past books I ended up hating. Namely Thad, whose 'devotion' to Billie in her dying days came off as him just being a total jerk, by keeping her children and grandchildren away from her (the family dynamic is one of the best parts of the story! Why cut it out by having almost no interaction between the family members?) Also, Susan was barely a focus in any of the previous novels, and the little we saw of her was enough to make her likeable, yet in the finale Fern Michaels went out of her way to make her into a detestable nutcase.
I also felt too much time and focus was given to Valentine Mitchell, a non-family member who was a blip on the radar in the other stories. She becomes the 'other woman' in Rand and Maggie's marriage when she has a one night stand with trying to redeem her character. What for? There was never any emotional attachment or investment in her. After the homewrecking was over, she could have been left out of the rest of the book, and I wouldn't have missed her a bit!
By the end of the book, I was ready for the story to be over! A sorry ending to a great series!
foxfiredmk
Jul 16, 2009
Good name
Book is a wonderful finale to the Texas series. Have given it to many friends to read the series and they all agree it is wonderful.
