#34 MENDING FENCES by Sherryl Woods

Date Began and Finished 5/27- 6/02 2008
Genre - Women's Fiction
Year It Was Published - 2008
Publisher - Mira
Number of Pages 387
Mass market Paperback
Reason for reading: Review for Curled Up
Rating 4/5 stars

Blurb or Synopsis: Two families lived next door to each other for 10 years. Emily Dobbs and Marcie Carter were what they thought best friends, with their children nearly the same ages. While their husbands didn't' get along as wonderfully as the two women, the two families would often socialize with each other. Their lives were almost intertwined.

The book opens with a young shy college student comes forward and accuses a popular super star college athlete of raping her during a date. What shocks those who hear about it is that the accused is none other than Evan Carter, Marcie's oldest child. He is known to all as a very polite, popular, and just all around good guy. But is there another side to him?

The accusation is one thing. But what Emily notices is that this news has affected her daughter Dani. Emily knew that Dani had always had a crush on the older boy, but couldn't understand why she was as upset as she was. Dani was behaving in a radically different manner, and it didn't make sense. Also, Dani's close friendship with Marcie's daughter Caitlyn was falling apart. The only one who seemed to be affected very little was Emily's son Josh. While josh and Evan used to be the best of friends as children, the two drifted as they were older, and Emily never questioned it.

The alleged rape is what starts the breakup of a long close friendship. But the book not only covers this incident, but actually goes back in time and starts at the beginning, when the two families first meet, as their families grow, through Emily's divorce and Marcie's difficult marriage. While I felt there could have been some editing (her books seem to be a tad too long), I did enjoy this book over SEAVIEW INN, mainly because of the very fascinating story line. I'm recommending MENDING FENCES to all who enjoy reading what is now termed as "women's fiction". So far I've read two of Sherryl Woods' books, and I will definitely read more by her.