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Reunion
Blue Reynolds, celebrity talk show host and queen of daytime television, appears to have it all. But no one knows the secret she has harbored for the last twenty years—a secret that could destroy her image, her reputation, and her career. A week in Key West to do her show on location brings Blue a much-needed change of pace—and an unexpected reunion with an old flame, Mitch Forrester. Helping him launch a television series may help her recapture the kind of genuine romance long missing from her life. But it also means dealing with Mitch’s disapproving son, Julian, who is only nine years younger than Blue. Back from his years as a war photographer in the world’s most dangerous hotspots, Julian struggles to get close to his father while making his disdain for Blue crystal clear—which makes his desire for her all the more surprising.
As serendipity and scandal collide, Therese Fowler’s passionate, illuminating novel takes a dramatic turn deep into our own hearts, as the healing power of love transforms regrets into new beginnings.
As serendipity and scandal collide, Therese Fowler’s passionate, illuminating novel takes a dramatic turn deep into our own hearts, as the healing power of love transforms regrets into new beginnings.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
17 people are currently reading
601 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
August 6, 2011
Horrible horrible book. I couldn't even finish it. I wish there was a way to give negative stars. I Wouk have to give this book at least negative 3 stars. I don't think I will be adding any more books by this author to my reading list. I'm just glad I got it on clearance for less than $4.00. I understand now why it was on the clearance rack to soon. Do your self a favor and do not even try reading this book.
February 27, 2009
Therese Fowler's sophomore book shows that she just keeps getting better and better. Reunion tells the story of Blue Reynolds, a nationally popular talk show host with a past that she's hidden for years--a short time in her heartbroken youth that led her to partying, doing drugs and ultimately giving a baby up for adoption. She discretely begins to search for that child 20 years later, ironically at the same time her career leads her to the same man who broke her heart back then. Past and present collide in many ways for Blue, making this a very interesting read indeed with a satisfying but teasing ending. Fowler is very good a creating multi-dimensional characters that stay with you long after the last page is turned.
July 23, 2009
So this book was just a bit dull, with a storyline that is only really interesting in the last 30 pages or so. The book follows a famous chat show host who gave a son up for adoption and now wants to find him. Well so I thought until I read the book and found that this is only really dealt with in about 50 pages and the rest is a silly little love triangle storyline involving the father of the son who was adopted and his son from another woman. Thrilling.
January 13, 2013
Having read Theresa Fowler's first and second books, I am looking forward to future reads.
May 22, 2017
I was so excited to read this book after how enthralled by Souvenir I had been but I was extremely disappointed. The story wasn't believable or engaging. I was put off by the love triangle involving a father and son and I didn't buy into the relationship the heroine had with any of them.
Not enough to put me off reading any more of her books but I certainly won't be rereading this one.
Not enough to put me off reading any more of her books but I certainly won't be rereading this one.
February 23, 2020
2.5 stars
I've read a couple of other books by Therese Fowler and really enjoyed them, but somehow this one felt really flat to me. I was ready to give up on it multiple times and kept reading only because I have such difficulty giving up on a book.
I've read a couple of other books by Therese Fowler and really enjoyed them, but somehow this one felt really flat to me. I was ready to give up on it multiple times and kept reading only because I have such difficulty giving up on a book.
June 14, 2020
Very good plot with plenty of twists and turns. Very much enjoyed as something to read on vacation. Other than the prologue and the epilogue, this was not a book about an unwed mother giving up her son for adoption, as advertised.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2020
I struggled to read this book, and gave up after a few chapters. It was dull and didn't capture my attention. The characters weren't particularly likable. Was glad to move on to something else instead.
January 3, 2018
Wasn't too impressed- premise of the book and ending bothered me..
January 3, 2018
Enjoyed it. Sweet story. Will read this author again.
July 8, 2020
Could not get into this one.
February 7, 2021
Very good. Lovely read with a gripping story.
June 14, 2021
Couldn't put it down! Considering the main character is super rich, Fowler finds a way to make her relatable.
August 8, 2021
A good book, little slow at times. A talk show host with a hidden past, which then comes back to the newspapers.
May 17, 2022
There wasn't much I liked about this novel. I was tempted to scrap it a couple of times but it didn't get any better.
April 16, 2024
Pleasant read; slow at first - took a bit to get to the plot
March 24, 2025
June 2013
May 30, 2018
Have abandoned on page 38, will try again another time...
Second attempt and a Bank Holiday weekend so feeling more relaxed. Almost half way through and getting into it more now.
Well, I kept reading to the end but the story doesn't really live up to the blurb. Very disappointing if honest.
Second attempt and a Bank Holiday weekend so feeling more relaxed. Almost half way through and getting into it more now.
Well, I kept reading to the end but the story doesn't really live up to the blurb. Very disappointing if honest.
June 24, 2010
Therese Fowler brings some of the most compelling characters to life. I found this to be true in her debut novel Souvenir, and Reunion was no exception.
More promising than the premise, are characters who come to life in the most insightful, and compelling ways. Blue Reynolds is a woman at crossroads in her life, only it is a road she has long ago chosen and deliberately followed in the hopes of leaving her past behind. She creates her own reality, a reality that is better than one that requires her to be raw, vulnerable and real. Instead she places her ideals in another, and in doing so her decisions have shaped much of her life. She is a woman with everything, and yet nothing substantial, whose secrets overshadow her relationship with her mother, sister, and men.
Mitch Forrester is a flame from long ago. The man, Blue once placed all her ideals into, and has never really let go. His memory, their past is something she holds onto and when a chance encounter reunites them, it also opens the door to a past never realized. Their relationship is founded with their past, and yet there is nothing tangible to propel them forward. What they do have is hopes and expectations for each other, and a kindred understanding of the circumstances that have brought them to this moment, their reunion.
Julian Forrester is Mitch's son whose relationship with his father is complex but one he is finding acceptance in. He sees the world through lens, capturing other people's moments; their happiness, triumphs, and tragedies. Yet, he is weary of always being on the other end, an outsider, a watcher and in Blue, he sees pieces of himself. She, too has grown weary of a life self-created. Rather than living, they are inventing lives. He, who watches behind lens, and she who lives in front, but their reason for doing so is more similar than they realize.
Together, the characters are more interrelated in ways they never considered. Drawn into a union of insight, hindsight, and wisdom that comes with time, will they each have the foresight to live as they are meant to. Only in doing so can they find themselves, love and begin to live.
The characters bring such depth and presence to the story, and at times it didn't feel enough. New relationships are beginning and identities are found but these discoveries aren't fully explored leaving us yearning and wondering.
The characters resonate with you well after you have finished reading.
More promising than the premise, are characters who come to life in the most insightful, and compelling ways. Blue Reynolds is a woman at crossroads in her life, only it is a road she has long ago chosen and deliberately followed in the hopes of leaving her past behind. She creates her own reality, a reality that is better than one that requires her to be raw, vulnerable and real. Instead she places her ideals in another, and in doing so her decisions have shaped much of her life. She is a woman with everything, and yet nothing substantial, whose secrets overshadow her relationship with her mother, sister, and men.
Mitch Forrester is a flame from long ago. The man, Blue once placed all her ideals into, and has never really let go. His memory, their past is something she holds onto and when a chance encounter reunites them, it also opens the door to a past never realized. Their relationship is founded with their past, and yet there is nothing tangible to propel them forward. What they do have is hopes and expectations for each other, and a kindred understanding of the circumstances that have brought them to this moment, their reunion.
Julian Forrester is Mitch's son whose relationship with his father is complex but one he is finding acceptance in. He sees the world through lens, capturing other people's moments; their happiness, triumphs, and tragedies. Yet, he is weary of always being on the other end, an outsider, a watcher and in Blue, he sees pieces of himself. She, too has grown weary of a life self-created. Rather than living, they are inventing lives. He, who watches behind lens, and she who lives in front, but their reason for doing so is more similar than they realize.
Together, the characters are more interrelated in ways they never considered. Drawn into a union of insight, hindsight, and wisdom that comes with time, will they each have the foresight to live as they are meant to. Only in doing so can they find themselves, love and begin to live.
The characters bring such depth and presence to the story, and at times it didn't feel enough. New relationships are beginning and identities are found but these discoveries aren't fully explored leaving us yearning and wondering.
The characters resonate with you well after you have finished reading.
May 27, 2009
Therese Fowler's Reunion examines the secrets many of us carry and how they can direct our lives and decisions. While some could consider this a light read, it deals with a number of deep issues, including teen pregnancy.
Harmony Blue Kucharski/Reynolds is a young girl with a deep crush on a junior professor and son to her boss, Mitch Forrester. After a whirlwind romance, Mitch breaks her young heart, and she embarks on a destructive path that ultimately leads her to a decision that must be kept secret after her career begins to take off. Two decades later, fate brings them back together in Key West, Florida, and Blue helps Mitch with his pet video project about writer's like Hemingway.
"In Chicago, the snow was falling so hard that, although quite a few pedestrians saw the woman standing on the fire escape nine stories up, none were sure they recognized her. At first the woman leaned against the railing and looked down, as if calculating the odds of death from such a height. After a minute or two, though, when she hadn't climbed the rail but had instead stepped back from it, most people who'd noticed her continued on their ways. She didn't look ready to jump, so why keep watching? And how about this snow, they said. What the hell? It wasn't supposed to snow like this in spring!" (Page 13)
Blue is a complex character floundering in her decisions and striving to find true happiness, and Mitch has tried all kinds of happiness, but has been unable to patch things up with his only son. Blue's mother, Nancy, is an aging hippie still looking for love, and her sister has found a family life she can be proud of, though she still seems to have a hard time dealing with her sister's success as TV personality--much like Oprah in Chicago.
"Without the interruption of commercials or the finite images of someone else's interpretation of a story, she could more easily fit herself into the romance or drama unfolding inside a book's cover." (Page 54)
Fowler's writing is down-to-Earth and captivating. The characters pop from the page. While there are multiple story lines in Reunion, Fowler weaves them well and transitions seamlessly between them. Although this book could be considered chicklit or women's fiction, there is much more beneath the surface; all readers have to do is scratch the surface.
Harmony Blue Kucharski/Reynolds is a young girl with a deep crush on a junior professor and son to her boss, Mitch Forrester. After a whirlwind romance, Mitch breaks her young heart, and she embarks on a destructive path that ultimately leads her to a decision that must be kept secret after her career begins to take off. Two decades later, fate brings them back together in Key West, Florida, and Blue helps Mitch with his pet video project about writer's like Hemingway.
"In Chicago, the snow was falling so hard that, although quite a few pedestrians saw the woman standing on the fire escape nine stories up, none were sure they recognized her. At first the woman leaned against the railing and looked down, as if calculating the odds of death from such a height. After a minute or two, though, when she hadn't climbed the rail but had instead stepped back from it, most people who'd noticed her continued on their ways. She didn't look ready to jump, so why keep watching? And how about this snow, they said. What the hell? It wasn't supposed to snow like this in spring!" (Page 13)
Blue is a complex character floundering in her decisions and striving to find true happiness, and Mitch has tried all kinds of happiness, but has been unable to patch things up with his only son. Blue's mother, Nancy, is an aging hippie still looking for love, and her sister has found a family life she can be proud of, though she still seems to have a hard time dealing with her sister's success as TV personality--much like Oprah in Chicago.
"Without the interruption of commercials or the finite images of someone else's interpretation of a story, she could more easily fit herself into the romance or drama unfolding inside a book's cover." (Page 54)
Fowler's writing is down-to-Earth and captivating. The characters pop from the page. While there are multiple story lines in Reunion, Fowler weaves them well and transitions seamlessly between them. Although this book could be considered chicklit or women's fiction, there is much more beneath the surface; all readers have to do is scratch the surface.
May 23, 2009
Reunion is the perfect book to escape the world for a few days or even a weekend, it will only take you that long to finish this wonderful novel. I was captivated by Reunion from the very first page and I was swept away right into the world of Harmony Blue and her life from the past to the present.
Harmony Blue reinvents herself into Blue Reynolds, the celebrity talk show host who appears to have everything she could ever want...or does she? We learn of choices that Blue has made in the past as a teenager and how that effects her life currently, some 20 years later.
Blue reunites with an ex boyfriend Mitch and his family, which includes Mitch's parents and son Julian. The story is then told in first person narratives between Blue, Mitch and Julian in alternating chapters. This style worked very well and smoothly for the reader and it explored the complexities and depth of the story nicely.
We travel with these inviting characters from Chicago to Key West and even to Iraq and get a feel for the climate and mood of these locations. My favorite location was Key West as the sun and mood drew me in. I am familiar with Key West from a vacation years ago and it swept me back to the beauty of this special place. While in Key West, Blue is faced with her past and she must find a way to face these hidden secrets and the consequences that will ensue. She learns about second chances and finding out who she really is.
I enjoyed Reunion and did escape into this wonderful novel over a weekend. I admit I would have much preferred to have been reading Reunion on a sandy beach instead of while taking care of a sick child but that is the life of a mom! This would make a wonderful summer beach read along with a Key West Lemonade or Mojito! Reunion would also make a great summer book club discussion book as there is so much to talk about You can even serve Key Lime Pie for dessert. For most book clubs, especially mine, it's fun to have a great drink and of course, dessert. If it complements the book, it makes it even more fun. This is the first book that I have read by Therese Fowler and it definitely will not be my last.
Harmony Blue reinvents herself into Blue Reynolds, the celebrity talk show host who appears to have everything she could ever want...or does she? We learn of choices that Blue has made in the past as a teenager and how that effects her life currently, some 20 years later.
Blue reunites with an ex boyfriend Mitch and his family, which includes Mitch's parents and son Julian. The story is then told in first person narratives between Blue, Mitch and Julian in alternating chapters. This style worked very well and smoothly for the reader and it explored the complexities and depth of the story nicely.
We travel with these inviting characters from Chicago to Key West and even to Iraq and get a feel for the climate and mood of these locations. My favorite location was Key West as the sun and mood drew me in. I am familiar with Key West from a vacation years ago and it swept me back to the beauty of this special place. While in Key West, Blue is faced with her past and she must find a way to face these hidden secrets and the consequences that will ensue. She learns about second chances and finding out who she really is.
I enjoyed Reunion and did escape into this wonderful novel over a weekend. I admit I would have much preferred to have been reading Reunion on a sandy beach instead of while taking care of a sick child but that is the life of a mom! This would make a wonderful summer beach read along with a Key West Lemonade or Mojito! Reunion would also make a great summer book club discussion book as there is so much to talk about You can even serve Key Lime Pie for dessert. For most book clubs, especially mine, it's fun to have a great drink and of course, dessert. If it complements the book, it makes it even more fun. This is the first book that I have read by Therese Fowler and it definitely will not be my last.
April 8, 2009
Once upon a time, a young girl named Harmony Blue Kucharski had big dreams. Despite all the evidence to the contrary – an unsettled childhood and adolescence only the least of it – she was a most unlikely candidate for the destiny she imagined for herself.
Fast forward more than twenty years to the confident, popular talk-show host of “The Blue Reynolds Show” in Chicago, and discover that some dreams do come true after all.
But what did that little girl Harmony Blue have to do to spin these dreams into reality? And what did she have to turn away from to make her fantasies come true?
A secret lurks within – something discarded, along with the old Harmony Blue in that long ago time – but Blue Reynolds is determined to find someone she lost. Two “someones,” in fact. The lover who left her all those years ago, and the baby she had to give up for adoption.
On the way to opening up this Pandora’s Box, Blue will unleash a host of unexpected events, all beginning when The Blue Reynolds Show goes on location to Key West, Florida, where her former lover’s parents reside. There she comes face to face with Mitch Forrester, who is unexpectedly visiting his parents Dan and Lynn Forrester, and Mitch’s thirty-something grown son Julian.
Blue then learns that while dreams may come true, some things in life can be better and more unexpected than the greatest fantasies. But what price will she have to pay to transform pain and regrets into promises and second chances?
Therese Fowler’s “Reunion” is an evocative, dramatic and sensitive exploration of finding love in the most serendipitous places.
Fast forward more than twenty years to the confident, popular talk-show host of “The Blue Reynolds Show” in Chicago, and discover that some dreams do come true after all.
But what did that little girl Harmony Blue have to do to spin these dreams into reality? And what did she have to turn away from to make her fantasies come true?
A secret lurks within – something discarded, along with the old Harmony Blue in that long ago time – but Blue Reynolds is determined to find someone she lost. Two “someones,” in fact. The lover who left her all those years ago, and the baby she had to give up for adoption.
On the way to opening up this Pandora’s Box, Blue will unleash a host of unexpected events, all beginning when The Blue Reynolds Show goes on location to Key West, Florida, where her former lover’s parents reside. There she comes face to face with Mitch Forrester, who is unexpectedly visiting his parents Dan and Lynn Forrester, and Mitch’s thirty-something grown son Julian.
Blue then learns that while dreams may come true, some things in life can be better and more unexpected than the greatest fantasies. But what price will she have to pay to transform pain and regrets into promises and second chances?
Therese Fowler’s “Reunion” is an evocative, dramatic and sensitive exploration of finding love in the most serendipitous places.
November 8, 2012
One thing I liked about this book is that it isn't about what it appears to be. It starts when Harmony Blue gives birth to a healthy baby boy and gives him up for adoption. She doesn't really have a choice. She wants him to have a better life than what she has at the time, which is nothing. Fast forward 18 years and Harmony Blue is Blue Reynolds, another Oprah Winfrey out of Chicago. She's searching, in secret, for the child she gave up for adoption. Meanwhile, she has the chance to get back together with the man, now professor, she was in love with lo those many years ago. Nothing worked out the way it should have which is what made this book work. Blue was likable. Very much so, in fact. In fact, all the characters were likable. This isn't a tell-all sort of book. It's simply a book about choices and living the life you're given rather than one you're hoping will suddenly appear. It was comfortable with no major dramatics, no deep emotional breakdowns, because in spite of everything, Blue developed into a healthy person and took on her life's challenges. Does that make it unrealistic? Only if everything had worked out exactly as she had always imagined.
May 27, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. I think I might have felt an immediate connection with Blue since my undergrad was in broadcast journalism. But the way that Ms. Fowler wrote the characters in Reunion really made me feel the warmth from each of them. I was hooked on this book from the very beginning (and I suppose that the reference to the band Journey helped some since I have become obssesed with them in the past couple of months). I liked the ways that the characters interacted and I liked each and every one of them. I saw some of my best friend in Marcy, some of my first love in Mitch, and some of my current love in Julian. And the plot worked too. I should have seen what happened in the end coming, but I didn't. The only thing I didn't like is that (without giving too much away), I wish more was written about what happened between Blue and her son. This story has many serious points in it, but its heartwarming too.
July 11, 2016
Blue is best thought of here as “the white Oprah”. She’s enormously rich, enormously famous, and hiding an enormous secret that not even her own mother knows – she gave up a child for adoption when she was young and irresponsible and suffering from a broken heart. Reunion is the story of what happens when your past comes back to haunt you, and in this case the haunting is both good and bad. Blue is able to reconnect with a lost love, discover a new one, and at the end must make one of the biggest decisions of her life. I’m not sure about the suddenness of one of her decisions (near the end), but it sure makes for an interesting twist in the story. I particularly enjoyed the Key West setting. Fowler does an excellent job of capturing the laid-back relaxing feel of the whole island and culture. Overall, I thought this was a great read, especially for summer – not too light, and not too heavy.
March 31, 2012
I need a trip back to Key West, yesterday!!!! (3-11-12)
Tho truly a bit of "cheesy romance," it was just what I needed to unwind after reading endless student essays. The Key West setting did have me right back at "The Speak Easy" - our quasi-B&B on Duval Street- and I could follow the characters around town with the authentic descriptions of places like Hemmingway's Homestead, the Truman Annex/Little White House, and Mallory Square for sunsets.
The story had an "Oprah-esque" quality to it, with "Blue Reynolds" holding the Winfrey spot, adored by both an old flame, and his photographer son. Story line unfolded well, albeit in rapid motion.
This is Therese Fowler's second novel.
I need "meatier reads"--tho I will give kudos for great exposition! Her character development and setting were most inviting!
“Above you is the sun and below you is the earth. Like the sun, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.”
Tho truly a bit of "cheesy romance," it was just what I needed to unwind after reading endless student essays. The Key West setting did have me right back at "The Speak Easy" - our quasi-B&B on Duval Street- and I could follow the characters around town with the authentic descriptions of places like Hemmingway's Homestead, the Truman Annex/Little White House, and Mallory Square for sunsets.
The story had an "Oprah-esque" quality to it, with "Blue Reynolds" holding the Winfrey spot, adored by both an old flame, and his photographer son. Story line unfolded well, albeit in rapid motion.
This is Therese Fowler's second novel.
I need "meatier reads"--tho I will give kudos for great exposition! Her character development and setting were most inviting!
“Above you is the sun and below you is the earth. Like the sun, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.”
Read
March 9, 2009Therese Fowler's sophomore book shows that she just keeps getting better and better. Reunion tells the story of Blue Reynolds, a nationally popular talk show host with a past that she's hidden for years--a short time in her heartbroken youth that led her to partying, doing drugs and ultimately giving a baby up for adoption. She discretely begins to search for that child 20 years later, ironically at the same time her career leads her to the same man who broke her heart back then. Past and present collide in many ways for Blue, making this a very interesting read indeed with a satisfying but teasing ending. Fowler is very good a creating multi-dimensional characters that stay with you long after the last page is turned.
Jackie
Jackie
August 28, 2009
Novel of a women (Blue) who has achieved success as a host of a TV daytime interview show. She tries to balance her career success with her past choices. In her past she has given up a baby for adoption and walked away from a man she loved. There are also complications involving her mother and sister. She has many loyal friends. Blue tries to chart a new course in a small house in Key West. The book echoed Ophrah's life story in some ways. I thought the book was slow at the beginning. The last third of the book read faster. But, I'm not sure if the end was satisfying or not..............I think it could have used a couple more chapters to try and wrap things up a little more. Esp. after such a long read. Guess that's life.
May 24, 2011
This one didn't draw me in immediately, the way Exposure and Souvenir both did, though the author still manages to weave a compelling tale, drawing the reader right along.
I was very pleased with the journey, til I reached the first of the final three chapters. I think it all derailed a bit suddenly. Granted that kind of story and that kind of lifestyle is unpredictable -the events weren't unrealstic, just unexpected. I'd have liked to have seen things go much differently. I'd have liked to have seen Meredith's self-righteous daughter get her "comeuppance". I felt the way things worked out with Blue and Julian were rather trite and quiet after being set up for something more heated and tumultuous.
Oh, well. It was very enjoyable for the most part.
I was very pleased with the journey, til I reached the first of the final three chapters. I think it all derailed a bit suddenly. Granted that kind of story and that kind of lifestyle is unpredictable -the events weren't unrealstic, just unexpected. I'd have liked to have seen things go much differently. I'd have liked to have seen Meredith's self-righteous daughter get her "comeuppance". I felt the way things worked out with Blue and Julian were rather trite and quiet after being set up for something more heated and tumultuous.
Oh, well. It was very enjoyable for the most part.
October 18, 2010
I admit that it got off to a bit of a slow start, and I was impatient for it to get going. But once I settled down and got into the grove of the book, I fell in love.
The narration switches between Blue, her old boyfriend Mitch, and Mitch's son Julian. It took me a while to warm up to Julian, but I liked him quite a bit by the end of the story.
***SPOILERS***
The ending felt rushed and left me feeling unfulfilled. He just shows up at her doorstep and suddenly they're in love and living happily ever after? There needed to be a stronger resolution, I think. And the epilogue was annoying. So is he going to seek out his mother or not? Ugh, I don't like ambivalent endings!
The narration switches between Blue, her old boyfriend Mitch, and Mitch's son Julian. It took me a while to warm up to Julian, but I liked him quite a bit by the end of the story.
***SPOILERS***
The ending felt rushed and left me feeling unfulfilled. He just shows up at her doorstep and suddenly they're in love and living happily ever after? There needed to be a stronger resolution, I think. And the epilogue was annoying. So is he going to seek out his mother or not? Ugh, I don't like ambivalent endings!
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