A Different Light

by Mariah Stewart

Dear

I can hardly believe that A Different Light, one of my earliest novels, is available again at long last! And while the story is still the same, I've added new scenes and fleshed out the characters, making the novel richer and more contemporary. I've written twenty-three novels since A Different Light was first published, and I like to think I've brought the experience of the years to make this sparkling new edition even more compelling than before.

Throughout these years, the character of Athena Moran has stayed with me. In her New Jersey town, beautiful, vibrant Athena is well known as the young widow of a police officer slain in the line of duty and as the daughter of a beloved former city councilman. But when she meets Quentin Forbes, a tough newspaper reporter, emotions that she believed died along with her husband start to stir again. Then she is asked to run for mayor, and the political contest that follows will test her newfound feelings to the breaking point, teaching her that things are not always as they appear, and much of what she's believed is more smoke than substance. The new direction Athena chooses tests her strength and courage, and ultimately leads her to see herself and everyone she knows in a totally new and different light.

Best,

Mariah Stewart

Genres: Romance, Fiction

434 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 1995

About the author

Mariah Stewart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of forty-one novels and three novellas and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. She is a RITA finalist in romantic suspense and the recipient of the Award of Excellence for contemporary romance, a RIO Award for excellence in women's fiction, and a Reviewers Choice Award from Romantic Times Magazine. A three-time winner of the Golden Leaf Award presented by the New Jersey Romance Writers, Stewart was recently awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award (which placed her in their Hall of Fame along with former recipients Nora Roberts and Mary Jo Putney — very excellent company, indeed!)

After having written seven contemporary romance novels, Stewart found true happiness writing murder and mayhem. She considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?

Reviews

[Lexy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was good and a fast paced book

[Adeline Kam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book that I was reading together with the previous book by Josephine Cox. Managed to overcome my reader's block with this book. I have had this book with me for years & finally attempted to read it. And I loved it. Nice storyline and characters. Some political matters involved. A family & love story. Overall it was a good read.

[Maeve Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
Enjoyable well paced read!

[Kari Friedauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hallmark mystery romance

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. I like Mariah Stuart.

[Bookaholics · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Different Light by Mariah Stewart
Contemporary Romance – December 29th, 2009
3 Stars

A Different Light is a reprinting of one of Mariah Stewart earliest novels. But the author has added some additional scenes to spice things up and give the novel a more contemporary feel.

A Different Light is the story of Athena Moran a young widow of a police officer slain in the line of duty who is trying to get her life back together and raise her young daughter. When she meets Quentin Forbes a tough newspaper reporter new in town, they both find an immediate chemistry for each other. Unfortunately, when Athena is asked to run for mayor things take an unsettling twist, with Quentin’s sudden suspicion of Athena and her true motives due to the previous mayor’s habits of corruption and dirty dealing.

Mariah Stewart does a good job of creating a story that is complex. It includes: a nice romance, political intrigue and characters that learn and grow as the novel moves along. However, I feel it is a different style from her current works so readers expecting a similar to tone to her recent books may be disappointed.

This story starts out as a sweet romance and mixes it up with an intriguing political twist that makes things more interesting but lacks a true development of the original romance I found so charming in the beginning. And while Athena and Quentin are both complex characters who I did feel connected to as the novel progressed I felt the development of the characters was slow and could have been more interesting and compelling to the readers.

That being said, I still feel this was a solid read that combines romance and intrigue that is enjoyable but has a different style than her current books.

Reviewed by Mary from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

[Mary Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2nd time reading book. Disappointed that there were subjects brought Up that were not finished. Too many trails of intrigue left dangling.

[Anneka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mmm...very similar to her "home" series; even mentions Dallas MacGreggor... I missed her romances. And just like when I started reading Mariah Stewart's books, I found it started off a bit wordy-a lot of information, a lot of description, but in fairness there was a lot to learn about the characters as they had full personalities and pasts to know in order to fully understand where they were at in their lives when we learned about them. As long as you don't try to skim it, and you actually read it, it's very good! Now to start Devlin's Light. (Thank you library.)

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't the correct cover,(at least it isn't the one I have)and the one I read had 419 pages.But in any case this was a delightful read.I love Mariah Stewart's books.And loved this one just as much as I always do. I enjoy plots that are very different from other stories I've read.This one did not disappoint me in any way. I love the small town settings and the basic family values in this book.And this author always makes me feel like I'm there. A very good read!!

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anything by Mariah Stewart catches my attention. Therefore, I was slightly disappointed in this story. This is a story about small town politics and how things aren't quite what they appear to be. Widowed Athen is looking for a job, and she gets one from her paralyzed father's old friend, the mayor. When the mayor is no longer able to run again, he selects Athen, with no political experience to be his favorite. Need we say more?

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly different. It is a classic example of "don't judge a book by its cover". The cover very obviously screams romance novel. But A Different Light is MUCH more. It is more of a small town political drama. I really enjoyed this book, different from Mariah Stewart's normal books.

[Mudpie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was kind of slow starting and it's incredible how naive Athen was to be so clueless and politically naive for a Councilman's daughter. Quentin seems like a perfect hero...handsome, kind, rich and accomplished in his career...with a cute son to boot! I ended up liking the book more than I thought I'd be in the beginning.

[Janeiowa]

Boring and very slow to develop.  Character is not interesting or likeable.  Poor editing...woman's name is "Athena" and named that once, then written as "Athen" over and over.

I've read and loved other of Ms Stewart's works. My advice to prospective readers: Read her much later books and forget these early ones.

[Susannah Carleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining story of love, loss, personal growth, and blending families. Initially, the heroine seems impossibly naive, but she soon catches on to what is happening around her. The characters were not as well-drawn as in Ms. Stewart's later books, but for a first book, the characters and story are good.

[Lynne H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Athena Moran is coerced into becoming the mayor of her New Jersey town, but she does not realize that she is being used as a pawn by the former mayor. When she meets Quentin Forbes, a news reporter, and they begin a relationship, Quentin helps her find a way to become the mayor she needs to be, as well as overcome her feelings of loneliness as a widow.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like her Cheaspeake series, this is one of her earlier novels. I am looking forward to reading this novel. This was a good book, the main character is a bit naive. The plot was good with enough twists to keep it interesting.

[Virginia Brien]

Half this book should have been left out and replaced by scenes that explained some of the things that never were. I LOVE her new books but this should just have been left on the written and done shelf. I did like the characters, but the story was disjointed.

[Regan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's okay if you like women's fiction with every possible story line thrown in.

[Fedora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story--Athena seemed at times overly naive (verging on obtuse) and that annoyed me. Overall a very pleasant story.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will be rereading this book and will write my review then.

[Cindy Kester · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first romance I read by Mariah but once again she doesn't disappoint.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like romance, Mariah Stewart is a good author to read.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to resort to skimming in order to choke this one down. Not sure why I feel compelled to finish things like this.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book literally ran away. I cannot find what I did with it and I am really upset because I was really getting into it.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only a so-so book. I have read others by her that are much, much better.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really do not like weak women characters.

[Lynn Calvin]

Amazon preorder

[Lindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

BookBook 322