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Day In April
Fleeing her Louisiana home after a tragic incident, Beth Melbourne becomes a successful woman but is unable to forget her love for her childhood sweetheart, to whom she is tied by an inescapable secret. Reissue.
442 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
5 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Mary Lynn Baxter
148 books31 followersMary Lynn Baxter was born on 28 July 1943 in Lufkin, Texas, USA, where she bred, home of the cowboy - hero of the Western romance, which is one of the most popular of the category's sub-genres. She would be the first to say that it's her background that gives her a unique feel for romance writing.
Since she was a young girl, books and reading have been an important part of her life. Only after she read all the "goodies" in her public library did her mother encourage her to buy Harlequin romances, then 35 cents each. Wow! Those reading years laid the background for her decision to major in Library Science at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, and become a school librarian.
After eight years of working in various school systems, she felt a need to do something different. What she wanted was to open a bookstore. With the help of her husband, Leonard, and her mother, Mary Lynn did just that. For over 20 years she sold books, and loved every minute of it. Then Mary Lynn decided she needed a new challenge. Following an intense amount of pushing and prodding from her husband she took the plunge and tried her hand at writing.
After months of agonising and chewing her nails, she finally mailed All our Tomorrows to Silhouette books in February 1981. One year later it was published as a Silhouette Special Edition. Now, over 40 books later, she's still writing. Mary Lynn can't think of anything else she'd rather do with her time and energy. She surfaces from her writing, she's a voracious reader. But this petite dynamo is always happy to tumble out of her world of fiction into her local fitness center for a bracing workout. She's also dedicated to her volunteer work... and still manages to fit in plenty of quality time with her family at their home in Lufkin, Texas.
Since she was a young girl, books and reading have been an important part of her life. Only after she read all the "goodies" in her public library did her mother encourage her to buy Harlequin romances, then 35 cents each. Wow! Those reading years laid the background for her decision to major in Library Science at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, and become a school librarian.
After eight years of working in various school systems, she felt a need to do something different. What she wanted was to open a bookstore. With the help of her husband, Leonard, and her mother, Mary Lynn did just that. For over 20 years she sold books, and loved every minute of it. Then Mary Lynn decided she needed a new challenge. Following an intense amount of pushing and prodding from her husband she took the plunge and tried her hand at writing.
After months of agonising and chewing her nails, she finally mailed All our Tomorrows to Silhouette books in February 1981. One year later it was published as a Silhouette Special Edition. Now, over 40 books later, she's still writing. Mary Lynn can't think of anything else she'd rather do with her time and energy. She surfaces from her writing, she's a voracious reader. But this petite dynamo is always happy to tumble out of her world of fiction into her local fitness center for a bracing workout. She's also dedicated to her volunteer work... and still manages to fit in plenty of quality time with her family at their home in Lufkin, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 3, 2010
This is a tragic story. I don't mind tragic stories, but this one NEVER stops. It contains one tragedy after another and I found myself at first exhausted, then confused, and finally amused. It's like the author decided to throw EVERY possible tragedy at these characters to see how much she could test them (and her readers)!
This one has it all.....rape, misunderstandings, addiction, death, lies, betrayals. Yep, there all here in spades! The HEA finally arrives, but by the end of this book I was so excited to end the torture that it was all I could do to not stand up and cheer from relief when it was over!
The main characters are likeable (which probably is why all their suffering is hard to take). The villainous father is truly vile and evil and there are a host of characters that played secondary roles that were unnecessary and took away from the story. Overall, not really recommended unless you're in the mood to read about one couple's MANY obstacles.
This one has it all.....rape, misunderstandings, addiction, death, lies, betrayals. Yep, there all here in spades! The HEA finally arrives, but by the end of this book I was so excited to end the torture that it was all I could do to not stand up and cheer from relief when it was over!
The main characters are likeable (which probably is why all their suffering is hard to take). The villainous father is truly vile and evil and there are a host of characters that played secondary roles that were unnecessary and took away from the story. Overall, not really recommended unless you're in the mood to read about one couple's MANY obstacles.
February 22, 2021
If you like angst, and high drama try this, I reread this any time I need a good cry.
(re-read 10+ years later. This is the only good book by this author and still read like Jerry Springer on crack romance. )
(re-read 10+ years later. This is the only good book by this author and still read like Jerry Springer on crack romance. )
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November 27, 2020W sumie biorąc się za tą "polecankę" nie spodziewałam się aż takich tragedii, tzn. domyślałam się że to jakiś smutas więc zaczęłam czytać opinie i nie przedstawiało to się zachęcająco. Normalnie tego nie robię, nie wiem co mnie podkusiło.
Nie przepadam za tego typu książkami, życie jest wystarczająco ciężkie, uwielbiam czytać ale dla mnie to ucieczka do czegoś pięknego, a tutaj niestety tego było bardzo mało.
Wyliczę:
- gwałt
- wylew ojca (matka umarła jak była mała)
- bankructwo/strata domu który był w ich rodzinie od pokoleń
- problemy z nastoletnim bratem
- zerwanie zaręczyn
- jej były bierze ślub z jej przyjaciółką
- mają dziecko - ono umiera gdy główna bohaterka pilnowała - śmierć łóżeczkowa
- robi zabieg aby zajść w ciążę dla swojej przyjaciółki, sperma Zacka, oczywiście Zack nie wie - oddaje im dziecko (przeżywa)
- śmierć przyjaciółki - rak
- walka o dziecko i Zacka
- pomijając to jak ponuro został przedstawiony czas gdy wracała do miasteczka na pare dni
To tak pokrótce. Podeszłam do tego bardziej z dystansem więc nie uroniłam ani kropli. Nawet sama sobie pospojlerowałam aby nie czuć się już bardziej zaskoczona i zniechęcona. Dla mnie to była taka telenowela. Chciałabym potępić bohaterkę, w sumie już na początku jej nie polubiłam ale nie mnie oceniać jak ktoś się zachowa przy takiej tragedii.
To może plusy, czytało się szybko, płynnie i jeśli autorka napisała cokolwiek innego gdzie nie ma tych całych tragedii to z chęcią przeczytam ;)
Postanowiłam nie oceniać książki bo nie podobała mi się tematyka i tutaj dałabym 1/5 ale jednak to jak się szybko czytało i to jak dobrze została napisana wyrównuje rachunki.
Nie przepadam za tego typu książkami, życie jest wystarczająco ciężkie, uwielbiam czytać ale dla mnie to ucieczka do czegoś pięknego, a tutaj niestety tego było bardzo mało.
Wyliczę:
- gwałt
- wylew ojca (matka umarła jak była mała)
- bankructwo/strata domu który był w ich rodzinie od pokoleń
- problemy z nastoletnim bratem
- zerwanie zaręczyn
- jej były bierze ślub z jej przyjaciółką
- mają dziecko - ono umiera gdy główna bohaterka pilnowała - śmierć łóżeczkowa
- robi zabieg aby zajść w ciążę dla swojej przyjaciółki, sperma Zacka, oczywiście Zack nie wie - oddaje im dziecko (przeżywa)
- śmierć przyjaciółki - rak
- walka o dziecko i Zacka
- pomijając to jak ponuro został przedstawiony czas gdy wracała do miasteczka na pare dni
To tak pokrótce. Podeszłam do tego bardziej z dystansem więc nie uroniłam ani kropli. Nawet sama sobie pospojlerowałam aby nie czuć się już bardziej zaskoczona i zniechęcona. Dla mnie to była taka telenowela. Chciałabym potępić bohaterkę, w sumie już na początku jej nie polubiłam ale nie mnie oceniać jak ktoś się zachowa przy takiej tragedii.
To może plusy, czytało się szybko, płynnie i jeśli autorka napisała cokolwiek innego gdzie nie ma tych całych tragedii to z chęcią przeczytam ;)
Postanowiłam nie oceniać książki bo nie podobała mi się tematyka i tutaj dałabym 1/5 ale jednak to jak się szybko czytało i to jak dobrze została napisana wyrównuje rachunki.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2016
I have to agree with the other reviewer, this was unrelenting in its tragedies but it swept me up and carried me along until the balance was tipped, and then it was just ridiculous.
July 21, 2011
One of the best books I've ever read. I cried, I got mad and I rooted for the characters.
January 21, 2015
depressing, tragic book. I couldn't finish it.
July 17, 2018
'A Day in April' needs to be accompanied by the 'EastEnders' drum beat because it read like ten years of EastEnders storylines in one book. There were far too many tragic and soul-destroying events to wade through, making it difficult to focus on any one plot above the others, and the characters were largely unlikable. Despite this, there was a well-captured and genuine emotion and affection between the leads that kept me reading, despite rolling my eyes through 90% of the book.
There were so many tragic events in this book and few, if any, were really given enough development to make them meaningful. Baxter really needed to select two or three of the storylines and just concentrated on developing them.
The book didn't need to be anything more than that, and it would have allowed each element to be really examined and detailed.
None of the characters were likeable. Beth was so weak that I grew to dislike her. She never once stood up for herself, she let herself be verbally ripped apart time and time again, she was emotionally blackmailed, she didn't once try and tear herself away from her friend who was a complete and utter bitch if you ask me. She sat there with the family she had hoped to have and smiled, and forgave and was always 'the better person'. Beth was awful to read about.
Zach wasn't exactly my idea of a hero, he not only gave up on Beth quite easily, but turned to violently hating her instead of trying to understand. He never took the time to try and talk to her or to get anything from her, he was just reactionary to create an obstacle, right through to the end.
Yet their fire and love was so tangible from start to finish. It was what kept me reading despite the fact that it was a cast of poorly written characters with an over-packed plot.
There were so many tragic events in this book and few, if any, were really given enough development to make them meaningful. Baxter really needed to select two or three of the storylines and just concentrated on developing them.
The book didn't need to be anything more than that, and it would have allowed each element to be really examined and detailed.
None of the characters were likeable. Beth was so weak that I grew to dislike her. She never once stood up for herself, she let herself be verbally ripped apart time and time again, she was emotionally blackmailed, she didn't once try and tear herself away from her friend who was a complete and utter bitch if you ask me. She sat there with the family she had hoped to have and smiled, and forgave and was always 'the better person'. Beth was awful to read about.
Zach wasn't exactly my idea of a hero, he not only gave up on Beth quite easily, but turned to violently hating her instead of trying to understand. He never took the time to try and talk to her or to get anything from her, he was just reactionary to create an obstacle, right through to the end.
Yet their fire and love was so tangible from start to finish. It was what kept me reading despite the fact that it was a cast of poorly written characters with an over-packed plot.
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July 16, 2021I enjoyed reading about the characters especially Zach and Beth's relationship. Their interactions can be heartbreaking sometimes. Some scenes made laugh. Some made me tear up and maybe cried a little bit, but I think I should read it again before giving it a rating/review.
May 11, 2018
I read it to take a break in between my more serious novels. It made me upset, very upset.
There should have been warnings at the beginning of the book about rape content.
There should have been warnings at the beginning of the book about rape content.
December 21, 2020
Not one for the faint of heart.
January 17, 2012
It was heartbreaking.But i would definitely recommend it to someone.
April 10, 2012
Pretty good, predictable story line though.
July 26, 2014
Sublime... magnifique... émouvant.
À lire absolument !
À lire absolument !
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews