Blue Moon

by Luanne Rice

The moving novel of a family that discovers the everyday magic of life and the extraordinary power of love.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Womens Fiction, Family

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-eight novels, translated into thirty languages. Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. Most recently she has written thrillers, including one based on a murder that affected her family. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.

Reviews

[Marissa Stumpf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a nice read! Sort of hard to get into it but once the story picks up I enjoyed it. I didn’t love the ending but everything wrapped up nicely.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blue Moon by Luanne Rice
Lobsterville restaurant is run by the 3 sisters, fighting to keep it together.
Nora is in love, Bonnie with 2 kids wants to spread her wings and Cass is the spark.
Cass is married and they have a daughter with a disability that is taking a lot out of them, Josie.
Teens growing up, discovering Satan and sex and trying to fit in. Adults trying to live the best life they can, getting through troubles with one another and work.
Love talk of loberstering, boats and the fishing towns along the coast.
Lot of drama in this seaside town...hot steamy sex scenes...things aren't what they seem.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Susan Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This takes place in RI around the Mount Hope area, four generations of a family who have a restaurant and fishing boats on the water. This story was mainly about the youngest daughter of one of the family's, she lost her hearing as a small child and they have to deal with her deafness. There is some exciting boating adventures, etc--good story, keeps you wanting to turn to the next chapter.

[Jennifer Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. There was only one part that I didn't like which grossed me out.The only thing I will say about that is that it was kind of a flashback scene or memory that would have been better if it hadn't been mentioned. It was just gross to me. It could have been written less gross.Aside from that this book held my interest.I could see how it was made into a tv movie because you had a lot of love and family drama mixed in it.There were different things happening without ruining the whole story.Sure it had some of a happen ending,but it did have a beautifully written bittersweet ending that kind of tied a few things up. It was kind of touching. It made me wish I had a nice family that loved each other and didn't hold grudges.

[Norma Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Newport, RI, and focusing on Lobsterville, a family restaurant run by three sisters and a local fishing industry where their father runs a fleet, this is the story about the Keating fishing family as it deals with heartbreak and financial struggles.

Cass’ and Billy’s strained marriage has 3 kids—one of whom is hearing-impaired Josie. We get a glimpse into the challenges for all family members. As they navigate family pressures and financial difficulties, we are drawn into issues of love, loyalty and family bonds as the family is tested in various ways.

NOTE: Movie by the same name stars Sharon Lawrence, Jeffrey Nordling, Kim Hunter, Cass Medeiros, Hallie Eisenberg, A.J. Cook.

[Brett Bickham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of interesting family characters in this story. An important lesson on how a prominent and successful family business can go away. At the end of the day, family is what matters. Parents deal with special need children differently. The father is often able to escape by going to work. Mom, on the other hand, has no escape. No one wants to be labeled "Special". Parents want their children to be raised they were raised. This novel is eye opening to the rest of us that don't have a clue. I truly enjoyed reading this story and feel that I am a better, more enlightened person. A real feel-good book!

[LInda L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite a lot of bad reviews, I loved this book. The hearing impaired child needed to get away from the mother who was smothering her with love/protection. The story of the shipwreck was exciting and I'm sure someone will know more about it than the author or me, but I loved it. The three sisters were as different as they could possibly be, but all good in their own way. I'm sure the ending came in for a lot of negative comments, but I thought it was touching and appropriate.

[Dorothy Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not Rice's best book. Overall it's a pleasant story, but Cass' reaction to her daughter's hearing loss was unbelievable. Cass never let Josie out of her sight, smothered her with protection, and allowed outrageous behavior she would never permit her other children. The sex scenes didn't add anything to the story.

[Judy Dhuse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was bored through most of this book. The ending was just plain weird and didn't fit the rest of the story at all.

[Vicki Primmer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing like her other mystery books. Would never recommend this book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly pleasant
Weird ending

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice story, interesting, family story with great romance, some drama, just a nice book.

[Debbie Hoppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, interesting setting in Rhode Island. The love of family, relationships and the dynamic of community makes this an interesting book.

[Pdamon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had read a couple of books by this author and they were okay beach reads. This one shares the name of my sailboat, so it seemed like a good idea.

Well, no: it's one of her earlier books. She must have been searching for her voice. It has a couple of raunchy sex scenes that surprised me by their inclusion - and they seem to have nothing to do with the plot. Such as it is. It wanders. Is this about the deaf child? The family's financial issues? Cass' marriage? Nora's wedding? Teens getting into trouble? Maybe. Maybe not. Lots of dangling plot lines. Lots of half developed ideas. Then suddenly, she gets an idea for the end of the book and runs with it.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Keating /Mederios families are fishermen & restaurant owners living in Mount Hope, RI and this is their story. An easy summer read, interesting, tense & heartwarming at times but no strong focus, despite at it's core it is a relationship story, and not enough character development to give it more stars. Almost every character has some sort of drama going on in their lives, some of them small, others significant. There was one explicit sex scene that I could have done without and although a lovely moment, a scene that would have been more suited to "Somewhere in Time" than this book.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

"Cass's passionate marriage to Billy has suddenly become stormy, and now, finding her loyalties tested, she must struggle to hold their love together in the face of tragic crisis." (From Amazon)

I read this novel after watching the tv movie based on the book. I love the characters and mystery.

[Susann Palumbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant book - about sisters, families, relationships, marriage and handling what life gives you. I didn't LOVE it, but I didn't hate it either. But I thought the ending could have been better.

[Daisy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't read this book. The main plot was actually okay, but there were several subplots that weren't well-developed and therefore were just distracting. There were also a few of what can only be described as gratuitous sex scenes, as they had absolutely nothing to do with the plot as a whole.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting novel once the story truly got started, and the characters were well developed, but there were some raunchy scenes in the novel that didn't even add anything to the plot--they were just random and unnecessary. So, I liked the novel, but it wasn't great.

[lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical beach read! About a family who live on the Rhode Island seashore, run a wharf and restaurant a fishing fleet. Parents and descendants have stayed in the area and the business. The story is about their lives and the impact the family and business have on each of them.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story about life long friends who find each other again.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give this book 2 stars, but I'd give chapter 17, a story in itself, 4 stars. Chapter 17 is very good, about a girl with a pimple in the 20s. (Really it'll stick in your head).

[Jeanne Corcoran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Luanne Rice. Her books are centered around family, always interesting and foster family values. A good alternative to mystery or action books

[Bmfinn1008]

I haven't read any of her books but my sister recommended this author.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a deaf character in it...pretty realistic perspective of a hearing family struggling to aquire language for their deaf child among other storylines.

[Suzy Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book whose ending made my hair stand on end - the book could be a little slow in places, but overall, I loved it.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving family story that I enjoyed very much. One of my favorites by Luanne Rice.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just started as our next Book Club pick. I like it so far - good character development

[Ayny · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star favourite
candidly written.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slight step above pool-side fluff. Barely.