Cloud Nine

by Luanne Rice

What would you do with a second chance at life?

Sarah Talbot thought she’d never see another birthday. But against all odds, she beat the illness that could have killed her, reopened her bedding shop, Cloud Nine, and vowed to make the most of a fresh start that few are given. With Thanksgiving approaching, Sarah charters a small plane to take her to Elk Island, a remote spot off the rugged Maine coast where she spent some of her happiest days and where she hopes to reunite with the two most important people in her life. She arrives on the island with pilot Will Burke, a kindred spirit with whom Sarah forges a bond that will give them the courage to confront the past and have faith in the future…no matter how uncertain.

Once Sarah thought happy endings occurred only in books; now she believes they can happen for anyone. And as she and Will grow closer, and something unexpectedly real blossoms between them, she has him believing it, too. But is believing it enough? Is even love enough? Can real life be lived on cloud nine? In this stunning novel, New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice tells a story you will cherish, peopled with indelible characters whose challenges are your own.


From the Paperback edition.

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

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 1999

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

[LuAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best word I can think of to describe this novel is “lovely.” Full of emotion, it’s the story of two people who find each other at a time in their lives when they are ready to be healed from the past and move forward in a relationship that is full of love and endless possibilities for happiness.
Several times, this book brought tears to my eyes. As I came to adore these characters, I found it more and more difficult to put it down. I wanted so much for them to find what they were looking for in each other.
This is one of Luanne Rice’s older novels, published in 1999. She is such an excellent writer and a master storyteller. I’ve read several of her books and have never been disappointed. This is probably one of my favorites by her and it will have a special spot on my bookshelves.
If you haven’t read any of her books, Cloud Nine would be a good one to start with. Very touching and endearing, it’s unforgettable.

[Nwallace]

This book made me put it down and just sob. What a heart touching story and a must read. One of my favorite Louanne Rice books.

[Cinny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that my friends and I affectionately refer to as a "suicide book" - i.e. really sad. It might be an awful term to use when describing something...but this one definitely fits the bill.

I started reading this book several months ago, and for some reason I put it down. I only picked it up again the other day because I really wanted to finish it, even though I was pretty sure of what was going to happen to the main characters. I sobbed vehemetly for the last twenty pages or so, even though I had the entire book to prepare myself for what was to come.

With all the flaws that I found in the book, I still really liked it. Sometimes I didn't like the main characters - I found Sarah, the main character, downright annoying at times. I adored Snow, and found her grief with loosing her brother very real and touching. I even adored George, Sarah's father - in the end, it came down to him facing his worth fears.

This one is a tearjerker.

[Katy · Rating 1 out of 5]

YECH! Sappy, trite dialogue plus flat, emotionless characters plus stereotypes galore equals CLOUD NINE. I couldn't get through this one. It felt too much like a "bodice-buster" paperback romance. Advice to all: AVOID LUANNE RICE.

[Sanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah krijgt voor de verjaardag die ze vanwege ziekte eigenlijk niet mee zou kunnen maken van een vriendin een rondvlucht cadeau. Tussen Sarah en Will, de piloot, ontstaat direct een band. Wanneer haar weggelopen zoon vraagt om met Thanksgiving vraagt om naar haar ouderlijk huis te komen vraagt ze Will om haar te vliegen. Op het afgelegen eilandje leert ze meer over haar vader, haar zoon en Will. Hier blijkt dat niet alles is zoals het lijkt.

Wat een prachtig, ontroerend en hartverscheurend verhaal, tranen waren soms nog maar net te bedwingen. Vanaf de eerste bladzijde wordt je in het verhaal getrokken waarna ik het niet meer kon loslaten. De gemakkelijk lezende schrijfstijl maakte dat ik door het boek heen vloog terwijl ik romans vaak wat traag vind.

De omgeving die wordt beschreven is prachtig. Vooral de beschrijving van het eilandje voor de kust van Maine. Bij het lezen van de omschrijving maar ook de liefde die de eilandbewoners zelf hebben voor het eiland maakte dat ik hier graag naartoe zou willen.

De personages zijn allen goed neergezet. Iedereen heeft zijn eigen problemen waarmee die moet zien om te gaan. Hierdoor zijn er veel spanningen in de onderlinge relaties. Door de liefde die ze allen voor elkaar hebben is iedereen bereid om hieraan te werken, maakt niet uit hoe koppig sommige personages ook zijn.

Een absolute aanrader!

[Monica Gearhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Spoiler*





Loved this book but I was hoping she was going to make a slight recovery where she didn’t die so soon. I wish her and Will would’ve had more time.

[esh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy shit- my first romance book with a sad ending. But I didn't know it was a romance book at the start, I just picked up a random book from the shelf. Please I've never experienced this kind of pain. It was boring at the start because of the lack of progress in the story and Sarah felt a bit problematic to me (just a bit) but it's all good now. I think I prefer books with hea ends. It was kind of cliche and also predictable, but the writing is so good. I'm crying btw. And this crying is not the good crying, the sick feeling is gnawing at me. Idk what's making me give it 4 stars.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know that this deserves a 5 star rating, but it was definitely the right book at the right time for me. I fell in love with Susan/September/Secret/Snow/Sarah. Also, the portrayal of being a mother and wanting her son to find the right path really hit home for me. The need for people to say good bye still brings tears to my eyes. I think this is a book that is perfect when you need a good cry.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great read, a real dose of reality for those who have never lost a love one to a disease...........great characters, love lost, love found, the Heroine reminds me of a dear friend who recently passed away at the same age of the same disease. But my friend left her son, a little boy ...............a must read, yes it's a bit sad, but it will give you strenght and understanding.

[Wyatta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luanne Rice's books are better when she adds hard situations. This one has a main character battling cancer. I find her books which only deal with romance/relationships rather dull.

I cried with this one.

[Sharman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. I had trouble with the storyline. It was hard to suspend my disbelief. The author has moments of wonderful description. I did like the setting and emotion tied to the locations. I couldn't relate to the characters. This will probably be the last I read by this author.

[Asha Stark · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so, incredibly, abysmal omg

[Katie Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would do 4.5 stars for the simple fact that I did not love the way the characters were introduced. But other then that I loved this book.

[Amy Webster-Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

an awesome book, cried at the ending. which was a great one

[Becky Stapleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, loved this book!

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Original Thoughts (2000):

Fluff. Romance, not literature. Not bad, though. It held my interest. Sad story, yet somewhat flat and predictable.

My Current Thoughts:

This is not my sort of book and I wonder what prompted me to pick it up. I'm pretty sure I haven't read anything else by this author.

[Dorathy Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t stop crying through the last hundred pages of the book.

[Sofia]

Oh my God! This book, I know that everything went okay after Sarah's death but this is the first book of Luanne Rice that I've been reading, where one of the main characters died. Such a tragedy, very heartbreaking. The feeling of surviving from a very complicated disease then after some peace here it goes again, coming back. Sarah she was a very strong woman, taking and accepting everything. While I'm reading it, even it's not possible I was actually thinking of Sarah getting cured, like a miracle or something will happen and they, with Will, Susan, and Mike will happily at Elk Island.
Will, he's so romantic, he really loves Sarah, married her despite her condition. I can't really get over the ending it's so sad. Their love only lasted for months I think, four days at the island plus the 2 weeks given by the Doctor bout how long she'd live.

[Machel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book during a time I needed hope and inspiration, and this book inspired me to believe in the hope there is always another life, another chapter, another love, bonded moments with family, whether it be forever or after they die, true love never dies and real family ties are never broken. All of this, I found inside the plot, the story in Cloud 9. My first Luanne Rice novel to read, then I have devoured many, many more. She is a must definite must-read author at some point in your journeys. m

This is one of my top books that I love of Luanne Rice. She is such an amazing writer, with insight to the heart and soul, also with touches of magic in-between.

m

[Danjale Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book because reading about a dseased person showed me that it doesnt matter who u are anyone can get diseases. sarah was one of the lucky ones who survived.

[Mafi · Rating 4 out of 5]

É um dos melhores da autora, triste mas sem dúvida um livro muito bom!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super easy read. Luanne really makes your feel like you're part of the story.I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it!

[Smriti Brar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read! The author has projected the characters and emotions in such a beautiful manner.

[Anke · Rating 5 out of 5]

tweede keer dat ik het boek lees. eerste keer was 10jaar geleden. En nu raakte het me net zoveel als toen.

[Delissca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Luanne Rice is one of my favorite authors, so why did this book go nowhere for me. I really did not like it at all. I gave up on it about 30% of the way through.

[Madelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel Review
The author of the novel Cloud Nine is Luanne Rice; the novel’s genre is drama. In the book, Sarah Talbot faces the challenges of a cancer tumor. Not only that but she must go back to Elk Island to meet her son, Mike Talbot, who “ran away” from her. She must face her bitter old father on her way back, but love could be on the edge of Sarah’s life. The point of view is told from a third person omniscient view. The pace of the novel was slow since there were a couple of scenes throughout the book in which there was a sense of peace. For me the antagonist would be the cancer tumor, because it’s what puts Sarah’s life but also happiness at risk. The protagonist would have to be Sarah since she’s one of the character mentioned the most throughout the story. Sarah is also the character that links all the other characters through family bonds. One of the major conflicts was the idea of going back home to Elk Island after her son since her bitter old father lives on the island. My favorite character has to be Sarah’s son, Mike Talbot. Mike has shown throughout the novel the true definition of strength and success. He proves his family that success isn’t measured by the level of education someone obtains at school, but rather life. Mike made me realize that to succeed you need to be happy not just have a paper that says someone is successful. I wouldn’t change anything on the novel. I liked the way the story developed as if left me at the edge of the bed with all the suspense going on. It was somewhat down to earth book. Overall, I absolutely enjoyed the novel. The message behind the story was so powerful of that of love. It pulled my heartstrings more than once, and I loved that. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in a love-focused novel as well as a novel full of relatable moments and scenes.

[Anne Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book, but one must know you will need plenty of tissues since this book was very sad and very emotional.
Sarah Talbot has a business, Cloud Nine, that sells all sorts of cozy bedding items. She’s made a home for herself in an upstate New York town. She is especially happy because she has gotten through the rigors of brain cancer and the latest news from her doctors was good. She has taken a new lease on life. For her birthday, she goes on an aerial tour and makes friends with the pilot, Will. He’s the perfect person to ask to fly and take her to her home, an island off Maine, for Thanksgiving.
On the island lives her father, her aunt, and son, Mike. Mike has been helping his grandfather on his farm, and learning where his roots are. Sarah hopes that one day he’ll go back to the mainland to finish school.
Thanksgiving and the days after are filled with fun, surprises (Will’s daughter Susan stowed away on the plane), miracles, (Will saves Mike after he falls in an icy pond) and fears (Sarah’s back pain and fever.) But a bond has formed between everyone, especially the love Will has for Sarah.
When Sarah, Will, and Susan have to go back home everyone is sad, especially since Mike decides to stay on the island and help his grandfather rather than go to school. Susan is in extreme pain by this point and the plane almost crashed, but that’s beside the point. In the hospital, Susan’s diagnosis is grim, the doctor giving her only about two weeks to live. Will decides to take her back to the island, and once there, marries her.
Once Sarah passes, Will and Susan have to get on with their lives again, having lost Fred, Susan’s brother, a few years ago. But as time goes on Will becomes a father figure to Mike, who will finish his schooling, possibly even marrying Susan, which would make Sarah very happy.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second Luanne Rice book. What a great author! I will be reading more of her books as time goes on.

This book is well written with great characters, but a caution to readers, it is really sad. Sarah, Will, Alice, Michael, Susan (Will and Alice's teenage daughter) and even the weird step father Julian are all complicated and sophisticated characters. This is set in Maine mostly on Elk Island which is cut off from civilization. Sarah's father George, a widower and her Aunt Bess, a widow run the family farm and provide down quilts to Sarah's shop in Upper State New York where Sarah needed to go to in her youth. George and Bess give a home to single parent Sarah's son Michael, who flees Sarah's home in his own youthful rebellion to discover his roots on Elk Island. Susan, the teenager, is a wonderful character who has a lot of wit and wisdom for her age.

Sarah did leave the island and her beloved ocean, but her two homecomings are a time for her to correct past misunderstandings, discover who she is and gain peace for herself and with her father and her son. Although this is sad, there is so much love and hope in this book that is well worth reading if you are prepared to meditate on love and loss and life altering changes.

This is NOT for someone who recently lost a loved one. It is too honest and too sad for that. This is for someone who has lost someone a while ago and can appreciate the beauty and the miracles of the whale, the northern lights, the eagle and the Christmas tree which are all somewhat divine images in the book. This book definitely left a lasting impression and would be a good book club book. I hope, though, my next Luanne Rice will be a happy, happy book.

[Ximena Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

"La Novena Nube" es uno de esos libros que son tan románticos que hacen que te sientas como una completa enamorada. Es un libro que a pesar de ser muy corto, puedes encontrar en sus personajes y en su historia muchos mensajes que te harán reflexionar sobre la forma en que vemos la vida. Uno muy claro es la actitud de la protagonista Sarah ante todos sus conflictos y problemas tanto físicos como emocionales, les juro que como me gustaria poder sonreír como hace ella siempre en todo momento, es muy inspirador. Sin embargo mi personaje favorito fue Susan/ Secret/ Snow (cuando lean el libro entenderán porque).
En resumen, "La Novena Nube" es un libro que recomiendo a todas las personas que les gustan las novelas románticas, porque les prometo que se encontraran con un amor tan puro y sencillo que los conmoverá como no tienen idea.

[Susan Covino · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 I was ok, more or less, with the instant falling in love but many things bugged me about This book. The main character is 37 and her father and aunt are elderly? Her mom died when she was a teenager but it wasn’t so sad as her mom was “getting old” ?!
The level of tragedy was just too much for me. Her poor father looses his wife to cancer his daughter doesn’t ever visit so he doesn’t know his only grandson and then his daughter has cancer. Her son never met his father, didn’t have a relationship with his grandfather or aunt and his mon gets cancer. Will looses his son practically in front of his own eyes, his marriage falls apart and then he falls in love with a dying woman, sheesh.
I loved the quilt shop and descriptions! And the Maine island setting!