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Desperate Measures
An orphan whose wealthy uncle saved him from a life of poverty, Pete Sorenson has lived a fairy-tale life–complete with a sweet princess named Annie who provides the emotional support that Pete needs to launch his career as a high-powered attorney. But then Maddie Stern enters Pete’s life. Maddie was a foster child, too, and her breathtaking beauty and mysterious allure entrance Pete. Together they plan a wonderful future. But just days before the wedding, Maddie disappears. His world shattered, Pete reaches out to the one person who has always been there for him. Annie leaves behind her life in Boston to pick up the pieces for Pete, both of them knowing that Maddie must be out there somewhere.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
1408 people are currently reading
1146 people want to read
About the author
Fern Michaels
427 books6,538 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
January 1, 2016
I don't think I could be friends with a person who liked this book.
January 5, 2015
Long drawn out predictable plot and extremely one-dimensional characters yet not among the worst contemporary romance novels I've read.
This was my first book of this author and from what I gather it isn't one of her better works. It was however just the kind of book I wanted to read at this time, nothing too deep or anything likewise. There were some interesting parts to it, the last fifty pages or so were better written and the whole being able to buy anything aspect was also one of the things that had me finish it.
Overall it was the kind of book you read when you don't wanna read anything.
This was my first book of this author and from what I gather it isn't one of her better works. It was however just the kind of book I wanted to read at this time, nothing too deep or anything likewise. There were some interesting parts to it, the last fifty pages or so were better written and the whole being able to buy anything aspect was also one of the things that had me finish it.
Overall it was the kind of book you read when you don't wanna read anything.
June 1, 2021
Good story--Bad language
Good story. Bad language! I loved the story, but the bad language was totally unnecessary. Distracted form the overall book. I don't enjoy reading words like that.
Good story. Bad language! I loved the story, but the bad language was totally unnecessary. Distracted form the overall book. I don't enjoy reading words like that.
January 18, 2022
on and on and on
I liked the storyline of this book. With that said, there was way too much talk, written in an almost elementary fashion. I felt like it would never end, and then just like that it did. I liked the outcome, but it was painful getting there.
I liked the storyline of this book. With that said, there was way too much talk, written in an almost elementary fashion. I felt like it would never end, and then just like that it did. I liked the outcome, but it was painful getting there.
Read
January 31, 2017Pete Sorenson was 6 when parents died and his best friend, Barney (or Barnaby) Sims hid him in his tree house to try and keep the DPS from taking him away and putting him in a foster home. Barney had problems of his own though. His stepfather beat both him and his mother. It was 2 days before they found the boys in the tree house and Pete was taken away. His caseworker was Harriet Wardlaw and she was told to not get personally involved.
Pete was taken away and put into a foster home of a family that beat him and used their foster children as slaves. When he was almost 10, he took off to find Barney. He hitched a ride to Barney's old house and found Duke living there. He told Duke his story and Duke told him he had a brother who was a cop. He told Nathaniel (Nat) Bickmore, the cop, his story and he was given a ride back to the foster home on Duke's Harley. Nat and Harriet saw to it that he and the other children were taken out of that foster home. He was put in another one and it was a quiet house. No one talked much but he was taken care of until he was 14 and Mr. Penshaw died and his wife moved away. He was then put in a home with a couple who had a boy of their own, for about a year and a half. The money from the foster system went to their own son who was overweight and didn't do well in school. Pete was working at a fast food restaurant when Avrim Menials and his son, Nevil, came in demanding free food. He told them that he wouldn't take their order until the food was paid for and he told Nevil to respect his father and quit calling him 'old man'. This happened the day before Nat had arranged for Pete to meet someone he and Harriet thought was his uncle. Pete finished work that night and was grabbed from behind and severely beaten by Nevil and one of his friends. Pete recognized the smell. He crawled back to the restaurant and opened the back door which set off an alarm. Pete was found and taken to the hospital. Harriet and Nat had come to see him along with his uncle, Leo. Pete had hoped to find a family who loved him but his uncle wasn't like that. He told Pete that he would take care of him once and he would pay for him to attend Harvard to become an attorney like he was. Harriet was happy for him and told Pete that he now had a family. His uncle was one of the finest attorneys in the state and very wealthy. Pete didn't think Leo had liked his father very much. He did tell him things about his father that he never knew.
From the time Pete first met Nat, Nat had tried to locate Barney and his mother. He told Pete that he thought that they had moved out-of-state to get away from the stepfather and he couldn't locate them. Pete decided to quit looking. Barney had told him that he would find Pete when he was 16 and Barney would be 19. Pete was now 17 1/2 and he still didn't know where Barney was. He decided that Barney would have to find him now. Pete was through looking.
Pete went to college and law school at Harvard. He did well there and met Annie Gabriel. He made a pass at her one night and she told him that she didn't want to mess up their friendship by having sex with him. Pete didn't know what to do with her and called Leo during his last year of law school. Leo arranged for a 4 day trip for the 2 of them to go to Paris before graduation. Annie agreed to go with him and was treated to the finest of everything. She then made a pass at Pete and he didn't follow through. Now he didn't want to mess up their friendship. He didn't realize that Annie was deeply in love with him. She was sleeping with his roommate, Dennis. She wasn't in love with Dennis. She let him know up front that it was just sex. Pete didn't know that and was disappointed. He wanted to be Annie's first lover even though he was playing the field himself. Pete had slept with plenty of women during college but that tapered off once he started law school. He didn't have much time for social outings. He had Annie and they promised to keep in touch after they both started working. He offered to pay off her school loans but she refused to take him up on his offer. Annie was only an hours flight away from where Pete would be living and working. Leo told Pete he was proud of him for graduating from Harvard. They still weren't close but had learned to appreciate each other. Leo had given Pete more than he could ever repay along with a job working with him. Leo had someone teach Pete to drive, swim, play tennis and anything else he ever wanted to learn. He had given him a car more clothes than he had ever seen in his life. His bedroom and bathroom were bigger than any house he had lived in previously. Pete had graduated from Harvard with a law degree to help pay back Leo for everything that had been given to him.
Pete and Annie continued to see each other, although not too often. She hadn't seen him in a year and he called, drunk, from Thailand. He asked her to marry him because they wanted the same things. She told him to call and ask her when he was sober. She told him that Dennis had asked her to marry him too. Annie waited for Pete to call but he never did. The only thing he remembered of the conversation was that she said no and that Dennis had asked her to marry him too. He thought that was what she wanted. Pete didn't like Dennis and Annie didn't like him much either. He just wanted money and would comprise his morals to get it. Pete didn't like the fact that he talked about himself so much and what he had. He didn't like the fact that Dennis seemed jealous of what Pete had and made comments about his wealth.
Pete soon met someone that he felt was his destiny, Maddie Stern. She told him that she grew up in foster homes too. She pretended to like the same things that Pete did. He told her about his life and he laughed at the fact that he expected Barney to show up and rescue him. Pete didn't see her until she called an apologized for laughing at him. She also didn't like his being friends with Annie even though she had never met her. She wanted Pete to stop seeing her but didn't come right out and say it because she felt it was another deal breaker in their relationship. She cared more about his money than him. She knew that Pete was rich enough to give her what she wanted. One of the most real problems was the fact that she didn't want children and he wanted a dozen.
Pete went out of the country on business for a month and a half with their wedding less than 3 months away. He asked her to go check out a house that he wanted to purchase for them and she took her friend Janny with her. Maddie told Janny that she felt something was going to go wrong and she couldn't shake the feeling. Janny told her to quit whining and they went to check out the huge house. They were back in town and went out to get some ice cream before heading to 'Fairy Tales', the business that she was starting with financial help from Pete. They were in front of a convenience store around the corner when they witnessed a drive by, gang related shooting. Both women went to the police department to look at mug shots and pointed out the shooters but were unwilling to assist if it came to a court trial. They changed their minds after finding out that the husband and wife who owned the store were killed. They entered the Witness Protection Program. Madelyn Marie Stern and Janice Hobart no longer existed.
Pete was delayed in Hong Kong so he called Annie and asked her to see what she could find out because he couldn't get hold of Maddie or Janice. Annie told him that Dennis had broken up with her and he called Dennis too. He told Dennis that he was a fool for calling it off with Annie and Dennis told him that he couldn't compete with him because he was the one Annie was in love with. Pete denied it but also got to thinking about it too. Annie went to his place and told him that someone had been there. Fairy Tales was open and appeared to be run by two police women. She went back a half hour later and it was closed. She was told their phones were out of order. Something was going on but she didn't know what. She told Pete and he furious. He called his uncle and was told to stay there and finish his job. He came home and went to both the women's apartments and there was no one there. He went to the police dept and filed missing persons reports. The detective who had worked with the women had been told not to say anything to Pete. Nester called the FBI and was told that the agent who worked with them was in the hospital and not expected to survive. The FBI told Nester that the deal was off in regard to telling Pete they had entered the Witness Protection Program and given him the option to join in order to be with Maddie.
Pete called Annie and asked her if she could take some time off to come run Fairy Tales for him. He spoke with his uncle who knew nothing about where she was. He told Leo that he was taking time off and Leo reminded him that he was under contract and could take no more than a week off. Pete told him that there were four months left of the 8 yr. contract and he was out at the end of the term. He asked his uncle to use his contacts to see if he could get any information and he hired a private detective. He was determined to find Maddie and Janice.
Maddie and Janny were separated and Maddie was in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at a place that was dirty and had lots of cockroaches. She told the agent that she was leaving and she fought him and he hit her. He was embarrassed and let her leave. She went to a gift shop and purchased a coverup, a hat and sunglasses. She then called and left a message for Pete and called the shop and spoke to Annie about her leaving the Witness Protection Program. She found Janny in Utah. A marshal came by looking for them and they hid in the cellar of the house where Janny had been put. They talked a bit and Maddie seemed to be in shock and a bit out of it. Janny talked her out of her state and they decided to let the Witness Program people know where they were and go back into hiding again but this time they were going to stay together.
Annie was still running Fairy Tales a year later. Pete was working and Leo had a severe heart attack. He wrote a letter to Maddie and told the police that he wanted to talk to her or he was going to the media. A phone call was arranged and they spoke. Maddie told Pete that she was mad at him. and partially blamed him for the situation she was in. She told him that her and Janny were fighting. They were fighting because Maddie had never accepted the situation and was constantly complaining. Janny was tired of her constant whining and told the marshals that she needed professional help. Maddie asked about Fairy Tales and about the house she put the down payment on. She was mad when she found out that he didn't go through with the purchase of that house and then she asked him to join the witness program with her. He told her that he couldn't because he couldn't leave Leo alone in the hospital. Maddie was angry.
They did send a counselor to see Maddie and he told Maddie that she could walk away any time. Maddie did just that. She went to see Pete.
Pete had purchased another home and let Annie decorate it for him. Pete was working more and Leo had died. They worked together to figure out what to do with all the Leo had left him. They had worked through their relationship issues and when Leo had died, they were getting along. He left all his possessions and his part of the law practice to Pete.
Annie made a decision to leave after the second year of running Fairy Tales. She was in love with Pete but knew that their relationship was going no where. She had to get away from him and get back to her own life. She couldn't get over him unless she got away from him. She told him she was leaving over Thanksgiving.
The next day, Maddie came to see him and told him that weren't in love with each other enough. She loved his money but admitted that they didn't have a lot in common. She was telling him that so they would stay together. She told him that Annie was who loved him and he loved her. They were the ones who should be getting married. Maddie told Pete that she would testify in the trial and that she would live out her life as Maddie Stern for however long she had. Pete gave her the keys to Fairy Tales and told her that the business was hers for as long as she wanted it.
He went to Fairy Tales and found out that Annie had already left. The employees there didn't know where she had gone. He went back home to Darien to pack up and close the house. He arrived to find Barney there waiting for him. Barney told him that he was a mechanical engineer and that he didn't have money like Pete did and he had tried to find him. He told him that Annie had hired Jakes, the PI, to find him. Pete and he talked and cried for most of the night. Pete closed up the house and told Barney to follow him. He took Barney to Leo's house and told him that it was his. He and his wife and three daughters could move in whenever they liked. He told Barney that there was a fund set up to finance the care of the house. He just wanted Barney to take in a couple of foster kids to keep the house full and Barney agreed.
Pete had always wanted to take a trip to Australia. It was something that he and his father had talked about doing before his father had been killed. A present that Leo had given Pete before he died was an open ended ticket to go. Pete took this opportunity to go. He arrived there to find Annie. She was on the beach waiting for him. Annie told him that Maddie had called and told him to go there and wait for Pete. Pete finally told Annie that he was in love with her and always had been. He just didn't realize it.
Pete was taken away and put into a foster home of a family that beat him and used their foster children as slaves. When he was almost 10, he took off to find Barney. He hitched a ride to Barney's old house and found Duke living there. He told Duke his story and Duke told him he had a brother who was a cop. He told Nathaniel (Nat) Bickmore, the cop, his story and he was given a ride back to the foster home on Duke's Harley. Nat and Harriet saw to it that he and the other children were taken out of that foster home. He was put in another one and it was a quiet house. No one talked much but he was taken care of until he was 14 and Mr. Penshaw died and his wife moved away. He was then put in a home with a couple who had a boy of their own, for about a year and a half. The money from the foster system went to their own son who was overweight and didn't do well in school. Pete was working at a fast food restaurant when Avrim Menials and his son, Nevil, came in demanding free food. He told them that he wouldn't take their order until the food was paid for and he told Nevil to respect his father and quit calling him 'old man'. This happened the day before Nat had arranged for Pete to meet someone he and Harriet thought was his uncle. Pete finished work that night and was grabbed from behind and severely beaten by Nevil and one of his friends. Pete recognized the smell. He crawled back to the restaurant and opened the back door which set off an alarm. Pete was found and taken to the hospital. Harriet and Nat had come to see him along with his uncle, Leo. Pete had hoped to find a family who loved him but his uncle wasn't like that. He told Pete that he would take care of him once and he would pay for him to attend Harvard to become an attorney like he was. Harriet was happy for him and told Pete that he now had a family. His uncle was one of the finest attorneys in the state and very wealthy. Pete didn't think Leo had liked his father very much. He did tell him things about his father that he never knew.
From the time Pete first met Nat, Nat had tried to locate Barney and his mother. He told Pete that he thought that they had moved out-of-state to get away from the stepfather and he couldn't locate them. Pete decided to quit looking. Barney had told him that he would find Pete when he was 16 and Barney would be 19. Pete was now 17 1/2 and he still didn't know where Barney was. He decided that Barney would have to find him now. Pete was through looking.
Pete went to college and law school at Harvard. He did well there and met Annie Gabriel. He made a pass at her one night and she told him that she didn't want to mess up their friendship by having sex with him. Pete didn't know what to do with her and called Leo during his last year of law school. Leo arranged for a 4 day trip for the 2 of them to go to Paris before graduation. Annie agreed to go with him and was treated to the finest of everything. She then made a pass at Pete and he didn't follow through. Now he didn't want to mess up their friendship. He didn't realize that Annie was deeply in love with him. She was sleeping with his roommate, Dennis. She wasn't in love with Dennis. She let him know up front that it was just sex. Pete didn't know that and was disappointed. He wanted to be Annie's first lover even though he was playing the field himself. Pete had slept with plenty of women during college but that tapered off once he started law school. He didn't have much time for social outings. He had Annie and they promised to keep in touch after they both started working. He offered to pay off her school loans but she refused to take him up on his offer. Annie was only an hours flight away from where Pete would be living and working. Leo told Pete he was proud of him for graduating from Harvard. They still weren't close but had learned to appreciate each other. Leo had given Pete more than he could ever repay along with a job working with him. Leo had someone teach Pete to drive, swim, play tennis and anything else he ever wanted to learn. He had given him a car more clothes than he had ever seen in his life. His bedroom and bathroom were bigger than any house he had lived in previously. Pete had graduated from Harvard with a law degree to help pay back Leo for everything that had been given to him.
Pete and Annie continued to see each other, although not too often. She hadn't seen him in a year and he called, drunk, from Thailand. He asked her to marry him because they wanted the same things. She told him to call and ask her when he was sober. She told him that Dennis had asked her to marry him too. Annie waited for Pete to call but he never did. The only thing he remembered of the conversation was that she said no and that Dennis had asked her to marry him too. He thought that was what she wanted. Pete didn't like Dennis and Annie didn't like him much either. He just wanted money and would comprise his morals to get it. Pete didn't like the fact that he talked about himself so much and what he had. He didn't like the fact that Dennis seemed jealous of what Pete had and made comments about his wealth.
Pete soon met someone that he felt was his destiny, Maddie Stern. She told him that she grew up in foster homes too. She pretended to like the same things that Pete did. He told her about his life and he laughed at the fact that he expected Barney to show up and rescue him. Pete didn't see her until she called an apologized for laughing at him. She also didn't like his being friends with Annie even though she had never met her. She wanted Pete to stop seeing her but didn't come right out and say it because she felt it was another deal breaker in their relationship. She cared more about his money than him. She knew that Pete was rich enough to give her what she wanted. One of the most real problems was the fact that she didn't want children and he wanted a dozen.
Pete went out of the country on business for a month and a half with their wedding less than 3 months away. He asked her to go check out a house that he wanted to purchase for them and she took her friend Janny with her. Maddie told Janny that she felt something was going to go wrong and she couldn't shake the feeling. Janny told her to quit whining and they went to check out the huge house. They were back in town and went out to get some ice cream before heading to 'Fairy Tales', the business that she was starting with financial help from Pete. They were in front of a convenience store around the corner when they witnessed a drive by, gang related shooting. Both women went to the police department to look at mug shots and pointed out the shooters but were unwilling to assist if it came to a court trial. They changed their minds after finding out that the husband and wife who owned the store were killed. They entered the Witness Protection Program. Madelyn Marie Stern and Janice Hobart no longer existed.
Pete was delayed in Hong Kong so he called Annie and asked her to see what she could find out because he couldn't get hold of Maddie or Janice. Annie told him that Dennis had broken up with her and he called Dennis too. He told Dennis that he was a fool for calling it off with Annie and Dennis told him that he couldn't compete with him because he was the one Annie was in love with. Pete denied it but also got to thinking about it too. Annie went to his place and told him that someone had been there. Fairy Tales was open and appeared to be run by two police women. She went back a half hour later and it was closed. She was told their phones were out of order. Something was going on but she didn't know what. She told Pete and he furious. He called his uncle and was told to stay there and finish his job. He came home and went to both the women's apartments and there was no one there. He went to the police dept and filed missing persons reports. The detective who had worked with the women had been told not to say anything to Pete. Nester called the FBI and was told that the agent who worked with them was in the hospital and not expected to survive. The FBI told Nester that the deal was off in regard to telling Pete they had entered the Witness Protection Program and given him the option to join in order to be with Maddie.
Pete called Annie and asked her if she could take some time off to come run Fairy Tales for him. He spoke with his uncle who knew nothing about where she was. He told Leo that he was taking time off and Leo reminded him that he was under contract and could take no more than a week off. Pete told him that there were four months left of the 8 yr. contract and he was out at the end of the term. He asked his uncle to use his contacts to see if he could get any information and he hired a private detective. He was determined to find Maddie and Janice.
Maddie and Janny were separated and Maddie was in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at a place that was dirty and had lots of cockroaches. She told the agent that she was leaving and she fought him and he hit her. He was embarrassed and let her leave. She went to a gift shop and purchased a coverup, a hat and sunglasses. She then called and left a message for Pete and called the shop and spoke to Annie about her leaving the Witness Protection Program. She found Janny in Utah. A marshal came by looking for them and they hid in the cellar of the house where Janny had been put. They talked a bit and Maddie seemed to be in shock and a bit out of it. Janny talked her out of her state and they decided to let the Witness Program people know where they were and go back into hiding again but this time they were going to stay together.
Annie was still running Fairy Tales a year later. Pete was working and Leo had a severe heart attack. He wrote a letter to Maddie and told the police that he wanted to talk to her or he was going to the media. A phone call was arranged and they spoke. Maddie told Pete that she was mad at him. and partially blamed him for the situation she was in. She told him that her and Janny were fighting. They were fighting because Maddie had never accepted the situation and was constantly complaining. Janny was tired of her constant whining and told the marshals that she needed professional help. Maddie asked about Fairy Tales and about the house she put the down payment on. She was mad when she found out that he didn't go through with the purchase of that house and then she asked him to join the witness program with her. He told her that he couldn't because he couldn't leave Leo alone in the hospital. Maddie was angry.
They did send a counselor to see Maddie and he told Maddie that she could walk away any time. Maddie did just that. She went to see Pete.
Pete had purchased another home and let Annie decorate it for him. Pete was working more and Leo had died. They worked together to figure out what to do with all the Leo had left him. They had worked through their relationship issues and when Leo had died, they were getting along. He left all his possessions and his part of the law practice to Pete.
Annie made a decision to leave after the second year of running Fairy Tales. She was in love with Pete but knew that their relationship was going no where. She had to get away from him and get back to her own life. She couldn't get over him unless she got away from him. She told him she was leaving over Thanksgiving.
The next day, Maddie came to see him and told him that weren't in love with each other enough. She loved his money but admitted that they didn't have a lot in common. She was telling him that so they would stay together. She told him that Annie was who loved him and he loved her. They were the ones who should be getting married. Maddie told Pete that she would testify in the trial and that she would live out her life as Maddie Stern for however long she had. Pete gave her the keys to Fairy Tales and told her that the business was hers for as long as she wanted it.
He went to Fairy Tales and found out that Annie had already left. The employees there didn't know where she had gone. He went back home to Darien to pack up and close the house. He arrived to find Barney there waiting for him. Barney told him that he was a mechanical engineer and that he didn't have money like Pete did and he had tried to find him. He told him that Annie had hired Jakes, the PI, to find him. Pete and he talked and cried for most of the night. Pete closed up the house and told Barney to follow him. He took Barney to Leo's house and told him that it was his. He and his wife and three daughters could move in whenever they liked. He told Barney that there was a fund set up to finance the care of the house. He just wanted Barney to take in a couple of foster kids to keep the house full and Barney agreed.
Pete had always wanted to take a trip to Australia. It was something that he and his father had talked about doing before his father had been killed. A present that Leo had given Pete before he died was an open ended ticket to go. Pete took this opportunity to go. He arrived there to find Annie. She was on the beach waiting for him. Annie told him that Maddie had called and told him to go there and wait for Pete. Pete finally told Annie that he was in love with her and always had been. He just didn't realize it.
July 20, 2024
Great book once I got further into it!
November 11, 2022
Sappy beginning. Predictable and long drawn out middle. Unrealistic stupid ending. The plot line had potential so I kept hoping…
November 24, 2021
Finally, I reached the end
They can’t all be good, right? This book just went on, and on, and on. It was a bit ridiculous and too far-fetched to be even somewhat believable. Definitely skip this one.
They can’t all be good, right? This book just went on, and on, and on. It was a bit ridiculous and too far-fetched to be even somewhat believable. Definitely skip this one.
January 31, 2022
I know kids wo are put into the Foster Kids Program don't always get the best homes to be sent to. In the case of this story Pete was one of those kids and since he was so young (6), he also lost is friend Barney who was a few years older and who promised to find him when he turned 16. When this did not occur, it really sent Pete into a real tailspin. This affected him his whole life. His best friend from childhood, Annie, was usually kept him functioning. As time progressed, Annie fell in love with Pete, but did not let him know it until years later. Pete did fall in love with someone and just before their wedding, she and her friend witnessed a murder and ended up in the Witness Protection Program which turned out to be horrible. Pet was obsessed in finding out where she was, and she couldn't take the program and walked away from it and tried to find her fiend. She finally was able to find her and when they were so afraid they returned to the program and this time their request to be together was honored. However Pete still could not find her, so he called Annie to come and help him run the store his fiancee had just opened and she came. During this time Annie fell eeven harder for Pete and the girlfriend, decided she really didn't love Pete, she just loved his money. As in most Fern Michaels stories, all ends well and Pete and Annie realize how much they love each other and a wedding is planned.
September 3, 2017
The book wasn't bad. I liked where everything was going in the beginning. With Maddie and Pete together but really Annie and Pete should be together and stuff like that, but when they through with the murders and get into the witness protection program, it me it through the rest of the book off. To me it just didn't fit. The ending was ok I guess, the very end should have been what they said in the epilogue. Then for the epilogue should have been like now they're traveling the world and they're married and stuff like that, something more final. Also with Leo dying I thought that was fast it was just like bam he's dead. And they should have said something in the epilogue about Barney and how his family in living in the giant mansion and Annie meeting him and the rest of his family. Barney showing up was just so fast and that they just sped through it. Doesn't say anything about Pete telling Annie that Barney showed up. I just felt like it was like 2 books mixed together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2021
This book had so much potential. But alas. It took me a long time to read and I was quite disinterested for most of it. CONS: To start, I couldn't get on board with the importance given to Barney in the MC's life. Maybe I'm a bit glad Pete finally finds Barney, (because it was soooo important for the whole book), but I just don't really understand why. The other characters also seemed incompatible with their own story lines/levels of success (ie. just letting life happen to them/letting others tell them what to do). The plot twists were unsatisfying and I was especially put-off by the unnecessary vulgarity of the language at every other paragraph. PROS: I'm happy that it was not overly predictable, that there was a happy ending for Annie.
I've not read Fern Michaels before, but this one was a bust.
2 stars.
I've not read Fern Michaels before, but this one was a bust.
2 stars.
June 18, 2017
I have always enjoyed reading books written by Fern Michaels. This book, however, took me longer to read than any other. The story revolved a young man & finding a girlfriend. This young man was a product of foster care. There appeared to be a "spirit" who helped him with finding a job & a girlfriend. This "spirit" would just appear out of no where throughout the book. I feel like I missed something in the story as I finished the book still wondering about so much? Was this to teach us all to look inwards when we wanted something? Were the readers to see that they didn't need a "spirit" but faith in themselves? My feelings about this book are mixed.
May 10, 2024
It was good, but too drawn out, another of those books that could have been about 100 pages shorter. I didn't particularly like either Maddie or Pete and I think Annie deserved better.
When a relationship's put to the test, if both parties think mostly of themselves, then it's bound to fail.
And the whole trope about someone thinking of you as just a friend for years then suddenly discovering they're madly in love with you is a bunch of BULL! They sure weren't thinking about you while they were rolling around naked with their significant other that they thought was the love of their life!
COME ON!!!!
When a relationship's put to the test, if both parties think mostly of themselves, then it's bound to fail.
And the whole trope about someone thinking of you as just a friend for years then suddenly discovering they're madly in love with you is a bunch of BULL! They sure weren't thinking about you while they were rolling around naked with their significant other that they thought was the love of their life!
COME ON!!!!
August 30, 2019
Got better about halfway through the book .
Wasn't really thrilled with the whining characters but liked the last part of the book once there was a little excitement. Way too much drama for me. Liked the foster kid part but detested Maddie. I also hated seeing Annie be such a slave for Pete. I prefer stronger female characters. I really wanted to smack Pete too for abusing Annie. It was not an uplifting tale and I found that it made me quite depressed . Not a feel good story at all.
Wasn't really thrilled with the whining characters but liked the last part of the book once there was a little excitement. Way too much drama for me. Liked the foster kid part but detested Maddie. I also hated seeing Annie be such a slave for Pete. I prefer stronger female characters. I really wanted to smack Pete too for abusing Annie. It was not an uplifting tale and I found that it made me quite depressed . Not a feel good story at all.
September 12, 2020
I haven't read a book by this author in a while. This is an easy to read book. The plot is typical in that a man is caught between loving and the need or approval. A man is shaped by his life experiences and makes decisions based on his need to find his place in the world. Money is no problem for him. There's lots of twists and turns that lead to a predictable ending. I found reading something light was just what I needed in today's situation.
January 31, 2023
Love trumps wealth!
I didn't like the way the story danced around the obvious fact that Annie and Peter loved each other but never seemed to work it out.
As a big fan of Fern Michaels, l have read most of her books and enjoyed them. However l would not recommend Desperate Measures because this story left me disappointed that l had spent so much time on it. Yes it has a happy ending but l was so tired of all the nonsense it took to get there.
I didn't like the way the story danced around the obvious fact that Annie and Peter loved each other but never seemed to work it out.
As a big fan of Fern Michaels, l have read most of her books and enjoyed them. However l would not recommend Desperate Measures because this story left me disappointed that l had spent so much time on it. Yes it has a happy ending but l was so tired of all the nonsense it took to get there.
February 6, 2023
Great Story--Great Read
This is the story of Pete Sorenson, who lost his parents at a young age, his friend Barney, and Annie. When Pete was taken by welfare after his parents died, Barney agreed to find him when he turned 16. He was able to find his uncle Leo, who sent him to Harvard and Harvard School of Law. He met Annie at Harvard. It is an interesting story of how people don't always understand others, and miss opportunities.
This is the story of Pete Sorenson, who lost his parents at a young age, his friend Barney, and Annie. When Pete was taken by welfare after his parents died, Barney agreed to find him when he turned 16. He was able to find his uncle Leo, who sent him to Harvard and Harvard School of Law. He met Annie at Harvard. It is an interesting story of how people don't always understand others, and miss opportunities.
April 11, 2023
This is the second book by Michaels that I have read, and just as the first, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think her style of writing is fantastic. It kept me on the edge of my seat, making it hard to put down. I did notice some of the reviews of this book were negative and I have to disagree. Yes, I was a little skeptical when I first came across one her books. I am glad that I did, and I would highly recommend reading this story.
July 4, 2023
A different tale but the ending was obvious from the beginning!
A good description - if overlong- of his early life, then a rush through his early working life until he meets Maddie. Pretty ploddy then but gets quite exciting with the witness protection program before settling down into mundane again. I did wonder if it had been heavily edited as some things weren't explained but others were laboured over. But the ending was obvious. Some good characterisation though.
A good description - if overlong- of his early life, then a rush through his early working life until he meets Maddie. Pretty ploddy then but gets quite exciting with the witness protection program before settling down into mundane again. I did wonder if it had been heavily edited as some things weren't explained but others were laboured over. But the ending was obvious. Some good characterisation though.
May 4, 2018
I suppose the title refers to lectors have an overwhelming need to read, but have access to only this book! “NY Times #1 bestselling author” Wow the hoards love to read crap! Wooden character development; a predictable ending, several useless asides: improbable plot. Unbelievable! Should have DNF’d it. No more FM ever!!!
December 11, 2020
Excellent read
Couldn’t put the book down. Read it in 1-1/2 days, reading through the night. Good character development. I was suspicious about Maddie from the beginning. I would liked to have Annie not be so submissive to Pete. It was obvious they were going to get together from the start. I have all of Fern Michaels books. She’s an excellent writer.
Couldn’t put the book down. Read it in 1-1/2 days, reading through the night. Good character development. I was suspicious about Maddie from the beginning. I would liked to have Annie not be so submissive to Pete. It was obvious they were going to get together from the start. I have all of Fern Michaels books. She’s an excellent writer.
September 4, 2021
Interesting
I can't believe this is the very first book I have read by Fern Michaels that there wasn't A dog in residence! There was a cat, but they don't count. The mention of dogs didn't happen until b the very end of the book. I will say, the story was interesting and kept my interest to the point U was determined to finish all at one time.
I can't believe this is the very first book I have read by Fern Michaels that there wasn't A dog in residence! There was a cat, but they don't count. The mention of dogs didn't happen until b the very end of the book. I will say, the story was interesting and kept my interest to the point U was determined to finish all at one time.
January 24, 2022
Another great Micheals read
I never ever get tired of Fern Michaels' books. Her plots are well timed; her characters feel like friends (or enemies) by the end of the book.
And while the endings usually happen in the most appealing answers logical outcome, I wish they happened a bit less abruptly.
I never ever get tired of Fern Michaels' books. Her plots are well timed; her characters feel like friends (or enemies) by the end of the book.
And while the endings usually happen in the most appealing answers logical outcome, I wish they happened a bit less abruptly.
February 9, 2022
Three for effort.
I liked the idea for this story but ,oh my, it just dragged on and on. I ended up not liking any of the characters except for Barney and he was only mentioned a few times. The ending left a lot to desired. I usually like this author's books but was disappointed in this one.
I liked the idea for this story but ,oh my, it just dragged on and on. I ended up not liking any of the characters except for Barney and he was only mentioned a few times. The ending left a lot to desired. I usually like this author's books but was disappointed in this one.
February 22, 2022
it was entertaining
I liked it for the most part. There were moments when I thought “Jeeze, could this book get any dopey”. The book kept my attention and I rooted for Anne even if I thought she was stupid at times. Wasn’t a fan of the Maddie character. I’m glad it ended happily ever after.
I liked it for the most part. There were moments when I thought “Jeeze, could this book get any dopey”. The book kept my attention and I rooted for Anne even if I thought she was stupid at times. Wasn’t a fan of the Maddie character. I’m glad it ended happily ever after.
February 25, 2022
Great reading
Great reading about Pete. Who lost his parents and went into foster care. They finally found his Uncle but still missed love in his life. He went to Harvard and became a lawyer with the help of Annie his best friend And he still missed his boyhood friend. He meets Maggie and falls in love with her but things change and they have to learn about life and love.
Great reading about Pete. Who lost his parents and went into foster care. They finally found his Uncle but still missed love in his life. He went to Harvard and became a lawyer with the help of Annie his best friend And he still missed his boyhood friend. He meets Maggie and falls in love with her but things change and they have to learn about life and love.
October 10, 2022
hard to put down
I really liked this story. I read until my eyes hurt. It’s easy to follow, the character realistic, even if they are a little slow of the uptake. I kept wondering why they didn’t
Use cell phones and then I read a passage and realized this book is 40 years old. So there is a time
Line factor. Still good. Great writing
I really liked this story. I read until my eyes hurt. It’s easy to follow, the character realistic, even if they are a little slow of the uptake. I kept wondering why they didn’t
Use cell phones and then I read a passage and realized this book is 40 years old. So there is a time
Line factor. Still good. Great writing
August 18, 2019
Heart Warming Story
This is my second reading , about 1 1/2 years apart. Fern, has done it twice, just as enjoyable the second time.. Guess what, I'm off to get and read, Tuesdays Child, next..Great work Fern Michaels.....
Tom Herrington
This is my second reading , about 1 1/2 years apart. Fern, has done it twice, just as enjoyable the second time.. Guess what, I'm off to get and read, Tuesdays Child, next..Great work Fern Michaels.....
Tom Herrington
March 28, 2021
True Love
Another great story by Fern Michaels. This is about a two lawyers. He was in love with a woman who pretended she was in love with him for the things he could give her. Read the exciting ending.
Another great story by Fern Michaels. This is about a two lawyers. He was in love with a woman who pretended she was in love with him for the things he could give her. Read the exciting ending.
July 31, 2021
Great Read
It was a very slow starting book. Which made it easy for me to put down for about two weeks. Once I got back into it it evolved into a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to my friends.
It was a very slow starting book. Which made it easy for me to put down for about two weeks. Once I got back into it it evolved into a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to my friends.
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