Sins of Omission

Sins #1

by Fern Michaels

It is the end of World War I. American soldiers Reuben Tarz and Daniel Bishop have both been wounded fighting in the trenches in France. But then the beautiful and sensual Marchioness Michelene Fonsard spirits them from the hospital to her lavish French chateau, opening the door to Reuben's dreams of wealth and power. Reuben and Mickey fall in love and life is idyllic for the three friends -- until the arrival of the lovely and spoiled Bebe Rosen unleashes savage passions and desperate deceptions that explode in... Sins of Omission.....
From the enchanting French countryside to the glittering Hollywood of Rudolph Valentino and Theda Bara, spanning twenty years of sin and seduction, of love and losses, of secrets and scandals, of heartbreak and betrayal, here is a breathtaking novel that will be remembered long after the last page is turned.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Contemporary

512 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Fern 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/

Reviews

[Jessica McReaderpants · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well written but I has some serious problems with the logic of this book. (Spoiler alert) I am supposed to believe that someone can get so drunk that they mistake a short 17 year old for a 42 year old woman with whom you have been sleeping with and that that extremely inebriated person would be able to pin down and maintain an erection (whiskey dick not withstanding) forcibly rape said 17 year old. Really Fern, really? Then he loves Mickey (the 42 year old) so much that he can't tell her the truth and decides to leave and then marry the 17 because it seems like a good idea? I am all about verisimilitude but it can only stretch so far. Reading about Reuben who digs himself a hole, fills it with shit then jumps in it, I have no sympathy for anyone in this book. I threw the book down the stairs after making myself finish it. Ugh.

[Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd, quirky novel about a couple --Molly and Robert Carter-- and a strange, self-absorbed woman named Suzanne, who is essentially amoral.

The novel is well-written, as a study of "normal" people's idiosyncracies and insecurities.

(NOTE to self: Chasing Dad.)

[Emma Maher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real soap opera. I was heartbroken when BB & Ruban got married. I need to read the second book in this duology as there are secrets that haven't been revealed yet. I am hoping Ruban & Mickey, his first love will get back together. The marriage between BB & Ruban was based on desperateness, lies, deceit & about guilttripping. BB did everything to get Ruban into her web & she tried to force him to love her, even though his heart was always belonging to Mickey. I did thoroughly enjoy this book, but I am a dye hard romantic & I think that their marriage was a huge mistake. I still thought the rest of the story was absolutely fantastic. As I said, this was definitely a book that played out like a soap opera. I will definitely read the sins of Omission to see where this story goes.

[Esther]

I checked this out of the library on disc to listen to while driving to work. I listened to the entire book from boredom, not interest. If I had the actual book, I never would have finished it. I had a hard time relating to the characters in the story. I know people in real life make stupid decisions, I know that these are just characters and the author can take liberties with a storyline that is not likely to happen, but to seriously expect me to believe that Bebe would still want Reuben after he violently raped her twice is beyond what I can swallow. I know of women who got pregnant from their first sexual encounter, but two rapes and two babies, seriously?

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book captured my attention and I had trouble putting it down. I won't spoil the story, but I can honestly tell you that the BRAT (Bebe Rosen Tarz) wouldn't have lasted one day in my family of Sicilians. My great-grandmother, grandmother and my mother would've fixed her little red wagon. My grandfather would've had a hand in it also! I found the storyline quite interesting (although the Bebe character did raise my blood pressure).

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this book was very enjoyable, however you have to get through the first 150 pages first. I found the first 150 pages very slow and going nowhere so I kept putting the book down and reading something else. Once past the slow section the book does pick up the pace and gives the reader a great baseline for a two book saga. (Book #2 Sins of the Flesh)

[Jennifer Stevensen-Waldo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book, pretty long and involved but I found myself feeling connected to the characters. Bebe is extremely frustrating. I cried when Reuben left Mickey. Some parts I forgot were supposed to take place in the 30's seemed more modern times. not sure if I will read the second book or not?

[Norma Gorrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sins of Omission

This the story of a young man who went to France with his best friend after the war ended and met an older woman and fell in love. This is my review and mine alone. Norma Gorrill

[Charmaine Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book among some old books in a room at my house. It's a wonderful read. I could hardly put it down. From start to finish one gets caught up & pulled into the lives of the people in the story. A good read.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was about Hollywood and the film industry starting in the 20's through the 40's and the ups and downs of getting the industry going. Interesting reading.

[Heather Endecott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of twists and turns. Wow.

[Ruth Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Loved it from beginning to end. Highly recommended. A must read. Read many years ago and still felt the excitement.

[Marjorie]

DNF

[Yvonne Kiundi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish i ommited this book from my tbr list

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book and was immediately hooked and bought it. The beginning setting is WWI in a French hospital filled with injured American soldiers. It was well written, but none of the characters were someone with which I could identify. It was definitely interesting, and the beginning is really good. As I continued to read I realized the book was rather smutty.

The title is very appropriate. Everybody "omits" telling somebody else and these sins of omission change the outcome of their lives. Bebe never tells her husband, Reuben, that she became pregnant when he raped her before they were married. Reuben never tells his lover, Mickey, that Bebe stabbed him with a pitchfork in retaliation for raping her. Reuben leads Mickey to believe that the reason he is leaving her is because he is impotent, when really it is because he feels so bad about raping her niece. Bebe never tells him she gave their son away. Mickey never tells Bebe that she adopted their son, leading Bebe to believe that Mickey gave him away to a good family. Bebe never told Mickey that she destroyed Reuben's love letters to her, etc. etc. See, it really is smutty, but I still read it.

All the characters except Daniel were dysfunctional. There's no mention of God throughout the book. Everyone is out for their own self interest. It made me appreciate my family and friends, and the fact we are not into drugs, power, or greed.

[S.J. Tyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating story! Set during World War I, this book takes the main characters from war to living in France, and finally to Hollywood. The writing is interwoven in layers that make you want to read more, creating interesting characters and settings that really pull you into the story. The book is over 500 pages, but is one of the few books I have read lately that I kept picking it up to read and finished in one weekend. I did not know until today that there is a sequel (Sins Of The Flesh), which might explain why the ending seemed to end at a point where it felt like the story could still go on. Now I see that it does! Definitely recommend this book, even if you are not a fan of historical fiction (which I am not). And now on to the sequel!

[Terri Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and it called to me again from its place on the shelf. I should have turned a deaf ear. It’s always hard to like a book when you can find any of the characters compelling. The plot had possibilities but dragged on too long, and the Greensboro references only dripped of white privilege. I’m sure they were there in my first read, but 35 years later, they are much more blatant. In addition, the author chose to have the main antagonist, Suzanne, use the “n” word and gave absolutely no contextual explanation. Even in 1984 that was offensive. Today is offensive and repulsive. Too many better books are out there to enjoy - give this one, even fir nostalgic reasons, a pass.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pretty long (like 600+ pages!) and really good. I was always lost in the story and how it flowed. Even though it is set back in the early 1900's I could relate to the story. I sometimes have a hard time understanding what life was like back then since I have no clue, but this story was a story of the characters not the settings. Also, I loved how human the people are. They aren't some fluff that nobody can understand. Bebe is a spoiled brat but also someone who can love deeply. Reuben is a mans man who does the "right" thing but still follows his heart. Daniel...who couldn't love Daniel? Hes a loyal friend, always. Great book. I look forward to reading the sequel.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are not many positives to say about this book. I was bored through most of it and to be frank, it just was not good. This book is a love triangle gone all wrong. Wealth, power, or love? Seems like wealth and power were much more important, which is unfortunate. Some spots leave you hanging and saying what?? There were many characters that had no relevance to the plot of the story. If there was a question below this review asking if I would recommend this book to others, I'd say no.

[Maureen Wasacase · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. Very shallow characters and they are not really defined well, therefore the reader can't invest themselves in the characters and/or the story. I am reading the second book and am still not enthralled but will plug along and finish the book. I am a huge Fern Michaels fan and have read just about everything she has written. These 2 books do not, in my estimation, live up to her high standards.

[Amos · Rating 3 out of 5]

of Walmart 8/6/2010. Started pm 11/9/2010 (busy) slow start. I am not that much into Movie trivia and much of this was just like that perhaps even imitation movie trivia. I don't follow current movies let alone the details of the silent films.
The reminises of the battles of WW1 were stark mimimalist. perhaps true but filtered. finis late pm

[Patricia Solla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting storyline. The author starts with WWI and end just before WWII. The characters are well developed if a little strange. This is a very wordy book. It held my attention and it's a sort of to be continued. I liked the descriptions of the War, the French countryside, and the interaction of the characters.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not tpyically a romance novel fan, my mother left it at my house and well, it was a book so I decided to read it. The plot was actually really good, the character development was good. As a personal opinion, I would have liked for more to have been revealed to the main characters but alas, the title would not be the title if there weren't some things "omitted"

[Cali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like this book but I guess I just assumed there was going to be a happy ending (which still might happen; I know this is book 1 of 2) but I have a feeling it's going to be more of a bittersweet ending. I think that by the end I'll get what it's all about but right now the characters just aren't doing what I want them to do. :)

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I didn't give it one star you wouldn't know I had rated it but one is a gift. If character development were as completely handled as the sexual encounters, the book might have had a chance. The sex scenes were traditional bodice ripper trite and the characters were plastic and caricatures. Not wasting any more time on this when there are so many more choices.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely not what I was expecting when I chose this book. The characters are deceitful, deceptive, and a whole host of other things that are not pleasant to read about. I was anxious to get to the end but was not happy with the ending. I'm guessing the second book will answer some of the questions that were left hanging though I'm not looking forward to reading it.

[Dendera · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Fern Michaels, but I had to give this book a 3.5 stars rating, cuz it was not one of my favourites of hers. She has written other more captivating books than this one. And the heroine, the blonde American girl "Bebe" was a complete shrew!! I wanted to smack her silly all through the novel..Can't believe I even put up with such a character!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Fern Michael's stories that can cover a period of many years. Excellent and now I must read Sins of the Flesh, the continuing story of Reubin Tarz as well as Mickey, Bebe and Daniel. What I like about this is that even though it is classified as a romance, there is so much more to it and the primary character is a man.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

takes to post WWI the goldenage of hollywood silent stars and scandal. Two friends are challenged by the presence of Bebe Rosen --The friendship is tested. I like this but it is not as good as the texas Trilogy etc

[JANET · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ENJOYED THIS BOOK. IT CONTAINED MANY SECRETS AND THEY WOULD HAVE ALL PRODUCED TOTALLY DIFFERENT RESULTS IN EVERYONE'S LIVES IF THEY HAD BEEN REVEALED. IT KEPT THE READER GUESSING OF WHAT WAS NEXT.