Katie Franklin wasn't quite sure she knew what she was doing. It was wrong for her to be talking to a handsome brown-eyed stranger in a bar on a Friday evening, or was it? Of course it wasn't as if her husband Rick cared whether she was at home or not; he was working the evening shift and wouldn't be home for hours. She doubted if he'd notice if she wasn't there when he got home.

Something about Joey made Katie feel more like a woman than she had in a long time. Perhaps it was the way he talked to her, his words a sensual promise of what could happen between them. Or was it his obvious appreciation of her physical beauty? That was something that Rick had failed to notice for a very long time.

It really didn't matter what led her into Joey's arms since all Katie knew there was happiness. But as she came to realize she was losing her heart to the new man in her life, she still had one question for herself: Was this the man she truly loved, or was her marriage to Rick worth saving to keep their family together?

Joey hadn't made a habit of hitting on married women, but this one was different. There was something about Katie that had drawn him like a moth to a flame, and he couldn't have helped himself if he wanted to. After spending only a few minutes with her, he knew he had to have her. The only thing that crossed his mind was her son. He wasn't sure he wanted to be the cause of a little boy losing his father.

In Searchers, Pepper St. Claire has created a thought provoking story about a loving wife who gradually comes to see herself, and her marriage, in a new light. The likeable characters and familiar situations are so realistic that you feel at home in Katie's world and can't help but share in her difficult decisions to find her one true love. This is one story you will not be able to escape from without shedding a few tears.

Reviewed By: Sabine Maurier
© June 2004