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| Blessed Twice | 
 enlarge | Author: Lynn Galli
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Category: Book
List Price: $12.95
Buy New: $11.25
You Save: $1.70 (13%)
New (14) Used (8) from $7.86
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 10031
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6
ISBN: 1432730517
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781432730512
ASIN: 1432730517
Publication Date: August 11, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The problem with starting over in another state after losing your partner is that your new friends don't understand why you can't just get over it. They never saw how you were together, how much you loved her, how she was your life. They only see a number: three, as in, the number of years since she died. That's all the evidence they need to begin pressuring you to get back out there again. It doesn't matter that you've told them to back off. No, they feel it is their duty to butt into your life and ambush you with blind dates.
This wasn't a predicament Briony Gatewood anticipated when she relocated for tenure at a prestigious university. Yet after a year with her new friends, they've ceased being merely concerned and moved on to obnoxious. As if being fixed up wasn't bad enough, the dean at her college just volunteered her to teach a potentially career damaging class. Along for the experimental course is the socially challenged M Desiderius, a fellow professor who won't ever win a faculty popularity contest. But as they start working together, Briony begins to understand M's aloofness and is intrigued by the shy, brilliant, passionate woman. Enough so that she's starting to believe her friends when they say it's time to move on. And M, as complicated as her past has been and reticent as she seems now, may be the perfect person to help Briony finally heal and love again.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Blessed with another wonderful book by Lynn August 23, 2008
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I've never posted a review on Amazon yet but Lynn's latest book, Blessed Twice, has compelled me to do so. I have read all of Lynn's books and this one is her best in my opinion. It still contains her wonderful sense of humor and we get to visit with some of the Virginia Friends. But it also gives us a different dimension as we see both Briony and M struggle and then deal with the healing process of the issues they face through patience, compassion and love. You can't help to also fall in love with Briony's son Caleb as you witness his wonderful friendship with Hank, a friend who has his own special needs.
As with any Lynn Galli book, she gives us humor, a wonderful storyline where I couldn't put the book down until it was finished and the sex scenes in this book were more special with Briony trying to deal with the loss of her 1st partner and M discovering love for the first time. Plus the added bonus about this book is I was educated about a real life issue as we follow M through her healing process. I laughed, I cried and I loved the support and understanding provided by Jessie, Quinn and Willa to both Briony and M. If you haven't read the previous books by Lynn, I don't think you need to read them first as Lynn does a great job of quickly explaining the role these 3 Virginia friends played in the previous books. But I strongly encourage you to read them as I've enjoyed them all.
Her Best Yet August 27, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I'm a huge fan of Lynn Galli's and would read anything she writes, but I didn't think she could top Uncommon Emotions. I was wrong. Blessed Twice is funny, poignant, honest, a little startling at times, but wonderful overall. Like all of Galli's offerings, there's nothing typical about this romance. The hilarious dating scenes are worth the price of the book alone. And as always, any visit with the friends in Virginia is an enjoyable read.
Another excellent Galli novel September 12, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Lynn Galli has graced us with another winner. "Blessed Twice" tells the story of Briony Gatewood, a character from one of Lynn's earlier novels, "Imagining Reality." Briony is a widow; her partner died in a rock climbing accident several years ago, so she and her son move to Virginia for a new start in life. At the university, Briony meets the enigmatic M. That's right, M. And not the M from James Bond, either!
M is a most interesting character. Seemingly cool and aloof with her colleagues, she shines in the classroom with her students. Briony and M are roped into team-teaching a summer graduate class, and Galli takes it from there.
As Briony's friendship develops with M, the VA friends set her up on a series of disastrous blind dates. More and more, Briony realizes that she wants and desires M.
M is not sure she can reciprocate. She's toting her own personal baggage, traumas from the past which have colored the present and jeopardize her future with Briony.
I have to hand it to Galli. She's come up with another solid novel of longing and love.
Kudos, gal! You sure deserve it.
 An excellent and moving return to form for this author October 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was somewhat disappointed in Imagining Reality, though Uncommon Emotions got high marks from me; therefore, I was initially hesitant when I found that this book was returning once again to Virginia and the sometimes suffocating group of friends who bogged Imagining Reality down. I was pleasantly surprised, and pleased that the author focused this book on two characters only peripherally involved in "the group." It's not that I don't like the group. In fact, Galli has created an interesting and ultimately lovable group of women. But sometimes juggling all of those forceful personalities dilutes the thrust of her narrative line.
That was not a problem here. Briony only moved to Virginia fairly recently. She's friends with the group, but also feels comfortable telling them to butt out. Except even she is unsuccessful in enforcing her wishes when they seem determined to set her up on blind dates with hilarious results. Briony has recently felt she can move past her long-time partner's untimely death in a rock-climbing accident, and her son Caleb is encouraging as well, tired of seeing his mother unhappy. This realization on her part coincides with her being volunteered at a department meeting to teach a summer course with M Desiderius, an aloof and somewhat mysterious woman whose quiet competence, and warmth with her students and children endears her to Briony.
The careful and patient way Galli moves their tentative relationship along is a breath of fresh air. The supporting cast of friends lend some color, but never becoming overwhelming, or overtake the focus. Briony's gentle nudging, and M's cautious acceptance are endearing and tender, as M courageously moves past a difficult childhood, all the while helping heal Briony's own hurt. There were some somewhat awkward dominant/submissive scenes with M in a sex club that at first I wondered about, M's discomfort in the proceedings putting me off initially. But as the characters gained more context, they made more sense, and my fears were assuaged.
Galli continues to show great promise. This was a strong novel, with clearly told story, and I look forward to further growth from this author.
Galli at her best November 10, 2008
Lynn Galli has always been a wonderful writer but I feel this is her best effort.She deals with a very difficult subject and does an excellent job of it.
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