Synopses & Reviews
Tara Taylor Quinn dares to novelize her own true love story, in her groundbreaking novel filled with heartbreaking truths. It Happened on Maple Street sends a soaring message of hope that the redeeming power of love and refusing to bow to tragedy or time, can truly conquer all.
The quintessential good girl with her nose in a book, Tara lived in a sleepy Ohio town. She'd never been kissed when she began college, but that soon changed when she met hunky tennis ace Tim Barney in a Geology class. Tara fell so hard and fast she didn't need a rock on her finger to make the ultimate commitment. But Tim wasn't ready to commit and Tara walked away, knowing she could never recover from the irreparable hurt he was capable of wielding with a wave of his hand.
It was another man's hand who shattered her trust and took her innocence on one fateful night. And yet another man she laid cold beside in a loveless marriage-of-convenience bed. Yes, bad things happened after Tara broke up with Tim at his parent's house on Maple Street. Very bad things that she hid within the open pages of the romance novels she would become famous for writing. These were stories of love overcoming seemingly unbeatable odds and yet Tara Taylor Quinn couldn't hold her own sad marriage together.
But when an email message suddenly upends her world, the past is brought into shocking focus. The message is from Tim Barney. Does she remember him-the guy from college whose heart she broke? He's never forgotten her.
Plunged into a plot twist beyond her own imaginings, Tara has to discover if love can be as real as the kind she writes about. Is it possible that after years of emotional isolation, she may finally embrace a happily-ever-after of her own?
Review
Quinn, Tara Taylor.
It Happened on Maple Street. HCI. (True Vows). 2011. 286p. ISBN 9780757315688. pap. $13.95. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Naïve, sheltered, and bookish Tara Gumser is a smalltown Ohio 'good girl' with one enduring dream--to write for Harlequin--until she meets Tim Barney in a college geology class and adds another dream to her list. But life has other, far less pleasant plans for Tara, although she soon succeeds at carving out a stellar professional career. It isn't until decades later, when an out-of-the-blue email from Tim reunites them, that the cruel betrayal and emotional devastation of Tara's past are finally laid to rest, and she and Tim are given another chance at love. Told from alternating viewpoints (Tara's and Tim's), this introspective, soul-searing story takes its protagonists on a turbulent journey from angst-ridden teenage insecurity and painful self-doubt to adult understanding and acceptance and leaves them stronger, more resilient, and more sure of their love.
Verdict Poignant and brutally hard-hitting but shimmering with joy and newfound hope, this autobiographical reality-based romance by popular Harlequin author Quinn is a noticeable departure from her current suspenseful thrillers but is a compelling page-turner in its own right. Arizona-based Quinn (The Fourth Victim) is 'married to her own Harlequin Hero. Finally.'--Kristin Ramsdell, Librarian Emerita, California State Univ., East Bay Library Journal Express
Synopsis
The quintessential small-town girl with her nose in a book, Tara Gumser had never been kissed when she met Tim Barney on her first day in college. Tara fell hard and fast for the hunky tennis ace, and she dreamed of sharing the rest of her life with him. And while Tim was wild for this gifted young woman who was certain of one destiny--to pen her own Harlequin romances some day--he wasn't quite as ready to commit as young Tara.
It was another man's hand who shattered her trust and stole her saved innocence on one fateful night. And yet another man she lay cold beside in a loveless marriage-of-convenience bed. Yes, bad things happened after Tara broke up with Tim. Very bad things that she hid between the pages of the romance novels she would become famous for writing as 'Tara Taylor Quinn.' These were stories of love triumphant, and yet Tara's own sad marriage had finally come to an end.
But when an e-mail message from Tim Barney suddenly upends her world, the past is brought into shocking focus. Does she remember him--the guy from college whose heart she broke? He's never forgotten her.
Plunged into a plot twist beyond her own imaginings, Tara has to discover if love can be as real as the kind she writes about. Is it possible that after years of emotional isolation, this best-selling author may finally embrace a happily-ever-after of her own?
About the Author
The author of more than 50 original novels, in twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestseller with over six million copies sold. She is known for delivering deeply emotional and psychologically astute novels of suspense and romance. Tara won the 2008 Reader's Choice Award, is a four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a multiple finalist for the Reviewer's Choice Award, the Bookseller's Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. She has appeared on national and local TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning. When she's not writing or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them.&