Kate Lloyd, A Portrait of Marguerite

A Portrait of Marguerite

Kate Lloyd

RiverOak, Sep 2006,

ISBN: 1589190564

With her son Rob off to college, fortyish single mom Marguerite Carr feels her life is over as the empty nest syndrome slams her big time. Her best friend Laurie bullies a reluctant Marguerite to attend Beginning Drawing at the college; the "crime scene" where she met Rob's father Phil. However, the instructor is a bit of a surprise as Henry Marsh is no more than a decade older than her and has no ring.

However a setback in her mind occurs when her ex-husband Phil introduces Professor Henry to Marguerite and Laurie. Phil has failed Rob and her too many times to matter though he remains attractive; Laurie thinks he is even better than ever. Meanwhile Marguerite finds her love for art especially drawing remains as strong as it was twenty years ago when she passionatly painted. Over the semester, Henry proves a kind, caring person who is smitten with Marguerite. As she reciprocates his feelings, she has doubts about men, love, and even God while Henry tries to prove his love with A PORTRAIT OF MARGUERITE.

This is a well-written character study of a woman whose only reason for existence over the past two decades is her son until now when she begins to understand that life is so much greater if one passionately goes for it as God would want of his children. Marguerite is a fabulous lead character who learns to believe in the Lord, herself, and her love for Henry as even the darkest secrets are nothing when willingly revealed in the light. Readers will enjoy this wonderful, inspirational romance that feels so real even when everything comes together too perfectly to be plausible as Kate Lloyd's talent shines.

Harriet Klausner