Lost And Found

Dead To You by Lisa McMann deftly explores the abduction and recovery of a child and its impact on a family. When Ethan Manuel De Wilde was seven years old, he was kidnapped from the front lawn of his house, and  began a very difficult odyssey. He lived with a woman named Ellen for several years, and when she began to have difficulty raising and supporting him, she abandoned Ethan to a group home. After a while, he ran away and lived on the streets. Miraculously, Ethan was able to  locate his family on an Internet site for missing children, and was returned to them. However, the transition to family life is fraught with heartache and tension. Ethan's brother, Blake, feels that this young man is not his brother, Ethan cannot recall any memories of life with his family from before his abduction, and he suffers from debilitating panic attacks. What is behind this disturbing memory loss? Will Ethan ever be able to reclaim his old life? This is a fast-paced, engaging read, with an unforgettable conclusion.

Starting Over

What would it be like to run away from everything you've ever known and begin life all over again?

Katie Feldman has fled her Massachusetts home to the sleepy, yet lovely town of Southport, North Carolina, carrying only her bare essentials and a wealth of painful secrets that she tries to keep buried. As she slowly rebuilds her life, tentatively forms relationships with others, and embarks on a new romance with Alex, one of the town's residents, she constantly wonders how long it will take for her past to catch up with her and destroy the new life that she has painstakingly created.

If you enjoy romance novels with a dose of suspense, then this book is for you.

Update: The movie, which is an effective adaptation of this story, appeared in theaters on Valentine's Day weekend.

"Starting Over" is a popular theme in Nicholas Sparks' works. Nights In Rodanthe is about two troubled people, Dr. Paul Flanner and Adrienne Willis, who meet by chance at an inn in Rodanthe, North Carolina. It is a weekend that changes their lives forever and demonstrates that the heart should always be open to the idea of second chances and change.