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    Family Affair
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    Family Affair
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    Family Affair
    Ebook102 pages1 hour

    Family Affair

    By Debbie Macomber

    3/5

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    About this ebook

    “Debbie Macomber writes characters that are as warm and funny as your best friends.”
    —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author

    #1 New York Times bestseller Debbie Macomber invites readers to an unforgettable Family Affair—a glorious celebration of heart, love, and laughter, and a delightful flourish of the Macomber magic that has made her one of the most popular authors in contemporary romance fiction. A gorgeous new edition of this poignant love story by the much beloved author of Mrs. Miracle—available for the first time in over a decade—Family Affair is alive with the charm, wit, and deep, heartwarming emotion that have become Debbie Macomber hallmarks.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 4, 2011
    ISBN9780062036377
    Author

    Debbie Macomber

    Debbie Macomber, with more than 100 million copies of her books sold worldwide, is one of today’s most popular authors. Visit her at DebbieMacomber.com.

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    Reviews for Family Affair

    3/5

    109 ratings24 reviews

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    • 2/5
      This book was okay. It was a quick read that you can get done in a few hours. It doesn't really dip into the characters that much that you get to know them really well. It was more of a fly-by of their lives.
    • 4/5
      Such a cute short story if you are looking for something quick! This is less than 100 pages so it is a really quick read.
    • 2/5
      Lacey is recently divorced. She's trying to pick herself back up and move on. She lives with her cat Cleo and is content with this arrangement. Then she meets Jack. Her loud, obnoxious neighbor. He's constantly arguing with his girlfriend and quite frankly, Lacey is tired of it. She has decided to ignore Jack.Until Cleo gets pregnant by Dog, Jack's cat. Now Lacey has no choice but to interact with him. Little does she know, Jack just may be the man she is looking for.Family Affair was originally published in 1994. Less than 120 pages, it's easy to finish this story in an hour or less. If you are new to Macomber, I wouldn't start here. Instead I recommend her Cedar Cove series. Family Affair is an easy, quick read, but forgettable after you read the last page.
    • 4/5
      Typical romance novel....girl is pursued by hunk of a neighbor, hunk finally gets the chance he is looking for with the girl, they fall in love and all ends well.
    • 3/5
      A short story on audio – a cute and light romantic comedy about a woman after her divorce—she and her cat move next door to Jack with a Tom cat (named Dog) and issues with his sister. The pair end up with a family. Not a fan of cats; however was entertaining and the narrator did a good job.
    • 5/5
      Amazon Product DescriptionRediscover the joy of #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber's delightful tale of unexpected love, second chances, and a cat named Dog.Lacey Lancaster has always longed to be a wife and mother. However, after a painful divorce, she decides it's time to lay low for a while in her charming San Francisco apartment with her beautiful Abyssinian cat, Cleo.Everything would be wonderful, except for her utterly impossible neighbor Jack Walker. When he's not arguing day and night with his girlfriend, begging her to move in with him, he's chasing down his cat named Dog, who seems determined to get Cleo to succumb to his feline advances.Then Lacey discovers the awful truth—Cleo is in the family way and Dog's to blame. She's furious that neither Jack nor his amorous animal seem too upset about the situation.But Lacey learns that things are not quite as they seem. Jack's "girlfriend" is really his sister—and his intentions toward Lacey are very honorable. And though she's not quite sure about Dog, Lacey begins to discover the tender joy of falling in love all over again. Family Affair is quick light-hearted read. The events are somewhat predictable, but always well written. Macomber's characters are well defined and quite likable. I often turn to her books when I need a feel good read - that's not to say that her books do not have some serious topics or emotions, but so far all the ones I have read had an uplifting ending. It's a nice break from the murder and mayhem (mysteries) or great levels of angst (young adult) novels that I normally read.If you are looking for a quick, delightful read, I suggest you check Family Affair.
    • 2/5
      I requested this book because of the title and author. I enjoy Debbie Macombers family stories but don't care for her romances.She is a very good writer and has gotten better with time.This is however a reprint of an old romance and I really didn't care for it at all.The story was based around a woman , her purebred cat and annoying neighbor.Same old, same old for a romance. They meet, have problems and then fall in love.
    • 3/5
      STORY: Lacey Lancaster has always longed to be a wife and mother. However, after a painful divorce, she decides it’s time to lay low for a while in her charming San Francisco apartment with her beautiful Abyssinian cat, Cleo.Everything would be wonderful, except for her utterly impossible neighbor Jack Walker. When he’s not arguing day and night with his girlfriend, begging her to move in with him, he’s chasing down his cat named Dog, who seems determined to get Cleo to succumb to his feline advances.Then Lacey discovers the awful truth—Cleo is in the family way and Dog’s to blame. She’s furious that neither Jack nor his amorous animal seem too upset about the situation.But Lacey learns that things are not as they seem. Jack’s “girlfriend” is really his sister—and his intentions toward Lacey are very honorable. And though she’s not quite sure about Dog, Lacey begins to discover the tender joy of falling in love all over again.REVIEW: Well, there you have it! That’s just about it…This synopsis almost covers the whole story. I’m not much of a fan of contemporary romance and this would be my first book by this author, so there, now that I got this out-of-the-way, my thoughts are this: Cute, fun and sweet VERY short story. I was done with it in one afternoon and honestly I don’t think it was worth the price. I’d have to say that it was well written, but for the life of me I’m not sure why was it marketed this way, as a short HARDCOVER novella?! Even though I was a bit disappointed, I will make sure to read Debbie Macomber ‘s work this year and I would love some suggestions as to with which book I should start…If you’re a fan of Debbie Macomber, I think you probably already read this short story, and if you’ve never read her I would pass on this and try her other books.
    • 2/5
      Family Affair is a sweet little book that took less than an hour for me to read.In her foreward Debbie Macomber mentions that this book barely made a blip on the publishing world when it first was released and I can see why. There are sometimes when you want to read light book just to pass the time and this one seems to satisfy that requirment but it was too quick and a little too sweet for my tastes. I don't feel like the characters were that well developed and now after just finishing the book I can barely remember thier names. It seemed that the majority of the story was about healing with a very little focus on romance. I also find it really hard to believe that Lacey would have let Jack's sister move in with her after her break up and that she would agree to marry him after a month of dating and never having slept with the man. It was okay and managed to keep my focus but I'm glad that I didn't pay the $16.99 to read it.
    • 2/5
      Family Affair was a quick read as it is only about 100 page. There are only 6 characters in the book so fairly easy to follow especially considering 2 of the characters are cats. The story is about 2 neighbors and their cats and how they become to know each other. I felt that the story left way too much in the air and wished it had been a little longer to fill in some of the details.
    • 3/5
      Cute, easy read. Took just a few hours.
    • 3/5
      This is a reprint of a story published by Debbie Macomber in 1994,as a part of the Purrfect Love anthology.If you are a Debbie Macomber fan like myself, you probably read it then. Now, it is being offered in hardback form which costs a great deal more. Beware not to buy if you want a new story and you have already read everything available by her. The story is cute, but not as rich in plot or characters as her present writings.
    • 3/5
      I'm not an avid reader of romance stories. A colleague of mine read this book as soon as we received it in our library. She told me that I'd like the book because it was about cats. Since it was only about 100 pages long, I told her to hold it for me when she was done. I will have to admit that this is a cute story about how a full-blooded Abyssinian and a tom cat get their "servants" together because of their indiscretions. It's also the story of piecing one's life back together and regaining confidence after a divorce. It's a cute, quick read. I may have to try some of the recipes for cat treats at the end of the book.
    • 1/5
      All in all, I was disappointed in this novella. I couldn't get into the characters and the storyline seemed hurriedly done. Definitely not her best work.
    • 4/5
      Starting over in a new apartment, new job, new city was the only way Lacey Lancaster felt she could survive her divorce. She was struggling with the loneliness of it so she got a Abyssinian purebred cat named Cleo. Possibly wanting to breed the cat, she waited, but when Cleo finally went into heat she found out that her neighbor Jack Walker had a cat also, named Dog. Leaving her door open to go ask Jack to be quiet so that she could make a call, Dog got into her apartment and now she had to find the backbone to deal with Jack and the consequences. Noticing her from the first day she moved in, Jack had no idea that it would turn out to be Dog that finally got him the in he had been working for. Now if he could just be patient enough for her to work through her trust and commitment issues he might have a chance at what he wants.This seems to be a re-print of a 1994 novella. I happen to really enjoy Debbie Macomber’s gentle, sweet romance stories and even though this is short and the characters are not as developed as some of her more recent ones, I found myself really enjoying the “misunderstandings” of Sarah and even relating to some of Lacey’s insecurities. Could have had more of Jack, really liked him, but for a short, older story, it was a nice little get a way. *Bonus: there is a few recipes for home made cat treats in the back of the book. I have not made any but they are a fun addition to the book.I was luck enough to have received this as an early reviewer copy from LibraryThing. It is marked with a SRP of $16.99 which does seem a bit high for a 102 page book, especially one that is a re-print of a novella.
    • 3/5
      Family Affair is a novella about Lacey a woman who is divorced and Jack who is her neighbor. It is pretty predictable. Not nessacarily a bad read but deffinitly not a reread.
    • 2/5
      I wanted to like this book, especially since I'd heard that fans of early Diana Palmer books might like Debbie Macomber. As it turns out, not so much. This book is very VERY fluffy. Nothing ever happened... the heroine (Lacey) just moaned about her cat and how she couldn't ask for a raise from her boss. The guy (Jack) was just blah... mildly interesting when he discovers his cat broke into the heroine's apartment, but it's all downhill from there. I didn't feel particularly attached to either of the main characters and the supporting characters seemed very cliched. The two cats in the story had more personality and intrigue than the rest of the ensemble put together. (Seriously, the two stars I gave this book were solely because of the cats.) A surprisingly short book, especially considering it's hardcover and the retail price is currently $17 in the U.S. Only die-hard Debbie Macomber fans should buy this book.
    • 4/5
      Lacey Lancaster can’t believe the gall of some men. Her next-door neighbor, Jack, is constantly arguing with his girlfriend, and cheating on her just makes him worse. What does Sarah see in this guy? Lacey is recently divorced and has no room in her life for a womanizing man who acts like an alley cat. And speaking of alley cats, his cat has just gotten her cat pregnant! Lacey knows how men like him operate, and she sees what he’s up to when he rings her doorbell and tries to act neighborly. Or does she?Debbie Macomber has written a story about two neighbors who get to know one another and grow closer despite themselves. This story is short and very sweet and the plot is uncomplicated. Where the outcome is quite predictable, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and I found myself smiling as they got to know one another. I read this book in one lazy afternoon, curled up on the couch with my cup of tea. It was a guilty pleasure that afternoon to be able to spend some time reading a light and endearing story that I will be adding to my “keeper” shelf to read again someday.
    • 3/5
      I received this book through Advanced Readers and it was a fun quick book. I wished for it to be just a little bit longer and with more depth to the relationship between Lacey and her neighbor Jack.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this story. It was short, so it didn't have the character development that I'm used to with her books. I liked Jack's patience in getting to know Lacey. I would have liked more on their romance, and about Jack's sister Sarah. I wonder if Debbie did a story on her later ....
    • 2/5
      While I normally love Debbie Macomber, I found this book to be preachy and ridiculous. This short story was originally published in 1994 as part of the book Purrfect Love and has now been re-released in hardcover for the whopping price of $16.99. It reads as though it were written in the 1950s. The main character is devastated by her divorce, no longer trusts men, and won't stand up to herself at work. She does, however, expect the man who allowed his cat to impregnate hers to "do the right thing" and help with her cat's pregnancy- related expenses. Being a saint of a man, he agrees, and a relationship ensues. Much of this book is focused on how wonderful and wise the male romantic lead is, with everyone coming around to his way of thinking in the end. Very disappointing.
    • 2/5
      There was a time when I would have swallowed Family Affair whole. I would have loved the simplicity of the romance, the innocence of the characters. I absolutely loved how two people with seemingly nothing in common could come together. Through dislike, they find love. Through misunderstanding, they find acceptance and compromise. I loved a story where in the end, love conquers all. That was then. Now, well, I'm a bit more cynical. Don't get me wrong, I still believe that love conquers all, but now I know it's not that simple. I think I would have loved this book back then. Now not so much. I found the story to be too simple. It also reads a bit dated. For an independent woman, Lacey is too much of a mouse. She makes this huge change in her life, but manages to not grow at all. And Jack, well, he's a bit one dimensional. I have to admit my favorite part of the novel was the "romance" between Cleo and Dog. Overall this was a nice simple story. A quick read for a cold, snowy day. It's a sweet tale to be absorbed in a single reading. Will it change your life? Probably not. But will it give you a chuckle or two? Definitely. Worth the time? Maybe. Unless you are a huge Debbie Macomber fan, I wouldn't recommend buying it. It's more of a library book.
    • 5/5
      I loved the story about Lacey and Jack. Realtionships and starting over are never easy. I liked the way the author developed the characters .It was a great easy read. I finished it in one day.
    • 3/5
      I picked this short book up at a library booksale. I have read Macomber before. My most-often lodged complaint with her works is how far she lets her characters go in the throes of passion before she reels them in (particularly back when her books were being marketed as "clean romance"). I had hoped that this short book might be different, but to be fair, I did choose it knowing that this was a complaint I had with her stories.Note: This story appeared in print a while ago then went into out of print status. This book is a republication of that story by what I think is a new publisher. I can identify somewhat with Lacey, who's a bit gun shy after having her husband cheat on her and divorce her to enter a relationship with his new girl. Given Lacey's description of how she got the cat, I am somewhat doubtful it is a purebred Abyssinian as she thinks it is. Could be, but most of the time, pet stores seem to have more mixed breeds than purebred AKC types. It's also a little convenient that the litter is only 2 kittens and each of them have a friend or family member that wants one. I feel sorry for Sarah. It sounds like she loved Mark a lot more than he loved her. It also seems like Mark has figured out how to manipulate her (at least until it all comes tumbling down on him--sadly though, he will probably find another person to take Sarah's place before long.) I'm glad Lacey didn't agree to try to talk to Jack on their behalf.