A review by takethyme
Imagine by Jill Barnett
5.0
If you enjoy a touch of whimsy, some silliness, an adventure and a genie, welcome to IMAGINE. This is Jill Barnett's take on the shipwrecked and deserted island themes and is a frolic feel-good fantasy with a dollop of romance. The setting is somewhere in the Pacific. It is 1896 and the end of Victorian times, when women were still innocent and yet starting to enter man-dominated professions. A time when they were thrown a learning curve in many respects. The book is an undertaking into a hodge-podge of genres and I loved it.
Margaret Huntington Smith, 'Smitty', is both an accomplished attorney and a sweetheart who manages to find good in others. She was raised by a loving father and several doting uncles to develop a mind of her own, in a good way. She's never been married, doesn't cook and has no idea what to do with children. She is patient to a fault.
Hank Wyatt is best described as an anti-hero. An escaped convict with impatience and a foul mouth, he initially poses as a priest when he first meets Margaret. He is on the run and claims his innocence. He also is obnoxious and crude but I loved his character. Here is a man who is the epitome of annoyance. Set in his ways, he views women and children the same as prison. There is a purpose for each of these but not in his life. IMAGINE, in some ways, reminded me of the movie FATHER GOOSE with Cary Grant and Leslie Caron.
The children in this story have lost their parents and are on their way to an orphanage. Lydia, the oldest, is quiet and serious. Her best friend is a goat. Theodore, at five, takes everything at face value. He follows Hank like glue on paper. The youngest is Annabelle, a little one. If you have ever been around a toddler you know this young child can be a handful.
Lastly, there is Muddy, the genie. I told you this story had elements of a fantasy. Mix all of these characters and you have a funny adventure with a bite of romance. Quirky yet delicious, this book is a keeper. Read the story for its oddball humor. Read it for the unforeseen developments between the characters. Read it for the off-the-wall romance but just read it. You will be glad you did.
Margaret Huntington Smith, 'Smitty', is both an accomplished attorney and a sweetheart who manages to find good in others. She was raised by a loving father and several doting uncles to develop a mind of her own, in a good way. She's never been married, doesn't cook and has no idea what to do with children. She is patient to a fault.
Hank Wyatt is best described as an anti-hero. An escaped convict with impatience and a foul mouth, he initially poses as a priest when he first meets Margaret. He is on the run and claims his innocence. He also is obnoxious and crude but I loved his character. Here is a man who is the epitome of annoyance. Set in his ways, he views women and children the same as prison. There is a purpose for each of these but not in his life. IMAGINE, in some ways, reminded me of the movie FATHER GOOSE with Cary Grant and Leslie Caron.
The children in this story have lost their parents and are on their way to an orphanage. Lydia, the oldest, is quiet and serious. Her best friend is a goat. Theodore, at five, takes everything at face value. He follows Hank like glue on paper. The youngest is Annabelle, a little one. If you have ever been around a toddler you know this young child can be a handful.
Lastly, there is Muddy, the genie. I told you this story had elements of a fantasy. Mix all of these characters and you have a funny adventure with a bite of romance. Quirky yet delicious, this book is a keeper. Read the story for its oddball humor. Read it for the unforeseen developments between the characters. Read it for the off-the-wall romance but just read it. You will be glad you did.