Bulls Island
By Dorothea Benton Frank
Completed March 21, 2008

Betts McGee fled her childhood home of Charleston, SC, after the sudden death of her mother, which drove a wedge between her and her fiance, J.D. Betts moved to New York City, became a successful financier and raised her son, Adrian. For almost 20 years, Betts never spoke to her father, sister or estranged fiance. That is, until her company sent her back to Charleston on assignment - and she must deal with her ghosts from the past, including J.D., who still has feelings for Betts.

This is my first novel by Dorothea Benton Frank, and I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed with the plot in Bulls Island. On the surface, it sounded like fun "poolside reading" - but the plot did not move quickly enough to keep this reader interested in the story. It was nearly half way into the novel before Betts actually arrives in Charleston. First, the reader must deal with her son's departure to college and Betts's fling with another man before the reader gets what she's been waiting for: the boy-meets-girl tension that dangled from this story for nearly 150 pages. When we finally get there, the book rushes through the storyline. The whole plot was choppy and disjointed to me.

While the plot was not up to par, I did find Frank's writing style easy and fun to read. Her depictions of Southern landscapes rival Nicholas Sparks or Sue Monk Kidd. I felt the humidity, smelled the river and watched the grass brown right with the characters. As a fan of books set in the South, I found these parts of the book to be the best.

Would I read another book by Dorothea Benton Frank? Only after doing some more research on what other readers have thought about her stories and examining what the plots have to offer. I am guessing that fans of her writing might enjoy Bulls Island. For others, I think you can safely pass on this tale. ( )