Paula Hrbacek Reviews

Added March 14, 2004

Stars Shine after Dark

Author: Paula Hrbacek
Publisher: iUniverse
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: June 2001
Genre: Romance: Contemporary
Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $14.95
ISBN: 0-595-17387-X
Reviewer: Melissa Parcel

Acting is the only life twenty-year-old Mona Poole has ever known. She finally decides to stand up for herself, take a rest, and follow her dream to attend college at UCLA. Mona meets and falls in love with star quarterback Tim Scott, and soon after the two are engaged and married.

Their marriage begins beautifully; Mona and Tim are so much in love that they cannot stand to be apart for even a minute. But right after appearing on ESPN announcing his intent to play professional football in Philadelphia, Tim falls asleep at the wheel and seriously injures his knee, ending his football career before it really commences. Mona throws herself back into acting, and after he recovers, Tim becomes a real estate agent. The couple starts to drift apart. Tim finds solace in a beautiful masseuse at the local gym, and Mona's celebrity lifestyle becomes all-important to her. Is there hope to salvage their relationship? Or have they grown too far apart?

Stars Shine after Dark gives the reader hope that love will prevail over seemingly insurmountable odds. Although Mona and Tim fall in love quite quickly, their initial relationship is fresh and believable. I had trouble liking either main character after the accident though. It might be because there is a great deal left out of the story. I felt like it jumped from Tim's hospital stay to many months in the future, after they are on the road to their new and resumed careers. Their personalities seemed to change, too. Mona becomes a selfish brat, telling Tim that he needs to work harder at his real estate job to earn more money to support their lifestyle so that she can cut back on her acting work. Gone is her selfless love for Tim, and this seems odd compared to her attitude at the beginning.

I also felt strongly that Tim should stand up for himself and tell Mona what is wrong, instead of letting her verbally cut him down and take advantage of him with her many absences. I almost didn't blame him for his relationship with the masseuse Tina, which is completely against my nature. Some additional editing and filling in of the gaps in the story, explaining the changes of the characters' motivations, would go far to improve Stars Shine after Dark.

Stars Shine after Dark is a sweet story, without heavy sensuality. The characters, even the "villain" who is leaking gossip to the tabloids, all have a strong moral foundation and want to do what's right in the eyes of God. Even though the characterization is a bit uneven and forced, readers who enjoy a pleasant story focusing on love and commitment will enjoy Stars Shine after Dark.

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