Halfway to Heaven

Starred review from September 3, 2001
Although Wiggs's newest (after The Firebrand) is set in Washington, D.C., during the late 19th century, there's a flavor of Regency England to this delightful romp. Wiggs takes the usual Regency personas—a rake, a feisty heroine, snobbish society members and a dressmaker as gifted as any fairy godmother—and instills them with depth and complexity. Abigail Cabot, the daughter of a senator and sister of a reigning beauty, is made clumsy by a deformed foot that she desperately tries to hide, especially from the object of her hidden affections, Lt. Boyd Butler, the vice-president's son. When Jamie Calhoun, a newly elected congressman with a dark secret in his past, discovers Abigail's feelings, he sets out to further the romance and win the political support of her father and the vice-president by transforming her into a desirable high society swan. The mousy Abigail turns out to have unsuspected dimensions, including a sharp mind, a quick tongue and a steadfast devotion to astronomy. Readers won't be surprised to find that the real romance develops between Abby and Jamie; the fun is seeing them fight both each other and their feelings every step of the way. With its lively prose, well-developed conflict and passionate characters, this enjoyable, poignant tale is certain to enchant. (Oct.)Forecast:Wiggs has several bestsellers and two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards under her belt, and this sterling effort will likely earn her another RITA Award. National radio and print advertising, strong word of mouth and an attractive, starry cover will help the novel appeal to a broader readership.

October 1, 2001
Sometime in the late nineteenth century, Abigail and Helena Cabot want only to please their widower U.S. senator father, who wishes them to marry. Although the head-turning but illiterate Helena has no shortage of suitors, Abigail, an adept astronomer, is quite the ugly duckling with her lack of coordination, abysmal fashion sense, and sneezing fits. At a White House reception, Abigail dances with and loses her heart to the vice president's son, but when she loses her balance and nearly takes out the refreshment table, it's freshman congressman Jamie Calhoun who saves the day. Jamie becomes a Pygmalion to Abigail, and the vice president's son woos her sister. Jamie becomes fascinated with Abby and her quest to find a comet, but Abby is convinced that Jamie, who makes her heart pound, is only making her marriageable to curry political favor with the senator. Wiggs combines the complications of love and politics in an entertaining American historical.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)