Fit to be Tied

In the second and final Bucklin Family Reunion novel (after High Cotton), Mayne entertains readers with the foibles of the nouveau riche. The recently oil-rich Bucklins never fail to find drama, and daughter Sally knows the upcoming family reunion will be no different. As she and her twin sister, Sara, juggle the responsibilities of their new bow-making business along with the reunion plans, the sisters begin to grow closer after having drifted apart over the years. Bucky, Sally and Sara’s brother, and his wife, Marybeth, host the extravaganza in their mansion. Sally’s new boyfriend and Sara’s new baby add excitement to the busy Bucklin family as everyone arrives. Sheila, the twins’ mother, was set on Sara having a proper wedding ceremony, but she begins to accept Sara’s husband and their elopement over the course of the reunion. The sibling’s cousin Coralee has also started a new relationship, but her heart is split after she falls for a local police officer. Marybeth still pines for the simple life she had before her husband’s financial fortune destroyed his compassion. Faith elements are slight, Mayne but handily works the theme of familial bonds rising above petty grievances in this fun tale of a boisterous family. Agent: Tamela Hancock Murray, Steve Laube Agency. (Aug.)