Special Delivery (novel)

In the beginning Jack and Amanda got along for the sake of their children, but did not particularly enjoy each other's company. These quotes highlight the shift in the mind-set of Amanda as she realizes there's more to Jack than she originally thought. This is the beginning of a true friendship between Jack and Amanda that exists beyond the relationships between their children.

"He was a womanizer certainly he made no secret of it, and yet there was far more to him than that. There was something oddly endearing about him, like a young boy gone wild, but with a look in his eyes that made you want to hug him."

"In spite of his reputation and the fact that she wasn’t ready for this, she really liked him. And he seemed to understand everything that she was feeling. There was a warm, caring side to him that had taken her by surprise and caught her off guard completely."

At this point in the novel Amanda realizes she has come to the end of the mourning period for her deceased husband. She has begun to have feelings for Jack that are greater than friendship and the initial realization that she could love someone else after so long is terrifying. Jack also goes through a period of mourning his past love. Unlike Amanda he got through his mourning period by having a series of disposable relationships. After spending time with Amanda he also comes to the realization that he could and has fallen in love again.

"She cried for two men, one she had loved for so long, and the other she would never know. It was hard to tell at that exact moment which pain was greater, and which of them she most longed for."

"No I’m fine he lied. Except that I’ve wasted my life, the only woman I ever loved died thirteen years ago, and the best woman I’ve ever met before or since wants to bury herself with her husband."

Jack and Amanda’s relationship had gradually evolved from friendship into something deeper and more intimate. After spending so much time together, their growing affection made it only a matter of time before they took their relationship to the next, most personal level.

"It was ten o’clock by the time they were in front of the fire again, and he was kissing her, and she was returning his kisses with passion. He poured them each a glass of Champagne, and they drank it faster than they planned. In the warmth of the fire, and the glow of the Champagne, his kisses seemed headier than ever, and she had no idea what time it was when his deep, sexy voice told her that he loved her, and asked her to go to bed with him. She didn’t say anything. She only clung to him and nodded. She wanted him more than anything, and for once he couldn’t even make himself stop to wonder if she’d regret it. He wanted her too badly…. There was no regret and no reckoning. Until the next morning..."

The next morning Amanda is racked with guilt having slept with another man, not even a year after the death of her husband. She felt as though she was betraying her past relationship with Matthew and made it especially worse by sleeping with another man in the bed that she had shared with her late husband for 25 years.

"She was trying to make it right with herself, but he was only willing to go so far. He loved her too much now to lose any part of her, particularly parts he had discovered the previous evening."

For the majority of the novel Jack and Amanda choose to keep their relationship a secret from their children. When they make the decision to unveil their love to their children it signifies how serious Jack and Amanda's relationship has become. To the shock of Amanda and Jack nearly all of their children react negatively to their announcement.

"This is an extremely rude thing to do,” Louise said with open fury, “to bring us here, to my father’s house to tell us that you two are having an affair. My God don’t you have any decency left Mom? What about Daddy?"

"Why can’t she be happy alone? Why can’t she just remember my father" (Jan)

"Because she’s a young, vital, beautiful woman, Jan. Why should she be alone? Is that what you would do if something happened to Paul?"

"That’s different."

"Why because you’re younger than we are? Even people our age have a right not to be alone, to companionship, to happiness to love." (Jack)

Jack and Amanda face an unplanned pregnancy that nearly destroys their relationship. Jack and Amanda both have grown children and the prospect of having another child is unacceptable to Jack, he refuses to even consider the idea. Amanda while shocked, is unwilling to terminate the pregnancy. The pregnancy drives a wedge between Jack and Amanda. Neither are unwilling to compromise on their beliefs about the pregnancy.

"Well you’re not going to keep the pregnancy at our age. That’s ridiculous. And besides neither of us wants more kids. What would we do with a baby?" (Jack)

"What does everyone else do?" (Amanda)

"They’re usually twenty years younger than we are and they’re married." And then as he looked at her face, he pulled over. "Are you telling me you want to keep it?" She didn’t answer him, but the look in her eyes filled him with terror. "Are you crazy? I’m sixty years old and you’re fifty-one. We’re not married and your children already hate me. How do you think this little piece of news would go over?" (Jack)

The novel was not well received by critics.^[1]