A Line Between Friends

By Michele Cozzens

Michele VanOrt Cozzens' first work of fiction. Her prior books are "I'm Living Your Dream Life" and "The Things I Wish I'd Said."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932172262
• ISBN13: 9781932172263
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Sandy Point Resort
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Remembering the fun times

For this of us that are in our late 40s/early 50s the college days and times before are distant memories. But after reading Michele's book - those times of high school friendships and college romances - as well as the stress of leaving home for the first time, adjusting to college and meeting new friends are brought back to life. Michele has the ability through her writing to jog back those memories. Her descriptive prose - brings back the sights, smells and feelings of those formative years. I will even ask my teenagers to read it....This was an excellent book!

Cross that Line, Lose it All

My best friend gave me this book to read. He's married, had been that way for years before we met. His wife has a couple girlfriends she's very close to, girls she went to college with. They get together all the time and they've included me in their group. At first I was the outsider, the girl who pals around with Sara's husband. The girl who thinks like him, drinks like him, writes with him. But after a bit they got used to me, then accepted me, because they know, Sara especially, that unlike Joel and Noelle, Sara's hubby and I will never, ever cross that line. But even though in this story, Noelle and Joel, did cross the line between friends, they seemed to have worked through it. They both met somebody else, both married. They sent Christmas and birthday cards to each other, wrote letters, then one day out of the blue Noelle gets a letter from Joel which, according to her, killed their friendship. It was a short letter, only three sentences, he told her he didn't want to keep in touch with her anymore, told her not to write him. She honored his wishes. Noelle actually reads the letter in the first chapter, then we go back in time and experience the couple's relationship through Ms. Cozzens' touching story. She is a gifted writer who draws you deeper into her story's web with each paragraph. I sympathized with Joel, but identified with Noelle. She was better put together, better able to handle the situation. She could've remained friends with Joel, because, like in my case, his friendship was enough. There is nothing greater than a best friend. Joel on the other hand could not, in my opinion, maintain such a friendship. This is a sometimes heart warming, sometimes heartbreaking story. Noelle is a divine character, one who I'd like to read more about. Joel, on the other hand, is somebody, I don't care to know anymore about. I found him wanting in so many ways. At times he really got me angry and that is the mark of good story telling, when you both love and hate the characters you're reading about, when they seem like real people, when you care about the outcome. Michele VanOrt Cozzens has crafted such a story here.

Walking a tightrope

I've read all her non-fiction I keep them on my shelf This author is a keeper If I do say so myself This may be her first novel But she writes just like the pros She puts in each her heart and soul And happily it shows Soulful Joel meets Noelle He keeps her in his heart But circumstances always seem To keep the two apart Fate cruelly stokes up the flame Then snuffs it to an ember What happened on that August night Was something to remember Though apart, across the miles They try to be just friends Birthday calls and Christmas cards But that's not where it ends Once you cross that friendship line The strongest bonds can tear Try to be true to yourself And those that hold you dear A tale that circles, bobs and weaves And comes back to one letter Michele Cozzens knows her stuff And just keeps getting better Amanda Richards, December 4, 2006

What Happens When You Cross the Line?

According to the back cover of this novel, "A Line Between Friends," was the winner of the publisher's Fiction Contest. It's easy to see why. This is the very well written story of a man and a woman exploring a relationship that has lasted over 20 years--that is, until one day the woman, Noelle Moncada, receives an unexpected letter from the man, Joel Rolland. He asks her to stop all contact. "Please don't write to me or call me anymore," he writes. Noelle doesn't know what to make of the letter. She discusses it with her husband and then goes back in time and recounts her history with Joel, who is a boy she met in high school. They became friends when they both attended the same college. And then one night, they "cross the line between friends" and their relationship is forever altered. It's just that one of them doesn't know it. This story is written in two voices. It not only gives Noelle's side of the story, but Joel's too. The chapters alternate with first person accounts, and I enjoyed the male vs. female perspectives on the relationship. The author takes you back to the 1970s (you can see the décor, including peacock feathers and foil wall paper!), and through the heady days of college (quarter beers, pot, and political discussions), and the earliest days in the "real world" (first apartments, paychecks, responsibilities). It's a coming of age story for each character as they reflect on life, love and loss, and, of course, friendship. A great book for discussing the topic of whether or not a man and a woman can maintain a platonic friendship, particularly after they've each married other people.

Cozzens delivers

A Line Between Friends asks the question - Can a man and a woman maintain a friendship even after they've married other people? Michele Cozzens' protagonist, Noelle Moncada, thinks her twenty-year platonic relationship with Joel Rolland is proof positive. But when Joel ends it all with a terse note, Noelle is forced to re-examine her life and beliefs. Cozzens doesn't just let Noelle have the podium--in alternating chapters, Joel tells his side of their story, and we're treated to events as seen by two distinct individuals. This is a tricky device and Cozzens pulls it off smoothly. Her descriptive powers add a rich texture to the story, from tiny, cluttered college dorm rooms, to the pristine elegance of a Wisconsin winter. A Line Between Friends is both witty and endearing, but should not be dismissed as just another chick-lit novel. Cozzens is a serious writer taking a serious look at relationships.