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Too Little, Too Late

A Novel

About The Book

From the author of The Personal Librarian and A Sin and a Shame, Victoria Christopher Murray returns to Jasmine Larson Bush and her devious ways in this tale of two marriageseach threatened by lies and betrayal.

She took marriage vows to be honest and true, but Jasmine's still hiding secrets to keep her husband, Minister Hosea Bush, by her side. When Hosea's ex-fiancée, Natasia, suddenly appears in New York, Jasmine knows it's not a coincidence. A former man stealer herself, Jasmine is very aware of Natasia's motives—even if Hosea is not.

Complicating Jasmine's life is the secret she's kept from her baby's daddy. Luckily for her, Brian Lewis has problems of his own. His wife, Alexis, is convinced he's cheating on her—but Brian's real betrayal is much worse. Revealing the truth to his wife could lead him back to the biggest mistake of his life—Jasmine.

Two marriages are in desperate jeopardy. Will Jasmine be able to scheme to save her own? Or will she have to choose between protecting her past and compromising her future? Even if Jasmine and Brian find the courage to stop the lies, it may be too little, too late...

Reading Group Guide

Discussion Points
1. In A Sin and a Shame, Jasmine reached a major turning point in her life when she told Hosea the truth about her affair with Brian -- a point she refers to as the distinction between the Old Jasmine and New Jasmine. In Too Little, Too Late, how does Jasmine's "inner Jezebel" threaten to reemerge?
2. Hosea and Jasmine both are guilty of lying by omission when it comes to past relationships. What reasons do each of them give for never mentioning their former loves? Were you surprised to discover that Hosea had secrets of his own? Why or why not?
3. Why does Jasmine hesitate to travel to Los Angeles with Hosea? How does Natasia's presence turn the tables on her?
4. In what ways do both Jasmine and Brian reconcile their respective "fresh starts" with the secrets they continue to keep? What kind of compartmentalization do they each have to create in order to convince themselves that they are making the right choices?
5. The author splits the novel into parts that exclusively follow each of the two main couples in this story. What effect does this have on your reading experience? In what ways do the two couples' stories parallel each other? Where do they diverge? Explain why you did or did not like this technique.
6. Brian challenges Alexis: "If I had cancer, would you leave me?" Do you think this is "playing fair"? Why or why not? What effect do his words ultimately have on Alexis? Why, in the end, does she leave him anyway?
7. Like Jasmine, Natasia is smart, beautiful, and manipulative almost beyond imagination. How does she set her trap for Hosea, and how does Jasmine play right into it? What lessons do you think the author is trying to illustrate with this scenario?
8. On page 311, Hosea tells Jasmine, "You'll always be Jasmine Larson." What does he mean by this? Jasmine swears that she's changed -- all because of Hosea. Has she really? Why or why not? What finally makes Jasmine realize the truth?
9. Both couples in this novel perform recommitment ceremonies. As with any ritual, these ceremonies have the power to effect change. What do the characters hope will happen when they renew their vows? What actually does happen?
10. Hosea is named for a prophet to whom God speaks. Identify moments in the novel when God is speaking, either directly or indirectly, to these characters.
11. Reverend Bush counsels Jasmine to stop trying to control her life and to let Jesus take the wheel. How does trying to take control work out for the various characters?
12. In some sense, this novel bears the message that it is never too late to ask for forgiveness. So what relevance does the title, "Too Little, Too Late," have for these characters? 13. At the conclusion of A Sin and a Shame, Jasmine's husband Hosea asked her if there were any more secrets she was keeping from him, and she said no. Too Little, Too Late ends with a similar conversation. How is this ending different?

About The Author

Rochelle Scott Design and Photography

Victoria Christopher Murray is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including Stand Your Ground, a Library Journal Best Book of the Year and NAACP Image Award Winner. Her novel, The Personal Librarian, which she cowrote with Marie Benedict was a Good Morning America Book Club pick.  Visit her website at VictoriaChristopherMurray.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Gallery Books (June 3, 2008)
  • Length: 416 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781416552529

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Raves and Reviews

"Juicy Jasmine Larson Bush returns....Murray efficiently illustrates the importance of honesty and trust in marriage, and manages to contain Jasmine's outrageousness within the context of Christian faith." -- Publishers Weekly

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