Review: A storyline that successfully juxtaposed politics/economics, cultural classes, and romance.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 12, 2014
Mary Whitney's superb crafting of Forever Your Heart makes this a story I would love to know more about. I admit that I haven't read the previous books in this series but it totally doesn't matter. It's about the same two characters at different ages and POVs so I dare say I wouldn't be bored reading them as prequels.Adam and Nicki had a fiery relationship as teens (in Book 1) while Adam's father had a position as a college professor in the US. Short story, it was a typical teen story of angst, betrayal, and decisions made because of insecurities. They break up when his family moves back to London and their story picks up again almost two decades later.I like that this story is told from Adam's POV. It offers a different and refreshing view of how a male thinks (not that I would claim to be able to read the minds of these difficult creatures nor guess what they would do!) while giving quite a good dose of British humor. His irreverent sidekick cousin David also adds liveliness while delivering lines to the ladies that would have given lesser men a black eye at the very least. These two are quite a pair.Adam is unsure of how Nicki would receive him at the White House but applies for the position of correspondent anyway because he just feels that he must. That risk pays off when he can finally come clean about why he could never have a long-term relationship after that painful breakup. That spurs him on to pursue Nicki like he never could, which served to show what a sweetly sentimental, insecure, and self-deprecating man he is. No wonder she could never resist him!And how could any man not notice Nicki? Her quick wit, shrewd intelligence, and obvious talent coupled with her delicate, petite looks would get any male's attention - hence the chasing done by Juan Carlos, Dan, and a slew of other men. But for her, everyone falls short of Adam, despite everything that happened between them before.It's the first time I've read a storyline that successfully juxtaposed politics/economics, cultural classes, and romance. I think I could get addicted to this vein. Not often that the background is as interesting as the main story itself! Plus, the bickering and infighting among the correspondents in the lobbying capital of the world seems spot on. Can't have determined and assertive people together in one place without a catfight or three.Little nuggets of realism make Forever Your Heart something believable. Convoluted foreign policies, diplomatic wrangling, manipulated information ... these are what we'd expect from politicians and journalists and Mary Whitney delivers them in spades. I look forward to reading her other books if they're all like this!