Review: Good story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 1, 2013
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. When I first downloaded months ago, it was free and I thought I was only getting a short story, the first part of a novella series. Then I finished it and went to find the rest of the books on Amazon only to discover they'd been combined into one volume, which I appreciated since I was intrigued enough by the short story I read to want to know more. I downloaded the rest of the story and I'm glad I did.This story was intriguing and I devoured most of it in two sittings without stopping. It was easy and not overly drawn out, just what I was in the mood for at the time. What I liked most was that although race was an issue this interracial couple faced, it wasn't the main issue and it wasn't exaggerated or impressed upon too much. The two had other things to work through...things that people of all walks of life can identify with, and I appreciated that. Particularly when it came to Natalie's story. While I am not of Trinidadian heritage, being African American I have witnessed the very same thing she went through when it comes to the darkness of her skin and the texture of her hair. It is the same in our culture as well, the uplifting of those with certain types of features and the tearing down of those who don't meet that standard. I liked watching her gain confidence and learn to allow Stephano to truly love her. It was hard at first, and Natalie often played head games that would annoy, but don't women? Girls like Natalie exist, and a woman who had been the victim of abuse would not be an easy woman to love, not at first. I liked the realism of that in their relationship. And Stefano was more than up to the task, with his sexy, Italian self!The writing was quite good, and the main strength of the book, although in some places I wish the information given about the past had been less of an info dump. It kind of stole focus from the current story in some places, but not enough for me to lose interest. The info was pertinent to the story, but it wasn't always presented in a way that made the story flow. Also, I felt the ending of some scenes was a bit abrupt and choppy and could have been a bit better.Despite those tiny little things, Jewel Moore has found a fan in me and I plan to check out more of her work. If it's anything like this book (or better), I can't wait for more!