Review: Good solid read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2012
I'll be honest, I'm back and forth between 3 and 4 stars on this one, mainly because I'm torn. The writing is fantastic, Chicki Brown is a solid writer who paints a vivid picture. The meat of the story made for good drama and interest. The characters were likeable and relatable for the most part. For me though, this book was much too long. If at least 1/3 of it had been taken out, it would have made for a more engaging read. More on that later.First, the things I liked. I loved the beginning. The first few pages in which the heroine is attacked by her abusive husband are so chilling I got goosebumps. I liked that this book had a message and took a stand against domestic violence. Marcia AKA Dani was a brave woman to do what she did and I cheered for her every step of the way.Taylor was both sexy and sweet, with a little bit of a thug edge that all ladies secretly love if we're being honest with ourselves. At times he comes across as insecure, but as you learn more about his past, it makes alot of sense.The relationship between Dani and Taylor is very sweet and I enjoyed watching them lose all of their preconceived notions about each other. Once they stopped judging each other (Dani because she was rich, Taylor because he was 'hood'), they really got to know each other and developed a true loving relationship. I also appreciated that these two abstained from sex until Dani was free from her husband. This is a personal belief of mine, but Dani did the right thing by honoring her marriage vows even though her husband had not honored her.Now for the things I did not like so much. As I said before this book was too long, mainly because there was so much dialogue that didn't need to be there. For instance, I would read a scene and a few pages later one of the main characters would have a conversation about what I just read in full detail with someone else. All of the heart-to-heart talks Taylor has with his mom and Dani has with her elderly neighbor became stale and distracting. It made those two characters less likeable, when I believe one or two of these talks would have been enough to establish these characters as strong forces in Taylor and Dani's life. There was too much rehashing of the same feelings and thoughts over and over again, and at times I felt it dragged the story down.But when the story moved it moved, with enough drama to keep things interesting. Overall a solid read, one that showed me what Chicki Brown is capable of. I look forward to reading more of her books!