I had never heard of this book, I was unfamiliar with the author and I was reluctant to read the book, because the cover reminded me of a Harlequin novel cover. However, I decided to delve in because, of course, “you can never judge a book by its cover.”
I was immediately taken in by the personality of the main character, Nikki (Nicolette Montana) and the predicament she found herself in. Nikki lived in the Dallas area, working for an ad agency. She was a professional woman in her early thirties and a lover of shoes – this fact alone had me, since I to, am a shoe lover. It was this love of shoes and her mostly self-imposed situation that were the foundation of the book.
Nikki began to bow to the perceived pressure her family and friends put on her to settle down and get married. Her brilliant solution to this problem was to stage a fake wedding in Las Vegas and just pretend to be married to get everyone to leave her alone. On her way back from Vegas, she sat next to a very handsome man on the plane who accidentally spilled his drink on her favorite pair of shoes. They exchanged numbers so he could replace the stained shoes and that was where it all began.
Byron Matthews turned out to be a professional, extremely handsome, single, homeowner, who was ready to find the love of his life so he could settle down. He was smitten with Nikki and agreed to help fool her family. They even moved in together to pull off this elaborate lie. But as always, it's the unexpected that makes a story. The two fell in love, but encountered several hurdles and found the secrets they lived day to day almost destroyed the most perfect love they had ever known and had for each other. By the way, he does replace the shoes.
This love story was like a breath of fresh air to me. The author found a delicate balance, mixing the aspects of love, everyday life and the crap we get ourselves into, just being plain old foolish. The difference between this and other love stories is the smut factor. I appreciated the fact she allowed her story to imbed itself into my imagination and let my mind do the rest.
I am very impressed with this author! I very much enjoyed being a part of this story and look forward to hearing from her again soon!
Shelia Goss is a two-time Essence Magazine's bestselling author. She is also the author of Roses are Thorns, Violets are True, and the recently released, Paige's Web. She is also a freelance reporter and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. Shelia resides in Shreveport, LA.
Read anything good lately? Let me know what you think! Kdmatthews3@aol.com
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