A SPECIAL PLACE - Kim Carrington
BET/Arabesque
September 2004
SYNOPSIS: An advertising executive who's married to her career finds herself veering off-track when she falls in love with a cowboy during a business trip to Colorado.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: (4) Monica Jeffers
REVIEW: Power house public relations executive Jill Alexander knows all the right maneuvers to get any campaign off the ground but in her own personal life peppered with one disappointing relationship after another she is a novice. Kyle Roberts a cowboy by trade with his tenderness, family values and integrity shows Jill there is some hope after all for this woman longing for love but afraid to garb it.
In her debut novel A SPECIAL PLACE, Kim Carrington has created a memorable cast of characters. Jill Alexander is a confident, self assured and successful public relations professional. She has forgone relationships for her career. The brief forays she has tried were emotionally and physically draining. A new campaign leads her to reestablish her family ties, make new friendships and find a man, Kyle Roberts, who may be able to heal her battered spirit and fulfill longings of a family and home of her own.
Kyle Roberts usually knows what he wants and gets it. He wants Jill but her resistance to him makes him rethink his usual blunt approach. With subtle overtures he is able to get close to Jill, however, their relationship is fragile. Jill must overcome her fear of being in a relationship and losing herself. Kyle has been less than honest with Jill and must find a way to get through her barriers of fear.
Along with the main characters Ms. Carrington creates a wonderful cast of minor characters which bring the feel of family and friendships enriching the story. The interaction between Jill and her sister Barb as she goes home for a visit reminds me of my own relationship with my sister. The rafting trip taken by Jill, Kyle, Bebe and the other Roberts stands out in my mind for its camaraderie and interactions between each character showing the building of strong and lasting friendships.
With each page of A SPECIAL PLACE the reader is drawn into the world of Jill and Kyle. The story flows naturally and unfolds smoothly enabling the reader to enjoy each new scene. A SPECIAL PLACE makes you smile in triumph, cry in confusion, and sigh with hope right along with the characters.
As Ms. Carrington takes readers from the busy teaming streets of New York, the rich tapestry Philadelphia, and finally to the serene Colorado, one gets a vivid sense of each place. The sights, sounds and smell of each location comes to life making readers as if they have paid a visit to an old familiar neighborhood
A SPECIAL PLACE touched me in a special way. The story portrays the vibrancy of romance with a wonderful mix of the bonds of family and friendships. The novel has all the elements of a successfully told story - conflict, hope and finally romance. With each step of Jill’s growth from a successful single woman to a successful attached woman, I cheered.
A SPECIAL PLACE is an invigorating read for debut author Kim Carrington and I cannot wait to see more by this author.
monica@romanceincolor.com (12th July 2004)