CAN'T DENY LOVE - Doreen Rainey
BET/Arabesque
August 2003
SYNOPSIS: Disillusioned by turning 35, Tanya Kennedy is reunited with ex-boyfriend Brandon Wade--a man who bitterly betrayed her. But now Brandon finds himself working overtime to win Tanya back and convince her to trust in a love that's too powerful to ignore
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: (3) Katika Floyd
REVIEW: Can you forgive the one who broke your heart and let him back into your life? This is the question Tanya Kennedy must ask when her ex lover Brandon Ware reenters her life. Brandon, the brother of her best friend, returns home from a year living on the west coast intent to win Tanya’s heart again.
CAN’T DENY LOVE bears all the hallmarks of a classic romance. You have hero, Brandon who wants to win the heart of a reluctant heroine, Tanya. They are aided by their friends and family, Damian and Christine Ware from Foundation of Love, who don’t mind being matchmakers by giving them a push when needed.
As a reader I was most impressed by Ms Rainey’s ability to accurately express the emotions of her characters. This is most apparent in Tanya’s struggle to deal with her biological clock and her currently single status.
There were several things that made this reader feel annoyed as she read. First, there was the predictable way the author chose to have Tanya’s current boyfriend show his true colors. Second, is the over use of conflict. Just when your sure that Brandon and Tanya have found their way together Ms Rainey throw in yet another conflict to pull them apart. Thirdly, there is the use of a heroine that has two men who want her at the same time. This is definitely a personal bias here but I just don’t like it when this happens in romance novels.
I must say I am conflicted in my feelings about CAN’T DENY LOVE. I liked the novel’s flow and pace but there were many things that annoyed me. I believe fans of Ms Rainey will enjoy this novel as it matches the caliber of her earlier novel FOUNDATIONS OF LOVE. Readers new to Ms Rainey books may not be as impressed.
katika@romanceincolor.com (30th March 2003)