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DELLA'S HOUSE OF STYLE Alers/Hill/Mason/Ray St. Martin's Press July 2000 (4+) Melanie Schuster |
Contemporary Romance |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS: |
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REVIEW: |
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I confess! I have a weakness for anything to do with a styling salon. It stems from my devotion to my favorite aunt, a hairstylist par excellence, as well as my own checkered past as a cosmetologist. Yes, I have fried it, dyed it and laid it to the side, so a book that has at its core a spa, a salon and/or the clever and classy stylists of hair always gets my attention. DELLA'S
HOUSE OF STYLE does so with panache, gaiety and wit.
For those of you who were fortunate enough to read ROSIE'S
CURL AND WEAVE, this is the long dreamed of follow-up to last summer's
’winging anthology. St. Martin's
Press, bless their hearts, knew a winner and went back to the four beloved
authors who brought us a delightful quartet of romantic tales based in and
around the legendary Harlem beauty spot, Rosie’s House of Curl and Weave.
This one is as soothing and refreshing as a day at a top-notch salon. First, the shampoo, the fragrant massaging treat that begins the day…"It Could Happen to you" by Donna Hill. With Louis Sweet, the widowed
owner of Rosie’s safely married to the woman who stole his heart in ROSIE'S…
Della Frazier, the estimable salon manager is now the owner, lock, stock and
barrel. Business is booming, her
daughter Chauncie is now happily married and the nightclub which Della added to
the newly named Della’s House of Styles is about to open.
Life could not be sweeter, which is why Della was so unprepared for
trouble. Matt Hawkins, Internal
Revenue agent is a man on a mission. His
blunt, take-no-prisoners style has earned him a reputation for ruthlessness.
His lack of compassion has led him into a cold, sterile life, which is
making even his daughter look at him askance.
Her disdain is making him take a long, hard look in the mirror and he
isn’t sure that he likes what he sees. He
did, however, like the looks of the fabulous woman he saw walking down 125th
Street. Maybe it was time that he
made room in his life for something other than work… Unfortunately for him, the
fabulous woman on 125th Street and the owner of Della’s House of
Style were one and the same. And no
matter how beautiful Della was, or how compelling she found Matt, the bottom
line was that she owed a tax debt of an astronomical amount and it was Matt’s
job to take everything from her if she couldn’t come up with the money. But this time,
take-no-prisoners Hawkins becomes a prisoner of love in the capable hands of
Donna Hill. In her usual superb
fashion, she does the unexpected in a funny, sexy way and makes you believe that
"If it Could Happen To You"…
I love a writer who can take a familiar plot and make it as fresh and
tasty as a summer salad. And Donna Hill delivers again in this tempting tale of grown
folk’s love. No style is complete without
a great cut. And great cutting is
part of "A Matter of Trust" by Francis
Ray. Things are not always as they
seem. Although Hope Lassiter
appears to be a weirdo with spiky purple hair, she is one of Della’s top
stylists, more than able to cut the hair of the prickly Sebastian Stone.
And although Sebastian behaves like a snobbish bully, he is really a
talented and well-known director who is preoccupied with finding a leading lady
for his latest project. Naturally they get along like
a flammable substance meeting an open flame, but Sebastian is able to overcome
his initial impression to allow Hope to give him the best cut he has ever had.
Hope, though is not able to convince him that she gave up a promising
career in the theater to care for her dying husband. He
firmly rejects her request to audition, which only makes her more determined to
show him what she can do. After she auditions and brings down the house, Sebastian is determined to sign her to the part. She refuses, as she fears it will take her away from her only child. By now Sebastian knows that there is much more involved than a starring role—he wants Hope for his leading lady on and off the stage—permanently. But to accomplish this he has to win more than her heart, it is also "A Matter of Trust"... The things that Sebastian
does to win Hopes favor are too delightful and numerous to even hint at.
Suffice it is to say that once again, Francis Ray has created a tender
tale of lobe and passion that will have you laughing, crying and sighing at the
same time. And she very
thoughtfully updated us on Gabe and Jessica who made their debut in ROSIE'S…as
well as tantalized us with something that come to fruition at a later date.
I love it when she does that, although it keeps me in suspense! No
trip to the salon would be complete without a fabulous manicure, where you turn
yourself over to a talented technician and sigh in "Sweet
Surrender"…by Rochelle Alers. There is just something about
a Rochelle Alers heroine that sets her apart.
Her women are strong, principled, smart and feminine and Maria Ynez
Parker is no exception. The talented, bright nail technician knows who she is and
what she’s about. She makes
apologies to no one for what she does for a living and why should she?
She has a four-year degree as well as a cosmetology license and she has
invested her considerable earnings well. She
is not particularly interested in dating—she is still mourning her late
husband seven years after his untimely death.
A love like that comes but once in a lifetime and she is not about to try
to recreate it. But when Cameron King comes
into Della’s with his teenaged niece, he trains his sights on Maria and will
not be dissuaded. Despite their
many differences they share an attraction that will not be denied. After
his own failed marriage, Cameron knows that what he feels for Maria is real and
he is determined to have her. As
Cameron and Maria gradually find a way to communicate, to trust and to establish
a real love, they both succumb to "Sweet
Surrender" in a way that most of us only dream about. Like a soothing, artistic
nail treatment, the tints and colors of this story shine brilliantly thanks to
the unerring skill of Rochelle Alers. I
loved the fact that these two admirable, likeable people had the guts and the
passion to get what they wanted—each other.
And I loved the way they confronted their inner fears and faced them head
on—especially when Cameron had to—oh, no, you just sit down and read this!
Some things you just have to see for yourselves… And of course, now that you
are shampooed, shaped and those fingertips are sparkling, you’ve got to get
styled. And who better than Felecia
Mason to make you "Truly, Honestly" go
home feelin’ good?
We’ve all wanted to take a
stroll on the wild side. I know I
have from time to time, so I could completely relate to serious Sheila Landon,
prim and proper banker extraordinaire. Sometimes, you just want to let your hair down and get
crazy…or in Sheila’s case, get a weave, some serious booty-shakin’ attire
and a whole new attitude about life. It
was time for Sheila to let go of corporate life and find some life after five at
Della’s Place, the new night spot that adjoined Della’s House of Style. And when she encountered
Daryl Desmond, part-time club DJ and full-time bus driver, she knew she had made
the right decision—even if the end of her vacation meant the end of her new
persona. Daryl might be the man of her
dreams, but she could be the woman of his worst nightmare if he knew that
beneath the sexy kitten exterior was a six-figure corporate clone.
Class distinctions, romantic deceptions and life-altering decisions are
definitely on the menu for Sheila and Daryl, but when you "Truly,
Honestly" love someone, there’s always room for a happy ending… Felicia Mason created
likeable, believable characters and put them into a situation that is timely and
affecting. Her story, the shortest
of the four, creates just the right ending for a four and a half blowdryer
anthology that is just the thing for your next long day at the stylist. I loved ROSIE'S
CURL AND WEAVE and I loved DELLA'S HOUSE OF STYLE
just as much. The authors’
individual styles blend perfectly to create a flowing synchronicity that brings
the reader on home to Harlem in all its glory, as well as into the lives and
hearts of the various characters. Read
it, enjoy it and recommend to everyone you know! |
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1st July 2000 |
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