BET/Arabesque
(3) Dee Stewart
SYNOPSIS: Three beloved Arabesque authors celebrate the joy of the holiday season in these captivating stories filled with passion, rekindled romance, and second chances
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: (3) Dee Stewart
REVIEW: Francine Craft’s “Kisses and Mistletoe” (3) is reminiscent of a short and light hearted HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK. Although Nick Redmond is only ten years younger than Janet Smith, his Caribbean inspired dreadlocks further reminds me of the McMillan novel. The story is packed with passionate love scenes, family history and a little mistletoe.
Hudson-Smith’s “Fantasy Fulfilled” (2) reminds me of the eighty’s television hit “Fantasy Island” without tattoo and the plane. Ashleigh Ayers falls in love with Austin Carrington, quarterback of the Texas Wranglers, the eldest of the most famous triplets inside US sports; Dallas, a baseball star and Houston, the basketball superstar. What’s even more incredible about this love match is that Ashleigh and her best friend Lanier once lived in th Carrington home, long ago during their childhood as foster kids. This Cinderella story is cleverly crafted and endearing, but a little too sweet for my taste buds.
Out of all the stories, “Someone to Love” (4) was my absolute favorite. I read it twice. Michelle Monkou writes this story in the voice of a precocious eight-year-old, Patti Stone’s point of view. The story is engaging, written in the holiday spirit, and full of good cheer. Patti’s mother, Jennifer is still mourning over the death of her husband, Patti’s father. Through a birthday wishing balloon Patti summons, the ultra-sexy Thane to the Stone’s door. Waiting for a sign to win Jennifer’s heart, Thane takes direction from Patti and even wins my heart.
My favorite line in the story was win Patti was concocted her wishing balloon:
“One of her (Patti) friends had suggested this balloon trick to make a wish come true. Pulling a small slip of paper from her shoe, she tied it to the ballon string. She’d written her secret in such neat, crisp letters that Miss Brown, her teacher would be proud.”
I loved the childlike innocence of the story and it was a great escape for my snuggle bed.
As I have said before what I liked most about BET Short story collections is its portrayal of different aspects of African-American life. From a school teacher to a NFL star there is more to our world than what we see on television. Thank you authors for that inspiration.
I gave this book a three or average rating for the same reasons as the Father’s Day compilation: (1) the authors do not build interesting or unique main characters, (2) the plot developed too slowly for the first two short stories, and (3) the resolutions were predictable and not engaging. Although these stories were structured properly, they missed the mark. All the stories read more like a second draft than a finished piece. My suggestion is to read “Someone to Love” first, since that story is incredible, then one and two respectively. Monkou’s story will keep you excited enough to get through the other two.
dee@romanceincolor.com (28th September 2003)