THE HOLIDAY WIFE - Roberta Gayle
B
October 2003
SYNOPSIS: The New Year brings a brand new beginning for a couple whose marriage of convenience turns into the love of a lifetime.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: (3) Debra Ross
REVIEW: Maddie and Warner Davis are good friends who married for convenience and financial benefits while in college. In the ensuing 10 years each has maintained separate lives; Warner choosing to teach at the college near their hometown, and Maddie pursing a career as a linguist that takes her all over the world. Their “marriage” never got in the way of other relationships – they were never serious about anyone else, so they never got around to getting divorced.
Warner Davis is a nice, likable hero. Dedicated to his work and the community he lives in, most things in his life are in place. At 32, Warner feels he is ready to settle down and start a family. He believes he has found the perfect candidate in his latest involvement. Now, all he has to do is ask Maddie for a divorce. Not an easy task, since he has always loved Maddie as a friend and does not want to hurt her.
Maddie Davis has spent the last few years galloping the world on whatever new job assignment she is given, only coming home once or twice a year. Maddie wants no ties and no responsibilities; she likes her unconventional life just the way it is. Warner is her true friend and their “marriage” is just fine with her. When a family emergency forces her to come home for an extended period of time, she realizes that things do change, even when you don’t want them to.
HOLIDAY WIFE is an interesting story. It is billed as a romance, but it’s actually a coming of age story for Maddie Davis. Maddie doesn’t like conflict or change. Instead of dealing with the fact that you can’t get along with your mother – pick a career that keeps you traveling; instead of starting a relationship – hide behind your marriage of convenience when someone starts to get too close. Basically, Maddie is a 31 year old adolescent; a fact that she doesn’t realize until page 215. Once Maddie wakes up and sees herself as she really is, she realizes she loves her husband, and always has. At this point the romance aspect finally kicks it.
In HOLIDAY WIFE Ms. Gayle’s characters are described, through both dialogue and action, in a clear cut and entertaining way. My only fault with this story is that the reader must go through the growing pains of a 31 year old for most of the book. While this is fine for a work of fiction, it’s rather frustrating for a romance. Roberta Gayle is a good writer, and HOLIDAY WIFE is a nice story about family acceptance and self realization.
debra@romanceincolor.com (14th October 2003)