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BET/Arabesque December 2000 (3) Jeanette Cogdell |
Contemporary Romance |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS: |
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REVIEW: |
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In WHITE LIES, Ms. Johnson tells the story of Willow Morgan, a gifted artist whose parents’ deaths have cast a shadow of deception on her life. JUST ONE KISS is the story of Dory Morgan, Willow’s half sister/cousin. You have to read WHITE LIES to unravel that one. Dory, a journalist turned best selling mystery author now lives near her sister in Sleepy Hollow, New York. She and Willow have become best friend. Willow wants Dory to have what she has, a loving husband and children. Dory wants that too, but has no prospects in view. She tells Willow about the one that got away, Reid Robinson. He worked at the paper with Dory and for 3 months she kept her attraction to him at bay. There was something happening between them, so she decided to make her move, but she really didn’t need to. At the office Christmas party, Reid stuck to Dory like glue. While dancing he whispers in her ear, “Just one kiss, Dory.” After he takes her breath away, he thanks her for the kiss and walks away. Dory watches in confusion as two men walk in, handcuff and arrest Reid. That was the last time she saw him, eight years ago. Dory is scheduled to take a train trip for two months to do research for her new book and write a few travel articles along the way. Willow talks her into attending a masquerade ball before she leaves. Dory isn’t big on parties plus she has a deadline for her book and those articles, but she agrees to go. Reid has his problems too. One being that he wants to clear his name and find out who set him up. The other being the kind that most men would never talk about, the dreaded ED (Erectile Dysfunction). Both problems seem to go hand in hand. Since his arrest, Reid has put a lot of pressure on himself to make something positive come out of that period in his life. He took his mother’s orchid growing hobby and turned it into a million dollar business. Now he needs to take a much-needed vacation, something relaxing, like a train ride. Reid, being one of the most eligible bachelors in Rochester and a successful businessman, attends the masquerade ball too. Something familiar about a voice he hears makes him stop and watch the woman dressed as an African princess. When someone called out Dory’s name, he knew it had to be her. He ask Dory to dance holding her like he did eight years ago. Dory, not knowing who this stranger in the mask is, but feeling something very familiar about him, relaxes in his embrace. At the end of the dance, he whispers in her ear, “Just one kiss, Dory.” He kisses her, thanks her and then turns and leaves. Déjà vu. Dory and Willow are left standing there staring at his back. Reid and Dory end up on the same train. Surprise, surprise. Dory sees this as a chance to get to know him again, but she is leery of the circumstances surrounding his arrest. Reid isn’t exactly forthcoming with any explanations but expects her to trust him. He is still very much attracted to Dory, but with his “little problem”, he will not put himself in a situation that would cause them both embarrassment and pain. It seems that as Dory is searching for material to write about in her book, the incidents taking place on the train are supplying everything she needs. There is an attempted rape, a stow-away, a missing person, a murder and things that go bump in the night. Between all that and his attraction to Dory, Reid questioned himself several times if this was stress free traveling. In JUST ONE KISS, Ms. Johnson discusses an issue that at one time was taboo. It was interesting to read how this condition personally affects a man. The uninhibited conversation between the brothers showed how confident they were in their maleness. Having enjoyed WHITE LIES, I was anxious to read this sequel. Romance novels with a bit of mystery thrown in always intrigue me. As I read the scene where Dory creeps down the shadowy hall of the train towards the shower, my heart began to beat a little faster. When she entered the dark shower and didn’t turn on the light, I hesitated to continue reading. The next scene made me drop the book and cover my eyes. A mystery reader I am not. All that creeping around in the dark is enough to give a person a heart attack. I couldn’t decide to continue reading or not. I checked the cover to make sure this was a romance novel. Dying to know what happened next, I ventured on. I was scared out my wits, then laughing at myself for being scared. This book took me through a gamut of emotions and is well worth the read. |
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jeanette@romanceincolor.net (1st December 2000) |
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