MADE FOR EACH OTHER

Niqui Stanhope

1-58314-059-X

BET/Arabesque

MAY 1999

(3+) Wayne Jordan

Contemporary Romance

PLOT SYNOPSIS: 

REVIEW: 

Summer Stevens is a designer – an excellent one.  After landing a lucrative contract for her company, Summer believes that everything is perfect, but suddenly things start to go wrong.  Despite her success, she loses her job, finds her boyfriend with her best friend, and discovers that she is adopted.

Fortunately, Summer is offered a new job restoring a cottage on the island of Jamaica.  She looks forward to this move with anticipation, as this will give her a chance to start her life all over again.  When she arrives in Jamaica, she soon finds out that the cottage is owned by Gavin Pagne, a man she had met before and who is indirectly responsible for her losing her job.

Characterization is one of Ms. Stanhope’s strengths.   Both, Summer and Gavin are likable protagonists.  Summer is a feisty confident heroine, who, despite being tried by the fires of life, rises to the occasion and never remains down.  Gavin is a strong confident man who frowns on women like Summer (or what he perceives her to be).  Both are uncertain about love, and this results in intense conflict between the two, despite their attraction to each other.  Unfortunately for them, (or should I say fortunately), they cannot deny the attraction, and when the sparks begin to fly, they fly.

Along with her characterization, Ms. Stanhope creates a wonderful sense of place.  The reader is given a clear and distinct impression of the exotic tropical island of Jamaica.  When Summer steps of the place, the description of Jamaica is deliciously nostalgic:

But, the sight of leafy coconut trees bending gently in the wind, the crush of people around, the lilting voices belting out genuine Jamaican patois, touched something deep, almost primal, inside her.

She closed her eyes... There was a hot scent to the air.  A pulsing vibrance that swept you up as soon as your feet touch the black of the airport tarmac.  So this was it.  This was the land of Bob Marley,  The birthplace of reggae.  She could completely understand why so many fell in love with the place.  There was something intoxicating about it.  Something magical.

With MADE FOR EACH OTHER, demonstrates that she is a writer with talent, and a distinct voice.   Her sense of place, well-developed characters, and her wry sense of humor are evidence of this talent.

A plot that leaves some elements of the story unresolved, however, weakens the impact of MADE FOR EACH OTHER.  Even Summer’s situation at the beginning of the book seems a bit excessive.

Despite its weaknesses, MADE FOR EACH OTHER is an enjoyable read, and I look forward to Ms. Stanhope's December release, DISTANT MEMORIES.  If Ms. Stanhope continues to hone her skills and improve with each book, she is destined to be a writer of repute.

wayne@romanceincolor.net (1st May 1999)