~ Review: The Heart Doesn't Lie ~

PLOT SYNOPSIS:  On her way to do cultural research on African marriages, Jay Lee discovers her supervisor, Trent Prescott, is from the same Prescott family she's been warned to avoid all of her life. Now, as she struggles to resist the fiery attraction between them, she wonders if she will have to choose between family loyalty or following her heart.

REVIEW:  THE HEART DOESN’T LIE begins very promising when we are introduced to researcher, Jay Lee. She is going to Africa to do a study of African marriage rituals. Upon arriving, Jay meets the new coordinator for the trip, Trent Prescott. Trent has a huge chip on his shoulder when comes to women. His ex-fiancee, Sonya, is a liar and a cheat. She is also on this trip determined to get Trent back.

Jay is focused on completing this assignment. It will fulfill two of her life time goals. She gets to travel but more importantly gets to keep a promise to her grandmother. The promise is to reopen the family bed and breakfast. Trent is coordinating this trip as a last favor to his mentor. He owns his own real estate development company. Because of his past, Trent is determined to be his own boss and control his future. Their first meeting sparks emotion that causes a fire that hurts instead of warms. The main problem for Jay is Trent’s last name. Prescott is the name she has been warned against since the death of her parents. She is afraid that he belongs to that family.

THE HEART DOESN’T LIE begins to fade when Jay and Trent consummate the relationship. It is too soon. There is no chase between the two characters. It drags out when she cuts him off after returning home. The cat and mouse game she plays with her grandmother is boring. The inclusion of Jay and Trent’s exes should add spice to the story but clearly does not. Sonya’s character starts off strong but slowly fades. Austin is after Jay but his reasons are never revealed. This makes it hard to accept his constant intrusions in her life. The conspiracy they plan falls short in believability and substance. Jay’s grandmother is the focal point for the split. Yet we never get a real feel for her character.

The pace of the book varied too much. The beginning is great. The middle is slow. The ending is abrupt as well as too cut and dry. The glimpse into African marriages is an interesting topic. It helped the first quarter of the book to be very interesting. The remaining of the book left me wanting more.

JUNE 2002