Carmichael/Thomas/Keaton

Genesis Press

October 2002

1-58314-367-X

(3) Leslie Cannon

Contemporary Romance

PLOT SYNOPSIS: 

REVIEW: 

HOMELAND HEROES AND HEROINES ANTHOLOGY: TO LOVE AND HONOR is the second book in the series of stories honoring real life African American heroines who ventured above and beyond the call of duty to help make their country safe after the tragic September 11^th attacks on the United States.

The anthology, loosely based on the lives of three women in various branches of the U.S. armed forces, paints very strong, independent and courageous women.  Women will absolutely love the strength and resilience with which these characters are depicted.

In “Life Goes On” by Giselle Carmichael, Master Sergeant Jacyln Davies is an expert in automated personnel records and web-based systems.  When she is hand-selected for a detail with the Federal Aviation Administration, Jacyln comes in contact with the “a little over 200 pounds of delicious sweet chocolate” bearing the name of Tony McKinney.  Fighting to secure their homeland, Tony and Jacyln are forced to work in quite close quarters. Their desire to carry out a successful mission is matched only by their desire for each other.

Though Tony and Jacyln’s story is a good one, the romance aspect and military adventure never seem to find a harmonious balance.  At times the romance seems to play too much of a part, minimizing the mission the characters were on. Yet at other times the mission is so strong, the romance seems like an unnecessary afterthought.

Ms. Giselle does, however, provide a unique twist in the end of the story.

In “Treasured Dreams,” author Wanda Y. Thomas shows why she is a favorite among readers.

Writing a novella is difficult in and of itself, but interweaving more than one plot in such short space could have very well been the springboard for creative disaster. Yet it is just that that Ms. Thomas does in “Treasured Dreams,” accomplishing the interweaving with a mastery of skill that can be described as nothing short of phenomenal.

In “Treasured Dreams,” readers are able to feel the frustrations that army life has provided for its characters. When Chief Warrant Officer 5 Victoria Murray meets undercover NSA agent Gregory Hunter, it is amazing that they are able to establish a relationship at all with all the secrecy surrounding their chosen professions. Ms. Thomas does a great job of depicting what military life is really like for many soldiers, especially in times of crisis.

The insensitivity of some of the questions Victoria gets because she is a woman in the military was enough to push my buttons. Before Victoria even got around to defending herself, I was already asking out loud, “Who does he think he is?” The scene’s ability to elicit a verbal-response, is clearly attributable to Ms. Thomas’ knack for storytelling.

Aside from the strong main characters, Ms. Thomas also paints secondary characters that steal your heart. Readers will have no trouble empathizing with the plights of both the main and secondary characters.  “Treasured Dreams,” is told in such a way that the problems faced by the characters seem like the problems of close friends.  When they triumphed, I rejoiced.  When things didn’t quite go so well, I was saddened by the disappointments my ‘friends’ had to endure.

The magnitude with which Ms. Thomas weaves this novella, has truly left this reader pondering what level of dynamics she would have obtained with any more space to operate with. I guess the old saying proves true: “You just never get enough of a good thing.”

In “Wishing for Tomorrow,” Barbara Keaton pairs the handsome Vincent Miller, a member United States Marines Special Forces and secret CIA agent, Michelle Fulton. Upon seeing Vincent, it does not take long for Michelle to recognize him as the object of her childhood crush. Though Vincent recalls the familiarity of Michelle’s last name, he is astounded to later learn that the pimply-faced daughter of his former sergeant is now the strikingly beautiful woman who causes him to have a hard time formulating even the simplest of words.

The adventure part of “Wishing For Tomorrow,” is outstandingly done. The way Ms. Keaton weaves the Italian language throughout the story as Michelle and Vincent travel abroad in hopes of capturing terrorist cells lends credibility and a realistic flair to the scenes. I could literally feel my adrenaline pumping as different suspense-filled scenes unfolded.

Michelle and Vincent are well paired as partners against terrorism.  The chemistry between them, however, does not fair as well in the love department. The matching of Michelle and Vincent as a couple seems forced and rushed. I could not get into their relationship; didn’t feel it to be realistic enough.  One incident in particular has Michelle and Vincent in the middle of a very important mission.  One moment Vincent discovers their place of lodging has been disturbed. The next moment, without further investigation or even a second thought it seems, the two sit down, eat dinner and then begin kissing each other.  Given the thrust of the story and the role these characters were playing for the military, the scene does seems a bit far fetched and actually hinders the overall believability of the characters.

HOMELAND HEROES AND HEROINES ANTHOLOGY: TO LOVE AND HONOR is a book that I would recommend reading.  The pride and sheer determination of many of its characters are bound to leave readers with a pleasant feeling.

leslie@romanceincolor.net (14th September 2002)