~ Review: True Love ~

TRUE LOVE by Brenda Jackson is yet another book based on the idea of revenge.  Someone has been wronged and is going to make the guilty pay for their misdeeds.  In Ms Jackson’s more than capable hands, it is also a tender, exciting tale of a love strong enough to dare two deserving people to trust in each other against all odds.  Even though I have been patiently waiting for the Ashton Sinclair-Netherland Brooms story that I just know will be hot enough to singe off my fingerprints when I handle the book, the story of the estimable Sterling Hamilton’s brother, Nicholas Chenault is a 4-star ‘dinner-winner’ as my great aunt used to say.

Shayla Kirkland is the perfect candidate for the position at Chenault Electronics.  She is so superbly qualified, in fact, that Nicholas Chenault almost doesn’t hire her.  She is just a little bit too qualified and so disarmingly beautiful that he knows that he will not be able to resist her.  But a cooler head prevails and he hires Shayla as the manager of international affairs for the company started by his father.

If Shayla did not know what Nicholas’ father has done to her mother, she might have been swayed by his good looks and charm.  But Shayla’s mother had been unjustly accused of wrongdoing by Chenault Electronics years before; accused, fired and humiliated.  If it is the last thing she does, Shayla is going to make Nicholas Chenault and his company pay for what they did to her late mother.

It was a neat and tidy plan, but like so many before it, things went wrong fast.  Shayla was drawn to Nicholas despite her best efforts.  Nicholas more than returned her feelings and despite their resolution to keep their relationship strictly business, they were in love and involved in a passionate affair.

Shayla became more and more conflicted as she tried to sort through events of the past.  Just when she was at the point of revealing her secret to Nicholas, someone with their own agenda revealed their version of the truth.  As their new-found love was blossoming, evidence of what appears to be Shayla’s betrayal of Nicholas surfaces. 

Would Shayla and Nicholas be able to set aside doubt and mistrust to get at the truth?  And would there be anything left of their love worth salvaging once all the secrets are told…

With her usual style and finesse, Ms Jackson has crafted an intriguing tale that works on many levels.  Her secondary characters are, as always, intriguing, vital and in this case, they bring the mystery to a head.  There are actually three love stories going on in TRUE LOVE; in the hands of a less experienced and talented writer, it could have been a mess.  Under Ms Jackson’s steady hand, the story unfolds as delicately as a Japanese fan.  The secondary characters add to the interest and enrich the story, bringing it to a most satisfactory conclusion.

One of the things that I like about Ms Jackson’s books is that even though they are all connected stories, they are each unique.  She is never afraid to tell a different kind of story every time, resulting in a body of work that delights the reader with strong, memorable characters, sparkling dialogue and fascinating stories. 

And, bless her heart, we got a little taste of SURRENDER, her long awaited tale of the oh-so-sexy Ashton Sinclair and the enigmatic Netherland Brooms, which will be coming out next year.  I haven’t waited for a book so long since…well, since Ms Jackson’s SECRET LOVE!   But waiting for a Brenda Jackson is like waiting for True Love to arrive.  It’s a long time coming but it is always worth it!

September 2000