UNDENIABLE - Ingrid Monique
Dafina/Romance
March 2005
SYNOPSIS: Sparks fly when a woman falls for her best friend's big brother . . . and a conniving socialite who's determined to marry the guy does everything she can to sabotage their romance.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: (3+) Jennifer Brathwaite
REVIEW: Everyone has experienced a moment when they felt like a fish out of water. Similarly, in life
most people have come to realise that sometimes it takes someone whom is out of the picture entirely to see an image clearly. In UNDENIABLE
the female lead, Mara, is that fish that lands on a new shore. She eventually ends up having to swim in a completely different pond and sees
clearly the challenges life throws not only at herself, but many of the characters as well.
In the story Mara goes to visit her wealthy friend Shari to spend the summer in fun and luxury. While there, against her better judgement, she
starts a romance with her friend’s intense brother Zander. In forming her relationship with Zander, internally Mara tries to deal with her own
insecurities; externally she has to endure Zander’s crazy ex-girlfriend. Moreover, during the course of the summer Mara tries to bridge the
divide between Shari and Zander while at the same time trying to enjoy the opportunities presented to her to flex her wings and pursue her
heart’s dreams.
Although the novel is full of different characters, events and storylines such that there’s much to read, the pace of the novel seems slow at
times and drags occasionally.
The characters in UNDENIABLE are strong and the author successfully links the emotions among them. In so doing, Ms. Monique pulls emotion out
of the reader and makes us care about all of the different individuals in the novel. The slightly 'touched' Tanya is a striking component of
the text.
The settings and the dialogue in the novel are well-crafted elements of the story by Ms. Monique. The differences between Mara’s home, which
she shares with her mother, and Shari and Zander’s home give great insight into the lives of the characters and the contrasting ways they
perceive themselves. In addition, Mara and Zander’s New York mirrors the course of their entire relationship. The dialogue in the book is both
realistic and humorous and gives a vivid impression of the characters’ personalities. The exchanges with the enthusiastic, artist Stone and
Mara’s laid-back mother both are perfect examples.
All told UNDENIABLE is a good novel but not completely engaging. While all of the necessary components to make up a great story are present,
the novel seems to fall short. The reader doesn’t get completely connected to the main characters. For myself, I was at times more invested in
the relationship of Shari and Patrick than that of Mara and Zander. The book is a good buy if one is already an Ingrid Monique fan but not an
absolute “must buy” for the average romance novel reader.
jennifer@romanceincolor.com (1st June 2005)