 |
DESIGNED FOR PASSION - Francine Craft Harlequin Kimani/Romance March 2008 |
SYNOPSIS: Detective Jim Ryman is determined to find justice for curvy widow Melodye Carter. But soon the sexy single mother and her mischievous twins are making the brooding lawman think of things like commitment and belonging and his vow to never love again.
SERIES ROMANCE |4| Anamaria Akins
REVIEW: Melodye Carter is a widow with twin boys who owns a boutique for plus size women. Believing that her voluptuous curves make her unattractive, her marriage was not a happy one, nor her childhood living under her mother’s scrutiny and in the shadow of her sister. Melodye is a woman who isn’t willing to open her heart again.
Detective Jim Ryman remembers the plus-size beauty from his youth, and he can’t help the fires of attraction that burn through him when he sees her again. Melodye’s husband’s death has now been declared a murder and Jim has been assigned to investigate it, bringing them into close contact. Jim also a widow, has sworn off all emotional ties of romance since his wife’s death. While both are battling self-esteem, trust and romantic scars, together Jim and Melodye will unknowingly help each others heart, making a path for a blossoming romance.
The smooth flow of the dialogue and the detailed description of the settings such as Melodye’s boutique, and Jim’s office at the police station, help the reader develop an understanding for all main and supporting characters, and issues within the novel. The secondary characters Bettina, her mother and Lucia her sister are portrayed as two very mean-spirited people, but by the end of the book it is explained why they became the people they were, and why they treated Melodye the way they did.
Ms. Craft took her time leading you through the characters struggle without dragging the story along. Designed for Passion is a well written love story with just the right blend of romance, passion, and drama. I highly recommend this novel for others to enjoy.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 20th May 2008