REVIEW: Write to Me by Nona Raines
Gloria Navarro met and married her soul mate. When he died, she felt she’d never know that kind of love again. But when she finds a love letter between the pages of a book and the man who wrote the missive, she starts to believe lightning might strike twice.
To Bryan Dunn, love is a four-letter word. He doesn’t go in for cheap sentiment or hearts-and-flowers. But he wants Gloria, and to get her, he’ll let her believe he wrote the silly letter. The longer he’s with her, though, the more he cares. If she discovers the truth about him, it just might break the heart he never thought he had.
Dear Ms. Raines,
You first came to my attention when I read “His Kind of Woman.”That made it a no brainer for me to request this from netgalley.
The opening scene is set in an old fashioned used bookstore. I love USBs and this one – with just books and no frou-frou other stuff, sounds just up my alley. Is Gloria older than Bryan? Oooh, delicious. And their initial interest in each other is sparked by a mutual knowledge of Shakespeare as well as physical attraction.
Bryan is not a gentleman. But at least he’s honest about it. I found it hilarious that he’s gagging at taking credit for the letter he thinks is hogwash claptrap. It’s sad that he realizes how often this sort of flowery, heartfelt language will actually work to snag a woman. The sweetness of the older couple whom they meet while walking in the park doesn’t get him the way it does Gloria. At least until later.
Gloria really presses for details about the letter she thinks Bryan wrote, I mean she wants to know. Is she truly interested – perhaps based on her lovey dovey history with her late husband – or just angling for time with Bryan the way he is with her? But I have to admire the fact that she knew she had one of a kind with her first husband and after his death wasn’t willing to settle for less just to have a man in her life. She needs to let go and just be a cougar. The sensual shampooing scene is a fun way for her to get her hands on him in a way that makes sense in the story and it’s just about lusting. Gloria pours it on and later gives Bryan a smooth shave he won’t forget. Thanks for incorporating the physical contact into the story neatly that way.
I like that the mental lusting isn’t getting too out of hand and I can feel it based on the way the story is written rather than just being annoyed that I’m being told it. But how are his playing ways going to be turned around in a short story? Ah, the sad, sweet story of the older couple has Bryan thinking of the future. Gloria not giving into his charming his way into her pants slows things down as well thus giving Bryan a chance to see what working for a woman to like him does to change his feelings for the better. Listening to Gloria tell the love story she had with her first husband gives Bryan pause as well. Her sentiments suddenly don’t sound so mushy after all.
When they finally move to a physical relationship, it’s Gloria who is the confident one. Soon, though, Bryan having read all those Shakespeare sonnets pays off. I love his quote to her. Still the moment of reckoning must arrive and how Gloria discovers the truth is simple yet elegantly effective. How she holds her head up and doesn’t go Latina postal on his ass is classy. In true romance book fashion, this happens right as Bryan is turning a new leaf, in love with love and with Gloria. Poor shit should have fessed up sooner. Now comes his turn to text and call in vain.
I’ve got to give it to Gloria. She sets up Bryan’s “Come to Jesus” meeting in an inventive way and really gets him to think about his past actions and treatment of all the women he “radio silenced” when he was finished with the relationship. It also gets Gloria to thinking and a revelation about her deceased husband speeds up her musing on forgiveness and fault. When Bryan makes his move, in a way that Gloria can’t help but understand and like, it’s a master stroke of ingenuity and honesty. These two might still be on their way and have a distance to travel but the future looks bright and hopeful. B
~Jayne
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Wow. I’m practically crying reading this. I hope it’s not bad form to respond, but thanks so much for taking time to read and review my story. I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
@Nona Raines: Thank you and you’re welcome.