Wedding planner Valencia Hill has it all – a lovely home, a fulfilling job, lots of money. But the one thing she lacks is a man. Devastated by her ex-fiancé, who jilted her at the altar, Valencia has avoided romantic entanglements for the past two years, instead throwing herself into her work.
At a party hosted by Autumn, one of Valencia’s clients, she meets Michael Gomez, a baseball player with a national team. When a beautiful model named Kendall arrives at the party, Autumn introduces Valencia as Michael’s girlfriend. Michael plays along with it, glad to escape Kendall’s clutches.
He explains to Valencia that he and Kendall were just friends – but the reality is a bit more complicated than that, and soon enough Michael is going to have to tell Valencia the truth.
A simple, straightforward plot that nevertheless manages to entertain, Love to Behold’s strengths lie in its cast, particularly the two romantic leads. I liked how they didn’t just jump at one another with the first glimmer of mutual attraction, but reacted true to character. Valencia takes her time in learning to trust herself as well as Michael, and Michael is so keen to make a good impression that he glosses over a few teensy little issues in his past. Many readers can probably empathise with Valencia’s situation and I’m sure we all know a man who’s been economical with the truth in order to win the heart of a woman.
Not that Michael is a sleaze – he’s a good guy who made a mistake, but he’s not sure how to deal with it, and so he deals with it by hoping it’ll go away. I think this was my favourite thing about this story. The author really manages to show a typical male attitude in a way that the reader will understand. On the face of it, Michael is an alpha male, but he’s also got a lot of beta in him, too – making him an ideal romantic hero.
Valencia and Michael are backed up by a great supporting cast, particularly Simone and TC, whose exchanges and reactions are funny as well as wise.
Favourite line: Although he hadn’t physically touched her, Valencia felt as if he stroked her with his words.
If you’re in the mood for a sweet but sassy romance, take a look at Love to Behold. While the plot is tried-and-tested, the sheer charm of the characters makes the story sparkle.
Reviewed by Singapore Sling 4 Champagne Flutes http://cocktailreviews.wordpress.com/
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