As a disabled reader I'm drawn to characters I can relate to which is why I'm excited to bring this book into the spotlight today. Not only that but add in an interracial romance and you have a story that sets itself apart from the crowd which the author discusses here. With its heroine losing her eyesight, and its sexy and supportive hero, readers will find themselves drawn to this tale of reunited loves. Keep reading to get a glimpse of Fear Nothing by Amber Malloy, along with my impressions of it, then add it to your bookshelf!
DIVERSITY IN ROMANCE
Romance books are the ultimate escapism, a tool to be uplifting while allowing the reader to lose themselves in a great story.
In general romance is the bastard child of the book world. It hands down makes the most money, but no one wants to admit they either read or write it. Men who dare to tread into this genre, such as Nicholas Sparks coin their book’s Women’s Fiction. This could be considered the first dark smudge against the genre.
The second is the lack of diversity in this field. Whites have the upper hand in romance leads.
Black women read most of everything BBW, WWWM, BWBM, even WWBM but whites are more selective. They don’t read POC leads because they don’t have to.
Black romance was never as broad as white main stream books. Publishing houses figured only a certain type of romance is what Black woman craved, i.e Church, Gansta, or Urban. The cute and homey romance that white women get were simply not in the cards for the rest of us. The problem with that is called stereotyping.
Marketing analytics would point to sales, and so would publisher. However, history has shown us that simply isn’t true. Publishers have what is called category romance, which is a type of story line they would like their authors to follow. It is their tried and true formula that works for them.
Anything outside of the norm just doesn’t get picked up. Nevertheless, famous authors have dispelled this type of book and a box format i.e Zane and E. L. James. These women hit every best seller chart by self-publishing. Considered a one off by industry standards at the time they are now the blue print for erotic romance.
Unfortunately, publishing is much like the movie industry in the argument that no one actually wants to go out on a limb. They would rather stick to what works for them.
When I first started writing I didn’t see much call for interracial works. Thanks, in part to the television show Scandal, Interracial romances have had a little boost.
The pairing with a strong black woman lead and white man seemed foreign to most.
Yet, interracial romance has been around for some time. What would help a lot of author’s is for the genre to catch on with women outside of their race.
Black women read books with white leads wouldn’t it be awesome if white women could do the same?
One psychotic soldier was to blame.
Years ago, Skye Everwood survived a vicious assault, and now, she’s losing her eyesight as she faces her worst nightmare… Her attacker is back to finish what he started.
When the love of her life unexpectedly shows up at her restaurant, she knows it’s not a coincidence. Skye never understood why Bodhi King disappeared after that fateful day. Their plans to get married went up in smoke, just like her dreams to stay in the JAG Core. Unsure if she can trust him with her heart—let alone her life—she searches to find answers to why he left in the first place.
BUY AT AMAZON here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Bodhi King and Skye Everwood were once lovers until a tragic act tore them apart and left her with diminishing eyesight. At the hands of a psychotic soldier both of their lives were forever altered with one gone into hiding and the other on a path of vengeance. When their two paths cross again everything finally comes to a head as danger knocks on their front door in a fast-paced tale of second chances and surprising twists and turns.
Bodhi is a man on a mission. Anger over the damage done to his relationship with Skye has him determined to ruin the finances of the Goodwin family for the heinous act Dane Goodwin committed long ago and part of what brings him to the town where Skye's hiding. Past hurts quickly fade though as their mutual passions re-ignite during an event that brings to light the illegal and despicable acts of Dane and ultimately culminates in a pulse-pounding HEA. Bodhi was heartbroken when Skye vanished without a trace and it fueled his vengeance. Finding her again has him scrambling to reclaim her and keep her safe from the danger that just arrived in town. Vengeance is still alive but he also has plans to help her regain her eyesight. His acts show a man used to commanding but he's also sweet, sexy, and supportive. He's an honorable man determined to do what's right and willing to put his life on the line to accomplish that.
Skye's life dramatically changed the night Dane set off an explosion to cover-up his crimes. It damaged her eyesight and had her father put her into hiding in a small town in the middle of nowhere. He also took away the love of her life, leaving her with just a seeing eye dog for companionship. She's gotten caught up in the lives of her new small town, becoming mayor after a questionable death, and become beloved by all. The return of her former love, along with the threat that arrives in conjunction, puts her life in danger as attacks are blatantly made on her life. Luckily Bodhi's there beside her every step of the way, keeping her safe and giving her an incentive to repair her eyesight. Skye's a likable heroine who's made the best of a bad situation with a strong will and no-nonsense attitude. She's made a place for herself amongst the colorful and mysterious denizens of Glory, Louisiana with exchanges that were funny and heartwarming. Her interactions with her seeing eye dogs were also charming and made me like her even more.
The issue of Skye's blindness was handled well with a few examples subtly included in the narrative, along with her closeness to her seeing eye dogs that brought a tear to my eye as they reacted to Skye's life being threatened. Though the culmination of her journey wasn't as I wished it to be, it was still satisfying. The issue of her and Bodhi having an interracial relationship was not addressed at all which is a shame as I like romances that deal with social issues. Their relationship was a scorching one though that was mostly based in the past. They quickly reunited in erotically-charged encounters that fell a bit flat though as we didn't get to see the foundation of their relationship begin. The villain of this story is truly creepy with his blatant craziness and over-the-top demeanor, but the juxtaposition to his kind and caring brother Caine was compelling, and made Dane's mental deficiencies even more obvious. Caine left me intrigued as he was commanding yet kind, he could do good but was willing to do bad when need be. I'd love to see more of him as his decision late in the story upended everything. Other engaging characters can be found amongst the denizens of this charming yet mysterious small town, from outspoken friends to hidden foes. One final character that I'm drawn to is Jason, the tatted-up gay friend of Bodhi, who's larger than life with his words and deeds. I'd LOVE to see his story told as he was flirty and fun and his time in the story left me clamoring for more. This story was a bit rough around the edges when it came to the flow as it almost went too fast and jumped from one scene to the next a bit frantically. That didn't take away from my enjoyment, though it did disappoint me as I had such high hopes from its premise. Despite that I still enjoyed this thrill ride, became fully immersed in its outcome, and cheered its conclusion. I'm especially hoping to see more of Jason as he lit up the scenes he was in which is just one reason to recommend this book.
Bodhi is a man on a mission. Anger over the damage done to his relationship with Skye has him determined to ruin the finances of the Goodwin family for the heinous act Dane Goodwin committed long ago and part of what brings him to the town where Skye's hiding. Past hurts quickly fade though as their mutual passions re-ignite during an event that brings to light the illegal and despicable acts of Dane and ultimately culminates in a pulse-pounding HEA. Bodhi was heartbroken when Skye vanished without a trace and it fueled his vengeance. Finding her again has him scrambling to reclaim her and keep her safe from the danger that just arrived in town. Vengeance is still alive but he also has plans to help her regain her eyesight. His acts show a man used to commanding but he's also sweet, sexy, and supportive. He's an honorable man determined to do what's right and willing to put his life on the line to accomplish that.
Skye's life dramatically changed the night Dane set off an explosion to cover-up his crimes. It damaged her eyesight and had her father put her into hiding in a small town in the middle of nowhere. He also took away the love of her life, leaving her with just a seeing eye dog for companionship. She's gotten caught up in the lives of her new small town, becoming mayor after a questionable death, and become beloved by all. The return of her former love, along with the threat that arrives in conjunction, puts her life in danger as attacks are blatantly made on her life. Luckily Bodhi's there beside her every step of the way, keeping her safe and giving her an incentive to repair her eyesight. Skye's a likable heroine who's made the best of a bad situation with a strong will and no-nonsense attitude. She's made a place for herself amongst the colorful and mysterious denizens of Glory, Louisiana with exchanges that were funny and heartwarming. Her interactions with her seeing eye dogs were also charming and made me like her even more.
The issue of Skye's blindness was handled well with a few examples subtly included in the narrative, along with her closeness to her seeing eye dogs that brought a tear to my eye as they reacted to Skye's life being threatened. Though the culmination of her journey wasn't as I wished it to be, it was still satisfying. The issue of her and Bodhi having an interracial relationship was not addressed at all which is a shame as I like romances that deal with social issues. Their relationship was a scorching one though that was mostly based in the past. They quickly reunited in erotically-charged encounters that fell a bit flat though as we didn't get to see the foundation of their relationship begin. The villain of this story is truly creepy with his blatant craziness and over-the-top demeanor, but the juxtaposition to his kind and caring brother Caine was compelling, and made Dane's mental deficiencies even more obvious. Caine left me intrigued as he was commanding yet kind, he could do good but was willing to do bad when need be. I'd love to see more of him as his decision late in the story upended everything. Other engaging characters can be found amongst the denizens of this charming yet mysterious small town, from outspoken friends to hidden foes. One final character that I'm drawn to is Jason, the tatted-up gay friend of Bodhi, who's larger than life with his words and deeds. I'd LOVE to see his story told as he was flirty and fun and his time in the story left me clamoring for more. This story was a bit rough around the edges when it came to the flow as it almost went too fast and jumped from one scene to the next a bit frantically. That didn't take away from my enjoyment, though it did disappoint me as I had such high hopes from its premise. Despite that I still enjoyed this thrill ride, became fully immersed in its outcome, and cheered its conclusion. I'm especially hoping to see more of Jason as he lit up the scenes he was in which is just one reason to recommend this book.
My rating for this is a B-
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Amber Malloy dreamed of being a double agent but couldn’t pass the psyche evaluation. Crushed by despair that she couldn’t legally shoot things, Amber pursued her second career choice as pastry chef. When she’s not writing or whipping up a mean Snickers Cheesecake, she occasionally spies on her sommelier. Amber is convinced he’s faking his French accent.
Amber loves to talk to her readers and can be found at...
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