Sunday 15 April 2018

Book Review: To Buy A Vow by Chencia C Higgins


About the Book



For Nedra Phillips, the strain of portraying a strong Black woman to outsiders is finally taking its toll on her. Her marriage to her college sweetheart has begun to fizzle out, with conversations dwindling down to nothing and intimacy becoming sporadic at best. Unwilling to endure the stigma of being a 30-something divorcee, she does everything in her power to hold onto her marriage, but Chris isn’t just on a different page, he’s in a whole other book entirely. Despite their disconnect, her vows meant something to her and marriage is supposed to be forever. When all seems lost, she makes a last-ditch effort in hopes of generating results, but what exactly does a Hail Mary look like between friends and lovers? 

Jermaine Hawkins is nearing the end of a prominent career playing professional basketball and is ready to put his retirement plan into action. That plan includes many things but most important on the list is putting an end to his status as a hermit and starting a family. A chance encounter with a firecracker of a woman makes him think he’s found his capital F. But whether that F is for “future” or “frustrating” is to be determined. Can Jermaine convince Nedra that everything happens for a reason while also getting her to give him a chance at something real?


My Thoughts


Chencia C Higgins in a new-to-me author. The story of a woman whose marriage is in crisis appealed to me and I like discovering how characters choose to act at times like this.

Nedra’s strength of character is perfect in this story as she works through the challenges of a failing marriage and her introduction to Jermaine. Her anger and confusion is palpable. As she works towards acceptance of the circumstances in her life, I liked her resolve. It’s easy to play the blame game but the situation forces Nedra to take a closer look at not only her marriage but her own behaviour.

The book is written with dual points of view (Nedra’s and Jermaine’s) which works well as both characters are at a cross roads in their lives. While I enjoyed meeting Jermaine, for me, this book was more about Nedra’s journey.

There’s a great cast of supporting and secondary characters. I love the relationship Nedra has with her BFFS and Jermaine’s family show us a picture of a close family. The banter between all the characters is fun to read.

Overall the writing is tight yet upbeat, making To Buy A Vow an easily absorbed book.  And now to wait for book 2 in Nedra and Jermaine’s story.

About the Author



I'm Chencia. I hail from the Houston metro area where I spend my day job coddling college students.

I have been writing for as long as I can remember and although I have published and performed poetry, it wasn't until May 2016 when I held my breath and pubbed my first book. Have you heard of it? A little novella called No Strings Allowed.

I write books that I want to read and my tastes are varied. Although I'm enjoying this love affair with romance too much to call it quits, I might switch up the sub-genre every now and again. Right now, I'm on a contemporary romance kick because I love seeing modern people finding their #BlackLove.

When I'm not writing you can find me reading (of course), saving recipes on Pinterest, and traveling as much as possible with my family.

http://www.therealchencia.com/

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