TAGS: Brenda Jackson, legacy, aeronautics, crisis management consultant

New York Times bestseller Brenda Jackson writes series of books including a number of characters that readers feel they know. Those characters include the Bennetts, the Montgomerys and the very popular Westmorelands. She has a list of accomplishments that would make anyone impressed and interested in reading her work. She is the first African- American author to have an book published under the Harlequin/Silhouette Desire line of books and the first African-American romance author to make USA Today’s Bestseller’s List. She also has her own publishing company, Madaris Publishing Company, where she has her "Love, Passion and Promise” line of books.

The Granger family is the recent addition to Brenda Jackson’s series of books. Jace and his two brothers, Caden and Dalton, promise their grandfather on his deathbed to take over the family business and figure out why it has begun failing. Jace Granger, a divorced attorney, is the responsible one when it comes to his brothers. After their father is convicted for a crime he didn’t commit, the three live with their grandfather on the family estate. Jace is always there when needed by his grandfather. When he receives word of his grandfather’s health, he is the first one there and the one to call his brothers, who drop everything to be by their grandfather’s side. They are asked moments before their grandfather dies to take over the company and put it back on top. In walks Shana Bradford, the Olivia Pope of fixing companies, who was referred by a trusted company friend. She is very good at her job and doesn’t mix business with pleasure, but there’s something she can’t seem to put her finger on or ignore: her attraction to Jace Granger. Jace can’t seem to ignore it either. Together they all work to put Granger Aeronautics back on top, but there are things or people in the way of that. Everyone in the company is a suspect, and no one can be trusted.

The characters in this book are interesting. The banter between the brothers is fun to read. The entire book is very well written, but there’s too little happening to keep a reader interested. You will find yourself reading and reading just hoping something will happen and finally, its does. By then, you’ve lost your interest. If you don’t mind reading an entire book before the page-turning things happen, then you will not be disappointed. The characters are not very memorable and this reviewer was more excited the book was finished, than sad the characters were gone. Another thing is the descriptive writing: as a reader who needs description to enjoy a book, this book is a little too descriptive. At every turn there is a description of a person’s clothing or house, down to the flowers on their lawn; it’s just a bit much.  The sex scenes in the book are very well done. When intercourse finally happens, you will feel like, “FINALLY!” It’s not vulgar, and won’t have readers putting the book down to catch a breath, but it’s just enough.

While the characters are fun and the book is well written, this reviewer did not miss the characters once the book was put down, almost to the point where it was easy to forget that the book was waiting to be read.  The plot twist in the end almost makes up for the book being so boring. Once the excitement happens, it’s really easy to finish the book.

A reader may want to revisit one of Jackson's earlier works that have helped to create her following. The slow-moving story may not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you enjoy knowing everything about every character that makes an appearance in a book, then this may be your kind of reading. 

Christina Prue is an avid reader. A member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, she lives with her husband and children in Maryland.