Assessment:
Plot: Moose’s novel is suspenseful and romantic in equal measure. Rachel’s romance with Nate is made only more poignant as she fights to understand how her brother took such a dark turn in his life.
Prose/Style: The reader is pulled into the thick of the story through Moose’s warm, heartfelt prose. Rachel proves to be an engaging narrator.
Originality: The author tackles the realities of an interracial romance with refreshing sensitivity.
Character Development/Execution: Moose’s characters are likable and engaging. There is a definite mysteriousness and possible nefariousness to Dan, Rachel’s brother, which makes the story all the more intriguing.
Blurb: Moose’s evocative novel is a must-read for our times. Newly divorced Rachel has moved back into her deceased parents’ home, finding solace in a newfound friendship with Black veteran Nate and his son Isaiah. But when her ne’er-do-well brother moves in with her, his erratic behavior and dangerous ideas may threaten all Rachel holds dear.
Date Submitted: June 26, 2021
The core romance between Rachel and Nate feels sweet, easy, and natural, and Rachel’s comfort with it given her positive history with her Black stepfather makes sense. Although Isaiah is underdeveloped as a character, Moose thankfully resists the trope of leaning on the child as a matchmaker and places the primary barrier to the relationship as Rachel’s thoughtless choices, delivering a satisfying emotional resolution at her relief when things work out.
Readers drawn to social commentary will find that aspect of the story less engaging than the personal material, and those interested in the procedural aspects will likely find the police characters too generic. Moose maintains relationship mystery, but the choice not to inhabit Nate’s perspective means the novel doesn’t seize the opportunity to dig deeply into class and racial issues. White supremacist Dan, meanwhile, is an extreme yet vague antagonist, and the story leans more on the rich/poor side of the cultural gap than the racial one. Moose brings up rich themes of disability and sex by having Nate mention injury-related erection issues, but doesn’t explore them. Despite some missed chances for deeper character analysis, readers eager for love stories will want to indulge in this introspective success.
Takeaway: A class-crossing interracial romance powers this light, socially-conscious love story.
Great for fans of: Dinaw Mengestu’s All Our Names, Sandra Kitt’s Between Friends.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B
