When Lily
Benton and James Wells announce their decision to marry, the people they’re the
closest to in this world react in an oddly similar and yet dissimilar manner. Lily’s
older cousin Jordan ‘Jorie’ Morrison feels the couple is too young to get
married, but respects Lily’s decision and makes no opposition to the marriage. While
James’ guardian, the calculative and tough litigator Simon Grant makes his
displeasure clear to the young couple and his suggestion of a pre-nup only serves to make
him even more unpopular with them while not influencing their decision to marry. Having
felt a deep gratitude all his life for everything that James’ father and grandfather
did for him, Simon feels himself obligated to look after James to his best ability and
this includes keeping James’ inheritance of the multimillion dollar Wells Enterprise
safe from any fortune hunter, like Lily. To get back into the couple’s good books,
Simon requests Jorie’s help and when he pledges
himself to financially help the non-profit organization she works for, Jorie has no
recourse but to agree.
Jorie, ‘a do-gooder
with a bad-girl streak’, has a magnificent musical talent only surpassed by the
greatness of her heart. She’s also a born fixer-upper, whether she’s involved in helping needy children, or
matching making the men she dated with her best friends. At first it appears as if this freewheeling, lively and unconventional woman has nothing in common
with a tough-as-nails, grim and brutally honest man like Simon. But as they spend time
with each other, they begin to discover hidden depths to the other, and with understanding
comes a growing mutual attraction that neither can resist for long. Meanwhile, Lily
and James, observing the older couple’s mutual chemistry, decide to play cupid! What
happens then makes for a heartfelt romance, along with some mystery and a dash of action.
While this book may only
be MacKenzie Taylor’s second book, but it certainly appears as though the author has
been writing romances for long and she’s certainly done a splendid job with ‘The Way You Look Tonight’. This book
has one of the most likeable and believable lead couples ever. Jorie and Simon appear to
be thorough opposites, but as the story progresses the author reveals the truth behind
their current differing natures, a truth that is almost common to both. The romance
progresses evenly and is sweet and uncomplicated. It’s the younger couple’s
romance that not only progresses along a rocky road, with opposition and some suspense to
add a bit of a bite to it. There are plenty of secondary and very interesting characters
like Lavonia and her eight year old son Darius who’s a child musical genius, and who
provides plenty of humor and light moments with his tendency to offer Simon advice on how
to woo a woman!
All in all, this is a book
which is to be read, re-read and cherished.
Reviewed By Rashmi
Srinivas for The Road to Romance
March 21, 2003
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