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Full speed
ahead to become a top-notch lawyer as the only African-American female
in a
firm of all white people, Alayna Jackson is a woman with a mission. For
now
she’s a paralegal and working hard to obtain her goals and won’t let
anything
hold her back. Especially Ben “Ice Man” Richards, whose arrogance,
obnoxiousness and temper drive Alayna crazy. But Ice Man also makes
Alayna feel
more than she’s comfortable with. For all of Ben’s rudeness and
arrogance,
there is also a softer and hotter side to Ben that Alayna finds herself
drawn
to. To add to Alayna’s confusion about Ice Man, when her personal life
becomes
a disaster, it’s Ben who comes to her rescue…
Alayna
works hard to reach her goals and take care of her younger sister,
Martine who
doesn’t want to attend college. With much contention between Alayna and
Martine, it becomes even more severe as Martine drops a bombshell, that
alters
the lives of the sisters forever…
Karyn
Langhorne writes a wonderful contemporary romance with A
Personal Matter. Alayna is a strong, kind-hearted woman
who captures the reader’s attention immediately. I really enjoyed
Alayna, for
all her brass and convictions; it was her heart that I really felt
connected
to. Alayna grows within this story and it was a great journey to watch
her
blossom. Ben Richards, known as the Ice Man, is all tough demeanor; but
he’s a
sexy, sexy man. It’s the Ice Man persona that everyone sees and draws a
reader
in. While the iciness is all a front, it’s the man beneath that
smolders and
lights a reader on fire. These characters together were an adventure
that is
purely enjoyable.
Of course
Martine, the immature little sister, was the distracting factor in this
story.
While she is a large part of the story, there were times when I felt
her
immaturity and “rose-coloured glasses” were tiring. She had a lot to
learn in
this story, and she did, however, it seemed too drawn out in the length
that it
took her to realize the reality of everything.
Overall, I
did enjoy A Personal Matter
for the growth in the characters, the chemistry between Alayna and Ben,
and Ms.
Langhorne’s writing abilities in creating a contemporary romance with
wonderfully
woven subplots in this story. There was never a dull moment in A Personal Matter.
Reviewed by Tracey West
for The Road
to Romance
January 14, 2005
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