By Jayce Ellis
February, as we know, is Black History Month. February also includes Valentine’s Day. That being said, it is my pleasure to include in this month’s reviews author Jayce Ellis’ romance novel If You Love Something.
DeShawn Moore Franklin is a minor celebrity chef at a starred restaurant in Washington, D.C. His dream as Chef DeShawn, however, has included the baggage of an irritating agent and tabloid press, and the strain is beginning to show.
Malik Franklin is the accountant for Franklin’s, the family soul food restaurant that is currently struggling financially, in part due to younger brother James’ refusal to adopt new ideas and strategies to generate more business. An introverted man, he has tended to run away from his problems, never telling his family that he and DeShawn were married.
Between DeShawn poised to follow his dream and Malik’s reluctance to come out, the couple divorced, but the pain never went away. After seven years and no contact, the brothas are brought together by DeShawn’s ailing grandmother Annie, whose ne’er-do-well son is eager to get his greedy fingers on her money. She has willed her house to DeShawn, and her money to Malik. Oh, and there’s one pesky little detail—through an error, DeShawn and Malik are still married. In the bigger picture of protecting Grandma Annie’s will and her legacy, they agree to act like they’re married for public consumption—until they aren’t acting.
Yes, these 40-something men have communication problems and they do behave like idiots at times (don’t most romance novels have that?) but Ms. Ellis’ storytelling skills kept me rooting for their second chance, and witnessing DeShawn and Malik overcome their internal road blocks to fall in love all over again. There is a quote, “If you love something, set it free.” In the case of Malik, did he do it for the right reasons in the first place?
I loved that D.C. flavor Ms. Ellis brings to this story, and the way she navigates the family dynamics, coupled with the growth of her main characters. Annie Mae Belle Moore is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, be it fighting for her family or her matchmaking scheme to get DeShawn and Malik back together. I have no doubt that many of us have or had such a grandmother; when she spoke, you listened, and she is never to be underestimated.
Granted, not all divorced couples are meant to reunite, but some deserve that second chance, since, in the wisdom of Annie Mae Belle Moore, they never should have divorced in the first place.
If You Love Something is available on Amazon. For this Valentine’s Day, score another victory for Black Love, Jayce!
W.D. Foster-Graham
W.D. Foster-Graham is a native son of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received a B.A. in psychology from Luther College, and he was an original member of the multi-Grammy-Award-winning ensemble, Sounds of Blackness. He has also been recognized by the International Society of Poets as one of its “Best New Poets of 2003,” is a guest writer for journalist/author/entertainer Wyatt O’Brian Evans.
