All He Desires
By Brenda Jackson
Many couples today have blended families, and many are the circumstances that created them. But how many were created because of a posted ad? Such is the premise that brings this week’s couple together in the final installment of the All He Desires series, Simply Wonderful.
Jamison Savoy is a successful 32-year-old attorney and partner in the family law firm established by him and his cousins. He is also a divorced father, raising his 4-year-old daughter Kia as a single parent. He has bitter memories of his despicable ex-wife Vonetta, who cheated on him with her lover—in their marriage bed while he was at work. In the divorce proceedings, she callously stated that he could have everything except the dog; she didn’t even want custody of her daughter. With an increasing workload and babysitting issues looming, he spots an unusual ad in the newspaper.
Kendal Fischer is a 28-year-old sistah who makes a good living as a virtual assistant. When her brother Conley and sister-in-law Cynthia are killed in a motorcycle accident, their will and insurance policies named her as guardian to their 4-year-old daughter Carr. Now, Cynthia’s parents are fighting her for custody of Carr. In desperation, she placed the ad in the newspaper wanting a man for a temporary marriage of convenience to fend off the custody challenge for Carr.
Jamison’s cousin Tonya convinces him to answer the ad, citing ways it would be a win-win situation for him, Kendal, and their girls. And besides, his late friend Conley is Kendal’s older brother.
Having experienced a douchebag boyfriend in her past, Kendal has some reservations about drop-dead-gorgeous Jamison, having had a crush on him in high school. Also, having seen Jamison’s seeming choice for model-size women, she doubts that he would be attracted to a 5’11”, voluptuous, full-figured woman such as herself. Jamison, however, has no such doubts when first lays eyes on her as a grown woman. Now, all he has to do is convince her of how beautiful, sexy, and special she is, as well as convincing their families, friends, and the courts that their marriage is real.
With pressure from Carr’s grandparents on one side and Vonetta seeking to worm her poisonous way back into Jamison’s life from the other side, will this marriage and blended family hold up? Will it blossom into something more?
One of the things I like most in this book is the way Jackson weaves familiar characters from the previous books in the series into it. Another is a running theme through all four books—the presence of a strong and loving family. I was rooting for Jamison and Kendal to find their happily-ever-after, and how Jamison chose to woo Kendall and show that he truly loved her, inside and out. And though Kendal had initial doubts about Jamison, she still felt good enough about herself and her body image to own her curves and live healthy for herself and her niece.
All He Desires: Simply Wonderful is available through Madaris Publishing Company, and Barnes and Noble.
Thank you once again, Brenda, for showing us that love and passion come in all shapes and sizes, as well as the power of Black Love.
