Nikki Prince, $0.99, ISBN 979-8215160299
Contemporary Romance, 2023
Forever, Money? That’s a philosophy I can get behind… oh wait, it’s Forever, Monie.
The Monie in the title is Monica Butler who, after the death of her husband Robert, is raising their son Robbie and busy being a sassy, responsible single mom.
In a way, she is grateful that her late husband’s best friend, Andrew Davidson, is a regular fixture in their lives. Uncle Drew is close to Robbie, and he can be depended on when she needs a helping hand now and then. Sometimes, she feels that she has a closeness to Andrew that she never felt with her late husband, but she quickly quashes that thought.
Well, the stars are aligned for her and Andrew because he has always carried a torch for her. He still kicks himself for introducing the woman he adores to his best friend, now that the best friend had thoughtfully died, he’s finally going to make Monica see that they are meant to be.
This is a simple story with an admittedly done-a-lot premise. What works—very well, too—is the romance. I know, that seems like the ultimate “Duh!” statement as this is, after all, a romance story, but let’s be real: not every romance author gets the chemistry, the sizzle, and the verbal as well as physical components of the main characters’ relationship right. Nikki Price does that here, and the result is a very charming and heartfelt read.
Really, is this the same author that wrote that… thing… that I read previously?
Anyway, Monica feels like a real person with believable insecurities and strengths. I like that the author doesn’t make her a weak and needy character to let Andrew play the gallant knight in shining armor or cheapen Monica’s relationship with her late husband just to elevate the hero. Instead, this is a story of two good friends finally admitting that they have feelings for one another too, and the whole thing plays out like a sweet romantic fantasy.
As for Andrew, he is a dreamboat. He is good with expressive gestures both big and small, so often, his feelings for Monica are displayed in a lovely balance of showing and telling that makes him such an adorable fellow. His archetype could have easily become creepy or stalker-y in the wrong hands, but the author makes this one such a… a… romance hero to swoon at.
Of course, things aren’t perfect, and I’m not saying this because the story has to end.
The biggest issue I have here is that the author builds up what seems like a conflict in Monica’s head, one that sees her torn between guilt for “betraying” Robert and joy for finding love again, but this particular aspect of the story just sizzles out. It’s a non-factor.
Mind you, I’m not that down on this issue, as I can’t help smiling when Monica, glowing with post-hot sex bliss, decides that the whole grand event is totally worth it. The lack of conflict, however, makes this story feel tad too saccharine at places. The characters seem to be having it way too easy, and that can be boring under other circumstances. Fortunately, the author ends this story just at the right spot to keep the momentum from sinking into an overly sweet bog.
The other issue is that these characters do seem to fall into bed and love too quickly for a couple that have supposedly found it hard to be open about their feelings for years. Still, I can’t complain too much about this, as I really enjoy the warm and believable family interactions of the couple and the brat. It feels a pity to have these moments marred by arguments or weird moods, so I can’t be too down on this issue either.
So, what have we learned today? This is a very well done romantic story that is almost old school in how it lacks gimmicks and shock value. Instead, it is all about the character and the romance, done in sweet and poignant ways that hit the feels hard.
I’m still all about forever money but I’d be more than happy to settle for this one!
