NO ONE BUT YOU

Author: Michelle Monkou ISBN: 9780373860630 4/2008 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: KIMANI

In college, Jackson Thomas and Sarafina Lovell were joined at the hip—soul mates. Right up until the day he chose his family business over her! Now Jackson is back, and Sara plans to give him one sultry goodbye kiss to prove she's moved on—until his sizzling kiss awakens memories of passion too hot to ignore.… Jackson knows he was a fool to let Sara go, and he intends to win her back. To convince her he is still worthy of her love, she'll need a lot of sweet, sensual loving…and he'll need a little help from her friends.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Michelle Monkou starts off her new Ladies of Distinction series with NO ONE BUT YOU, a story about sisterhood, second chances and lost love recaptured.

Jackson Thomas and Sarafina Lovell have a history. College sweethearts, Sara had just known that after graduation she and Jackson would settle down into wedded bliss—good jobs, a white house, picket fence, 2.5 kids and a dog in the yard. Instead, facing mounting pressure from his well-to-do family, Jackson makes a mistake that he'll later come to regret—he gives up Sara for a job with his family's company. But now, several years later and invited by Sara's sorority sisters to attend a birthday bash for her, Jackson is determined to make things right—to correct his mistake, make up for lost time and win back the only woman that he'll ever love.

Sarafina hasn't been too lucky in love. Her soul mate, Jackson, left her after college for a job with his family's business, and of course she was never good enough to marry him anyway. Different side of the tracks and all that. Then she's left at the alter by a second man on the day of her marriage. Unlucky in love? Well, yeah, just a bit. But when Jackson shows up at her party, all the hurt and emotions from their long ago relationship once again come to the surface. Sarafina doesn't trust Jackson and is determined to keep him out of her heart. But do her emotions run too deep to keep under the surface, and can she learn to trust enough in him to rebuild a relationship with this man she knows is her one true love?

I really enjoyed this story. Sarafina and Jackson are a perfect fit, and though she could have made him squirm a lot more than she did, Sara knows that she and Jackson are meant to be together. That's not saying there weren't times I didn't want to bop him upside the head for not standing up enough for her as I thought he should, especially where his meddling, overbearing mother was concerned. But Sara held her own, earning the respect of Jackson's father and eventually his mother as well.

This is my first category romance by this author and I am really impressed. Her prose was well written, the plot was good, the book's pacing was smooth and all the characters were well defined and likeable. Well, except for Jackson's mom, of course. Definitely a 4 Rose Read, Michelle Monkou is an author I wouldn't hesitate in a minute to read and enjoy again.

Nancy Davis