A Silken Thread - Brenda Jackson

Released February 15, 2011

www.brendajackson.net
www.eharlequin.com

And the "Cruella of the Year Award" goes to... Seriously, that's all I could think while reading Brenda Jackson's latest. The heroine's mother is evil to the fourth power and I spent the entire book on the edge of my seat waiting for her comeuppance.

A Silken Thread takes place in a small town of Hattersville, Ohio. Erica Sanders is all set to marry the man she loves with all her heart. Her mother will do anything to stop it. Karen Sanders wants a long-time family curse to end and the only way that will happen is if she stops Erica's marriage to Attorney Brian Lawson. She wants Erica and town golden boy Griffith Hayes to marry. Supposedly a Sanders-Hayes marriage is necessary to end the curse. The problem is Erica and Griffith are friends and only friends.

As the marriage between Erica and Brian nears, Karen comes up with a dastardly plan to wreck their marriage. Taking only herself into considering, Karen exacts a plan that threatens to destroy the relationships of three couples and their families.

Seriously, Karen Sanders is a bitch with a capital B-I-T-C-H. I've read lots of fiction in my life and she's going to stand out as the best of the worst. I could feel my blood pressure rising every time she made an appearance, so I'm glad my BP usually runs low to spot on.

The rest of the characters in A Silken Thread hit similar notes for me. I couldn't understand how Erica could be so blind to her mother's evil doing. That made me really feel sorry for Brian who was simply caught up in a family of crazy women. Griffith and Erica's best friend April came off as extremely likable characters and I found myself rooting for them from the get-go. The remaining characters are Brian's mother and Erica's father. Her father could have been a little more aggressive when it came to his wife, but in the end, I liked him too.

This is technically a contemporary romance, though it has a bit of the old V.C. Andrews or Mommy Dearest feel to it. If you like a mix of drama and romance, it's a great read, one that I couldn't put down. (And on that note, I still want to smack Erica's mom around. If someone could make her appear, I'd appreciate it!)