Date published March 2008
ISBN 978-0-373-86057-9
African American Contemporary romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Ratmammy
Melodye Carter has always been overweight, and her sister and mother have never let her forget it. Despite their cruel behavior, Melodye has always been her own person and has done quite well for herself. She runs a successful boutique for plus-sized women and had been married with young children until her husband died in a shooting. She's conflicted over her feelings for her deceased husband, however, because their marriage wasn't as perfect as it could have been.
Detective Jim Ryman is helping out with the case of Melodye's husband's murder, and as he investigates the case, he feels drawn to her. There are sparks flying between them, but to start anything now would be inappropriate. Still, he looks forward to spending time with her and her children. His mother helps Melodye out by baby sitting the kids, and through the children he feels he’s getting closer to Melodye too.
Jim has his own history. His wife had also passed away and he's not ready to start fresh in a new relationship. But if he ever did love a woman again it would be someone like Melodye. Jim is physically drawn to Melodye and is trying very hard not to cross that fine line.
While part of the focus of DESIGNED FOR PASSION is to find the person who killed Melodye's husband Rafael, the core story centers on Melodye's blossoming relationship with the detective assigned to the case, Jim Ryman. He proves to her that larger women are beautiful too, and one of the main themes of the book is to show that you don't have to be thin to be beautiful. Melodye has a successful career despite her mother's disinterest and lack of moral support. And despite the type of environment she grew up in, Melodye made a name for herself.
Melodye's sister and mother are portrayed as two very mean-spirited people, but by the end of the book it is explained why they became the people they were, and why they treated Melodye the way they did. Nothing excuses that type of behavior, but one will find it interesting nevertheless, and will also feel relief to discover there was a reason for this bad behavior, and was not just a plot device.
One may not feel drawn to any of the main adult characters, but the twin children of Melodye were endearing and felt on the mark. They played a minor role in the story, but I think they added realism to the other characters and showed another side of Melodye as she interacted with her children and showed how she dealt with the death of her husband, and their father. Fans of erotic fiction will be pleased to know there are a few steamy passages in DESIGNED FOR PASSION, although not enough to classify this particular book as erotic. There were some issues with the writing, however; there were moments in the book that the dialogue didn't ring true. Some of the characters, in particular Melodye’s mother and sister, come across as flat and one dimensional, but they add to the general story line. Because of that DESIGNED FOR PASSION receives only a 3-star rating. The themes and lessons from the book are important and are what gives the story the 3 stars, but the story could have been written much better.
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