Book Review -Island Bound by Kiru Taye

Yay. Finally getting round to posting reviews of the few books I managed to squeeze into my tight reading schedule these last couple of months.

Out of the few I read, I choose to write first on Island Bound for one big reason. It's a short, romantic story. Period.

You see, I was am a romantic and growing up was spiced with guzzling endless novels -from dear mum's 'library' and occasionally borrowed from friends.

I wasn't really into movies neither was I outdoorsy, just hand me a good book and you would find me hours later curled up in bed- smiling to myself while devouring the poor thing. Back then, my appetite was voracious to say the least.

African Writers Series, Mills and Boons, James Hardly Chase, Harlequin...just name it and you got me hooked. Those good old days with no cares or worries in the world.

But I beg to digress, back to the review.

Island Bound is the story of a young couple on the brink of divorce. DIVORCE. That ugly phenomenon again.

Joshua is your not-too-typical alpha male of Nigerian descent bent on salvaging his relationship with his estranged wife.

And the wife, Christy was a spoilt self-sufficient hot-headed beauty intent on ending her marriage because she felt Joshua did not love her! A quick and quiet divorce was all she needed and she would move on. Just like that.

Joshua could only agree to her demand if she would agree to spend the Christmas holiday with him alone, on a remote island. The game plan was to rediscover or reawaken their passion and if all fails,  he would grant her desire after the two weeks holiday.

Frayed tension. Mixed feelings. Insecurity. Hot temper. Misconceptions. Sparks. Love. More Sparks.

One particular factor I love about this book besides being a romance novella is that it is centred on marriage- an institution I respect highly.

I also love the fact that I could pick the book and finish reading it under 2 hours (with all the drama / distractions around me).

Yes, I love good and short novels like that. Lengthy ones are a put-off at this stage of my life and Island Bound fits the description of 'good and short'.

I love the fact that Joshua is not the 'typical' African man who leaves all the burden of making the marriage work to the woman alone. It is a total departure from what is obtainable around here.

I also love (Yes, I love LOVE) the fact that the erotic scene at the end of the book was between a 'husband and his wife' if you get my drift. (Yours truly is an advocate of 'doing the do' only within the confines of a marriage and I yearn for more novels encouraging 'that'; not going into 'that' now, anyway)

Did I mention that the scenery and characters are beautifully described so much that they are easy to connect and relate with?   

I however felt Christy's reason for wanting to end the marriage was not real enough. Too flimsy IMHO. I mean who ends a marriage to a rich, nonwifebeating, hardworking hunk man in this day and age only based on the given reason?

Overall, the characters are believable enough for me even though I would have loved to 'see' a deeper connection between them beyond physical attractions; a solid base or foundation for their relationship. 

And although Island Bound is a first for me, from Kiru Taye, she comes across as a master story weaver and a great writer; I definitely look forward to reading more of her works.

I enjoyed the book tremendously and hereby recommend it to anyone who loves good reads, pun intended.

You need a copy? Sweat no more, just click here to get your copy (and thank me later..lol)

PS: Yours truly got a free copy of this book in exchange for an HONEST review.

And for every one struggling with their marriages, may God breathe afresh on your relationship, help you rediscover what brought you together in the first place, help you make the right decisions and take advantage of the many 'second' chances available. AMEN.

Cheers.