Please, please, please. If I ever find passionate love with a
smart, kind, considerate man, may I never look it in the mouth. May
I never try to run from it. May I never mistake it for lust or
refuse to accept it for what it so clearly is. May I never be as
stupid as the heroine of TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY
Love-at-first-sight. That's what happens when Ria Lavender meets
Taylor MacKensie at a house party on Christmas Eve. Love is
disguised as lust as the two share a one-night stand. Simple
enough. Until two months later when Ria finds out she's pregnant by
a man she barely knows. At first, Taylor is reluctant to
acknowledge that he is the father. But he comes around eventually
and the couple strike a bargain. They'll marry to legitimize the
baby and save Taylor's political image as mayor-elect. After the
baby is born, they'll divorce and work out an amicable custody
arrangement.
But on the wedding night, Ria realizes that their passion for one
another is alive and well. No agreement was made on sex or falling
in love. Brown uses thorough character development to explain the
mindsets of both Ria and Taylor as they enter into the marriage.
Two fairly young people in the late 1980s on their way up in the
world. Poor judgment nearly trips them up, but they rise to the
occasion, determined to deal with the consequences of their
actions.
They move in together, further entwining their lives. Over the next
few weeks, they enjoy a honeymoon-like relationship, adjusting to
each other's schedules, sharing rides, and greeting the local
media. Throughout, Ria keeps reminding herself of the original
agreement, planning to add on to her house for the baby and
refusing to consider a relationship with Taylor:
"Endearments were only exchanged in bed at the height of passion.
If she was tempted to exp