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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 express her growing affection for him, she reminded herself that their marriage was temporary and that it would be better in the long run to keep her feelings to herself."
Taylor on the other hand, is going with the flow. He showers her with attention and affection. The baby is also very important to him and he takes an active role in the pregnancy. As he begins to realize the extent of his feelings for Ria, their already fragile relationship falls apart. Ria miscarries. Her disappointment causes her to shut Taylor out and she attempts to move out the next day and resume her old life.
This is a difficult obstacle for an ordinary couple --- much less two people who are just getting to know one another. Taylor, unable to convince her of his growing affection, uses his career to persuade Ria to stay. Over the next several weeks, he showers her with affection, attempting in every way (save the simplest one) to show her how he feels
It takes a ruthless ex-girlfriend and an inopportune moment to bring Ria's feelings out. The fallout from this causes both parties to be honest about their intentions toward one another.
Brown moves the story along at a quick pace, unfolding it over a short period of time. However, she makes the reader feel as though they know the characters personally. All in all, TIDINGS is an interesting look at how two modern people take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. It's just the light, short read you need to pick you up after the holidays have worn you down.
--- Reviewed by Sofrina Hinton
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