Comfort of a Man

Rating:
Summary: Me? Recommend a romance? Say it ain't so...
Review: Adrianne Byrd, Comfort of a Man (Arabesque, 2003)

I'm not a big reader of romances. (In fact, this will be only my fourth romance review since I started documenting such things in 1999.) Adrianne Byrd is a regular on a forum I used to frequent, so when she announced the publication of this one, I figured I should check it out. But feel free to take all that follows with a grain of salt; for all I know, this is identical to other romances in the same vein. All I know is, it ain't like any romance I've read before. Or much of anything else I've read before, for that matter.

Comfort of a Man, despite being burdened with something of a cumbersome title, is one heck of a good ride. It's smart, funny, incisive, well-paced. Oh, yeah, and sexy. Sexy as all get-out. The story revolves around Brooklyn Douglas, a real-estate broker from Atlanta, and Isaiah Washington, a sales and marketing rep from Austin. They meet during a trip to New York (Isaiah's for business, Brooklyn's for pleasure) and, through the various machinations of Brooklyn's friends and an optimistic bartender, end up having a one-night stand. (The process of getting from meeting to bed could have been lifted from a Bunuel film. Byrd knows how to keep the tension high by throwing in all sorts of ludicrous, but realistic, delays.) Due to (imagine big roll of thunder here) a series of coincidences, the two find themselves thrown together again the next summer, and from there, well, you know the drill. If it doesn't have a lot of getting together, pushing away, and ultimately a happy ending, it ain't a romance, is it?

Where Byrd differs from the Steels, Cartlands, Blakes, et al. Of the world is in two very important places: her characters and her realism. The characters to be found in Comfort of a Man are not your usual cardboard cutouts, but real, multidimensional characters that a reader can identify with, instead of the paper constructs one has to stretch to even empathize with. Also, while the coincidences require suspension of disbelief (oh, my, do they ever), the situations Brooklyn and Isaiah find themselves in once the coincidences are past are realistic. Uncomfortably so, at times, for someone who's been there, done that, and bought the (ripped!) shirt.

The book's flaws are few, and the majority of them can probably be attributed to an editorial staff who weren't quite diligent enough. A few cliches here and there, some typos and grammatical flaws. Nothing, though, that really stops the book's flow. A few of the minor characters border on the cardboard (especially Brooklyn's son, Jaleel), but they only get a few pages of screen time. (In horror novels, they'd be the folks walking around with "KILL ME" signs.)

I really never thought I would so unapologetically recommend... a romance novel. But there it is. *** ½

Rating:
Summary: I just need a warm body
Review: Brooklyn Douglas is a recent divorcee. Her husband, Evan, chose to sleep with her once best friend, Macy, and ultimately left her for the same woman. Not to mention that she's also dealing with never ending attitude from her teenaged son Jaleel; she believes his attitude is a result of the divorce. Now Brooklyn is single and not looking, but her girlfriends sense her tension and feel she needs to at least seek the Comfort of A Man, even if it's just for physical reasons.

Isaiah Washington is a successful businessman from who is married to his job. He is still nursing the heartbreak sustained from his ex-girlfriend, Candence. She could not deal with his being more committed to his job than their relationship and eventually left him and married his uncle. Isaiah's friend, Yasmine, is concerned about him and feels he needs to seek the comfort of a woman, even if it's just for physical reasons.

Brooklyn and Isaiah have a chance meeting while both are in New York. At first, they catch a glimpse of each other while in a restaurant but neither makes an attempt to speak. Afterwards, they both think about the missed opportunity. He thinks about how gorgeous Brooklyn is and she thinks about his mesmerizing gray eyes. Fate gives them another chance when they happen to see each other again in the hotel's lounge. A cozy conversation turns into a heated session of physical contact. The next morning, Brooklyn sneaks out of his suite without a trace; she doesn't leave a contact number or anything to continue their communication. When he wakes and doesn't see Brooklyn nor hear from her, he wonders what went wrong.

Brooklyn returns home to Atlanta to assume her life as a successful realtor but can't seem to stop thinking about New York. Isaiah returns home to Austin but has to leave again when he learns his mother has had a stroke. A fender bender brings Brooklyn and Isaiah in contact...again. This time, he doesn't plan on losing her but she has a different agenda. She has a strong wall built around her heart and does not plan on letting her guards down; she wants nothing more than a physical relationship. He never thought he could fall in love, until he met her, and now he's having second thoughts.

Byrd keeps you guessing with her romance, Comfort of A Man. Just when you think Brooklyn and Isaiah are finally going to get together, Byrd throws a fork in the road that takes you on another route. The entire time, you keep wondering. I was almost tempted to skip to the end simply because the suspense was unnerving; however the storyline kept me honest. Comfort of A Man is well written, balanced and guaranteed to keep you turning the pages to find what ultimately becomes of the relationship between Brooklyn and Isaiah

Reviewed by Esther "Ess" Mays of Loose Leaves Book Review

Rating:
Summary: Their is no other book like it
Review: This book was so good that I finished within a day and a half. I am the worst person to read, but when I found this book I thought I would just try it and I love it. I would definetly recommend this book to anyone who has met someone but is not sure where the stand. After reading this book I want to find the Comfort Of A Man!

Rating:
Summary: Hot HOt HOT
Review: This is one of the best books I have read. With this book Adrianne Byrd is easily up there with Rochelle Alers and Brenda Jackson with the romance genre. I don't always love Adrianne Byrd, but this one was definitely HOT. The story involves a 40 year old divorcee with a 16 year old son and an ex-husband (who cheated with and is now dating his ex-wife's best friend) and a very handsome single professional looking for love. The story moved at such a fast pace that I read the book in a day. I like my love scenes tasteful but HOT all the same! And Adrianne did not disappoint. Well worth the $$$ I paid for it.

Rating:
Summary: By far the best Adrianne Byrd Has to Offer
Review: This is one of the best books I have read. With this book Adrianne Byrd is easily up there with Rochelle Alers and Brenda Jackson with the romance genre. I don't always love Adrianne Byrd, but this one was definitely HOT. The story involves a 40 year old divorcee with a 16 year old son and an ex-husband (who cheated with and is now dating his ex-wife's best friend) and a very handsome single professional looking for love. The story moved at such a fast pace that I read the book in a day. I like my love scenes tasteful but HOT all the same! And Adrianne did not disappoint. Well worth the $$$ I paid for it.

Rating:
Summary: Hot HOt HOT
Review: This was the first book I've read by Andrianne Byrd. The story was real good. It's good to have the comfort of a man.

Rating:
Summary: When Love Calls Your Name
Review: What a very well put together story. This book was a pager turner, if you've ever been in love and was afraid to admit it not only to that person but to yourself as well then this is the story for you. Very fast paced the story was well told, the characters came alive.

Rating:
Summary: Their is no other book like it
Review: What can I say about this book other than it's HOT!!!! Isaiah and Brooklyn make an explosive couple I won't soon forget. If you're looking for some good steaming fun: check out Comfort of a Man. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner!!!
Review: What can I say about this book other than it's HOT!!!! Isaiah and Brooklyn make an explosive couple I won't soon forget. If you're looking for some good steaming fun: check out Comfort of a Man. You won't be disappointed.