Simone, who is black, witnesses an accident that sends Matt, who is white, into a four-month coma. She visits regularly, and when Matt regains consciousness, they become best friends. The friendship grows to much more than that.

The two main characters have many appealing qualities. Simone wants to help troubled teens. Matt thinks Simone is perfect and defends any criticism of her. Everyone else knows they are in love well before they realize it.

But there are too many other characters, too broadly drawn, cluttering the story. SimoneÂ’s cold boyfriend has secrets of his own. Her brother wants Simone to hide his indiscretion. ThereÂ’s a girl at the center who thinks sheÂ’s pregnant, and SimoneÂ’s girlfriends are not always reliable.

Wendy’s new boyfriend and his cohort play a critical role. It is a bit of a mystery why the super desirable Wendy teamed up with Jamison.

There is a lot to keep track of. The most confusing thing is why the parents of both leads have stayed together in long marriages. MattÂ’s nasty dad has no known redeeming qualities, but is paired with a super sweet wife. SimoneÂ’s bossy mom Debra has an ultra-caring spouse. She seems to be a good cook, but a mean-spirited one. Debra is thoroughly obnoxious, highly amusing, and by far the most interesting of the background cast.

Author Skelton might have done better paring down the cast of characters and developing a better understanding of those she really needs to reach her tension filled conclusion.

Skelton does well with the ideas of friendship blossoming into love, parents trying to control, and racism still prevalent in our world. Her story is sweet and fun to read. romances to add, My Angel by Denise Skelton to their reading list.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Lynn Bushey
May 17, 2007