Book Review: "Love & Dance" by Seattle Author N. Marie

This book did exactly what I hoped it would do for me, when I purchased it from author N. Marie at the Seattle Urban Book Expo a little while back. It was my first time visiting Seattle, Washington, and my first time taking a look at the culture, the vibe, and the overall personality of the city. After my inaugural weekend in the town, I was so impressed with how laid back, how mature, metropolitan, and clean the city was. It felt pleasant. And although I was about 2600 miles (3300 km) away from home in Toronto, there were elements of it that felt very, very familiar.

When reading "Love & Dance," N. Marie's first novel (completed in 2015), I got that uniquely Seattle vibe that I was looking for, and truly felt like I knew the main character Daisha, her intentions, her standards, and her dreams.

It was a complicated story, to say the least. A woman mourning the loss of her husband, who failed to return from time spent fighting with the military in Iraq. She's lonely, she's bitter, and while chatting and hanging out with her sister friends, she is definitely lacking passion and drive in her life. A trained dancer, just over thirty years old, Daisha is at a place in her development where she needs something more than just her girlfriends to fulfil her.

Between her best friend James--a hot Colombian playboy--and her friends' attempt at hooking her up, Daisha definitely gets an injection of excitement in her life. The reader gets to experience the change in pace for the young lady as she not only rejuvenates her ability to love and feel affection, but also explore her dreams outside of her comfort zone.

The author (Natasha Rivers) has a few writing personas, for her romance pen, her children's pen, and her academic pen. A Ph.D. in geography/demography, Dr. Rivers is an example of a cosmopolitan woman creating and pursuing her passions in many lanes. From research studies in demography and ecology, to founding a professional networking site for Seattle, she has definitely captured and communicated the spirit of the city through a few platforms, and she continues to live out the desires of an independent-minded professional woman navigating and contributing to the structure of the constantly developing town.

"Love & Dance" was almost fantasy-like, with twists and turns that would make any woman blush, cheer, and explore her possibilities. It reminded me of an early 2000's black romantic comedy movie, and definitely played out like a film through the descriptions. Between having an opportunity to connect with the professional dance company--the infamous Alvin Ailey in New York City--and also having the chance to explore romance, passion, nostalgia, and family, Daisha's inner strength and personal convictions are challenged and tested.

I appreciated the look at Seattle from a young black woman's perspective. Much like Toronto, you have to truly live here to understand the dynamics. While both are recognizable towns...there are still many uncovered elements and unique cultural nuances that not everyone is familiar with. I enjoyed moving around the city with Daisha and her peers, and even exploring parts of New York through the narrative as well. This is the joy of reading, when it feels like you have a personal friend bringing you on a tour of their town, their routine, and their mind.

Most importantly, I enjoyed the story of a woman who wasn't quite satisfied with her life, but managed to stand up against complex life circumstances and still manage to navigate her way to happiness. Universal enough to appeal to readers from any town, I was still pleased to know that N. Marie took the time to carefully create a look at the black and professional community in Seattle, and bring familiar stories of love and lust to the unfamiliar terrain of urban Washington. Daisha was the perfect character to introduce the audience to her city, as well as explore the romantic (and exciting!) activities that took place near the shores of Lake Washington.





Written by Stacey Marie Robinson for Kya Publishing's "Urban Toronto Tales" blog.