By Terri Schlichenmeyer
You’re a person who knows what she wants.
You can make up your mind in a snap, decisively sizing up the situation, weighing the options in your head. You rarely regret the solution you choose. You know what you want – and you get it.
That goes for relationships, too, but in the new book Divine Intervention by Lutishia Lovely, a whole church full of people can’t seem to settle on love.
Princess Brook was about to take a big step. And it would start down a silk-covered aisle, praise God.
Marrying Rafael Stevens was something she’d planned for so long. They grew up together and Princess knew Rafael loved her. He was a good man with an excellent future. But Princess couldn’t stop thinking that she was making a mistake. She couldn’t stop thinking of her ex, Kelvin.
As pastor of Mount Zion Progressive Baptist Church, King Brook was a beacon of strength, both to his church and to his wife, Tai. Sure, the Brooks had had trouble in their marriage, but they worked their way through that and now had a good, solid relationship.
More or less.
The Reverend Doctor Pastor Bishop Overseer Mister Stanley Obadiah Meshach Brook Jr. spent fifty years with his wife, Mama Max, and forty years with his mistress, Dorothea. Sadly for both women, the years were spent at the same time. So when Obadiah left Kansas City to move in with Dorothea in Dallas, Mama Max figured it was time to move on. She found herself a man-friend and started going out a little – which made Obadiah jealous. His mistress was his mistress but Mama Max was his wife and God willing, she’d stay that way.
Vivian and Derrick Montgomery had been in love their entire adult lives. Their marriage had withstood old flames, new children, and a son Derrick didn’t know he had until the boy was a man. Yes, everyone at Mount Zion Progressive Baptist Church wanted a marriage just like the Montgomery’s.
But could that marriage hold up against the biggest crisis of all?
Divine Intervention started out better than I thought it would. I actually liked the characters a lot, and I was glad to be pulled into their world.
But as I kept reading, I started getting tired. Tired of infidelity, tired of bedroom scenes that all felt the same. And while I suppose this is the formula for these kinds of books, I had to wonder, about halfway through, if any of these characters could manage to keep their pants on.
Author Lutishia Lovely creates a wonderful Church community. She made me chuckle at some of the things that happened and things her characters said. For sure, Lovely tells a good story. Too bad it’s mired in too much two-timing.
Divine Intervention is by no means a terrible novel. No, it has its moments but just know what you’re getting when you get it. There’s great character development here, so if you don’t mind an unlikely plot, then this might be a book you’ll want.
Divine Intervention by Lutishia Lovely (Dafina, $15.00, 320 pgs)
