Book Review: A Love So Deep by Suzetta Perkins

A Love So Deep by Suzetta Perkins

Genre: Inspirational Romance

Rating:  8 (EchelonBooks); 4 (Amazon)

Review by Tavares S. Carney

“Family, Friends and The Ex-Factor”

Meet Graham Peters, recently widowed husband of Amanda, to whom he was happily married for 40 years – also father to two adult daughters, Liz and Deborah, all of whom are coping with the sudden loss of an adoring wife and mother.  Two months have passed since Amanda’s death and Graham finds himself still in the doldrums, unable to function at all.  After narrowly escaping a suicide attempt, Graham finds himself cooped up in the house he shared with his now deceased wife, only to be constantly reminded of the love he feels he’s lost with all of her memory still in place – from family pictures, to the home’s décor and even Amanda’s apron still hanging up in the kitchen.  Wallowing in sorrow and self-pity, Graham does not bathe, barely eats and never leaves the house for a time.  Then enters his best friend, Charlie Ford, to help Graham pick up the pieces to what’s left of his life.  An invitation to a local jazz club, The Water Hole, proves to be just that, Graham’s ticket out of his misery.  Not the normal choice of environment to the man known as Deacon Peters at the big church on Market Street, The Water Hole eventually became Graham’s passageway to finding his new love – sultry, jazz singer, Ms. Rita Long.

Unbeknownst to Graham, his best friend, Charlie, has secretly admired Rita for quite some time but never had the galls to let it be known.  This is where the plot thickens.  Graham and Rita, after a short time, discover that there is such a thing as “love the second time around” - Graham, learning to live again after his wife’s death and Rita, letting her guard down after suffering a tumultuous relationship with ex-husband and NBA player, William Long. 

When everyone gets wind of the rapidly-maturing relationship between the two, all hell breaks loose.  Sister Mary Ross from the big church on Market Street practically throws herself at Graham, to no avail.  His daughter, Deborah, refuses to give Rita even the slightest chance and his best friend, Charlie, has become outright jealous of his and Rita’s relationship.  Rita’s ex-husband, the washed up NBA player, William Long, also has a few schemes up his sleeve.  It seems as if everyone and anything that came against these two, did.  Through strained relationships and other misfortunes, Graham and Rita learn that true love will sustain all things and prove the things which are really meant to be.

Suzetta Perkins does a great job with her descriptiveness and imagery.  I’ve never been to Oakland but I felt like I was there while reading this book.  I also felt the emotions of the characters all throughout.  The storyline was very intriguing and some deep, dark secrets are revealed at the end.  These revelations shed light on some of the things that transpire throughout the story and perhaps will give the reader a better understanding as to why some things were, including the main character, Mr. Graham Peters, himself.  This novel deals with issues of death, parenthood, friendship and trust.

Network with the author, Suzetta Perkins, here:

Suzetta Perkins