In Harlem New York, Mae Malveaux is a wealthy young woman who
knows debutante balls, wealth, prestige and traveling wherever her
heart takes her. During Mae's girlhood, she has developed a crush on
Alice but when its discovered that Alice is pregnant, the two are cruelly
separated and lose touch of one another. As time marches on, Mae
becomes a cold, cruel and a calculating widow who dares to use people
for her own goals, including her cousin's daughter, an innocent
musician, a self-made man that is equal to her in power and prestige,
and a religious young wife. Will they be able to survive her cruel
machinations or will there be casualties in this game of sex and lies?
I read Dangerous Liaisons a few years ago, and UNFORGIVABLE LOVE is a worthy retelling of the story.
The characters are much more fleshed out and their motivations make
far more sense to me than in Dangerous Liaisons. UNFORGIVABLE LOVE also stays very close to the
original book, but at the same time, there is something beautiful and
redemptive in this retelling. The author also focuses on major and
minor details, be it a head twist that Mae may do to convey an emotion,
to a story of Cecily becoming in sync with nature while away from
Harlem, to Elizabeth loving how the bible sounds.
Readers will get to know the characters on a much more intimate scale
than Dangerous Liaisons, which is interesting because Dangerous
Liaisons is a novel created out of letters, and letters are supposed to
convey an intimacy that might lack in modern novels. I also found
myself uncertain when it came to Valiant Jackson, who is the equivalent
to Vicomte de Valmont, because put up one front outside, but may feel
something else on the inside.
For those seeking a wonderful adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons with a
twist and a story that takes place in modern America, as well as a story
that portrays a non-European culture, don't miss out on
UNFORGIVABLE LOVE!
In this vivid reimagining of the French classic Les
Liaisons Dangereuses, it’s the summer when Jackie
Robinson breaks Major League Baseball’s color barrier and
a sweltering stretch has Harlem’s elite fleeing the city
for Westchester County’s breezier climes, two predators
stalk amidst the manicured gardens and fine old homes.
Heiress Mae Malveaux rules society with an angel’s smile
and a heart of stone. She made up her mind long ago that
nobody would decide her fate. To have the pleasure she
craves, control is paramount, especially control of the
men Mae attracts like moths to a flame.
Valiant Jackson always gets what he wants—and he’s wanted
Mae for years. The door finally opens for him when Mae
strikes a bargain: seduce her virginal young cousin,
Cecily, who is engaged to Frank Washington. Frank values
her innocence above all else. If successful, Val’s reward
will be a night with Mae.
But Val secretly seeks another prize. Elizabeth Townsend
is fiercely loyal to her church and her civil rights
attorney husband. Certain there is something redeemable
in Mr. Jackson. Little does she know that her worst
mistake will be Val’s greatest triumph.
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