LitPick Review
The Ravenell’s aren’t your ordinary family. They come from power, prestige, and wealth. Their company, Villamae Medical Corporation (VMC), is a multi-billion dollar healthcare business that is highly successful. Their reputation, both personally and professionally, is paramount and they’ll do whatever it takes to remain the successful business that they are.
Ceil and her husband Nigel have two sons, Nicolaus and Benjamin. Although Nigel wants to eventually pass the torch onto Nicky to continue running VMC because he knows Nicky’s elite military training and intelligence will help him continue the success VMC is known for, Ceil is completely against it. She wants Benji to take over the business instead. But there are a few things that just won’t make that happen such as his womanizing ways and his lack of work ethic. Ceil will stop at nothing to make Nicky’s life as miserable as possible to help discourage him from taking VMC over, which includes forbidding him to marry his childhood sweetheart, Deirdre Omari. Ceil sets out to cause one complication after another, but will Nicky and Deirdre’s love sustain the test of time even when Ceil sets out on a mission to end Nicky and Deirdre’s relationship?
Opinion:
Enduring Love: The Ravenell Dynasty is a story that encompasses so many themes and emotions within its pages. There is friendship, love, rivalry, hatred, betrayal, and distrust all weaving a tangled web among each of the well-developed characters. Just when you process one emotion of the moment, something else immediately happens and you find yourself on an emotional roller coaster as you turn the pages.
My heart bled for how Ceil treated Nicky as compared to Benji. I knew something wasn’t right because she was so abusive, on many levels, toward Nicky, but not Benji. When I found out the true reasoning behind the utter disgust for Nicky, it made me so emotional. Plus, her distaste for Nicky wanting to marry his childhood sweetheart, Deirdre, made me despise Ceil even more. How dare Ceil believe that her decisions were the only ones that mattered and that she demanded things and expected her demands to be met or else there would be harsh consequences for that individual. I hated every layer of her being.
Right from the start I fell in love with both Nicky and Deirdre’s characters. They were perfect for each other on every level, and I wanted them to finally be able to start a life together that they had hoped for over the ten years they have been in a relationship. They were both extremely successful people, Deirdre being a lawyer and Nicky a decorated military man, and I knew they were the right fit for one another. They deserved their happiness even if Ceil didn’t want them together, and she stopped at nothing to try and achieve her goals. All along I found myself cheering Nicky and Deirdre on. I wanted their love to conquer all obstacles, including all the ones Ceil threw their way.
When Benji was introduced into the story, I immediately disliked him. Everything he stood for made me extremely leery of his true intentions, especially the ones directed toward Deirdre. As the story unfolded, my initial dislike for him turned into pure hatred. In many ways, he was just as tainted an individual as his mother. I had hoped that Nicky and Deirdre’s love would surpass any road blocks Benji threw their way as well.
Overall, Kamrynn Bellary created such a believable storyline and a well-developed cast of characters that you truly feel are real. This novel made me feel completely invested in the storyline and characters right from the start. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I eagerly am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I highly recommend it! Well done, Ms. Bellary!
