cover image In Love with a Younger Man

In Love with a Younger Man

Cheryl Robinson, . . NAL, $14 (384pp) ISBN 978-0-451-22582-5

Robinson's (Sweet Georgia Brown ) new urban fiction is distinguished by its intractable protagonist, Olena Day, whose first love committed suicide at age 15, which just might give her the right to be the “bitch” her college dormmates refer to her as. Olena's roommate/cousin Candice tells Olena she won't find a boyfriend because “dark skinned men prefer light skinned women,” and when Olena does find a boyfriend, Andrew, and gets pregnant, he convinces her to abort what would have been twins. Then he leaves her, only to get engaged to another girl he's made pregnant. Fast forward 25 years: Olena is a successful businesswoman without love or friends. She takes a paid yearlong sabbatical intending to write a book and sort out her life, but soon falls for Matthew Harper, a finance executive at a luxury car dealership who's 18 years younger. Their relationship is passionate and complicated, and a stunning revelation at the end makes the age difference seem a minor point as Olena must face not only her future but her past. In a straightforward and entertaining tale, Robinson delivers what she promises. (Jan.)