Cup of Love

Insipid characters and contrived plot devices plague White's weak second novel (after Fed Up with the Fanny). Set in Columbus, Ohio, it follows the adventures of two African-American best friends in their 30s, Vance and Ethan, and their respective love interests, Artise and Tassha. Both men have problems with fidelity--Vance has been caught cheating on Artise three times in a decade, and Ethan left Tassha immediately after proposing to her in order to focus his romantic attentions on less challenging targets, WWKs (""women with kids""). When Vance is deeded money and property by an older, kindly benefactor, he decides to turn his life around by proposing marriage to the pregnant Artise and using his windfall to open an African-American cultural museum in downtown Columbus. This plan puts him at odds with rich, corrupt developer Ronald Tenner, who wants to use the same spot to open a for-profit prison. Vance struggles with his new life revolve around familiar issues: Can he continue to be worthy of Artise's renewed trust? Can he convince Ethan to give up his promiscuous behavior? In the book's simple worldview, the main characters don't evolve or develop; instead, spiritual revelations change them into cardboard cutouts mouthing religious platitudes. By employing this deus ex machina technique, White leaves little room for surprise; it's clear from beginning to end that good deeds will be rewarded, and bad ones punished. (Sept.)