Dawns Harbor

"Dawn's Harbor" is the perfect title was an imperfect book that somehow manages to be soothing and thought provoking at the same time. Jasmine is an architect, with a great job and a great future ahead of her, until a tragedy occurs which causes her to retreat from life. Noah is a successful businessman with a bright future when an accident sends him into a coma. When "Dawn's Harbor" opens, Jasmine is working as a janitor at a nursing home. While there, she begins to talk to a handsome, comatose patient, Noah. Little does she know that Noah will one day wake up and change her life. My main criteria for a romance is whether or not I understand why these characters are drawn to each other. Chemistry is king for me and in Jasmine and Noah, I wasn't disappointed. Their attraction was based on something more than the physical. Their un-orthodox "talks" turned into a friendship that eventually turned into love. Both Jasmine and Noah were well developed characters. I felt Jasmine's pain and despair as well as her sense of hope and wonder about the future. I felt Noah's anger and frustration about his life and his growing love for Jasmine. I understood their motivations and actions. These characters wanted the best for each other even if it meant that they weren't together. (These characters had the Happily Ever After ending they deserved.) Their relationship was loving and unselfish. It rang true to me. But most importantly, I understood why they fell in love with each other. While this book was marketed as an inter-racial romance, it had strong inspirational elements to it. The major focus was how Jasmine overcame the tragedy in her life and how Noah reclaimed his life. Some readers will be disappointed that there were no love scenes in this book. I found it to be a welcome break from the overly explicit books I have been running across lately. "Dawn's Harbor" wasn't perfect. The story dragged a little in the middle. The villains involved in Noah's accident were easy to spot and some scenarios were a little over the top. But all in all, it wasn't a bad read. I would give it 3.5 stars, but since halves don't count here, I'm giving it a four.

Dawn's Harbor is a well written novel. I say novel because it is not your standard white man meets black woman, relationship begins, 2 - 3 sex scenes, some mini-crisis and they live happily ever after. This story touches on depression, child abuse and even a little politics. Sounds dark but it's not. The love story of Jasmine and Noah takes place in this environment. It was a little slow to begin (hence the reason for 4 stars) but afterwards I found myself not being able to put down the book because I wanted to know how their relationship would work itself out. A plus was the inspirational side of the book and a clear discussion of sexual morality. Yet it was not 'preachy'. If you are looking for your standard 'romance with some sex", this isn't the book for you. If you are looking for a well written, hope-inspiring, suspense-filled, romantic NOVEL then this is it.

I enjoyed this story because it was nice change from everyone sleeping around etc. At times I wanted to cry for the characters especially Little Princess Morgan...her story was tragic. As for the main characters Jasmine Bure and Noah Arias, I thought that they were adorable. They had their issues and she but in the end they were able to work through them. Very oldfashion values, excellent!!!!

This was different in a refreshing way. Five stars to the author for holding my attention with this book. It reminds you that bad things happen to good people and in real life you don't get pass it overnight. The story is a journey between a woman who has to live with a tragedy that will never go away and a man coming to terms with a betrayal that rocks him. Together they find each other and I for one am glad they do. It's a book that can give you hope. Some people may find the subplot alarming or hard to digest. That is the only reason I didn't give it a five star. Not that it was improbable, but that it took a minute to digest. That aside, I made it to the end and enjoy it. Think Sharon Sala when you read it.

DAWN'S HARBOR by Kymberly Hunt is a classical romance novel with a twist of mysticism, adventure, danger and inspiration. It is set in New York City and the fictional country of Cielo Vista, Africa. Hunt crosses boundaries focusing on interracial romance, drug abuse, dysfunctional families, the foster care system and the hierarchal societies within foreign countries. Jasmine Burke is playing landlord to her younger, unmarried and irresponsible sister, and her two children after another failed relationship. Jasmine is an architect and the only African-American within the company which employs her. She takes pride in her work and the obstacles she overcame to get here. Fed up with her sister, she demands she find another place to live and soon. This demand is followed by tragedy and the story fast-forwards two years as we find Jasmine working for a janitorial company within a nursing home. There she sits and talks to a comatose patient by the name of Noah, a victim of an automobile accident. Unbeknownst to Jasmine, Noah was the heir-apparent to Cielo Vista after his father's murder. The nursing home is a hide-away set up for his protection by his family and friend. Meanwhile, on the home front, Jasmine becomes a surrogate mother to a young child who is neglected by her family. There are two major stories at play in this novel and they come together for an interesting read and a satisfying conclusion. The author's use of dialogue helps paint a vivid picture of the surroundings and emotions displayed by the characters. DAWN'S HARBOR is a creative take on some societal ills. Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers