Long, Slow Surrender by Stephanie Morris
Amira Press
Interracial Contemporary
ISBN: 978-1-936279-82-1
Reviewed by G Loch

Michelle Lewis has always had her eyes on Connor Sakuma. But there has been one thing stopping her from voicing her attraction, Theodore Sakuma. Since high school, Connor’s younger brother, Theodore, has thought that Michelle would make the perfect wife. Theodore has relentlessly pursued her to the point that Connor was quite taken aback when Michelle finally offered him the titillating proposal of becoming lovers. Will Connor surrender to Michelle’s irresistible kisses and acquiesce to her proposal or will Theodore stand in the way of Connor and Michelle’s newfound love?

Long, Slow Surrender by Stephanie Morris is a great book to read on a snowy day. Connor is simply sexy and the epitome of the bad boy that every good girl fantasizes about. Michelle can come off as annoying and needy and it doesn’t help that her assistant Julia comes off as a caricature of every bitter, single gal who who inadvertently sabotages her friend’s love life by constantly giving bad advice. Perhaps if this side character had been eliminated Michelle would have been more likable as a heroine.

As a reader, I appreciated watching Connor and Michelle’s love blossom. I sighed in envy with the creativity Connor used to court Michelle. The breakfast scene between Connor and Michelle was one of the most romantic things I have read this year. That being said, Theodore comes off as delusional for carrying a torch for Michelle for nearly a decade. I felt that Theodore’s infatuation was not adequately wrapped up in the story considering that was a main plot point.

Long, Slow Surrender by Stephanie Morris is one story that employs tension in a positive manner. When the two main characters finally began a relationship, I released the sigh of relief I had been holding. Ms. Morris is incredibly skilled at making characters and situations believable. This story was one that I greatly enjoyed reading and I am looking forward to reading more tales penned by Ms. Morris.