Until Now

By: Denise Skelton
Publisher: First Chance Publishing 
Publication Date: October 2009 
ISBN: 978-0979087738 
Reviewed by: Holly Connors 
Review Date: October 7, 2009 

Dealing with a creep of a husband who leaves for a younger woman, won’t pay child support, and refuses to give his wife any help, as he embarks on a new life, is part of Terry Meyers’ life. But David, the soon-to-be ex-husband, is just one of Terry Meyers’ problems. Along with having more bills than she can possible pay, the overwrought woman must deal with two young sons, one of whom has gotten involved with the wrong kids at school, slimy men like her neighbor Leon who hit on her when he volunteers to fix her washing machine, a car in need of repair, and getting fired from her job. So begins the fast-paced, steamy romance novel Until Now by Denise Skelton, author of several other popular romance novels including My Everything.

As pressures mount, the strain on Terry builds until, at a grocery store (where she argues with a clerk to purchase, at a discount, a damaged carton of eggs) she has a fight with a shopping cart. As the harried woman has a meltdown in front of one of her children, a hunky man “…of Asian descent, with thick hair…” and a muscular body “…including his great butt,” comes to her aid. This man, Wade Nelson, has problems of his own, including a strained relationship with his father. But the two are instantly drawn to each other and will be again, and again, through unexpected circumstances.

Until Now is not a book where the main characters meet and immediately begin a hot and heavy relationship. Rather, Skelton takes her time building up believable, sympathetic characters in a delicious way that keeps the reader turning pages quickly and eagerly. Terry’s frustration with her ex-husband and his constant excuses are felt through Skelton’s skillful writing. You can hear Terry’s growls of aggravation at each and every lame story David comes up with for failing to pay child support or his broken promises to his children. Along with the personal interactions, the failed employment attempts made by Terry are equally realistic; when the young woman decides to start a day care, she reasons, ‘how hard can it be to care for young children?’ Soon, like Terry, the reader will be wondering if she is really qualified to work with kids.

Don’t be fooled by the title of this book. The story is not simply a romance but a mystery too as Terry discovers a secret career of David’s, his relationship with his “friend” Jennifer, and what nefarious activity is going on at her son’s school. Until Now also has quite a bit of humor injected into the story. Terry Meyers is a character the reader can easily visualize, from her strong, fighter personality, to her somewhat misguided attempts to get into the private investigation business. While stalking the husband of a client, she sneaks into a restaurant, trying to avoid contact. But soon she knocks over a flower pot. When it falls over “…with a crash, which was followed by a shriek…Terry closed her eyes and cursed.” She had managed to escape detection from the husband, only to spill marinara sauce on Wade’s friend’s sweater. The imagery is clear and hysterical.

Quill says: If you love spicy romance, flavored with a bit of mystery, don’t miss Until Now.

For more information on Until Now, please visit the author's website at Denise Skelton.com