Panache

Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: Alexandra Walker is a single parent who has a son that needs a kidney transplant. Manager of a prestigious jewelry store Alexandra finds herself in a dilemma. She contemplates on stealing an expensive piece of jewelry to help pay for a kidney for her son. When she decides against stealing the jewelry, the security guard has taped her in the process of taking the jewelry but, edit the tape where it did not show her putting the jewelry back.

Read this well-written novel to find out the blackmail drama the security guard put Alexandra through and how her boyfriend (who family jewelry store is a competitor to the jewelry store where Alexandra works) handles her betrayal.

Rating:
Summary: This novel is full of PANACHE!
Review: Alexandra Walker is in dire straits. Her son is seriously ill
and in a fit of desperation, she steals jewelry from her employer,
Sturbridge's department store. Her conscience gets the best of
her and she quickly places the jewelry back, but her attempted
burglary is caught on tape by the mean-spirited and ruthless
security guard Spurgeon Brown. Unfortunately for Alexandra,
the tapes only shows her stealing the jewelry, and with the tape,
Spurgeon blackmails her into helping him steal a very, rare and
sought-after ring from the most prestigious jeweler in town --
Panache -- ran by Houston's most eligible bachelor, Chase Thomas.

At a charity ball, Alexandra is enraptured by Chase's presence and
the two are instantly attracted to each other. Her heart still
bruised from a previous relationship, Alexandra vows to keep her
distance with Chase, but just as in all romances, love prevails,
and she finds herself falling for him...a definite problem in her

eyes, seeing that she has cohorted with Spurgeon and stolen the ring
from Chase's company. Will she ever tell the truth to him...and if
he finds out, will he ever truly love and forgive her?

This is the premise of PANACHE, the debut novel by author Nathasha
Brooks-Harris. This main plotline is just one of many that are woven
through this novel. There's the health of Alexandra's son, the skeletons
that come out in Chase's family's closet, the strained relationship between

Alexandra and her mother, amongst others. I found the concept of the story
to be original and fresh, and the novel was definitely a fast read.

I was drawn into the lavish, upscale lifestyle of the characters, but I will
admit that at times, the characters used language that seemed more
"homegirl/homeboy" and that threw me, but I figured, even rich folks can
be down, so I tried not to find those instances too glaring.

All in all, I found PANACHE to be an intriguing read, full of drama and
twists, and a smooth, easy writing style by Brooks-Harris. Brooks-Harris
pulls you into the story with her first sentence, building suspense, and
leads the reader to a fast, romantically suspenseful ride. For romance
readers who like a little extra with your love, PANACHE is definitely a
novel to add to your reading list. With my interest piqued after reading
PANACHE, I'll be looking out for future projects by Brooks-Harris.

Reviewed by Shonie

Rating:
Summary: A good read!
Review: Alexandra Walker was head of the jewelry department at Sturbridge. Her ten year old son, Jason, needed a kidney transplant badly. During a desperate moment, Alex had copies of an expensive jewelry set made and planned to switch them for the real things, for money to get a kidney on the black market. Only seconds after she made the switch, Alex realized she could not go through with it and returned the real set. But Spurgeon in Security caught it on tape and edited out the part of Alex returning the set. He made sure Alex knew he would demand a price at a later time.

Alexandra attended the Fifth Annual National Kidney Foundation Celebrity Ball and Auction under orders from her supervisor. Alex was to use Sturbridge's money to out-bid anyone for the auction prize of winning a date with Chase Thomas. Chase was vice-president of "Panache, The Jewelry Experience" and Sturbridge's direct competitor. The press would eat up the news of that date! Even though it was all for publicity, Alex and Chase clicked immediately and romance bloomed.

Enter Spurgeon and his blackmail. He forced Alex, at gun point, to help him steal the priceless and famous King Soloman's ring from Panache. He had it video taped as well, for extra blackmail material. Alex felt as though her life would never get better.

**** There are many sub-plots I did not mention. They are as wonderful as I believe the romance between the main couple to be. The author kept things interesting by making sure that for every positive thing that happened, one or two negative things did too. In my opinion, the ending dragged on too long, but everything else was fabulous! ****

Rating:
Summary: Love and money are not independent of each other.
Review: Alexandra Walker, a jewelry manager at a prominent jewelry store and desperate mother, has a plan to steal from her employer to help her ailing son. In the midst of her crime she has a change of heart but not before it was caught on tape by a crooked security guard. Confronted with the video surveillance by the security guard she is blackmailed into stealing from her employer's fierce competition, Panache, run by Houston's most eligible bachelor Chase Thomas. At an auction for charity, Alexandra on behalf of her employer, bids on one of the dates being auctioned with, you guessed it, Chase Thomas.

Chase sees this lovely beauty and is intent on making her his. Though Alexandra puts up a good fight, her growing feelings give way to love and she gives her heart to Chase. The problem is she finds herself in the dilemma of how can she keep his love and betray him.

Ms. Harris had a great premise and a good solid story. I was effectively caught up in the romance and dreamt about some day meeting a man like Chase. However, their relationship and the storyline developed too quickly for my liking. I wanted to savor the idiosyncrasies of budding love and excitement that moves with suspense. Ms. Harris' subplots (Alexandra's mother and Chase's new employee) were a bit underdeveloped. Because of this I felt the book was over before it actually ended. I also found some of the dialogue stilted. For example Alexandra quite often found herself in conversations where she would often reply "touché."

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the jet set lifestyle that Chase lived and lavished on Alexandra. I understood and could relate to Alexandra's plight in dealing with her son's illness and the characters in this novel were likable with some of them begging to have their own story told. (Hint, hint Ms. Harris) I say check it out on a lazy afternoon.

Kotanya
APOOO BookClub

Rating:
Summary: Brooks-Harris demonstrates a Panache of her own
Review: Driven by a desperate need to help her son, Alexandra Walker gives into temptation and steals jewelry from her employer, Starbridge's Department Store. Her son Justin lies in a hospital on dialysis, waiting for the kidney that could save his life. Overcome by the wrongs of her actions, Alexandra immediately replaces the jewelry, but it's too late. A skuzzy security guard with dubious connections has her on video -- but only the first half of her actions, conveniently deleting the portion where she immediately replaces the jewelry. Now she must do as she's instructed or risk prison, consigning her son to death.

As part of her position at Starbridge, Alexandra attends a charity auction with sufficient funding to win an exceptional date with Houston's sexiest bachelor, Chase Thomas. The immediate attraction between Alexandra and Chase can't be ignored, even if he is the vice-president of the even more prestigious jewelers, Panache. Chase quickly realizes that Alexandra is the woman of his dreams. He doesn't know of her many secrets, such as the fact that security guard Spurgeon Brown forced Alexandra to steal a rare Egyptian ring from his company. He also doesn't know about her son Justin, because Alexandra's independent streak doesn't want him to think she needs monetary help for the child. Nor does she want to introduce her son to a man before she's certain he'll be around for the long term.

Nathasha Brooks-Harris pens a spectacularly lavish romance with PANACHE. The elegance of her writing, the dazzling display of wealth, and the blossom of love come together in an unforgettable tale, proving the old truisms that crime doesn't pay and love is priceless. Indeed, Brooks-Harris imaginatively portrays a sophisticated tale of intrigue and love that comes highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Love and Excitement as Big as Texas
Review: Everything is big in Texas and that includes a new and exciting novel by Nathasha-Brooks-Harris.
What wouldn't a mother do for her gravely ill son? Alexandria was desperate but overcame the temptation of theft in order to obtain the money needed for her ailing child. The evil, contemptuous Spurgeon Brown, with his slick, oily persona uses blackmail to try and involve her in his evil scheme of robbery at Panache, Houston's largest and most prestigious Jewelry Emporium.

Nathasha has woven a tale of nail-biting intrigue and blackmail. Keeping in mind what the novel is really about, the author introduces her larger than life hero Chase who finds the love of his life in Alexandria and together, they find the true meaning of love and devotion.

Ms. Brook-Harris has made a thrilling first novel, we can only eagerly await her second which will be equally as enthralling.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I was truly impressed with this first novel. The book is filled wih suspense, romance, humor and is a true pager turner. I can't wait for future works from this author.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Written!
Review: Panache is a beautifully written romance novel and fans of African American romances will definitely enjoy this one. Alexandra Walker is the manager of the jewelry counter at Sturbridge's Department Store. Her son has a life threatening illness and she decides, in a desperate move, to steal some pieces of jewelry and replace them with fakes to try to raise some extra money. At the last second, she realizes that she cannot go through with it and puts the jewelry back but it is too late.

One of the security guards has caught the entire thing on tape and blackmails Alexandra into helping him rip off a rare piece from Panache, an elite jewelry store run by Chase Thomas. Alexandra bids for Chase Thomas in a bachelor auction, at the request of her manager who feels it will be great publicity, and wins a date with him. Immediately, they are both excited about the possibilities and make serious preparations for their date.

That is the beginning of a whirlwind romance and one that will have you on the edge of your seat for the rest of the novel.

Reviewed by Zane


Rating:
Summary: It's Like Ambosia From The Gods...
Review: That line says it all about this eloquent, well-written romantic thriller. Set under the eyes of Texas, circa 1999, Alexandra Walker is off to a great start in her profession. Or is she? Inclusive in her responsiblities as a single parent is her son Justin, who is need of medical attention quick fast, in a hurry, so the kidney won't cause additional worry. Desperation leads her to near-larceny, however in the midst of utilizing better judgment she decides against it. It's not quick enough for sinister Spurgeon, who "seent" everything on video except THE TRUTH and blackmails her. What to do, what to do?

Enter CHASE THOMAS, Houston's resident hunk. Alex actually wins a raffle and a date, and the ride of secrets, subplots, schorching romance and thrills that lasts to novel's completion captures any readers attention. It garnered the attention of this reader way back in March.

Given the opportunity to a sneak preview, PANACHE carries something extra in its snappy dialogue, well-crafted amusement and white-hot scenes of passion. YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT THIS ONE DOWN, FOLKS!!! ...

Rating:
Summary: When love and money meet...the premise for a great romance!
Review: What kind of woman would sacrifice herself for her child? Would you commit a crime to save his life? To what extent would a mother and career woman go to maintain balance against circumstantial odds? These questions are more than answered in Nathasha Brooks-Harris' debut novel Panache. Billed as a romantic thriller, it possess other elements to craft a story where real commitment is defined, and what it takes to do what is necessary to illustrate a point. The point here is a dilemma that forces the author to not only give insight to the opening questions, but to allow those other elements to mesh creating a better part of an integral whole. Wholeness to Alexandra Walker may mean different things to different people as it will always take a special kind of woman to sacrifice herself for the love and edification of her offspring. It would even border on extraordinary proportions for her to commit a crime to save his life.

The circumstances that drove Alexandra to act stems from the fact that her son is in need of a kidney transplant. In realizing this she uses her managerial position at a renowned department store to help alleviate the need to help her son. The story takes off rather fast in the beginning stages where she attempts to steal jewelry from the showcase, but reneges on it. Usually when opportunity arises for one, rest assured others are in waiting hoping for their chance. Enter Spurgeon Brown a repugnant opportunist who happens to be the security guard who caught her red-handed and never ceases to remind her of the circumstances if she doesn't cooperate with him. Not following through in turning her in may prove to be the makings of other diabolical schemes that this unsavory character is capable of. The story moves on as the author introduces the legacy of Panache, a rival jewelry establishment run by the dapper Chase Thomas, who by the way, is more than just a love interest in this book for our protagonist. Chase embodies a pillar of strength that Alex needs to be transformed into to foster elegance, and the type of self-assuredness that got him to be where he is. Together they play the age-old game of cat and mouse as the romantic overtones are given center stage.

For the most part I enjoyed the book, and felt that the author did a credible job of interjecting emotion and intrigue to justify this type of storyline where a good romance is to be had. However, the many subplots that are rendered may tend to lead astray those that allow their minds to meander. The concept of the story was original and fresh, but felt that certain aspects of it should have been made where suspense could be built up for a climatic finish. In this case, it didn't take away the author's premise, but my statements to the aforementioned are indicative of Alexandra and Chases' relationship. As such, the storyline developed too quickly for my liking. With this said, and it being a debut novel there's plenty of room for experience to be the progenitor of good things to come for this author. With this book out of the way, I see no need not to think that Perfect Harmony wouldn't be par for the course in her next offering. Stay tuned!