Side Dishes

Sage has just moved once again to another state with her domineering, gold-digging mother, Sivilla. She is tired of the lifestyle that consists of using men for material goods. At the tender age of twenty-two, Sage has already swindled two men out of half of their wealth. Sivilla believes that a woman should use her assets to get a free meal out of life, even if it means using deception and lack of morals. Sage is having a hard time with this because she has a gentle heart and strong conscience. Her mother insists Sage pursue their wealthy landlord Delane Ryder, however Sage is against it. Delane is over three hundred pounds and just not her type. When Sage finally gives into her mother's demands, she is in for a wonderful surprise. Delane turns out to be a romantic, thoughtful and loving man. Sage and Delane find they have many things in common and love blooms naturally between them. Soon, Sage and Delane wed and that is when the trouble starts. Sivilla grows jealous of Delane and works successfully at sabotaging their marriage. Years later, Sage decides to try and make mends with Delane. Delane and Sage have much to resolve together, and they have a lot to learn in the process.

Side Dishes is truly an inspirational romance. It is about making choices for yourself and mending wrongs. Every character in this story has a realistic quality to them. I found myself involved in Sage and Delane's life, which was very enjoyable experience. As a reader, I came to care for them. Even Sivilla, with her flaws, reaches out to the reader. The little information that is told about Sivilla, in a small way explains why she made decisions in the manner that she did. We are not perfect and the characters we read about, shouldn't be either. For an inspirational romance, I was pleasantly surprised at the passion that was described so eloquently well. If you're looking for a story with meaning, Side Dishes will satisfy your appetite for it!

Reviewed by: Anita