cover image The Details in the Design

The Details in the Design

Shannon M. Harris. Sapphire, $14.95 trade paper (184p) ISBN 978-1-943353-79-8

Harris disappoints with this pedestrian romance set in the world of high fashion. Rising star Avery Michael has long nursed a crush on fashion grande dame Catherine Davenport. When she lands a job managing social media for Catherine’s firm, she begins aggressively wooing her imperious boss. Gaining unexpected help from Lincoln, one of Catherine’s twin teenage daughters, Avery tries hard to convince the older woman that their 20-year age difference is immaterial, and their love slowly begins to bloom. Catherine’s mixed signals only become more muddled when an ex-girlfriend from decades earlier tries to rekindle their relationship. Harris’s writing is often awkwardly declarative, and she gets lost in tangential details. The plot is implausible and the characters are incredibly shallow. Catherine’s assistant, Camden, is an unnecessary and confusing villain, and Avery’s friends exist only to offer platitudes of support and excessive comfort foods. Interactions between Avery and Lincoln are a bright spot, but not enough to make up for the work’s flaws. (June)