21 Questions by Mason Dixon

21 Questions
by Mason Dixon
Pages: 240
Date: November 15 2016
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: None

Review
Rating: 3.0
Read: October 5 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for a fair review.*

This is my first book by ‘Mason Dixon’, though my fifth book by the author (the other four books I have read were put out under the ‘Yolanda Wallace’ name).

There are three main characters in this book – though you know immediately how the book will likely turn out by two facts – only two of those three characters have their POV’s expressed in the book (though I've been tricked before by books that had two point of views for most of the book only to have a third suddenly pop up late in the game), and the book description only mentions two of the main characters. But hey, that’s the ‘likely’ outcome, not necessarily the outcome (I mean, I did just read two lesbian romances in a row wherein my little comment wouldn’t apply – or was misleading or . . . something).

This book is also a love triangle – the pivot point of this triangle . . . hmm, broken triangle? Bah, it’s normally described as a love triangle so I’ll continue with that phrase, even though there’s no line between two of the points to close off the triangle. So the pivot point of the triangle, and something of the driving force of the novel, is one Kenya Davis. Kenya is also one of the two points of views in the book.

Kenya is 36 and has a very successful and productive career. She does not have, though, someone to live her life with. And she wishes to change that factoid. So, the book opens with her outside a night club – about to enter and begin a round of speed dating (I mean the club has arranged a speed dating event, not that Kenya herself is going to attempt to put together . . bah, I think people understand what I’m saying).

Before she can even get to that event she meets and is romanced by the two other main characters in this book. Needing something to wet her tongue (okay, I don’t actually recall what triggered her heading immediately to the bar to get a drink, but . . meh), Kenya wanders to the very busy bar. She immediately makes snap judgments about the people behind said bar. Kenya is very judgmental and falls easily into stereotyping people. The people behind the bar are obviously loose, fast, immature, young players who are good for nothing more than a fling (hmms, maybe not read this spoiler?’funny’ how the two older successful women in this book, Kenya and Mackenzie, end up being the more flighty and immature while the two ‘players behind the bar’ end up being more capable of long term love, but I’m getting ahead of myself). When Kenya gets up to the bar, the woman behind it guesses, correctly, what drink Kenya wants then flirts with her. Kenya immediately shuts her down and walks away. Because. ‘Obviously’ the bartender is just a slut and not worthy of any type of polite conversation. Well, that bartender is the second point of view in the book – Simone Bailey, 26.

Still on Kenya, though, since she still needs to bump into the other main character. Which she does. When ‘gorgeous rich fabulous’ Mackenzie sits at Kenya’s table, before the speed dating event, and flirts with Kenya. Sets up several dates at once with Kenya.

So, that’s the book. Over immediately. Kenya wanted a partner, shot down Simone, and will now spend the rest of her life with Mackenzie.

Heh.

So then the speed dating event begins, but because Mackenzie forced herself into the event at the last minute, the numbers are off. So they need another person. Simone jumps in. And this is where the title of the book comes into play – 21 questions. Simone gets a promise from Kenya that she will be able to ask, and have answered, 21 questions – even if they go past the 10 minute mark set aside for each of the speed dates. 10 minutes fly by so fast that they are only able to get through, barely, one of the 21 questions. So, obviously, they need to exchange numbers. Though Kenya stresses, again, that she has no romantic interest, what-so-ever, in Simone. Simone lies and says something along the lines of that being okay.

Okay then. That’s the set up. Mackenzie, who – remember – has no point of view; and Kenya date. Simone and Kenya discuss 21 questions.

There is zero, and I mean zero, chemistry between Mackenzie and Kenya. I’ve no idea what’s going on with this book. Kenya makes a snap judgment based entirely on occupation and age to decide to have nothing romantically to do with Simone (because ‘obviously’ a bartender (‘eww a bartender’) would only be a fling), while at the same time drooling over and wanting everything to do with Mackenzie.

Two points: 1) Kenya’s last major relationship involved a somewhat immature young woman who was dishonest, cheated on her, and after the breakup, stole her identity to run up some credit card debt in Kenya’s name; 2) Mackenzie has her own money so Kenya doesn’t have to worry about that, but – a) she’s massively immature (despite her age and appearance of being an accomplished business woman); and b) is widely known as being a massive player. Huge player. A woman who has never shown a spark of desire of having anything but flings. And yet Kenya makes a snap decision that Simone is beneath her and that she wants Mackenzie beneath her in bed. Despite wanting something long term she leaps for the huge massive player with a rotten, and I mean rotten, reputation.

The 21 questions thing is an interesting idea. Cut Mackenzie from the book and there might have been a really good book here. There are reasons why Kenya might, initially not want anything to do with Simone – and that 21 questions thing is a good way to keep them tethered to each other.

The Mackenzie thread, though, just made me dislike Kenya. Mackenzie’s bad side is shown throughout so obviously the reader isn’t going to like her – they aren’t supposed to like her. (Vaguely curious if Mackenzie is based on anyone in real life because that out of the blue ‘take down’ of Mackenzie, wherein she is ‘cut down to size’ is just . . . . Well seems like a wet dream kind of thing. I mean, it just seemed over the top what happened to Mackenzie in the end).

So. I disliked Kenya, and I disliked Mackenzie (as I was supposed to). For the most part I liked Simone. And the music subplot that she was involved with. (I’ve no clue why the ‘dishonesty’ part had to be added. What the fuck was that about? Both having Simone see Mackenzie with another woman; and her decision that it just wouldn’t be right to tell Kenya . . . because . . . um . . . because . . . no idea really (the ‘she won’t believe the picture, and would believe Mackenzie over my word’ concept was thrust forward but . . meh)..

Right, sorry. I liked Simone. I liked Reagan. I mentioned in my status updates that Reagan and Simone had more chemistry with each other in the first few seconds after Reagan appeared than anyone else had with anyone else in the book. Though I kind of see why we couldn’t have gone the Simone-Reagan route. I also liked Simone’s Jamaican family.

A lot of things I didn’t like about Kenya. Like her snap stereotypical judgments mixed with an odd blindness and trust towards Mackenzie. And didn’t like how she basically ordered her employee to do her bidding outside the office hours (there was a hint that Celia would have done these things anyway, but the word choices seemed to indicate that Celia had no choice in the matter).

Quite frankly, I don’t know why anyone was interested in Kenya (okay, I know why Mackenzie was – out of the blue – putting out ‘I want to settle down now with one woman, that woman being you’ vibes Only read this if already read the book and wish to remind yourself of the reasonMackenzie wanted a respectable woman, like Kenya, who she could install as her wife to take to high class function and add a layer of respectability, while at the same time continuing to fuck others – an open relationship like her parents have. Though Mackenzie lied about her intentions (at least when she was whispering things like ‘you are the only woman I want now’; though she did keep dropping massive hints that an open relationship was both wanted and expected).

I like reading books where not everyone is lily white, and/or the only non-white people appear as if tokens in a white world. So that’s a positive for this book – since everyone involved (except Mackenzie’s mother) are black (Simone, Mackenzie (father – rich, successful, black), Kenya, Reagan, Dre, etc.).

And now I do not know what else to write. Hmm. Well, I’ve both liked and loved books by Yolanda Wallace in the past, and will continue to read her books; and likely try the other two Mason Dixon books (like ‘Charm City’ looks interesting, though I do not know why a white woman’s on the cover).

October 6 2016