BOOK review of Not Just Another Interlude

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Book Title: Not Just Another Interlude
Author: Lara T. Kareem
Genre: Fiction
Publishers: Love Africa Press (2020) ISBN: 9780463760567
No. of Pages: 262
Reviewer: Uduak-estelle Akpan
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Lively as a smiling day and quick as a wink, Lara T. Kareem’s Not Just another Interlude is an optimistic contemporary romance following the awww-evoking love story of two independent, young minds.

​When Sewa’s ploy of taking charge of her love life blows up in her face, or rather, literally lands her on her butt, the last thing she expects is to be helped back up, or be enchanted by Jide Harriman, the young, rich and confident tech entrepreneur. When their paths cross on two occasions, in weirdly similar patterns, Jide, being a pro at going after what he wants, knows not to leave it to chance; and so it begins – their easy-going ‘ship’.
 
As her friendship with Jide seamlessly blooms into an enviable relationship, Sewa enjoys a formidable bond of sisterhood with her three friends and a dynamic, almost rare relationship with her mother. Things could not be better, with her graphic designing career kicking off at Palm and Co. and her mother’s happy, new beginning. Admirable is the simplicity in narration and the allowance for both lovers to express their individuality while remaining deeply involved in each other’s lives, proving the practicality of simultaneously staying focused on one’s ambitions and enjoying life’s pleasures in human and material form.
 
With its pleasant likeness to E. L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey, sans the ‘grey’, it is easy to be lost in the book’s charm, but when one is used to encountering abiding and difficult conflicts in works of fiction, Not Just another Interlude may prove too easy or lacking in the depth of suspense characteristic of romantic stories.
 
Apart from the marked subjects of love, friendship and sisterhood, the book is also bereft of depth or risk in the author’s rather careful maneuver of the subtle themes of feminism and domestic violence. Perhaps, the barely scratched backstory of Sewa’s mother or Onyinyechi’s mysterious relationship would have made for a thickened plot and stronger discussion points.
 
The tension and doubt that builds from Jide’s business troubles and a mismanaged communication ends in an expected blissful resolution and ending. Its easy characters, straightforward plot and simple language make Not Just another Interlude an utterly refreshing, unproblematic and perfect escape read.
 
 

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