DISTRACTION by J L Campbell is a quality fiction read which drew me in with it's engaging characters and storyline and didn't let me go till the very end. Set in contemporary Jamaica, it is the story of three smart, gutsy women. Justine, Kyra and Dionne.This trio has passed the twenties and all are mothers and all between 35 and 40. They are, however, experiencing upheavals in their personal lives. How they cope and what they do will leave you spellbound.
Justine, a character with whom I empathised, is in a dead marriage, where her husband just shuts her out. Neglect in marriage is a form of abuse and Justine is truly a sufferer. She falls in love with the larger than life musician Xavier McKellop, but pays a heavy price in guilt. As she watches Xavier playing his guitar at Sunday Mass, she knows she has to end this affair. Dionne is married to a patient and gentle man Clay, but finds him deficient as a provider. Her longing for financial security has her stepping out of her marriage and getting involved with someone else. She soon finds she's bitten off more than she can chew. Kyra has been used and abused by Warren, a born loser. She longs to kick Warren out of her life and start again with a more stable, reliable partner. But Warren won't be dismissed so easily.
No one can help you out of your difficulties but yourself. And perhaps the support of a good friend who will really listen to and empathise with what you're suffering. This isn't so much a novel as an exploration of love and friendship. It's a really interesting study on what women really want out of a relationship with a man. Great sex? Yes, definitely, who would say no to that? But more than that, there is a need for true companionship, support and love. Not just sex, but real, committed love. Not to mention security, both emotional and financial. Yet there are relationships going on which don't have all these components. The truth is, nobody gets everything. It seems to me that these women did a tremendous job of supporting each other and this is the best part of the story. They help each other find their own answers as they struggle through the vicissitudes of life.
If you like quality women's fiction, you'll love this.
I'm very much looking forward to reading further into this story in the follow up volume, RETRIBUTION.
Available on Amazon.
5/5 stars
