Jo-Ann Mapson, perhaps spurred on by the success of her debut novel Hank and Chloe, revisits her unorthodox lovers in a reprise of their 1993 romance. We tune in to find Hank hard at work rebuilding both a house deep in the heart of the Navajo nation and his broken heart when Chloe, the free-spirited, sexy woman responsible for it all, walks back into his life bearing (suprise!) his child. They eagerly reunite, but Chloe refuses to marry him, an issue that boils over when Junior Whitebear, famous jewelry artist and local legend, seduces Chloe, shattering Hank and Chloe's fragile peace. Mapson weaves this refreshingly ambiguous story of a blameless love triangle with her customary witty dialog and and intesely erotic sex scenes, while exploring questions of fidelity and the risks of following the calling of your heart. A resident of the Southwest, She has a love of the land and its traditions - the Navajo culture and horse training in particular - which lends the story authenticity, but it is her belief in the restlessness and nobility of the human spirit that gives Loving Chloe its appeal.
This review originally appeared in The Weekly Alibi.
© Todd Meigs
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