Nike Chillemi’s departure into New Adult Contemporary Christian Romantic Suspense with THAT SPECIAL ONE rings emotionally true on two levels.
First, it is a satisfying page-turner for any new adult looking for a well-written romantic suspense. Ivy Chalmer’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior are authentic and reflect what most college-age NA's relate to and believe important in today’s society. Chillemi has nailed the angst and hopelessness many feel.
My heart sank at Ivy’s trauma, and I grieved along with her when life delivered the opposite of what she expected. I rooted for Corey, despite knowing that nice guys always finish last, especially when a cool upperclassman is in the mix.
The plot and pacing are spot-on, as are the fully-realized secondary characters. It was nice to see some familiar faces in town from Chillemi’s other detective series.
THAT SPECIAL ONE is also an all-too-accurate trip down memory lane for those who left new adulthood behind long ago. The author sends us back to when we were figuring out our personal identity, making unwise choices and agonizing with cringing self-doubt, all the while navigating an unfamiliar world. There are several effective plot twists that I didn’t see coming.
I enjoyed the faith elements - and questions - Ivy
and others struggled with.
Engrossing, clean Suspense = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I eagerly await the next NA romantic suspense from this author.
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THAT SPECIAL ONE, a Christian New Adult Romantic Suspense
By Nike N. Chillemi
From Chapter Three
As the chancellor talked on with exceedingly precise speech, my gaze wandered around the gym seeking students from my culinary classes. I spotted a short Chinese girl whose interest and course concentration was, not surprisingly, Asian Fusion cuisine. She made a mean sushi roll.
Then I noticed Corey Jones standing against a side wall, a beverage in his hand.
Pointing toward him as unobtrusively as I could, I said. "That guy Amy knows is over there, but I don't see her anywhere."
Giana glanced over at Corey and frowned. "She said they weren't an item. He's probably here alone."
There seemed to be a shift in the atmosphere as the three Lone Star coeds Giana had dubbed 'popular girls' swept into the gym. The platinum blond modeled an incredibly short mini-skirt with a clingy silvery top. The long-haired honey blond was also decked out in a mini-skirt and a flouncy soft, yellow blouse. True to her tribe, the one with shoulder-length flaxen hair wore a mini skirt but paired it with a metallic plaid top.
As a squad of Mouncey male students gravitated toward the trio, Giana's steely gaze became riveted to the entire group.
I cleared my throat. "Why don't we use our tickets and get something to drink?"
Giana tore her eyes away from the glam-girls and their entourage. "Sure. Let's go."
At the other end of the gym, a local garage band cranked out one of their own original tunes. We walked across the polished wooden floor to the refreshment table where it was two-students deep to get a beverage.
The guy in front of Giana turned around. He lifted the cup in his hand above her head, as if he might spill its contents and grinned. "Whoa, don't want to douse you with soda."
She feigned ducking and laughed. "You better not."
Another guy turned around with his drink. "Charlie, stop assaulting young ladies."
"Definitely, Charlie. You shouldn't do that." Giana giggled.
I stepped forward, holding my ticket stub. "Perhaps we should get our drinks."
Charlie's friend pushed a shock of blond hair off his forehead, grinned, and moved aside. "Right this way." Something about him made me think of a college-age 'Dennis the Menace.'
I edged next to the table, handed over my ticket, and picked up a plastic cup filled with Coke. Giana did the same, only hers was diet.
Charlie's friend lifted his cup toward the musicians at the back of the gym. "Pretty amazing sound for a local band, don't you think?"
I nodded. "Yeah, they're real good. What's their name?"
"Subculture Quarantine." He maneuvered closer to me.
I stepped back and scrutinized him. "Nice name. What's yours?"
He pushed the blond lock off his forehead again. "Ryan Briggs. Your turn now."
"Ivy Chalmers."
Giana said something cutesy to Charlie and they both laughed. He slid his arm around her shoulders and gave her a sideways hug. They laughed again, and I wondered if I'd be ditched at the end of the mixer.
"Earth to Ivy," Ryan teased.
"Oh, I just got lost for a moment…checking out the band."
Ryan leaned toward me. "Since you're into the music, I've got to tell you about this one time when I helped Charlie haul his band's equipment. The gig was at a biker dive bar, and when they lit into their usual set of alternative rock, the bikers started throwing empty beer cans at us."
"Did you get out of there without injury?"
He laughed. "It was dicey, but yeah we all got out in one piece."
I peered intently at him. "It's hard to visualize you and Charlie in a biker bar."
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Giana and Charlie gyrating to the band's frantic pounding beat.
"So, you think we're too shallow frat boys?" Ryan brought my attention back to him.
The band launched into another pounding tune. Giana and Charlie continued dancing.
I made a face and raised my voice over the din. "I wasn't thinking shallow."
"I'm the frat boy. Charlie's the lead guitarist." He grinned at me.
"Oh, and here I thought you were the roadie." I gave him a dramatic wink to let him know I was kidding.
"I do that to help out Charlie now and then. Would you be interested in hearing his band play? He's got a gig next Friday night."
I took a breath, stalling while running through all the reasons that wouldn't be desirable. The main one being I had no intentions of hooking up with some random guy. "Yes, sounds like fun."
Was that my voice answering him?
He pulled out his cell phone. "You'd better give me your number."
"325-210-5555." My voice again.
Giana and Charlie had become a fixture on the dance floor showing off their moves through several more disquieting tunes. At that point, I was pretty sure she'd forgotten all about me.
One of Mouncey's chaperoning professors walked onto the dance floor. He clapped his hands twice. "The band will now play its last song. And then we'll call it a night. I hope everyone had a good time."
Giana and Charlie came off the dance floor. She grabbed my hand and tugged. "Let's get out of here before the crush. Then we won't get stuck in a parking lot traffic jam."
"Okay. Sounds like a plan." I turned toward Ryan and shrugged. "She's my ride."
Giana dropped my hand, pranced over to Charlie, and kissed his cheek. "I'll be seeing you, just not tonight."
She grabbed my hand again and pulled me through the crowd.
When we reached the lobby, I said, "You were having such a great time with Charlie, I began to think you'd ditch me."
She shook her head. "No way. I told you we'd leave together. Besides, it's always good for the guy to wonder if he made any headway."
"Strategy?"
She gave me a wide smile. "Exactly. Now you're catching on."
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Nike is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and its Chair, a Reader's Choice Awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She has been a judge in the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories; and an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category. Her four novel Sanctuary Point series (out of print), set in the mid-1940s has finaled, won an award, and garnered critical acclaim. The first novel in the Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels/Dawson Hughes series HARMRUL INTENT won in the Grace Awards 2014 Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller/Historical Suspense category. She has written book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and John 3:16 Marketing Network. http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/
