Recommended by Susan for ARe Cafe.

Leoti by Sienna Mynx is an interracial romance featuring a famous black, female lawyer who finds her soul mate while trying to escape the pressures of her life. Mynx has a way of creating stories that are multi-layered and intricate, but at the same time easy to follow. The many layers of plot unfold into a beautiful tapestry that becomes Josie and Elu’s story. Some of the layers involves Josie’s amnesia and what propelled her to leave home in the first place: her strained relationship with her mother, her rock star boyfriend and her younger sister. Other just as entertaining layers include Elu’s land and the mystery behind his refusal to sell, and finally what happens when Josie’s old life collides with her new one. All these subplots add up to one heck of a tale. Leoti is a great novel with many surprising twists that makes it a definite must read.

Renowned attorney, Josie Eastman is overwhelmed and unhappy by the direction her life has taken and decides to get away for a break. The once-child prodigy excelled in school, became a successful attorney, won a major case against a powerful company, and used the knowledge she garnered from her research to write a bestselling book that earned her a Nobel Prize nomination. Despite all these successes, Josie simply wants a life outside the limelight. Distracted by her worries, she gets into a car accident and ends up with amnesia. Her rescuer, Elu Takotie, is a local land owner who is certain their accident is really fate, as he believes Josie is the woman he is destined to marry. It is in this quiet, mountain town and with this quiet yet strong man that Josie finds what she’s always wanted, love and with it the courage and support she needs to live her life on her own terms. ( )