Destined: A Promise Fulfilled by Rẹmi Adejumo
10/22/26; 482 pages
Seven Acre Press
Destined: A Promise Fulfilled by Rẹmi Adejumo is a highly recommended love story - for the right reader. This is a love story that also encompasses grief, family, faith, friends, and visions.
In April 1989 in Nigeria, Atoke's father was assassinated right in front of her. She was 12 years-old and next to him in the front seat of the car on their way home from church. Obviously, it changed her entire life. Atoke had the gift of sensing things, or seeing events before they happened. Additionally, she had had a premonition about her father's death in 1984. She was sent to boarding school with hopes that removing her from their home would help. What Atoke learned was discipline, achievement, as she cultivated a carefully guarded certainty about life. She kept her best friend BK, traveled, and became a solicitor living in London.
Stefan grew up in Germany and kept having a recurring dream/vision where a man tells him to look after her (no name). When BK talks Atoke into go to a reunion in Los Vegas, Stefan sees her and is immediately attracted to her. She is also attracted to him, however, also hesitant so she dissuades him from his affections. He can't forget her and a couple years later has a friend find her. He then goes to London to see her, finding her at the coffee shop mentioned years earlier. This time the two start a relationship, a long distance one with Stefan living in Florida and Atoke in London.
After they start a relationship the novel focuses on them building that relationship, learning to trust, and strengthening their connections to each other. They also need to open up about their pasts, her about her father and him about his vision. It is detailed as the narrative delves deep into their character development while establishing that they were destined to meet each other. It does come to a satisfying conclusion.
If I'm honest, I'm not a huge fan of romance novels and reading this was a stretch for me at times. It was not what I expected. However, I think those who do appreciate romance will likely enjoy this novel. The character development kept me reading as the two tried to work out their relationship. However, it also felt overly long and could have used some major editing. I am also having some doubts about characters that are all very successful and seem to have unlimited funds. I prefer novels more grounded in reality. 3.5 rounded up when needed.
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