"Soul Mates" by KA Moll delves into the profound journey of healing and redemption through love, centering on the character Zane, a lesbian pastor who has survived sexual assault. Her romantic counterpart, Jaina, has faced her own challenges, having grown up in the foster care system. Together, their story explores the complexities of overcoming past traumas.
As one of KA Moll's earlier novels, "Soul Mates" reflects her background in psychology and therapy, which she often incorporates into her narratives about women triumphing over adversity. Based in Illinois, Moll writes from a genuine perspective as a lesbian author, which adds authenticity to her storytelling. However, her writing style can sometimes come across as simplistic and awkward.
An intriguing aspect of the story is Zane's friendship with Irene, who is portrayed as a straight woman. Initially, there seems to be a potential for a psychological twist, suggesting that Irene might be Zane's true soul mate instead of Jaina. However, this twist does not unfold, leaving Irene as an underdeveloped character who primarily serves as a narrative device. Unfortunately, Zane and Jaina also lack depth, often appearing as representations of their traumas rather than fully realized characters.
The novel features expected soft erotic scenes that are tender but can feel overly contrived. For instance, once a character is introduced as someone's "wife," it becomes redundant to repeatedly refer to her as "her wife," which can underestimate the reader's intelligence and disrupt the narrative flow. Moll's tendency to overuse character names instead of pronouns affects the readability of the text, and her dialogue writing needs considerable enhancement.
In summary, "Soul Mates" is a light romance with elements of dark psychology, making it a potentially enjoyable summer read, particularly for young adult audiences. There is room for KA Moll to develop her craft further, and with dedication to honing her writing skills, she could produce more compelling works in the future.