Relationship novels are for escapism. The content should tantalize the reader’ evoke deep emotion and keep one’s attention. Unfortunately, A Mighty Love, the debut novel by author Anita Doreen Diggs didn’t meet any of these criteria. The outcome of investing my time, interest and emotions was pure reading disappointment.

In her mind, Diggs probably developed a wonderful premise on how the mystery of how love can endure through and despite tragedies. It is too bad this premise didn’t fly on paper. Her flat writing style, superficial dialogue and shallow characters couldn’t pull the weight of her good intentions, and caused the book to crash and burn upon take off. Every aspect of A Mighty Love was highly predictable. This is the tale of newly weds who suffer a tragedy, resulting in the husband turning to drugs, and the wife to over spending. Another woman comes in the picture, then another man. Sprinkle a little drama here and little drama there’and Bam! The couple gets back together again’sadder but wiser—and all is well. Come on, Diggs! Give me a break! Where is the twist? Where is the unpredictable and unusual? There was absolutely no originality in, A Mighty Love.

This dragging story of Adrienne and Mel Jordan, a separated couple struggling to piece their life back together after the loss of their child sputtered along, often losing direction and rarely touching my heart strings. It was sandpaper dry! Diggs creativity didn’t surface. In a pivotal scene meant to hook the reader, Diggs momentum was too slow, her wording too over-worked, and her plot construction too tell-tell. There was no emotion to "juice up" the events. These absences underscored the lack of reasons to be sympathetic to the couple and their circumstances. It was way too calm.

All through A Mighty Love, Diggs tries to scrape up some compassion for Adrienne as a hurting sister whose husband can’t get it together. But, the snobbish, spoiled and unfeeling Adrienne didn’t get my vote for warm fuzzies. Neither did Mel, an ex-player, who still liked to play’he came off as a wimpy, henpecked, phony. Heck, his sister Debra and her boyfriend, Big Boy, were the most realistic characters in the whole story and the bar where Debra worked the most memorable setting. Supporting characters such as Sherry, a co-worker, Regina, a supervisor, and ghetto-fabulous Lillian added very little to the mix and could have been easily eliminated.

Worst of all, A Mighty Love is littered with numerous errors, senseless fillers (such as recipes), and unneeded designer-name-droppin’. I really could have done without the lesson on how to tell when you need a new toothbrush.

A Mighty Love is a boring, superficial, stereo-typical-relationship read. The pace is too slow, the scenes are bland and the storyline is unremarkable. Diggs neither pulled the story together nor brought it off. I don’t recommend putting A Mighty Love at the top of your to-read list. It is a better candidate for the "When-I-can’t find-anything-else-to-read" pile.