Edwin P. Cutler

Caribbean Kiss: Stolen Love and Voodoo Superstition in the West Indies Edwin P. Cutler

Caribbean Kiss is a love story, set in the beautiful Caribbean Islands. Amanda, a wealthy young widow, is struggling to become herself in a world where men have questionable, if not downright lascivious motives. Her dilemma is expressed to the reader through the eyes of a young man, Stacy Biddle. He is confused by her dramatic mood swings, and sees her at one moment as bright and beautiful then later as an alcoholic sniveling wimp.

Amanda's suicide attempt haunts the story with speculations as to the cause: Did she murder her husband? Was she abused by her dead husband's cousin? Why would a wealthy young woman want to die?

Stacy wants adventure on the high seas, but is plagued by his own physical drives. He is seduced by a greedy young woman, Melissa, who wants to marry rich. But, since he is an eligible bachelor, everyone jumps to the conclusion that he is the solution to Amanda's problem, and he soon finds himself in a position to fool the local judge and save her wealth from her dead husband's cousin by agreeing to a non-intimate marriage.

The story takes readers to the lush Caribbean Island of St. Lucia and walks them on the sandy beaches, swims them in the warm waters, and basks them beneath blue skies where cruise ships and jet planes help thousands of tourists flee the grasp of snow and ice in northern climes.

Amanda's stream of consciousness is denied the reader in order to conceal the real tragedy that is gnawing at her soul. Her problem is revealed in the climax when she confesses the abuse she suffered while married to her psychopathic husband who was lost at sea under questionable circumstances.

When Amanda falls overboard in a hurricane, Stacy discovers it is she he loves, not the greedy Melissa. Amanda survives but everyone back home thinks she drowned.

Several readers said they saw the sandy beaches, heard the palm trees whispering in the wind and felt the warmth of the tropical sun. One said Amanda's dramatic mood swings will win an Oscar.