#BookReview: LESLIE'S CURL & DYE by D.L. White

Summary: Leslie Baker, owner of Potter Lake’s original hometown beauty shop, the Curl & Dye, has a problem. Her problem isn’t her dwindling customer base. And it’s not the shifty, shady mayor of the idyllic lakeside town. Her problem is a muscular, handsome, 6’4” former basketball superstar with a solid physique and colorful sleeve tattoos. Kade “KC” Cavanaugh is back in Potter Lake following his NBA retirement and the business he’s opened, a slick and shiny co-ed salon, directly competes with Curl & Dye.

KC is all too eager to to pick things up where they left off fifteen years ago, but Leslie can’t forget how KC pushed her away after an intimate encounter, then dropped out of Healy University and left her behind for the bright lights of professional ball. . But although she won’t admit it, time and maturity have eaten away at her anger and her long-buried attraction to Kade Cavanaugh has resurfaced.
With a vengeance.

Now there is a larger problem: Leslie and KC find themselves in the center of a city wide drama, and with both sides of Potter Lake at war and their livelihoods at stake, the two have to stop sniping at each other and start working together. And maybe, in the process, forget the past and revive a budding romance that was very special...a very long time ago.

Review: I love romantic stories set in small towns, so D.L. White scores huge points with me for creating the fictional town of Potter Lake and its cast of characters. Much like the towns Beverly Jenkins created in her Blessings series and Farrah Rochon with her Bayou Dreams and Moments in Maplesville series, I just want to pack up my bags and move there.

While the main characters and their story lines are predictable, in introducing so many townspeople, there's potential to turn this initial story line into a broader series. The playful banter between KC and his twin sister, TC, reminded me of the relationship Cam and his sister Mary Charles have on Survivor's Remorse. It's light and playful on the surface but both would do anything for their siblings. I'd like to see TC get a little more shine. There's more to her than just running KC's business and living next door to him. Leslie's best friend, Tamera, seems to have a story of her own to tell as well. What was she doing back in Potter Lake when Leslie was living it up in Chicago? Miss Earline who gets her hair done at the salon and continues to slay in her golden years definitely has a story. There are so many tales to be told.

I won't pressure the author to churn out another book. I won't bother her about creating a series from this. (I'm lying, yes I will.) I know that good things come to those who wait. It may take time before the rest of the characters start talking to her like they talked to me, but whenever she's ready to go back to Potter Lake, I'll be there waiting.

Published: September 2017
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from author, opinions are my own.

#BookReview: I LEFT MY BACK DOOR OPEN by April Sinclair

Summary: Daphne “Dee Dee” Dupree has arrived at age 41 with a career she loves, but a romantic life she doesn’t. Insecure about her weight and protective of her often-broken heart, Dee Dee is an expert at hiding her inward struggles from the thousands of Chicago residents who hear her on the radio every night. A successful, charismatic DJ for the local blues station, Dee Dee is still looking for the type of love she’s missed since her divorce. After a traumatic event at work, Dee Dee meets Skylar, a union mediator who could be just what she’s looking for—if only there weren’t so many obstacles in their way.

Meanwhile, Dee Dee’s coworker Jade is nearing her own divorce; her best friend, Sharon, has come out of the closet; and Sharon’s teenage daughter is dangerously close to a breakdown. As Dee Dee works to ease the problems of her friends, she finally faces her own troubles—both old and new.

Review: Many of us remember April Sinclair because of her groundbreaking novel, Coffee Will Make You Black, and its sequel, Ain't Gonna Be the Same Fool Twice, in the mid 90s. While those novels followed Stevie Stevenson, a nerdy teen growing up in the sixties, moving from Chicago to San Francisco at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, discovering her sexuality, free love and all of the "good times" that came with maturing in the seventies, I Left My Back Door Open is a grown woman's story.

Dee Dee Dupree swears she's me! I love a good "smart woman who can't get out of her own way" novel and it's even better when said woman looks like me and is in my age bracket. Dee isn't really looking for love, but she wouldn't be mad if it decided to drop by occasionally. She enjoys good music, good food and the company of friends. See? It me!

April Sinclair is on the top of her game with I Left My Back Door Open. Her characters are smart and funny and diverse. From the black security guard who has renounced his blackness and now claims white people as his own to her best friend who went on sabbatical and came back as a card carrying lesbian; her married best friend with marital problems she willfully ignores; her overly hormonal goddaughter who asks for advice and then does the exact opposite, I Left My Back Door Open is an embarrassment of riches. Dee Dee's romance with Skylar is just the cherry on top.

I only have two regrets: 1) I didn't realize this book existed until last week when I was doing a "where are they now" reflection on authors I loved and 2) there's no sequel. I loved Dee Dee, loved her circle of family and friends and would love to read more of her adventures. It's not likely that Sinclair will pick this character back up anytime soon, but a girl can hope, can't she?

304 p.
Published: April 1999

#BookReview: BEACH THING by D.L. White

Who among us hasn’t dipped our toes in a friends with benefits situation only to find ourselves falling just a little bit for the person we swore was just a temporary thing, or as my friends and I called it in college, something to do. You know how it is. The summer comes upon us, the sun is out, days are longer and you’re feeling good about life. Finding someone to do the horizontal hokey pokey with on those warm summer nights is an added bonus. (I’m talking about single people. You married people need to go get your groove on with your spouse.) Summer flings are great, right? No long-term commitment, just three short months of bliss and then you go on your merry way and I go on mine. Or do I? Author D.L. White tackles this very topic in her latest, Beach Thing.

Ameenah Porter has left the mean streets of New York behind for a simpler life on Black Diamond Isles. Actually, life in New York wasn’t that mean. The daughter of well-respected restauranteurs, Ameenah has been groomed to take over the family business. However, she’d rather move to Black Diamond into the house her grandmother left her and start her own business on the board walk.

Wade Marshall is a super producer for one of the hottest rappers in the game, hopefully not one that insists on shouting his name out in every song he produces though. (I’m looking at your Diddy, DJ Khaled, Rodney Jerkins, etc. Y’all know who you are.) He’s come to Black Diamond to work on some beats while his most important artist, and best friend, Gage Coleman takes a vacation in Jamaica with his family. Wade has never been the long-term relationship man. He can barely tolerate women spending the night and keeps an arsenal of excuses on hand. But the day he bumps into Ameenah Porter coming out of Tikis & Cream, everything changes.

I’ve told you all repeatedly that I don’t do romance. Very few authors keep my interest because their story lines are so formulaic, but D. L. White creates great characters and give them even better story lines. Her character interactions feel authentic and not forced. Beach Thing is a perfect read for the beach or otherwise and I’d love to see more from the characters. I’ve already whined to the author about the possibility of a book two or three. Much like Farrah Rochon makes me want to pick up and move to the small Louisiana towns in her Bayou Dreams series, D. L. White has me ready to pack my bags for Black Diamond Isles.

147 p.
Published: September 2016
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from author, opinions are my own.

Purchase: Amazon

#BookReview: BECAUSE MY HEART SAID SO by Nia Forrester, Jacinta Howard, Lily Java & Rae Lamar

Romance novels are typically not my thing. I make a few exceptions here and there, but I rarely actively seek them out. However, given the traumatic summer we’ve been witnessing across America, I needed a book that would allow me to check out of current events for a few hours and get my mind straight – kind of a palate cleanser if you will. I’m so glad that I gave the authors of Because My Heart Said So a chance to do just that.

Made up of four novellas, Because My Heart Said So is full of smart, funny and engaging leading ladies. In Nia Forrester’s Acceptable Losses, junior attorney Lena is in love with her workaholic, dynamic mentor Quentin. Refusing to admit his marriage is over, Quentin keeps Lena at arm’s length, but when he sets her up with his brother and the two hit it off, he’s forced to admit that he may have made a mistake.

Two of the novellas explore best friends turned lovers - Jacinta Howard’s Blind Expectations and Rae Lamar’s Blur. Both stories highlight all of the things that can go right (and wrong) when the thin line between friends and lovers is crossed. Blind Expectation’s Lena is forced to admit that when all other men have failed her, Trevor has always been a shoulder to lean on. And Blur’s Jade is forced to admit that her feelings for her childhood friend are different than they were when she was a teenager. While Kyle is teaching her to take life a little less seriously, she’s debating taking him more seriously.

I connected least with Lily Java’s Blackbirds in which photographer Sydney had her heart broken by former coworker Elliott Vance. Elliott’s return to New York throws her for a loop and, before she realizes it, she’s falling for him again. It was a decent read, but it didn’t pull me in like the other stories.

Overall, I enjoyed the ladies (and their men). The next time I need to escape from the world, I’ll definitely look to immerse myself in worlds and characters that they’ve created.

470 p.
Published: June 2016
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from author, opinions are my own.

Purchase: Amazon

#BookReview: THE SUMMER OF ME by Angela Benson

Years ago I decided I was going to have the summer of Lisa. I sent my daughter to my mother's house, which was just across the river, but still, I had the house to myself. I looked forward to all of the fun and adventure I was going to have in those three months. The first week of summer I went to Crown Royal night at the Black Rep, a local theater company.  Good liquor and a good story are two of my favorite things, so this was the perfect night. My favorite DJ was hosting the event, free Crown Royal was flowing and the play, which I can't even remember at this point, was probably outstanding. Fast forward a few hours and I stumble into the house in my cute shoes and one of the many dresses I'd bought for my summer of Lisa. I didn't bother to turn the lights on because like most people, I have the layout of my house memorized. Lo and behold, I tripped over a pair of Birkenstocks in the middle of the hall, broke my big toe and spent the rest of the summer wearing those same Birkenstocks and walking with a cane while my really cute dresses hung in the closet.

When I read the synopsis for Angela Benson's The Summer of Me, I was sure I would relate to Destiny Madison. Though her exact age is never given, I would guess that she's 25 or 26, based on the age of her kids and the year she left college to have the twins. The twins have the opportunity to spend the summer in California with their father and stepmother and while it scares Destiny to let them do so, she knows that time alone will give her a chance to work an extra job and save money. It's important that she find a house near the twin's father before the school year starts so that the kids can attend a better school and be close to both of their parents, not just their father.  Even as Destiny's need for money leads to her involvement in a slightly illegal scheme, she also finds herself designing a new program for church that has her working closely with Daniel, a handsome pastor and former investigator.

Is the book predictable? Sometimes. Is that OK? Sure. Would I read another book from the author? I couldn't say for sure and here's why. I'm a stickler for time lines and characters that make sense. At one point, the wife of Destiny's ex talks about him finding a 12-step meeting he was comfortable with. Well that's good, but what was he addicted to? Did that ever play a part in his relationship with Destiny? Does it affect his relationship with his current wife? I have no idea because it's never addressed again. It seems to be irrelevant, so why even mention it?

Also, the twins are supposed to be six. They both have cellphones, talk on Facebook, Skype with their friends and make videos. I know kids today are much more technologically advanced than when I was a kid, but I don't know six year olds with Facebook accounts because Facebook doesn't allow it. Who are these other children the twins are Skyping with? Who gives a six year old a video camera? The story line could have made just a little more sense if Destiny was aged by 10 years. Sixteen year old twins doing those things make much more sense than six year old twins doing them.

Like I said, I'm not sure that I would pick up another book from the author, but it's an overall easy read. If you have a few hours on a lazy afternoon, you'll breeze through it quickly.

352 p.
Published: April 2016
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own.

Amazon | B & N | Book Depository | IndieBound

#BookReview: IT AIN'T EASY BEING JAZZY/THE NEW MRS. COLLINS by Quanie Miller

Normally I wouldn't review two books in the same post unless they were from the same series, but I was so blown away by Quanie Miller's ability to switch up genres and hit them both out of the park that I wanted to share both of her books with you.

I can’t remember the last time I cackled so hard while reading a book. Jasmine T. Peacock, known as Jazzy to family and friends, is an absolute riot. When we first meet her, she’s healing from a broken relationship with her ex, Curtis. She thought he was “the one” until he asked her to cosign on a car for him. One thing Jazzy is not – a fool. And just when she thinks she’s done with him, he pops back up as her cousin’s fiancée!

Mercedes and Jazzy have never gotten along. Family members are amused by the cousin’s ongoing battles, but Jazzy isn’t. To save face, she brings Reggie, a mall kiosk owner who’s trying to get close to her, to a family function celebrating the recently engaged Mercedes and Curtis and hijinks ensue.

Between Jazzy’s crazy, secretive employers, the restaurant shootout she witnesses (but remembers to grab her food before diving under a table), a mama who spies on neighbors more than Pearl Shay ever could, her sister and her sidekick, there is never a dull moment in her life. And that is what makes this book so amazing.

Far too often black women in chick lit don’t get to be silly and average. It’s like there’s always this superwoman image to uphold and they don’t get to let their hair down. They’re stars at work, but have lackluster love lives. Or they’re wealthy and just need a man to complete them. I could go on and on, but what I love about this character Quanie Miller created is she has nothing together. She works a crappy job. She lives with her mother and her sister. Her friends don’t have it all together either. Very few people in her circle do. It’s refreshing to see real people reflected in these characters. I would love to see a series of Jazzy books.

280 p.
Published: October 2013

Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Smashwords


On the flip side of chick lit, Ms. Miller takes us to the small town of Carolville, Louisiana for her next story. Leena Williams is about to marry the love of her life. The guests have arrived and Leena is stunning in her gown, but her groom is missing. Instinct leads Leena back home where she finds a Dear John letter from the love of her life and the father of her child. Johnny has left her.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and Leena is determined to find out what or who came between her and Johnny. Adira Collins is a beautiful woman. Only a woman as captivating and cunning as she is could pull Johnny away from Leena and their son. But when Leena goes snooping into Adira background, bad things start to happen.

Adira is dangerous and everyone from her past tells Leena that, but do you think she listens? Nope. I was yelling at her as I read the book. “Girl, go find another man. Johnny probably wasn’t even that fine.” Adira possesses levels of evil that Leena can’t even fathom and as she goes to battle with her, she’s going to need all of the help she can get.

This book was such a departure from Miller’s first book that it was hard to believe one person wrote both. It’s such a huge genre skip to go from chick lit to paranormal, but she does it well. The characters in The New Mrs. Collins were just as developed and believable as those in It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy. Though the author has only put out the two books thus far, I look forward to reading a lot more from her, regardless of the genre.

276 p.
Published: October 2014

Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository | IndieBound

#BookReview: BLISSFUL SUMMER by Cheris Hodges & Lisa Marie Perry

Looking to add a little sizzle to your holiday weekend?  Cheris Hodges and Lisa Marie Perry are here to provide it.  The authors have collaborated to bring us two stories under one cover.  First up is Hodges' steamy, international romance, Make You Mine Again; then Perry brings the heat in international waters with the interracial romance, Unraveled.

Synopsis:
Make You Mine Again by Cheris Hodges
Supermodel Jansen Douglas is living her dream. Now a wedding in Paris is about to reunite her with the high school sweetheart she left behind. But Atlanta CEO Bradley Stephens won't let their stormy past stand in the way of reclaiming his first and only love.

Unraveled by Lisa Marie Perry
Ona Tracy's plans to seduce her high school crush unravel when the reunion trip she books turns out to be an erotic-themed cruise to the Bahamas! Rather than abandon ship, she recruits blond-haired, silver-eyed Riker Ewan to be her hookup, unaware that the hot-bodied ex-Marine isn't who he seems to be…

Review: Cheris Hodges' tale of old flames trying not to rekindle a love that's been smoldering since they separated is quite enjoyable.  Because she's dealing with characters living the lives of the rich and famous, money is no object for this writer's characters.  As readers follow Jansen from the U.S. to Paris and on to the Caribbean on her quest to escape the inevitable reunion with her ex, we can't help but to cheer for Bradley going after the woman he loves and wants.

Ona Tracy is a mess and Lisa Marie Perry knows it.  She reminds me of  the over the top theater kids from high school that are determined to make it big.  Falling extremely short of that goal, Ona is out to prove to her friends (and I use that term loosely) that she's not the failure that she appears to be.  Ona's romance with a stranger on board her cruise is a welcome distraction from her mean classmates.  The twists and turns with Riker's story line are interesting.

While Jansen and Bradley's story is more believable to me, because of their history, it's still difficult for me to fathom Ona and Riker falling so hard for each other in less than a week.  However, I suppose that that's what romance novels are all about, right?  Hoping and believing in the impossible.

224 p.
Publication date: June 2015
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from author, opinions are my own.

#BookReview: A Christmas Prayer by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Synopsis: Alexis Fletcher hasn't had a merry Christmas in five years-not since her mother passed away. Every December she remembers the joy her mother brought to everyone during the holiday season and feels the pain of her absence, even more so now that she and her sister are barely speaking. More than anything, Alexis wishes her family could be whole again. However, with her wedding fast approaching, Alexis might just be ready to make some holiday memories with a new family of her own. Alexis's fiancé, Chase Dupont, is everything she ever dreamed of. He's kind, handsome, fully supportive of Alexis's career, and the CEO of a large company. But outside forces threaten to derail this happy couple from ever reaching the altar. As tensions rise, a dramatic event causes Alexis to question everything. Will fate give her what she needs to finally embrace the season that has brought her so much pain? Will Alexis get her wish for a happy holiday? Or will her Christmas prayer go unanswered?

Review: I'm always glad when Roby takes a break from the Curtis Black story line. Like a lot of people, Alexis lost an important family member and it affects how she does (or does not) celebrate holidays, but especially Christmas. As someone that lost someone during the holiday season, I could relate to her story. I appreciated her relationship with her fiance, though I have to admit that I kept waiting for him to screw up. He seemed too perfect at times. His mother, on the other hand, is determined to make Alexis's life miserable and she does a good job of it. Of course, because this is a Christmas story, it has a happy ending. I think it was originally publicized as a novella, but at 192 pages, it reads like a full length story, one that is mostly enjoyable.

192pp
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: October 2014

Disclaimer: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own.

#MiniReview: Tell Me Something Good by Jamie Wesley

Publisher: Entangled (Lovestruck)
250pp
Published: August 2014

Synopsis: Two radio show hosts. One show. Who will come out on top?

In a moment of restlessness, Tate Grayson sold his multimillion-dollar company and spun his love of sports into a radio talk show. Life, and love, is too short to take seriously—a fact he enjoys rubbing in uptight radio host Noelle Butler’s face.

After the death of her parents, a tragedy she blamed on herself, Noelle vowed to live a controlled, focused life. Now a psychologist, she channels her need for connection into her radio show. But when the arrogant sportscaster next door tells listeners men shouldn’t get married, she’s all too happy to yank the silver spoon out of his overprivileged mouth.

Their heated on-air arguments are a hit, but when the station director forces them to do a joint show for two weeks, Tate and Noelle object. They can’t stand each other, despite the attraction sizzling beneath every interaction. But if they can’t pull the struggling radio station back from the brink, they’ll lose their jobs. Or worse, their hearts.

Review: I don't normally care for romances, but this made my pea-sized Grinch heart grow just a little bit more. Quick and easy read with likable characters.

#BookReview: A PINCH OF OOH LA LA by Renee Swindle

There's so much to love about this book.  At first glance, it may seem like a typical girl meets boy story, but it's so much more.  I'll get into what really won me over, but first let me give you a quick synopsis.

A bad breakup left Abbey Ross living on her couch with too much time on her hands.  Reliving the public humiliation of finding out on the big screen that her fiance was cheating on her dealt her a huge blow.  But out of that incident is born her idea to attend culinary school and then open her own bakery in Oakland.  With her bakery a success, her best friend since high school, Bendrix, pushes her to get back out on the dating scene; when she doesn't take enough of an initiative, he does it for her.

By all accounts, Samuel Howard is a catch. A grown man with an adult job and his own house, he's definitely got a leg up on other men Abbey has run across.  Polite and attentive, he's the man Abbey has dreamed of for so long.  She's hesitant to get involved with him, but throws caution to the wind and dives head first into a relationship with the successful attorney.

Now that you have a basic idea of the story line, let's get into why I loved it so much.  Abbey's father is a famous pianist.  A jazz master, he's named all of his kids after other jazz musicians.  Before I even knew this, I wondered what the history of Abbey's name was.  My first thought was, oh, like Abbey Lincoln, since most of the time the name is spelled without an e (i.e., Abby).  Reading further confirmed this, so then I was excited as I stumbled upon more of Abbey's siblings.  Her father was quite prolific in the baby making department and, as such, has 13 children in total.  Each time a new offspring was mentioned, I immediately started trying to figure out which musician they were named for.  As a jazz fan, I adored the part of the story.

Another thing I really liked was Abbey's unconventional family structure.  Papa was definitely a rolling stone, but insisted that his children and their mothers know each other.  I was fascinated by Abbey's relationships with her father's ex-wives and how each one played a different role in her life.  It's almost like the joke about women creating the perfect man from several different men.  By gifting Abbey with the different stepmothers, Swindle created the perfect mother for her.  To have the ability to turn to this person for a specific need and another one for a different need just sounds absolutely amazing.

I was way too invested in Abbey's story.  How do I know this? Any time I start talking to characters in the book like they can hear me, I know that I am doing the absolutely most. At the heart of it, A Pinch of Ooh La La is a love story made up of the perfect ingredients of family, friends and self-discovery.  Renee Swindle definitely has another hit on her hands.

336pp
Published: August 2014
Disclaimer: A copy of the book was received from the publisher, opinions are my own.

Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository | IndieBound

#BookReview: The Mommy Group by Reon Laudat

Synopsis: The Mommy Group explores the lives of four women coping with the complexities of love, friendship, finances, and motherhood. Nicole must fight her attraction to the married father of her child. Courtney must tell her husband that their savings have dwindled due to her lavish spending. And there's the hot ex, who wants her back in his bed. Penny-pinching workaholic Taryn must fend off the rival gunning for the same promotion. Jessica is elated with her first pregnancy until she receives shocking news challenging long-held beliefs.

Review:  The Mommy Group is a fairly decent read.  There's nothing about any of the characters that really stands out.  Each woman is dealing with her own issues and the only thing that really ties them all together is that they're moms or mothers to be.  Three of them have known each other for years, while one of them, Nicole, is a new addition to the group.  Courtney's insecurities not only lead her to spend money foolishly, but also lead her to pick at Nicole in a typical mean girl way.  The interactions of these two are probably the most interesting, followed by Jessica's with her perfectionist mother. That aside, neither Taryn or Jessica are very memorable characters.  I had to refresh my memory a few times to remember them and their story lines.

This was my first introduction to "mommy lit."  When I was first approached about reading it, I wasn't even sure what mommy lit was.  From what I can determine, it's not necessarily lit targeted at women that are mothers, but lit that is about women that are mothers.  Make sense?  It's not really my thing because, while I am a mom, my kid is an adult, so while I could somewhat relate to what the characters were going through, worrying about daycare and labor are both distant memories for me.  I won't deny that there are a fair amount of readers that will enjoy this particular niche, I'm just not one of them.

ebook only
Published: August 2013
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from author, opinions are my own.

#BookReview: Where Did We Go Wrong Again by Monica Mathis-Stowe

The ladies of Where Did We Go Wrong are back and they're still a hot mess.  When last we left the ladies, Gabby's husband had just died, Maxine's husband was living in a halfway house after beating her within an inch of her life, and Joy's husband was determined to kill her to keep her away from her ex-boyfriend, who happened to be the father of the twins she was carrying.  All caught up? Good.

One would think that after escaping a life threatening situation, Gabby would finally get herself together.  There's no chance of that happening and she's just as conniving in this book as she was in the first.  And just like in the first book, I was left wondering why Maxine and Joy continued to be her friend.

Maxine still walks around living in her own fantasy world.  That can be the only explanation for resuming a dead relationship and going against everyone around her.  Her lack of common sense and her need to always have a man once again prove to be detrimental. 

Of the three friends, Joy has always seemed to have the most going for her.  She messed that up by letting her mother get in her head.  Even with her roadblock to happiness removed, she doesn't have enough sense to get to happy and, instead, seems to find ways to sabotage herself at every turn.

This was a very quick read.  There's nothing deep about it and probably no lessons to be learned, but it was an easy read and just the kind of thing to read when you have a few hours to waste.

267pp
Published: January 2013
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from author, opinions are my own.

 

Theme: Waterfalls by TLC

#BookReview: Life in Spades by Frances Frost

I'm usually hesitant to read books by authors that approach me through email or social media.  It's not that I don't think they can write, it's that most of the time, they disregard my review request guidelines and try to pitch books that don't appeal to me in the least.  Then along came Frances Frost with her novel Life in Spades.

When she first approached me about it back in March, my schedule was full.  She sent it anyway, well she tried to.  My post office shut down with no advance warning and it was returned to her, but she was determined to get it to me and I'm so glad she did.  I absolutely loved the women of Life in Spades.

One of the first things I noticed and appreciated about the women was their careers.  It seems that in most books about groups of women, there's an attorney, a doctor, your typical high-powered career. This group included a baker, an event planner, a realtor and an escort; not at all your typical careers.  Frost also makes them as likable as they are realistic.

While Gina deals with how her opinionated mother views her interracial relationship, Cookie is working to move from the past into the present with the new man in her life.  Sherry has done the marriage thing, but not the parenthood thing, and isn't really sure that she wants to.  As she accompanies some of the most accomplished men to events, Laura maintains a professional distance from her clients, which leads to a lot of lonely days and nights.

The women meet regularly over a few hands of spades, but their friendship extends far beyond that.  I enjoyed reading about their interactions with each other.  They seemed real and didn't sugarcoat anything to avoid hurting feelings, much like real friends do in real life.  If you enjoyed Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale, you're going to love Life in Spades.

368pp
Published: April 2013
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from author, opinions are my own.

Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository | IndieBound

#BookReview: Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan

Stella got her groove back and so did Terry!  After the less than stellar novels, The Interruption of Everything and Getting to Happy, it seems that McMillan is finally back on track.  With writing as refreshing as when we first read her words with Mama, it would seem that the cloud that's hung over McMillan's writing has finally lifted.

As always, the main character is a black woman carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, but B.J. (short for Betty Jean) isn't letting it weigh her down.  Sure, she has down days and sad moments, but you get the feeling from the beginning that she's going to be just fine in the long run.  It's been awhile since a McMillan book has given me a character that has a happy ending that they actually seem happy about.

Everyone wanted a piece of me and barely left me with a little crust.

B.J. is dealing with a trifling daughter, a sick husband, a soon to be released from prison son and a son that thinks he's better than everyone else, including the parents that raised him.  In typical McMillan style, sibling rivalry plays a role in the book and B.J. has to deal with her holier than thou sister, Venetia, and her smarter than thou sister, Arlene.  Each sister is dealing with her own set of problems and, through them, McMillan manages to touch on several issues that play roles in present day lives.

Every character in this novel has a voice, so the reader doesn't have to wonder what is going on in their story line and doesn't have to read it second hand from another character.  By doing that, McMillan draws the readers deeper into the story and ensures that they're invested in all of the characters, not just the main ones.  Where the "happiness" in her two previous works felt forced, by the time I got to the end of Who Asked You?, I felt like B.J. was truly happy with her lot in life.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I'm glad to see McMillan back on track.

400pp
Published: September 2013
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own.

 

Theme: Life My Blues by Sherry Dyanne

#BookReview: You Can't Plan Love - Synithia Williams

As you may have noticed from my previous reviews of romance novels, I'm not big on them.  A lot have formulaic Harlequin feels to them.  You know, there's a damsel in distress who lives in (fill in the blank), works as a (fill in the blank) and hates, but falls in love with her (fill in the blank).  The names, locations and occupations change, but the story line is always the same.  I have a cousin that reads Harlequins constantly and I'm just amazed because the covers and characters are the same no matter what they or the book is called.  So I was pleasantly surprised when I read Synithia Williams' You Can't Plan Love.

Kenyatta Copeland is a capable leading lady.  As an environmental engineer in a male dominated field, she's learned to hold her own.  She loves her job and where her career is heading.  According to her mother and friends, it's about time she gets married and whom better to marry than Brad Johnson?  An accomplished attorney, Brad is the man of any woman's dreams, except Kenyatta's.  She doesn't feel the passion for him that she should, but she knows he'll be a good provider and she'll eventually learn to love him. But...and there's always a but, Brad wants her to quit her job when they get married.

Blair Underwood

Quitting her job would mean giving up something she loves and losing her identity.  It would also mean giving up Malcolm, her boss.  While we can clearly see what Kenyatta is supposed to look like from the cover, Malcolm is in the background and not so easy to see.  So in my mind, he looks like Blair Underwood.  Let me have my fantasy!  Anywho, Malcolm appreciates Kenyatta's mind and the way it works, among other things.  But lest you think this is one of those books where he silently smolders with passion for her (I've read too many romances lately. I'm writing like a Harlequin author!), he's very vocal about how he feels about her.


Synithia Williams could have taken the tried and true road with You Can't Plan Love, but she's done so much more with it.  If you're like me and you don't particularly care for romances, I recommend you give this a try.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised from the start to spectacular finish.

252pp
Published: November 2012

 

Theme: You Can't Hurry Love by The Supremes

#BookReview: Through the Lens - K.M. Jackson

Mika Walters loves being a photographer. She does not, however, enjoy being an assistant to Alejandro Vega, the photographer. Mika has worked long hours for three years, putting her own dreams on the backburner.  She's finally been offered her dream job and she's sure Ale will be as happy to see her leave as she is to go.

For three years Mika has been his right hand, so why has it taken so long for Ale to realize that he feels something for her?  He's never given a thought to how his life would be without her, but Mika will always be there.  So when she drops a bombshell on him, he's not sure how to react.

Formulaic and predictable, Through the Lens is still a pretty decent read.  Even so, I would have restructured the chapter order.  When we meet Mika and Ale, they're on an isolated island for a photo shoot.  The author plunges right into their story without giving much personal background.  It's not until over halfway through the book that we're given a better sense of their history and the events that have shaped them.

194pp
Published: November 2012

Theme: Photograph by Def Leppard

#BookReview: Where Did We Go Wrong? - Monica Mathis-Stowe

Ahhh, to be young and dumb.  You couldn't pay me to go back to those days.  Reading Monica Mathis-Stowe's Where Did We Go Wrong? certainly did nothing to make me miss them.

Joy, Maxine and Gabby have been friends since their days at Morgan State University, though I'm unsure as to why Joy and Maxine have tolerated Gabby's foolishness for so long.  If you were to look up the word golddigger in the dictionary, you'd find a perfectly posed picture of Gabby.  And she's not ashamed of it either.

Never mind that she was in a relationship with a good man, when the opportunity to hook up with a pro football player came along, she hopped on it.  The day he signed a $ 75 million dollar contract was the day she stopped taking birth control.  The fact that he was already married with kids was just a small stumbling block.  When Gabby wanted something, nothing stood in her way.

Former teacher and current homemaker Maxine has the perfect family life, if you're on the outside looking in.  But she sees her attorney husband sinking them deeper into debt as he tries to keep up with the Joneses.  They can't afford their home, cars or any of the other luxury items he insists on.  Things would be much more manageable if he would allow her to go back to work, but Trent doesn't want the mother of his children to have to work, like his own mother did after leaving his abusive father.

Joy's fear of her mother has kept her from being truly happy.  Mind you, her mother isn't abusive, but she is very opinionated and, in her opinion, Joy has no business thinking about any man until she's completed her doctoral program.  She and her longtime boyfriend Allen have been sneaking around behind her mother's back since they were teens, but Allen is tired of being her secret.  If she can't be open about their relationship, he'd rather not be with her.

While Joy and Maxine seem to have each other's backs, they also have Gabby's, even though she's undeserving.  Joy and Maxine are likable enough characters, though Joy does make some rash decisions that I really questioned, but Gabby? This chick is the skankiest of all skanks.  The way she schemes and plots against others without any remorse is unconscionable.  Like Mitt Romney, even when it's obvious that she's playing a losing game, she continues to play it.  I don't know how the two of them tolerated her in college and beyond.

I'm eager to read the sequel to the book because I'm interested in finding out what happened with Joy and Maxine.  More than anything, I want to know if Gabby has changed at all and, if she hasn't, has karma finally slapped her in the face.  I can only hope so.

242pp
Published: May 2012

Theme: What About Your Friends by TLC

#BookReview: Passing Love - Jacqueline E. Luckett

Because you are to me a song,

I must not sing you over long.

Because you are to me a prayer,

I cannot say you everywhere.

Because you are to me a rose,

You will not stay when summer goes.

- Passing Love by Langston Hughes

Ruby Mae Garrett looked out for herself and made no apologies for it.  From the moment she saw Arnett Dupree, she was a woman possessed.  Actually, she was a girl possessed, but at 16, she thought she was a woman.  So when her strict mother caught wind of Ruby Mae sneaking off with the horn player, she put an end to it.  Never one to be outdone, Ruby Mae had to have the last word and the day she left her parent's house was the last day she spoke to them.

Nicole-Marie Roxane grew up loving all things French.  Her infatuation started with a small, blue French to English dictionary she found in her parent's cedar chest.  Speaking French with her father strengthened their special bond.  One day the dictionary was gone and not another word about it or French was spoken.

Fast forward to present day, 56 year old Nicole is tired of watching life pass her by. She's wasted over half of her life on a married man who still dangles the "I'll leave my wife and marry you when the time is right" carrot in front of her.  If it wasn't for her friend insisting that she go to Paris, Nicole probably would have continued to only dream of going.  But she's finally on her way to 30 days of exploring the country that's always fascinated her.

When Nicole's explorations lead to the discovery of a picture of her father in his military uniform over fifty years ago, she has to know why the picture is there, who owned it and what their connection is to her Alzheimer suffering father.  Though her mother offers little information over the phone, she does send her enough information to set Nicole off on a fact finding mission, knowing that she may not like what finds out.

As we've seen in Searching for Tina Turner, and as she again shows us in Passing Love, Jacqueline Luckett writes books about women who we rarely see as the protagonist.  As was Lena in Searching, Nicole is a woman of a certain age.  Both women feel under-valued and -appreciated by the people in their lives and set off on journeys to rediscover their self-worth and, of course, by the end of the books, they have.

306pp
Published: January 2012

Theme: April in Paris by SarahVaughan

#BookReview: Pretty Boy Problems - Michele Grant

...by God, I would do him on a bed of quesadillas at high noon in the middle of Times Square...

A bed of what, where and at what time? Now you know when a man is worthy of a public display and a description like that, he's got to be all that and a bag of chips (Munchos, please).  Okay, I really just took it back to the 90s with that phrase, judge me if you must.

In her latest book, Michele Grant offers us Avery Beau Montgomery.  From the moment we first meet him, it's apparent that Beau is a scamp.  With his pretty boy, model good looks and his flair for sprinkling his sentences with French (falling back on his Cajun roots), Beau is the man you call on for a romp in the hay.  If you're looking for anything more than that, you'll just be waiting, unless you're Belle Richards.

From the moment he sees her, Beau plans to get the gorgeous southern belle, Belle, in bed.  But Belle's not so quick to fall for the okey doke.  She knows Beau's kind when she sees them.  And as a former model herself, she's heard more than enough stories about Mr. Hit 'Em & Quit 'Em.  Now that they're working on a project together, it's going to be pretty hard to resist the charms of one Beau Montgomery.  If anyone can do it, it's Belle.

Fans of Grant's work may remember Beau's family from her first novel, Heard It All Before.  Beau is the older brother of Roman, one of that book's main characters, who is now married to Jewellen.  I was glad to see Roman and Jewellen make appearances.  I was even happy to see old trifling Renee.

It's rare to see romances that are told from the point of view of the male.  Though Grant does give Belle a voice, it's obvious that this is Beau's story to tell.  Readers are the first to know that he's not as confident and secure as he always appears to be, at least in the arena of love, he's pretty confident and secure in everything else.  But he's not arrogant and I appreciated that.  Had he been, he wouldn't have been likable.

As a reader of Grant's blog, Black N Bougie, and Twitter follower, @onechele, I'm familiar with her catch phrases, but it's always amusing when they pop up in her writing.  A few examples are bullshiggity and 'the Facebook,' but my absolute favorite, because I'm pretty sure it came from Michael Jackson's This Is It is

We do this with love.  It's all with the L-O-V-E.

Well played ma'am.  Well played.

320pp
Published: July 2012
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from author, opinions are my own.

Theme: Once in a Lifetime Groove by New Edition