#BookReview: Secret Obsession - Kimberla Lawson Roby

Well she finally took a break from the ridiculously long story line of Reverend Curtis Black, but I can't say that Kimberla Lawson Roby did readers any favor with her detour into the crazy world of Paige Donahue. Paige has always lived in the shadow of her sister, Camille. From the time they were kids until now, Paige has wanted whatever Camille has, including her husband, and she'll stop at nothing to get him. Thank goodness this was a short read because the naivete of Camille and her husband, Pierce, combined with the far fetched schemes of Paige were hard to read due to the constant eye rolling on my part.

With at least 15 books under her belt, Roby still has not learned to fully develop her characters and give them plausible story lines. Yes, Paige is bat shit crazy, how do you give the reasoning behind it less than a page and then wrap up the entire story with a nice neat bow a few pages later without fully exploring the transformation from bat shit crazy to regular old crazy?

Paige and Camille's mother admitted a family secret that had a devastating effect on their lives and Roby didn't feel that it needed more than a paragraph? The people that Paige and Camille became was solely based on their childhood and the role that this secret played in it, but a paragraph will suffice? Oh, ok. I guess the author thought readers didn't require more or maybe she was only obligated to write a 200 page book and this one had hit 192 so she figured I could use the other eight pages to write my own ending. Hell, I don't know.

What did you like about this book?
Twas short.

What didn't you like about this book?
Relleh b, relleh? (Ok, seriously, in order to understand my usage of "relleh" you'll need to listen to Jay-Z & Kanye West's HAM. Tis hilarious!)

What could the author do to improve this book?
Learn that character development is key.

192pp
Published September 2011

Theme: Crazy Love by Ne-Yo featuring Fabolous (and that tooth of his)

#BookReview: Torn Between Two Lovers - Carl Weber

Fans of Big Girls Do Cry and Something on the Side will be happy to know that members of the infamous Big Girls Book Club are back.  When last we left them Egypt finally got rid of her conniving sister, Isis, and Loraine had reunited with her husband, Leon, after her best friend Jerome tried to tear them apart.  With Torn Between Two Lovers, Weber turns his attention towards Loraine.

Loraine and Leon survived Jerome's efforts to tear them apart, but something still isn't right between them in the bedroom.  Loraine has tried to be patient, but it's been a six year struggle and his "early arrival" was one of the many reasons why she was so willing to believe Leon was cheating on her before. 

Leon wants his marriage to work desperately and will stop at nothing to please his wife.  The last time he was hypnotized by his therapist, he was surprised to find that he had repressed memories of physical beatings by his uncle as a young child.  Though that revelation was startling, it still hasn't helped him figure out why he can no longer please his wife in the bedroom.

Michael has been in love with Loraine since he was a young boy watching her hang out with his older sister.  When Loraine's marriage fell apart the first time, he swooped in to pick up the pieces.  Now that she's back with Leon, Michael can't accept that she no longer wants her.  He'll do anything to win her back, even if it borders on stalking.

Jerome's desire to see Loraine with a better man led him to set Leon up in Big Girls Do Cry.  He thought by making it look like Leon was cheating, Loraine would open her eyes and move on to someone else.  Unfortunately that plan backfired and Jerome lost his best friend forever.  He's experienced a handful of disastrous relationships himself, but when he has a chance to rekindle a romance with Ron, a handsome basketball player, he's willing to cut ties with all of his other loves, including his secret lover, Big Poppa.  If only his annoying stalker would stop screwing things up for him.

What did you like about this book?
This book starts off at a fast pace and doesn't stop until the ending.  I thought I knew exactly what was going on and who the players were, but I was shocked and surprised to find that I really didn't.  I love that it wasn't predictable.

What didn't you like about this book?
It was shorter than the typical Carl Weber book.

What could the author do to improve this book?
Though it was shorter than usual, there is really nothing I can think of that would make it better.

208pp
Published September 2010
Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided by the publicist.

Theme: You, Me & He by Mtume

#BookReview: Karma - Sabrina Eubanks

The author titled this book Karma, but it just as easily could have been called Frenemy of the State. Justine Greer is an attractive woman with a good head on her shoulders and a great career as a news reporter. A night out with her best friends Holly and Simone leads to a chance introduction to the suave and debonair narcotics detective, Lucas Cain.

Lucas and Noah have been partners on the force and best friends for years. When Noah sees the trio of ladies enter the club, he immediately senses that Justine is just the kind of woman to turn his friend’s head. When Lucas sends drinks to the ladies’ table, the romance begins for them, while jealousy and envy begin for others.

Simone has been friends with Holly and Justine since college. While she’s always been able to relate to Holly, since they both came from humble backgrounds, inwardly she has hated Justine since college. In her mind, Justine’s middle class upbringing and the fact that she is an only child has lead her to have a charmed life. Everything has always come so easily to Justine, but Simone knows that there’s one department that Justine cannot compete in with her.

Holly’s husband, Robert, has warned Lucas about Simone and her evil ways, but Lucas isn’t prepared for the extremes that Simone will go to. Though he’s managed to dodge a few bullets she sends flying his way, nothing will prepare him for what happens when he and Noah go undercover as bodyguards for her rapper/drug dealer boyfriend, Nine.

Justine knows that Simone is a little flirty and over the top, but she’s always been that way. Even when Simone openly flirts with Lucas in her presence, Justine sits by idly without saying a word. Everyone wonders how long she will allow Simone to carry on with her wild antics, until the day Justine loses it and turns the tables.

Bodhidharma once said, “Still others commit all sorts of evil deeds, claiming karma doesn’t exist. They erroneously maintain that since everything is empty, committing evil isn’t wrong. Such persons fall into a hell of endless darkness with no hope of release. Those who are wise hold no such conception.” I can’t say that Simone would have changed her ways had she known what fate awaited her for her evil actions, but she just might have.

What did you like about this book?
It was very well written. The author created such an unlikeable character in Simone that even when she was in harm’s way; I felt absolutely no remorse for her.

What did you dislike about this book? Not a thing, I’ve already added the sequel to my “to be read” list.

How can the author improve this book?
No improvement needed.

#BookReview: Sinful Too - Victor McGlothin

Whether or not you've read the prequel to Sinful Too, you'll have no problems getting acquainted with the ruthless and scheming Dior Wicker. When I began reading this, I was unaware that there was indeed a lead-in book, but upon browsing the internet, I learned that though Dior was mentioned in the original Sinful, her story line was not so important that I would be lost while reading the sequel.

A young lady that is used to getting what she wants, when she wants it and from whom she wants it, Dior does not take no for an answer…ever. Carrying on an affair with the married owner of the clothing store at which she works has its perks. In addition to the extra attention she receives in the back of the store, the extra money Giorgio slips into her pay envelope is more than enough to cover the low rent she pays to live in her twin brother’s 3-bedroom Section 8 house, a second hand BMW, and designer clothes.

Satisfied with the material things in life, Dior is thrown off balance the day the handsome Pastor Richard Allamay PhD comes into the high-priced men’s clothing store. Unaware that he’s a man of God, and of means, Dior ignores his subtle advances. When her friend Tangie happens to mention that Richard is the pastor of the largest congregation in Dallas, Dior immediately sees dollar signs and begins to work her master plan. Having been the side chick to several married men in the past has been okay with her, but this time she’s set her sights on becoming the First Lady.

Richard Allamay had no idea when he stumbled into Giorgio’s that his world was about to turn upside down. Happily married to Nadeen and father to two girls, Richard hasn’t thought about stepping out on his wife since his first and last affair, 10 years ago. But there’s something about Dior that makes him lose his cool and at the first sign that she’s willing to see him outside of her job, all thoughts of his wife, kids and his mega-church fly out the window.

When his closest friend, and deacon, Phillip begins to question where his head is, Richard realizes that he’s so caught up that he’s at risk of losing his wife, kids, church and the respect of everyone around him. It would be easy to gain them back if only he could find a way to remove Dior from his life, but she’s not ready to let him out of her clutches just yet.

What did you like about the book?
The author does a good job of writing with both a feminine and masculine voice. His writing style reminds me of early Eric Jerome Dickey writings.

What did you dislike about the book?
Dior's relationship with her mother seemed to be an unnecessary part of the storyline, as did her relationship with her brother. Outside of renting a home from him, he didn’t figure into the storyline so I was unsure why he was mentioned.

How can the author improve this book?
There were sections that seemed like filler material and distracted from the main story. In addition, the narration by characters switched in the middle of chapters with no warning. At one point, Richard was narrating and in the next paragraph, his wife was. Perhaps dividers or another way of flagging a change in narrators would be helpful.

320 pp
Published October 2008

#BookReview: She Ain't the One - Mary B. Morrison & Carl Weber

I probably should have left this one on the shelf at the library, but I was looking for a quick, easy read that wouldn't require much thought and that's exactly what I got.

Apparently a follow up to previous books by Ms. Morrison, which I've not read, She Ain't the One is the story of the certifiable (read: should be locked up somewhere) Ashlee and reformed playboy, Jay. Rebounding from divorce and the loss of his woman on the side, Jay relocates to DC in hopes of rekindling a relationship with Tracy, the side chick who dumped him when she found out he was married. Jay doesn't find Tracy, but he does find Ashlee. Though she appears to be a confident and caring woman, Jay soon finds out that Ashlee is not what she seems to be.

I'm torn because I hate stories that just seem so far-fetched that they should be posted in the fantasy section of the bookstore. At the same time, the ending left me asking, "Is there a sequel and how soon can I get it?"

#BookReview: Lover Man - Geneva Holliday

Geneva Holliday, the lighter and more erotic side of author Bernice McFadden, is back with another great read. Her latest, Lover Man, picks up where Seduction left off.

When event planner, Crystal Atkins, meets a handsome, fellow American at a wedding in Antigua, she's convinced that he's the one for her. Leaving her child's father behind, she relocates to New York to be with the man she loves. What's really going on with the strange woman that lives across the street from her though?

Fans of Ms. Holliday's work will remember Karma Jackson as the foxy and fabulous reinvention of the homely Mildred Johnson. Karma is back in the states and ready to get reacquainted with her city. Proving that the grass is always greener on the other side, Karma soon realizes that while her appearance on the outside has changed, she's still Mildred on the inside.

Back for another appearance is the grouchy, but lovable cougar, Geneva Holliday herself. When her husband convinces her to leave Manhattan and move all the way to Brooklyn she's sure her world will never be the same.

I love this author as both Geneva Holliday and Bernice McFadden. Her characters are believable and she doesn't sugar coat a thing. I love that she's able to write in such a clear voice in both of her genres and I'm looking forward to reading more from her.

#BookReview: Maneater - Mary B. Morrison & Sugar-Honey-Ice Tee - Noire

You know how there are some books that you can only read at home because you don't want someone walking up to you asking what you're reading and you have to admit that you're reading pure smut? This is one of those books.

Authors Mary B. Morrison and Noire team up to give readers two short stories under the header, Maneater. In the first story, Character of a Man, Seven is surprised when her fiance, Maverick, tells her she needs to lose weight or the wedding is off. With six weeks before the ceremony, Seven has to decide if this man is worth losing the twenty-five pounds she's gained or if he's just playing Jedi mind games with her. In the meantime, her best friend Zena makes an interesting discovery about Maverick that explains why he's been so cold to Seven and whether his issue is really about her or him.

Sugar-Honey-Ice Tee are the nicknames for a trio of sisters sent to bring down three NFL players that have ruined the career of their brother and engaged in several other shady deals. Narrated by a friend of the players, Ribs, the story is entertaining, but very unbelievable. Yeah, I know it's fiction, but make me believe it could happen.