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African-American
Fiction - New Reviews
5.0 Books = Classic | 4.0 - 4.5
Books = Impressive | 3.0 - 3.5 Books =
Noteworthy
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4 out of 5 books |
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T.N. Baker
Dice
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Wasuan only has
two loves in his life: rolling dice and his beautiful
girlfriend of two years named Enychi. Wasuan’s dice game in
the hood is legendary and he’s known for taking risks. He
feels he can’t lose and this makes Enychi somewhat nervous.
Wasuan is flying high on his success until he runs into a
gambler named Tone. Wasuan is no match for Tone and ends up
owing him more than he can handle. Since Wasuan can’t come
up with the money, Tone wants something more valuable:
Enychi. Tone wants one night with Enychi or Wasuan loses his
life. Enychi unwillingly agrees to this but she finds
herself still thinking about Tone long after the night is
over. Enychi is now smack dab in the middle of a confusing
mess that she didn’t want to be a part of. Can she keep her
mind off of Tone long enough to save her relationship with
Wasuan?
Dice is an exciting page-turner by T.N. Baker. Baker
effortlessly turned this former short story into a full
length novel. This author did a wonderful job of creating
this hood indecent proposal storyline. You will definitely
feel the uncertainty of Enychi as she deals with her
boyfriend’s dubious request and her growing feelings for
Tone. The never-ending drama and the underlying love story
in this novel will delight and surprise readers. There is
also a unique twist in this story that will keep you eagerly
flipping the pages. The overall message of this book is that
no matter how hard you try, you can’t control who you love.
Dice is fast-paced and entertaining. T.N. Baker has
another winner on her hands.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our
exclusive audio interview with TN Baker
in the On The Line section.
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5
out of 5 books |
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What happens when some of the best romance authors come
together to write a horror anthology? You get a
collection of short stories that's sure to please!
Although all of the stories in Creepin' gravitate
toward revenge, someone creepin' is what leads to the
revenge, hence the title. So, if you plan on doing
wrong to someone, then you really need to pay attention to
what you read in this book.
Popular authoress of The Vampire Huntress Legend, L.A.
Banks, kicks the anthology off with a very erotic scene in
the first chapter of "Payback Is A Bitch." In
this story, Sidney Coleburn-West
is a successful lawyer
who has worked hard for everything she has, but is very
unappreciated by her cheating husband, Douglas West.
When Sidney wants out of her loveless marriage without
losing everything she's earned, she turns to her best
friend Lenora for help with hiring a special private
investigator who they call Brick. Will Sidney
receive justice?
In
the erotic horror story, "The Heat Of The Night," Donna
Hill introduces us to a woman named Christine who has been
having what she thinks are very vivid sexual dreams.
However, it isn't until she realizes how tired she is in
the mornings that she realizes the dreams are very real.
When Christine lets these escapades take over her life,
how far will she go to keep having them?
Popular romance author and the editor of Creepin', Monica
Jackson, keeps the pace going with her story titled
"Vamped." This story is about a sista named Joy who
is happily engaged to her fiancé, Andre. So happy,
that she brags about him to her co-workers all of the
time. However, because he never accompanies her to
different outings, they believe that he doesn't exist.
That's when she realizes how much they don't go out.
When she finally convinces Andre to go out, their good
time is short lived when a mysterious woman shows up.
J.M.
Jeffries doesn't disappoint with their story titled
"Balancing The Scales." This story is about a
singing diva, Paloma, who not only discovers that her
husband, Keith, is having an affair, but has also spent
all of the millions of dollars that she's earned over the
years. Although she told herself she would never go
back, she returns to the bayou of New Orleans to seek out
the help of her Great Aunt, Miss Odile, to assist her in
delivering justice New Orleans style. Is the price
for revenge too high for Paloma to pay?
"Avenging Angel" by Janice Sims is a story about a Grigori
named Sarai, who makes it her life's mission to protect
innocent people. Sarai and her husband, Daniel, have
been happy for years and are finally expecting. Just
when she thought things were going well, an old flame of
hers, Nighthawk, comes back into her life and he not only
wants Sarai back, but wants her to have his child.
Can Sarai succeed in getting Nighthawk to leave her and
her husband in peace?
Each story in this anthology was well written and made you
want to read one story after the other, nonstop.
However, if I could bring one of these characters to life
it would have to be Brick from L.A. Banks' story "Payback
Is A Bitch." Ms. Banks described him so well that
for a moment, I wished that I was a character in that
story just so that I could see him in person. I
thoroughly enjoyed this anthology and if you read it, I'm
sure that you will too.
Reviewed by LaShonda Bates for
Urban-Reviews.com
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Various Authors
Creepin'
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4 out of 5 books |
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Ashley JaQuavis
Supreme Clientele
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Being born and
raised in the streets of
Harlem,
New
York,
made Zya Miller a viable candidate for survival of the
fittest. When it comes down to transporting, setting
up and holding her man, Jules, down in the name of LOVE,
Zya can attest that she is indeed the hottest chick in the
game. Unfortunately, Zya will be tossed a hand
grenade and will feel the effects as love explodes in her
face, filling her heart with pure hatred for the man she
thought loved her.
Zya hitches
herself to a legitimate gig to fund her new, comfortable,
and somewhat downgraded lifestyle. She clumsily
stumbles across a major hustle and sees away to reconnect
with her past. Now that she has the means, it's time
to deepen the well. With Jules on lock down, Zya
uses her skills to secure his clientele.
Now that she's
growing and networking, Zya is on a steady rise to the top
of her game. Her little hustle has grown and now she
is being sought out by some of the most Supreme Clientele
from all over the world. When faced with a chance to
be freed from the clutches of the law or remain loyal,
what choice will Zya make?
Ashley &
JaQuavis used Supreme Clientele not only to
introduce readers to new characters, plots, money and
revenge, but to also answer the long awaited questions
from their first book, Dirty Money. While I
can say that I enjoyed the read from this Supreme
duo, I hated the editing and felt that some of the drama
was just too outlandish.
Reviewed by Nardsbaby for
Urban-Reviews.com
Read our exclusive interview with
Ashley JaQuavis
in the Inside Out section.
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4 out of 5 books |
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Whispers In The Night is the
the third book in the Dark Dreams series. In
this third installment, Brandon Massey keeps in the same
pattern of the first two anthologies, Dark Dreams
and Voices From The Other Side: Dark Dreams II,
by showcasing the horror and suspense writing talents of
some new and veteran writers. Although the majority
of the stories were outstanding (Those stories include
"Wet Pain" by Terence Taylor, and "Ghostwriter" by Brandon
Massey), there were some that left me puzzled or wondering
why they were included in this anthology ("To Get Bread
and Butter" by Randy Walker, "Dream Gir"l by Dameon
Edwards, "The Wasp" by Robert Fleming and "Mr. Bones" by
Christopher Chambers). Eighteen authors (nineteen if
you include Mr. Massey) contributed short stories to this
anthology, but only a handful of the stories left me
thinking about them long after I read them.
"Summer", is by a veteran writer in
the Dark Dreams series, Tananarive Due. It's about
a mother who is struggling to raise her young baby girl in
the house that was passed down to her by her grandmother,
while her husband is away on duty in the Army Reserves.
Her daughter is usually a terror to her and one morning,
she notices that her daughter is very different. So
different that to her, it's scary.
"Scab", the short story written by
Wrath James White, is an excellent story about a man who
was damaged by classmates who taunted him about his dark
skin complexion. Although some wounds heal with
time, some stay and take on a life of their own.
In the mysterious short story, "And
Death Rode With Him," Anthony Beal introduces us to Lou.
Lou frequents a bar called the Paradise Pub and although
the bar sells some of the worst drinks in the Southwest,
he and others seem to like it so much that they refuse to
find a new watering hole. What is it about this
place that keeps the patrons coming back night after
night? Well, one night, Lou's good friend Carter
takes him outside and tells him a story that makes the
hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"Are You My Daddy" by Lexi Davis has
got to be one of the most memorable stories in the
anthology. This story is every man's nightmare and
every woman who dreams of revenge fantasy. Chris
"Crisp Dollar" Ducket is the owner and CEO of a premier
music promotion company as well as a sought after
bachelor. He's in a relationship with Shamir, who he
feels is perfect for him. That is until he discovers
that she has a kid, which is a no-no in his book.
Although Chris doesn't want to have anything to do with
Shamir's son, Nehemiah, her son wants very much for Chris
to be his new daddy. Even though Shamir explains to
Chris that Nehemiah is special, he doesn't care to stick
around to find out how special Nehemiah is. Too bad
for Chris, because Nehemiah has other plans.
Have you ever wondered what it was
like on the famous Middle Passage? In "The Taken" by
Tenea Johnson, a radical group who call themselves New
Dawn introduces some spoiled rich kids to a more toned
downed version of it.
In closing, if you liked the first
two installments of Dark Dreams, then you'll love
this one also.
Reviewed by LaShonda Bates for
Urban-Reviews.com
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Various Authors
Whispers In The Night:
Dark Dreams III
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4 out of 5 books |
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Harold L. Turley II
Confessions of a Lonely Soul
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DeMarco Reid is
a young successful man with a lot of secrets…secrets that
aren’t revealed until his funeral. DeMarco left a chilling
videotape for his family to be played at his funeral. But
his family is in for the shock of their lives when DeMarco
explains how he contracted HIV and the real reason why his
wife Kalia committed suicide. If that isn’t enough,
DeMarco also explains his link to an unsolved murder.
DeMarco’s and Kalia’s family are in disbelief and can’t
understand why they kept all of this a secret. But is
DeMarco really telling the truth?
Confessions
of a Lonely Soul is a riveting novel by Harold L.
Turley II. Turley masterfully brought an interesting
storyline and characters. This author showed great
creativity in allowing the main character DeMarco tell his
story from beyond the grave rather than in the traditional
way most stories are told. This author does an outstanding
job by incorporating the HIV/AIDS epidemic and depression
into this novel, two issues that aren’t discussed
seriously enough in the African-American community.
Readers will find that both subjects were handled honestly
and delicately. Confessions of a Lonely Soul is
insightful and full of raw emotion. Harold L. Turley has
the great ability to entertain as well as to educate.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban-Reviews.com
Read our exclusive interview with
Harold L. Turley II
in the Inside Out section.
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4 out of 5 books |
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Brando Heywood is
a handsome, forty-something year old entertainment lawyer
that has everything but passion and a love of his own. After
the break-up of a ten year relationship, Brando is now two
years celibate and lives vicariously through his promiscuous
best friend Omar. Brando’s professional career gets a jolt
when he is asked to defend a good friend who has killed her
rapist. Brando is going to have to dig deep to keep his
friend out of prison, especially when the rapist is also a
decorated war veteran. Omar is a writer that is constantly
trying to relive his youth by messing around with
twenty-year old boy-toys. He’s trying to find a love that
will replace the love and passion that he has for his best
friend Brando. But will Omar stop playing around and profess
his undying love to Brando, even if he gets rejected?
Looker is
an enthralling novel by Stanley Bennett Clay. Clay
skillfully brings readers into the sometimes complex world
of the African-American and Latino gay and lesbian life.
Brando and Omar are the two main characters but there are
also several supporting characters that are an integral part
to this story. This author did a wonderful job of connecting
these characters to Brando and Omar which made this a widely
entertaining storyline. Most of the characters in this novel
were upwardly mobile professionals and didn’t have the usual
gay and lesbian stereotypes that are found in a lot of
today’s contemporary fiction storylines which was a breath
of fresh air. Readers will find that there is a lot of raw
emotion in this novel, especially surrounding Brando and the
murder trial. You’ll be rooting for Brando to win the
case and for him to finally find the love and happiness that
he’s longed for. Looker is engaging, and thought
provoking. Stanley Bennett Clay is a true master of writing.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our exclusive interview with
Stanley Bennett Clay
in the Inside Out section.
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Stanley Bennett Clay
Looker
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5
out of 5 books |
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Latrese N. Carter
Liar, Liar
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Stormy Knight
thought that she finally found Mr. Right in her fiancé
Camden Brooks. Stormy’s world is sent into a tale spin when
she finds out that Camden is cheating on her with
another male member of her church named Malik. Camden’s
father and their pastor Reverend Brooks calls off the
wedding due to Camden’s unfitness for marriage. After
several months of prayer and healing, Reverend Brooks
declared Camden to be healed from his homosexual desires and
ready to marry Stormy. Stormy gives Camden a second chance
and they get married. Everything points to the Brooks having
years of marital bliss until Stormy discovers that Camden is
still messing around with Malik. Stormy is also dealing with
Camden’s scorned ex-lover from the past that is stalking
them. What will become of Stormy and Camden’s marriage?
Liar, Liar
is a wonderful debut by Latrese N. Carter. Carter brought a
very interesting storyline with a unique twist on the
down-low issue. The character development in this story is
what really makes this novel soar. You feel the frustration
of Stormy as she tries to deal with Camden’s sexuality and
infidelity issues in a Christian like manner but at the same
time not willing to be his doormat either. You feel the
confusion of Camden as he struggles with his not so secret
life and his love for Stormy. This story reads like a
contemporary fiction novel with Christian fiction
undertones. Most of the characters were brought up in the
church and tried to lead their life according to God and the
bible but they also fell short of the glory when dealing
with some explosive issues. This author did an outstanding
job of making these characters real and human. The powerful
lessons of this story is that you need to love yourself
first, let God place the right person for you in your life,
and don’t jump at the first person that comes along. There
are moments in this book that will make you laugh, cry, and
even anger you. Liar, Liar is emotionally charged,
inspirational, and entertaining. Liar, Liar is a
marvelous start to Latrese N. Carter’s writing career.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for
Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our exclusive interview with
Latrese N. Carter
in the Inside Out section.
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4 out of 5 books |
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Terri Baker, a
famous attorney for the starts thought she was on top of her
game. She had it all, an attractive fiancé Darnell Davis,
also a best friend by the name of Mya. Terri and Mya have
been best friends since they were 12 years old. They went to
the same schools, and went to the same Ivy-league
university. Terri trusted Mya with every detail of her life.
There was only one thing that Terri didn't know. Mya was
jealous of her. In Victim of Trust, Terri will soon remember
the advice her late father told her. " Keep you friends
close, but keep your enemies closer." Soon Terri's life will
start to crumble right in front of her, and she feels
hopeless. Will she be able to recover from all of the
disasters that have happened to her or will she fall apart?
Victim of Trust starts off a little slow, but if you
keep reading, you will not be able to put it down. In my
opinion, I thought the author gave too much detail to things
that really were not important. The book flowed very well.
The characters in the book are people that you could relate
to, and you probably know someone like them ( I know I do).
Victim of Trust is very sexy, intense, and full of
emotions. I would recommend this to my friends.
Reviewed by Jackie for
Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our
exclusive interview with Nikiya Celestin
in our Inside Out
section.
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Nikiya Celestin
Victim of Trust
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3.5
out of 5 books |
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Rorie
Death of a Hustler
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Yanique Jones is
young, sexy paralegal trapped between her professional life
and street life. She’s also stuck in a dead end relationship
with her boyfriend Beemer. But when she meets another
hustler named Twiss, Beemer could be a distant memory.
Beemer thinks he is invincible and puts Yanique on the back
burner. Beemer is on top of the world when his friend Lite
puts him on to the family business. But things become
strained between them when Beemer takes an unnecessary risk
that could cost them everything that they’ve worked for.
Lite has always taken on a big brother role towards Yanique.
But now he’s trying to suppress some less than brotherly
feelings towards her…especially now that Yanique is starting
to notice.
Death of a
Hustler is an exciting debut novel by Rorie. Rorie
brought an interesting twist on a urban fiction tale. At
first glance, this story looks like the typical girl
sticking by her hustler boyfriend but it’s so much more.
Readers really get to see how one’s childhood can really
shape that person’s life. You’ll actually find yourself
feeling sympathy for Beemer towards the end of the novel.
There are some shocking developments in this story that
you’ll need to pay close attention to. Although this was a
wonderful story, the numerous editing errors made the flow
of the novel somewhat problematic. Aside from that, Death
of a Hustler is still a good debut novel from Rorie.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for
Urban-Reviews.com
Read
our exclusive interview with Rorie
in our Inside Out section.
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4 out of 5 books |
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Nikki Thompson is
a sexually vibrant woman who loves to revel in her sexual
fantasies and pleasures. Her career as a sex therapist
allows her to not only help her clients but to also use them
for her own sexual gratification. Nikki sees her clients as
her personal toys that she can manipulate at will. Nikki
always has the upper hand until she takes on a sexy new
client named Unique. She is attracted to him immediately but
now the tables have turned and Nikki is the toy in Unique’s
game. Nikki decides to play with Unique but it may be more
than she bargained for. Who will win in the end?
Confessions of
a Sex Therapist is a deliciously erotic read by Nyah
Storm. Storm expertly leads readers into the complex and
twisted world of Dr. Nikki Thompson. You are drawn into the
story from the very first page. This is not your typical
erotica novella. There is a healthy dose of sizzling sexual
escapades but this story also delves into the human psyche
without losing the reader. This author also pulled off a
shocking, head-spinning twist to this story that readers
will find that nothing is the way it appears to be.
Confessions of a Sex Therapist is spicy,
thought-provoking, and addictive. This is the perfect book
to read to heat up your summer nights.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our exclusive interview with Nyah Storm
in our Inside Out section.
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Nyah Storm
Confessions of a
Sex Therapist
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5
out of 5 books |
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Nicolette
Paper Doll
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Karen Whitaker
always dreamed of being rich and famous as a young girl. She
wanted the fancy cars and a house on a hill for her mother.
Now a grown woman, Karen’s little girl materialistic dreams
become a dangerous obsession with money, sex, and power.
Karen now has the beauty and brains to get what she wants no
matter what the cost. She doesn’t care whose toes she has to
step on in order to get to the top. But Karen’s thirst for
the high life may be the death of her when some questionable
situations are brought to light that may destroy her career
and her relationship with a multi-millionaire. Karen also
needs to deal with a shocking revelation from her past that
will turn her world upside down. Will Karen come out of all
this drama unscathed or will she hit rock bottom?
Paper Doll
is an electrifying page-turner by Nicolette. Nicolette
brings readers in head first into the fast world of Karen
Whitaker. This author does an excellent job of character
development when creating Karen. On one hand, you love her
for trying to make sure she never gets the short end of the
stick in life by going to college and having a stable,
professional career. On the other hand, you hate her for her
ghetto, risky, money-hungry mentality. These two very
different sides are what make Karen such a wonderful
character. Readers will find several unique, jaw dropping
twists that will keep you glued to the pages until the very
end. This novel wouldn’t be complete without a good helping
of mind blowing sex scenes. The hard lesson in this
story is that what goes around comes around. From the book
cover, the storyline, and the characters, Paper Doll
is the total package. This novel is hot, tantalizing with
the right amount of drama, sex, and street grittiness that
will leave you highly anticipating a sequel. With Paper
Doll, Nicolette proves that she has what it takes to
make it in the literary industry.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for
Urban-Reviews.com
Read our exclusive interview with Nicolette
in our Inside Out section.
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4 out of 5 books |
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Emerald Jones
was accustomed to shopping at the bargain stores. It
may have been cheap, but it didn't matter, because after
all she was still fly. She's sweet sixteen and she
meets Dollar, the richest chocolate she's ever come
across. Watch out, cause messin' with a for real
baller, Emerald was in for a serious upgrade.
'Jealousy is a
sickness, let the haters hate!'
Rocking the
flyest gear, hottest whips, with some good sex, piles of
money and a ton of respect, Emerald was now a ghetto
superstar. Two years into it and Emerald and
Dollar's lifestyle is progressively growing. She
owns her own clothing stores, apartment building and a
night club with her choices of vehicles. Sure their
way of life comes with a risk. The question quickly
becomes, how much is Emerald willing to risk for the top
spot?
Doing His
Time: Who Said Dating A Baller Was Easy by Nichelle
Walker was a quick and fast read. I finished in less
than a day and I literally laughed throughout the entire
book. It's like watching discovery as Nichelle
journeys through the hood revealing the dark truths
associated with being a baller's girl. While the
book is a hoot, I did wish that there were a little more
substance; but overall, Nichelle held down her pen game
(Chi-town girl) and I'm looking forward to reading the
sequel.
Catch the
cookies!
Reviewed by Nardsbaby for Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our exclusive interview with
Nichelle Walker
in our Inside Out section.
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Nichelle Walker
Doing His Time
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