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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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Shannon Holmes |
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Kenny “Ken-Ken” Greene has always been a hustler. He has to give up the streets when his wife is killed during a scam gone bad, leaving him to raise his baby daughter Destiny alone. Years later, Kenny is now a cab driver trying to do the best he can to provide for his daughter. But when a tragic accident leaves Kenny unable to work, Destiny turns to the streets to put food on the table. Mentored by her lover Rome, Destiny soon becomes a formidable hustler in her own right with her best friend Makeba by her side. Makeba has always walked in Destiny’s shadow but now she wants to shine on her own. Will Destiny and Makeba’s relationship suffer? Destiny will soon learn that in the dangerous world of hustling, no one can be trusted and nothing is the way it seems. Dirty Game is a phenomenal novel by
Shannon Holmes. Holmes gives readers a bird’s eye view of the
harsh life on the streets. This author showed great creativity in
illustrating the difficulty of a single father raising a daughter,
which is refreshing. You will feel the frustration of Kenny as he
tries to make ends meet and keep his daughter off the streets. You
will also feel the emptiness of Destiny from not having a mother
around to show her how to be a woman. Readers will find that there
are many timely issues that are incorporated into this novel such
as self-love, single parenthood, and ultimate betrayal. Dirty
Game is entertaining and thought-provoking. Shannon Holmes has
penned a satisfying novel that was well worth the wait. Hopefully,
we won’t have to wait too long for his next release. |
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Nikki Turner |
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Des and Yarni are back with a whole new set
of problems. They are about to celebrate the birth of their first
child when Des is charged with murder. Des is not going back to
prison without a fight, especially since now Yarni is a successful
lawyer that will be right by his side. Des is trying to do right
by his wife and child but he can't stop his hustling ways. He gets
a wake up call when someone very dear to him is murdered. In the
midst of this tragedy, Des found a new legal hustle by becoming a
preacher and starting Good Life Ministries. Yarni is against this
idea but stands by her man anyway. She's also dealing with a
sticky situation at work, and Des constantly not being there for
her when she needs him the most. Yarni's sister Bambi shows up
with some drama of her own when someone from her past is out to
destroy her future. |
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Tina Brooks McKinney |
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Marie Morgan is at a crossroads in her life. She just separated from her husband and has moved to Atlanta with her two children. Marie is pretty sensible until she meets Sammie Davis one morning at an Atlanta subway station. Sammie is wild, confident and free, something Marie longs to be. Marie and Sammie become fast friends traveling down the road of life together. But their friendship is tested when Sammie’s dark secret past comes to light. Will Marie be strong enough to deal with her own and Sammie’s drama? All That Drama is a delightful
debut novel by Tina Brooks McKinney. This author created a
wonderful story about the things that women sometimes go through
all in the name of friendship. Marie and Sammie are characters
that everyone can relate to. You’ll find yourself loving Sammie
one minute and then hating her in the next. Readers will find a
good mix of comedy, sex, and of course non-stop drama in this book
that will keep you flipping the pages. All That Drama is an
enjoyable, fun read with a little bit of spice thrown in for good
measure. A perfect lead-in to the sequel Lawd, Mo Drama. |
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Tina Brooks McKinney |
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Sammie is back but she’s not the only one with drama in her life. Sammie’s new friend Leah has enough drama for the both of them. Leah’s life is turned upside down when her husband Kentee leaves her and their three small children behind without any money to support themselves. Leah has to pull herself together so that she can be the rock that her children needs. But will it be enough? Sammie is still leading a wild and free social life. Everything comes to a halt when Sammie has to confront her mother with a family secret that will change their lives forever. Lawd, Mo Drama is a widely
entertaining sequel by Tina Brooks McKinney. McKinney once again
brought back the non-stop drama. Sammie is as crazy as ever and
Leah had her own set of interesting issues. This author did a
wonderful job of incorporating the very sensitive topic of
childhood mental disorders into this story. This issue was handled
delicately and respectfully. Lawd, Mo Drama is a true
page-turner that will have you begging for more. Tina Brooks
McKinney is well on her way to becoming one of African-American
fiction’s hottest author. |
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Venesha |
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Channing L. Golden is a sexy, powerful publicist to the world’s top athletes. She’s also become one of the freaks of the industry behind closed doors until she meets top NBA player Alonzo Butler. Alonzo wants Channing to take care of not only his professional needs but his personal needs as well. Now, five years and three children later, Channing is still sneaking around with Alonzo until his wife Sheila finds out. Channing has to decide if Alonzo can be trusted and is he really worth fighting for. Sheila is beyond disgusted when she finds out that her husband is cheating and has children with Channing of all people. Sheila plans revenge but will she get more than she bargained for? Mistress Me is an exciting debut
novel by Venesha. This author gives you a behind the scenes look
into the glitz and glamorous world of professional athletes.
Readers will be immediately swept away with the non-stop drama
and action in this story. Channing was a character that you’ll
definitely have a love/hate relationship with. Instead of the
using the usual cities such as Atlanta or New York, this author
used Milwaukee as her backdrop to this story which was a welcome
change. There is also a unique twist at the end of this novel
that will shock you. Mistress Me is an exhilarating
page-turner that won’t disappoint. With this novel, Venesha is
ready to take the book industry by storm. |
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Kenny Young aka Wasiim |
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Anthony Parker (a.k.a. Gage) just got home from a five year prison sentence ready to hit the streets again with his right hand man Mills. Gage and Mills quickly make a name for themselves on the street but not without a price. Someone whom they least expected is trying to take them down. Gage and Mills better wake up before it’s too late. Gage also meets the woman of his dreams but can he give up the streets for her? Shantel is regretting the mistake she made when she turned her back on her ex-fiancé Gage five years ago. She now wants him back but Gage has already moved on. Shantel leans on her best friend Arrissa for moral support but Arrissa has some ulterior motives of her own. Soon, everyone is involved in an out of control circle of revenge that turns deadly. Who will survive? That Was Dirty is an extraordinary
novel by Wasiim. Wasiim expertly penned a well crafted novel about
respect, betrayal, and loyalty. This book is a captivating street
tale but it also has some important messages throughout this
story. One of the biggest messages that readers will find is that
revenge is not always sweet. You will sympathize with all of these
characters. You feel Gage as he struggles between his Muslim faith
and his life of crime. You also feel Shantel trying to cope with
the biggest mistake of her life. Great character development, a
fast-paced storyline, and never-ending drama makes That Was
Dirty one of the most exciting urban fiction debuts of the
year.
Check out our exclusive interview
with Wasiim in our Inside Out section. |
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Terren Grimble |
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Stacy Jackson is majoring in finance, a Delta
and the vice president for the NAACP on campus while being
involved in a serious relationship with Patrick, an Alpha, who not
so many people like. She and Patrick have been dating since her
sophomore year; while all along she’s been crushing on someone
else. No matter what, it appears that their relationship is
traveling full speed into reverse, yet, the brake lights don’t
seem to work. While Patrick is spending his summer in New Jersey,
Stacy is on campus being enticed by her crush. Reviewed by Nardsbaby for
Urban-Reviews.com |
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Dedan Tolbert |
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Can a playa give up his playa ways? In
Derrick Anderson’s mind this was not an unreachable dream.
Derrick was the ultimate player. He was a college senior, a frat
brother to one of the most popular fraternities on campus, and
he was FINE. But, he was reaching at point in his life that he
was ready to settle down and commit to one woman. Just by luck,
he ran into Maya Renee Collins on campus. He knew she was the
one for him. She had all the qualities he was looking for,
beautiful face, nice body, intelligent, and the great
personality to match. He would never think someone like this
would have a woman beating ex-boyfriend Carl, who was
aggressive, controlling, and intimidating. Carl made sure he got
his point across that “If I can’t have you. No one can.” Nothing
was going to keep Derrick and Maya apart. They had found true
love with each other. Until Carl found out who took his “baby
girl” away. Will Derrick and Maya finally be together without
Carl watching their every move? Or did Carl live up to his
promise to Maya, that no one will have her, if he can’t? |
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Contel Bradford |
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Gerald Thomas (a.k.a. G Dogg) is a notorious ex-gangbanger who was just released from prison to the mean streets of Detroit. Gerald vows to walk away from his former life so that he can be a real father to his daughter. But the call of the streets and quick cash prove to be too strong for Gerald to pass up. He soon joins another more lucrative band of gangsters unknowingly signing his life away. Gerald’s ex-girlfriend Terri has moved on with another man but still has room in her heart for Gerald. She still sees them finally becoming a real family and being there for their daughter Kayel. But Terri’s eyes become green with envy when Gerald’s working relationship with a female associate becomes too close for her liking. Thug Nation is an engaging novel by
Contel Bradford. Bradford masterfully gives you a first hand
look at gang life in Detroit during the mid to late 90s.
Readers will be glued to the pages as Gerald juggles between
leaving the gang life or continue to get paid from it. You will
actually find yourself rooting for Gerald to get out of the game
so that he can live a normal life. There are a few twists to
this story that will keep you on your toes. Thug Nation
is insightful and dramatic. Contel Bradford is an author that’s
definitely on the rise. |
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4.5
out of 5 books
