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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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Nick and
Natalie are two ambitious professionals that are competing for
the same CEO position in firm that they work for. They also
share an explosive sexual relationship outside of the
workplace. But Nick and Natalie are now having feelings for
each other that go way beyond sex. Justin Flint, Nick and
Natalie's boss, has the power to influence the board of
directors on who would be best suited for the job. Justin is
bisexual and is so attracted to Natalie and Nick that he comes
up with some sinister ideas to get them to compete for this
CEO position. But when Justin's painful childhood secret comes
to light, it may destroy everything that he's worked so hard
for.
Sexcapades
is a wickedly erotic novel by Mary "Honey B" Morrison. Honey B
masterfully penned a tale that shows just how far a person
can go in order to further their career. All of the characters
in this story are raw and complex, but the one that stands out
the most is Natalie. Natalie is a woman that exudes confidence
and sexiness. She knows what she wants and will not compromise
herself in order to get what she needs. But you will also see
that Natalie still wants a long-term relationship...just like
Nick does. This novel would not be complete without some wild,
over-the-top sex. Honey B even gives readers a few tips and
tricks at the end of the book for them to use in their own
repertoire. Sexcapades is a spicy and tantalizing novel
that will leave you highly anticipating another book in this
erotica series.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for
Urban-Reviews.com
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Honey B (Mary B. Morrison)
Sexcapades
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3.5 out of 5 books |
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Tracy Brown
Twisted
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Now a college grad
with a promising career, a closer relationship with the two
strong forces in her life, Celeste Styles is finally
comfortable in her own skin. The fit is near perfect despite
the ache she still harbors for her forbidden love, Rah-lo.
Celeste made a true gangsta move and ran from the lifestyle of
being Rah-lo's mistress and the drama it entailed with his
ghetto-fabulous wife, Asia.
Although disheartened with Celeste's disappearing act, Raheem
Rah-lo Henderson charged it to the game and kept it moving. He
is still miserably married to Asia and is attempting to
salvage this farce of a union for his girls' sake. He and
lifelong friend Ishmael Wright continue their get money hustle
although a sense of distrust has caused an invisible breach in
their relationship. Ishmael is reluctantly cohabitating with
Nina, but still has jump-offs because of his hesitancy to
commit. Rah-lo and Ishmael are both living challenging lives
with their jealous and devious ladies and both are still
secretly fantasizing about Celeste being their soul mate.
Twisted brings us up to speed on the drama surrounding
Rah-lo, Celeste, and Ishmael, after the burning of Celeste's
Dime Piece salon. Distance does seem to make the heart grow
fonder, but jealousy, lies, deceit, lust, backbiting,
obsessing, and a touch of insanity are just a few of the
emotions running rampant in this joint! Ms. Brown did bring
closure to this tale of forbidden lovers. Good job Ms. Brown!
Reviewed by Tazzyt2bossye for
Urban-Reviews.com
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5 out of 5 books |
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Pregnant,
distraught, and seeking refuge in new horizons, Shan is
running from the chaos in her life, while grieving her
best friend Briana's suicide. In her rush to
leave, a pit stop brings her face to face with Briggen,
a man she has unfinished business with.
Briggen notes Shan's distress and halts her plans to
head west for a brand new beginning with an ulterior
motive that could prove to be beneficial to him. A
scorned Janay leaves Shadee to meet his maker as his
vengeful, drugged side-line ho (who he knowingly blessed
with HIV due to his down low fixation) plays the role of
arbitrator of his fate.
Shadee's laying in
a pile of sh!t fighting for his life, while his comrades
are fighting for the newly vacated HNIC. Peanut
has hit the streets with a vengeance as he attempts to
re-claim his throne as well as pay back those who left
him for dead, and in the midst of all this madness, Shan
might happen upon love with the brother of Forever.
Nyla, Forever's wife, is weakened by the discovery of
Forever's infidelity while incarcerated and finds solace
in the attention of a new man. Skye is jacking
ballas and has infiltrated Big Choppa's organization
while dallying with his two prized possessions.
Wahida Clark has laid it down in this joint starting fresh
from the ending of Payback Is A Mutha and her
skills are shining immeasurably. The plot thickens with
the development of other connecting characters. Once again
she mesmerizes her faithful readers with another shocking,
yet exhilarating novel consumed with gangstas, the drama
that encompasses their lives, and the tremendous
consequences that they face on a daily basis.
Personally, Payback Is A Mutha wasn't one of my
favorites, but I most definitely feel redemption in
this one! My girl delivered gangsta-style and I'm
loving every page! It's a must read and most
definitely deserves a 5! Great job Wahida!
Reviewed by Tazzyt2bossye for Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our exclusive
interview with Wahida Clark
in the Inside Out
section.
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Wahida Clark
Payback With Ya Life
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3.5 out of 5 books |
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Xavier Knight
The Things We Do For Love
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Jesse Law was
at the top of the R&B music charts and enjoyed the fruits of a
successful career. It is now ten years later and Jesse is now
married to his loving wife Dionne. He is now enjoying a second
music career as the lead singer of a gospel group. But Jesse's
past comes back to haunt him when he tries to adopt a baby
with his wife. Jesse is not the only person in this story with
skeletons in their closet. Jesse's friend and fellow lead
singer Coleman Hill is being outed for having a homosexual
past. Coleman now has to find a way to save his marriage and
his career. Will Jesse and Coleman be able to rise above their
past and still come out on top?
The Things We
Do For Love
is a
thought-provoking novel by Xavier Knight (a.k.a. C. Kelly
Robinson). Knight shows the transformation of an R&B music
star entering into the world of gospel music. You will see how
Jesse and Dionne's sometimes rocky relationship has evolved
over the years. You will also feel the uncertainty in Coleman
and Suzette's marriage. With both of these marriages in
obvious turmoil, it will have you questioning what you would
do in their situations. Knight also properly addressed the
topic of gay Christians and how churches need to have open
dialogue about this. The Things We Do For Love is
spiritually enlightening and awe-inspiring. This is a good
start to Xavier Knight's Christian fiction career.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for
Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our Exclusive Audio
Interview with
C. Kelly Robinson / Xavier Knight
in the On The Line section.
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4 out of 5 books |
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Sienna grew up
in Miami's sex-trade industry after her father was killed and
her mother was deported. Sienna entered into the world of
prostitution while being in the care of her father's business
partner Chatman. Sienna quickly learns that if she wants the
best of what life has to offer then she needs to become one of
Chatman's best call girls. Sienna's life takes a dramatic turn
when she learns the truth about her mother's whereabouts and
Chatman's role in it. Now Sienna tries to gain her
independence by learning the different languages and cultures
of her wealthy clients. Sienna is trying to escape the
sex-trade life by any means necessary but Chatman won't let
her go without a fight.
Sistah For
Sale
is an engrossing novel by Miasha. Miasha dives readers in head
first into to Miami sex-trade. From the very first page, you
know that this will not be your ordinary urban tale. Miasha
flexed her creative muscle in creating Sienna. You will see
how Sienna goes from being a scared orphan little girl to a
street smart and calculating young woman. Sienna was trying to
get out of her current situation by educating herself about
different worldly affairs. There are a few twists to the plot
in this story that will definitely keep you on your toes.
Sistah For Sale is full of the superb trademark drama and
memorable characters that Miasha is known for.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for
Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our Exclusive Audio
Interview with Miasha
in the On The Line section.
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\Miasha
Sistah For Sale
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4.5 out of 5 books |
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Bettye Griffin
Once Upon A Project
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"Once Upon A
Project" there lived four little girls - Pat, Grace, Susan
and Elyse. These four girls would eventually become the best
of friends, walking to school together, sharing secrets and
growing up, but still maintaining contact. As time passes,
the girls become young women; and once you add their new
roles of being wives, students, mothers, not to mention some
distance, they pretty much have become "once a year
Christmas card" buddies. But when the four friends reunite
after being invited to a Dreiser Project reunion, they use
the opportunity to show the people currently living there
that they can change despite the lives that they're living
right now. Will this be the catalyst that changes
their lives forever?
Pat has never been married, nor does she have any children.
She lost the love of her life, and she's still wondering
"what if." Grace, twice divorced, is convinced that the
third time will be a charm; that is if she can find any
eligible bachelors in her range. Susan is comfortably
married with two children and is a breast cancer survivor.
While she misses the closeness she and her husband once had,
she's resolved to deal with it. Elyse and her husband are
recent empty nesters. They have taken back their lives and
enjoy spending more and more time together. While her
husband is significantly older, he appears to be slowing
down, something she's not ready to do herself.
While I didn't think that Once Upon A Project would
be a book that I found myself enjoying, truthfully, I was
overwhelmed with emotions. Each of them are looking for
love, desperate for affection, acceptance, security, hope,
and trust. They also help each other as they struggled
with marriage, cancer, death, adultery and the past and
present. It's hard not to be impacted by each one of their
lives. Once Upon A Project is a great read that
strikes a chord with both the ups and downs in life. While I
didn't like that the author tends to be overly repetitive, I
still believe that all readers, regardless of age, will
truly benefit from this read.
Reviewed by Nardsbaby for Urban-Reviews.com
Read our exclusive interview with Bettye Griffin
in the Inside Out
section.
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4 out of 5 books |
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Sacrifice is the exciting sequel to TL Gardner's The
Protector. The story picks up with Elijah Garland, who is
not only fighting demons but working for the FBI as well.
Elijah and his agent girlfriend, Ebonee Lane, are still
together and Elijah wants nothing more than to keep her safe.
This obsession and his only known weakness, love, has led him
to once again question his faith and his calling. It is for
this reason that he feels that he must leave Ebonee, so that
he can keep her out of harm's way. Little does he realize that
leaving her isn't the answer to keeping her safe, because
Ebonee's soul will be captured and held prisoner by a fallen
angel named Shemhazai. Elijah's quest to free Ebonee's soul
will lead him to Egypt. Once there, he has to find the tomb of
an Egyptian King that bears the mark of Gabriel. Will Elijah
be able to save Ebonee's soul and continue to fight evil?
Sacrifice is an awesome follow-up story. It shows the
true struggle that anyone could have when it comes to
questioning your faith. I loved this story, because it stayed
true to the formula of make believe and the real world. TL
Gardner still writes an awesome fight scene, that is described
with so much detail that you can easily see the scene playing
in your mind. The cover of the book is good, but I would've
loved to see a visual of a young man with white locs (white
hair). I could tell that The Demon Hunter Series was going to
be a good one after I read the first book. I really do hope
that there will be more books in this series and I look
forward to reading them.
Reviewed by
LaShonda Bates for Urban-Reviews.com
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TL Gardner
Sacrifice
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3.5 out of 5 books |
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Shelia Goss
Double Platinum
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Parris Mitchell knows
what it's like to be on top of the world and what it feels
like to be on the bottom. Being on a two year hiatus thanks to
her former Manager/fiancé Archie and assistant Sylvia, her
world hit rock bottom. Archie and Sylvia rob Parris for a few
of her accounts and hit the highway. Parris never saw it
coming. Taking two years to recover from the hurt and
embarrassment of it all, Parris is ready to make a comeback.
Carmen is Parris' publicist/ best friend and only has her best
interest at heart. She hires the hottest producer in the game
CJ the Hitmaker. To top that off, CJ is fine which has Carmen
believing Parris will be in very good hands. Not realizing she
was going to fall for this new guy the minute she met him,
Parris is completely caught off guard with her feelings and
goes straight into Diva mode, and pissing everyone around her
off. CJ isn't tripping off Parris because he knows that he'll
get her when the time is right.
The paparazzi have been on Parris' trail since the beginning
of her career. Her comeback and spending time with the
handsome playboy CJ have them working over time to catch
everything she does on camera for print the next day. Being
caught in a scandal the paparazzi comes up with turns Parris'
world back around again. Trying to enjoy her career at her age
and being back on top is not so easy dealing with the scandal
that hit every air wave across the country.
I am not sure how I felt about this story. It kept you
reading; however it was very repetitive and predictable.
Double Platinum was a quick and easy read but Parris kind of
got on my nerves with all her drama that wasn't necessary half
the time.
Reviewed by Angie for
Urban-Reviews.com
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5 out of 5 books |
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Yvonna is
living the fast ghetto fabulous life in D.C. Her world spins
out of control when her high school sweetheart Bilal is
brutally murdered by her father. But when Yvonna learns of a
devastating secret about Bilal after his death, she's so
angry that she leaves D.C. and runs to
Baltimore.
Fast-forward four years later and Yvonna is back and angrier
as ever. Yvonna is out to get revenge on everyone who has
made her "shyt list." As she gets to the last name on her
list, Yvonna has to decide if she should carry out her plan
or if she should act on her feelings and take another shot
at love. What will Yvonna do?
Shyt List
is a shocking page-turner by Reign. Reign grabs the reader's
attention from the first few pages and doesn't let go until
the very end. Readers need to pay close attention as this
story unfolds because things get crazy really fast. This
book is full of twisted vendettas and even murder. As you
read this novel, you will keep wondering in the back of your
mind where Yvonna's father is and why are people suspicious
of Yvonna's story about Bilal's murder. There is a
jaw-dropping twist that's so jarring, you'll have no clue
that it's coming. Shyt List is a fast-paced,
thrilling novel that will leave you begging for a sequel
from Reign.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our exclusive
interview with Reign
in the Inside Out section.
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Reign
Shyt List
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5 out of 5 books |
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Mari Walker
Never As Good As
The First Time
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Samai
Collins has been a dutiful Christian for most of her life.
Her world is turned upside down when she is in the middle of
a divorce from her minister husband. Samai is also dealing
with trying to find a job to support herself and her three
children without any work skills. As she attempts to get her
life on track, Samai is struggling with her own beliefs and
the longing for a man's touch. When an old high-school crush
Zane Blackmon comes back into Samai's life, he brings the
wild excitement that she craves. But when Samai is suddenly
led to a destructive path into the world of drugs, her life
and the lives of her children are in danger. Will Samai be
able to get her life back in order to save herself and her
children?
Never As
Good As The First Time
is a
riveting debut novel by Mari Walker. Walker expertly leads
the reader into the complex world of Samai Collins. What
made this novel stand out was that Samai was just a regular
woman that got lured into drug addiction by her boyfriend.
You will see the downward spiral of Samai's life as her drug
addiction gets out of control.
Walker
accurately describes how much in denial that Samai is in
once she reaches her lowest point. Readers will find
themselves pulling for Samai to turn her life around. There
are some scenes in this novel that will really tug at your
heart-strings. Never As Good As The First Time is a
heart-wrenching page-turner that is a perfect start to Mari
Walker's writing career.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for
Urban-Reviews.com
Check out our exclusive
interview with Mari Walker
in the Inside Out section.
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3 out of 5 books |
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Nicor
thought he found the perfect woman when he meets Tamar.
After six months of dating, Nicor finds out that Tamar has
a girlfriend on the side. This revelation leads to their
break-up and Nicor down a rocky road in search of a woman
to spend the rest of his life with. He moves on to a new
girlfriend named Alexxus but once again, Nicor is deceived
due to her confusion about her sexuality. Nicor becomes so
tired and frustrated by the down low sistahs that he pens
a song about his own experiences. As Nicor approaches
superstardom, Tamar enters back into the picture with a
surprise of her own. What will the future hold for Nicor
and Tamar?
Down Low
Sistahs
is an
innovative storyline by Wakiem Freeman. Freeman gives
readers a unique twist to the down low phenomenon by
focusing on women on the down low instead of the men. This
story is full of raw and humorous dialogue that will have
readers laughing out loud. Freeman included many topics in
this story such as the danger of sex with underage girls
and HIV. This story shows that one of the many downfalls
of women living this lifestyle is sexually transmitted
diseases such as HIV. But this novel would have been a lot
better if Nicor's own wanton sexual behavior with these
random women was properly addressed. Also, Nicor's sudden
successful music career and the ending of this story were
a bit unrealistic. All in all, Down Low Sistahs is
still a quick and entertaining read for those who would
like to read something a little different.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for Urban-Reviews.com
Read our exclusive
interview with Wakiem Freeman
in the Inside Out
section.
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Wakiem Freeman
Down Low Sistahs
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5 out of 5 books |
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Terra Little
Running From Mercy
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R&B Star Pamela
Mayes has not been back to her hometown of Mercy, GA since she
left abruptly over eighteen years ago. The people in this
small town always wondered why she left so suddenly. They
could only speculate as to why. Pamela intended on never
returning to Mercy, but the passing of her twin sister Paris
Greene forced her to come back. Pamela knew that she would now
have to face the demons of her past. Pamela never realized
that the secrets she kept would affect so many people. Little
did Pamela know that there were secrets she didn't even know
about. When Pamela returns home, she brings along an unwanted
guest by the name of Miles Dixon. Miles is an author trying to
write the story about the mysterious Pamela Mayes. She never
did interviews or appearances on talk shows so her story was
the ultimate task for Miles. Unbeknownst to Miles, he hits the
jackpot of all time. He uncovers a 35-year -old secret that
will shake the people of Mercy to the core. Will Pamela be
able to face her past, or will she run away again from Mercy?
Paris and Pamela were inseparable. They were identical twins
and the only way to tell them apart was by their attitudes.
Paris was the quiet and shy one whereas Pamela was the loud
and outgoing one. When Pamela was around, you knew Paris was
not far behind. They lived in an orphanage from the time they
were born until their eighteenth birthday. At age eighteen,
Pamela was in love with Chad Green. After graduation, they
were going to get married and leave the town. Just days before
graduation, plans changed and Pamela got on a bus and left
town without any explanation. Paris never left Mercy and she
stayed and married Chad Greene. Together they raised their
daughter Nikki. One thing Paris and Pamela had in common was
that they kept journals. After her sister's funeral, she
thought it would be a great idea to give Nikki her mom's
journal. What Nikki reads in that journal changes her family's
lives forever.
Terra Little found a unique way of telling this story. She
tells the story through journals written by Pamela, Paris, &
Nikki. The story flashes back through the teenage years and
how things changed between the twin sisters. I enjoyed the way
that the women were telling private moments through reading
the journals. The story kept you on the edge of your seat with
the change from the past to the present. She gave great
details as to how each character developed through the years.
Even though Running From Mercy was Terra's first novel,
she did an outstanding job. I look forward to reading more of
her books in the future.
Reviewed by Jackie for Urban-Reviews.com
Read
our exclusive interview with Terra Little
in the Inside Out
section.
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3.5 out of 5 books |
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Don
Starchild was sentenced to ten years in prison for a
murder that he didn't commit. He found out that he was set
up by his childhood friend Sosa. Don is soon released from
prison and vows revenge on Sosa for sending him to prison.
Things get personal when Don's brother is caught in the
crossfire of this raging street war. Don tries to rebuild
his drug empire to its former glory before he got locked
up but his girlfriend Jewel doesn't agree with this. Don
is forced into a bloody drug war that leaves many
casualties . But will Don make it out alive?
Baptism By
Fire
is an absorbing novel by Michael Stanton.
Stanton
draws the reader into the world of Don Starchild from his
last days in prison to his release on the streets. This
story really picks up after Don is on the streets and he
and Sosa goes to war. There are fast-paced action
sequences in this story that will keep readers on their
toes. There will be subsequent installments to this story
but with the way this novel ended, it's hard to imagine
how this will continue. Baptism By Fire is a
fascinating novel that delves into what it means to
survive on the streets.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for
Urban-Reviews.com
Read our exclusive
interview with Michael Stanton
in the Inside Out
section.
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Michael Stanton
Baptism By Fire
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4.5 out of 5 books |
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Teri Denine
Whatever Gets You
Through The Night
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Bari
Jordan
is a 26-year-old newlywed that has landed an executive
position at one of New York's top advertising companies. This
position requires long hours away from her husband Earl.
Bari's seemingly perfect world shatters when Earl's
controlling behavior spins out of control and he becomes
abusive. With no one to turn to,
Bari
resorts to a Jamaican spiritualist for help. But can this
spiritualist provide the help that
Bari
needs to get her marriage back on track? Earl is dealing with
unresolved family problems and the pressure of working for his
father's family-owned paper mill company. Earl's feeling of
inadequacy continues when his loses his job and
Bari becomes
the sole breadwinner. Earl and Bari's marriage is strained
when Earl's sinister behavior becomes dangerous and
life-threatening.
Whatever Gets
You Through The Night
is a
sensational debut novel by Teri Denine. Denine tells the story
of how a young woman's idea of a perfect marriage really isn't
that perfect at all. The signs of Earl's questionable behavior
were present even when Bari and Earl were in high school. You
will see how Bari's own sister tried to warn her about Earl
but she still couldn't see it. This story shows that sometimes
people see what they want to see instead of heeding the
warnings of others. Readers may become frustrated with
Bari
and will want her to wake up to see the truth about Earl
before it's too late. Denine showed creativity by including
what is perceived to be the real meaning behind the childhood
song "Ring Around The Rosie" Whatever Gets You Through The
Night is fast-paced with shocking twists and turns.
Hopefully this is the start of a long writing career for Teri
Denine.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for
Urban-Reviews.com
Read our exclusive
interview with Teri Denine
in the Inside Out section.
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3.5 out of 5 books |
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Caesar Slaughter
is not one to play with. Brought up under Comanche beliefs
to be a warrior at all times, Caesar joins the military
after his Great Grandfather Samuel Slaughter. With revenge
against his once long time friend Fred Turner a.k.a.
Rasta-man on his mind, Caesar plans to hit every mill he
owns until Rasta-man shows his face.
With the unexpected death of his nephew, Caesar and his crew
head back home to Richmond, VA with murder on their minds.
With a plan to take out the most notorious drug dealer in
all of Richmond, Caesar comes up with a plan to kill two
birds with one stone.
Executing his plan has one bird down and one to go with
another opportunity for readers to get into the minds and
lives of natural born killers. One rule that Caesar lives by
is that it's okay to bring a knife to a gun fight; if you
have any common sense, you will duck before the knife leaves
his hands.
I wouldn't call Caesar Slaughter the Robin Hood of the
ghetto. He wasn't stealing from the rich to give to
the poor...he was stealing from the rich to stop taking from
the poor. I felt Mr. Lilton could have added a bit more of
Caesar's Comanche heritage to the story. There where a few
chapters that left unanswered questions. I look forward to
reading the follow-up to Caesar Alexander: A Second To
Die...just to see how the drama unfolds.
Reviewed by Angie for Urban-Reviews.com
Read our exclusive
interview with John Lilton
in the Inside Out section.
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John Lilton
Caesar Alexander:
A Second To Die
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