Love's Recipe by Mila Nicks

I do love a good small town romance with a protagonist who's recently returned home. Usually there's some history between the love interests, but there's not the case with Love's Recipe so there are no serious hurdles to overcome as far as that's concerned. Nicks does highlight a contentious mother-daughter relationship, which is a bit of a departure from what we usually see in the small town romance genre, but it feels honest and refreshing in a genre where everything and everyone tends to be practically picture perfect.

The author does characters and their story lines really well. There's a bit of her next book, Wild, Dark Horses included at the end of Love's Recipe. Sign me up because the little I read of it already has me hooked. 

#BookReview: THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory

Synopsis: Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn’t normally do. But there’s something about Drew Nichols that’s too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex’s wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend…

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she’s the mayor’s chief of staff. Too bad they can’t stop thinking about the other…

They’re just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century—or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want…

Review: I love a good meet cute, especially one that doesn't come across as cheesy or forced. From the time Alexa and Drew meet, there's definitely chemistry between the two. Jasmine Guillory doesn't lead readers on a long and winding journey to determine if they're right for each other and I appreciate that. Too many authors waste half a book just deciding if the characters like each other. This isn't high school, these are grown people.

Guillory also takes on the aspects of an interracial relationship without playing into tired stereotypes. Alexa is black and Drew is white, but it's not something  either character dwells on when sizing up the other and it's not much of a factor in their relationship. He doesn't fetishize her as a black woman, she's not looking for a white savior. I love that about their story.

The Wedding Date is a solid read with well thought out characters. Their interactions aren't limited to the bedroom and doing the horizontal hokey pokey. While the story does follow the boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy might get girl back story line, Guillory has given readers a lot more insight into the relationship of Alexa and Drew and the thought processes behind their decisions.

320 p.
Published: January 2018
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own.

#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 HEARD A RUMOR by Cheris Hodges

I didn’t read the first book in the Rumor series, Rumor Has It, but the author provides enough background that it’s not really necessary to do so unless you’d like to. In Rumor Has It, Chante Britt, an up and coming attorney at a Charlotte law firm, falls for congressional candidate, Robert Montgomery. Robert’s indiscretions with ladies of the night leaves Chante humiliated not only at work, but in the media. When Robert tells the media that Chante has forgiven him and will be joining him on his new quest to become mayor of Charlotte, the southern belle dips out for some quiet time and recovery with her nana in South Carolina.

Stella got her groove back and so did nana. By the time Chante arrives on her door, she’s setting sail on a cruise with her long time “friend” turned lover and her house is being renovated. Instead of hanging with her favorite girl, Chante finds herself at a cozy bed and breakfast where she runs across Zach Harrington, the perfect distraction from all of the chaos in her life.

Zach Harrington also came to South Carolina for a break from the scandal in his life. He’s not looking for love. In fact, after dealing with his crazy soon to be ex-wife, it’s safe to say that getting involved with any woman is far down on his list of things to do. When Chante walks into his hotel’s restaurant, all bets are off.

I Heard a Rumor skips the typical cat and mouse games you see in most romance novels. From the time they meet, the spark is ignited between Chante and Zach and, while Chante is a bit resistant at the beginning, that only lasts a few hours. But they’re grown and as Mary Jane Paul says, “grown people are going to do what grown people do.” I appreciated the lack of cat and mouse, but I could have done without so many sex scenes. I understand that a lot of people read romance novels for this exact purpose; I’m not one of them.

I’m also nitpicky about details, so I found myself asking, “girl, what?” when Hodges described an outfit Zach was wearing as a sleeveless undershirt (i.e., wife beater) and linen pants for a night out. Do men wear that? I can’t envision any form of that ensemble that doesn’t sound tacky as hell. What restaurant are you strolling into looking like that?

I also had a problem with timing. Zach’s assistant, Tia, was pregnant with twins. In one chapter she delivered the babies. In the next chapter, which was supposed to be a week later, Zach called and assigned her tasks. Ma’am! The woman just pushed out two babies the week before. She’s not working. She’s not even thinking about working. Perhaps if Zach owned a small, one man business that might make sense, but he owned a big company. A temp or floater from another department would have been filling in for Tia. She definitely wouldn’t be answering calls about anything unrelated to formula, diapers and getting some sleep.

If you can overlook minor details like that, and I suspect most people can, give I Heard a Rumor a try. The secondary characters are entertaining and Hodges has done her research on both the North and South Carolina locales. If nothing else, you’ll find yourself longing for the food and beaches mentioned throughout the book.

368p.
Published: November 2015
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own.

Amazon | B & N | Book Depository |  IndieBound

#BookReview: PLAYING FOR KEEPS by Deborah Fletcher Mello

Synopsis: As an accomplished architect, single dad of teenage twin girls, and co-owner of The Playground, Raleigh’s hottest jazz and blues club, it’s an understatement to say Malcolm Cobb has his hands full. Add to that an ex-wife who knows how to bring the drama, it’s no surprise he has little time or inclination for a personal life. But when he spots stunning, voluptuous Cilla Jameson, he’s suddenly considering rearranging his schedule and setting aside his concerns.

Independent and successful, Cilla would love to be in love. But when it comes to men, she has a lengthy list of requirements. And “no children” is at the top. Yet she can’t help being intrigued by Malcolm. He’s handsome, fascinating, respectful—and up for a challenge. But is Cilla? After all, the man has baggage—and it is fully packed. Can she handle the ex who’s determined to keep him single? Or the twins who are not quite the angels Malcolm thinks? She’ll have to decide, if she wants to play for keeps.

Review: Typically romance novels have a little bit of a cat & mouse feel to them, but I didn’t notice that so much with Playing for Keeps. Cilla and Malcolm jumped right into a relationship that quickly blossomed into a love affair and then marriage. And perhaps that’s why it rang untrue for me.

Cilla, a successful woman with no children of her own and the freedom to do as she pleases, willingly gives up that freedom almost immediately to parent her boyfriend’s twin daughters…teen twin daughters at that. What was her motivation for that? Malcolm’s love was just that strong? The reader never really finds out because while the author takes the time to create a background for Malcolm, outside of a friend/coworker that Cilla speaks with a few times, we don’t know much about her and the people that shaped who she becomes.

On the other hand, we’re introduced to Malcolm’s mother, his daughters, his business partner/best friend, that friend’s wife, etc. We know what attracts him to Cilla, how he came to own two businesses, all about his failed marriage, etc. Though some readers might be delighted to see a story that relies heavily on the point of view of the male protagonist, I think it’s important to tell stories from both sides, in the name of balance.

Billed as a romance, Playing for Keeps spends much more of its time focusing on everything but romance. At times, it was easy to forget that I was reading a love story. In fact, it reads more like a Tyler Perry script except, for once, the woman saves the man. That’s not to say that I won’t read anything else from the author. I’ll just have to do my due diligence before I do.

320 p.
Published: October 2015
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own.

#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: 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: No Strings Attached - Bridget Gray

Mei Jing, or MJ as she's known to friends, just met Rod, yet she already knows him.  Years ago on holiday, she saved his life, but he was unconscious and never knew who saved him.  When he re-enters her life, she's hesitant to tell him because she doesn't want him to feel like he owes her anything.

Rod has traveled the world studying sustainable architecture.  He's back home in Australia, but has never forgotten the mystery woman that saved his life years ago.  He's paid a detective to find her, but each lead comes up short.

The two meet, flames flicker and what not, you get the idea.  MJ and Rod are just okay as characters.  Much more interesting are their friends and what's going on in their lives and MJ's mom's never ending quest to find her the perfect husband.

I was taken aback by a blatantly racist statement made by one of Rod's friends in front of MJ along the line of "all Asians look alike." I was even more dumbfounded that the author thought MJ would have let such a comment slide.  I mean, it's one thing to let some crap like that fall out of your mouth, but you're going to let it fall out in front of me AND I'm not going to say a word? Like, not even mention it later like it was perfectly fine?  That just didn't ring true to me.

175pp
Published: December 2012

 

Theme: He Doesn't Know I'm Alive by Janet Jackson

 

#BookReview: The Guardian's Heart - Michel Prince

I found a lot of fault with this read from Michel Prince.  I gave it three purple arm chairs, but I was far more generous than I should have been.  I won't go into all of the reasons why I don't think it deserved three stars, but I will touch upon a few of them.

The Guardian's Heart is about a mid-20s graduate student whose parents have been killed in a car accident and left him to raise his twin toddler siblings.  The story starts off with him, Case, meeting his love interest, Gabbie, in the aisle of a store as he's trying to figure out what kind of diapers to buy for the kids.  Gabbie assists him, sparks fly, yada yada yada.

So in their initial conversations, Case mentions that he has to go back to school to finish his last six weeks before graduation.  Problem is, he never goes back!  After it's mentioned early on, no other mention of school is made until almost the end of the book when it's magically time for graduation.  Instead, those six weeks are used to bring him and Gabbie close enough that she's ready to let his sibling calls her mom and he's ready to marry her.

WDDDA???

Gabbie meets Case in a store, feels sorry for him struggling with two kids, follows him home, cleans house, bathes the kids, etc. for a man she just met.  Ummm...ma'am...WDDDA??? You don't know this dude from the man on the moon, but you're that trusting?  And that leads to the next scattered plot line.

Because of past relationships, Gabbie is hesitant to get involved or even interact with men.  But Case is so charming and what not that she dives right in with little to no hesitation.  One minute just the thought of a guy you dated in high school seven years ago is enough to have you on the brink of mental collapse, the next you're playing house with Diaper King??

I understand that magic is supposed to happen in books, but it works better if it's believable.  The author would have us believe that a group of high school seniors forfeited scholarships and going to college when one of their friends got pregnant, pooled their money together to open a day care center (when none of them had any previous experience) right out of high school.  Or that a mid-20s woman with no kids would add water and have instant family in six weeks and think nothing of it.  She would also have us to believe several other outlandish story lines that all end up wrapped in a nice bow at the end of the book.  Girl, I guess.

188pp
Published: September 2012

 

Theme: Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder

#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: She's the Boss - Lisa Lim

When I reviewed Confessions of A Call Center Gal last year, I mentioned that it would have been nice to get updates on Karsynn, Truong and the rest of the crew.  Well Lisa Lim did me one better and wrote a sequel!  Now while I encourage you to read Confessions first, please know that She's the Boss can be read as a stand alone book.

While Confessions focused mostly on Maddy and her transition to small town Idaho, where she joined her best friend from college, Karsynn, She's the Boss turns the tables and is told from Karsynn's perspective.  Still working at the call center with the hilarious Truong, whose antics remind me of an Alec Mapa character, Kars is working her way up the ladder.  Unfortunately, she's run into a roadblock by the name of Carter Lockwood.

As the new director of Lightning Speed Communications, Carter Lockwood arrives to find a floor full of inappropriately dressed characters who swear like sailors, and Karsynn is the ringleader of this motley crew. Now that there's a new sheriff in town, things are definitely going to change.  And boy, do they change.

She's the Boss is just as delightful and as quick a read as Confessions of A Call Center Gal.  Lim keeps the characters light, even the serious Carter Lockwood.  Truong is still as outrageous as ever and proves to be the most entertaining of all the characters.  Inge is also along for the ride, though her speaking role is kept to a minimum.

With plenty of current pop culture references, it reads as something hot off the presses.  I love that the workplace situation touches on such a relevant issue in today's world.  And lest you think the book may get heavy in parts, know that there's a yodeling stripper rocking lederhosen that is sure to bring tears of laughter to your eyes.

Published: November 2012
Currently available only on  Kindle & Nook

Theme: We Can't Be Friends by Deborah Cox featuring RL

#BookReview: Love Comes Later - Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

Knowing my love of colorful chick lit, @AMWLoveWideOpen brought this book to my attention and I'm so glad she did.  While I've managed to find chick lit that covers various cultures, this is the first one I've read that focuses on the Arab world, particularly Qatar.  And as an added bonus, the author throws in an Indian American point of view.

Three months into his marriage to Fatima, a marriage he initially resisted, Abdulla loses her in a fatal car accident.  Though he had resisted the idea of marriage, he'd grown accustomed to having Fatima around and had grown to love her.  Her sudden death left a void and he vowed to never marry again.  It's unfortunate, then, that part of his duty to his family is to re-marry, specifically, one of his cousins.

Abdulla's cousin, Hind, has no desire to get married either.  A bookish, yet stylish, woman, she'd like nothing more than to get her master's and work.  Whereas most Qatari wives are content with shopping, she wants more from life.  Feeling pressure from the family, Abdulla and Hind agree to marry after Hind has spent a year in London working on her degree.

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Hind and Sangita, her classmate turned roommate and best friend.  An American of Indian descent, Sangita was raised in a Hindu household.  While she's familiar with some of the aspects of Hind's religion, Islam, she's not aware of them all and the author does a great job of highlighting the similarities and differences.  With time running out, it's up to Sangita to help Abdulla and Hind figure out how they can, or if they want to, make the marriage work.

I had to laugh at some comments and nod in agreement with others as Rajakumar pokes fun at stereotypes and ideology.  For example,

When she arrives for orientation, bang on time, which would have been considered early in Doha, she is the last student there.  So much for trying to avoid the stereotype of being on Arab time.

Growing up in the African American community, there's always been a joke about people that consistently run late being on CP time.  CP meaning colored people.

In another instance, Abdulla is called a Paki (short for Pakistani) and Sangita is surprised to see that he doesn't react, only commenting to her that he's Arab, not Asian.  To which she responds, in reference to the West,

"They colonize the world and don't even bother to notice that we're different?"

"Brown is brown.  Sometimes brown is even black," he says.

While the author doesn't spend a lot of time dwelling on how the Asian or Arab world is perceived by Europeans or Americans, it is interesting to note that the perceptions and stereotypes of people of color can be just as damaging in Europe as they are in America.

This was a short and enjoyable read.  At only $ 2.99 (free for Prime members) in the Amazon store, you should definitely check it out if you're looking to broaden your mind.

256pp
Published: July 2012

Theme: Balle Balle from Bride and Prejudice

#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  

#BookReview: Almost Single - Advaita Kala

As guest relations manager at the Grand Orchid Hotel in New Delhi, Aisha Bhatia meets people of means daily.  If it were up to her mother, she'd put a sign that says, "29 and Single" on her desk and hope that one of the available men checking in at the hotel would ask her out.  Aisha is desperate, but not that desperate.

29 year old single women in India are an anomaly.  Aisha's cousins and one of her best friends, Anushka, have all crossed over into the land of holy matrimony.  Anushka is crossing back though and Misha, Aisha's other best friend, has firmly stayed on the single side with Aisha, but not because she hasn't been trying to find a husband.

Like a scene straight out of a Bollywood flick, Aisha bumps into a handsome stranger in a country club parking lot as she's toilet papering a car and, again, when she catches sight of him, stark naked in his hotel room.  And, of course, she continues to have frequent run ins with him, no matter where she goes.

This book was cute and funny, but had the potential to be more entertaining than it was.  The author didn't do a good job of making the reader care about any of the characters.  The interactions between Aisha and Karan felt very stiff and it came as a surprise that they considered themselves a couple, since those stiff interactions rarely happened when the two of them were alone.

288pp
Published: February 2009

Theme: Party by Beyonce'

#BookReview: And Laughter Fell from the Sky - Jyotsna Sreenivasan

Have you ever seen two people that you were sure were siblings or, better yet, perfect strangers, because there was no chemistry between them?  That's how I felt the whole time I was reading And Laughter Fell from the Sky.  While Jyotsna Sreenivasan has written several nonfiction books, this was her first work of fiction.  I'm afraid that she has a lot more work to do before crossing into this genre.

What Sreenivasan has given us is the story of Rasika and Abhay, mid-20s Indian-Americans.  Abhay is a friend of Rasika's younger brother, so while the two know each other from childhood, they don't really know each other.  A chance encounter in a coffee shop gives them a chance to reacquaint themselves.  From there, the road gets bumpy.

Rasika is expected to marry and if she can't find a suitable husband, her parents will find one for her.  Raised with traditional Indian values, she's an American girl at heart and longs to be independent, but she still lives with her parents.  She spends a lot of time sneaking around behind their backs, using her friend, Jill, as an alibi.

Abhay has recently returned to Ohio after living in a commune for two years.  His parents would much prefer that he do something meaningful with his life, like go to law school or graduate school.  He's unsure of what he should be when he grows up, but he knows he wants to make a difference in the world.

When Rasika and Abhay run into each other, you would expect sparks to fly.  Instead, there's little to no fizzle.  Readers will find themselves going through all 336 pages and not caring one way or another if the two of them end up together.  At no point does the author give them enough dialogue with each other to convince the reader that they even like each other as something beyond friends.  They could have picked random people off of the street and I would have been convinced that they had more in common with them than with each other.

 336pp

Published: June 2012

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

 

Theme: 1 Thing by Amerie

#BookReview: A Good Excuse to be Bad - Miranda Parker

Angel Crawford is nothing like her twin sister, Ava.  Older by just four minutes, Ava is poised and professional, the wife of one of Georgia's most prominent ministers.  Angel, on the other hand, is a bounty hunter and also happens to be a single mother.

When Ava's minister husband is found murdered, with Ava close by, it's up to Angel to find out what happened to the brother-in-law she didn't care for and the sister she does.  With assistance from her own minister, Justus Morgan, and her mother breathing down her back to get her baby out of jail, Angel finds herself under the gun, literally.  She calls in favors and relives her own painful past in an effort to clear her sister's name and bring her back home to her children.

Though A Good Excuse to be Bad is not your typical colorful chick lit, there is the banter between Angel and her minister, Justus, that masks sexual attraction between the two.  With Justus acting as her sidekick while she tries to solve the mystery, there is plenty of time for them to flirt, though it's often interrupted by life's situations or simply because it's inappropriate in light of what's happening around them.

In Angel Crawford, Miranda Parker has the makings of a character with potential longevity, but she should be careful to pick a genre and stick with it.  At times this felt like a true mystery, in the vein of Valerie Wilson Wesley's Tamara Hayle character or Grace Edwards' Mali Anderson character.  There were times though when it felt like there was a strong desire to make this Christian lit, and not just because the story involved ministers, their families and their parishioners.  And, as I said earlier, the flirting and banter between Justus and Angel gives it a chick lit feel, though Angel is a much stronger character than the typical woman you might find in chick lit.  Parker should be careful going forward to define which genre this series belongs in, otherwise it may get lost in the crowd.

What did you like about this book?
Angel and Ava's mother was a riot.  She really reminded me of Jenifer Lewis, who seems to have played everyone's mother in black Hollywood at this point.

What didn't you like about this book?
At times it felt like there was too much going on.  Everything leading up to the solving of the mystery was planned out, but the point where the mystery was solved seemed rushed.  I'm still not sure that I understood exactly why what happened did.

What could the author do to improve this book?
Find a genre and stick with it.  And balance the story out so that it flows consistently throughout.

320pp
Published July 2011 (pre-order!)

Theme: I Got A Thing 4 Ya by Lo-Key

#BookReview: In Love With A Younger Man - Cheryl Robinson

Having read another book by the author, I was looking forward to reading/listening to another work by her. I should have taken a pass on In Love With A Younger Man though. From the bizarre timeline to the less than well fleshed out characters, it was a hot mess.

If you're planning to read this book at any time, you should probably stop reading this review now because I'm about to tell you in detail about how ridiculous it is. If you're still here, I'll assume you have no plans to read it and want to hear why I think the pages of this book would be better off lining the bottom of a bird's cage. Actually I listened to this, so it would be more accurate to say the CDs could be used as coasters.

So what made it so ridiculous and why did I keep listening? I kept thinking it would get better. And, honestly, the first six hours weren't so bad. They focused on the character's college years, so her shallowness and naivete were characteristics that could easily be attributed to her age. Wait, let me back up and tell you what this book is about.

Oleana Day grew up overlooked by her classmates, boys and girls alike, with the exception of her high school boyfriend, Stan, in her hometown of Detroit. She believed that things would be different once she began college at Howard University in DC. Unfortunately, the girls there either ignore or dislike her, just like the ones in Detroit. The men do notice her now though and she hasn't even settled into college life well before she's caught up in an affair with an upperclassman. It turns out that the senior she's dating is already engaged to someone else and Oleana, the girl who started out as a promising student, ends up a college drop out after two years. You like how I summed that up in a paragraph? Yes? So why did it take the author six hours to get that across? Your guess is as good as mine.

Fast forward 25 years and Oleana is the top salesperson for her company. She's worked hard for years and saved almost every dime she's made, forgoing vacations and a personal life. As the realization that she has no real friends or a life hits her, Oleana decides to take a sabbatical. Now most people I know have a plan when they take a sabbatical. Whether it's building houses in a devastated area, working on their art, etc., there tends to be a plan. Oleana's only plan was to buy a Lexus. No, that's not a typo, that was her plan.

Somewhere along the line, she decides to move to Atlanta to see if she likes it and decides to buy the car there. The beginning of the new year finds her in Atlanta celebrating the new year with Jason, the 31 year old ex-football player she met on an airplane. Her relationship with Jason is put on hold when she meets Matthew, the 24 year old finance manager at the car dealership. Sparks fly and they become a couple...or bed buddies...friends with benefits? Okay, fine. She becomes his sugar mama.

I'm all for women getting their cougar on, but don't be stupid about it. By day two she was professing her love for him. Seriously, I had to rewind the CD to make sure I had the timeline correct. So you're 43, you're with a 24 year old, fine. But then you berate him every chance you get about the differences in your ages and sound like his mother instead of his girlfriend. Why are you with him again?

So what follows from that is almost six hours of a storyline where it's apparent that this woman is in lust, wouldn't know love if it smacked her in broad daylight, suffers from low self-esteem and isn't naive, just shallow and stupid. Mix in a two minute PSA about the plight of the homeless, a project Oleana considered taking on during her sabbatical that was briefly highlighted but never mentioned again, and Jason's prostate cancer that took up the last 30 minutes of the set and you have a hot pile of steaming mess.

Oh and if you haven't figured it out yet, the 24 year old she was dating turned out to be the son of the man that ditched her for his pregnant, pre-med fiancee back in college. I almost forgot, Oleana decided to become a writer at some point in her sabbatical and it turns out there was a writer's agent that lived in her building that read her book and loved it. Did I mention that the mortgage on the condo she purchased was $ 12,000 a month? Ma'am? A $ 4 million condo on a salesperson turned author's salary? The ridiculousness just never ends!

What did you like about this book?
Really?!?

What didn't you like about this book?
Oleana Day learned not one thing. She was the same silly girl as a grown woman that she was in high school and college. There were so many things that the author seemed to throw in for no apparent reason: the suicide of her high school boyfriend, color issues, etc.

What could the author do to improve this book?
Flesh out a better storyline, make the timeline more realistic, give readers at least one character to like and stop writing to meet deadline. It was obvious that this story wasn't thought out. And don't use songs in your book when you obviously haven't listened to the lyrics. During a fight with Matthew, Oleana keeps referencing a Lauryn Hill song "Nothing Even Matters," which would have been relevant if she was professing her love for him instead of spitting it out at him in anger and accusation.  Do your homework people!

Listening time: 11 hours, 59 minutes

Published January 2009

Theme: Nothing Even Matters by Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo

#BookReview: The Bum Magnet - K.L. Brady

I often tease one of my Twitter pals about having a crazy magnet.  And just like crazy people are attracted to her, bums seem to be attracted to Charisse Tyson.  Reeling from the broke heart Marcus "the cheater" Matthews left her with, she's gone on a self-proclaimed man hiatus.

When the handsome Dwayne Gibson becomes a client, Charisse is determined to keep it professional.  That's easier said than done and she finds herself falling for him.  As their relationship progresses, Charisse reflects on her past failed relationships, and those are really the most entertaining parts of the book.

Charisse seems to have dated every kind of loser imaginable, so much so that you would think that her bum radar would go off sooner than later the older she got.  Proving that just because one is older does not make them wiser, Charisse finds herself with not just one man on her doorstep, but quite a few.  Has she learned enough on her self-improvement quest to figure out who's a bum and who's the real deal?  And what about the college sweetheart tapback (hat tip to @onechele over at Black 'n Bougie) that won't go away?

What did you like about this book?
K.L. Brady has done a fine job of blending romance and comedy with a touch of mystery to create a perfectly balanced story.

What didn't you like about this book?
About halfway through I figured out one of the characters motives and wanted Charisse to figure it out as soon as I did.  She was just a little more naive that I would have liked.

What could the author do to improve this book?
I honestly can't think of a thing.

368pp
Published March 2011

 

Theme: Who's Zoomin Who? by Aretha Franklin