KayBee's Blog

XYZ by Kimille
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"if he ain't got nothing, he won't have anything to give me
If he cheats on his girlfriend with me, he'll cheat on me with someone else
"if he is money ain't strong, who cares if his dick is long
if he talks too much, he listens to little
if he doesn't respect himself, he won't respect me"
                                                                                              Aunt T-Lu

I loved this series. You have family and a makeshift family. The Patriarch had taken in and raised 3 children and mentored them to be strong, loyal and smart. I loved that the Author doesn't just tell you who the characters are, but she shows you through their actions. Each character had a developed backstory.  We see XYZ grow into adulthood and find love and happiness of their own. Along the way, you introduced to significant others, grandkids, and friends. I loved the way the Author gave each couple their due and allowed us to watch the pain, heartache, and happiness that each couple experienced together and how the family as whole moved to resolve whatever stumbling came their way. This story above anything else was about the family and the strength you get from having a solid family in your corner.  I loved she also allowed us to see what became of some of the supporting cast. I would have like to have seen what became of Alex and Julz. The potential coupling was introduced, but nothing came of it. Maybe in 2019? The story moved at a moderate pace and seamlessly from scene to scene with the exception of the timeline i.e. the pregnancy and death storyline in Book 3. The one female who was pregnant only a few weeks maybe 2 months was revealed to be "ready to pop" at the funeral the family attended.  Flashbacks, which can be tough to transition out of at times, were executed properly. Solid content, good formatting, and minimal errors made for a solid story. The story held my interest from page one. I thoroughly enjoyed it....



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My Love For You, Always by Aubreé Pynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two couples Jaxon and Kinsley & Damien and A'Myra-both looking for signs that the love they've found is for them.

Jaxon and Kinsley frustrating is the best way to describe this duo. The Author does such a great job of pulling us into their story. And of course, when you find love and things are going the way they should that's when negativity finds its way to you. This book displayed a bit of weakness in Jaxon. Yet, Kinsley seemed to be a fairly strong character.

Damien and A'Myra- I found this couple to be a bit more entertaining, maybe it was the dramatic way they met. OR maybe, the fact that Damien met his match in A'Myra.

The characters in the story were very well developed. Although, I did wonder a bit about A'Myra's ex. Some of the story was a bit predictable, but it was still well-written. I also appreciate the excellent editing job. I'll definitely keep reading stories that this Author delivers.

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Unapologetically Me by Danesha Little
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We have Fatima who struggles with fulfilling what is expected of her by becoming a doctor while indulging in her secret real love, writing. Writing fan fiction unwittingly leads her to Jericho, a rapper who stumbles on her story about him thanks to his assistant. He's intrigued as to what inspired her story and er moves to reach out to her. The begin a back and forth dialogue. Fatima is unaware that her "fictional character" is the real Jericho. I enjoyed these two characters. There was chemistry between the two. The story had romance, comedy and a little drama. He needed to clean his house. The snakes in his camp were too much. The fallout from the actions of one was heartbreaking. Watching the couple learn, deal, adjust and grow from it was equally heartbreaking. But, the lessons of self-care, healing, forgiveness and love was worth the ride. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. From a technical standpoint, great plot, great structure and formatting, and a good editing job was delivered.

If you're not sharing your gift and only making others happy remember " a silenced gift helps no one". Congratulations on well-written book Ms. Little.

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Taboo: A Novella by Rosalind Peoples
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story was engaging, heart-wrenching and educational. The Author did such a good job of painting the picture of Preston's circumstances that you felt you were watching some lifetime movie. It can be hard to fully develop characters and offer a full story that doesn't leave the reader feeling short-changed, but this Author did it....AGAIN! She paints a vivid picture of a child trying to survive in a situation, not of his making. The pain and the struggle to find his freedom is felt with every turn of the page. You also get a little education on the signs of predatory behavior and how easily someone who is unloved and unknowing can fall prey to the manipulations of a skilled and practiced predator. I enjoyed this completely.

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All Candy Ain't Sweet A Novella by Rosalind Peoples
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"He introduced me to ecstasy and I was delighted to meet its acquaintance.
I left girlhood the moment he touched my lips with his,
gripped my hips and kissed... me
where no man has ever gone before."Young Sweetie who fantasized about being the woman of Gawd. A middle-aged man everyone warns her to stay away from at every turn. As I read, I kept wondering what was Gawd notorious for in the neighborhood or the city. As soon as he noticed her, seduced her and made her his, I sensed things would go downhill from there for our young heroine. Reality hit quick and hard for young Sweetie. The author touches on different types of abuse and does an excellent job of portraying them all. From a technical standpoint, the author delivered a well-formatted novella with no errors to note.

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Matters of the Heart by D S Pais
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This novella is quick, sweet romance. Kate was with her boyfriend for two years in a dead end relationship. A chance sighting at a job interview places Kate at her dream job and in the presence of her future. She meets Ernst who is seemingly living a double life. Fate draws them together for a HEA.
The story was told from a third party point of view. It was very descriptive and the plot was clear and easy to follow. While you knew the plot and where it was going, at times the wording was very stilted, which could lead to some confusion when reading. This also made it difficult for me to connect with the characters and truly invest in the story.

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Obsession Made Me Do It by Nykhol Munroe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What the hell? Nykhol Munroe you got me with that ending.

Iman and Yaro married for 5 years and seemingly in love and lust with one another. Iman finds out some devasting news and her world crumbles. Her husbands obsession skyrockets. And lies, betrayal and paternity results make for a quickly paced drama with a hint of violence and a couple of bomb sex scenes. The supporting cast provided a few laugh out loud moments. The Author delivered a well -written drama perfectly formatted and edited. I was engaged from the first Chapter. The story holds so much promise for the level of drama and entertainment to be taken to a new level as the story continues. Now, where is book 2?

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Love Song and Power by Stevie Kinchen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a quick and easy story to read about the pitfalls of fame. We are introduced to Violet, an aspiring singer, and Trevor, the man who loves her. As their relationship grows and they get what they want, the relationship is tested. I think the Author did a good job laying the groundwork for the story and told it in a way that was engaging. There were only a few areas that needed to be addressed i.e. grammar, punctuation, and flow.

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Double Fudge & Danger by Erin Huss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my first read by this Author.
I have to say this was a cute, funny read. I had a few laugh out loud moments. I wasn't expecting those. Cambria Clyne is in over her head and we get to see the hilarity and mystery that ensues when the manager of the apartment building next door, Violet Pumpkin, goes missing. Cambria is a single mom and I quickly learned adept at aiding in missing persons and murder investigations. As we watch her juggle all the chaos around her, we are introduced to some quirky characters as well. I have to say I didn't expect this to be as well-written and engaging as it was. I will be going back to read books 1 & 2 and the rest of the series.


I received it in exchange for an honest review.



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For the Blood is the Life by Joe Albanese
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murders, missing women, a custody battle, alcoholism and a Detective trying to keep it together made for an entertaining read
Detective Evan Summers, recovering alcoholic, is dealing with a slew of missing women around his city and the threat of losing his son forever without succumbing to his addiction. I was hooked as soon as the "mysterious stranger" entered the bar and then further pulled in when the first throat was ...well you can read it to find out that part. But, the investigation takes on a bizarre feel and just like that, you are pulled into the book further with this bizarre killing. Detective Evan comes face to face with the unthinkable and becoming something otherworldly or does he?

This is a well-written story. The formatting, content, and structure were professionally done. I look forward to the sequel and the new dynamic between Summers and McNally.

Should be a 3.5 star rating. This was a good read.

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Wanted in Paradise by Kate Ashenden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A story of healing as well as love and suspense for Romeo and Jasmine. It took me quite a few chapters to finally get into the story. There was some confusion in the opening and the pace was simply slow. With Jasmine suffering from PTSD after a tragedy, she needs to heal and find new meaning. She re-connects with Romeo, who was disillusioned by his status as an international singing star and in need of a purpose. Romeo offers Jasmine a job and you have to really pay attention from this point on. There was a lot going on and almost a love/hate relationship between the two as well. The author had a good supporting cast of characters in place to give us some humor, a little "mean girl/boy" drama, and suspense. This was an easy read. From a technical perspective, it was well-structured, no grammatical or punctuational errors to be found.

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Wife Of A H-Town Savage: A Hood Love: Standalone by Lady Lissa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Caesar and Savannah
Both characters had experienced parental loss and found comfort in each other. Once they got to know each other. Unfortunately, there were surprises, death, betrayals, lies, and haters trying to tear this couple apart. The supporting characters Jordan, Quincy, Ciara, Lana were as interesting as the primary couple. Ciara was expertly written. She personifies many a young foolish woman today. This story was action packed, had developed characters and was well-written all WITHOUT errors. I would say 75% of the book was the build-up to the relationship of the Savannah and Caesar. So, we miss a lot of the relationship growing pains.  But, the way Author wrapped up all the storylines with a couple of time jumps worked well in this instance. One random observation, I didn't get the feel that Caesar was a real savage, but he was still a likable character. Hats off to Lady Lissa for penning such an entertaining standalone and to her and her team for publishing such professional work.

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Indebted In Blood by Broderick Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This street tale had a lot of moving pieces and even more characters to keep track of as it evolved. You will need to pay attention to remember everyone. The story of a family heavily involved in the drug game divided by betrayal and greed. One cousin blamed for the death of another and imprisoned. As we learn of the parties involved in the setup, we get to see how Dre, the wrongfully imprisoned cousin, makes "money moves" in prison. It was interesting to see the association he was able to create behind bars. And how he was able to set himself up financially in anticipation of his release. It was even more entertaining as his revenge game was put in motion. I eagerly anticipated seeing how it would all come together. And I was not disappointed.

From a technical perspective, the characters were developed, the plot was strong and the tale was engaging. I'm ready for the sequel. The only drawback to this story was the numerous errors i.e. incorrect tense, incorrect word usage. I spent a bit of time trying to figure out what the author meant.

All in all the author knows how to spin a tale. I would, however, advise them to employ a good beta reader or proofreader to catch those last minute errors before publishing.


Reviewed by KayBee

He Leveled Up with a Boss Chick by Miss Dee
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This story was engaging from the first chapter. Jonah had been kidnapped and shot. Ciara was turning into the baby mama from hell. Daniel was juggling the ladies.  I didn't realize it was a spinoff of another storyline, which I will go back and read. The author did a good job of developing the characters and even though I didn't have the backstory on the characters who were the focal point of this book, I still got a sense of who they were. The story moved quickly, so the timelines could get a bit confusing, but all in all the author delivered a well-executed story with interesting characters and few errors.



Reviewed by KayBee

White Boys Packing Too by Soulja Choc
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I struggled with this review. On the one hand, I am all for entertaining the masses and opening each other up to different cultures and experiences they may have no knowledge of yet. On the other hand, I am not a fan of fetishized versions of relationships, even in fiction i.e., you need to choose a white man if you want to be treated well and like a queen because black men just cheat on you and treat you like trash. This was what I got from the story. This was an opportunity to entertain and in that entertainment, your audience would have been inadvertently educated when myths are dispelled i.e. some “white boys aren’t packing”. I’m aware this is fiction and just for entertainment purposes, which is why I struggled with this review.
This story chronicled the lives & drama of two couples and the Raina & Jason and Imani & Steven. This interracial romance had very little romance or substance. There was too much time spent on the fact that “oh I’m with a white man” to develop the plot or the characters. The best friends spent so much time extolling the virtues of being with a white man who treats you like a queen as opposed to a black man who treats you like trash that it was little uncomfortable to read. I enjoy interracial romance, but not of fetishized versions of interracial relationships.
The good-
• Raina/Jason/Elise-Jason still legally married to Elise has a pregnant girlfriend who he wants to marry. However, once the wife discovers Jason is moving on with a black woman, she no longer wishes to allow him to move on and proceeds to cause drama and makes a very shocking reveal in book two.
• Imani/ Kenny /Steven- Imani and Steven are setup by their mutual friends and the relationship is immediate lust and love. Kenny who Imani was previously involved with didn’t cause too much drama. He was more of an afterthought in the story. There was some abused eluded to with one of the children, but nothing was made of it. I’m not sure why it was brought up.
The bad-
• Underdeveloped characters
• Superficial “plot”
• The transitions were a little rough
• Confusing timelines with Jason and Raina’s baby is walking and then in the next chapter, she is just learning to roll over.
• Few grammatical errors i.e. tense changes which led to incorrect word usage, question marks at the end of statements, misspelled words or incorrect acronyms used FMLA being called FEMA
• Incorrect word usage i.e. " I'm going to put you up on that" instead of "I'm going to hold you to that" in reference to holding someone accountable
• the dialogue at times could be sophomoric especially when the couples were supposed to be speaking in a romantic tone or when an attempt was made to show cultural differences. For example, In Book 2 Raina says “aww, I love you too baby. But don’t ever compare our love to what you and Elise had. Our love is genuine & strong. I love you like no other man I had ever known. You are my soulmate and best friend. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do to see us through whatever.” To which Jason responds “Bae that was some hood poetry, but I got the gist of what you were saying. “ What was hood about it? She spoke clearly no “ebonics” or “hood/ghetto referencing”.
Random-
• So if Elise had of let Jason have a threesome they would still be together? Why is she still on all his accounts? They've been legally separated for 3 yrs.
• Raina was under stress, but not in distress and given a clean bill of health. At 7 months, she ordered to be on bedrest with one baby? What did we miss?
• I’m a little surprised that the constant references to race i.e white boy this and white boy that didn't cause an issue in the relationship. The female characters referred to the


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Short and Sweet Part I by L Triplett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a collection of poetry. The author pours raw and unfiltered emotion in his work. You can feel the need to be loved as much as the need to give it.  This is evident in his opening words "short & sweet, I want to go long and deep, with your love in my life ". He takes you from the beginning of the relationship when infatuation begins and expectations fill our heads to that moment when real love begins and you enter that Obama-esque love in book 2. This collection is one to read with your significant other on a quiet evening. Let him say the words for you....Short and Sweet

Reviewed by KayBee

Diary of a Mad First Lady by DiShan Washington
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The story of how a manipulative seductress, Daphne, tests the strength and faith of a marriage between pastor, Darvin, and his wife, Michelle. I will say the story didn’t get off to the best start. The opening was very confusing. The prologue opens with a trial and the pastor and wife’s marriage on the rocks and the couple are the parents of 1 child. Chapter one begins 2 years after this trial. Michelle is pregnant and proclaims she is “living her life like it’s golden as Mrs. Daphne L. Johnson. “ I replayed the first few minutes 3 times to make sure that I wasn’t missing something.
As the story progresses, you notice fairly quickly that the story is going to move a slow pace. I found none of the characters likable, which could be how the Author wanted them to be received. The more I listened I was eager to see when it would pick up. And then Dawn appeared and I thought “Yes! Here we go”.
With Daphne in a mental institution, her “sister” Dawn shows up claiming that she and her family want to make amends for the deplorable deeds of Daphne. My first thought was okay is no one going to do a background check on this Dawn? Is everyone in the church this gullible? No one objected to her purchasing a Bentley for the pastor. Michelle, the wife, didn’t say anything either. (insert side eye) The characters were so mild mannered throughout that it was maddening. But, this was the tone of the entire book, it was very low-key in terms of action, drama, romance, and passion. Darvin had chemistry with everyone, but his wife, which was interesting. Christian fiction does not have to be free of drama or passion. I found it interesting that the Pastor was not as strong or charismatic as you would expect someone in that role. He was the weaker one in the relationship and for lack of a better term “wishy-washy”. I kept wondering what Daphne did to Michelle previously. Her deeds were referred to in general often, but we only received a small glimpse For example, Daphne changing the locks of Michelle’s home and she had to wait in the cold for 2 hours. All in all, this was a decent listen with Nicole Small as narrator I made the assumption that this story was a part of the Christian Erotica genre this Author is credited with creating. It was not and that’s fine. Christian fiction is something that I read as well. I would recommend to those who want a light easy read or listening.


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Flighty: A Magical Creature Novella by H.D.A. Pratt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was an interesting take on the message of " you are perfect the way you are or you are enough".

Flighty was born without any fairy dust and so he couldn't take flight and do what his race was born to do. He was different. (Did Lady GaGa's Born This Way just pop into your head too?) He hears tales of a way to get what he thinks he needs to be normal and to fit in. Naturally, it comes in the form of him owing a favor to someone and he's to come when they call in the favor. What was relatable about this character was he is like so many. All he saw was his flaws and not his strength, which he literally had. Fast forward to his dream coming true and then things falling apart. And then.....Well, you'll have to read it. I'm not giving away spoilers today. The Author delivered a well-structured fantasy novella with a strong message. My only concern was surrounding grammatical errors. While they were not enough to distract from the message, they were noticeable.

Reviewed by KayBee

Stone Cold Assassin: Story Of A Hitta by Richi V.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Solomon, the former street assassin turned preacher, his family, his church and his past

The story opens with Solomon married and a preacher of his own church with a wife on a cocaine and 2 adult children ( 1 stripper, 1 killer) doing their own thing and unaware of their father’s bloody past. Someone from Solomon’s former life comes to him looking for “The Shadow” and this is when the chaotic madness ensues.
The Good-
The Shadow is the most notorious killer the streets have ever seen and everyone fears him. When someone appears to have taken something that belongs to him. He goes on a murderous rampage filled with betrayal and twists at every turn. Many characters are introduced so pay attention and everyone is untrustworthy and more deadly than the last. Great story, interesting characters, and a good cliffhanger. The Shadow was cold, emotionless and sexy. I was completely engaged and it was easy to follow. Well until Chapter 18 and then ………….

The Bad-
Up until Chapter 18, the story had little to no errors and I was completed engaged. The story was easy to follow. And then it appears as if the editing job was done from Chapter 18 on. The errors became a huge distraction and began to cause serious confusion. There was incorrect word usage, character mix-ups, missing plot information, and redundancy. The fact that Shadow was this most “dangerous/notorious killer” became almost comical. You got the feeling that if a character needed something to say, this was mentioned. It literally was on every 3rd or 4th page. As the story evolved it became chaotic. There was a betrayal, someone returning from the dead or some other “twist”.
This story that started with so much promise was ruined by lack of a final read through. I loved the plot, liked the supporting characters although it became a bit much to remember who was double-crossing whom. Because of the first 17 chapters, I wanted to see how the story ended and who was left standing. But, I found myself skimming pages, because it was now a superficial story riddled with errors in literally every paragraph. This made for a confusing read as I attempted to figure out what the author meant to say.
Examples:
Example of a confusing dialogue-
Vello made Solomon promise him something before they go on a job together. He looks at Shadow and says “don’t tell myself about this”…there was no point of reference for me as a reader. What was the promise? Was it significant?
The confusing dialogue between Shadow and a street soldier “you just a young buck in training, what are you doing here? “ the street soldier responds “ I to use the phone, “
Random:
The big reveal of how Vello became boss was actually the least shocking revelation of all. I was expecting something major after the build-up.
Everyone “bucks” and either has a gun shoved in their mouth, hit in the head with a butt of the gun, shot or the other person backs down quickly or attempts to buck back and gets shot. It made no sense. Everyone can’t be deadly and dangerous
When did the bartender reveal star had a child? That whole passage was missing
A blind mother is in the house with 2 separate shootouts and heard no gunfire? During the second she’s asleep and remains asleep when someone goes underneath her mattress to remove guns. I assume silencers were used each time even though shotguns were also used? I don’t know.

I hope the author finds their footing in the sequel. This was an excellent story ruined by not reviewing the final product before publishing. (That's my two cents)


Reviewed by KayBee

Blood Money: Through My Veins by L Triplett
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

This story was of Pete Synn and his sons Flip & Dolla. Dolla and Pete were heavily in the streets. Young Flip thought he wanted to be a part of the street life, but he was not built for the death and mayhem that came with it. Each man had to deal with the loss of the boys' Mother at the hands of street violence. As the story unfolds and it's discovered who played a hand in the death of the mother, young Flip & his family are exposed to more heartache and shock.

This was a solid plot. However, the story appeared to have little to no editing or proofing. To prevent the characters from being flat or one-dimensional, a solid backstory could have been added as well as actions that could have helped the readers connect to them. At times, the passages had a poetry cadence to them. i.e. Everything for keeps, scarred the minds and heart of the Synn family in their home off Simpson Road.” What does this mean? I can assume intent, but can’t be for certain. However, what truly made this a difficult and confusing read was the lack of structure, numerous grammatical and punctuation errors and unnecessary wordiness. Example, “This Dolla ride?” Chase asked as he magician his face and hands of the sinful breakfast.

I would love to see this book re-formatted, re-edited or edited and re-released.


reviewed by KayBee

Princess Turned Gangstress by Hydiea
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Book 1 was well written and made for an interesting setup for a series. Nyoora left a regular life with a somewhat regular fiance for a bad boy she met on lockdown. Jemel, her bad boy, betrayed her in the most offensive of ways. You almost felt bad for Nyoora and the fact that she was a bit naive in dealing with someone who is involved in the streets as heavily as Jemel. She was not ready for that mentality either. The story had some entertaining characters and drama. Trifling siblings, betrayal, violence, and lies make up this story. The snakes and jealousy scenes were written well. And again that poor clueless Nyoora. The only thing about book 1 is that it ended in such an odd spot that I thought I was missing some of the book.
Book 2 continued along the same vane as book 1- Sex, killing, plotting..killing...more plotting coupled with irrational behavior...more killing...rejection and more killing. The naive princess becomes an unstable serial killer, not a gangstress, but I was still here for it.

Overall, the Author delivered an entertaining and well-written story with minimal errors to be found.

Reviewed by KayBee

Mafia Romance Series by Smanta Howard
My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This story held the promise of rugged alpha intensity, passion, lust, mafia intrigue, and action. There was no chemistry between the couples. We were told of it, but it was not demonstrated. There was an odd jump in one of the stories from newlyweds to grandparents was well ...odd.  The book lacked action, romance or passion. It was for lack of a better word bland. It stayed on the surface of the characters and the plot instead of developing them to give them texture or to give the story "meat".   There were a  few key instances that could have brought "the drama", but were poorly executed. The author had interesting characters, a solid plot, it had good bones. Unfortunately, it was lost in translation when it came to fleshing out the plot. Poor execution leads to a bland, disconnected series.


Reviewed by KayBee

ANYTHING TO GET RICH by Octavia Grant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This story was filled with crazy drama that kept me entertained. The story had real-life drama situations that made you want to see what Ms. Savage would do next. And a lesson for those who want to step out on their relationships. It even showcases what could happen when loves not given from birth. I loved how the author drew you in and when the twists come, you are truly floored by it. You could relate to the heroine, well until that twist comes lol.

The narrator was not the correct choice for this story. Luckily, it was strong enough to withstand the performance. She's improved and I'm sure she will continue to as she practices her craft.

Now let's get you that book!

Reviewed by KayBee

A Thug's Love by Jessica N. Watkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a pretty good series. Even though it, the story, has been done countless time, It captured your attention from the onset. A good girl, Kennedy meets bad boy, Damien and they fall in love. She suffered for that love but remained true to it. Her loyalty, especially after betrayal, jail, and death, becomes more than apparent to him. The author took that story and mixed it with some decent characters and produced a good story.
This Crew couldn’t seem to catch a break. When one snake was weeded out another one popped up. It truly kept you on your toes. The other primary couple, Jade and Dolla, become the focus of the series after book 3. Once a huge heartbreaking secret is revealed, this couple would never be the same.
The drama in this story was good and yet too much all at the same time. At some point, the constant drama for the crew becomes too much and you start to say okay enough already let's end this story. Again, I enjoyed it. I was just over it by book 3 and definitely by book 5. From a formatting perspective, the author delivered a very well structured story that engages and entertains those who like their drama on level 10 the entire time. All that being said, I like this author's writing style and the way she weaves a story.


Now let's get you that series!

Reviewed by KayBee

Stalker by Brenda Hampton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the story of Abigail Wilson attempting to rebound after a brutal divorce. Enter Brent Carson, who seemed like the perfect guy. He was perfect until he made his feelings known and they were not in Abigail's favor. However, the author did an excellent job of creating an unlikeable primary character. However, I was clueless as to why she spiraled into a “stalker” so easily. It did not seem probable that two bad breakups would cause her to go off the “deep end” so quickly. I’m not sure what purpose the Clinton and Velma really played in the story. Their storyline seemed thrown in as a filler and served no real purpose. The ending was predictable, but it was nice seeing how the author was going to get us to that point. I would have liked a bit more character development to go with such a well-formatted story. The narrator, Patricia R. Floyd, gave another top-notch performance as expected.

Now let's get you that book!

Reviewed by KayBee

Lady Elect 2: Lady Arykah Reigns by Nikita Lynnette Nichols
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This review is my opinion and I know I will be in the minority. The author has a gift. I looked forward to experiencing the next installment. The first installment set up an interesting storyline and this series was poised to deliver drama and maybe a few lessons. Unfortunately, this installment could not keep up with said momentum. This book picked up 5 weeks or so, after the rape of the First Lady. I was surprised that the rape was glossed over (no feelings were dealt with and “sexy time” was back as if nothing happened) and rushed to completion. The Angela issue (threat to the marriage) was handled in the same fashion. The First Lady was my least favorite character in this series. She came across shallow, cocky, combative and exhausting. These things distracted from the positive acts she did for others. She was a strong character that stood up for those who needed it. It was good to see a strong black female character. It was just easy to forget the “good stuff”. She didn’t come off likeable to me. It seemed the husband was constantly having to give in to demands after a tantrum and see her side of things without the same respect be given to him. The relationship just came across one-sided. As I said, I like the author and look forward to enjoying more of her work. This particular installment just didn’t work for me. With how harshly and unexpectedly the book ended, I am guessing there will be another installment to look forward to soon.

Now let's get you that book!

Reviewed by KayBee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Drama filled urban Christian story that does not "preach" and hit your over the head with religion

I listened to the audio version of this story and it is the first story by this author that I have experienced. First off kudos to the author for creating this interesting tale. I am always leery of urban Christian because you do not want them to become "preachy". However, this tale was full of drama, twists, betrayal, healing and a few scriptures that helped to
propel the story forward. There were a few times where I felt the story dragged in its effort to drive home a point, but all in all a good, entertaining story. Unfortunately, there are some devious "church folk" in real life. While they may not all go to the extreme as the "co-villain" in this tale, they do exist. I am on to book 2. I am hoping that book 2 will build on the momentum the author created in this installment. I saw previous books that came before Lady-elect that has characters connected to this story. It couldn't hurt to read those to get the backstory on the characters in this one to take them out of the one-dimensional category.



Now let's get you that book!

Reviewed by KayBee

Cry Baby Cry..... or Not by Dewandus Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my first read by this author and it will not be my last. My hand went over my mouth more than in once at the twists in the book. And I clutched my imaginary pearls a time or two at the raw delivery this author gave me as a reader.
I mean the book opens with one of the lead characters walking in on her “man” copulating with her parent. She was 12 yrs old mind you. This story touched on generational abuse in such a way that you felt every whip, every profane name, every tear and every ounce of anger and humiliation that Trina and Jackie felt. Jackie passed on the anger, pain, and hate she received so much so that at 12 she thinks an adult man is hers. So much so that she’s fascinated by a man killing someone in front of her. I can’t say the scene with Jackie getting her just due with the extension cord didn’t make me smile just a little bit.
Enter 15-year-old Mistro, a fledgling gang member doing what he needed to be initiated into gang life. Whose life was no better. They both played the hand they were dealt as best they could and attempted to make their own way, however that would turn out. The author gave us a gritty and shockingly realistic urban tale. The supporting characters were as interesting as the two characters that were the main focus of this story. There was so much to absorb. You had drama, sexual abuse, murder, gang life, and as I said before generational abuse. It was nice to see not just the heartbreaks that one or two can change their direction and survive it. That being said, I look forward to book 2. If the sequel is as well written, expertly formatted and gripping as book 1, this author has another winner on his hands. What’s next to come for the young Trina and her new occupation? The only reason this was not a 5 star read was that there were some grammatical errors that distracted me a time or two.

Now let's get you that book!

Reviewed by KayBee

For Brooklyn's Love by Quinteese
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dating with purpose (God's purpose) is the message

This faith-based love story between Barry, a successful sports agent, and Brooklyn, a fashion designer, and an author was a feel-good story of healing and allowing faith to guide you during your courtship. The story opens with Barry's 2yr relationship with a woman named Simone ending. She did what many do to those we claim to want and love and that plays emotional games, including the ever popular " I think I'm pregnant" or "I'm coming to use as a woman" and she lost.

Thanks to a spiritual nudging from God Barry went on to meet his future love at a conference. During their first date, a special prayer spoken solidified to the duo that God led them to each other. They both had a lack of love growing up including one being sold into a sex trafficking ring by a family member. The story takes you through them learning to heal from their past hurts, trust in faith and each other. It was a good story, but......That's what I felt at the end. It was good, but ...

And I still can't quite put my finger on what that "but' is yet.

Now, the author delivered solid backstories and current profiles for the characters. It ( the story) was well written and had great formatting. You weren't bogged down with the preachiness that can be found in most faith-based loves stories. The story was low on angst, drama, romance and of course, there was no sexual content to be found. I was okay with all of this...but.
However, there was something that didn't quite allow me to connect with the characters and become invested in their outcome. I think maybe I felt that there was some missed potential to make these characters interesting i.e. the Simone conflict, the fallout from the launch press conference.

All in all, the author delivered a solid story that a reader who is loves a feel-good romance will enjoy. So, judge for yourself and don't forget to leave a review.


Now let's get you that book!

Reviewed by
KayBee

Let Me Please You: A McClain Family Novella by Alexandria House
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kat's the only girl and deserved to have her own post just like the boys. This was the story that gave us insight as to how Kat (Kathryn) and Tommy (Tomás) became the Kirbys. It is not an extension of the series as in a new novel. But, a novella that overlaps with the events in "Let Me Show You The lone sister of the McClain family was married to a serial cheater, Wayne. They met in school during a time that in Kat's own words "she needed someone" and he was there. Tommy, as you know, had a very brief dalliance with Bridget, Jo's friend and Nolan's future mate. I don't want to tell too much of the story and ruin it. After working together in close quarters for Leland, the two start to really notice each other and one innocent flirt sparks each other's interest. I loved getting to know Tommy and his family. You get to see that he is not just a 6'9, 300lb ghost (sidenote- that's a lot of man lol okay okay back to it). You also get a deeper glimpse into who Kat is and she's just as tough and scary as the brothers. While the story does overlap with the events in another story there is no repetition. The author packed so much action an detail into the story that you don't feel shortchanged at all. She developed two characters we loved and delivered such a complete and structured story that the reader is left completely satisfied. And I wanted to see how Uncle Lee Chester was going to add his special flavor to the story. I was not disappointed. I wonder how many readers have had a "sectional".

Thank you Alexandria House for delivering a stellar series that can only be enhanced with a vacation or holiday story. (hint, hint)


Now le'ts get you that book!