KayBee's Blog

The Side Nicca Next Door Series by N'Dia Rae
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a pretty good story from a drama perspective. It was structured and developed. The characters and their own storylines as well as how they intertwined with each other made for an interesting and entertaining story.
The outcome was a bit predictable but still good. It was interesting watching the lies, betrayal, and karma play out.

Sinful Cousins by Terri Brooks
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Hayley and Parker, 21-year-old "cousins", have fallen in love. After the revelation of their love to the family, a brutal attack occurs and their story of healing begins. They have to figure out how to come together to get back to the love they once felt. The family has to figure out how to be there for each other and the young couple as well. The plot was solid and the content relevant. For this to have been a truly stellar read, the story would have had to have been written true to its region and research on a few topics would be helpful. The family is from Arkansas, but then it changes to Alabama. They are southern either way. The verbiage chosen throughout 75% to 80% of this story severely disrupted the flow. I'm a Southerner and we don't usually refer to young men as lads. For example this comment from one of the mothers regarding give the father's needs after hearing some disturbing news "Provide him with a little space to accommodate to this. " I believe "acclimate" would have been a better choice. OR, "I couldn't discard you from my mind". Incorrect verbiage also made an attack scene and its aftermath less intense than it should have been. A few other areas that would have improved the story would be developing the characters, making the reactions to certain situations more believable and adding depth to the story by filling in the missing holes would have aided in bringing the story a bit of realism. These changes would have pulled me in as a reader and allowed me to become invested in the characters and their outcome.

Random comments:
What was the reason behind constantly reminding the reader that they are "cousins" every other page?
What was going on with the attacker during the hallway scene if everyone is attending to the victim?
The victim and attacker are kept under the same roof for at least one night. The victim was expected to rest?
No one batted an eye at the murder?
The overly dramatic reaction of Parker falling to his knees and crying out in the hospital after a verbal dressing down by Stephanie over his wife's mental state was out of place.
I would not substitute the word complicated for hard in certain situations i.e. "it' complicated as f**k to keep my hands off her"

I think the author had a great story that got lost somewhere in translation. This is one I would love to see pulled, re-edited and then re-released.

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Midnight Comes with the Dawn: The Vampyir Plague by Darlene Burns
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Description
Women. Infected blood. Rotting corpses. Welcome to the world of Katrine Baten aka Midnight. She is one of the oldest existing Vampyirs and only surrounds herself with eye candy. But something is destroying not only her world, but the human world as well. Together with her lesbian coven by her side, she tries to seek a cure. And what she discovers may change the course of how she lives as a lesbian Vampyir forever! 

Book Review
Queen Katrine feared and revered by many African countries is turned into a Vampire in order to fulfill her destiny. Her maker Darius comes to her to reveal that her deceased father was his best friend and knew what he was, which makes her acceptance of what she is to become no easier.
Fast forward Katrine is now known as Midnight and is the leader of a lesbian clan of Vampires. A plague is killing not just humans, but Vampire kind as well. How will the oldest living Vampire in her clan find a cure? Well, you will have to read the story and find out.

This was a different spin on the Vampire tale that we normally read in paranormal fiction. Instead of the usual roguishly handsome brooding male Vamp, the author gives us a strong female lead, well more than one. Alex is a force as well. You can get more of her story in Book 2. The author did a good job of pulling you into each scene with the characters and kept a bit of realism to the story which aided in making it easy to connect with the story. However, outside of the grammatical errors & it is a bit wordy at times, I would have liked the smoother transitions when moving between flashbacks and the present. There were definitely times when I didn't realize that the next chapter was a flashback and not the present until a few sentences into it. The errors can be addressed by an editor or with a solid proofreader.

All in all the story was entertaining and was structured well enough to keep you engaged. Get your copy and please leave a review.

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Deadly Temptation by Linette King
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A young woman with a seemingly dark past marries up and is estranged from her family. She is caught by one of her in-laws with her lover. From this point, the drama ensues. The story was flowing well and the characters, while not developed, were somewhat interesting. However, after the reveal of Jazmyne' s past and her husband's outburst, the story loses control. The epilogue has an odd entry about a yoni steam that fits nowhere and so the end came across as odd. Yes, it is hard to fully develop a short story, but I like for them to still make sense. This odd ending and minor errors make this an okay, quick read with missed potential.

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Dropping Panties In The Pulpit by Tutu Da Author
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book involves two couples - Pastor Omar, Los, and their wives. The couples are tied together through the streets and through the church. I will preface my comments by stating that 1) I did not complete the story and 2) I liked the scandalous title and gorgeous cover and did not read the synopsis before I downloaded. I feel like I may have received a flawed copy of the book. There appeared to be little to no editing or formatting in place. I had to stop after chapter 5 because it was simply too confusing and chaotic to continue. Each page if not paragraph was riddled with errors. Poor transitions, incomplete or jumbled sentences, lack of punctuation and incoherent dialogue all added to the confusion. I could not get a feel for the story or the characters, which is a shame because I think this story held good potential. Will I try other work by the author? Sure, I would not let one book turn me off. However, I think he or she owes to herself to take a look a the version that was published and re-release the entertaining story he or she intended.
#justmytwocents



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Seen, Never Heard : A Twisted Love Story by Miss J.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an interesting take on mental illness and rape. The characters were somewhat developed, but not enough to provide their motivations. I felt as if this was a snippet of a full story. Maybe it (the story) was billed as a "short story" and I missed it. The topic was a good choice. The book was properly formatted and had a good editing job. I think it fell short on character and plot development.

I have a few unanswered questions. They are:
1. Why the extreme hatred from the father? stepmother? stepbrother?
when I asked the stepbrother replied, "You were here first." This hardly seems like a reason to set up a gang rape.
2. Why did Jayce keep coming back?
3. What happened in Cain's past? Did I miss the reason he evolved into the person we met?


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Goodbye Newsroom by Michelle Prak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Anna and Holly are sisters and journalists albeit unemployed. Their lack of income prompts them to launch their own site. The characters were written to be fun, likable and a bit sassy. While the story took a bit to get into, I eventually wanted to find out if things worked out for the two sisters and their entrepreneurial endeavors. It was quick, light and didn't delve too deep into any drama. There was travel, humor, and light sex. If there was any one thing that I had to take issue with it was the confusing transitions from the inner dialogue to the actual dialogue of the characters.  It also left me with at least one or two unanswered questions.

I received this ARC from Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.

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The Lady Killer:A Public Service Announcement by Sa'id Salaam
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Entertaining and Informative
First, you are appalled and entertained reading the sexual exploits of the "lady killer".
Second, you are informed with statistics and factual information.
This was a great tool to educate the masses. Sadly this "lady killer" exits, he just comes in a different package. But keep in mind his counterpart "man killer" exists.

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While He's Sleeping She's Creepin' by T'Ann Marie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review relates to the series as a whole.
Sy'Heir/Paige/Dayona/Sneak/Trish
Syion/Jazmine/Trech/Sasha

This story delves into the relationships of the people above. We have a good girl and a good guy both love those in their lives openly and freely only to be mistreated until they are broken.  They both have to deal with betrayal, emotional abuse and the death of two key characters all while trying to maintain some integrity and peace in their lives. However, fate leads them to each other and their healing.  The characters were developed even the character who provided comic relief in the form of trusty sidekick, Nori. I would love to get a novella on her.   I enjoyed seeing the growth and vulnerability of the male characters well those who were meant to show it.  There were instances of misspelled words that were noticeable but were not great in number. The title of each chapter was in purple and hard to read in the kindle version, which was not good since it announced which pov the chapter was devoted too.

The story was structurally sound with the appropriate content and fairly good plot movement. Even when nothing really happened with the characters, the author wrote their angst or individual scenes in such a way that you did not realize that the story had not moved along at all for several pages.  While I think the four books could have been combined into two books to three or event two books for a bigger impact, I enjoyed the series and consumed it in the space of two days.

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A Medium's Birthday Surprise by Chariss K. Walker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After her parent's death, Becky Tibbs was gifted with the ability to be a medium. She had little experience with the big bad world, but she did know the afterlife. Becky gets a blast from her past in the form of an ex-boyfriend. She has set out to discover what happened to him all those years ago. We get to see what happens in life and death. However, the story doesn't dive too deep into the afterlife so as not to take on a serious tone. The story has an almost superficial feel as far as depth so as not to take on a serious tone. The author keeps it light, cozy and fun and it was the right choice for this book. The characters were developed and there were enough layers to the plot to keep you engaged. If I had a complaint, it would be the number of errors. I good proofreader would catch those before publishing.

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Obsessed with my Wife's Best Friend by Lady Lissa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 1-
Dallas, who is married to Tierra, is in love and lust with her best friend Tangi. The story chronicles his obsession with Tangi. Tangi's betrayal to Tierra and their friendship. When his place in Tangi's life is threatened, he is prompted to confess and leave his wife. This is when the story truly picks up. There wasn't a lot of movement, but that is due to the repetition in each chapter. The story was a quick and moderately paced read. There was not a rush to the cliffhanger. It flowed fairly well. There were a few errors, but nothing to distract from the story. I did enjoy the story and am looking forward to part two.

Book 2  The story picked up where book 1 left off. Dallas' obsession with Tangi reached an all-time high. He took his stalking up a notch and became vengeful when he didn't get his way. Tangi had finally found love, but she still has to contend with Dallas' stalking and trying to keep her horrible secret from her best friend. However, her love, Smooth gives Tangi an ultimatum that she is not prepared to follow through with yet. This causes a rift in the relationship.  Tierra has a new man, a baby on the way and is waiting for her divorce to become final. There was a lot of activity,  but not necessarily movement that propelled the story further than it should have been by the second book.
That being said, I'm patiently waiting for book 3 to be released. The ending was perfect and suspenseful.


Books 3 and 4 are filled with drama, drama, drama and then more drama. I wasn't quite sure what the authors could come up with for a 4th book, but they delivered. The character development remained on point,  a new villain was introduced, forgiveness occurred, murder, and everyone is a suspect.


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Sight Unseen by T. Ashley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Description
Sixteen year old Morgan Alexander has been kept in the dark for years. It wasn't until she met the boy next door that the secrets from her childhood was brought to the light. Will Morgan be able to cope through it all? What path will she choose, and is it the right one?

Book Review
This was a good young adult paranormal/action read. You get a little teen angst with an underlining current of darkness. The feel of impending doom and darkness intensifies when Morgan and Casper meet sharing their first kiss. Setting in motion a battle of light against dark. The story was moderately paced with a clear plot. The characters were somewhat developed, but the background for each primary was not clear enough for me.   As those who are "different" is revealed evil is revealed. The structure and formatting are well done. I think the author did a good job of setting up for a new series. While this was not for me, I would not hesitate to recommend this to a teen.


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Mobbin' for a Bellshire Boy: Married to the Gang by Tabitha Sharpe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fast-paced and drama filled

This story pulled me in from page 1. I loved the setup was clear and the storyline was easy to follow. Bama and Brazil were soulmates torn apart by family obligations. Seven years later they are reunited in an unlikely way and it is like nothing ever happened. The anticipation to see how the re-kindling of their love affair would be taken by those who were now in their lives made for an anxious reader. The Author delivered on every front for me-character development(except Kya), execution, format, content, structure. Her team put out a great start to a series. If I had one thing to say that would be I would like to know what was in Kya's background that made her mother treat her so coldly as an adult. It was eluded to that Kya did some "bad things". What were those bad things?  I'm looking forward to seeing the gang in action in book 2.  Great job Ms. Sharpe.



Mobbin' for a Bellshire Boy 2: Married to the Gang by Tabitha Sharpe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rating rounded up
There were a few moving pieces in the story with the addition of the Brooklyn/Katarra/Leo triangle. While parentage, births, death, and betrayals were revealed, you got a little more backstory on the characters in this story, which helped move this story along at the quick pace the author set up in book 1. There were no errors that were evident. The plot continued to develop and move forward until the cliffhanger, which was not surprising. however, it will be nice to see how this author brings it all together. Book 3, the finale I hope, should be explosive and satisfying.



Mobbin' for a Bellshire Boy 3: Married to the Gang by Tabitha Sharpe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mobbin' for a Bellshire Boy 4: Married to the Gang by Tabitha Sharpe
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


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A Real Kind of Love by Bella Jay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm a little on the fence with my rating for this book. On the one hand, I love a good love story. I love when love wins. I love seeing the promise, the struggle and the ending to love. This book gave us a woman, Avelyn, who was not interested in love. It was unwanted in her life. She was bitter. Enter, love in the form of Dasiah. In their journey to love there was disrespect, a lot of angst, self-discovery, anger and yet there was very little in the way of romance. I didn't necessarily feel the chemistry between the couple. I'm not sure if that is why I was not convinced this was necessarily about love, but maybe another four-letter word-feel. Learning to feel, communicate and accept love. Both characters needed to grow, but Avelyn's character was the most difficult. I am not certain if that character's reactions -that sometimes made little sense- is what kept me at bay. I like the Author and I will be reading part two.

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Blinded by Sabrina Rose
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 1-
Emerald, Candy, and Yasmine –three young ladies all making their own money and wanting the love of a good man- enter Trey, Nas, Yasir & Vito. These couples move fast, working through misunderstandings, and egos. This urban fiction story captured my interesting immediately. The characters were interesting and the storyline was a strong one. However, there were definitely times that were confusing to me due to incorrect word usage and unclear transitions from one character’s dialog to another. I would have liked some backstory on the characters as well. I felt like I missed huge “chunk” of the story that the time jumps didn’t explain. The score is attributed to the grammatical, spelling and editing errors. All that being said, the story is a good one and I am on to book 2.
Book 2-
This story opened by giving us a little background on how Synthia met Nas. It was a nice twist revealing her connection to Candy as well. There were several moments of high drama and a bit of chaos in the second installment. I definitely would have liked there to have been fewer distractions i.e. character mixups, incorrect word usage, etc. The plot was strong and the 2 part series ended on a fitting note. This author is one to watch for certain. She is definitely talented and knows how to spin a tale

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Metamorphs: Return of the Legion by Yuri Jean-Baptiste
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The story pulled me in immediately. Who was the key? Who were these beautiful and hideous beings? Tell me now! Yeah, I’m a little impatient, but I digress. I loved how the family tried to feel Tristan out to see if he had any “interesting or weird” happenings occurring to him yet. The author pulls you into each scene with such descriptive writing that you truly become invested in the characters. I remember feeling anxious waiting for the reveal of powers or the outcome of a potential confrontation. The author delivered developed characters with an action-packed plot. Part one of this series was engaging and well-written. I will be reading part two.

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Nobody Can Love You Like Them Roughnecks Do by Shvonne Latrice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Entertainment and Education





The entertainment-
Cortez aka Belly is cocky, confident and very straightforward. Okay, he was rude as hell and kept a regular"hoe-tation" of 5 or so women that remained loyal to him. Women were constantly trying to get recruited to be on the team.  Blaise is pretty, sexy, smart and trying to forge her own career. All while trying to be a good single mom with only financial help from the father.  It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but when I did, I was all in.  The story had an interesting group of supporting characters. The supporting characters were as much a mess as Belly's harem of harlots.  His "crew" consisted of his brother and 3 friends. One of whom will betray him in the most unbelievable way.  Blaise and her circle of friends were all trying to make a name for themselves in the entertainment world and provide for their families.  Along the way, there is a bit of partner swapping, fake news, beatings, stalking, passion, lust, and an STD. Even the parents in the story were completely deplorable with Belly's and Blaise's parents leading the pack.  The story moved swiftly, held my interest ( I read all 4 in 2 days) and delivered a fitting end to the characters presented. It had good character development,  a strong storyline and was well- executed.

The education-
This story touched on so many elements. One of the most interesting was the addiction to prostitution for one of the male characters.  Instead of the usual drugs, alcohol, and gambling, the character was addicted to "working girls".  Which leads to the mental health element. You see a black man visiting a therapist. Something that unfortunately has been frowned upon in the Black community. Thankfully,  a real push to has taken place culturally to take the stigma away from this form of self-care.  I appreciated this being in the book.  The Author also touched on parental neglect and promiscuity and its generational effects on families. It was also great that she showed what breaking that negative cycle looks like. You also see the effects of low self-esteem and how it colors your steps in adulthood by allowing you to accept coming in second best or in some cases fifth. You are being entertained so well through the world she creates with her talented pen that you have no idea you are also learning that you shouldn't allow a person to make you feel less than the magnificent being you were born to be. Or that investing in yourself when no one, not even your parents, can lead to success. She shows that being strong and confident doesn't mean you're a bitch or angry. Belly's character, as well as Blaise's, demonstrates this perfectly. Neither had parental support or anyone else in the corner. They believed. The worked. They hustled.


If you know nothing about this Author you can see the love she has for home. The respect she pays to the artists, the culture, the hustle. This was a very entertaining series. The drama had you shaking your head. the passion kept you glued to the pages. I loved that the HEAs came together for the couples or did it?

Sidenote: I'll never look at fudge pops the same again.




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Carl Weber's Kingpins: Houston by Treasure Hernandez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars







Kim and Donna, sisters who escaped from certain death when their parents were murdered. They were taken in by their Aunt Lisa, who taught them her hustle and how to survive. She was a cold character and I really liked her. Once the last of their family was taken away, they had to find out who was trying to get their revenge. Donna, the thinker of the two, came up with a plan for them to follow. However, Kim the weaker of the two veered from the plan putting them both in jeopardy.  The girls were just trying to make in the world. I could relate. I knew Keraun was going to be a snake. This was a predictable storyline, but it was entertaining enough to keep my attention. I'm from Houston so I was I looking for more references to the city.

There were a few lulls when the girls were going back and forth over next steps in their plan or who could be out for revenge. The narrator Ellis Park did a good job with the material given.

Reviewed by Contributor

 - TBlack 




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The Scopas Factor by Vincent Panettiere
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was my first book by this author so I was not quite sure what to expect. From the synopsis, I gathered that the primary male character, Detective Mike Hegan returns to Chicago hoping to put a bad experience behind him. However, his girlfriend Diana, who was a prominent figure and not just an afterthought in the story set him up on a new job. the case leads him from San Francisco to traveling across the country. There are a lot of characters to keep up with so pay attention. With those characters come multiple twists including kidnapping and murder. I did enjoy the Author not pulling any punches and grabbing my attention from the first Chapter. He knows how to pull you in with great imagery. I always enjoy when I can picture and feel what is going on with the characters. The characters were developed including the supporting characters. The story appears to be well structured and good editing was involved here as well. I ALWAYS appreciate a technically clean novel. My only issue with the story is that at times, it got a little wordy and I think bogged down with unnecessary details. I felt the pace slow a tad bit midway through. Hmm, it could have just been me and the fact that I could not wait to see how the story would unfold. The Detectives backstory was interesting and I loved getting the insight that the Author gave us as to what makes him tick. All in all, a good read and am glad I got to experience it.

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Making Good Love to a Bad Boy by Breana Morgen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This series is comprised of 5 books, one of which is an update on the  Black family that took place during the holiday season.

Three brothers-Domino, Dedrick & Davion-lost their parents early in their young lives. Domino, the eldest, was left as head of the family in charge of finances and their future. He has become a self-made mogul and has little patience for love, relationships, and disrespect.  His stance on disrespect and making his money doesn't change, but one chocolate beauty comes in and changes his whole world with the way she loves him. Middle child Dedrick finds pleasure in his lab. However, when the woman of his dreams turns out to be a "thot girl" and leaves him with a little surprise, he is devasted. Fortunately, he meets someone who is the Myra to his Urkel and opens him up to a new brand of chemistry. Dedrick will have you laughing with his lack of knowledge when it comes to being hip and speaking slang.  Davion, the youngest brother, showcases his abuse (drugs, physical & verbal) like a trophy with no regard to the women or children he harms. Even after tragedy befalls him again and changes the course of his future, his abuse is taken further much to the dismay of those who love him. One thing all the brothers had in common was the nonsense brutally honest delivery they had in any situation.

The series had good character development, interesting primary and supporting characters.  It was well structured and executed. The Author pulls you in from the first chapter with drama and keeps you by bringing in comedy, complex characters in real-world situations i.e. spousal abuse from a male perspective. and the effects of losing parents at a young age.  There were minor grammatical errors, but not enough to distract from the story.

Breana Morgan kept the same fire once throughout the entires series even in the Holiday standalone she released.  I found myself literally laughing out loud to anything Dedrick said. I am so pleased with this final book and would totally recommend this series. The Black Family is definitely one you won't forget.


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That Bona Fide Hood Love: Kaseem and Kasslyn by Shvonne Latrice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kaseem-hard, raw and a self-made man. Kasslyn- a young woman dealt a bad hand when her mother committed suicide. Two people who were not looking for love. They met due to an arrangement Kasslyn had with his brother. The chemistry between the two was undeniable. I like that the characters were well developed. The formatting and editing were expertly executed. The story moved seamlessly from one scene to the next. The smooth transitions meant no confusion on the part of the reader. The story also moved at a moderate pace. You felt the chemistry between the characters. The supporting characters were all interesting Jamal was a piece of work. Wasn't he? At any rate, I enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend it.

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10 yr old Inez, who had what appears are premonitions.  She kept all of her dreams written down as stories in a journal as her grandmother suggested.  She doesn't know what to do with her gift or why she has it. What does the strange woman in the dream want? This is an excellent short and great start to a series. I definitely wanted to know the rest of the story.

Friends With Benefits: My Deadly Addiction by Linette King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A young woman, Bre, who thinks she's doing the right thing by being honest about her intentions. She's had a "bed warmer" for two years and while he wants more she has maintained and stressed to him that it's just sex. Her roommates warned her that Kyle, her friend with benefits, is not keeping it casual. We also have Alexis and Tyrell. their relationship was on the rocks after Tyrell opened up a club and spent his free time trying to make it successful. After a violent confrontation that leads to restraining orders, chokeholds, and a possible deadly confrontation. The story ends. The story was interesting enough, but it feels incomplete. I wanted to know more about the history of the characters. What exactly was in Bre's past. What happened to Kyle to make him so unhinged? What was the fallout between Tyrell/Paul and Alexis? I'm left with so many questions that I can only assume a part two will be in the works.

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Coldhearted & Crazy: Say U Promise 1 by Michel Moore
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Unfortunately, there was nothing cold-hearted or crazy happening in this book that had so much potential. The introduction of the series spent more than 90% of the book introducing the sisters and laying the groundwork for the series that this installment came out a bit flat. Don't get me wrong what was provided was a solid setup for the most part. The characters were developed. The plot of the series was a good one. Well it is a good one if in the next installment the twins become "coldhearted & crazy'. If that is not the plan, then I'm not sure what the plot is exactly. The story moved extremely slow until the last 30 to 45 minutes, which of course was a cliffhanger. The narrator did a great job.

*Remember a Goodreads 2 is an Amazon 3.

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Gorillaz in the Bay: Neva Die by De'Kari
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The rise and fall of a boss and the effects of his actions on those in his gang and in his life. T'Rida's, Jason aka Voorheeze and Gunz three men heavily into the street life and all the spoils and dangers that come with it. This tale of how the Neva Die Dragon Gang became the most feared gang in their area was gritty and extremely raw. The Author gives us an insider's view of what it takes to get their entrepreneurial endeavor off the ground and how to keep it running. Along the way, the characters give us a few laughs, show us that loyalty and respect are important and that they are stronger together. When they go off on their own, someone falls to the very evil that gave them their riches. The passages detailing gang activity or the emotions of certain characters are so descriptive, you can envision each scene. The characters are developed, the work is formatted, and was clearly edited very well. Congratulations on a well-written debut novel.

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The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Shadow Cove and its residents are hiding a few secrets. I believe this was billed as a thriller, but it was more murder mystery. A wife blindly in love with her new husband and living in an idyllic small town in Washington. After a tragic fire, she Sarah and her husband must rebuild and they end up in a home owned by someone that unbeknownst to them both will change the landscape of their future in an unimaginable way. Three was quite a bit of angst, which was to be expected as we received the story from the heroine's POV. I liked the story in that it was easy to follow and an easy listen. The narrator, Rebecca Roberts, was perfect for this story. I would say 80% of the story was fairly predictable. There was one twist that came out of nowhere and it was quite good. Overall, I enjoyed it.

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Symmetry by T.M. Caruana
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This story was not my normal read. I’m no expert when it comes to fantasy fiction, much less science fiction. This author appears to have combined both into an imaginative tale of young Susy who spent too much time on earth. Her stay not only affected the earth but her powers & memory as well. The author did a solid job of setting up this series, the overall plot and introducing the characters to us. It doesn’t take long for the story to pick up in action so you’ll need to pay attention. Suzy is struggling as are the Knights once it is realized she’s lost more than originally thought. An Oracle’s prediction sets the tone midway through the book. This book also contains a love story. Nina’s outcome was heartbreaking and like the rest of the book well-written. I wonder what is next in the series.

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Jholee & Kiandre: A Gangsta And His Good Girl by Bianca
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This author knows how to elicit strong emotions from her readers.

Book 1
Jholee and TK's story - Jholee was almost too good of a girl. She was extremely green. TK, the gangsta, and bad boy. I did not like either initially. Jholee, I wanted to say toughen up and smarten up. I did like that the storyline wasn't your typical he's a dope dealer and she's a good girl turned stripper. The route she attempted to take in order to help out her family was not one I've seen in AA fiction that I've read thus far. It was a refreshing change. The story was moderately paced with not a lot of movement, but that is to be expected since it was the first installment in the trilogy. And while I couldn't really connect with any of the characters just yet, but I'm sure it will happen soon enough. I can't say that I felt any chemistry between Johlee and TK despite their scenes together. However, with that ending, I fully anticipate book 2 to start off with a bang.

Book 2-
The opening- If I didn't think Jholee was a hot mess before I did during this opening. Six men advance on you and your response is to drop to the floor, wrap your knees around you and cry? Being sheltered is one thing, but not realizing that a faceless, postless person on social media is not trustworthy is another. She came across even more juvenile in this installment than in book one. TK was the typical player. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too. He was honest about it. The back and forth between the two became a bit much, especially with no chemistry between the two. As in book 1, I am understanding what was the attraction between the two. The story was full of nonsensical drama, but there was not much movement from a storyline perspective. I'm hoping the story finds its rhythm in the final installment. From a technical standpoint, it was well formatted with minimal errors.

Book 3-
Now, Book 3 brought everything together. You can see the chemistry between TK and Jholee.  All of the characters as a whole were entertaining even the "villians".  I was floored when TK brought up the idea of marriage.  The first two books revolved around a lot of back and forth and them having a good day and then being apart for 2 weeks or more at a time.  I was confused as to why the age difference was treated like it was 15 or more years. Jholee was only 2 years younger than Chey. Maybe I misread. The age difference between Joe-Lee Jr and Linda now that was something.  TK fainting in the doctor's office gave me a good chuckle.  Jhloee's new found "confidence" was also nice to see even if she was not a likable character.  The supporting cast helped make her character tolerable.  Her father is at the top of that list.  While this series as a whole was not for me, Book 3 was. This author knows how to deliver the goods on a story. and that's what she did in book 3.   As always the formatting was on point, there were minimal errors and nothing to note on that front.  For me had this been a standalone novel, it would have packed a more powerful punch.

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The Ugly Side of Me by Nikita Lynnette Nichols
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Emotionally exhausting tale of anger? misery? I'm just not sure

This is my third book by this author, so I am aware of her talent and was ready to enjoy this book. I listened to this book on audio. I’m going to preface my review with the fact that maybe if I had read the book, the way the characters came across might have been different. I was exhausted after listening to this book. I know I am in the minority with how I felt after listening to this book, but again maybe this went over my head.

The heroine was so despicable throughout most of the story that I struggled to complete it. I am not sure what the author’s intent was with this story. What did she hope her audience would gain, learn, experience from this tale? Maybe, the book went over my head. I felt disgust, disbelief back to disgust. I read the summary and I knew based on that there would be drama. I thought the storyline had potential.

This felt like a teenage “love gone wrong” story. The over the top, erratic emotions, volatile actions, tantrums, and juvenile conversations reinforced my belief that this was a young adult tale of what happens when you obsess and fabricate relationships that do not exist. I was even more certain that her mental instability went beyond the TS after the #2 incident at the doctor’s office, the vacation conversation with her boss, the airport incident and that was just a few examples.

Questions or comments that popped up throughout my listen.
1. How does a volatile, angry, mentally stunted & downright nasty person maintain a relationship of any kind whether it be personal or professional?
2. What type of mental illness did the heroine suffer from that caused such negative reactions from her. This is not all from the TS.
3. With the biting, sarcastic & overly dramatic attitude/responses is Rhapsody even capable of having an adult conversation?”
4. She’s 34, but with the mental capacity of a teenager? Her interactions with everyone supports this assumption. Is this what readers are supposed to get from her?
5. What happened in her history to get her to this level of nastiness, insecurity & desperation?
6. Even with Malcolm’s “youthful” idiotic decisions that were led by his “little head”, he still came across more mature than Rhapsody.
7. Drama started from the on-set, danger signs and all Malcom stayed. Materialism is a powerful beast.

Pros
Storyline had potential
Malcom’s character rang true to the age that was set
Rhapsody’s insecurity & desperation will be relateable for some

Cons
Heroine was utterly ridiculous most of the time
Wordy, unnecessary details
Rough narration delivery
Certain scenes were disgusting & held no value to the scene or story

My audible comments
1. What would have made The Ugly Side of Me better?
The backstory on why the heroine was who she was and why she treated people so horribly

2. What was most disappointing about Nikita Lynnette Nichols’s story?
As a reader, I was not sure what the author wanted her audience to gain/experience from this story.

3. What didn’t you like about Lynnette Freeman’s performance?
The delivery was extremely rough. The transition to the male character came across as if she was out of breath. I normally like her performances. She was just the wrong choice for this particular story.

4. What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
I only felt two things - disgust & disbelief

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I'll Do Anything for My Philly Goon by Nakeria Hendley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I felt like I missed some scenes that addressed the quick manner in which Saquon and S'nari fell into a relationship. I think we were kept at arm's length when it came to the relationship. This story was not entertaining when it could have been. No chemistry existed between any of the characters. S'nari's character didn't make sense to me.  The sequel came together for me better than book one.  The characters started to make sense and feel complete. Book 2 was structured and well written from a technical sense. I still felt that the characters could have been more developed so that their actions and reactions make some kind of sense. For example, the cousin's intense hatred didn't make sense. I would have liked to know what motivated it.  The explanation provided didn't fit her actions.  The relationship between the two primary characters also fell into place in book 2 as did their chemistry. All in all, this was a decent read and I would recommend it.

Body Count: How Many Is Too Many by Octavia Grant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Novellas can be difficult to give your readers the full experience of who your characters are and what they experience. But, this author did a good job with this one. The great thing about this story was that it could have been the life of a woman or man. You do dirt and treat people as disposable items regardless of their feelings or how it may impact their lives and your comeuppance will be one that could knock you on your ass. The only thing that could have made this better was to get a bit more of the lead characters backstory and how she became so cold and callous.

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Work Husband: Some Lines Should Never Be Crossed by Octavia Grant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Quick and dirty

This book hit you with a quick 1 -2 punch. Drama, sex, violence, and betrayal culminated into this fast-paced, well-executed story. Crystal, the primary female character was written so well that you felt her decline into instability.  Rejection after rejection after rejection some can only handle so much, especially when you are already fragile.  This book is a good example of how important communication and transparency is any relationship personal or professional.

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Antisocial by Bradley Campbell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

New York City Detective Tristan Andretti is engaged and in a career that puts him in the crossfire of a dangerous man with rainbow hair. After that encounter, his world changes and maybe not for the better. We have a time jump that introduces us to a pop star dealing with issues related to an accident and her fame. crosses swords with deadly enemies in the hardest puzzle of his career. The first 7 chapters were engaging and pulled me into the story. However, the story lost me a bit after chapter 8. I could not connect with the new characters or the situation. I think I was waiting for the suspense and danger to show itself. I am assuming that will come about in the second installment. From a technical standpoint, the story was structured and well-written with no errors. The characters were developed and the plot or setup was clear. If the Author brings the suspense and danger referenced in the synopsis or description, I think book 2 will be very entertaining.

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