Choices by Skyy (Feb. 2008 Pick of the Month)

Publisher/Date:  Kings Crossing Publishing, Aug. 2007
Genre(s):  Romance, College Life
Pages:  255
Website:  http://www.simplyskyy.com

Rating: ★★★★★ 

It truly is a “different world” from where you come from – nothing is more evident than in author Skyy’s debut novel, CHOICES, a spellbinding story of four friends at a HBCU navigating lesbian life.

Hearts are broken, friendships are tested, and lessons are learned by the richly-drawn characters who come to life from the very first chapter. More like family, Denise, Cooley and Carmen are out lesbians on campus and best friends aiding each other through love and life; adding Lena, the sexy new roommate of Denise, only enhances their friendships.

Lena is the new girl on campus. Her heart belongs to Brandon, the star of the men’s basketball team. That, combined with her wealthy background, makes her the most envied girl on campus, especially since she’s set to be the wife of a future NBA superstar. Despite that, Lena finds something intriguing about the tomboy she shares a room with – and her curiosity about Denise begins to get the better of her.

Denise is the unattainable stud athlete, with mad skills on and off the court. Her heart has been closed since her last failed relationship – until she walks into her dorm room the first day of school and discovers Lena unpacking. While noticing her curvaceous form, Denise soon realizes Lena is a remarkable woman with a good heart, and can’t help but fall hard for the beauty. It’s a move she’s not sure she wants to make.

Completely opposite of Denise is Cooley, the smooth player of the bunch, the stud who’s managed to have any woman – gay or straight – that she sets her sights on. Christened as “Killa Cap” for her sexual prowess, Cooley has played more games with females than Milton Bradley. One woman, however, doesn’t seem to take no for an answer and makes her life a living hell, possibly ruining Cooley’s one chance at a real relationship.

Tired of the “big girl” blues, Carmen takes hold of her life and drops enough dress sizes to be a dime. Carmen figures losing the weight will help her ex see her in a new light, but she still can’t shed the self-esteem issues that plague her. Will Carmen finally find someone to accept her for whom she is, and even better, learn to love herself?

Skyy’s Choices amounts to a story with heart. The author has taken the black college experience and made it her own – lesbian style. Classes, parties, sororities…all of it creates a fresh story that hasn’t been done this well in black lesbian novels. Bravo, Skyy!

Now where’s the sequel – cause you can’t leave me hangin’.

Reviewed February 2008

In the Company of My Sistahs by Angie Daniels

Publisher/Date:  Dafina, Jan. 2007
Genre(s):  Contemporary Fiction, Straight Books with Lesbian Characters
Pages:  448
Website:  http://www.angiedaniels.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

The tomfoolery of four females in Jamaica is at the center of IN THE COMPANY OF MY SISTAHS, written in fun and all seriousness by romance author Angie Daniels.

Sistahs reads like a black soap opera with all the drama consumed in its 488 pages. The book is mostly narrated by Renee Moore, the wild child of the women, who has been through two failed marriages. It will soon be three if Renee can help it. And what her current husband doesn’t give her, she finds in frivolous flings. Going on this trip with her sister and two friends was just what she needs to make a decision about her marriage – if she can manage the time between her many suitors on the island.

Her big sister, Lisa, is using this trip to break some heart-wrenching news to her younger sibling. Figuring the sun and surf of Jamaica would provide a relaxing backdrop to reveal her devastating confession, she only hopes that the secret will help Renee realize that life is too short to take granted.

If anyone needs that lesson it’s their friend Kayla, who has resorted to being the mistress of a married man. She spends most of her time catering to the illicit ills of a Baptist preacher whom she’s sure will leave his wife and soon make her a minister’s wife. Kayla can’t see beyond her weight that she is a woman worthy to be loved. A man she meets on the island hopes to change her mind.

Last, but certainly not least, is Nadine, a closeted lesbian who has a great relationship with her lover, Jordan. She knows Jordan is exactly what she needs in her life, but familial obligations won’t allow her to reveal the woman she’s in love with – even to her closest friends.

I could turn the pages fast enough with Sistahs, and I didn’t want to because I was afraid I would miss something. The plot is so detailed and the characters’ flaws were so undisguised. Daniels wrote the novel in a candid and honest fashion, almost the point you wanted to knock some sense into the ladies. She also provided enough background of the characters that you could understand why they do what they do. And by the book’s end, you realize that they are far from perfect.

I would definitely recommend Sistahs for anyone who wants a quick and entertaining story with heart.

Reviewed February 2008

The Lesbian’s Wife by Sidi

Publisher/Date:  Harlem Book Center, Mar. 2006
Genre(s): Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Pages:  282

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Imagine being abducted from the life you knew and the woman you fell in love with…

That’s the predicament Aisha Kone finds herself in when a vacation to the motherland goes horribly wrong in THE LESBIAN’S WIFE. Aisha’s story begins in New York City, where she grew up the daughter of an African immigrant. Despite the worship of her father in the Islamic community, Aisha was being tortured at his hands, as well witnessing the mistreatment of her own mother. Being a woman in an Islamic household meant she had no power, and she vowed never to be tied down to religion if it means giving up being whom she is.

While seeing her case worker, Aisha meets Beyonce (no, not the singer), and they begin a romance, finding solace in helping each other overcome their tragic upbringings while falling in love. Once her father finds out, he is outraged. He figures he has to do something about his wayward daughter before it’s too late. So he arranges a trip for Aisha’s birthday, an African vacation to her homeland of the Ivory Coast.

Aisha naively accepts. She’s so excited, so much that she doesn’t realize the trap about to befall her. She makes it to her destination, and the trip begins with much excitement. She visits areas she’s only dreamed about and talked with people who paint her a colorful image of the land where her father grew up. When Aisha’s about to depart the beautiful country, however, she’s abducted.

Forced to be with an older Islamic preacher, Aisha becomes one of four wives of the Marabout, arranged through her dear old daddy, and and is forced to be with the older Islamic preacher. She’s held captive as a concubine and doesn’t know when she’ll see her family again, most importantly, her girlfriend Beyonce. How will she ever find her way back home?

Author Sidi has created a tale that could very well happen in this day and age. The Lesbian’s Wife has promise as an energetic, informative piece of work, but some details could have been a bit sharper. It’s too bad Aisha never followed her instincts – otherwise she might not have been in the situation she was, but she learns a valuable lesson that she shares with others. And in the end, it only makes her stronger.

I enjoyed the relationship between Aisha and Beyonce, which demonstrated that the power of love can survive even the direst of circumstances.

Reviewed February 2008

London Reign by A.C. Britt

Publisher/Date:  Ghettoheat, Sept. 2007
Genre(s):  Street Life, Young Adult
Pages:  224
Website:  http://www.ghettoheat.com

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

If your back is against the wall, what do you do? Do you cower in fear or fight back?

If you’re 16-year-old London Walters, the protagonist of LONDON REIGN, you’re both a lover and a fighter. For most of her young life, London has been fighting against everything – living with an alcoholic father, surviving the inner-city Boston streets, being gay and being perceived as a man. Unbeknownst to most women she dates, London is a man trapped in a woman’s body. The love-em-and-leave-em playboy needs a special woman that can handle her and give her a reason to settle down.

London thinks she might have the one – until one night she is forced to leave home. It’s not something she wants, especially since she would have to abandon her little sister, Shantell, whom she always promised to protect. But she leaves anyway, taking a bus ride to Detroit, where she settles with little money and nowhere to stay.

She looks for employment in an auto shop, and runs into the boss’ daughter, Mercedes. London finds her attractive but hesitates because Mercedes is a bitch with a capital B; she doesn’t want to mix business with pleasure. The pair begin dating, yet it comes to a head when Mercedes learns the truth about London’s past. It jeopardizes her job and her well being.

But London’s a hustler, and has never let anyone keep her down for too long.

A.C. Britt’s London Reign takes you into the world of doing what you gotta do to stay alive. London is a real stud-thug, but you see she has heart. Good storytelling is the gift you’ll receive in reading London Reign. You’ll want to know what happens next to the bad boy, and if she makes it out.

Reviewed February 2008