Tag: Romance

Cyber Case by Nikki Rashan

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Publisher/Date:  Urban Books, Aug. 2010
Genre(s):  Romance, Suspense
Pages:  288
Website:  http://www.nikkirashan.com

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Attention Facebook and Twitter addicts: Nikki Rashan has written a novel that will make you think twice before you make that next status update.

CYBER CASE is the tale of two women whose love has been tested by the Internet.

Mortgage broker Jovanna and her criminal attorney girlfriend Melanie have an idyllic four year relationship. Surrounded by wonderful friends, the pair doesn’t think much about the world of cyberspace except to keep up with the people they love and the occasional acquaintance.

That all changes when one of Melanie’s clients, a lesbian named Sunday, contacts her on a mutual social networking site. Jovanna’s not keen on the idea of her woman mixing business with a friend request, but Melanie convinces her it’s strictly professional.

Straight-laced Jovanna isn’t worried at first. She isn’t the jealous type, and enjoys the life they’ve built as a trusting couple. But something changes. Sure, Melanie’s stress is normal when she’s working on a strenuous case; her secrecy isn’t. Melanie’s suspicious behavior – frequently checking her BlackBerry or shutting her laptop around her – raises Jovanna’s red flag.

Could Sunday’s enticing posts be to blame for Melanie’s shadiness?

Rashan’s Cyber Case tracks the ins and outs of how the internet can dissolve trust between partners.  The well-written story sprints to a great build up; by the novel’s close, it ends without a bang. The couple’s friends – all eight – are introduced with complete back stories that aren’t completely finished by the closing stages. Those things aside, Cyber Case is worth the read.

Now…back to your status updates.

Reviewed February 2011

Dangerous Pleasures by Fiona Zedde

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Publisher/Date:  Kensington, Feb 2011
Genre(s):  Romance, Erotica
Pages:  288
Website:  http://www.fionazedde.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Fiona’s taken a slightly different path this time with newest novel, DANGEROUS PLEASURES.

This route to love embarks with Renee, a recent divorcée searching for something completely different from the unfulfilling relationship with her controlling husband. His determination to change Renee compels her to want strictly physical relationships – the more anonymous, the better. If only she could convince her parents of that, who want to see her settled with the boy man next door, drab-ass Grant. Yet, her secretive one-night stands are all she needs – until there’s just one she can’t get enough of.

Mayson, Renee’s best friend and owner of a yoga salon, isn’t searching too hard for love either. Her bedroom is never lonely, plus she receives the affection she needs from her close friendship with Renee. Friends since they were schoolgirls, it’s the longest love Mayson’s had. Now that newest conquest, Kendra, is after Mayson, will that change the dynamic she and Renee have had for years?

Dangerous Pleasures has plenty of insatiable bliss. Renee and Mayson’s closeness is the pièce de résistance of Zedde’s tale, comfortable and demonstrative, whereas the conclusion is explosive. At times, though, the steamy exploits, which seem to appear almost every couple of chapters, were a smidgen too repetitive.

That aside, Zedde still delivers what women want.

Reviewed February 2011

Head Game by G.D. Ellington and K.J. Thomas

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Publisher/Date:  Saviour Publishing Inc., July 2009
Genre(s):  Contemporary Romance, Street Life
Pages:  275
Website:  http://www.headgamesandmore.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

You can’t be mad at the antics in G.D. Ellington and K.J. Thomas’ HEAD GAME. It’s the way players play in this novel of love, crime, and deception. The thing to keep in mind is that characters are not always what they seem.

Geneta, for example, is a married business woman living a comfortable, but sexually deprived life. Her husband, Steven, is into lights-off, conservative sex. Tired of her needs being ignored drives her to be satisfied by someone, anyone else.

That’s where Kai comes in. The suave stud catches Geneta’s eye, and like most women in Kai’s life, she can’t resist the appeal of a round the way Brooklyn homeboy with street-wise charm and bedroom appeal. The head of a booming entertainment company, Kai isn’t easily swayed by the many women who want a piece of her.

But something is different about Geneta. After a night at the club, Kai is determined to make the voluptuous beauty her woman. Never mind that she’s married. Kai has a plan for that – and it doesn’t matter who she uses, as long as she gets what she wants.

Geneta, on the other hand, is confused by draw to Kai. What does this mean, that she can be sexually turned on by a woman? And what about her husband, who doesn’t seem to care about his wife’s comings and goings? As the women’s affair escalates, the games get much more complicated for everyone involved.

Head Game is a read in one-sitting book. Lavish sex, gender benders, and crazy twists invest the reader until the very last page. More than anything, I’m ready to see what happens next, because I’m sure a sequel is on the horizon. Geneta and Kai can’t end here.

Reviewed February 2011

Making Our Difference by Ericka K. F. Simpson

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Publisher/Date:  EKS Books, Dec. 2009
Genre(s):  Romance, Family, Marriage
Pages:  184
Website:  http://www.ekfsimpson.com

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Monogamy isn’t easy. MAKING OUR DIFFERENCE, by Ericka K. F. Simpson, does it brilliantly.

In her third novel and the sequel to In Fear of Losing You, four lesbian couples deal with the ups and downs of monogamy and marriage, illness and faith, and parenthood. The women, united in genuine friendship, are bonded as family also because of the way the world perceives their sexuality.

If you remember Sweets from In Fear, she was the optimistic romantic. Now in new relationship with Janet, a single mother, she has the love she longed for. But as they get closer, Janet struggles with her sexuality while Sweets is left waiting for the woman of her dreams. Will Janet ultimately see that Sweets is the one?

Kat, a reformed player, has settled down with Cheyenne and made a success of her company, The Whole of Delaware. As she builds the 24-hour sports and activities center into a franchise, can she and Cheyenne truly have it all?

Happiness has shed its graces on Lex and wife Ayanna, their life almost perfect with one child and a new baby on the way, until Lex is diagnosed with cancer. Is their love strong enough to carry them through this rough time, especially with Lex’s family in opposition to their marriage?

Lastly, Genius and Ciara had a playful connection before, and are trying to make it exclusive. Will Genius trust her heart to Ciara, who’s been with several before (including Kat)?

Simpson weaves an excellent yarn in Making Our Difference with a well-drawn cast. God plays a big role in their lives, as well, an aspect that blends nicely (not doggedly) with the plot. The alternative ending is also great touch. The only negative in Difference is the excessive clothing descriptions.

That being said, Simpson nails the characters, and that makes all the difference.

Reviewed February 2011

Stud Princess, Notorious Vendettas by N’Tyse

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Publisher/Date:  A Million Thoughts Publishing, May 2010
Genre(s):  Romance, Street Life, Suspense
Pages: 288
Website:  http://www.ntyse.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

The Plot: Sequel STUD PRINCESS, NOTORIOUS VENDETTAS picks up where My Secrets Your Lies leaves off, with estranged couple Sand and Rene each working for cold-blooded Chyna. The pimpstress is about getting ends and avenging her uncle’s takedown by an opportunistic lawyer. Using Rene and Sand as pawns, Chyna envisions her plan going down smoothly, until her employees and business begin to unravel. At the same time, the lovers are trying to find their way back after Rene’s infidelity and Sand’s murder accusation, but ironically, Chyna could be the catalyst that brings them together in dire circumstances against the ruthless beauty.

The Good: There’s enough murder, drug deals, and girlfights to engross the reader. Introduction of new characters also compliment an already jam-packed plot.

The Not-So-Good: Stud Princess is sufficient as a stand-alone novel, but as a sequel, the story doesn’t explain much from My Secrets. It would have been good to have a refresher at the novel’s onset to revisit what happened in the previous novel.

The Bottom Line: N’Tyse does her thing in Stud Princess. The romance-urban drama merges nicely to a gripping ending.

Reviewed February 2011

Taking a Chance at Love by Kesha Pride

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Publisher/Date:  Pride Books, Oct. 2010
Genre(s):  Romance, Drama
Pages: 216
Website:  http://www.keshapride.com

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

“Aren’t doctors supposed to be refined? Classy?”

Drs. Tori Becker and Kenya Jackson are both those things, but they are also full of romantic frenzy as seen in Kesha Pride’s debut novel, TAKING A CHANCE AT LOVE, a black lesbian-Grey’s Anatomy tinged love story.

At 29, Tori has her to-do list covered. Graduate medical school. Finish residency. Become a partner in a medical practice. The partnership she accepts relocates her from Houston to Atlanta, and into a swanky new condo, where she runs into a gorgeous woman in her elevator. At her first day of work, that beauty turns out to be Kenya, who has to be Tori’s trainee for the next three months.

That makes things awkward, but they know to keep a level of strict professionalism. It’s hard, though, when Kenya is extremely attracted to how smart, sexy and intellectual Tori is. Kenya has had her share of liaisons – a long term and a few NSAs* – but can envision settling down with Tori.

Meanwhile, Tori and Kenya console themselves with other women, and that’s where the commotion comes in. Jealous lovers, ex-girlfriend entanglements, and criminal mayhem threaten what they don’t “officially” have.  And the more they date, the more they know true love is right in front of them; they’re just afraid of the repercussions if their fraternization is found out.

Taking a Chance at Love is a good, quick read. There are a couple things you’ll shake your head at, but other than that, the drama is plentiful. I enjoyed the medical setting, which Pride writes with realism. Every workplace has its own excitement, and Tori and Kenya’s Atlanta General Hospital is no different.

* no strings attached

Reviewed February 2011

M+O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin (Aug. 2010 Pick of the Month)

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Publisher/Date:  Houghton Mifflin, Apr. 2008
Genre(s):  Romance, Coming Of Age, Young Adult
Pages:  176
Website:  http://www.tonyacheriehegamin.com

Rating: ★★★★★ 

The dreams we have as children are very powerful, involving fearless feats and aspirations we carry to adulthood, cradled in the hope that the dreams will become reality.

That’s what Opal anticipated when she made the decision to take her best friend, Marianne, away from their small-town life in M+O 4 EVR. The novel from Tonya Marie Hegamin relates an emotional excursion of what happens when wishes are deferred by life’s disappointments.

Best friends, Marianne and Opal’s bond was an unspoken one, full of longing and hurt and not-so-unrequited love. The girls lived in their Pennsylvania town as outcasts, the only few Black faces in the mountainous county. They only had each other, as little girls who held hands on their first day of school, a shield from the world that couldn’t possibly understand them.

Home is where their hearts are. Opal is raised by sassy Gran while her parents travel to provide for her; Marianne lived with her white mother and grandfather, and never knew her black father. Their families were intertwined and nurtured the girls’ closeness. They were privy to the love Opal had for Marianne, though it was never said – even to Marianne herself.

While Marianne has some idea of Opal’s feelings for her, she can’t see past her own pain to reciprocate. Marianne felt lost in her own skin and never wanted to accept her “loser” status assigned based on her light complexion. She strived to be popular, one of the cool kids. And eventually she did attain the crown – becoming the first black homecoming queen – at the expense of leaving her best friend behind. The victory was short-lived when only hours later, a tragedy strikes Marianne, and all the dreams Opal had for them dissipate.

All Opal wanted was have Marianne to herself, in the way she did when they danced through the milkweeds, carved their names into their favorite tree, or pressed lips together under the blackberry bushes. Now all she’s left with is painful memories and theories on how things got to this point. For Opal, her ache came from knowing what they could have been. But with her future in her hands, she soon discovered things happen for a reason.

The sentiments M+O 4 EVR are sweet, raw and heartfelt. Who can’t relate to the story of innocent love and the slings and arrows of growing up? Hegamin writes about loss and love, while also tying in the spirit of a runaway slave to anchor the tale to how much we sacrifice for the love of one person.

However in the end, we and Opal learn taking care of ourselves is what’s most important.

Reviewed August 2010

Deepest Desire by Anne Shade

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Publisher/Date:  Freedom of Love Press, June 2008
Genre(s):  Coming Out, Romance
Pages:  116
Website:  http://www.folpress.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Confronting your closet after being married – and divorced – and then jumping into a new relationship is a lot for a woman to take in. So lovers Eve Monroe and Lynette Folsom proceed with caution in DEEPEST DESIRE, the first novel from Anne Shade.

Besides, being married was just a diversion Eve. She assumed being the perfect doctor’s wife would cure her appetite for women, a desire she’s had for as long as she could remember. But when the urge resurfaces, her marriage ends in a mess.

Moving forward and feeling stronger, she begins a new business venture, Details by Eve, and enjoys a life uncomplicated by longings for the same sex – and then she’s asked to plan a book release party for out lesbian writer Lynette. After reading her erotica, and meeting the attractive writer, Eve is faced with her attraction for women and nervously gives in.

And why wouldn’t she? Lynette is dreadlocked, intelligent, fun to be around, and very open about whom she is. She is very intrigued by Eve, the voluptuous beauty who seems to be strong-willed in every aspect of her life except coming out to her strictly religious family. Lynette has dealt with women not strong enough to be themselves, so being with Eve is an exercise in patience. But their heat is undeniable.

While her relationship with Lynette is the most sensuous she’s ever known, the perfect Catholic daughter of African-American and Puerto Rican heritage is nervous about telling the world. Rejection stops her every time. She has to realize that Lynette worth it – or let her fears stop her cold.

Deepest Desire boasts a simple love story. What’s most enjoyable is how the love between Eve and Lynette is extremely erotic, but not overtly so. Shade is honest about two women overcoming exes and hang-ups to obtain the love they so deserve. I’d like to know more about Shade, who exposes how to get to the deepest part of a woman – and love everything that’s beneath.

Reviewed August 2010

Pulling Me Back by GStarr

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Publisher/Date:  UrbanL Publishing LLC, Aug. 2009
Genre(s):  Romance, Drama
Pages:  261
Website:  http://www.urbanlpublishing.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

There’s always a fine line in friendships between women, a boundary that when crossed the pair is never the same again. That’s the invisible line Bre Morgan and Jordan Powers find themselves straddling when they become lovers in GStarr’s PULLING ME BACK.

The debut novel from UrbanL Publishing, run by authors V. Bella and GStarr, is a dramatic page-turner. Bre and Jordan never thought they’d end up with each other, especially since Bre is in love with a man at the start of the novel. Spoiled and sheltered, Bre oversees her father’s successful real estate firm and pretty much gets whatever she wants – except a commitment from her always-absent boyfriend, Sean. Dating for four years, they only see each other three times a month supposedly because of his job. Their fly-by-night relationship doesn’t exactly fit into Bre’s plans of being married with kids – she’s 33 – and his infrequent visits make her wonder what Sean is up to when he’s not with her.

Jordan, on the other hand, is 35 and avoids commitment like a trip to the gynecologist. While she doesn’t call herself a playa per se, her motto is “to satisfy yourself…first.” She can pull just about any woman, but when the thrill is gone, Jordan simply moves on to the next. Mya is her latest conquest, but the long-distance nature of their relationship is tedious, especially when she has eye candy like Bre to hang out with: perfect petite figure, long luxurious hair, small apple bottom ass.

The friends both believe they shouldn’t cross that line, but it happens one night not so unexpectedly. The sexual tension building between Bre and Jordan came together so smoothly that it scares both women. Jordan feels herself falling in love, and Bre is just trying to deal with being intimate with a woman for the first time. Is she a lesbian? What does all this mean? She already has enough to worry about with her family falling apart at the seams.

While it was inevitable that their friendship could translate into a romance, no one but GStarr could have predicted how volatile it would become. Secondary characters weave their way into Pulling Me Back in the most interesting fashion, and drama ensues. That alone makes GStarr’s first novel unforgettable.  I was drawn into the “will-they or won’t they” commotion between Jordan and Bre, and the sex scenes are sizzling.

Pulling Me Back will reel you in – and keep you hooked for pages on end.

Reviewed August 2010

Strapped by Sharon D. Smith

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Publisher/Date:  Lulu.com, June 2010
Genre:  Romance
Pages:  126
Website(s):  http://www.strapped2009.ning.com, http://7stagespublishing.com/

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

If you’re a stud, you’re not supposed to fall in love with another stud – right?

Who says? This is the premise of Sharon D. Smith’s STRAPPED, a fast-paced novel following the attraction between masculine-appearing women, Silk and Taz. The pair have well-worn identities as dominant females, and typically date feminine women accordingly. This stud-femme dynamic is turned on its head when Silk – rocking baggy jeans and a Black and Mild between her lips – moves into Taz’s neighborhood.

Taz notices her next-door neighbor’s swagger, and they quickly become hanging buddies. While they watch sports and hit the clubs, their friendship grows despite not knowing that much about each other’s pasts. It all comes out in a game of basketball when Silk reveals her true feelings. Taz is taken aback by this admission of affection. She can’t believe her homeboy is attracted to her. Silk knows she has a girlfriend — a curvaceous beauty at that — and that their friendship is simply platonic.

Silk feels differently, though. She has always had a thing for butch women. And while Taz tries to understand her friend’s seemingly-odd attraction, she eventually succumbs to it when the pair is thrown into a crisis situation.

Taz and Silk find themselves in love and in trouble. Taz believes she’s losing her edge and doesn’t  know if she can handle the type of love that dare not speak its name in the lesbian community, while Silk’s past comes back to haunt her new relationship with Taz.

Smith’s Strapped shows the conflict some black lesbians experience with labels. Femme, stud, stem, bisexual – it all means nothing when it comes to how one feels inside.  Taz and Silk had to leave the pressures of sexual roles behind to discover a comfortable home in each other. Their affair is unpeeled layer by layer, realistically so. With that being said, while Strapped does a good job getting in Taz’s head, but doesn’t delve enough into why Silk loves studs. I guess that will be explained further in Smith’s next novel.

So get ready because Strapped will challenge all your perceptions of what love and labels really mean.

Reviewed August 2010