The EXchange by Nikki Rashan

Publisher/Date:  Urban Books, June 2013
Genre(s):  Romance, Drama
Pages:  272
Website:  http://www.nikkirashan.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Exes as friends…an interesting concept. There are usually two camps on this phenomenon. One says exes are exes for a reason, so why be friends; what is there to discuss after the words “It’s Over.” The other school of thought is that as long as it wasn’t a harrowing break-up and/or you were friends before you hooked up, why not be friends after.

If only Kyla and Asia decided to follow the former and not the latter, THE EXCHANGE would have played out a lot differently. Luckily, Nikki Rashan knows how to craft a story of drama with the realities of love. It’s not all pretty, though.

It’s been some years, but you might remember Kyla from Double Pleasure Double Pain as a naive 26-year-old trying to decide between her “good man” and the blossoming romance with a female classmate. Then in You Make Me Wanna, Kyla hops from bed to bed in her new home of Atlanta, until she meets the love of her life, Asia. Nine years later, love and commitment equal boredom for Kyla and Asia in The EXchange‘s onset, and instead of Kyla being honest about it, she deflects Asia’s nightly relationship quizzes and finds her excitement in her good friend Angie, who recently went through a horrible split from her own girlfriend. In case you forgot, Angie and Kyla had a sex-only relationship in You Make Me Wanna, an arrangement that ended once Asia captured Kyla’s heart. While Kyla found her happily ever after with Asia, she and “friend” Angie always kept the platonic door open; Kyla and Asia even double-dated with Angie and girlfriend, Deidre, occasionally.

Now that Angie and Deidre have called it quits, she needs Kyla’s “friendship” to fill the void. The more they spend time together, the more Kyla discovers that she never knew more about Angie other than her strap size. She’s actually very sweet and attentive — and Kyla is somewhat swayed by Angie’s special treatment. Could it be that the excitement of a new love could erase the stability of a long-standing love? Kyla is about to find out.

The EXchange is a cliffhanger of a book – one, because Kyla takes us on a crazy jaunt through whether you can truly replace something old with something new; or two, because the ending seems destined to have another installment. The back-and-forth between Kyla and Asia is a page-turner for sure. It also raises a lot of interesting questions about keeping the fires brewing in long-term relationships, and I can see The EXchange being hotly discussed in many lesbian book clubs.

Rashan’s writing is solid. The game-playing and bed-hopping also makes The EXchange a gripping story – it’s a lot fun to read; you should have heard me yelling, “No, Kyla, nooo!” when she did something foolish. But as for Kyla and Asia, they could have easily solved their boredom by something anything else other than bringing people confusion into their relationship. She appears to have grown up in the nine years since being with Asia, but she slightly regresses through much of the novel to the indecisive Kyla she was in Double Pleasure. Asia, with her shoot-from-the-hip attitude, is no walk in the park either; I could have used less of the blame game she pulled about Kyla’s past.

But she was right about one thing: that in the end, love does truly win.

Reviewed July 2013


Chat It Up

Kyla attempts to rekindle feelings with her ex, Angie. So that brings up a though for discussion. Today’s Chat It Up question is: Can exes be friends?

You can vote in the poll, add your own answers, or leave a comment below.

[polldaddy poll=7234820]

Domestically Cursed: A Story on Partnership Violence by Renair Amin

Publisher/Date:  Glover Lane Press, Apr. 2013
Genre(s):  Lesbian Real Life, How to Guide
Pages:  39
Website:  http://www.renairamin.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

When your back is against the wall – figuratively and literally – in an abusive relationship, you can either sign your permission slip for the beatings to happen again or you can fight to save your life. Although it took more than one instance for her to decide which way to go, Renair Amin finally figured it out in DOMESTICALLY CURSED: A STORY ON PARTNERSHIP VIOLENCE.

Though the media would have one to believe same-sex abuse doesn’t happen or is not as dire or critical because it’s two women or two men, it is. According to lambda.org, the rates of domestic violence in same-gender relationships is roughly the same as domestic violence against heterosexual women (25%). Amin knows the devastating effects, and Dometically Cursed is her contribution to stop this epidemic…or save a life.

Domestically Cursed is Amin’s time in a relationship she knew from jump would be no good for her. She was 21, dating Chris, a woman twice her age. Amin wasn’t exactly what Chris wanted, but she tried to make it work. Her age and inexperience led her stay in an over-her-head relationship, with many nights of torture from the woman who supposedly loved her.

Hindsight being 20/20, Amin had her instincts about the relationship. Her friends expressed concern. Her mother warned her against it. Even Chris warned her, telling her, “I beat my women.” She brushed these red signs aside. Nothing could deter Amin from being with this woman. Chris’ aggressive nature drew her in, but it soon was used against her to abandon her friends, be talked down to and be beaten on a regular basis. She had signed her permission slip, so to speak, to allow it to happen, but it couldn’t continue.

This is where Amin’s story takes off. Maybe I shouldn’t use the word story because this was her life. She survives the abuse, and fortunately, realized what void Chris filled in her life to allow her stay in such a dysfunctional relationship. Any woman reading Amin’s words can place themselves in her shoes, if they haven’t already been there themselves. She conveys what an abuser really is. She also provides invaluable resources to get help for women stuck in this situation. Because there is a way out.

Amin – minister, motivational speaker, and life coach – can attest to that.

Reviewed June 2013

Read the Catching Up With… Interview with Renair Amin

The Space Our Love Demands by Kionne Nicole (Apr. 2013 Pick of the Month)

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Publisher/Date:  Resolute Publishing, Aug. 2012
Genre(s):  Romance, College Life
Pages:  207
Website:  http://www.respublishing.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Does distance really make the heart grow fonder? Or does distance lead to distraction?

That’s the test Hadiyah Matthews faces in THE SPACE OUR LOVE DEMANDS, the debut novel from Kionne Nicole.

Hadiyah is in a new city, Louisville to be exact, pursuing a graduate degree and trying to cope after a breakup with long-term girlfriend, Charity. They were together seven years, and after things went sour, they mutually decided it was better to be apart than to be miserable together. Being on her own is hard, but Hadiyah is there to get an education – until Fatma comes along.

Fatma is a distraction with a capital D. The brown beauty captures Hadiyah’s senses from the first moment they meet, and Hadiyah catches a rainbow vibe from her classmate. She might be mistaken, though. Fatma is definitely attracted; between the research and studying, they flirt and feel each other out, but is she available?

More so, is Hadiyah available? Charity is still fresh in her mind. When another opportunity presents itself in the form of Adrienne, Hadiyah is even more confused about what she wants. She wants to explore and get to know herself, and these women – as well as great friends – teach her about life and love, its pleasures and its high cost.

The Space Our Love Demands is a witty novel that touches on a few serious issues. Long-term relationships, sexuality and labels, Afrocentricity, local pussy…it’s all in there. And the supporting characters – Tee is my absolute favorite; she needs to have her own book now – only make Space better. Hadiyah’s learning curve, after being in a seven year relationship, is fast and almost makes your head spin. The good thing is she may be blinded by the women in her life, but she ultimately sees things for what they really are.

Reviewed April 2013

Hush Now by L. A. Green

Publisher/Date: Dog Ear Publishing, LLC, Nov. 2012
Genre(s):  Romance, Historical Fiction
Pages:  216
Website:  http://www.hushnowbook.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Right now, I’m fighting the urge to sing “Go Down Moses” in honor of HUSH NOW.

Here you have two women – one a white slave owner’s daughter, the other a house slave – who fall in love but can’t be openly together because of their stations in life. Author L.A. Banks presents Rebecca Montgomery and Ruth’s star-crossed love story, and the vivid emotions this kind of affection creates.

Written with spunk and a sense of humor, Hush Now is the novel about love that speaks only in whispers and late-night Shakespeare sessions. Their attraction blossoms through their love of literature, with Rebecca happily discovering that Ruth was taught to read, a secret they both hold close. After all, Rebecca’s plantation-owning father, Grafton, is generous to his workers but recognizes that “a happy slave is money in the pocket.” She believes her father wouldn’t understand the love she has for Ruth.

Ruth has to protect herself, as well. The society she inhabits looks down on her simply because of her skin color. The consequences of loving Rebecca would be far worse for her than owner. But the closeness they feel can’t be helped. How can they ever be together when the world tells them they can’t?

A combined effort by Bonnie Lee Harrison and Gleycia Green, Hush Now is a moving story, and the full cast adds a life to this tale. But make no mistake: L. A. Green’s Hush Now will anger, frighten and enlighten you. Reading it, I felt moved by Rebecca and Ruth, but more so connected with Ruth and her dilemma. The way she was treated by some didn’t sit well with me, but with a story about blacks enslaved for monetary gain, it shouldn’t. It should make you wistful.

It also should make you believe in love – and embracing love in spite of.

Reviewed April 2013

It’s Complicated (Maxi’s Place #2) by Literary Stud

Publisher/Date:  Amazon Digital Services, Inc., Jan. 2012
Genre(s):  Romance, E-Short
Pages:  50
Website:  http://twitter.com/literarystud

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

The Plot:  What a difference 3 months makes in IT’S COMPLICATED, the second installment of the Maxi’s Place series. Author Literary Stud gave us an intriguing sample with Rumor’s Ring True, but It’s Complicated offers much more flavor. Maxi’s Place owner, Cole, takes after her womanizing aunt for whom the restaurant is named after; her good friend and cook, Tasha, wonders why she can’t get her stud to be as ambitious Cole. Taylor tries to leave her past behind, but it continues to follow the bartender. And finally, we’re reacquainted with Bailey and Ava, still keeping their relationship under wraps, but soon realizing it’s hard to hide secrets at Maxi’s Place.

The Good:  Literary Stud does an excellent job introducing the new characters and sharing their issues, compared to the previous story that mostly focused on Bailey and Ava’s blossoming romance. This second episode delves deeper into the lives of Maxi’s Place workers and makes you wish for the next serving.

The Not-So-Good: The fact it leaves you hanging on.

The Bottom Line: Maxi’s Place is a spot you’ll want to revisit for the third time.

Reviewed April 2013

HIGH – On Love & Addiction by April Joy Bowden and Jeanie RAINBOW Bell

Publisher/Date:  AuthorHouse, Mar. 2010
Genre:  Lesbian True Life
Pages:  148
Website:  http://www.apriljoybowden.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Choosing between love and addiction is a difficult decision – when both lift you up and can take you crashing back down.

Whereas drugs have the ability to destroy lives and relationships, only love has the power to bring you through and fight the disease.

This struggle is depicted in HIGH – ON LOVE & ADDICTION, written by April Joy Bowden and Jeanie RAINBOW Bell. Bowden is also the author of the poetry book, The Other Side of Joy.

Jeanie and April’s relationship began like any typical love romance. Their eyes met across a dance floor, and while they didn’t seem like each other’s type, they fell in love and soon moved in.

At first glance, Jeanie was good on paper: she had a great job, owned a home, drove a nice car, had a good upbringing, kept up a neat appearance, and treated April like a queen.

But soon after moving in, strange messages were left on their voicemail. Then Jeanie pulled disappearing acts for days on end. She missed or ruined holidays. That’s when April knew when Jeanie had a drug problem.

The rest of HIGH navigates April and Jeanie’s long journey to getting Jeanie well. What should have been years spent together and creating a family were instead lost to Jeanie’s addiction, relapse and recovery. When Jeanie was sober, she and April had the best time together. When the habit took over, everything took a backseat to getting the next high or, in April’s case, finding Jeanie.

The good thing is that Jeanie and April survived. Through their entries, Jeanie learned what her addiction was doing to her lover and herself, while April endured her own recovery from love.

For those who’ve had an addict in their lives, HIGH – On Love & Addiction is a detailed account of what the struggle is like on a day-to-day basis. Their entries are frequent and slightly repetitive, but that’s the realness of dating addict. One day at a time.

Reviewed December 2012

Inside Out by Juin Charnell

Publisher/Date:  CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Oct. 2011
Genre(s):  Romance, Suspense
Pages:  148
Website:  http://juincharnell.blogspot.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Being a black lesbian prison investigator ain’t easy. Ask Lieutenant Perri Stone.

Between the rape of a prisoner at the maximum-security Dexter Correctional Facility and her home life exploding, she can’t catch a break in INSIDE OUT, the first in the Perri Stone series by Juin Charnell.

In addition to the rape, Perri also has to figure out why her inmates are being murdered. Of course, the convicts aren’t talking, and a couple of the officers are proving their incompetence. Perri’s worked in this system for 12 years, enough to know who to trust. Back then, as a 5’4”, Afro-wearing, 20-year-old officer, she gained the respect of the male prisoners and fellow employees alike by taking her licks and not being afraid to get dirty. Now at 32, there wasn’t much you could get past Perri Stone.

Her homelife, though, is a different ball of wax. Perri’s partner, Cassidy, is somewhat in the closet, and on top of that, has issues with her ex-husband who is determined to kidnap their daughter because of her relationship with Perri. It also doesn’t help that Cassidy’s mother meddles in their affairs.

Through it all, Perri stays cool as a cucumber; it seems nothing fazes her. It’s part of her charm – and what makes Inside Out interesting.

Charnell herself is a 10-year veteran in Corrections, writing Inside Out with authority and no-nonsense flair. Based on her novel’s realistic and gritty view of prison life, I’m motivated to read the sequel, Quiet Riot.

You will be, too.

Reviewed December 2012

Living With 3 Strikes Against Me: Life Through My Eyes as Black, Female and Gay by Ericka K. F. Simpson

Publisher/Date:  Amazon Digital Services, Inc., Aug. 2012
Genre:  Lesbian Real Life
Pages:  149
Website:  http://www.ekfsimpson.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

After authoring countless novels, such as the outstanding I Am Your Sister, Ericka K. F. Simpson has finally written her own life story in LIVING WITH 3 STRIKES: LIFE THROUGH MY EYES AS BLACK, FEMALE AND GAY.

The messages Simpson imparts descend from her reactions and responses to life experiences. She started writing Living when she was 23 and was still learning her way in the world. Now she’s summoned the courage and confidence to be herself and share this knowledge with others.

Simpson has a testimony. Growing up in a religious household, it didn’t feel right having crushes on girls. She tried to deny it by dating guys, but it was a losing battle. What she felt was real. Denying it and carrying the pain literally made her sick, developing stage 3 colon cancer; stress and anger from trying to please others festered into a tumor that could have killed her. Only then did Simpson begin to live for herself.

Living is divided into seven categories, ones that talk about her early life, love, women, religion and parental controls; a section of Simpson’s poetry is included, as well. These segments provide insight into the author, who displays a maturity that should rub off on younger black lesbians.

Simpson offers these gems:

Love: “Trust me, there is someone out there who will appreciate you for who you are. They will love you the way you need to be loved and most of all, they will fight for that love. Wait for that person, wait for that moment, wait for that kind of love then you fight to keep it.”

Sex: “The point I’m trying to make is this, whether you have good pussy or bad pussy, clean or raunchy, give good head or no head, you’re offering something that all women have the ability to provide. And your pussy being ‘well used’ don’t make it better than most.”

Religion:My point is, for those of you who are gay and love God, worship Him anyway. Don’t let the church make you feel ashamed to love God and someone of the same sex. People do not know your heart but God does and He’ll know if the relationship you have with him is real.”

If you read Living With 3 Strikes Against Me and take it in, you will be blessed with information and humor that you can apply to your life. It’s said that God places people in your life for a reason, and Simpson’s story is definitely not in vain.

Reviewed December 2012

She Wants Her by Tasha C. Miller

Publisher/Date:  Creative Afflictions Press, Apr. 2012
Genre:  Romance
Pages:  336
Website:  http://www.tashacmiller.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Jacqueline Tripp knows exactly what she wants: Cleopatra Giovanni.

You’ll see just how far – and it’s far – she’ll go to capture this stud’s heart in SHE WANTS HER, the captivating debut novel by Tasha C. Miller.

Cleopatra is unquestionably a catch. The successful New York City real estate executive is brilliant, ambitions and gorgeous. She enchants almost every woman that crosses her path, from straight to lesbian. Not to mention her sexual prowess is legendary from borough to borough; what woman hasn’t heard about the “snake.”

Jacqueline has heard all about Cleo’s sexploits – and is determined to be the one femme who can make Cleo fall in love. Surprisingly, she does. Jacqueline turns on her feminine wiles and engages her like no other woman before her, an impossibility for someone like Cleo.

Women were disposable to Cleo. If they weren’t up to her standards mentally, or had no interest beyond her lovemaking skills, time was up. Jacqueline was the first to truly learn whom she was underneath her hard edges and love her from the inside out. Cleo appreciated and needed that in her life, considering her rough upbringing. She trusts Jacqueline with her heart – something she’s never given to any woman.

Soon after their honeymoon phase ends is when Cleo realizes Jacqueline has secrets. Secrets that she uncovers from someone else other than Jacqueline. Cleo doesn’t want to believe that the first woman to ever break down her walls is a liar. It can’t be true…can it? What if there’s some reasonable explanation?

With 323 pages of She Wants Her, Miller creates a multi-layered drama with sex, intrigue, and love in a deceitful place. The secondary characters add an extra spice to the tale. While I do have some questions and some side-eyes at how Jacqueline’s lies played out, I like a femme who will do anything to get her stud.

Reviewed December 2012

The Other Side of Joy by April Joy Bowden

Publisher/Date:  AuthorHouse, May 2012
Genre(s): Poetry, Romance
Pages: 100
Website:  http://www.apriljoybowden.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Since elementary school, April Joy Bowden has nurtured her love of poetry. It was her release, her connection to the world, her first love.

Bowden’s long-time courtship with verses birthed THE OTHER SIDE OF JOY, a moving work of poems about the emotions and passions manifested by love.

The North Carolina resident and full-time photographer breaks her book into four sections: joy, pain, intimacy and ecstasy. With each, she supplies the rules, and the words she utilizes to describe each facet are truthful and familiar. It’s evident she’s lived it.

The glass remains shattered on the floor
Life’s little remainder that this was the last time the Storm would walk through my door
The broken pieces of my soul, my life, my heart
A subtle hint, a blatant call that we are truly apart
No time, no reason
To mend, fix or repair
Four long years to love, to laugh, to care

What’s also interesting about Joy is the storytelling found in her poems. Bowden is vivid in her depiction of desire.

I awake prior to the sunrise
As my eyes open
Behold the beautiful caramel kissed woman who lay beside me
In the moonlight
Her bosom glistens
And every curve has a story to tell
A story that because I’ve listened
I know so well

In a small amount of pages, Bowden says and expresses a lot in The Other Side of Joy. You can also check out Bowden’s co-authored memoir, High: On Love & Addiction, revealing the ordeals in loving a woman consumed by drugs, which is just as genuine and heartfelt as Joy.

Reviewed August 2012