All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Review of Cecilia T. Capers' To Whom Much Is Given

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Success has a price and sometimes loved-ones become collateral damage. Avery Benjamin is a beautiful, 30-something, talented New York City corporate attorney of West Indian and African American heritage. A dynamic multicultural mosaic of women friends augments her life. Avery loves Antonio Dawson, a professional football player whose family is part of Atlanta’s influential African American elite. Yet, she longs for the days when she pursued big, passionate dreams. Dean Everard Swithin, a British aristocrat and Avery’s former lover from her law school days, re-enters her life making her a professional offer she cannot refuse. That is when Avery’s drama begins. Scandal and deception change her heart and her perception. Ultimately, Avery must take steps to confront her past, mend her wounds, and fulfill her destiny. “To Whom Much Is Given” is a contemporary fictional story for any person who realizes: The Best Is Yet To Come.

CLG Review of  To Whom Much Is Given

4 (out of 5) lattes

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Sometimes, even when things appear perfect and wonderful, they are the exact opposite. In Cecilia Capers' debut novel, To Whom Much Is Given, we meet Avery Benjamin, a 30-something with the world at her feet. She's beautiful, she's talented, she has wonderful friends, and she has a wonderful man in Antonio Dawson, a professional football player. Life is good. Very good. Except for that yearning Avery has, a yearning for fulfillment of dreams tucked away. When a former lover re-enters her world, drama ensues, and Avery must trudge through her past to claim her dreams. I enjoyed Capers' first literary effort. There are several reasons for this. It was refreshing to read about upwardly mobile people of color. For me, that adds to the diversity of African-American characters in stories, but it also does something great for the story: it shows that no economic bracket can escape drama, conflict, and issues. Capers also does a good job in developing the conflict in the story, of which there is plenty. The story did read slow in some places where we get a lot of back story about characters, but overall, Capers shows that she is capable of spinning of good story, and I look forward to seeing what she spins next.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Satisfying Read: Review of LaShanta Charles' Lovely Lies

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Makynzee has spent all of her life being dependent on people who've always disappointed her, especially her abusive mother. Everyone lies to her - her sister, her uncle, even her beloved father. When her mom strips her of her one true love, gymnastics, she's determined to find and maintain her independence. There's only one little problem...money. She sets out to find a job as a dancer at a gentelman's club, but finds Kalil instead. With his looks, money, and charisma any woman would be crazy not to want him and Makynzee's no different. Falling for him fast she soon discovers some things just arent adding up and Kalil may not be the man she thought he was. He wants to be with her and provide for her, but can he protect her? When a love-struck fan becomes obsessed and begins attacking and stalking Makynzee she questions Kalil's ability to be her protector. Makynzee has no idea who he is, where he came from, or why he's here, but he's determined to have her even if that means eliminating everyone she knows and loves. By any means necessary, right? She belongs to him and he's claiming what's rightfully his, no matter the circumstances. When truths are revealed, they threaten to tear Makynzee's soul apart and chaos becomes her life. Will she be able to escape this temporary insanity or will she become a permanent victim?

CLG Review of  Lovely Lies

4 (out of 5) lattes

A Satisfying Read

What to do when it seems that everyone about you lies and no one gives you what you really need... love? This thought is at the heart of LaShanta Charles' debut novel, LOVELY LIES, a story that from the first sentence hits you with conflict, tension, and drama and pulls you through a story rife with pain, heartache, relationship drama, love, and danger for the main character, Makynzee. Makynzee seems to have lost everything when her mother rips the one thing she loves, gymnastics, from her grip. To make it on her own, Makynzee begins working as a dancer at a gentleman's club and there finds a man that can give her everything she needs, despite the fact that he's not as perfect as he appears. Her life becomes more complicated when one of her fans turns into a stalker and puts Makynzee's life in danger. Where can she turn? Who will protect her? Will she make it out of the ordeal with her life intact and love by her side? You can't help but to be drawn to Makynzee as Charles develops her well. She's a woman that many of probably know, at least in essence, and this is what drew me in to the story. It doesn't hurt that Charles does a solid job of providing the reader with a story with other complex characters, heightened drama, and twists that leave the reader unsure what will happen next.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful, Engaging Trilogy that Remixes the Narcissus and Nemesis Myths: Review of Diana Rodriguez Wallach's Reflecting Emmy

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Eighteen-year-old Emmy is in the family business-trapping vapid narcissistic souls into her silver compact mirror for all eternity. It's what the Rhamnusia family has been doing for thousands of years, all under the direction of Great Grandmother. Only Emmy's latest assignment, Nara, is about to prove more challenging than she ever expected.

Gorgeous and self-absorbed, Nara is unflinchingly cruel to her classmates. Even her boyfriend, Luke, can no longer tolerate her actions--much to Emmy's relief since she finds Luke a little more than intriguing. But when Emmy tricks Nara into gazing into her mystical mirror, what she finds there is not what she's expecting.

Mirror, Mirror is the third set of Mythology High stories, which take classic myths and modernize them with teen heroines. Look for Nara Gazing, and Shattering GiGi to follow in October and November.

CLG Review of  Reflecting Emmy

4.5 (out of 5) lattes

Delightful, Engaging Trilogy that Remixes the Narcissus and Nemesis Myths

I love reinventions of classic tales... done right, that is. In the Mirror, Mirror Trilogy, part of the Mythology High collection, author Diana Rodriguez Wallach gives her readers a run, engaging, and fast-paced read that offers a great remix to the myths of Narcissus and Nemesis. In the trilogy (Reflecting Emmy [out now], Nara Gazing [out October 2013], and Shattering GiGi [out November 2013]), we meet 18-year-old Emmy who though young is already a part of her family's business, the business of capturing narcissistic souls into compact mirrors. Her current assignment is an easy one: to capture the soul of Nara, the most self-absorbed girl in high school. But easy is never really easy, is it? Not for Emmy. What unexpected turn of events happens? What does the turn mean for Emmy's assignment? Where will this adventure lead her and those she meets? How will it all affect her position in the family business? Well, you have to read all three short stories in the Mirror, Mirror trilogy to get those answers. What I can tell you is that Wallach gives us a great character in Emmy. Her voice is strong and clear from the very first paragraph, and because of that, you're quickly brought into Emmy's world. I found this trilogy to be a fun, charming, and sweet read. It reads fast (finished within an hour), and when I got to the very end, I smiled and actually went, "Awww." Great addition to any YA collection, especially if you like a good myth remix.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Nicely Done Coming-of-Life Story: Review of Danielle Allen's Back to Life

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Sahara Lee has spent the last ten years living with the guilt of a tragic accident and its aftermath. That night irrevocably changed the outgoing, fun-loving college freshman into an introverted, workaholic with no social life. Sahara isolates herself from everyone and everything that reminds her of home in an effort to forget what happened. Using art as a substitute for love, Sahara throws herself into music and art as a way to feel something other than the guilt that haunts her. She accepts her lonely existence as penance for the role she played in the accident. That is, until she meets Tyree Barker, the good looking entrepreneur with baggage of his own.

Blindsided by a legal loophole, Sahara is suddenly forced to confront the past she’s been running from. Juggling the guilty feelings of her past and the unexpected feelings of her present, Sahara’s future becomes complicated as she heads down a path of forgiveness, love, and heartbreak…and not in that particular order.

Back to Life reminds you that living and existing are two completely different ways to go through life. Grief will break you but guilt, guilt will destroy you. And once that happens, what can bring you back to life?

CLG Review of  Back to Life

4 (out of 5) lattes

A Nicely Done Coming-of-Life Story

After reading the book description of Danielle Allen's BACK TO LIFE, particularly the last three sentences, I was moved to read this book: "Back to Life reminds you that living and existing are two completely different ways to go through life. Grief will break you but guilt, guilt will destroy you. And once that happens, what can bring you back to life?" This alone made the story sound real to me, so I jumped in, hoping the book was as good as its hook.

It is.

Allen presents us with Sahara Lee, a character that is real, that is flawed, that is hurting and searching. I connected with her quickly. And I think other readers will, too, and because of that, they will follow her through her journey of dealing with and recovering from a past tragic accident and its effects so that she can have a future worth walking toward. In a lot of ways, BACK TO LIFE feels like a coming-of-life story about Sahara, but it's also a story about love of self and of others: finding it, accepting it, and embracing it. Allen does a good job with layering conflict in Sahara's story, and while reading it, though you'll think you know where the story is going, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the twists Allen plants. My only quibble is the abundance of description in the book. I like just enough description to paint a character and atmosphere and let me interact with it all while reading. Too much, and I tend to gloss over or skim to get back to the meat of the story. Despite that, this is a book I would recommend.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Leakes' Good vs. Evil Tale Is Great Read: Review of Kai Leakes' Sin Eaters

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Khamun Cross was born to do one thing and that was to watch Sanna Steele, a woman so unique and special he would risk his all to have her. So what, that in his job of watching her, he happens to prowl the streets, hunting the very things that go bump in the night. Even monsters or everyday looking people that steal humans' souls become Khamun's victims, and he brings with him a power, a vampirism, that would send one straight to the dark.
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Khamun craves the darkness in his victims as if it were his own personal dinner, but not as much as he craves the very woman he has been ordained to watch over as her Guardian Angel. Sanna Steele is just your average twenty-seven year old, with your everyday hopes, dreams and insecurities. She is clueless about the war that is secretly raging around her in the streets of St. Louis. A war she will soon become a part of. But what is so special about Sanna that the very things that go bump in the night, seeks to snatch her from her very existence in life?

CLG Review of  Sin Eaters

4.5 (out of 5) lattes

Leakes' Good vs. Evil Tale Is Great Read

A good beginning, complex and engaging characters, and driving plot can woo me... hard. Leakes' good vs. evil tale, SIN EATERS, has all of these components and others, such as some rockin' action. Good vs. evil tales are classic. It's easy to try to write one, but it can be difficult to make the story unique. Leakes doesn't have this problem. Her ability to describe place and atmosphere helps to make this tale her own. Her characters' quirks, conflicts, and actions, again, help to differentiate her from the pack. Leakes' entry into urban paranormal (supernatural thriller added onto that genre title) is a success for me. I look forward to seeing how she further develops and deepens her characters' histories and the world and situations in which they must do battle. For those that love action, paranormal, and fantasy, even thrillers, this is definitely a book to pick up and read. For those that are not... give it a try. You might be surprised.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great Christian Fiction: Review of Shana Burton's Flawfully Wedded Wives

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Just when Sullivan, Lawson, Kina, Angel, and Reginell finally think they've gotten life figured out, fate steps in and throws them a curve ball, adding fuel to the drama that seems to follow the ladies wherever they go.

Mt. Zion's first lady, Sullivan Webb, has left her philandering ways behind her, but lingering questions surrounding her daughter Charity's paternity motivates Sullivan to seek out her own absentee father, Pastor Samuel Sullivan. What her search uncovers is years of lies, secrets, and betrayal that threaten to destroy the lives of almost everyone she loves.

Kina Battle's newfound celebrity status as the winner of a popular weight-loss reality show goes to her head as quickly as she shed the unwanted pounds from her figure. Kina is prepared for the fame, endorsement deals, and celebrity appearances that come along with stardom. What she isn't prepared for is the harsh backlash when her secrets are exposed and the public starts to question whether she is the devout Christian that she's led everyone to believe she is.

Lawson Kerry Banks could get over her husband's affair if the evidence wasn't staring at her through the eyes of his love child, Simon. Lawson's insecurities and inability to accept his child force Garrett to choose between the woman he loves and the child he's fathered.

Life as the soon-to-be wife of high school football coach Mark Vinson lacks the excitement of Reginell Kerry's former life. It certainly lacks the financial security that pulling down $1000 a week as an exotic dancer afforded her. When the bills start to pile up, Reginell goes back to doing what she knows best, only this time it may cost her more than she's willing to pay.

Angel King's broken heart finds a safe place to mend in the arms of high school classmate Jordan McKay. He respects her decision to abstain from sex until marriage, he loves the Lord, and he adores her. However, Jordan is harboring a dangerous secret that could destroy their relationship and leave Angel brokenhearted once again.

The ladies often allow themselves to be led by their hearts instead of their heads, but this time, they will have no other choice but to listen to the voice of the Lord.

CLG Review of  Flawfully Wedded Wives

4.5 (out of 5) lattes

Great Christian Fiction

MAKE NOTE: Go back and read the other books in the FLAWS series because Shana Burton writes a GREAT book with Flawfully Wedded Wives. I enjoy reading Christian fiction and work hard in finding CF titles that don't preach to me. I want to be entertained. I want to be, sometimes, educated and enlightened. And it's even better if I am made to think about myself based on the characters and situations developed in a work of fiction. What I don't want is to be preached to and raked over the coals with religion. Burton works hard not to do this, and I think ultimately, it succeeds. She has wonderful characters in Sullivan, Lawson, Kina, Reginell, and Angel, five complex friends who are unique and thus given some unique issues and conflicts to resolve in their lives. Burton paints realistic characters that will connect with readers well. The drama that ensues throughout the characters' lives makes for a book that is difficult to put down. I'm anxious to see if the previous FLAWS novels keep me flipping pages, too.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Political Drama and Scandal: In My Rearview Mirror by Suzetta Perkins

Margo Myles is getting ready to give birth to twins, but she isn't sure who the babies' daddy is—her soon to be ex-husband, Jefferson Myles, or her one-time fling with hot-buttered soul, Malik Mason. Malik is running for a state senate seat and no one is going to take the sweet smell of victory from him.

Ivy Myles, Margo and Jefferson’s eldest daughter, is moving back home. She's been estranged from her parents, but a new love calls her back—and her love is none other than Malik Mason. Malik intends to make Ivy his wife. But will she be a distraction on his way to the Senate?

It's political scandal at its best. It will have you moving cobwebs out of your own closets.

You can purchase In My Rearview Mirror at Amazon and Barnes and Noble!

Suzetta Perkins had the heart of a writer at a very young age. As a dreamer, writing was one of the avenues that allowed her to dream big and take her imagination beyond the boundaries of the four walls of her bedroom. She wrote many short stories, and in high school, she became the co-editor of her school's yearbook. Today, Suzetta has traveled many miles since her early days. She has been to more than twenty countries and has lived and/or visited just as many states in the U.S. She plans to write stories whose backdrops come from the experiences she's been fortunate enough to visit. To have traveled and experienced the world as she has is a story in itself.

The mother of two grown children and one granddaughter, Suzetta finally realized her dream of writing a full-length novel. In 2000, she penned her first novel, Behind the Veil, a mainstream suspense novel that looks into the life of a man whose greed and deceit nearly costs him his family, livelihood, and his life. Suzetta Perkins is also the author of A Love So Deep, Ex-Terminator: Life after Marriage, Déjà vu, Nobody Stays the Same, and At the End of the Day. She is also the cofounder and president of the Sistahs Book Club.

You can learn more about Suzetta and her literary wares at her Website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, and Twitter.