Louise Brooks Books

This book is an expansive overview of the life of Louise Brooks and also of the early days of the movie industry. Very throughly researched, it gives a nuanced look and the beautiful, brilliant and maddeningly self-destructive icon. It also is a wonderful history of the entertainment world in the 1920's and the personalities who populated that world. A must-read from fans of Louise Brooks.

Several books have been written about Louise Brooks, but this book is probably the most concise and most thorough of them all. The book starts off with Louise's birth and it describes all the people that helped to make Louise so interesting and famous. There are many black-and-white photos of Louise, from the time she started in show-biz (at age 4) to Louise in her later years, just before her death.

Since Louise Brooks had such a fascinating life, it is not a surprise that this book is so long. Each Chapter basically covers a chunk of her life, and each Chapter describes (in detail) the characters that encountered & shaped Louise, and also all the Theatre and Movie productions that Louise was involved in.

This is what a biography should be: insightful, understanding, offering a measured & complex view of its beloved subject. And what a subject Barry Paris has in Louise Brooks! Her beauty, her intelligence, her compelling charisma all shine in these pages, giving us a multi-faceted view of this ravishing star. For someone who had never heard of Louise Brooks, this biography will send him or her in eager pursuit of her all-too-few films & her own writing -- and both are of the very highest standard.

It's clear that Brooks never did anything without wanting to give her all, to make true art out of it, a work of beauty & meaning that would stand the test of time. And the same could be said of this superb biography. While Paris clearly adores Brooks (and with good reason), he never succumbs to blind hagiography. Nor does he stumble in the opposite direction of pathography. His purpose is to explore the life of a fascinating woman, and to present it to the reader as thoroughly & lucidly as possible. He succeeds on every level. Louise Brooks emerges from these pages as both a flesh & blood woman, and as the dazzling, mysterious icon she became to countless admirers.

In short, the best book on Louise Brooks you'll ever find, most highly recommended!

I have not yet read this entire book, but just glancing through it when it arrived I would find that I have just read twenty pages or so whenever I openned it up. I can't wait until I read it cover to cover.

Barry Paris's bio is a wonderful read and in my opinion did more for the recent increase of interest in Brooks than anything other book.

At the time of it's publishing in the mid 90's the internet was a mere flicker of info, photos bios and trivia about obscure stars like Louise Brooks were very hard to come by. After this book was published, I was one of several people who started fledgling web sites in Brooks' honour. While I gave up, one of those websites carried on to become the Louise Brooks Society, the definitive website on her life. Paris' book is essential reading for anyone who is facinated by this beautiful starlet.

This book will be helpful for anyone interested in silent film. Brooks' insights about certain aspects of Hollywood are original. She has no fear of revealing some of the ugliest secrets of the past, and also has valuable things to say about why she believes certain directors and players created works of art. However, in my opinion she could have been a better writer if she'd had more education and/or editorial experience. Some of her essays are rambling and disorganized, and a number of her claims are unsupported. (e.g., that many actresses were pulled from the screen not because of the arrival of sound, but because they couldn't live up to Garbo, p.88.) She also tends to make bold generalizations (e.g., "Every actor has a natural animosity toward every other actor"), which, depending on whether you agree with them, are either smart and charming or arrogant and imprecise.

Some of Brooks' cleverest comments are reported in the introduction by Kenneth Tynan, not in her own writings. My favorite was her joking suggestion that she and Marlene Dietrich write each other's memoirs: "'Lulu' by Lola, and 'Lola' by Lulu".

Note: this is a collection of essays, which don't necessarily follow a sequence. The brief history of her family and childhood given in the first chapter fooled me into thinking this book would be an autobiography, but Brooks leaves much of her own story untold. (In fact, the epilogue is titled, "Why I Will Never Write My Memoirs.") Tynan's introduction fleshes out a little more of Louise Brooks' history, but fans will probably want to keep looking for other writings and biographies after they've read this one.

This book is a collection of Brooks's autobiographical essays together with an interview by Kenneth Tynan.

It shows a Louise Brooks as a fiercely independent character, as well as her failure as a social creature, because of her open critic of people's false faces.
But at what price? She survives as a kept woman by three lovers and ends in poverty, rejected and lonely.

She characterizes her work in Hollywood's film factory as slavery and throws a shrill light on Hollywood's morals (the casting couch) and cynicism: the end of the silent period served as an excuse to terminate all contracts.

The all important feature of her life was sex, not love: 'I have never been in love.' But, 'A person's sexual loves and hates and conflicts ... It is the only way the reader can make sense out of innumerable apparently senseless actions.'
She considers that 'the most fateful encounter in my life' was a sexual one with George Preston Marshall.
Nevertheless, she had some regrets: 'How often do we change the whole course of our lives in pursuit of a love that we will have forgotten within a few months.'

She never wrote her biography because 'I am unwilling to write the sexual truth that would make up my life worth reading.'

Barry PARIS did it for her, admirably. His book contains also a few corrections on Louise Brooks's statements in her book.

A moving text with admirable pictures.

What made Louise Brooks interesting beyond just the typical celebrity she was unusually intelligent. She was an extraordinary beautiful woman but if that were all - she would have been just another face in the Hollywood crowd albeit a striking one. Her life was not so much one of just ups and downs but most generally straight down starting at the top. Lucky to have so much success early in life but maybe unlucky for her vision as to witness the folly of those who gave it. Louise's insights and critical assessment of her life and those around her were a " blessing and curse" but then again she had no choice but to follow her own mind as it played out to the end. She was certainly not one to parlay her attributes as a cunning femme fatale as it were but she existed as a passing player through a masquerade of "bread and circuses" orchestrated by those with lesser sensibilities. No, Lulu could have never been satisfied with the status quo, the mundane of the hoi polloi, the trappings of the superficial she was an individual who saw life in its raw form and played no game and for those who did not understand Louise - missed - that her only glory was the truth and its price to pay. She was an intriguing and talented woman who deserved more but would not sell her soul to gain it. Her book tells of her life and times and the pathos within it.
I will recommend highly Barry Paris' biography of Louise Brooks as a necessary read for anyone interested in reading about the life and times of Louise Brooks. The book is excellent and engrossing. It gives a most informative detail of all aspects of Lulu's life. Actually Paris' book should be read first to gain a comprehensive overview of Brook's life before reading "Lulu in Hollywood." A better biography you could not read.

I am unimpressed by Emily from Seattle's harsh words, which are both snotty and inaccurate. Tynan was the finest theatre critic of his time--and not bad on film, either. His profiles of stage and screen actors, recently collected in one volume, are masterpieces of the genre. In particular, his profile of Brooks was an indelible portrait of a brilliant and beautiful woman. Brooks herself, though not a great actress, was indeed a great star--exquisitely beautiful, highly charismatic, and powerfully erotic. To the best of my memory, Tynan describes her only in these terms, never as the creator of naturalistic film acting. (Incidentally, none of the women named by Emily--Crawford, Davies, Bow, and the insufferable Shearer--could properly be described as an actress. They were merely stars--and distinctly inferior to Brooks in talent, intelligence, and beauty.) Finally, as everyone here (including Emily) acknowledges, Brooks was a first-rate writer herself, and the essays in this book are required reading for anyone interested in silent film.

I remember when this book came out, but, unfortunately, it took me over twenty years to read it. Though Louise Brooks is far from a household name, in film scholar circles, she is an icon. Her rememberances here of certain individuals and events from her years in the "Dream Factory" are brilliant. Aside from the fact that these are names that most are familiar with, Bogart, Hearst, Pabst...it is her writing style and unique observations that make these recollections interesting. Where as someone as, say, Adela Rogers St. John, a famous reporter and contemporary of Brooks, wrote accurately of that long ago time, her dusty rememberances would only interest the most devoted of film student or fan. But Brooks writings are so fresh and witty and humourous, often at her own expense. She is not only unimpressed with most of silly society, but, she was equally unimpressed with her status as film icon. In those pre Hepburn-Davis times, she was a true rebel, who was more than willing to saboutage her career rather than do anything she didn't want to do. There is no remorse detectable in her memories of her fall from status. Though it would be unfair to imply that most film stars would not be expected to be good writers, it was surprising, then and now, to find that Miss Brooks was such a highly intelligent and captivating writer. In my review of her most famous film, "Pandora's Box", which isn't so much a review of that film as it is a homage to our Miss Brooks, I recounted my having met her more than once, when I delivered her prescriptions to her in my hometown and her final, adopted city of Rochester, New York. I was very young at the time, and though I had been told that she had once been a famous actress, which fascinated me, I am sorry to have to honestly admit that my memory of her is only of a shadowy figure who I remember with intimidation. How I would have loved to have been a little older, to possibly converse with this great lady, though she may have found what undoubtedly would have been my reverence to her "legend" as film icon to be obnoxious at the least, silly at best. Well, never mind. She was and is wonderful. And, as this book attests, a scathingly intelligent lady. Celebrities of her league are no more, now we have tarts, thugs, and arrogant, illiterate self-important jerks showing off their bling-bling. How sad. If you want to hear the entertainingly clever views of this great lady who, though she went from brilliant star to near- pauper obscurity, yet never lost her class, intellect, nor pride, then read "Lulu In Hollywood." One wishes she had written much more, and, left behind more films where her inate brilliance reaches out from the screen eighty years later. But, if all we have is this book and "Pandora's Box", that's legacy enough.

This book by Peter Cowie has stunning photos and the story of Louise's life is quite intersting. It is put together beautifully and is very well written.

First of all thank you Mr Cowie for this fine piece of art in itself. Myself, I think Louise Brooks is and was the most beautiful actress-model ever. Its hard to put in words how her beauty and expressions move me. I love the look of the 20's and 30's and she was the icon for that era.

This book is not only a beautiful history of Lulu but a fine photo album of her life in her hay day. I only wish I could have at least shook her hand when she was living. As a photographer myself, her beauty is unmatched. If you are a fan of Louise Brooks or and a fan of fine photography of the 1920's buy this book.

She will truely be, forever Lulu Thank you again Mr.Cowie and thank you Mary Louise Brooks.

I finally own high quality, gorgeous pictures of my favorite gal! I love this book!

Louise Brooks' current reputation rests mostly on two films, both silent, both done in Germany by Pabst: Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl. This excellently produced book provides more background on this all but forgotten star who, in her day, was a supreme flapper icon. Looking at the marvelous photographs, mostly film stills, but with some candids and modeling shots I've never seen before, you get a sense of why Brooks was such a sensation in her day.

Brooks' influence lived on long after her name and identity in the public mind had faded. Her hair, referred to as that "helmet bob" and her fashion sense, set the tone for generations of confident, independent, sexy young women. This book makes clear that she was more than just a projection of a strong image - she was a very special actress. The text is, at times, a bit too personal and adulatory, but it contains a lot of good, perceptive material on her appeal, and it fills in many details about her not very happy life.

In her two most famous roles, the prostitute-mistress-showgirl in Pandora's Box, and the abused middle-class waif in Lost Girl, Brooks was superb. Pandora is one of the sexiest films ever made, and this without nudity or sex! In Lost Girl, she is the archetype of oppressed femininity, but she rebounds! with a tough, no-nonsense core. Looking through this book takes you back to an earlier era in entertainment when sensibilities and expectations were different. For fans of silent films, it is a great find; for others - see if it doesn't make you a fan!

I loved this book!
The photos alone are priceless and vary in environmental background and photographer personalities. Really fun to look at as a short coffee table book to feast your eyes on. What a beautiful actress Louise was!

The bonus is the well-written and entertaining biographical info that is in the book. Easy to read....it does tend to jump back and forth chronologically but it most enjoyable.

A must have for any Louise Brooks fan or any silent film buff!
This book is something I have wanted to have in my possession for the last fifteen years and finally we have it in our hands!!!

Bravo!!!

This Bio does not look upon Louise Brooks as sympathetically as other's Bio's do. Here we feel that we are being told the truth - as not everything in her life was perfect, or admirable, or even sympathetic. Louise Brooks was still a person who did things her way. And this books tells us what her was. A wonderful look at a wonderful Actress, Dancer and Writer.

An all-emcompassing book for fans of Louise Brooks. It has interesting stories and beautiful photos.

This is a great biography of an obscure, but fascinating silent film star. Barry Paris has done a great job researching the life and times of Louise Brooks. A must-read for any Brooks fan.

This book was wonderful, before I read it I had no idea in the world who Louise Brooks was or what an impression she had on the motion picture industry. While this book is full of information and well written there are some slow points. A wonderful book for anyone interested in films.

I am one of those who became entranced by Louise Brooks after seeing her in "Pandora's Box". She appeared to be highly sexual, intelligent, and to be marching to the sound of a drummer that she alone heard within herself. It turns out that she was all of this. This is an excellent biography and a lesson about what happens to those who despise the opportunities that life presents to us and to those whose lives are driven by sex rather than common sense. Louise Brooks was a very modern woman despite having been a star of the silent screen. She made only a few films but her performances in those films stand up with the great performances of today and their naturalism makes the acting of most silent screen starlets seem idiotic. While other actresses were concerned with nothing but their looks, Brooks was reading Shaw and Proust. While others did all they could to ingratiate themselves with the movie studios, Brooks had nothing but indifference for them. She turned her back on fame, fortune, and power. She could have had a brilliant career but always sabotaged her chances. She had beauty and incredible sex appeal. She had Chaplin as a lover. She wrote. She lives on today as an image of a woman ahead of her time and also as a tragic waste. Her own difficult personality drove everyone away. Her lack of discipline was childish. She fascinates. This is the best biography we will ever get of her. Recommended.

Brook Noel has written fifteen books and has appeared on headline news shows, so if her name sounds familiar, it should...she's a busy CEO with nary a domestic gene to her name, so if she can easily prepare the dishes she features in 400 RUSH HOUR RECIPES, anyone should be able to. All ingredients are common, easily obtained in any supermarket, and come attached to recipes simple to duplicate. They are appealing dishes even finicky kids will eat - and they're main dishes so don't worry about breads and rice filling up half the book.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I originally purchased Brook Noel's "The Rush Hour Cook's Weekly Wonders: 19 Weekly Dinner Menus Complete with Grocery Lists for Today's Busy Family" last year.

That book changed my life by giving me the grocery lists and menus to coast through weekly cooking. I was cooking every day like normal people do, and I LIKED it!

Coming back as a more developed cook, I purchased 400 Rush Hour Recipes recently and I have to say, I LOVE IT. The recipes are good, easy to prepare with normal ingredients, which is Brook's promise. Another thing that I find helpful is the kid-friendlyness of the menus and the fact that it is an economical way to feed the family with food made at home. The tips and wisdom are also fun and helpful bonuses that add to the book.

If you are looking for more complex, adult oriented foods, I would recommend Leanne Ely's "Saving Dinner" books. Same concepts, different style. Those books along with Brook's Rush Hour books are really great additions to any every day cooking library.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially for domestically challenged or new cooks, with children and/or on a budget. GREAT JOB Brook, THANK YOU!!

A lovely book by a talented Irish author illustrator who is also the creator of the innovative, "I AM I". Not your typical cliche choked "I think I'm a cat" book. Watercolors sensitively portray the transformations as a boy imagines himself a tiger, a wolf, or a sailor, in order to find a playmate. A satisfying read. Highly recommended!

This is one of about 42 Screenplays in a series. The book is full of monochrome stills in clusters. This volume contains G.W. Pabst's original Shooting script plus "Pabst and Lulu" by Louise Brooks, and "Pabst and the Miracle of Louise Brooks" by Lotte H. Eisner We learn about the industry and times from those that have been there.

The movie stands on its own; however many times the movie uses camera zooms and facial expressions to imply more to the story than just the dialog. You have to be very astute to get their inferences. In the film script book there is no doubt as it is in black and white with titles.

If you did not see the movie:
The story is timeless and still holds your attention today. I was amazed as to how modern the film is its self. Probably the best know of G.W. Pabst's works. Being a film from the silent era gives this film a collector's value; yet five minutes into viewing and you do not realize it is silent.

LuLu (Louise Brooks) an amoral entertainer in 1928 Berlin, is having fun taking men for all they have and snubbing those that may care for her. After moving to London she is still in the habit of entertaining men at her place. She is about to open Pandora's Box as she has no idea who she has lured up to her place.

If you are looking for an ending with a moral statement you will be disappointed as it is more of a Quid pro quo.

If it is not already included on the media you picked for this film there is an available separate documentary Produced in 1998 for Turner Classic Movies called "Looking for Lulu", narrated by Shirley MacLaine, which is almost as interesting as this film.

Each recipe that I have tried from this book has been amazing! From the green beans in tomatoes to the eggplant, the dishes are easy and very tasty. Even better, these dishes do not have to be the side attraction, as most are more than capable of being front and center at a vegetarian meal. I have made these for dinner parties as well as just for dinner with my husband, and no one has been disappointed yet. The pictures are great and give a true indication of the delicious recipes.

Romance authors Janice Sims, Kim Louise, Natalie Dunbar and Nathasha Brooks-Harris follow-up their 2005 anthology, Can I Get An Amen, with a sequel aptly titled Can I Get an Amen Again. In this follow-up, while the protagonists are new, the town of Red Oaks, Georgia, the Red Oaks Christian Fellowship Church and Mother Maybelle remain constant.

In veteran author Janice Sims story, "Brown-eyed Handsome Man", widow Gena Boudreau keeps herself busy in community service, afraid to allow herself to become involved again after her husband's untimely death. She has a hard time reconciling her faith and therefore her church attendance is almost nonexistence. Lily Lincoln is a young lady who thinks Gina would be the ideal woman for her father, Nate, and would also serve to keep him out of her teenage business. Gina and Nate finally meet at the tent revival held by Red Oaks Christian Fellowship. Can the rich widow on the hill overcome the idea that she is a jinx and fall in love with the handsome carpenter? In steps Mother Maybelle who wants to see these two together. Energetic characters and a humorous storyline will delight fans of Sims.

Kim Louis created a unique storyline in "The Real Thing", involving a store executive turned reality show star. Markos Raineau wants to increase sales for Value-Mart and reluctantly agrees to go along with marketing director Justine Graves' scheme. A different woman will accompany Markos on each of the seven nights of the revival. Which beautiful woman of the Marrying Markos Show will be the next Mrs. Raineau? Has Justine made a mistake by throwing a hottie like Markos before a group of desperate and gorgeous hoochies? And furthermore, just how far is she willing to go to keep them from Markos? This was a fun, out-of-the-box story of well-developed, flawed characters with a current theme.

In "My Promise To You" by Natalie Dunbar, a young married couple's marriage is sorely tested by economics and family interference. Sam Watson shows up at the revival seeking his wife, Charlimae, after several months of abandonment. His explanation of having to go to another city several hundred miles away to obtain employment is not a good enough explanation for Charlimae. Her father insists she get a divorce but she is willing to give her marriage another try. The couple attempt to work through their financial problems and their marital woes with a little help from the formidable Mother Maybelle. This was a low-key story that emphasized how the principles of faith and prayer are the key to seeking solutions to a troubled marriage.

Dr. Gabrielle Talbot, seeking a change in her life, takes a position as a head physician at Red Oaks Hospital in "A Change is Gonna Come" by Nathasha Brooks- Harris. After she is deceived by her fiancée', Gabrielle decides to forgo relationships and concentrate on practicing medicine. When she treats the assistant pastor of Red Oaks Fellowship, she meets his brother, contractor Marcus Danforth. Marcus is immediately attracted to Gabrielle and she to him but both struggle with painful memories and past mistakes. Count on Mother Maybelle and a revival to put the couple on the right path. Marcus' thirteen year-old nephew, Kevon, was a delightful treat but the story left me with a few questions in regards to the story's stance on forgiveness.

When Can I Get An Amen came out, it was besieged by controversy over what genre it represented. Was it Christian romance fiction or was it contemporary fiction in a church theme/setting? Some readers voiced concern about the sexin' while others thought it was appropriate and in line with the reality of church going folks. Can I Get An Amen Again will undoubtedly draw similar debate-- and that is a good thing, despite the proliferation of church-themed contemporary fiction that includes sexy storylines. Nevertheless, these stories will have you both smiling and saying "Amen."

Dera R. Williams
APOOOO BookClub

Everyone of these stories were amazing and spiritual! A must read for all!

The group discussed the book and felt that the storylines throughout the novellas needed a bit more substance. There were no real issues associated with each short story. Following the discussion with the author, the group learned that the standard format for most romance novels is always the same where there is a featured hero, heroine, at least one love scene along with a happy ending (wedding). But those members who have read other romance novels did not remember a similar format. Within "Can I Gen an Amen," each novella introduced a male and female character and it became very obvious after reading the first novella that these two characters would not only fall in love (rather quickly) but get married by the end of the story. Therefore, each novella became very repetitive and predictable for the reader.

The group also had a perception that there would be some connection between the various characters in each novella. But at the completion of the book, the reader realized that Mother Maybelle and Red Oaks Christian Church were the only link between each story

If you are into african-american romance novels like myself then this is the book for you. It is a great romance novel which I love to read along with a little sexiness, But.......the cover and title is very deceiving. This is NOT for the Christian reader looking for a little romance within the church. This book has a LOT of sexual content, values of a TRUE Christian are questioned and you will most likely be offended with this book. There is NOTHING Godly about this book so please beware.

Capturing the spirit of one church and the antics of a certain matriarch is told in four different vignettes through the eyes of these authors displaying wit, charm and imagery. Every one looks forward to anthologies because they exemplify changes of pace and usually embody stories told from unique perspectives, which gives them flavor. We collectively visit Red Oaks, GA as the setting for this collection of traditional romance stories using the church as a supporting prop. Can these stories stand up individually and collectively to give this book a sense of belonging? The title notwithstanding, the gist of what the authors wanted to convey included the type of romance that you may be accustomed to: unpredictable characters reveling in love scenes with enough drama to make the cast par for this course. Central to all of the stories is Maybelle Carmichael, charismatic and recalcitrant in approach and delivery, who manages to be the catalyst fueling meddlesome mischief. Reverend Avery, is the Pastor is a common denominator to his sermons. Each story boasts the type of women that men gravitate toward, while lacing the stories reciprocally with handsome men women swoon over, all amid small town gossip and jilting jealousy.


Each of these authors are well-adept at how formulaic romance writing is, and they all color their writing acumen with vestiges of it as scenarios are set up with the normal boy meets girl syndrome with a hurdle someone has to overcome to garner the prize. We have four distinct stories with Janice Sims' A Love Supreme setting the stage where the immovable object meets the irresistible urge. Jared Kyles gives all the reasons why he eschews marriage until Alexandra Cartwright comes along to persuade him to change his mind. Usual, you root for the male to get his girl and vice versa. I would have liked more significant drama and more work put into the relationships.

A Love Supreme by Janice Sims pits landscape artist Alexandra Cartwright against businessman Jared Kyles, who is totally against commitment and marriage based on what he perceives as a biological gene. Love and Happiness by Kim Louise hosts Renata Connor as an entrepreneur providing job placement and skill training services to at-risk young men. Mother Maybelle makes it her to recommend Red Oaks Church as a possible sponsor to cure Renata's ailing business. Renata is paired with Devin McKenna, the outreach ministry and entrepreneurial ministry's coordinator. A Love Like That by Natalie Dunbar showcases Dominique Winston, a divorcee who struck out in the marriage game and became the talk of the town and the church. She is the apple of Blair Thomas' eye, a race car driver and engine designer who is in town for six weeks visiting an old college buddy who happens to be a deacon at Red Oaks Church. And finally Love Under New Management by Nathasha Brooks-Harris highlights Valerie Freeman as a woman with a secret as she finds her way to Red Oaks Church to listen to their award-winning choir. There she is in awe of the choir director, and the church is in awe of her voice.

Each story has the proven stamp of Mother Maybelle and her instigating ways. Though there are the usual Christian influences that are prevalent in the book, readers should be wary of labeling the fare Christian inspirational fiction. These stories are pure fiction using the church as a backdrop to tell stories that might be happening in any church in America.

This was a very nice anthology. Being the Janice Sims fan that I am, I enjoyed her installment the most. Ms. Sims' Love Supreme is beautifully written and it features an adorable couple - Jared and Alexandra. When the two of them explore their feelings for each other, it's obvious that they'll soon be strutting down the aisle of Red Oaks Church. Obvious to everyone except the two of them that is. But with a strong supportive cast of characters pulling for them and the ever-present Mother Maybelle putting her two cents in, these two find blessed love. Great job Ms. Sims!

To understand my review, one must first understand that I was most hesitant at first to even read the book. Author Janice Sims I was familiar with, however, she was the only one of the four that I could say this about. Aside from having only read the works of one of the others, the entire concept of "Can I Get An Amen," made me a little hesitant. I wasn't quite sure if the authors would be able to pull off this concept of centering all their stories around this fictitious town and church.

Though I admit, the concept was daring, Arabesque knew their stuff when they assembled Janice Sims, Kim Louise, Natalie Dunbar and Natasha Brooks-Harris together for this anthology. What was indeed a Mission Impossible, became a Mission Fulfilled as the writers penned stories filled with love, laughter, tests, trials and religion.

Readers are bound to cheer as Jared Kyles overcomes his commitment fears to build something special with the lovely, Alexandra Cartwright, in a Love Supreme.

They'll cheer again in Love and Happiness, but not just for the main characters, Renata Connor and Devn McKenna, but also for the troubled teen, Malcolm Goodwin. Malcomlm's story is representative of so many troubled males. And to show a couple's love blossoming while helping out one of the often forgotten ones, was nothing short of genius on Kim Louise's part.

If the novel had stopped with the above two, I would have honestly been able to say readers had gotten their money's worth. But added to the above, were sizzling and humorous romance stories by Natalie Dunbar and Natasha Brooks-Harris. Dunbar's story pulled at your heart strings, while Brooks-Harris' story tugged at your funny bone. And none of this would have been possible without the absolutely, delightful Mother Maybelle. Now if that isn't worthy of an Amen, I don't know what is!