Female Books

It took me two day to read this book, the book was realistic. AJ you did your thing, this was a page turner. Cash Money was all that and a bag of chips with a soda on the side! Great first novel keep up the work hope to read something from you real soon!

Cash money was a good book. I read it in 1 day, once I started reading I couldn't put it down. The book has three main characters, Freeda, Anita, and B.J. Freeda and Tanita are best friends, but couldn't be more opposite. They both believe in hustling to make money. Freeda hooks up with guy who she starts driving to pick up pounds and pounds of weed. So this is how Freeda makes her hustle. Tanita is known around town for being a two hundred dollar whore. She has a different man for ever yday of the week and charges them all for her company. B.J is a young hustler drug dealer, he makes money but it is also smart with his money. I dont want to give the whole book away, but the three characters entertwine, creating a good book. I really liked it.

This book was A1 sauce.Ole Grl Trina being money hunger and use this against her bestfriend Free and after all this Free stood by her side after the trauma Trina went thru. Then there BJ, found the love he was seaching for in Free, but neither can see for forest from the tree.I know it's GOT TO BE A SEQUEL IN THE MAKING! There are open questions that needs an answer. GREAT WRITING////!

I THINK THIS HAS TO BE THE BEST BOOK I READ. IT HAS A NICE THEME TO IT I LOVED FREE .JUST WATCH HOW LIVES GET RUIN ,FAMILIES & FRIENDSHIPS GET RUINED,AND PEOPLE TURN THEM SELVES OUT JUST FOR THAT CASH MONEY

Best friends Tanita and Freeda do everything together. They even got their first apartment together. Both girls love money, love tricking dudes for it. Freeda knows how to save her money. Tanita is a shopaholic and can't save worth a dime. Freeda starts sellin weed, and boy is she good. She makes good money. Of course someone is envy. Tanita starts snooping through Freeda's things. Soon, Tanita is known as the $200 H**. She'll give it for not even a grand! READ THIS!

This book is about Hetty Green who became the wealthiest woman in America at the time of her death in 1916. Hetty is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the greatest miser who ever lived. Even though she possessed vast sums of money in the form of Real Estate and Stocks and Bonds she lived life like someone who didn't know where her next dollar was going to come from.

Her life as one the world's greatest investors unfolds from her childhood in the mid 1800's until the time of her death. There is some insight into how she invested her money and how she learned to invest as a child reading the financial news out loud to her father and grandfather whose eye sight was failing.

There are 16 chapters in this short book of only 226 pages. A lot of the book is spent on her relationships with relatives and her family. She had two children from a marriage that could be described as odd. Her son grew up and became a good businessman himself although he did not live his life as a miser. Neither one of her children had children of their own and the vast fortune that Hetty had accumulated and held onto so dear was eventually given away by her daughter through her Will upon her death.

It is an interesting story but at times it can be hard to read, the reason for only 3 stars. Her life in a way I would say was sad although if Hetty was asked about the way she lived she probably wouldn't have changed a thing.

Hetty Green was known ,during her lifetime,as "the witch of Wall Street"and with good reason..She was among the most wealthy people of her time,and her cheapness made Ebeneezer Scrooge look like a spendthrift..At the least,Scrooge is redeemed at the end of"A Christmas Carol"while Green remained an incredible miser until the very moment that she died...
Hetty Green came from wealth,but wealth contaminated by 19th century Quaker austerity,a fatal comination in the case of this woman,inasmuchas her religion made a virtue out of being tight with a penny,and Ms.Green seemed unable,or unwilling to temper her miserliness with charity or even commonsense..Her cheapness cost her son his leg,amputated rather than saved because Hetty Green was too cheap to seek the sort of medical service her millions could afford,and instead opted for a charity hospital...Green would live in cheap boarding houses,eat day old bread and quibble over a penny while at the same time loaning millions to suchlike as the government of the city of New York,and always at rates that were just short of usery..
This book is sort of a celebration of Hetty Green as"America's first female tycoon"but feminists who wish to embrace Green as such will find little to look up to,unless of course thier other role model is Gordon Geeko,notorious for the 1980's slogan"Greed is Good",from the film"Wall Street"..But this is the way Charles Slack sees Ms.Green,as a sort of 19th century feminist icon..Yes,he does detail Hetty's miserliness,but at the same time he attempts to excuse it or,worse,to put a happy face on it by comparing it to the miserliness of the era's other MALE tycoons...At the least,however,Rockefeller,Drew,and the others she is compared with were responsible enough to know that it was necessary to part with some of the sheckels when one's child had a leg injury that was going gangerous...Not Hetty...Indeed,Mr Slack attempts to downplay most of Hetty's bad habits,bad judgements,unnecessary cheapness,and other personality shortcomings while making a big deal out of her single-minded efforts to aquire more and more and more money..Wanting to become rich is,of course,no crime(although given the way most of the rich become rich,and the way most of them behave afterwards,perhaps it should be!),but,at the least,some of the very wealthy make some effort at appearing to be interested in something other than the getting of money for its own sake...Not Hetty Green..No sir!Until the day that she died,Hetty Green's obsession was MORE !

Hetty Green was heir to a fortune but what she did with that inheritance is a significant example of capitalism run amok during the late 19th, early 20th centuries. She turned that modest inheritance into hundreds of millions of dollars. Had she been a man, in my opinion, she would have come to us--through the decades--as powerful a name as Morgan, Carnegie or Rockefeller. Instead, she is remembered, if she is remembered at all, as an eccentric old lady, at best, and a ruthless miser, at worst.

Thankfully, Charles Slack's HETTY, The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon offers us a look at the woman beneath the austere black dresses. At times ruthless, at times vindictive, Hetty Green could also be compassionate and sentimental. While she was not exactly an ideal wife or mother, her husband and children never villified her; in fact her children, in public at least, only said kind words for her (even though her son could have legitimately accused her of costing him his leg).

What ultimately comes across though is a strong, looming sense of loneliness. To me, she seemed isolated as a child, isolated as a young adult, and in later years, as isolated as her Aunt Sylvia. In the end, money couldn't buy her love. It couldn't even pay for a friend. Charles Slack, however, doesn't want you to think of this as some sort of penance. She was surrounded by what little family was left, and by his account, left this world peacefully. Mr. Slack actually makes it seem she preferred it that way. And I believe he's right. This was a fascinating biography of a woman who deserved one.

Hetty Green lived in an era where the character of the American tycoon was emulated in the enormous mansions lining New York's Fifth Avenue. Hetty broke this mold in every way imaginable. Most importantly, by being the richest woman in America, she operated daily in an atmosphere dominated by men. Author Charles Slack provides a proper tribute to a woman mostly forgotten amongst the Vanderbilts, Morgans and Carnegies that came into prominence during her lifetime. Slack's treatment of Hetty's life is both fair and entertaining. At the time she was mostly known as miserly and mean-hearted but Slack offers a full-sided view of a complex woman who lived a very simple and unusual life for someone of her means.

Unlike most women of the time, Hetty Green learned the economic ropes by reading the financial papers to her father and grandfather, both in the whaling business. She later uses her inherited fortunes to make her mark on Wall Street. Slack's ability to focus on her character and not on the specifics of her business dealings makes this a highly pleasurable and manageable read. She was often unpredictable and spent most of her life living in small tenements as opposed to mansions. Her penny-pinching philosophy led to many a great Hetty story, most of which Slack dutifully collects and includes in his novel. Her death, portrayed in later chapters, leaves the impression that our world is missing one of the true great aristocrats of its time.

Slack has given us the first cut of a remarkable life.

How many biographies exist for John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Jay Gould and the others? This book opens up a whole new unexplored territory. Stack provides a platform for future biographers and their field is fertile.

Why was Hettie forgotten? Was it lack of self-memorialization in libraries and museums? Wrong gender? No progeny to carry the name/flame? No Newport mansion for tourists to visit?

What made her tick? The distant father? The need to succeed/prove? Protestant ethic? Loneliness?

What of Mr. Green, a man so adventurous in early life? How did he FEEL when his wife so publically demonstrated her financial independance (in Victorian America)? What did he do in the years following this.. and how did he relate to his children?

What of the son who honors his mother in public, leaves Texas to assist her, but marries Mable "Harlot" so soon after his mother's death.

Why has this not been a DocumDrama already?

Set in the late 1960s, The House of Stairs is another of Barbara Vine's acclaimed character-driven novels that illustrate her psychological acuity and precise plotting. It is a murder story structured in reverse, in Ms. Vine's unique way where the murderer is immediately known but neither the victim nor the circumstances/motives are revealed until the end. Another unusual device (at least for her) is the patterning of three of her major characters and a central scheme after those of Henry James' The Wings of the Dove. She even goes as far as to "lift" from it the significance of Bronzino's portrait of Lucrezia Panciatichi. I am no Barbara Vine expert, but I've not seen this obvious paralleling in her other novels.

Elizabeth "Lizzie' Vetch sees a friend from her past amidst the London traffic. It is Christine `Bell' Sanger (previously known as Cristabel), who had just been released from prison where she's served fourteen years for a murder. This sighting of Bell triggers flashbacks to events that preceded the crime.

Lizzie had been living with her wealthy cousin-by-marriage, Cosette Kingsley, in what became known as the House of Stairs due to its 106 stairs. Cosette's enormous household consisted of various hippies, freeloaders, and an elderly aunt. She was generous to a fault, almost inviting that she be taken advantage of, and there never was a shortage of those who would. Into their lives comes Bell, semi-literate, barely scraping by, and unbeknownst to them, a sociopath. When Bell's handsome `brother,' Mark Henryson later moves in the wheels of said murder are set into motion, but not in the predictable way the reader readily assumes.

For those familiar with Henry James' novel, the `scheme' that precipitated into murder will not come as a surprise. Readers will immediately be able to recognize the similarities--Cosette Kinsgley is Milly Theale, Bell Sanger is Kate Croy, and Mark Henryson is Merton Densher. What will astonish are the victim and the murder itself. You see, Ms. Vine has many tricks up her sleeve and one already knows there'll be a twist in this somewhere. Whereas The Wings of the Dove ended in what could be called an ethical limbo, there is no such moral ambiguity in Ms. Vine's The House of Stairs.

This was an engrossing and satisfying read, primarily because of Ms. Vine's usual sharp characterizations, honed to perfection, as well as its psychological depth and creative structuring of the plot. I am not, however, enamored with the close association of key points to Wings... Ms. Vine, whether she writes as Vine or Rendell, has always been original and I find it disappointing that a writer of her caliber would need to `lift' anything from anyone, even from a literary master. Had it been wholly original it could have been a masterpiece.

The House of Stairs is one of my all-time favorite Barbara Vine novels; in it we see a reverse of the classic English murder mystery, where the crime is revealed at the beginning, but the murderer not revealed until the end. Here, we find out, through a series of flashbacks, who the murderer is; but we don't know anything about what actually happens to bring it about.

The House of Stairs is a boarding house, one where Elizabeth goes to live. There she meets Mark and Belle, two characters who are to have a significant impact on her life.

Barbara Vine is a master at this kind of suspense, weaving together memories of the narrator's past with that of the narrator's present. Its a masterful novel, one which, like so many other books by this author, play tricks on the minds of readers. It is suspenseful, maddening; but an interesting study of human nature. It requires a lot of time and energy, but well worth it in the end.

As Elizabeth Vetch is travelling down the street in a taxi, she suddenly spots a woman whom she used to know many years before. A woman that she thought was still in prison. She calls the vehicle to a stop, and rushes off in pursuit of her old friend. Eventually, Elizabeth looses her amid the bustle of London. Then, here memories triggered by this event, she begins to tell the reader her story...

It's a tale that leads to a time when Elizabeth was staying in a tall boarding house (known by its residents as the House of Stairs) run by her kindly old friend Cosette, when all the varied inhabitants lived in peace and harmony, and when she was in a relationship with the enigmatic Bell, a woman who will soon be arrested for murder. But, then Mark comes into their lives, and the effects of his presence soon mean that none of their lives will ever be the same again. For death is following in his path...

Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell) is quite, quite marvellous. The way she mixes past and present, the current story and the flashbacks to the events which happened at the House of Stairs is masterful, and not nearly as confusing as a lesser writer might make it. Her demonstrations of how the past can hold an inextricable grip on all our future's are brilliantly subtle. The characters she creates are almost unbearably realistic, and few of them are likeable. Even the kindly Cosette's needy dependency may grate on some after a while. She also injects a great subplot concerning the fact that Elizabeth, our narrator, may well have inherited the Huntington's Chorea that runs in her family.

The suspense Rendell creates with the almost unbearably slow (although never, ever boring) teasing out of her plots is immense, and she maintains it right to the end, when the final surprise is revealed. Some longstanding fans of Rendell may be able to guess the main subtle twist that she uses (but not all she has up her sleeve), for she has used a similar one before (but in a rather different way). But then, as another reviewer has said, very aptly, of Rendell, "she pulls back the curtain to reveal, rather than to surprise".

Vine/Rendell is not going to be ideal for anyone who prefers their thrillers to be fast-paced and exciting, with constant surprises, but if you're the sort of reader who admires an intelligent, immaculately written thriller, full of realistic characters, subtle suspense, and with one or two surprises along the way, then there is no one better at providing this that Rendell. The House of Stairs is a prime example

A young woman moves in with her aunt, a wealthy widow who is unhealthily dependent on the company of others to feel any self worth. She fulfills this need by becoming the mistress of a salon, consisting of would be artists, actors and just plain hangers-on, allowing them to live rent free in her curious, large house with 104 stairs, and treating them to lavish food and drink. Despite her unstinting generosity,( or because of it), her so-called tenants grow contemptuous of her, treating her with barely concealed disregard.A new addition to the house guests, a tall, thin and beautiful girl named Bell, who dresses in rags, is introduced as a permanent lodger and immediately becomes the irritant who causes all kinds of problems, including sexual ones, among the others who are already living there. A murder takes place, one which isn't solved for the reader until the last chapters, and although the murder/mystery theme is carried through admirably as M/s Vine(aka Ruth Rendell) is a very accomplished writer, I really didn't LOVE the book as I didn't like any of the characters, several of whom were verging on the creepy!

Another stunning effort by Ruth Rendall writing as Barbara Vine. Ms. Rendall is a master of the psychological thriller, and this one is as fine an example as you'll find. It is a book that is difficult to read because you know as you read that something terrible is going to happen. Something terrible does happen, but the denouement does not occur until the very last pages. The book is unputdownable and maddening because I kept waiting for the terrible thing to happen. What is really so brilliant about Ms. Rendall's books is that nothing that she writes anywhere in her books is superfluous. Everything means something, and you have to read carefully to get it. In this book, everything centres around an impossible house that has 106 stairs, and all of life seems to occur in around these stairs. The book has a dreamlike quality because she weaves the past and the present together, so seamlessly, that you hardly know what kind of game is being played with your head as you read. Great stuff!

Stephanie Bond has a way of creating real, believable characters who are plunged into larger-than-life circumstances. Each character in the book has her (or his) own little mystery to unravel as the heroine races to identify - and avoid - a killer. A thrilling, fun and sweet read. Spicy, but not over-the-top with the sex.

After a 6 hour marriage, Belinda packs up and moves to Atlanta to start new. On the first day of her new carpool, she has a fender bender with a sexy cop. Then she has a steamy encounter with a local DJ, and the promise of a lucrative promotion from her conniving boss, Margo.

When Margo's body suddenly turns up in Belinda's trunk, she is soon is embroiled in a murder investigation along with her carpool buddies, who also have a motive for murdering the unlikable Margo, which puts a damper on the developing romance between her and sexy cop Wade.

Belinda is not sure who to trust; can one of her car pool buddies be a murderer? Or could it be the hot DJ, Julian?

Bond manages to take a romantic murder mystery and inject a lot of humor to keep the story light. Between her humiliation of being dumped during her wedding reception, to being the cause of morning traffic, to that horrible driver's license picture, Belinda is a believable heroine stuck in an unlikely situation. But I really wanted to know what Vince's card said.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It kept me interested and wanting to come back to finish it, to know how it ended. I liked the character of the cop. And I enjoyed all the girls in the car pool. Everyone was pretty 3-D. A good beach read! ENJOY!!

After a decade of reading Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown and Susan Elizabeth Philips, I was looking for a new author. I picked up a Stephanie Bond novel at a hotel book exchange and was hooked. She's a great writer! I have read three of her books so far and they are all witty, fun and well-written.

This is the first, but not the last, Stephanie Bond novel I have read. This was witty, funny, sexy, and one heck of a good mystery. Belinda Hennessey is starting over in Atlanta. While car pooling with some friends from work she runs into a hunk of a policeman. The banter between the friends while car pooling is humorous. The people at Belinda's Company start dying, is there a serial killer on the loose? Belinda seems to just fall into one thing or another. Of course all the good looking, hot, hot guys have the hots of Belinda too. The book was easy, fun, sexy reading, the mystery will keep you guessing until the very end.

PROMISE MY ALWAYS is the first book in The Pinky Promise Sisterhood Series. Of course, I didn't know that when I read ALONG CAME A COWBOY, the second book in the series. And since I enjoyed that one, I decided to take a step back and read book one as well. I'm glad I did. PROMISE ME ALWAYS is a fast read with fun characters and a unique premise wrapped around a typical plot.
Allie Richards is a widowed mother of two. When she is laid off from her job, she decides to follow her dream and open her own landscaping business. Unfortunately, the bank is not as enthusiastic as she is. When she fails to secure a loan, she enters the Shady Grove beautification contest - first prize- the city landscape contract, a new truck, and prize money. Now, all she needs is a staff to take on her adventurous project. No problem. Her Pinky Sisterhood friends jump in with love, support, and spade in hand. Everything seems to be going as planned, until she realizes Daniel Montgomery, will be following her around with a camera to document her progress for the local reality show. Daniel is the high school bad boy who's returned to his hometown as a changed man, or has he? Other than being the reality show cameraman, he rides a Harley, owns the new local coffee shop hangout, and desires to be an author. Though Allie is attracted to Daniel, she ignores her feelings. She knows the next man she marries has to be a dependable, stable, father figure to her impressionable young girls, not a rebel turned daydreamer. Daniel's pursuit of Allie, challenges her determination to remain nothing more than friends.
PROMISE ME ALWAYS is a fun, carefree story. Predictable, but hey, most romances are. A good read.

Shady Grove's resident widow, Allie Richards isn't keen to face another birthday to remind her what could have been. Trying to provide for her young daughters and the loss of her job forces Allie to tentatively reach for a dream, to own a successful landscaping business. When the bank fails to come to the party with a loan, Allie is talked into entering the Beautiful Town Landscaping Competition by Lark, Rachel & Victoria, her friends from childhood aka the Pinky Promise Sisterhood.

Winning the competition will enable her to establish her business and hold the Shady Grove landscaping contest but it comes with a catch. The contestants will have their movements filmed for a reality program for Shady Grove's local TV station, hosted by the spiteful Blair Winchester with the assistance of cameraman and former Shady Grove bad boy, Daniel Montgomery. It seems Allie may have more to lose than she thinks!

Promise Me Always is the perfect antidote for a gloomy day! Filled with humour, poignancy and delightful characters, Christine Lynxwiler has created a town and characters begging for you to meet them. The Sisterhood are erstwhile friends, each with their own difficulties but bound together by their past and their faithful commitment to love and support each other. While a romantic comedy at heart, Christine adds depth to her characters with snippets of back story. I particularly enjoyed the difficult relationship between Allie and her brother Adam which develops throughout the book. I am looking forward to more of the Pinky Promise Sisters as the series continues.

Promise Me Always
By Christine Lynxwiler

I love to be romanced. Come on ladies, I know I'm not alone here.

Well, that's exactly what author Christine Lynxwiler did for me with her novel Promise Me Always.....

From the moment I opened to page one, I was hooked on her writing. Lynxwiler tells a story of a group of girlfriends who have known each other since childhood. But now, life is throwing them curve balls. They are sometimes a lot like each other, and many times very different.

But through all the ups and downs, they stick together.

Promise Me Always tells the story of thirty-five-year-old widow Allie Richards who has always dreamed of having her own landscaping business. After losing her job, Allie's Pinky Promise girlfriends convince her to enter Shady Grove's Beautiful Town Landscaping Competition.

The prize? The town's landscaping and maintenance contract. But there's a hitch. Every move Allie's ragtag crew makes will be featured in the reality segment of a local TV show. Armed with only a green thumb and a motley crew of helpers, does Allie have any chance of surviving the hype and making her dream a reality? Daniel Montgomery, the man behind the camera, is after more than just a story. Will he be satisfied with anything less than Allie's heart?

I am about half way through this novel, and am completely addicted. I am in love with the characters; they have become a part of me. I want Allie to succeed. I want her to get the "guy."

This story draws you so deep in that as a busy mother of 4 myself, I am sneak-reading. I grab 5-10 minutes everywhere I can just to get a few more pages in.

What I am most excited about is that Promise Me Always is the first in the Pinky Promise Sisterhood Series...I can't wait to see what comes next form this exciting mom-lit author.

If you want a GREAT summer read, grab a copy of Promise Me Always, and let me know how you fit in your sneak-reading, busy mom! Because I guarantee you will be HOOKED!!!!

Enjoy the Journey, Trish
(Psalm 118:24)
Author ofThe Great American Supper Swap - Solving the Busy Woman's Family Dinnertime DilemmaRattled: Surviving Your Baby's First Year Without Losing Your Cool

Love is in the air! And more than love may be "blossoming" for Allie Richards. Allie is a thirty five year old widowed mother of two. She has just been "released" from her job and is hoping to start up her own landscaping business. Unfortunately things don't seem to be falling into place for her. That is until fate intevenes in the form of her "Pinky Promise" sisters who suggest she enter a landscaping contest where the grand prize inculdes $7500, a brand-new truck with her company's logo, and a contract to do the town's landscaping for a year.

Allie focuses on winning; she needs to win, she needs the money. Focusing on one thing tends to let others go to the wayside- and Allie is sacrificing a lot in hopes of achieving this dream.

As an added bonus, her high school-bad boy crush is back in town and as handsome as ever. But is Allie ready to open her heart to love...again?

Promise Me Always is a sweet story. You root for Allie the whole time and hope that she can work out all her problems. You really want her to succeed. You want her to fall in love with the dreamy man with the gorgeous eyes... Sigh...

Overall a great read- kept me glued to my chair until I finished; luckily, it was a quick read. I loved Ms. Lynxwiler's writing style- very honest, realistic (except for the overused "shugah"s and "y'all"s), breezy, and fun. It often made me smile (ok, part of me wishing for my own dreamy man)... Here's hoping there are more installments of the Pinky Promise Sisterhood!

I've been reading her books since I started reading Heartsong Presents series of books. Christine Lynxwiler is one of my favorite authors!! She's done it again with this new series!! It's not just about romance, but deals realistically with other issues and shows the importance of friendships and how much we all need good dependable friends. I look forward to reading more of this series!! Thanks Christine!!

this is a very interesting and sexy book. i was so into it. i never put the book down. i love this book. it kept me excited to see what was next..

THIS IS A CHARACTER YOU WOULD EITHER LOVE OR HATE! This book was off the chain.....Miss Divine aint nothin to be messed with. Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading part 2....HURRY PLEASE

This is the worst book, i have ever read. The book was poorly written. Miss Divine is not a diva, she is a fake broken down whore. The whole story is unbelievable. They should have named the book Peyton place, so the nosey neighbors could have saved this book, with all the gossip, then maybe i would have enjoyed this book. This book is certainly 2 thumbs down.

I loved this book. Divine's voiced dripped of that sweet Southern twang like a ripe, hand-crushed Georgia peach. I disagree with a reviewer that the story is unbelivable. It's jam-packed with juicy sex, tragedy and the like. It was hard to put down. Check for The Bristol Ho-Tell One and Two from Ms. Smith if you need some hot erotica in your life. Oh yeah-Ms. Smith is my peeps- I got a signed copy. We might could collabo on some fiction-keep your eyes and ears to the streets. Speaking of the streets, stay on the lookout for Hustle Hard, a novel by Blaine Martin, early 2008.

The is one of the best novels I've ever read. Tri Smith has made an impressionable début in the literary arena. This author truly stands out.

After fewer than a dozen pages, I dropped this one into my recycle container. I understand that the author was trying to set up the story of a woman building a new life after leaving an abusive husband, but there is such a thing as laying it on too thick. Any intelligent reader would have gotten the point after a page or two, but it goes on and on. For me, life's too short to wade through such material. (Isn't there already too much of this kind of thing in reality? Do we really need more of it? Seems some people do. After all, soap operas are still very popular.)

I really liked this story. The characters were well developed. I was routing for the heroine in this story. I loved the way she turned her life around and opened her home to other abused woman. I love the way that with the help of people around her that she came to understand that everyone new what was going on in her life and that altough she tried to hide the bruises, everyone knew that she was an abused woman. I loved the way that her relationship developed with the male charatcer that volunteered his time at the shelter because his sister was in an abusive relationship. In addition, the supporting characters were great. I loved the real estate agent. She was fun. Along with the mysterious woman that rented out the garage apartment. The child in this story, boy did he deserve a spanking but he had redeeming qualities as well. I liked the fact that his mother was able to get on with her life and get a really nice job as a land scaper. The sad side of this story was the young girl that tried to support her abusive boyfriend and paid for it in the end with being brutally beat up by him. This was a great story that I highly recommend.

This is a touching story about a woman who finally finds strength to walk away from an unhealthy marriage. Women from all walks of life are sure to enjoy this one because if you haven't been there, you at least know of someone who has.

I really liked this book, but I didn't think it was as good as Dancing on the edge of the Roof. I wish she gone into more detail of the emotions battered women face when they leave their abusive husbands. The author could have expanded more on Gloria's, Opal's boarder, struggle between rebuilding her life and her guilt for not going back to her son's father. I think Opal's husband would have been more realistic if he hadn't always been so hostile. Often abusive husbands try to woo back their wives once they've left, Opal's husband does not attemtpt to do that. Also, I would have liked Imani to have been a little angry with her mother not leaving sooner. Overall I thought the book tried very hard and did a good job of explaining the complexities of leaving an abusive relationship. I think Ms. Williams made it clear that leaving an abusive relationship involves more than just physically picking up and leaving. I like that in both of Ms. Williams books her lead characters are middle aged women who are just discovering themselves. Ms. Williams really seems to be able to write about women who are on the edge in gripping, beautiful language.

Sheila Williams has come back at us with, The Shade of My Own Tree. Domestic abuse is something that not every woman or man has a chance to walk away from. If they are lucky to do so, starting over may not be as easy as they envisioned. Will they be able to make it? Be able to stay strong and not go back to the abuser? Opal Sullivan made that choice to walk away and start over before it was too late. This is her journey to reclaiming her identity.

What seems to be a trend in William's stories, you meet a rainbow of characters. From the eccentric Bette Smith, the adventurous vampire slaying Troy, the moving rag mat dog Bear, to the mysterious woman in black living in the coach house. One big step for Opal, after leaving her husband, Ted, was finding a place of her own. That came in an old Victorian by the river, that looked as if it had seen better days. Like Opal, the house and its occupants, were on a road of discoveries and second chances. Opal rediscovers her passion for painting, and love where she least expected.

There were times when the story lulled, but Ms. Williams has a way with words that keeps you tugging on. This is a great story of people learning to lean on each other and ask for the help that they thought they would never receive. Thus reclaiming themselves.

Jacki
R.E.A.L. Reviewers

This is a great book by a new and upcoming author. You never want to put the book down and when it's over you wish there had been another few chapters. Great story.

New York City "It Girl" Troy Smith thought she'd have her ring by spring. But there's been a change in plans... Troy is a beautiful, successful black sister who is convinced her delicious boyfriend, Dr. Julian James, is the man of her dreams- that is until he says he wants a break. Brokenhearted, confused, and stuck in bed listening to Mary J. Blige, Troy knows there's only one thing to do: get her girlfriends to throw her an official 3T Break Up Party! Along with a long list of other traditions established during their college days at Hampton University, the break up party was how Troy, Tamia, and Tasha-"The 3Ts"-survived the drama of relationship bust-ups by stepping out in their most scandalous dresses and dancing 'til their stiletto clad feet hurt! Now it was Troy's turn. There was just one problem: Julian was stepping out too...with a new sister on his arm! Troy knows that should be the final straw, but she truly believes Julian is the man for her and refuses to accept that her Mr. Right could be Mr. Wrong. So it's time to get down and dirty and put the wicked 3T Take Her Man Plan into action. What ensues is an adventurous, New York City roller coaster ride that only the defiant 3Ts can withstand. Along the way, Troy realizes that in order to attract her dream man, she's got to start living her dreams. She's forced to take a closer look at herself and all of the things she used to feel were important about her big city life. Gucci, Prada and sushi-filled nights on the town are tossed to the side as Troy gets serious about her career, broken family ties and her ever-present, ever-supportive, ever-spicy girlfriends. A devilishly entertaining novel, Take Her Man also includes rules, regulations, and recipes for developing your own "It Girl" sisterhood...

***ESSENCE MAGAZINE, JUNE 2007: "A funny and sexy look into the world of Black dating by Octavia that will have you busting out the notepad to jot down tips on settling the score and finding true love." --Candice Frederick ***

***THE ROMANTIC TIMES, MAY 2007: "Octavia takes readers on a hilarious and emotional roller-coaster ride of breakups, new relationships and sisterhood." --B. Nakia Garner ***

***REAL PAGE TURNERS, JUNE 2007: "TAKE HER MAN is a fast paced witty look into black love... Octavia has an entertaining way of discussing the most emotional parts of breaking up. Even though this is an entertaining work, Octavia brings out several issues such as: community service, social class, motherhood, mental health, interracial dating, sisterhood, religion and art. TAKE HER MAN is chick-lit with a conscious..." --Deltareviewer ***

***RAWSISTAZ LITERARY GROUP, APRIL 2007: "Octavia has crafted an enjoyable story that will capture the attention of readers from the very first page... I really enjoyed reading TAKE HER MAN and look forward to more from this debut author. 4 STARS!" --Hope Denise Murphy***

***THE URBAN REVIEWERS, URBAN-REVIEWS.COM, JUNE 2007:"Take Her Man is a widely entertaining debut novel by Grace Octavia. Octavia created an engaging storyline with fun characters."--Radiah Hubbert***

***APOO Reviewer, MAY 2007: "I can't put it down!!!"--Donnica of APOO***

***REAL LADIES READ BOOK CLUB, MAY 2007: "There was so much to talk about. You get ladies in a room with this type of book and you know it gets loud." --Kenae, President ***

***Selected For Overbooked's 2007 Hot List***

***Featured at the Zora Neale Hurston Literacy Expo in May of 2007 at in Tulsa***

This is the first book I have written by this author and I am truly a fan! It is very well written and I totally identify the 3Ts! They are girls who are beautiful, smart, sexy, and head strong. I love the tips of advice/guides at the end of almost every chapter. I would definitely recommend this book for book clubs or general reading. It is a page turner!

There is nothing like girlfriends. I mean true, real, tell you to suck it up and get off your behind girlfriends. They don't say it to be mean, but because they love you and after a breakup your girlfriends are just what the doctor ordered.

In "Take Her Man," by Grace Octavia, Troy is a woman that knows what her life was going to be. She grew up in a high society black family, attended college, and met her Mr. Right while attending law school. Like many women, the day she meets that special someone her wedding is planned. They have their bridesmaids, colors, flowers, and invitations all picked out and now that the groom has found his way to her it's only a matter of time before she is Mrs. Perfect.

Sound familiar...in this debut novel by Octavia, Troy faces challenges as her picture perfect life takes a sharp turn left of her dreams. The 3T's (Troy, Tamia, and Tasha) are a force to be reckoned with and when Troy's heart is broken they put into play the college famous break-up rules, which ultimately sends all three woman on a path of unexpected self discovery.

"Take her Man" is so much deeper than one may think by reading the title. Amongst all the heartache, fun and rules, this novel is filled with family, history, friends, socialites, love, and most importantly self love.

I enjoyed this book very much. I couldn't put it down and going through the 3T's rulebook made it beyond entertaining with many truths. It reminds me of a "Sex and the City" atmosphere with three intelligent, loving, beautiful black women discovering who they are and accepting their identities. This is must read for all girlfriends and Book Clubs!!!!

Reviewed by: Portia Real Ladies Read Book Club


"Take Her Man" is the Winner of the
Real Ladies Read Book Club New "Real" Author Search
July 2007

Meet Troy who has been in a somewhat committed relationship with Julian for over a year. From Troy's perspective, everything is great. So, imagine her surprise when he unexpectedly informs her he needs a break from the relationship.

After taking a few days to herself, Troy calls in her reinforcements: her girls, Tamia and Tasha, to help her feel better about her breakup with Julian. They have been thick as thieves since their undergraduate days at Howard and call themselves the 3Ts. So, after deciding she truly does love Julian, they concoct a plan to get him back. Troy feels he just needs a little help realizing he truly loves and wants to be with her too. The multi-step plan is guaranteed to take Julian away from his new love interest. The question is when Julian returns, will Troy want him?

Grace Octavia's debut novel, TAKE HER MAN, is an enjoyable tale of what lengths a woman will go through to get her man back when a relationship ends. Octavia has crafted an enjoyable story that will capture the attention of readers from the very first page. In addition, she sprinkles in relationship advice throughout the novel that is separate from the main story line, but provides additional information regarding the actions taken or discussed by the characters. She also includes spiritual references and messages of affirmation that really help the reader put situations in perspective. I really enjoyed reading TAKE HER MAN and look forward to more from this debut author.

Reviewed by Hope Denise Murphy
for The RAWISTAZ Reviewers

I was drawn to this book because it has always been a dream of mine to backpack across the world to "discover" myself. In this fictionalized semiautobiographical account, Pop does just that. In my realistic busy life of working wife and mom, I found this story a quick and easy, yet fulfilling read.

Although I would have enjoyed more background and details, it was fascinating to read how Anna travels from place to place, learning of other cultures, customs, people, and most importantly--herself, as her journey unwinds.

Throughout the story, I would often stop and ask myself, "What would I have done?" Usually the answer was, "I have no idea!" There were many frightening circumstances, but that's what makes life the adventure that it is!

Reviewed by Rebecka Vigus for Reader Views (7/06)

Anne-Marie M. Pop gives a frightening yet informative account of a young female backpacking through Southeast Asia and India. It is the story of a successful young girl unhappy with her life and struggling to find the meaning of life.

While many of us struggle to find the meaning of life, few of us give up our jobs, homes, and families to back pack anywhere let alone in Southeast Asia or India.

I was disturbed by the drug use and promiscuity. I also wondered about what seemed a lack of concern for cultural differences and the rules of society. Yet I also understood it to be a learning experience.

The book is compelling. I found it hard to put down. I was intrigued by the different cultures and how readily some accepted the young girl while others tried to take blatant advantage of her.

I suggest it especially if you know someone who is struggling with questions about life and life's meaning. The book is meant to be a journey. I would be very curious to learn how the young girl views her life now she has returned. Well written and very thought provoking.

This book is written almost like a journal and tells the story of Anna, a young woman in her twenties, who had a great job and was quite successful. Anna, however, was suffering from severe depression. She was going to a therapist and one of the things he said to her was "Did you ever take some time off to think about your life?" Anna could not get this thought out of her mind and kept thinking about a previous trip she took to Thailand.

The next thing Anna decided to do was to take a backpacking trip throughout Southeast Asia and India. During this trip she had many different experiences with drugs, spirituality and rave parties.

What does Anna discover while on this trip? Does she manage to find herself and get her life in order?

The author has written an intriguing read. Once I started reading this book it was difficult to stop. The reader will feel like they are right there with Anna as she makes her adventurous backpacking journey throughout Asia and India. In order to undertake a journey like this alone, it would take a great amount of courage. The author does an excellent job of making the reader feel this also. This is an inspiring story of someone who is trying to find answers and then takes the time to do it. As she goes through her journey, the reader will experience the many highs and lows that Anna faces. Those interested in backpacking will enjoy this book; however, all readers will enjoy this entertaining and inspiring read by this author. This book is highly recommended.

I read this book with an interested candor. I have never done any traveling to exotic places, but this was a trip that I would have taken had I gone. In this book, Anna learns a valuable lesson, and it is written with the directness of someone who wants to share a lot of wisdom with the reader. I got this same impression after reading Hermann Hesse's "Sidhartha" for the first time. The prose is plain, deep and direct. It cuts through all the romantic crap you read from drug-crazed Westerners and gets to the heart of a lesson that I learned about human nature and the quest for peace. Om, shanti, shanti, Ms. Pop!

Minutes after the postman rang the cycle-bell and dropped this book at the door, I was devouring it. As anticipated, it dealt with India. And, my next guess was right too: a significant section focused on Goa, the former Portuguese colony on the Indian west coast that this reviewer calls home.

Let's shift focus to where it should go: the book and its author. Writer Anne-Marie M Pop is a Montreal-based computer engineer. In 2001, she took on a two-year job in Sweden, and then quit for a seven-month "backpacking journey through Asia".

This is a reflection -- let's not say 'record' -- of her times in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and India.

It takes her through Cambodian border scams and brothels, Buddhist meditation centers in Thailand, scenic islands, the Mekong and the rain forests. She also lands up in the sex-drugs-and-full-moon-party trail still surviving a generation after the hippies first sought solace and escapism in Asia.

Anne-Marie's book is an easy and entertaining read. It's armchair-tourism from the safety of your own home, with the tantalizing promise of bringing in close, but not too close, the perils that Asia.

Anne-Marie M Pop faces many dangers. More so, as the "young female, traveling alone". She's critical of how Asian men treat women. And as an Asian male, this reviewer would acknowledge that she has a point. But is it Asian males alone? Oftentimes, oppression has a more subtle face on it. In Asia, it doesn't.

Her chapters are usually just two pages long. One comprises just four paras! While this may seem unusual, it makes for easy, relaxed reading.

Young Female Traveling Alone gives the reader both insights and an interesting travelogue into a number of diverse parts of Asia. But does it go deep enough? Does it
repeat stereotypes that we are already brainwashed about? We'd leave that to the reader to judge.

What this writer has to say about Goa and the rest of India struck a chord. She was writing about a place that's barely eight kilometers from home. The last book of the kind is Dr Cleo Odzer's "Goa Freaks". It's a sad story of how a young Jewish lady got caught up with drugs, and almost died of it.

[She cleant up, did her PhD on sex tourism in Patpong, and worked for a rehabilitation group in the US. But, earlier this decade, she returned to Goa, only to die her in an incident which still brings in many curious questions from people who knew her.]

Anne-Marie M.Pop's description was realistic and down to earth. No wonder, as a reviewer, one was both surprised and disappointed to read the 'fiction/general' tag on the back cover of the book. It's so life-like, I thought it was true!

Or, is it?

Sex therapist Saylor Oz is trying to get over the suicidal death of her childhood friend, Gwen Applebee. Gwen and Saylor were always considered to be odd ducks since Gwen was known as "the scarecrow" and Saylor was nicknamed "the munchkin", since she stands barely five feet tall. Now with Gwen gone, Saylor still has one good friend in her life, and that is Benita Morales, who was her college dorm roommate at NYU.

Things have been a bit sketchy lately ever since Benita and Saylor's apartment was broken into while they were living in the Brooklyn section of Williamsburg. They quickly moved to Saylor's aunt's loft and felt safe again. But as they were leaving a poetry reading one night, they were almost attacked by two muggers who seemed to be waiting for them. There are too many coincidences here, and Saylor thinks it has to do with Gwen's death. The way Gwen died was very strange, especially the fact that she was wearing a fanny pack which Gwen would have never worn alive since she was big into fashion. Plus the suicide note she left is full of secret messages that only Saylor would understand.

Saylor goes to the police thinking that Gwen could possibly have been murdered. The police laugh her off. Saylor is then kidnapped by some dangerous thugs who think she is in possession of something Gwen had that their boss wants. They want a tablet that has a top-secret formula for a perfume and have given Saylor five days to find this tablet, or they will kill her. Since the cops are no help, Saylor has no choice but to do what they want.

Soon Saylor and Benita must search for this hidden tablet and try to figure out who wanted Gwen dead and why. And if that weren't bad enough, Saylor has to put up with her aunt Lana, whom she adores, but who has the bad habit of walking around naked; the constant jokes about her last name; and retired boxing pro, Eldridge Mace, who gets Saylor's blood pumping and not from exercise. Mace tends to be around whenever Saylor is in trouble and wants to help her even though she feels she can handle things on her own. She wouldn't mind having a little fling with the Mace-man, but since her life is on the line, all thoughts of romance will just have to wait. Hopefully she and Benita can find the villain who killed Gwen and save the day, or, at least, save their own hides.

This may be Allyson Roy's first book, but it was definitely written like a pro. Roy can sure tell a story, and I believe she has a hit on her hands. Aprhrodisiac had me chuckling over Saylor and the horrible situation she has found herself in. The plot may seem a bit loony at times, but the character of Saylor, and especially that of Benita, shows two great friends bonding in a time of distress.

Overall, Aphrodisiac is one story that has everything from an excellent murder mystery, engaging characters, and a few scenes that will give you a good chuckle or two. I would definitely keep an eye on any future releases by Allyson Roy because Saylor Oz is one character not to be missed. Hopefully, this is the start of even more books to come with Dr. Saylor Oz.

Katiebabs

I absolutely LOVED this book. I generally only take the time to write reviews on a book if I really liked it and this one totally fits the bill.

It was a funny, suspensful book with a great mystery, great secondary characters and a scorching hot hero. Saylor Oz is a sex therapist. One of her best friends dies mysteriously and everyone writes it off as a suicide but Saylor suspects differently.As she starts investigating her friend's death, it becomes more and more apparent that her friend was murdered for a secret formula that could be a modern day love potion.

I would really recommend this book to lovers of the Stephanie Plum series and anyone who likes smart funny heroines, sexy bad boy heroes and a blend of mystery, drama, comedy and sex therapy.

Saylor Oz leads a quirky life, aided by the fact that she has eccentric friends, she counsels people with sexual problems and she lives in the DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) neighborhood. That's right - Saylor is a sex therapist that caters to a unique crowd, but really this is the most normal aspect of her life since her best-friend Gwen died in an apparent suicide. But Saylor is certain her friend didn't commit suicide as Gwen wouldn't have been caught dead - literally - in a fanny pack! So as Saylor begins to investigate, she pulls in Benita, their hot-headed Latina friend to watch her back. While Saylor juggles a lot of things at once something is bound to crash on her head and it looks like its Gwen's killer.

So now Saylor is on a quest - to find Gwen's killer. But when said killer comes to Saylor to get a mysterious tablet that Gwen hid, Saylor's quest becomes to stay alive long enough to find the tablet and nail the bastards that killed her friend. Easy, right? Not when you are Saylor Oz...

Aphrodisiac is an off-beat romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud at the over-the-top capers that Saylor engages in and the absurdity of most of her actions. Saylor is an interesting blend of sexual knowledge, naïveté about the world in general and a pinch of "dumb blond" reactions every so often. While on her quest to find Gwen's killer, Saylor manages to catch the eye of the local bad-boy boxer, have one of her prospective patients ask her out on a date and discover the bloodthirsty side of Benita. In my opinion, Allyson Roy did a wonderful job of writing a light and funny book that's chock full of overblown reflections of reality that will leave you wishing you could be just that quirky for one day. However, please note that the romance aspect of this novel is at best a minor storyline and has an uncertain outcome. Still, if you enjoy Stephanie Plum and Betsy Taylor type characters Aphrodisiac is a must read for you!

Sabella
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Had trouble making myself put it down. It is compelling, funny, sexy, intelligent, sophisticated and there are many intriguing nuances.

A friend told me I'd love Saylor Oz and Benita. After reading the book, I
have to say I couldn't agree more. These two sassy Brooklyn girls are hysterically funny and heartwarming as well.
The story is gritty, tough and to the point, so there was plenty of suspense. Wonderful climax. A very fast paced read.