Operators Books

I really enjoyed this book. It had real life situations and everyone knows someone like one of the characters. Only gave 4 stars because of the ending wish it could have been happier. But that is the hood part. If you love to read good urban books. Get this one soon.

I found the sequel to Hood Rat was an even worse read. Still Hood had it's moments but it really was everywhere and it had to much filler info that wasn't needed!

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't think this book was gonna compare top Hood Rats, but it finished of things and brought the new characters Gena, Black Ice, and her family and friends. The story is just wild I love it from beginning to end!

this book is what great sequels are made of! Kwan has truly found his calling with this series....the story of yoshi and jah keeps you wanting more! The introduction of dena jones and how all the characters tie in together is beautifully wrapped up and delivered! I was not able to put this book down until the end! And even then....I still wanted more!

Book was too long and had waay to many characters to keep up with. Didn't focus on the main characters from the last book. All new people in the was not necessary.

Once again, Sarah Strohmeyer has delivered a wonderfully funny, twisted tale about a murder in a small, coal mining town. She hits a home run with her witty dialogue and off-the-wall characters. You'll love watching Bubbles's wheels turn as she figures it all out once again!

Hilarous characters; rooted for Bubbles to goof up and get her man at the same time! Looked forward to the next book

This is the third entry in a slapdash, over-the-top mystery series featuring Bubbles Yablonsky, a hairdresser who looks like trailer trash but who longs to become a respected journalist. On the way to her goal, she stumbles and bumbles into one mystery after another, with the aid and support of the Mel-Gibson-esque Steve Stilleto, a top-level news photographer, whom she met on her first assignment.

Bubbles lives in a small blue/black-collar town in a part of America usually forgotten - the coal mines of Pennsylvania. Every character has a story connected to mining; Bubbles' father was killed when she was a young girl because, her family believes, he was a union organizer. Steve, the estranged step-son of a ruthless mine owner, hates his connection to the misery wreaked by Big Coal on innocent men and women.

It's almost impossible to describe a Strohmeyer plot; in a review of an earlier book in the series I think I said she used every idea she ever had. In my 40-some years of mystery-reading I can't think of a more convoluted (and somewhat ridiculous and highly unbelievable) plot.

In this outing Bubbles has left hairdressing for journalism and gets involved in a life-threatening, mysterious "accident" in a mine thought to be dormant and where a murder occurs while she and Steve are there after receiving mysterious messages. The race is on, with casino gambling, underground mine fires, a pierogi fight and who-knows-what's-next among the dozen or so plots and sub-plots.

Normally that would bother me. But Strohmeyer has a tremendous gift for creating eccentric characters, ones you usually can't help but love and want more of. Bubbles can spot a phony ten miles away, but her big heart accepts even the strangest individual, if s/he is hurt and honest (except the multi-pierced "G," a suitor for the hand of her beloved, ultra-smart daughter, Jane, whom she has raised single-handedly and for whom she wants a better future than that which Bubbles endured.

Strohmeyer's work resembles that of reigning working-class detectives' Queen Janet Evanovich, but I like Bubbles and her crew more (making me, a NJ native, a traitor of sorts). Their stories, like Bubbles, continue to develop in each book. Your suspension of disbelief will have to be extra-willing at times, but the fun to be had makes it worthwhile.

Bubbles Ablaze is the third book and has flavors of the first book `Bubbles Unbound.' This story is focused on a small town and a coalmine murder. I loved the Pennsylvania and polish reference very amusing. Looking forward to Bubbles a Broad her fourth book. Check out her web-site http://www.sarahstrohmeyer.com so fun stuff....

BUBBLES ABLAZE by Sarah Strohmeyer
October 28, 2006

Amazon Rating 3.5/5 stars

BUBBLES ABLAZE is the third in the Bubbles series by Sarah Strohmeyer. In the opening chapter, Bubbles is waiting in a room at the Passion Peak Resort, not too far from the nearby town of Slagville, for the love of her life Stiletto to show up for a rendezvous. It will be their first night of "sexual intimacy" and Bubbles cannot wait! However Stiletto is late, and she's beginning to worry. When the front desk delivers her a fax from the News-Times (the paper she works for), she is upset to be interrupted but duty calls. Per the fax, she is to go out to an abandoned coal mine in Slagville to report on a murder, along with other fellow reporters. Bubbles doesn't question the information and rushes to the scene of the crime. She is always looking for that big story that will prove her worth to her boss Mr. Salvo.

What happens when she shows up is the start of another set of adventures for Bubbles. First, she discovers she's the only one to show up for this news conference, and finds a car with the license place STINKYK4 nearby. Stinky! He's the practical joker married to her cousin Roxanne. Bubbles is furious, thinking that Stinky decided to play a practical joke on her while she was waiting to have her little rendezvous with Stiletto. But when she hears gunshots, she goes into the coal mine and inside a car she finds the bloodied body of her beloved Stiletto! He's ok, but they also find a dead body nearby...

The novel wouldn't be complete without the supporting characters - Lulu Yablonsky, Bubbles' crazy mother, Lulu's sidekick Genevieve, and Jane's, Bubbles' teenage daughter who seems to have fallen for her professor! The story in BUBBLES ABLAZE revolves around the town of Limbo, a town that is pretty much deserted because of a perpetual coal mining fire burning beneath the town. It is politics and greed at the forefront, while Bubbles tries to write her story and solve the mystery behind the murders that seem to be tied to Stinky somehow.

The Bubbles series seems to get better after each book. While there are some similarities to the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, Bubbles is unique. Both heroines are blue collar but can Stephanie Plum boast that she can color and set someone's hair? Bubbles' charm is in her style - her loud clothing and her keen sense of fashion (ha ha!). She also isn't too bright but at the same time, she surprises everyone by always solving the mystery ahead of the police. Stiletto, the AP photographer, seems to elude her but we do know that he loves her (he's said so!) and while Stephanie Plum may never get her man, I think there is hope for Bubbles.

The book is short and "sweet" but definitely a fun read. While "Maggie Sweet" will never be confused with Southern literature such as Faulkner, or even Lee Smith, Stacy does an excellent job with making us laugh and earning our sympathy by the third chapter. Fans of Fannie Flagg and Adriana Trigiani will love this book. Maggie is a "desperate housewife" of a sort, and her struggle to have her childhood dreams is what propels this story along. With the obvious cliches scattered through the whole book,this is forgivable and you won't be disappointed. The characters are like those in your own community. If this book is intended to be the first of a series, it is a striking and stirring beginning. Funny, memorable, and unpretentious.

I couldn't put this book down once I began reading it. It was such a fun read! Maggie Sweet is a great wife, mother, daughter, etc. and had thought that she was happy doing all of the things that "good 'ole Maggie Sweet" should do. (A description she overhears her husband tell one of his historian society friends.) Her 20th high school reunion is coming up and she begins to question her life as she is living it. Will she ever get to realize her life long dream of becoming a hair stylist? Or, will she continue to live the life her husband expects her to live? The characters that Ms. Stacy has created in this book are delightful! I can't wait to read her next book!

I absolutely loved this book! Maggie Sweet sure stood up for herself and took charge in the end! I just can't believe that she stayed with that awful husband of hers as long as she did.

This is the story of Maggie Sweet...a woman in a crappy marriage to a man years older than her (he was one of her teachers in high school), who finally gets to the point that she's had enough. Especially when the high school love of her life, Jerry, returns home after his divorce with his wife.

Will Jerry and Maggie live happily ever after? Will the kids ever forgive her for her final decision? And will Maggie finally get to have a successful career doing hair?...I'm not sure, but I'm really hoping the next book gives us a look into the new life Maggie has planned for herself.

I definitely recommend this as a great southern read. There's tons of gossip, drama, and sweet tea! I'm gonna read the next installment the second I get my hands on a copy!

Any bored houswife or middle-aged-crazy dame will identify with Maggie, the dedicated wife and mother who spends all her time meeting everyone's needs but her own, until at last given the chance to break free and do something for herself. An excellent addition to women's fiction.

I loved this book from cover to cover. I love our main character Maggie Sweet. I identified with her very well. Although, I was hoping that things would have turned out better for her and her husband, I hope that she finds true love wherever she may end up. I can't wait to read the next installment! I would have loved the other characters to have more of a female closeness but this book still delighted me!

Bubbles Yablonsky is built in the mould of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, she's a bit ditzy but she has a good heart and tends to get things done, somehow. This is the second story in the series about her. This time she finds herself drinking too much at a hen party (there was some dancing on a pool table) to celebrate Janice Kramer and Detective Mickey Sinkler's wedding. When she wakes up she's nearly late and the bride is no-where to be seen, though her uncle is dead, and his Rolls Royce is missing.

Bubbles finds out that Janice came from an Amish family and goes back to Janice's roots to find out the truth, gathering dead bodies and red herrings galore along the way.

It's a fun, light read, pure bubblegum, but it got several laugh-out-loud moments for me and was the perfect antidote to Unspeak: How Words Become Weapons, How Weapons Become a Message, and How That Message Becomes Reality.

Though Bubbles Yablonsky is a character that seems too big a collection of stereotypes to swallow, the author managed to make her real and likeable to me. Happily, "Bubbles in Trouble" eases off on Bubbles constantly putting herself down as "dumb" which was an unappealing part of the first book, "Bubbles Unbound". The story is a bit twisty and seems to go off in all sorts of directions but the twists aren't boring or pointless. I would have enjoyed having the conclusion fleshed out more. The questions were answered, but without near the detail that the set-up was given. I loved the way Strohmeyer described the Amish country and people. Affectionate without putting them on a pedestal. I laughed at a sly reference to Tamar Myers' books. When Bubbles couldn't think of a phony name quickly, she came up with "Magadalena Yoder" but couldn't figure out why she knew that name. I don't think Strohmeyer quite reaches the quality of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum for loveable heroine because Bubbles and other characters are so over-the-top broadly comedic, but still a fun read.

Fun book, laugh out loud at times. Great beach or Sunday afternoon read

I loved this book, and I thought it was just as good as the first; there were so many laugh-out-loud moments. I thought the book was cleverly-written, and if you like a witty mystery with a zany protagonist, you'll adore Bubbles and this book.

I didn't like it as much as I liked the first, and I felt like the plot was a bit choppy, but I'm looking forward to the third installment in the series.

A CREAM PUFF FUN READ FOR THE SUMMER BEACH OR LOUNGER

Fourth in the series, Bubbles A Broad features a newbie reporter as a heroine. In this episode, the case lands on Bubbles's doorstep in the form of Carol Weaver, who's escaped from prison after being convicted of the murder of her husband, and she wants Bubbles to help her find out who really killed him.

In addition to solving the crime, Bubbles has to contend with her teenage daughter trying to get into Princeton, her daughter's oddball boyfriend G, her career as a journalist that she nearly loses before it begins, and her boyfriend Steve Stilletto.

The Good:
The pace. It's fast-moving and almost dares you to just try to put it down.
The humor. It made me laugh aloud.
The community of characters. The story is richly populated with a variety of unique and interesting characters that you can care about.

The Bad:
The humor. Sometimes it tries a little too hard for a laugh.
Bubbles herself can be hard to like. She's brash and has a very distinct and vivid personality, so if you don't like her, you'll likely not enjoy the book.

The Verdict:
Much fun, and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Ms. Strohmeyer is gifted. She writes a terrific mystery and adds humor that almost makes you forget you're reading one! I'm anxiously awaiting her next book due out in paperback in November. Bubbles Yablonsky's cast of characters are second to none. From her zany Mother and her nutsy sidekick friend Genevieve, her daughter Jane and her boyfriend "G" which stands for either God or genius per self-description, her ex-husband lawyer and his wife, Wendy to her drop-dead gorgeous newspaper photographer boyfriend, Steve Stiletto, there's never a dull moment. Not to mention all the other personalities introduced into each new book. Ms. Strohmeyer has a very vivid imagination and her books are thoroughly entertaining. You'll find yourself laughing out loud. When I pick up one of her books, it's not put back down until the final page is read. She's not just recommended, she's preferred!! You gotta love Bubbles!!

BUBBLES A BROAD by Sarah Strohmeyer
February 24, 2006

Amazon rating ****


BUBBLES A BROAD I felt was much better than the previous installments of the novels about Bubbles Yablonsky. Bubbles is a hairdresser by trade, but she's just graduated from TWO GUYS Community College (in Lehigh, Pennsylvania) with a degree in (I think) journalism. She's trying to land a job with the local paper when she finds an opportunity to "interview" Carol Weaver, a woman that was in jail for the murder of her husband the wealthy and powerful Hal Weaver. Carol had just sprung herself out of jail and was now on the lam. This was really big news, so of course Bubbles was quite excited to have this opportunity, as Carol had shown up on Bubbles' doorsteps, asking for help. After Carol leaves, Bubbles goes to bed, only to be awakened at four in the morning by the sounds of someone in her house, and she later escapes narrowly with her life when that someone shoots at her bed. Granted, it was only with a BB gun, but the fact is, someone wanted to hurt Bubbles but for what reason, no one knew - yet.

With the help of Detective Mickey Sinkler, Bubbles' friend from the police force (Mickey has a huge crush on Bubbles) and Bubbles' current love interest Steve Stiletto, an award wining AP photographer (and very good looking to boot), Bubbles solves the mystery of who really killed Hal Weaver, a wealthy millionaire who had been having an affair with at least one woman before his murder. He's also made a number of enemies during his time. Was Carol the jealous wife who killed her husband in a jealous rage? Or was there someone else involved that had a vendetta against Hal?

Bubbles has troubles of her own when a former client of hers, Lorena Ludwig, crosses paths with Bubbles when they are both asked to cover a meeting with the Historical Society. (Lorena is a recent graduate of TWO GUYS Community College, in photography) Unfortunately, Lorena was not a happy former client, her life ruined after a botched job before her wedding, and throughout the novel, Lorena is found trying to exact revenge on Bubbles in a number of imaginative ways.

In the mean time, the romance between Bubbles and Stiletto are heating up, especially when Bubbles is asked to move in with him while her home is being investigated as a crime scene. Bubbles' mother Lulu Yablonsky is also in the picture, along with her sidekick Genevieve, both women crazy as ever. There are a lot of off the wall characters as well as an interesting mystery to solve. I didn't figure out who the murderer was until toward the end of the book, although Bubbles did come across some well thought-out theories on some possible suspects. I've two more books in this series to read, and hope to get to them in the next few months. They are fast beach reads for when one wants to read a no-brainer and be entertained.

I think this was my favorite Bubble book so far. This is the fourth book in the series. Bubbles' is a hairdresser/news reporter who finds her way into solving murders. She moves in with Stiletto a Mel Gibson look-a-like and sparks fly. I would buy the whole series and then pass it along to your friends - they will love you! If you enjoy this genre I would also suggest any books from Ellen Byerrum, Kate Angell , Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Cruise.

I got a few good laughs from this book, but it generally seemed forced to me. You can certainly tell Ms. Hill is not from Louisiana. She should simply put a Cajun dictionary at the end of her "Cajun" books, instead of stopping at EVERY phrase to explain what something is.
And the heroine in this book...oh, please, chere. If she was ever Miss Louisiana, she wouldn't be caught dead in Peggy Bundy stretch pants! I understand the whole bimbo concept, but put her in something sexy...not something one of my old aunt's would wear to the casino.

I loved this story. One of the other reviews commented that the set up for the story was a bit weak, but I felt that was okay. After all, this is a romance, and the heat between the two main characters was hot enough! I loved all the characters from Raoul and Charmaine to Linc and Clarence, the two ranch hands. I also thought Ms. Hill did an excellent job of making Charmaine a bimbo, but one that was not offensive or unbeleivable. Overall, I thought it was a great book!

Yee-ha, get along little doggies! Sandra Hill has done it again.

The Cajun Cowboy is a romp through western Louisiana's prairie land, home of ranching cowboys. This charmer picks up where Hill's first Cajun novel, Tall, Dark, and Cajun leaves off, but instead of the sexy LeDeux brothers, we are exposed to their super-charged half-sister, Charmaine LeDeux Fortier and her ex-not-ex husband, Raoul (Rusty) Lanier, plus a full dose of the family matriarch, Tante Lulu LeDeux.

Lovely Charmaine is a beauty salon and spa owner, but she has gotten herself into some deep financial problems by borrowing from a loan shark. Now he wants his money back, with interest--money Charmaine does not have. So while her lawyer half-brother Luc works on a solution, she and her Tante Lulu decide to "hide-out" at her ex-husband's ranch. Then she discovers that although she has married and divorced four times, she is actually still married to Rusty, husband number one, and has inherited half of the ranch from his father.

Recently released from a two-year prison stint, Rusty/Raoul thinks he wants only the peace and quiet of his ranch, until Charmaine arrives. The sexual tension between the two of them is nearly too hot for either of them to handle, but Charmaine has sworn off casual affairs and Rusty isn't making any commitments until he can clear his name. Nonetheless, they manage to want sex without having sex all of the time and the whole household knows it. Tante Lulu puts all of her efforts into getting them to realize that they love and need each other.

Like Sandra Hill's other Cajun novel, this book is spicy hot and ultimately very romantic. The characters, both those that we have met in her other book and the new folks we meet on the ranch, are funky and fun.

Armchair Interviews says: This is a delightful book--a great escape into romance with a Cajun touch.

In this book, Sandra Hill continues the fun with the outrageous LeDeux sibling, the poufy-hair loving Charmaine. If having the Dixie mafia on her delectable backside isn't bad enough, Charmaine finds out that she hasn't really been married and divorced four times. But is it really that bad??? Hmmm... In walks Raoul Lanier with the news that he and she are still married and now co-owners of the Triple L ranch. And he wants her to sign over her share to him for a mere dollar before he would agree to a divorce. But St Jude has other plans for these two and what better way to start the ball rolling than have Tante Lulu tell Raoul that his wife's life is in danger. Whooee! Now the fun starts...

When I first read about Raoul's return in the second book and how Charmaine has been hiding from him, I knew that their story would be one to watch out for. And I was not wrong. While I agree that there wasn't too much going with the plot, the laughter and outrageousness makes up for this. Raoul and Charmaine absolutely sizzle together! The byplays, sexual innuendoes and verbal sparring were great to read. And let's not forget the spandex-wearing Tante Lulu whose undying devotion to St Jude and utter determination to marry the LeDeux siblings off provide much laughter. And of course, we also see the characters from the previous books.

If you're simply after a quick, witty and hilarious read, THE CAJUN COWBOY is the book for you. Yes, it is a very fluffy read, but it is a good escape from all the drama around us.

Former beauty queen and four-time divorcee Charmaine LeDeux learns her first divorce was never actually filed, thus she's still married to her first and possibly true love. Her ex, Rusty Lanier, a disgraced vet fresh from a stint in prison after being framed lets her know that they have both inherited his estranged father's ranch. On the lam from the Dixie mafia due to her high interest "loan" from Bucks R Us, she hides out on the ranch, hoping to hold on to her sanity and her born again virgin status. But the always sparkling chemistry between the two simply won't let their lust for each other die down.

If you can get past the horrific Cajun dialect of the annoying and meddlesome Tante Lulu, you might actually like this story. Poorly written, filled with trite dialogue and a ridiculously thin plot, about the only thing it has going for it is the spicy romance. But even that is not enough to drag this one out of the cellar. Recommended only for true fans who want the whole Cajun series.

Interesting story with a likeable protagonist, Ken Parker. Way too much of everything: too many characters to keep up with, too many twists and turns in plot, and way, way too many false endings. The constant ups and downs of the story get so out of hand it's difficult to keep the reader's interest.

This is a thriller based on a protagonist who works as a polygraph technician. I listened to this on audio - the narrator, George Wilson (good ol' Mr. Wilson?) got me through it, but I have to say the book itself is unremarkable in the extreme. I see some characters that have been fleshed to about the one paragraph level; a plot-line of unlikely events, and a very unsatisfying finale bundled together with the thinnest of prose string. The characters never came to life for me, and thus I never really cared about them. The most inventive and likeable character was a side-line, and most of the others were cookie-cut from your standard, run-of-the-mill thriller. (Does that make this "Run-of-the-Thrill" read? (heh))The jaded, slightly overweight PI, the greedy out-of-control businessman, ex wife, attractive power-hungry lawyer - and you know what? None of them stayed in character well enough to build any sort of rapport with the reader. They don't react like real people, the actions of police, characters, FBI, and even the criminals seem to build one way, then lunge in all sorts of others haphazardly. No resolution for the protagonist...not really. Other reviewers tout this as cinematic, but I dont' see that at all. Many of the action scenes are implausible and don't even work when thought out carefully - this would make a lousy movie as written. I doubt I'll pick up another Johansen novel unless there is absolutely nothing else available.

I've been reading all of this year's Anthony and Shamus Award nominees, and "The Answer Man" is one of my most pleasant discoveries in the bunch. There's suspense, humor and clever plot twists, plus some very involving moments concerning a man's efforts to beat a polygraph. The characters were people I enjoyed spending time with, which is one of my main requirements for a good novel. Highly recommended!

I suppose that a cool, rational look at the plot "The Answer Man" would show that it all very, very unlikely -- but who reads suspense thrillers for cool, rational analysis? This is definitely a book that keeps you turning the pages and which provides plenty of surprises. Almost nobody does what you expect him or her to do, and a lesson quickly learned is to trust no one. In fact, any character in this book must live by the rule that a little paranoia is a good thing, and a lot of paranoia is even better.

Contrary to one reviewer's comment that techniques to beat a lie detector were revealed in this book, they weren't. Which is a shame because then it might have been worth reading. I managed to drag myself to page 185 where my interest finally died. It wasn't an unexpected death, however; it had been bed-ridden for some time.

It's rare to come across such two-dimensional characters in a multiple-star book. I had to keep reminding myself what good old Ken's name was and "Ken" is just not that hard.

I tend to read in cycles and I've been in my mystery period for a few months now. If you must read "The Answer Man" (which provides no answer to the question of why so many reviewers found it interesting), I would suggest you do so after you've exhausted Robert Crais (all of the Elvis Cole books in order), Dennis Lehane (all five Patrick Kenzie books in order), Michael Connelly's "Void Moon" (and perhaps his others, which I haven't read yet), Robert Ferrigno's "Heartbreaker" and perhaps all of the Janet Evanovich and Lee Child books.

"The Answer Man" was written by a screenwriter and this is a straight-to-video effort.

She'll Learn is about three best friends sticking together as they go through many trials in life only to come to the conclusion they have to love one self before trying to love someone else. Overall, I liked the story line but didn't like all the cursing.

Maxine Harrell is the proud owner of a successful hair salon, owns her own home and has a body most women would kill for. Indira Carr is a successful art gallery dealer, well educated and has the looks of a top model. Sydney Carr is a single mother with a good job, beautiful baby daughter and a supportive father.

All three women have been friends since they were young girls. All have a lot to learn about men. Maxine has to learn to get her one man. Indira has to learn that a man doesn't have to hit her to love her. Sydney's lesson comes in patience waiting for a man to do right. Each woman has to learn life's lesson by dealing with a man, but together they see it through.

She'll Learn is a story of personal struggles and life long friendships. I must say that although the story is a good one, there are many grammatical and typos through-out the book; hence I deducted a pen. The errors caused for annoying reading.

Tracey
R.E.A.L. Reviewers

How often does a man go through life feeling as though he'll never find his one and only true love? I'm sure it's not nearly as much as a woman does, especially if she is over the age of thirty and her biological clock no longer sounds like a tick - but an alarm. Maxine is business savvy but man stupid; she sleeps with men without knowing more than their names. Her physical needs take precedent over her emotional needs. Indira is in an abusive marriage with a man she loves dearly. She wanted to one day have children but can't, at least not with her husband since he had a vasectomy before they married. Sydney, on the other hand, is a single-mother still pining for the father of her child. She lives with the hope that one day he'll return to her and their daughter.



It's been said that past experiences dictate your future. In some cases that's true if you allow the vicious cycle to continue. Maxine is dealing with abandonment issues; her mother left her with her grandmother at a very young age, never to return. During a Thanksgiving dinner, Maxine's aunt reveals some shocking information about her mother and now Maxine must make a decision. Sydney's mother has never forgiven her for becoming pregnant by her thuggish boyfriend, Anthony. They have not spoken in almost two years even though they attend the same church and only sit two pews behind each other. A change is going to come and the person who brings it about is not whom you'd expect. Indira is steadily trying to hide her husband's abuse from her friends. Just when she's had enough, her husband decides to leave her and file for divorce. Indira is angered by the news and even more shocked when information she never knew about her husband is suddenly revealed.



There's a saying: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. She'll Learn is about the lessons you learn (or don't learn) from life's experiences. I've always said there's a person who always "takes you there." By that I mean there's a person who always manages to make you weak enough to let your defenses down. And even though you get hurt in the process, somehow you just can't let go; therefore causing you to do stupid things in the name of love (or even lust). You become vulnerable and before you know it, you're caught up in trying to prove something either to yourself or the person who has hurt you. Maxine, Indira and Sydney each are in this predicament and their friendship sustains them.



To know someone has got your back, no matter what, makes all the difference in the world. These women had their differences but they didn't let that stop them from being friends, even when times got rough. I've always known a person will keep doing what you allow them to do; She'll Learn drove the lesson home. I even saw myself in one of the characters; however, I won't reveal which one. The story flowed well and didn't skip a beat. Barkley - Staples did well with this one and only teased me by insinuating there would be a sequel. I can't wait.

Reviewed by Esther "Ess" Mays for Loose Leaves Book Review

A friendship is considered a relationship filled with mutual affection, good will, and harmonious cooperation. If successful this bond becomes so strong that it results in a completeness that only a devoted family member can extend. She'll Learn by Sybil Barkley-Staples is a heart warming novel that embraces a friendship between three women, Indira, Sydney, and Maxine, during an unfortunate time in their lives.

Indira has been married to her husband, Robert, for over 5 years. Love at first sight overruled the fact that Robert was old enough to be her father, but the years of abuse and hatred has triggered such doubt about her marriage. Unable to take too much more, Indira is trapped between her love for a man who over chastises her every move and a aching for a family saturated with happiness.

Ambitious and outspoken, Maxine has become the beholder of "the truth will set you free" when it comes to any situation except her own. Scared of being alone for the rest of her life, Maxine takes out her anger on her friends by being rude and insensitive. The time has come for Maxine to grow up and face her demons from her past and present situation, but will she be able to accept it?

Caught between the man that she loves and a mother that is just as stubborn as she is, Sydney makes a choice that will alter her life and her heart. Dependent upon her friends for all the support they can offer, Sydney has learned to forgive and move on, until her past starts to resurface forcing her to make decisions that will steer her out of turmoil existence.

Connected since their childhood past, their friendship undergoes a test of support, guidance and forgiveness, enabling each woman to recognize their awaited path. Sybil Barkley-Staples has exemplified some of the hardships that we all go through in life, allowing readers to captivate the true meaning of sisterly love that some of us have been blessed with, yet still yearn for in our lives.

Monique Baldwin, Founder
Flavah Reviewers

There is no need to read this book, the description on the back of it tells the whole story. If the author had skills like Maya Angelou or Darnella Ford then you would read it just to see how the story was told. But this author doesn't have the skills to paint a picture with words or let metaphors speak for a person's actions. Not to mention all the typos, which were throughout the entire book. Can you say PROOFREAD? I almost toke a read pen, made corrections and mailed it to the author, the publisher and the distributor. Two thumbs down. I want my money back.

I think this book serves as a great aide for a team looking to implement a 5S program. It is easy to read, follow and comprehend the concepts across all levels of the organization. I especially appreciated the information on coping with resistance to the program. It was good training for my management team and was a good introduction for candid discussions with the employees. Many of the employees felt that the management team "felt their pain" by predicting and understanding that there would be resistance and the mid-managers didn't feel "blindsided" by difficult or unexpected questions. Overall it helped the company to build a win-win approach to implementing our 5S program.

This book is written at the perfect level for floor implmentation. It is a no bones, to the point, with wonderful examples. Very easy reading within a few hours. I will be taking it to my Plant Manager to help convince him of the advantages of 5S.

Very easy reading within a few hours. It covers all the 5S in a simple practical way with excellent examples. Shows a lot of pictures that help visualizing work area before and after 5S. I recommend strongly this book. Eleven plants in the comapny i work for are using it now.

This book is a great informational tool to get the ideas of the Five S concept into your employees. It is an easy read and doesn't heavily focus on how to implement these ideas but rather what to look for to help you implement Five S.

Disapointing. Here we have a $25 book with 120 pages, probably at least 100 of which could be eliminated. The book is wordy, vague and full of meaningless examples and ambiguous statements. Don't waste your money.

I love books that are set in New Orleans, but even that didn't overcome the disappointment with this "mystery" novel. The mystery was pretty thin and fairly easy to figure out. It's actually a romance novel with all the required elements: physically perfect leading characters, a love affair with lots of delicately written sex scenes and the standard class difference between the poor heroine and rich hero.

While it was fun to read, I don't really like romance novels and the mystery left a lot to be desired. By the end of the book, I had already decided I didn't want to read any more of the series.

I love New Orleans, spent many a happy hour sitting in Cafe du Monde munching and sipping and watching the styles go by, but....I do not think I ever want to see another recipe or fashion description in a novel again. Kind of how I felt about cotton candy after spending a summer spinning it at a park. This is formula writing at its most predictable. Event, outfit, meal. Outfit, meal, event. You get the picture. This stretches out the murder plot which is cluttered with a romantic plot and cutsey remarks at a level even we male pigs would consider inappropriate in an upscale beauty spa. Where yat? Not here.

I love Sophie's books and I was excited about each one as she wrote them.

This, her first one, is fun, and _Bad Hair Day_ is probably my favorite. Her characters are witty and well-developed, and so in love.

I went to elementary, junior high and high school with Sophie Dunbar, aka Gwen Belk of Florida. It was a shock when her husband called me on Mother's Day, 2001, saying Gwen had died. I think about her every day and miss her, loads.

I'm glad she had the fun and satisfaction of a job well done in these charming mysteries.

This is the first Eclair mystery - recommended and quite good too. Its an easy read, a bit saccharine at times, but in the end I didn't really care whodunnit because it was pretty easy to figure out the 'whydunnit'.

Still there is an element of romance in it for people who like that. This is about Claire Clairmont (nee Jenner) and set in New Orleans against the class structure. Claire comes from the 'swamp rat' side of town, her ex-husband and soon to be husband again, Dan Clairmont, comes from among the wealthy and powerful.

There is an awful lot of set up to the story before the murder even happens. We meet Claire as she meets her husband, goes on honeymoon/work to France where, Quelle Horreur, a formula for a perfume, tres expensive, is stolen. Of course this sticks in the mind so when a French woman turns up in Claire's salon 'Eclaire', you know why she is there and what she is doing.

I know it is a picky thing, but this seemed to be a book about extreme privilege. Claire has everything - rich husband, who handily decks out her salon as a divorce present. She is beautiful, talented and has no weight problems at all despite eating like a horse throughout the book. I have to confess I much prefer the Kinsey Millhone/Stephanie Plum school of flawed detectives/women who also have a great sense of irony and so a good line in self deprecation at the same time.

Claire also has that annoying habit of not doing as she is told and deliberately hiding evidence from the police in order to pursue her own faulty investigation - which could put her in danger. Why do they always do that? It never rings true to me.

Anyway - this was a very easy read, has a nice happy ending -of course the murderer is only one of two people it could be so it isn't that unexpected in the end. An easy read for a wet Sunday really.

Claire and Dan are a couple who will grow on you. Their affection, love and loyalty for each other will be tested more than once in this introductory title of the Eclair mystery series.

Claire knows she loves him and thought he loved her, so why did she find him and a lively large breasted goddess nude under the moonlight? ...It takes humor and intelligence to solve this crime and survive this relationship... so the question is will they?

The first couple of chapters will introduce you to Claire, Dan, their family and friends. Stay with it and you will learn much more about them then you expect. The mystery has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and the backdrop of the beauty shop is unique.

This mystery not only provides us with a mystery, but also with enough sexual tension to make one blush.