Urban Reviews - Your Source for the Best in AA Fiction!

Skyy Banks - Soul On Fire - Available Now! - 3.5 out of 5 books - 29-year-old Dana Taylor is a beautiful, educated and successful black woman that has a great career among Atlanta’s corporate world. Unfortunately, the one thing she seems to be missing is a good man to share her life with. Every relationship she has with a man is unhealthy, and all of them are sexual in nature. When her latest lover’s wife seeks out Dana for a confrontation, Dana tries to enlist her best friend for back up, but it seems to be a wake up call for her self destructive ways. Around 3am every morning, Dana is woken out of her sleep from a horrible nightmare. All the dreams appear to stem around the same thing, and they seem all too real. The nightmares center around her childhood when she was a young girl. With lack of sleep and the dreams disturbing her so, she seeks out professional help to unlock the key to these dreams. When she is put under hypnosis, she is shocked to discover what ...

Meta Smith - Sex Appeal - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Ebony Knight was a dominatrix to some very wealthy clients in Miami until everything spiraled out of control. Her supposed best friend and attorney Carmelita Sanchez framed her for murder and took off with millions of Ebony’s money. Carmelita also had Ebony committed to a psychiatric hospital. With the help of another mental patient, Ebony is now back out on the street ready for revenge. But getting her life back will be much harder that she expects when other people are after her as well. Time is running out as Ebony is trying to get her money back and trying to clear her good name. Sex Appeal is a good sequel to Whip Appeal by Meta Smith. Smith continues the saga of Ebony Knight as she tries to track down Carmelita to get her money back. This story had a lot of twists that keeps this book moving at a good pace. There were also a host of entertaining secondary characters that provided some different elements to ...

Naija - Spanish Flyy - Available Now! -  4 out of 5 books - Dr. Raquel Howard is back living in the lap of luxury due to money she inherited from her dead fiancé. She’s carved a new life for herself and has found love with Montez. But her love for Montez has opened the door to a whole new set of problems. Montez is dealing with some family drama that may be detrimental to all. Just when Raquel thinks that she can run from her past, someone is lurking in shadows seeking revenge. Spanish Flyy by Naija is the explosive sequel to Between My Thighs by Naija. Naija draws the reader in from the first page with Raquel’s sexual exploits. The story moves at a fever pitch as Raquel and Montez’s relationship grows. Montez family drama was a lot more interesting than Raquel’s in this book. Readers will find that you can read this book as a standalone, but it would be good to read the first book in order to fill in the gaps. Of course there is plenty of steamy sex that keeps this book ...

Terra Little - Where There's Smoke 2 - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Things are finally coming together for Smoke and Anne. They are happily in love, and life seems to be on the up and up. But for Smoke and Anne, life is never that simple. Smoke’s ex-girl Diana is stalking him, and he can’t seem to get away from her. Anne suspects that Smoke is stepping out on her, and she’s looking for a little revenge of her own. Anne also finally deals with the fractured relationship that she has with her mother. Smoke and Anne’s son Isaiah is away at college making better choices for his life. Isaiah’s past comes back to haunt him when his old nemesis Hood shows up on campus to cause more drama. In order to save their son, Anne and Smoke have to make some tough choices that could cost them a lot more than they bargained for. Where There’s Smoke 2 is a good sequel to Where’s There Smoke by Terra Little. Little brought back the characters that we love as well as the ones that we ...

Electa Rome Parks - Diary of a Stalker - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Xavier Preston is a sexy, bestselling author who loves his adoring female fans and has no problem with spending one on one time with them. But Xavier’s random trysts have come to an end because he’s engaged to a beautiful and smart woman named Kendall. But can Xavier truly change his ways? Pilar has everything that she’s ever wanted in life except for the perfect man. Pilar is a huge fan of Xavier’s novels and thinks that he is the man for her. Things get interesting when she finally meets Xavier, and they have a memorable one-night stand. Pilar is ready for a long-term commitment, but Xavier is not trying to leave his fiancé for her. But Xavier is in for a rude awaking when Pilar’s unstable behavior causes more problems that he ever imagined. Diary of A Stalker is a classic tale of when having an obsession with an author goes terribly wrong. Electa Rome Parks does a good job of showing how Pilar ...

Tina Brooks McKinney - Deep Deception  - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Veronica is in big trouble when she starts having an affair with her boss. But the problems are just beginning when she finds out that she’s pregnant with another man’s child. Will she be able to break this to her husband and still keep their marriage intact? Veronica’s sister Victoria has her own set of problems due to her being involved in a relationship that her family would disown her for. Veronica and Victoria will face the biggest challenge of their lives when their mother dies suddenly. Things get even more strange when their father comes back home, and he is nothing like they remembered. Time is running out, and Veronica is trying to get answers to some questions that were raised in her mom’s letters...but a sinister plan may stop Veronica in her tracks. Deep Deception is the perfect title for Tina Brooks McKinney’s latest novel. This story is full of family drama and secrets. Veronica a...

Mary "Honey B" Morrison - Marriod On Mondays - Available Now! - 3 out of 5 books - Foxy, Victoria, and Deja are sisters that run a successful bakery by day. Unbeknownst to their husbands, they fulfill the wild sexual fantasies of their clients at night at Crème Fantasyland. Although both businesses are successful, things are not that easy on the home front. Foxy can’t get any attention from her husband, and she can’t stop the affair that she’s having with her ex fiancé. Victoria is happily married to her wife Naomi, but she runs into some problems when the chief of police makes an indecent proposal that may shut down the business. Deja tries to keep everyone on course, but her controlling ways may be her own downfall. Mary “Honey B” Morrison brought us an interesting tale with Married On Mondays. Foxy, Victoria, and Deja are all in the same business but are very different in regards to their personal lives. The only person that was the most normal out of the thre...

Caleb Alexander - Belly of the Beast - Available Now! - 5 out of 5 books - Welcome to the belly of the beast, otherwise known as the federal prison system. When Christian a.k.a. "C" and best friend Enrique a.k.a. Henry get locked up together, they soon realize that it is survival of the fittest...where races are divided and racist prison guards work. This is Christian’s emotional journey through the belly of the beast. This is where friends become enemies, life soon results in death, color lines are drawn, and gangs, rapes and riots are commonplace. Christian goes on to found an organization called Umkhonto, one that will protect the brothers or the blacks and try to run interference with other groups within the prison with the hopes of keeping the violence down. With Umkhonto, it was Christian’s hope that they take the unity and do whatever it is they can to help another brother out when they got out into the free world. Belly of the Beast by Caleb Alexander is...

J.M. Benjamin - Heaven And Earth - Available Now! - 3.5 out of 5 books - Heavenly Jacobs was born to a hustler and was his arm candy. Tragedy robbed Heaven at a young age of the luxurious lifestyle that she was destined for. Eartha Davis was born to a mother that lived the life of a hustler, loved ladies and never felt she should shield her child from such delicate matters. These two meet in Edna Mahan Correctional Facility and form a bond that is shatterproof. Upon their release, they recruit a crew of ladies that will assist them in asserting their street credibility in the drug game while claiming their own niche in the hood. Whether it’s word play, hand to hand combat, or Smith and Wesson wild, wild west style, these ladies are down for theirs by any means necessary. Facing challenges for territory, intelligence, and being gangsta against their male adversaries are occurrences that these ladies face without blinking an eye. J.M. Benjamin penned an intense and intrigu...

Patricia Sargeant - Heated Rivalry - Available Now! - 3.5 out of 5 books - Valerie Parker could not understand why her father insisted on pushing her away. Ever since her mother died twelve years ago, she has been seeking the attention and approval of her father. When her father consistently passes her over for promotions she has obviously earned and gives her new clients to ex-NBA star Steven Crennell, Valerie can't believe it. After a career-ending knee injury, Steven decides to invest in Parker Publishing and put his people skills to work...and not get caught in a family dispute. Steven knows something is wrong with Valerie and her father's relationship, but he is not sure what. He just wants Valerie to stop treating him like the enemy. Along with all of this, Steven's ex-fiance, who married one of his teammates, is back. She's back under the pretenses of needing help advertising her new spa, but she is actually back for Steven. To keep her at bay, Stev...

Shakeera Frazer - Fast Lane - Available Now! - 5 out of 5 books - Friendship is an important part of life. There are times when you need someone to depend on when things go bad, and someone to offer advice on how to handle situations.  Friends can offer you the chance to share laughter, joy and sadness. But when your friend does the ultimate thing and betrays you, how would you handle the situation? Secrets, lies, and deceit can either bring a friendship together or tear it apart. Trish Grand's world has done a total 180. Trish knew how to get what she wanted and spared no expense. Trish was living the high life, but this was a drastic change from where she came from. Trish grew up in the projects, surrounded by drugs, crime, and neglect. Trish has put that life behind her, or so she thought. Someone is trying to destroy everything she tried so hard to accomplish. When the past creeps up on Trish and forces her to face reality, will Trish be able to keep living the façade...

J. D. Mason - Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It  - Available Now! - 5 out of 5 books - Renetta, Phyllis, and Freddie were high school friends that were closer than sisters until a dark secret tore them apart. Fast forward thirty years later, and the women meet again at their high school reunion. But some memories should be left buried in the past. Or should they? Renetta had a rough childhood that leads her to marry the first man who came along after high school. After years in an abusive marriage, Renetta’s husband suffers a mysterious stroke that leaves him incapacitated in a nursing home. Phyllis lived for her very successful career. Unfortunately, this dissolves her marriage and causes her to have a strained relationship with her adult daughter. When Phyllis doesn’t get a promotion that she feels she deserves, it causes her to do some self-evaluation. Freddie is very bored with her routine life. She’s been married for thirty years, but she needs something more. W...

Winkk - Tour Secrets  - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Sometimes when your dreams finally come true, it’s a lot to handle, especially when you realize that things are not what they appear to be. The entertainment business is a hard knock business. Deception, betrayal, and secrets are just some of things you have to encounter. Having tough skin is required to conquer your dreams, or you will be lost. Music was a gifted young lady who had a natural ability to dance and sing. Her and her partner/best friend Raven were a dynamic duo to reckon with. These two girls were requested all over the place, and they were known for all the latest and sophisicated dance moves. Their friendship is tested when Raven's secret is revealed. Music is confused and begins a journey on her own, with little or no support from her family. Music’s talent does not go unrecognized when she is asked to go on tour with the renowned “Sly.” Music is instructed and taught quickly to keep her mou...

Adenike B. Lucas - Vampire Whore  - Available Now! - 3 out of 5 books - Vampire Whore by Adenike B. Lucas is a story of a beautiful young woman by the name of Bianca. From an early age, she had to use what she had by any means necessary to survive. One night, she is forced to leave the only home she knew. Never looking back, she heads to Richmond, Virginia where she has high hopes and dreams. Her dreams are soon shattered. While working “The Block,” money is not coming in like she thought it would and sometimes she is forced to sleep out on the streets. Bianca is introduced to Daddy, a notorious pimp who offers her the best of everything and a life she never dreamed of. Feeling as if she was making a deal with the devil but not having a better option, she accepts Daddy and the lifestyle. Bianca figures she is going to be the best at anything she does, so she learns all the tricks of the trade and becomes the best in the business. When a mysterious stranger by the name of...

Korika L. Johnson - Joy Comes in the Mourning - Available Now! - 5 out of 5 books - Joy Comes In The Mourning by Korika L. Johnson is a story about Tonya Monroe, a 30-year-old woman who has a great government job at the Department of Health, a nice home, and a bangin’ body that most women envy and men desire. The one thing that Tonya is lacking is peace of mind. At the tender age of fourteen, Tonya’s mother was killed and her alcoholic father turned his back on her, leaving her mother’s best friend Carolyn to raise her. Carolyn is a God-fearing woman that faithfully attends church and is in almost everything her church is involved in. Between her husband volunteering her services and her current activities with the church, she barely has time for herself. Carolyn is quick with a prayer or word of advice and sometimes comes off a little too critical. This is one of the reasons for Tonya and Carolyn’s recent rift in their relationship. When Tonya becomes ill and is told that ...

Caroline McGill - A Dollar Outta Fifteen Cent IV - Available Now! - 3 out of 5 books - A Dollar Outta Fifteen Cent IV by Caroline McGill picks up right where the third installment left off. All the unanswered questions lingering are answered in this novel. Unfortunately, this novel leaves you with new unanswered questions that we will not have answers to until book 5. The major question like what happened to the guns? Well the answer is finally revealed! Will you be shocked to find out what happened? Portia and Jay are still split up due to Jay’s infidelity with Ysatis. Ysatis is pregnant and Jay has yet to find out. Is Jay and Portia’s love enough to stand the test of time? Lalia and Casino are engaged, and Khalil is still angry that Lalia left him for Casino. He is determined to exact revenge on the happy couple. Fatima seems to really have gotten her act together. Even though she still aches for the loss of Wise, she is doing much better. Not only is there ...

Tawnia L. Ramirez - Something More Than This  - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - "Sharing the word one story at a time" is how visitors are welcomed to the author's website. Those words couldn’t be truer. In her debut novel, Tawnia Ramirez blends personal growth with spiritual growth to bring about a fantastic story of redemption and reconciliation. Splashes of scripture are easily placed throughout the story, which feel like they personally belong to each character. Janaye Perkins is a single mother who has always used her emotions in a self destructive way to overcome the trials and tribulations of life. Baby daddy drama, a speeding ticket and being on notice at her job is the beginning of Janaye’s downward spiral. It’s not like the Lord didn’t give her subtle messages; He did, but she ignored them. Until you are down on your knees, the wall will not move and Janaye found this out the hard way. Believing there has to be something more than this to life, ...