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

Carl Weber -  The Choir Director -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  Scandal is still the topic at First Jamaica Ministries. Bishop T.K. Wilson has his hands full with the biggest scandal that has occurred at the church so far. Member start to leave the church when they find out that the choir director,  Jackie Moss,  is gay and has been trying to seduce the straight men in the church. With members leaving the church, this mean that the tithes and offering are starting to dwindle. If you've read any of the other novels about First Jamaica Ministries, you know that Bishop Wilson will do anything necessary to keep the cash flowing in the church. Bishop tries to get Aaron Mackie, one of the hottest choir directors on the East Coast. Aaron is from Virginia, has an angelic voice, and has the looks to match. But instead of Bishop Wilson enticing Aaron to join First Jamaica Ministries, he is pretty much blackmailing him. Aaron has a few secrets that...

Black Coffee -  Time To Grow: Time Will Reveal Part 2 -  Available Now! -  PG-15 -  5 out of 5 books -  Time To Grow brings an emotional aftermath following Stoney’s home-going, and vows of revenge reign supreme amongst the members.  Ebony’s newfound Houston friends come home to support her, but all among them aren’t genuine, which leads to more drama upon her return to Houston .  Ebony and Ajay’s relationship is challenged with his constant infidelity, his dominant attitude, as well as the killer mentality that he harbors. This all frightens Ebony, causing the thought of an unpredictable future with the love of her life.  Ebony excels at school in Houston, both in academics as well as in athletics, under the watchful eyes of her Big Mama and Poppa.  Ajay’s constant cheating antics spark trouble for Ebony in Houston as she’s confronted with lies and violent assaults that is disturbing to everyone and bring out the dark...

Black Coffee -  Time To Learn: Time Will Reveal Part 1 -  Available Now! -  PG-15 -  4 out of 5 books -  Ebony ‘Baby Girl’ Brown is everyone’s favorite and deemed to be ‘the special girl’ of the crew.  Anthony ‘Ajay’ Jackson is everyone’s rock and has a dark side to his spirit that is visible and respected despite his age.  A Time To Learn introduces such an ideal tight knit crew that reside in Cleveland, Ohio and has history from the grandparents to the grandchildren.  Young Ebony finally acknowledges her feelings for Ajay but upon them delving into securing their relationship, their bubble is burst.  Ebony has to leave for Houston, TX to stay with her ailing grandmother.  The parents are relieved because the separation comes at a crucial and intense time that brings about the testing of everyone’s patience and acceptance.  A Time To Learn has a shaky beginning with it, starting with more of a narrative voice that di...

Naleighna Kai -  The Pleasure's All Mine -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  Raven Armand is a very successful woman. She has wealth, fame, and a great son. All that's missing is that perfect man that will complete the equation. Pierce Randall has been so occupied with his business due to a partner that's trying to take everything from him. He has no time for love or even a simple romantic rendezvous. When Raven's agent and her son try to get these two together, sparks fly. When the first encounter is over, will they be able to keep the romance alive or will it start to fizzle? When reading The Pleasure's All Mine, I knew that Naleighna Kai had done it again. She had a hit with Every Woman Needs a Wife, but she has another great book on her hands with The Pleasure's All Mine. While reading, you can easily place yourself in the story. Whether it be an emotional scene with her best friend, being a mother, or being someone that is just looking for ...

S. M. Gant -  Mahogany's Soul -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  Mahogany Harrison is a beautiful, ambitious young sista on the rise, climbing the corporate ladder to success. The only thing she cannot seem to get right is finding a good man to settle down with. Mahogany is the type of woman that refuses to deal with any BS a man gives her. It takes 1 strike and you're out...no second nor third chances with her. The one man that seems to hold her interest and captivate her heart is that of Jon Lawrence Butler a.k.a. Trey. Trey is a well-known and respected hustler. Although he cares for Mahogany, he is not quite ready to settle down. As time moves forward, their on-again, off-again relationship comes full circle, and they become engaged. These two will face quite a few hardships and obstacles that just may very well prevent them from ever becoming husband and wife. Will Mahogany and Trey be able to stand the tests of time? Mahogany's Soul by S. M. Gan...

Kimberla Lawson Roby -  Love, Honor, and Betray -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  The Blacks are back in rare form. But this time, it's not Curtis kicking up drama...it's his beloved wife, Charlotte. When Curtis's mistress, Tabitha, passes away and Curtis's two year daughter, Curtina, comes to live with them, things start to take a turn for the worse. Charlotte cannot accept Curtina living there even though it was okay that she had an affair and tried to pass off a child that was not Curtis's baby. So Charlotte gives Curtis an ultimatum: Either your daughter goes, or she goes. Of course when Curtis picks Curtina, this sets Charlotte on fire. Since Charlotte believes she has been shunned by Curtis, this pushes her into the arms of an ex that she gets reacquainted with on Facebook. While Charlotte is having her fun, Curtis starts to notice a difference in her behavior. Will Curtis and Charlotte reconcile, or will Curtis go back to his old ways??? ...

Contest for Winter Break by Kayla Perrin - Details Inside...

June -  This Game Has No Loyalty II -  Available Now! -  3.5 out of 5 books -  Part II of the The Game Has No Loyalty begins where we left off in the first book. Junior learns some hard lessons in his journey of trying to conquer the rule of his castle. Junior has had some hard losses lately, and he is just trying to stay afloat. Friends that he thought were his friends have shown their true colors, and he is just trying to keep his situation tight. His life has been in an downward spiral ever since he had lost his lieutenants in an untimely demise, and now he is sitting in a precinct facing a possible murder charge.  Junior has to get his mind right, his relationship with Shondra is on a hiatus, and his new affair with his mistress Muffin is treading into the danger zone. Will Junior be able to get it together and mend the mess he has made, or is the Game just not for him? In a chance encounter, Muffin runs into her ex-boyfriend Junior, and they t...

Michael L Goines -  Sailor -  Available Now! -  1 out of 5 books -  The year is 1971.19 year-old Bro G has just found out that his main girl is pregnant. Bro G then decides to join the Navy with the intentions of being able to provide a life for him and his family. When Bro G enters into the Navy, it is an opportunity of a lifetime for the young sailor. At each port, he quickly makes friends and beds different women. To make extra money on the side, he enters into the drug trade. Bro G is making some great money, but as time goes by, he realizes that he will eventually have to pull out before he winds up in jail or worse...dead.  Bro G will also have to make the decision if he is going to persue a relationship with his main girl in New Jersey or the one who has been in and out of his life where he is stationed. Sailor by Michael Goines read more like a memoir of a sailor. After each main entry, there is a sentence or two printed in bold as a "lesso...

Dasaya Cates -  Bloodlines -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  The Lang's are one of the most wealthiest families in Atlanta. They are multi-billionaires, powerful and highly respected within the community. Unfortunately, one of the Lang's has been keeping a secret from the family. It's a secret that she is willing to keep at all costs, no matter who she has to pay off or what she has to do to keep it quiet. Blair and Reynold Lang are newlyweds who seem to be the picture perfect couple. As soon as the rings were exchanged, that's when Blair seemed to change. Blair becomes borderline obsessed in conceiving Reynold's child. Reynold is so irritated with all the baby talk that he begins spending more and more time at work. Eventually things take a turn for the worst. Bloodlines by Dasaya Cates was a story of family, lies and secrets. I found that the part in the story where there is the reading of the grandfather's will was a bit much, especially ...

Devon Vaughn Archer -  Pleasure In Hawaii -  Available May 24, 2011 -  4 out of 5 books -  Sloane Hepburn has landed her dream job as director of guest relations at one of her companies' resorts in Maui. Sloane is focused on moving her career in the right direction. She has it in her mind that a serious relationship could jeopardize all that she has worked to accomplish. Somebody forgot to tell that to her heart as she was literally swept away by B & B owner Gene Malloy. Gene has been divorced for over 2 years now, but he is in no hurry to go down that road again. So when Gene saves Sloane from being swept away by a sneaker wave, he has no idea that she would have him feeling like maybe he could take the plunge again. Sloane and Gene are both determined to let there relationship progress naturally. Neither wants to assume anything. Will their blossoming romance survive their tropical paradise, or will it with...

Contest for Who Said It Would Be Easy by Cheryl Faye - Details Inside...

June -  This Game Has No Loyalty -  Available Now! -  4 out of 5 books -  When you enter into the world of hustling, there are rules and guidelines you need to follow. Trust no one, and always be ahead of the game. But when you start to let your guard down, chaos can erupt! Junior was an up-and-coming dealer in the Baptiste area. Junior had a lot to prove, especially since he wasn’t from the area and was claiming territory. With schooling from his older cousin, Junior assembles a team to get his product moved throughout the Baptiste streets. With things running smoothly, Junior's world is turned upside down when there is a traitor inside of his camp. Junior learns fast about the game and who is really loyal in his camp. But will Junior take heed to his cousin’s advice, or will his being too trustworthy lead to his ultimate demise? Shondra was born and breed in Baptiste. She was an around-the-way girl who was known for her fighting skills. She didn’t sle...

Contest for Push Comes To Shove by Oasis - Details Inside...

Lisa Y. Watson -  Interview With Love -  Available Now! -  4 out of 5 books -  Sienna Lambert is a consumer psychologist who has a hard time keeping her life together. Therefore, she throws herself into building her company. When she attends a function that one of her clients is throwing, she is literally knocked off her feet by a handsome creative director named Vaughn Deveraux. After making sure she was okay, Vaughn and Sienna hit it off, until she questions his work. This causes their pleasant encounter to turn not so pleasant. Vaughn thinks that he has no chance of even becoming friends with Sienna after that disastrous afternoon. With Sienna being one to never be proven wrong and Vaughn being one that doesn't give up easily, they find themselves back on the friendship path. After awhile, Sienna thinks there is something wrong with her because Vaughn has not shown any romantic feeling towards her. On a trip to Ari...

Carolyn Moncel -  Encounters In Paris: A Collection of Short Stories -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  This book is a collection of four stories that are all set in Paris. The first story titled Pandora's Box Revisited introduces Ellery Roulet, the main character of all five short stories. She's a wife, a mother of twin daughters, and has just been fired from the company that she started. She becomes so distraught over these recent events that she turns to her husband of 10 years who she knows is cheating on her. The second story is titled A Haunting in Courbevovie. This story takes Ellery to the oldest Catholic church in Courbevouie. Ellery is there because she has recently found out that her mother has died and she is feeling guilty about not being there for her like she said she would be. The third story in the book is titled A Brief Indiscretion. In this story, Ellery goes to meet the man she should ha...

Lisa Campbell -  Blindfolds -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  Ashley Stevens and Natalie Johnson become quick friends the first semester of college. With most college experiences, it’s a time when we begin to experience life and all of its wonders. As Blindfolds opens, we find out that Ashley is bi-racial and raised white. While Ashley’s mom and dad were dating, Ashley’s mom got pregnant with her. Her father Anthony was married and wouldn’t leave his grieving wife, who had just miscarried, so Ashley’s mother moved on. By the time Ashley was four, her mother married Eric, and he adopted Ashley. Moving forward, Ashley and her mother’s relationship left much to be desired. While visiting her mother’s house one day, Ashley came across a shoebox filled with letters. The letters were addressed to her and her mom, so she read them. They were from a woman named Yvette Williams, a name she was not familiar with. By the time she finished reading the letters, n...

Joy Deja King -  Rich or Famous -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  Dior is a superficial beauty that is arm candy for superstar Sway Stone. Ever since she was a little girl, all Dior wanted to be was famous...but at what cost? Being on the arm of Sway entitles her to such luxuries as having all the hottest designer clothes, attending exclusive parties, and hanging out with all the stars. When Dior walks in the room, all eyes are on her. When she captures the attention of Lorenzo, he is intent on making her his...at least for the moment. With all the drama surrounding Lorenzo, he would have never expected falling for this shallow beauty. When it's all said and done, Dior needs to make a decision. Would she rather be rich...or famous? Rich or Famous by Joy Deja King was an okay read. It had the potential to be a five star read, but I felt there were too many gaps left unfilled and not enough substance to the story. The story needed to have mor...