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

James Causey -  Twisted -  Available Now! -   4 out of 5 books -  Travon Brown is back with more problems than ever before. After the death of his surrogate father Willie, Travon is out for revenge against the person that’s responsible. But will he be able to rely on his street skills in order to settle the score?  He has even bigger issues when he finds out that he’s the father of Angel’s baby.  Now he needs to decide if he can continue with his relationship with Faith or try to explore things with Angel.  Will Travon be able to do what he needs to do in order to go on with his life? Twisted is a good sequel to the Twist by James E. Causey.  Causey did a good job with the development of Travon as a character. Travon is essentially a good man, but he has some things that he needs to work out.  You see how Travon struggles between doing what’s right and what he feels is the code of the street. Readers will actually feel the strong d...

Saundra -   Her Sweetest Revenge -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  Mya’s world turned upside down when her father was sent to prison for drug charges. To make matters worse, Mya’s mother turned to crack to deal with the pain. At just seventeen years old, Mya has to play the adult role in order to take care of her younger brother and sister. She also catches the eye of a local hustler name Hood. But things spiral out of control when the violence of the streets hits way too close to home. As a result, Mya makes some decisions that could have deadly consequences for all involved. Her Sweetest Revenge was a decent but average hood story. This book had the potential to be something different but there were a lot of things in this story that readers of this genre have read before. The physical attributes of Mya and the plight of her family are examples of a formula that’s been used so much in other books that it’s time to break this cycle. There wer...

Michael  Beckford -  Dying To Be Straight -  Available Now! -  1 out of 5 books -  Dying to be Straight by Michael D. Beckford is the memoir of sorts of Paul Stringer. The story is a detailed account of his life from the time he was brought into the world. At around the age of five-years old while his mother (the lawyer) and his father (a chemist) worked on their careers, they had family members watch a young Paul. In the care of his father's brother and wife. Paul's uncle touched him in an inappropriate place and had Paul do the same to him. As Paul became older, he became confused about his feelings for the opposite sex. He knew he liked females, but he was more attracted to guys. More than anything Paul struggled with what he believed God felt about homosexuality and his feelings and attraction to the same sex. Paul battles within himself, wanting to be "normal" and live a heterosexual life, but the pull of his old life soon become...

K'wan -  Animal -  Available Now! -  4 out of 5 books -  For those of you following the "Hood Rat" series, Eviction Notice leaves off with Gucci being shot in the club. Animal is kidnapped on the way to a maximum security prison and taken out of the country on a secret mission. Fast forward... Animal is still out of the country and everyone thinks he is dead. When he finds out that the love of his life has been shot, Animal is hellbent on revenge. He vows to go back to the states and make sure everyone involved will be murdered. With everyone thinking Animal is dead and gone, it gives him a huge advantage to sneak up on his prey. Unfortunately, it also opens him up to be caught by the Feds and locked up for good if he is captured. Shai Clark is not only being hunted by Animal, but there is someone that is determined to move in on his territory and take over the streets that Shai's crew has ruled for so long. Big Dawg is still as shiesty as...

Kelli London -  Cali Boys (Boyfriend Season) -  Available Now! -  4 out of 5 books -  Jacobi and Kassidy are two different girls from different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common...they're wanted by the boys. After moving not too far from her hood, Jacobi finds herself in a neighborhood where she feels completely different. With her lop-sided breast, being barely developed, and her cheetah print face, Jacobi's insecurities get in the way. That is, until she meets her neighbors. Moving to Cali from NYC was the worst thing that ever happened to Kassidy. Rather than looking at the move as new modeling opportunities, all Kassidy wanted to do was return to New York to be with her first real boyfriend, Brent. First things first, Kassidy has to get her mind off Brent and scope out the city...mostly for boys. Being a player had to have some type of advantage for her...right? I really liked Cali Boys by Kelli London. The story had so much going on, inc...

L. J. Wilson - Snitch - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books -  Seneca Allen is a typical sixteen-year-old girl. She likes to hang out with her friends, enjoys going to parties, and of course she loves to shop. She is known to rock all the latest and flyest sneakers. Her two best friends, Valencia and Darren, are dating each other. Seneca tries to stay out of the middle of their relationship, but she always seems to get caught up in it one way or another. Both want her to choose sides on who is right and who is wrong. Valencia thinks Darren might be cheating on her. Darren is having problems at home and feels pressured academically from his father. When Darren begins to act out, Seneca begins to get worried and wonder exactly what Darren is doing. When she tags along with him to a party, she is in for the shock of her life. Seneca is soon at a dilemma. She knows something about her best friend Darren that can get him into trouble, yet she is caught in the crossfire ...

Dream Jordan -  Bad Boy -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  All Kate ever wanted was to be loved & to love. Growing up in a group home for girls, all that Kate ever had to do was fight for her light. She had to tell these girls who was boss somehow. That was until Kate was brought in by The Johnsons. The Johnsons loved Kate and Kate loved them back. While living with them, Kate left her old habits behind with the help of The Johnsons and her social worker, Tisha. Tisha helped Kate realize that she was going to survive any hardship no matter what because she is a survivor. After a year of living with The Johnsons, Kate found herself back at a group home. She found herself putting up with crap from her roommates because she was the new girl. As much as Kate wanted to, she wasn't going to let these girls break her or make her . Kate's peace of mind came back to her after she met Percy, or at least she thought. Percy put Kate through misery,...

Adrian L. Mallory -  Corrupt Injustice: Art of Deception  -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  Corrupt Injustice: Art of Deception by Adrian L. Mallory is an urban tale about two best friends: Sean Williams a.k.a. S-Dot and Hector Rodriguez a.k.a. Loco. Sean is the most ambitious of the two. Even though he came into a nice lump sum of money, Sean is not deterred from wanting more. Sean convinces Hector to attend a local college and study criminal justice, mainly so they could get a feel of what the police are looking for during a crime scene. The professor, who is also the Lieutenant of the homicide division at the Rochester police department, talks both Sean and Hector into joining the police department. Since both of them are minorities and excel in the classroom and during training, the Lieutenant feels that they will make a great asset to the police department. What nobody knows is that Sean/S-Dot and Hector/Loco are known on the streets...

Takerra Allen -  There's Power In The V -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  There's Power in the V by Takerra Allen is the story of three stisters: Valerie, Vickie and Veronica. Valerie is the oldest of the three and even from an early age, she had her life mapped out. She was determined to get an education and make something of herself. Although Valerie had a crush on one of the dope boys from around the way, she was not about to go down that road with someone that in her mind had no future besides the streets. Valerie makes a good life for herself and marries well to a big time lawyer, but the thing that Valerie is missing most from her marriage is the love and intimacy that she longs for. She soon realizes that having money and stability is nothing without love and happiness. Vickie is the middle of the Bell sisters and from an early age, she staked claims on an older dope boy who all the girls seemed to want. Vickie eventually tamed him down...

Monica Mathis-Stowe -  Where Did We Go Wrong? -  Available Now! -  4.5 out of 5 books -  Three best friends have been holding down each other since college. But are there some secrets that are too much for anyone to hold? Enter the world of Gabby, Maxine and Joy, who find themselves entwined in secrets, lies, and betrayal. Will their friendship last? Gabby has always been known to get what she wants. When her plan comes to life, she traps a NFL baller, gets pregnant and makes him pay child support for the next 18 years. But things go from great to bad when Gabby pins her newborn on someone else, and marries another man who suffers from mental illness. Gabby can’t hold her lies together when confronted with the truth. A DNA test brings all of Gabby’s lies to light and what follows next is deadly consequences. Will Gabby be able to live with what her lies created? Maxine has the perfect life. A husband who is on his way to making partner, two handsom...

Karen Williams -  Sweet Giselle -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  Giselle had a bright future ahead of her. She had just graduated high school and was about to enjoy her summer off before heading to college. She unexpectedly experiences a loss that leaves her family in dire straights for money. Working overtime at the local restaurant is not bringing in enough money, so Giselle begins to ponder the thought of an ad that is placed on Craigslist to make a lot of money within one day. Never could she have dreamed that her life would change so drastically from that one day. Meeting Giovanni, Giselle is shown a whole new world filled with all the lavishness that money can buy. Giovanni showers Giselle with so much love and attention. They have the perfect marriage, or so she thinks and Giovanni leads her to believe. When Giselle is kidnapped from a man that is hell bent on revenge, Giselle knows deep in her heart that the things this man is tel...

Briana Scott and Carl H. Thompson  -  Jasmine Absolute  -  Available Now -  4 out of 5 books -  Briana Scott and Carl H. Thompson write a story of what happens when one person’s lie turns another person’s life upside down. Jasmine Absolute follows the story of Jasmine Griffin who works at an Atlanta ad agency and is beginning to make a name for herself. But when one of her co-workers decides to embellish the truth to try to advance her own career, no one would have predicted that it would lead Jasmine into a complete downward spiral. Not only does Jasmine lose her job, her relationship ends, and her ailing uncle must now come and live with her. With no job and now an extra person to take care of, Jasmine stoops to desperate measures not only to survive but also to deal with the pain. Briana Scott and Carl H. Thompson have written a work of fiction that takes the reader on an insider’s view of what a person might do when they feel as if they have...

Keith Thomas Walker -  Jewell and the Daper Dan -  Available Now! -  4 out of 5 books -  Jewell, her boyfriend Daniel, and their syndicate are at it again. The story opens with Jewell and Daniel at the club waiting for their next mark. For the past few years, this is how Jewell has lived...hustling. Lately, she has been thinking that maybe she doesn't want to do this anymore, But each time they score, she remembers why she does it. Daniel wants to do one more job, and it's a big one. They will be set for life, never having to hustle again. The only problem is not everyone in the syndicate believes the job can be done. Daniel and Jewell now have to convince the other members that this job can be done and that it is worth the risk. Along the way there are lots of variables that change the plan, but Daniel is determine to complete this last job. As the time gets closer to the heist, Jewell is not even sure anymore that she is convinced it can be done or ...

V. Brown -  Broken Promise -  Available Now! -  2.5 out of 5 Stars -  At an early age, Promise Brown witnessed her father get murdered by the police, while her mom was hauled off to jail. She is shuffled from one foster home to another during her childhood. Determined to make it on her own, Precious runs away and begins to make a name for herself in the streets. While on the streets, she uncovers some secrets from her family’s past. Promise sets out on a mission of revenge. I found Broken Promise by V. Brown to be one-dimensional. The book lacked the substance and originality needed to make it an unforgettable read. There were times in the book I felt that the author was throwing in scenarios to make the book edgy, but Broken Promise ended up being dry and stagnant. Reviewed from Orsayor for Urban Reviews Order your copy of Broken Promise today!

Michelle Stimpson -  Falling Into Grace -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  The Sweet Treats was a sweet hit in the late 90’s, and consisted of Camille, Alexis, Tonya and Kyra. They were managed by Camille’s business-minded brother, Courtney. Greed smothered Camille, which ended the group and severed her relationship with Courtney. Broke and desperate for a comeback into the industry, Camille lies and makes enemy number one while trying to secure a contract with agent John David. The first lie is the beginning of many to almost everyone in her life. John David agrees to see her only after hearing her demo. He agrees to sign her to a contract but with stipulations. First he tells her she can sing but he agrees only to her coming back not as a Rhythm and Blues singer but as a gospel voice. And he will not promote her until she joins a mega church to become that gospel singer. Camille joins Grace Chapel and she has her eyes on the praise team. They con...

Mylow Young -  Against The Gates of Hell -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  Two brothers,  Kerby and Herby (Junior) Wilson,  are twins of same parents raised in the same household with the same morals.  Both travel the same path, seek careers as police officers, marry GOD-fearing women, witness gruesome scenes on the job, and take life-altering losses.  When these brothers come to the fork in the road and a decision must be made, Herby continues on the right path, while Kerby takes a deathly, risky left.  Kerby finds himself selling everything chasing that high, that demon who's voice is taking over his entire being.  He’s lost so much and every time he thinks he’s the author of his destiny, that voice whispers something in his ear and the craving that dominates all of his senses and demands to be fed is back.  Meanwhile, his brother counts his blessings as he continues on with life while looking condescendingly at...

Keith Thomas Walker -  Blow by Blow -  Available Now! -  4 out of 5 books -  We're back in Overbrook Meadows, Texas. On this trip, we meet Nisha Elder and her up-and-coming boxer boyfriend Lonzo, also known as The Champ. Nisha and Lonzo have been together for five years and have a son together. They both work modest jobs while they wait on Lonzo's big fight, which will put them on "easy street." But after Lonzo loses his first fight, he goes back to work for Mr. Brown in his illegal dealings. Nisha already has a problem with Lonzo working for Mr. Brown, but when her and her child's lives are threatened, she knows she has had enough. While she is taking time away from Lonzo to figure out what she wants, another opportunity reenters her life. Jimmy Ellis, her high school boyfriend, comes back from the military and is ready to reclaim Nisha as his. Who will she choose? Will it be the hot head who has been there for her but doesn't make the greatest dec...

Jackie Chanel -  A Hustler's Promise -  Available Now! -  4.5 out of 5 books -  Beginning this book, I didn't know what to expect, but I found out I was in for a long ride. Jaicyn had a lot on her plate for a high-schooler. With a mother strung out on drugs, she had to play the mother role for her two younger sisters. Not knowing where her next meal was coming from, and needing clothes and basic necessities to survive, she has to do what she has to do to take care of her younger siblings, even if that includes dropping out of school. With CPS at her front door, Jaicyn will do anything to protect her sister, but with the roll of the dice against her, she ends up taking a charge that  isn't  hers. Will Jaicyn be able to gain custody of her sisters, or will they be forever lost? Rayshawn was an upcoming hustler from around the way. Rayshawn had a leadership quality about him, and he was being groomed by one of the biggest dealers in the city...

Kimberla Lawson Roby -  The Reverend's Wife -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  After dealing with Charlotte's multiple affairs, Reverend Curtis Black is fed up and thinks it's time to divorce his wife. Even though he has had his share of dirt that the family and his congregation has had to deal with, he finds it hard to forgive his wife for her transgressions. But Charlotte has other plans. She knows that begging and pleading with Curtis not to give up on their marriage is not working. She will try anything necessary to make Curtis give up the decision to divorce her, even using his little girl and her stepdaughter, Curtina. To make things worse, Curtis has been talking about his marital troubles to another female by the name of Sharon Green. Will Curtis fall back into old temptation, or will he give his marriage another try?        Author Kimberla Lawson Roby has written anoth...

Kiki Swinson and Noire -  Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  I didn't know what to expect when I started to read this novel.  I knew with both of my favorite authors featured, this book wouldn't disappoint. This novel is two short stories written by each author. From the start to the end, you will see that money doesn't always bring you happiness and love, and at times, it can cause more problems. Shamelessly Rich Megan Rich was daddy's little girl. She had everything at her disposal....cars, designer clothes, and money you can burn.  Once Megan looks at her father and talked in her baby voice, her dad could never say no to his baby girl. But Megan loved to live on the bad side. She liked bad boys, dabbling in drugs, and defying all of her parents' rules. Things take a drastic turn when Megan’s parents give her an ultimatum of either going to rehab or moving out....

Alretha Thomas -  Married In The Nick of Nine -  Available Now! -  3 out of 5 books -  Twenty-nine-year-old Cassandra Whitmore is determined to get married and soon. The only problem is that she has no gentlemen prospects in mind. Even with being a client at "The One" dating center, all the men she dated have had serious issues that Cassandra just is not willing to overlook. Frustration kicks in as the days and months continue to go by. When her cousin insists on her going out with her to the Speakeasy, this is where she meets Nick. Could Nick be the "one?" As soon as Nick sets his eyes on Cassandra, he knows he is in love. Only in Los Angeles for a potential job position, Cassandra and Nick's time is cut short. Nick heads back home to New York where the two begin a long distance love affair. Cassandra wants this to work so bad, she decides against everyone's wishes to pack up and move to New York to be with Nick with the intention of getting mar...

Gaiven Clairmont -  Reality, Dreams, and Nightmares -  Available Now! -  1 out of 5 books -  Kimberly is a devoted housewife to her husband Ricardo. She becomes lonely when her husband’s business trips keep him away from home more often. Kimberly becomes confused when she has a very sexual dream starring Ricardo’s best friend, Chris. The dream seems so real that it totally shakes Kimberly to her core. She needs to find out from Chris if it was indeed a dream. But the truth may turn into a total nightmare for all involved. Reality, Dreams, and Nightmares by Gaiven Clairmont could have been an intriguing erotic thriller, but it fell severely short. There were pages and pages of meaningless rambling dialogue and situations that added nothing to the story at all. This book reads like Clairmont couldn't decide on what this story was supposed to be. You have the fractured marriage of Ricardo and Kimberly, but then later on in the book, there’s a strange murder myst...

Delaney Diamond -  A Hard Man To Love -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  Eva Jacob wants nothing to to with Derrick Hoffman, even though she is having his baby. Four months ago, Eva ended things with Derrick because she had done the one thing that was not part of their agreement: she fell in love! Derrick Hoffman grew up privileged and is used to having what he wants...when he wants it. So after the death of his stepfather, he decides he wants the baby that Eva is carrying. Eva has no plans of giving up her child, which leaves her only one choice, and that is to go along with Derrick's plan of marriage. Derrick had it all planned. He would give Eva a comfortable life while getting to see his daughter everyday. He didn't plan on falling in love with Eva. He has never uttered those words to anyone, not even his mother. But when an unexpected event takes place, Derrick realizes what's most important in life. A Hard Man to Love is an excellent read b...

Stacy-Deanne -  The Season of Sin -  Available Now! -  5 out of 5 books -  Detective Brianna Morris wakes up after being knocked unconscious to find out her friend, Nadia, has been murdered. She teams up with her partner Steven Kemp to try to solve this murder case.  Why would anyone want to kill Nadia? Brianna soon discovers everything isn't what it seems when she discovers things about Nadia that she never knew.   As an avid reader, the most important thing an author can do is to draw you into the story with the first few lines. Author Stacy Deanne accomplished this and so much more with her title, The Season of Sin. This book will definitely keep you turning pages and have you eager to read more. This story was very well developed. The chemistry between Brianna & Stephen scorched the pages of this book.  I love reading a book that keeps me guessing.  I highly recommend  The Season of Sin . Review...