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

  3 out of 5 books EMPTY VOWS, the sequel to MRS. WIGGINS pales in comparison with the first book in the series. The pace was slow and there were few surprising, dramatic scenes which is the norm for author Mary Monroe.   The novel picks up where the previous book ended with the characters in Lexington, Alabama attending Maggie and Claude's funeral.   Claude becomes the most sought after bachelor in their small town with numerous women vying for his attention.   He has no interest in any of them but wanted to find a nice lady to settle down with so as to not cast suspicion on his lifestyle.   Maggie's best friend Jessie and Blondeen, who has a checkered past, are the top contenders for his affection.   Claude's choice will bring drama directly to his bedroom.   During this time, there was a serial killer who was killing black women on the loose. There is very little development with that story line and it was left hanging at the end.   I was disap...

  5 out of 5 books Maggie Franklin, the daughter of a prostitute and an alcoholic father is childhood friends with Hubert Wiggins, the pastor’s son and nephew of the town’s undertaker.   Having been friends for so long, they both knew and held each other’s secrets.   Secrets that lead them to marry and deceive their family and friends.   Maggie and Hubert are able to keep up their ruse, even welcoming a young son into their family.   Maggie’s love for her family runs deep so when Claude became an adult and sought a wife and Hubert wanted to move on and live in his truth, she takes action to keep her family intact.   MRS WIGGINS, started a bit slow as the characters were introduced and we got to know them, but that soon changed as we were introduced to a different side of Maggie.   Acting out of desperation and love, she manipulates situations that keep her family together.   The lengths she went to was shocking and oftentimes tragic.   This i...

  4 out of 5 books An unsolved murder, web of deceit, and deeply buried secrets is the situation Samira Wilder finds herself in after entering a relationship with disgraced golfer, Roland Graham. Samira is quickly swept off her feet and secretly marries Roland in a matter of months despite warnings from friends and family. Upon moving from Florida to Roland’s secluded mansion in Colorado, Samira’s suspicions regarding the tragic accident of Roland’s first wife, Melanie are triggered.   After discovering her journals, she sets out to find the truth behind Melanie’s death for the sake of her own marriage.   I would have finished THE WIFE BEFORE in one day had I not started it before bedtime.   Shanora Williams drew me in from the beginning and held me captive to the very end.   With all the scenarios that came to mind as the truth, the ending was truly riveting. This was my first book by Williams, but it will not be my last.   For lovers of a good suspenseful...

  3 out of 5 books Having lost her parents in a tragic car accident, Ivy has a hard time adjusting to life without them.  Although under a therapist care, Ivy wants details surrounding the incident.  The information she yearns for is provided to her in her final session with her therapist and after some research on her own, Ivy seeks revenge against her parents' killer.  The person of interest is Lola Maxwell, an owner of boutiques and founder of a thriving charity.  Loaded with all the information she needs, Ivy sets out to destroy Lola, no matter the cost.  As the events unfold, Ivy began to suspect she may not be the puppet master in Lola’s undoing.  THE PERFECT RUIN is a suspenseful novel that at times bordered on the unbelievable.  Ivy’s plot for revenge was not well-thought out with too many loose ends.  Also, as a reader, I thought it was unrealistic for her to behave and act on circumstances the exact manner to that one of the charact...

Beware of the company you keep. K'wan's urban fiction coming-of-age novel, Promise Broken, is set in the gritty streets of Newark, New Jersey. The story follows seventeen-year-old Promise Mohammed as she attempts to uphold friendships and new relationships--even if they lead to her demise. After Promise's mother dies in a tragic car accident, it leaves a void in her life that she is yearning to fill. This titular novel finds Promise spiraling into a life of crime and drug affiliation by the company she chooses to keep. Also coping with abandonment and a life-long broken commitment from her biological father, Promise ultimately has two goals: to graduate from high school and to be loved. But can she find the love that she seeks from her Aunt Dell, two best friends, Mouse and Keys, or drug-dealer Asher--the man who captivates her--despite the fact that each relationship will lead to life-altering events? Only time will tell. Release date : 3/15/22 Pre-order Promise Broken tod...

  3.5 out of 5 books Jillian is the grown and sexy romance by Julia A. Royston that you didn’t know you needed.   Jillian Forrester, owner of a research information company has everything in life she needs except for her happily ever after.   After several failed relationships and trying to maintain her standards as a Christian single, the pool of potential suitors appears to be non-existent.   Her good friend and office manager, Patricia, who has worked and helped her build her company from her living room to an office in downtown Cincinnati, understands and supports Jillian’s desire to be wed.   She also wants the same for herself, but while she is actively dating a pool of men; Jillian resolves to patiently wait for the man that God has for her.   Having landed a big corporate account, Jillian discovers she must enhance her company’s security and infrastructure servers.   She contacts one of the top technology companies to handle the job.   To ...

4 out of 5 books The Beach House by Rochelle Alers is an engaging and enjoyable read.   It is a story that takes place primarily in Coates Island, NC.   Leah Kent is the mother of adult twin sons and has a controlling husband. After a huge blow up, she leaves and spends a few months on the island and to plan the ending of her marriage.   She and two friends, Cherie and Kayana meet weekly for book club meetings at Seaside Café that Kayana owns.   Leah looks up and those few months have turned into just under a year and counting. While helping Kayana out at the Seaside Café, Leah develops a growing relationship with Kayana's brother, Derrick.   Derrick is a widower with a daughter and works at and owns the café also. We experience the journey of her healing and making decisions that are best for her.   Also, we see her journey to possible love again. We become witness to Leah's growth and becoming stronger. I enjoyed this novel and look forward to the next on...

  3 out of 5 books Running from her problems is Alexis Woodford’s M.O. and she proves it yet again when she flees Charlotte, NC for Bald Head Island, NC. While speeding to her new home and life, she is stopped by Terrance Tomlin for a traffic violation. Terrance lets her off with a warning and an offer to help her move into her new home. Overwhelmed by the amount of unpacking Alexis faces, she takes Terrance up on his offer. During the arduous task of unpacking and assembling furniture, Terrance finds they will need additional help, so he calls his stepbrother who is Alexis’ neighbor to assist. To Alexis’ surprise her neighbor and Terrance’s brother is child star, Roan Carter, whom Alexis has had a crush on from her youth. It is obvious from the start that both brothers are attracted to her and set out to win her heart. When a crazed and obsessed lover from her past lets her know, he is aware of where she currently lives the brothers vow to protect her. Spending a great deal of tim...

5 out of 5 books This book will have you glued from beginning to end. Meagan is beautiful and has it all, well that is what it looks like; however, she is very unhappily married. She is now in her prime and looking for more, yearning for what is missing in her marriage. But is it love or just the thrill and excitement that she is looking for?   Her husband William is a smooth talker and has it going on but is very disrespectful. Meagan has met a young man, Devin, who will do whatever it takes to win Meagan over but what is the length he is willing to go through to make that happen? Will Meagan change her cougar ways and try to get her marriage back on track?   Will William open his eyes and see who is by his side? Or will both end up in situations that neither of them suspected? You cannot predict anything in this story. Raynesha Pittman keeps you on your toes throughout the whole book and does not disappoint at all.   Reviewed by Mocha Kia Get Your Copy of Disrespectfull...

  5 out of 5 books If you like police drama, this book gives that and more!   This story follows the career of Trevor Finnegan from his rookie days to progression to Detective in the LAPD as an African American man.   Compared with other books I’ve read in this genre, and I’ve read a lot of them and by some notable writers, the spin that Mr. Clark puts on this story is formidable. I found myself caring about the characters, feeling tortured right along with them and wondering how they were going to work through their situations.   The writer put some twists in the story that will keep you turning the pages.   I also like when I can visualize the places that are described even if I’ve never visited them.   This is not a “the case is solved; justice is served and on to the next” story.   It is wrapped up in a way that while it gives you a feeling of resolution, somewhat, it leaves the door open just in case the writer decides to do a sequel. I would rate...

  3.5 out of 5 books The story was a slow read for me, yet well-written. Great work for a debut author. Corinne traveled through the motions of life after her best friend, Joelle passed away. The spirit of her bestie beckoned Corinne to move back home to Chicago. Life was an array of mismatched puzzle pieces for her unlike Joelle who while was faced with the biggest battle of her life, had made peace with what was to come and had planned well. Corinne struggled to find steady work. Instead, she combed through the list of available jobs her mother sent relentlessly in hopes that Corinne would indeed begin to put her life back In some order where success can find her. Corinne revisited many memories of past events and attempted to put those pieces together to restore her sense of stability and happiness. Temp jobs kept Corinne busy for days and weeks at a time, but they were just that, temporary. She visited her best friends’ family and was given keepsakes from Joelle upon Corinne re...

4 out of 5 books “ Why would I talk to you about my life? I don't know you, and even if I did, I don't tell my story to just any boy with long hair, who probably smokes weed. You wanna hear about me. You gotta tell me something about you. To make this worth my while.” Honoree Dalcour This is the story of Honoree, a sharecropper's daughter and dancer in Chicago's Dreamland Cafe in the 1920s. She’s now 110, not as strong as she used to be, but still sassy. The book transcends time going back and forth from 1925 to 2015. Sawyer a film student, goes to interview Honoree and the connection between them is fascinating.   Wild Women and the Blues was a great look into Chicago in the 20s, and the lives of Black women in the jazz scene. Their struggles to not only survive poverty but also improve their lives, all in the midst of prohibition and the mob captured my attention and held me captive throughout the book. I loved the way it went from early 20th century and early 21st c...

  In the middle of her little sister's wedding, Emani Miles realizes the number one question she will be asked is, when are you getting married? In the midst of this external crisis she comes face to face with her ex Terrence who she knows is no good for her but she has a hard time saying no to him. Emani surmises the only way to get away from her problems is to go on holiday to America to visit her cousin Ava. While at a party, Emani is introduced Ava's friend, music producer and notorious player, Chance Good, and the chemistry is undeniable. Emani unexpectedly finds herself in a passionate romance unlike anything she's experienced before. But when the holiday comes to an end will things remain the same? In this international love affair, can an easygoing English girl find love in the ATL? Release Date : 3/7/22 Pre-Order  I Wanna Be Your Lover today!