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

  4 out of 5 books Ellice Littlejohn is living the good life as a successful corporate attorney in Atlanta. She has good friends and has a no-strings attached relationship with her white executive boss. Ellice’s life changes forever when she finds her boss dead with a gunshot to his head in his office. Instead of alerting the authorities, Ellice simply walks out of his office. She has some disturbing secrets in her past that she doesn’t want to come out. On top of all this, her younger brother is in trouble and Ellice is trying to help him without being in the spotlight. Ellie becomes suspicious when she is suddenly promoted to replace her old boss because she is the only black attorney in the company. There is something sinister going on at this company and Ellice needs to get to the bottom of this before it’s too late. All Her Little Secrets starts out with a literal bang with the murder of Ellice’s boss. Wanda M. Morris pulls readers in from the first few pages of this book. Mor...

  4 out of 5 books Ivy is a successful stylist and single mom. She has stayed loyal to her sons' father Michael while he serves a lengthy prison sentence. But Ivy is lonely and now wants something more. Coco is single and has everything she wants but she picks emotionally unavailable men. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, she’s unsure if she’s ready for him. Deja is a real estate agent who is married to a NYPD sergeant. Her life looks perfect but Deja is not having any fun at all. Deja is in for a rude awakening when her past catches up with her. Nikki is social media businesswoman and Deja’s little sister. She has no regrets in life and wishes her sister get out of the rut that she’s in. These four friends are going to have to face a harsh reality and choose sides when Ivy’s younger son has a run in with the NYPD.   Single Black Female by Tracy Brown is an entertaining novel about the different trials and tribulations black women face in today’s world. Brown does...

  3 out of 5 books Set in the near future at the intersection of fables, ancient mythologies, organized religions, literature, and pop culture, Wall Street West uses layers of every aspect of human evolution since the most recent ice age to establish the stakes in the pitched battle of Father Destiny who's fighting for democracy versus King James who represent the super wealthy. This second entry in the “Age of Darkness” series opens with a quote from Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, then launches into a sometimes overwhelming deluge of historical references. One of many recurring themes is the cautionary tale that warns of the global impacts of financial illiteracy presented in the context of a clever mash-up of Afro-futuristic supernatural fantasy. Passages dense with financial history, theory, and more narrative telling than showing plus unexpected shifts in verb tense often slow the pace, especially in the first few chapters of an overall provocative read. The dedicat...

  4 out 5 books On the surface, the King family looks perfect. However, nothing is the way it seems. Chancellor King is the patriarch of the family and is well connected politically. Ghost, Shadow, and Lolli are the three children of the King family. Shadow is the only one who does not have the same qualities as his siblings and likes to keep to himself. That may change when there is a threat against the family that may tear them apart. The Reluctant King is not what you expected. Although there’s plenty of betrayal, murder, and mayhem in this story, readers will be surprised with what happens to whom. K’wan did a good job with introducing us to a whole new family with complicated situations. Just when you think you know how this story is going to end, K’wan hits you with one his infamous curveballs that will stop you in your tracks. The Reluctant King by K’wan is an enjoyable start to this new series and will make you anticipate the second installment. Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert O...

  4 out of 5 books Animal vows to avenge his murdered wife Gucci and to rescue his children. But first he must find Red Sonja. Animal gets his old crew the Dog Pound back together for one last mission. But who will make it out alive? The Brotherhood has now branded the Black Lotus as a traitor and has locked her up in what use to be her home. The Black Lotus is trying to escape while discovering some dark secrets. Will she be able to escape and clear her name? Animal 5 is the final installment of the Animal series by K’wan. Readers would be doing themselves a huge disservice if they don’t read the prior books before this one. This is not a book that you just casually read, this story will have your full attention. There is a lot action, drama, and heartbreak that K’wan is known for. A lot of loose ends are tied up but there are some that can be left up to the reader’s own interpretation. Although this is the end of this series, this is definitely not the last time we will be entert...

  5 out of 5 books Seventeen-year-old Promise Mohammed has a hard life. When her mom dies in a tragic car accident, Promise is left with an emptiness that can’t be filled. Her main goal is to graduate from high school. But her plans may get derailed while hanging with her best friends Mouse and Keys. Mouse is dealing with trying to keep a stable household for her younger sister due to her drug addicted mother's absence. Keys is a musical prodigy that is looking for his big break. Soon, Promise, Mouse and Keys all get involved into a world that they may not be prepared for. Who will come out on top in the end? Promise Broken is an excellent coming-of-age story by K’wan. Promise reminds you of a Cinderella type character that you want to have a happy ending. The character development in this story is awesome. K’wan pulls you into this story and makes you care about what happens to these characters. Now, this story does take a sinister that will shock readers. Readers will also notic...

  4 out of 5 books Carli Hinton is a singer and songwriter who works at a media company to keep the lights on.  She is a junior account manager and has been assigned to the account of R&B singer/rapper Tau Anderson.  Carli has had a little success locally working with artist Dylan and producer Red, but they all have dreams of successful careers in music.  The trio is working on Dylan’s debut album when Carli’s professional and personal time is consumed by Tau Anderson.  This is a disrespect to Dylan who has been put on the back burner and is witnessing the woman he has feelings for fall for another. Tau has connections that propel Carli and her friends including Dylan closer to their dreams.   I enjoyed GOOD MORNING LOVE.  The characters are engaging and the chemistry between Tau and Carli and even that between Carli and Dylan is evident. Although her father and Tau are both in the music industry, Carli allows her talent to speak for her in th...

  3.5 out of 5 books Childhood friends, Mira, Celine and Jesse grew up in the segregated town of Kipsen. Celine was seen as an outcast since she’s white and her two friends are black.  One day on a dare, Mira and Jesse set out to find the infamous Woodsman Plantation, a place where it is rumored that the spirit of slaves dwelled.  A tragic event occurs that day where Mira is face to face with the undead and Jesse is attacked and accused of murdering a white man.  The dynamic of their friendship are never the same after that day. Celine who declined to participate in the dare, separates herself from Mira and Jesse and Mira’s refusal to admit what she saw and heard that day, break Jesse’s trust in her.  Ten years later, Mira is headed back to Kipsen to attend Celine’s wedding which is being held at the newly renovated plantation which is now a resort.  Although it is now a resort, the venue is a modern-day reenactment of the times of slavery with black worker...

  4 out of 5 books ALL THE DAY LONG is the first book in Embassie Susberry’s The Lost Boys series. Henry Jones Dabney-Sinclair is the product of an illegal interracial relationship.  Despite interracial relationships being against the law during 1930s, his parents still managed as best they could to live as husband and wife and love their sons Jimmy who is white and Henry who is bi-racial.  Growing up in Dabney/Sinclair Mississippi, Henry didn’t really fit in with anyone.  He attended church with black members, but he was schooled at white institutions.  When he start his courses for law school, he meets a band of seemingly mismatched friends who become known as the Lost Boys.  The novel is told during 3 time periods, the 1930s when Henry goes off to college, early 1940s when he and the other Lost Boys have taken on their alter egos and are involved in some shady activities and later 1940s where he meets Petula Taggert, a young lady from his hometown who is...

  4 out of 5 books 1930s Parson, Georgia, a town that is racially separated with blacks living in a section aptly named Colored Town. Seventeen year old Opal Pruitt lives with her Grandma Birdie after her mother abandoned her. Opal and her grandmother work as domestics for Miss Peggy.  Miss Peggy and Grandma Birdie are more like friends than employer/employee but they both understood the context that race plays in their relationship.  Regardless, Miss Peggy's family, her daughter and grandson, Jimmy Earl have always treated Opal and Miss Birdie like family.  Opal is looking forward to her 18th birthday and the town's annual Founders Day.  Jimmy Earl is home during the summer on a break from college. Opal is conflicted by the feelings that being in his presence evoke.  She is also interested in the Pastor's handsome son, Cedric who has dreams of one day playing with the Negro Baseball team.   Jimmy Earl has a cousin, Skeeter, who openly displays hi...

  5 out of 5 books RAZORBLADE TEARS is awesome.  Isaiah and Derek, an interracial same sex couple are brutally murdered outside their home. The motive for the crime is unknown and the police have no leads.  Their fathers, Ike “Riot” Randolph and Buddy Lee Jenkins set out together to avenge their son’s deaths.   Both dads have formally been incarcerated and missed out the formative years of their son’s lives.  Also, both have strained relationships with their sons because of their sexual orientation.  The devastating loss of their sons releases a level of guilt and love that they held in their hearts which propelled them to stop at nothing to find the killers.  Their personal investigation led them through interactions with a dangerous bike gang, hip hop artists and political figures.  The pair leave a path of destruction on their quest to right their wrongs for the love of their boys.  I can easily see RAZORBLADE TEARS being made into a ...

  3 out of 5 books Joy and Malcolm have been best friends since college and currently he is her boss.  They both identify as asexual with Joy deciding not to engage in relationships and Malcolm actively dating.  The emotion in their relationship runs so deep, it appears as though they are in love to outsiders so much, so that Malcolm’s fiancé left him because of Joy.  Joy feels she is deeply in love with Malcolm and each time she expresses it, he responds the way she wants but his actions don't reciprocate the same. When he asks her to clear her calendar for a weekend getaway, she’s excited, hoping this will be time spent to develop their romantic relationship.  She is only disappointed when she finds this is a trip to impress and get to know his new girlfriend, Summer who requested Joy come along so that she can get to know her.  Summer knows all about Joy, but Joy is at a disadvantage because Malcolm never let on that she even existed much less that he ha...

  4 out of 5 books I have always been a fan of Sadeqa Johnson and was excited when I found she has penned a historical fiction novel.  YELLOW WIFE was beautiful and breathtaking.  The determination and resiliency of the main character, Pheby Brown to make a life for herself beyond slavery is astounding considering the things she endured for her future, her children and her true love.  Although she is promised freedom, she finds herself enslaved and the wife of the warden of Devil’s Half Acre, a prison in Virginia.  Pheby learns to study her husband so that she is always a step ahead of him for the sake of her family.  This pays off although there were deadly consequences.  Knowing YELLOW WIFE is a fictional story loosely based on the life of Mary Lumpkin and the prison actually existed, brought a layer of realism to our ancestor’s stories.  Stories of survival and overcoming odds, succeeding when there was only hope.  I would have like to see...

  4 out of 5 books They’re back!  In TRUTH LIES AND MR. GREY, the sequel to The Three Mrs. Greys, Cyrus Grey is alive and well, although he deceptively has Vanessa waiting on him hand and foot while she thinks he is still bedridden. Cyrus is discovering what each of his wives have been up to while also planning to take his business back from his partner Tariq.  When the wives become aware of his intent and his true personality, they question if it’s worth being married to him.  One wife wants him dead; another wants to be left alone and the other holds out hope that he will continue to be the loving savior she needs.   The drama continues between Cyrus, Vanessa, Noelle and Diamond and I enjoyed this ride with them again.  One thing that perplexed me though is that there was no interaction between the wives from the start of the book which seemed disjointed to me. As one of the wives, I would have been trying to legally work out the implications that Cy...

  4 out of 5 books                                                                            Cyrus Grey, a victim of a planned attack, is left in a coma at the hospital.  Imagine the surprise that Noelle, Vanessa and Diamond received when they discover they are all married to the same man.  Vanessa and Cyrus have been married 11 years with three children.  Despite knowing there were cracks in their marriage, she had no idea he is involved much less married to two other women.  Noelle enjoys her quiet life with Cyrus. Having a baby will complete her picture-perfect marriage but she is not sure why Cyrus has no interest in having children.  Young and street wise, Diamond, is Cyrus third wife. He was at her place when he was gunned down a...

  To get over a broken heart, get with a broken man. Renna had never heard that expression, but the idea of being with a man after being in a lesbian relationship for 8 years interested her. It would certainly make her forget about the pain and betrayal she was going through. Renna needed something different, but did she make a mistake by sleeping with the most rude, misogynist & selfish man this side of the Mississippi? Beck had a dark past, but when he saw Renna, he saw his future. Release Date : 5/3/22 Preorder She Works Hard For the Money today!