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

  4 out of 5 books Alicia Gray has everything a stay-at-home mom can dream of, but her real desire is to complete her degree and have a career of her own. Her husband, Elliott, is a very successful partner at his law firm who prefers Alicia not to work outside the home, but to stay home and care for their two daughters.  Elliott dismisses her desire to return to school, stating that any woman will love to be in her position. Alicia soon discovers cracks in her perfect marriage.  Elliott  starts to work late, have secret conversations and Alicia is receiving ominous messages in the mail.  Alicia does a bit of snooping and what she finds totally shatters her heart. After discovering his secret, Alicia opens up to her friend Kataline who convinces her that the messages mean nothing and reassures her that Elliott loves only her. Alicia has secrets of her own and the more secrets that are uncovered, even more secrets are revealed. When tragedy strikes, it sends shock...

  3 out of 5 books Desiree and Cameron Woodson are looking for a home for their family. During their search, they came upon the perfect house to rent. Although the monthly rent is more than they had budgeted, Desiree wants the home so badly that Cameron, under pressure from the property manager, makes it happen. Unbeknownst to the couple, the rental agreement has so many stipulations and strict clauses the family must adhere to. They literally have signed their lives over to the landlord who controls every aspect.   Let me state, I am a Brandon Massey fan! His latest offering THE LANDLORD did not deliver that bite that I am used to when reading his mystery or horror stories. There are several scenarios in the book that could have potentially delivered the thrills and chills, but they fell short. I was taken aback at the resentment Desiree felt towards Cameron when she was the one who wanted the house. I was expecting a more suspenseful build up and villainous character develop...

  4.5 out 5 books THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY was a surprise for me. I didn't know it was a mystery until I started reading it. It's about Ray, who loves classical music and the violin. He wants to be a professional musician, but he doesn't have a violin of his own. His grandma gives him her grandpa's old violin, which turns out to be a rare and expensive Stradivarius. Ray faces a lot of challenges because of his violin. His relatives fight over who should have it. Some people from the past claim it belongs to their family. Someone steals it right before his big competition, the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Ray must deal with all this while trying to practice and perform. He also faces racism and prejudice in the music world. He is determined to follow his passion and his gift. I liked this book a lot. It was well written and showed how people can be greedy, how families can be complicated, and how racism can affect someone's life. The book was sometimes slow, b...

  3 out of 5 books WHAT NEVER HAPPENED by Rachel Howzell Hall starts out with a bang. Coco wanders home in the middle of the night after slipping out to drink with local kids. Coco, a recent import from Long Beach, wants to fit in but finds Catalina Island a challenge, particularly as her family comprises a fair percentage of the island’s miniscule Black population. Coco walks in on a horrific scene at home: her father dead in a pool of blood in the kitchen. Coco discovers that her mother and brother have also been murdered, before narrowly escaping the killer by hiding in a closet. Nineteen years later, Coco has come back to Catalina to claim the house her family was supposed to move into all those years before. Coco is leaving her husband Micah who has dreams of becoming an actor on her dime. She worked as an obituary writer for the LA Times but was downsized. A job offer from her friend Maddy solidifies her decision to move back to Catalina Island. Shortly after she arrives on C...

  3 out of 5 books Nigerwife - the foreign wife of a Nigerian husband who takes up residence in Nigeria.   Nicole Oruwari is of Jamaican descent and lived in London until she made the decision to move to Nigeria with her handsome husband,  Tonye and her two sons. Tonye’s family, which includes his parents, live in an opulent mansion in Lagos. She is leaving her troubled family home where she has always felt like an outsider although she was among family.  The anticipation of a more luxurious and grand life excited her but what she found was more loneliness, isolation and depression. Even being a part of the exclusive “Nigerwives' ' did not provide the fulfillment she thought she would have received being married to Tonye in such a beautiful and lavish city.   Nicole’s life looks so perfect, but a very different picture soon begins to emerge. Nicole disappears after a boat outing in Ikoyi harbor with little details of what happened, or if she’s alive or not. Her ...

  3 out of 5 books As YOU NEVER KNOW opens, Briscoe foretells the home invasion and brutal attack of Alexis Roberts.  The focus of the novel is then set on the events that led up to the account. Alexis was born hearing impaired, a hereditary condition that she inherited from her mother.  Because there is a chance that she could give birth to a child and pass on the same condition along with the shame and burden that comes along with it, she is on the fence about accepting Paul’s proposal. Paul wants children and Alexis does not, so she ends her relationship with him. At a fundraising event for children with special needs, Alexis meets Marcus, a successful attorney, who was familiar with her condition as his mom was also deaf.   Marcus is very patient and affectionate towards Alexis. He spoils her with lavish gifts and expensive romantic getaways. Alexis has found love and they are quickly married. Shortly after saying “I do”, Marcus tightens up the spending and his b...

  4 out of 5 books Dice is a contract killer and a former CIA operative. Dice has used her special set of skills to eliminate targets all over the world. Dice gets more that she bargains for when finds herself in the middle of a government conspiracy. To complicate things further, Dice meets Noah Avery after completing a job. Noah is everything Dice ever wanted in a man. But will he accept her for who she is? Murder, espionage, and government conspiracies is what you’ll find in A Dangerous Woman by Marlon McCaulsky. McCaulsky does a good job of bringing readers a satisfying and unexpected storyline. The action scenes are so good that it will feel like you’re watching your favorite action movie.   Marlon McCaulsky brought a true page turner with A Dangerous Woman . Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert Get your copy of A Dangerous Woman today!

  When Avery Thomas inherits D Allen Designs she must piece together the tattered shreds of her life after the death of her best friend. Now she’s mending broken family relationships, cutting through financial difficulties, and fabricating a new romantic relationship. As the attorney for D Allen Designs, Tyler Anderson is fully aware of the challenges Avery faces and he’s in awe of her resilience. For Avery, he’s bent the law and compromised his prayers for a wife. After wanting her for so long, she’s finally his. But he can’t continue living on this side of the seam. Can they weave the remnants of life and love together? Or will their chance at love end up on the cutting room floor? Click here to read an excerpt of Love's Remnant