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

Sammie Ward - Lace & Honor - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Sergeant Kayla Perry does not have time for a relationship. Her ultimate goal is to go to nursing school. That is the main reason she joined the army. She does have a thing for her staff sergeant, but she knows that she can't do anything about it because of army rules. Nevertheless, she is content on getting into the green-to-gold program so she can attend nursing school. That is until she meets Sergeant Paul Lake. He isn't looking for a relationship either since he is waiting to hear if he has been accepted into the Special Forces Unit. But sometimes the heart doesn't listen to what the mind is trying to convince it of. Specialist Marissa Poe is a mess. She thought she was getting out of the army to start college at Penn State. She also thought she was in love with a fellow solider, and he would join her when he got out and they would live happily ever after. Unfortunately, neither of those things h...

INSIDE OUT WITH SHAY NOLON - Author of 'Everything You Owe Me' - Shay Nolon is the author of Everything You Owe Me (December 2009), and Greedy (August 2010). She is also the author of self-published title Tell Me No Lies (October 2006). Shay Nolon currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri. You can find out more info about this author at http://www.hollygrovepublishing.com/ , Author's Den, or Facebook. 1. Tell our readers about Everything You Owe Me. A. Well, Everything You Owe Me is about two cousins, Tosha and Dannay, whose lives and marriages couldn't be more different - at least that's how things appear on the surface. Tosha struggles to hold on to her crumbling marriage despite signs that her husband is cheating. Dannay's marriage is the picture of perfection, and she is the only person Tosha can turn to. Who will Dannay have to turn to when the perfect image of her marriage shatters? 2. How did the idea for this book come about? A. The idea ...

Jonathan Gaines - No Rest For The Weary - Available Now! - 3 out of 5 books - Brian Johnson is an author who has beautiful kids and a wife. He’s moved on to a much better life, but his ex-wife Janae won’t let him rest. Janae feels that Brian has cheated her out of the good life that she deserves. She will stop at nothing to get him back. Brian’s friend Mac has all the women that he can handle, and marriage is the last thing on his mind. But when Mac gets involved in a love triangle, he may be in over his head. Malik is currently in prison, but Mac and Brian have stuck by him, even when his family didn’t. Mailk promised himself that he would lead a better life once he's released. But Mailk has to face some shocking secrets of his own before he can move on with his life. No Rest for the Weary is an entertaining debut novel filled with a mix of storylines and characters. Jonathan Gaines brought an interesting tale about three male friends. You see the mutual respect that t...

Ceree Hall - Fed Up - Available Now! - 3 out of 5 books - Rain and Jaden are college sweethearts that had a good marriage in the beginning, but everything went downhill somewhere in the process. Jaden has become so abusive to Rain that she’s been cut off from all of her family and friends. To make matter worse, Jaden has started a steamy affair with his co-worker. Things soon spiral out of control when Rain decides that she’s had enough of Jaden’s abuse...but will she get the sweet revenge that she’s seeking? Fed Up is an entertaining debut novel by Ceree Hall. This story shows the damaging effects of an abusive marriage. It also shows how things can get way out of hand when a person seeks out revenge. You see how Rain and Jaden’s marriage goes from bliss to a total nightmare. Fed Up is a good novel but the lack of proper editing proved to be extremely distracting. Fed Up is still a good debut novel, and I look forward to more from Ceree Hall. Reviewed by Radiah Hubber...

Johnny Russell - First Blood - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Rodney "Neon" Robinson has always been a natural born leader. But he is introduced to a whole new life when his single mother moves him and his six siblings from Texas to California. Despite his mother’s best efforts, Neon fell victim to the streets and spends more time in the Los Angeles criminal system than at home. Unfortunately, Neon finds a new family in the form of the infamous street gang known as the Bloods. Neon’s affiliation with his new street family will spell nothing but disaster for the rest of his real family at home. Johnny Russell brought a thought-provoking tale with First Blood. Russell shows how disastrous it can be when the dynamic of the African-American family unit is disrupted. Although Neon’s mother tried to do her best to keep him and his brothers off the streets, she clearly needed Neon’s father to step up to the plate. Russell also did a good job of showing the formation ...

D. L. Sparks - The Lies That Bind - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - What would you do if you found out your husband cheated on you? Would you divorce him? Would you be able to forgive and forget, or would you get even? When Dr. Teresa McCall finds out that her husband committed adultery, she has a hard time trying to move forward. Her husband Donovan wants desperately to put the affair behind him and is determined to try to save their marriage, but Teresa, a.k.a. Teri, can not seem to get past the hurt and betrayal. Teri does not trust Donovan, and in the back of her mind, she questions if Donovan really has left the other woman alone. Sean Morris is a cardiologist at one of the top hospitals in Atlanta. When he meets Teri at a party, he is captivated by her beauty. He shows obvious interest beyond friendship for Teri. Since she is hurt and confused by the betrayal that Donovan bestowed upon her, she decides to try to mask the pain by entering into an affair of ...

Girly G - TriSexual - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - TriSexual consisted of sexy short stories. Whatever your fantasy is, you'll have to TRIPLE that in TriSexual.  Here are two of the stores: Dick Dyke In life, you have to learn the hard way sometimes. No matter what you may have heard or what family member may say or voice about their opinions, seeing is definitely believing. When the evidence is right in your face, there is no way to deny it. Nore was ruthless and took no prisoners. Drugs, carjacking, gambling, you name it...Nore had her hand in it. Nore hung around men all day and never had any interest in them. She had a girl, Kay, who was the epitome of a woman. Kay was an up-and-coming designer. Their relationship seemed perfect, until Nore begins a dangerous affair that could lead to severe consequences. Dick Dyke shows when betrayal goes from bad to worse. Karma is real, and when you betray the one you love, it can lead to the ultimate consequences. N...

Karen C. Brown - If The Tree Could Talk - Available Now! - 3.5 out of 5 books - On summer days and summer nights, you can find families, friends and loved ones sitting comfortably under a tree sharing stories, secrets and kisses. For the Greenson family, they have a tree in their front yard that the author compares to the biblical tree of life and knowledge. Some life-changing conversations and events were shared under the “family tree.” The protagonist and sometimes narrator of If The Tree Could Talk is Callie Greenson, a.k.a. Sweetie Pie. She’s sassy and filled with wisdom that surpasses her twelve years. One day, as Sweetie Pie struggles to get out of bed to start her day, she gets a feeling that something is going to happen that will spin her life out of control. While sitting under their tree, she hears her mom and dad doing what she calls "code talking." It’s not long before Callie, her family and her friends find themselves caught in a spider web of decept...

Francis Ray - If You Were My Man - Available Now! - 5 out of 5 books - Nathalyia Fontaine only has time for Fontaine, the restaurant left to her by her late husband. So when sexy hostage negotiator Rafael Dunlap sets his eye on her, Rafael doesn't stand a chance. He also doesn't give up very easily. Rafael wears Nathalyia down until he wins her over. Their relationship was going great until something and someone from Nathalyia's past threatens to ruin it all. Nathalyia feels walking away is the only possible solution. That is until Rafael is injured in the line of duty. Nathalyia and Rafael both have to figure out if the love they share is worth fighting for. If You Were My Man is a wonderful read. Francis Ray is a fantastic author. She has a writing style that is very natural and just flows without having lagging moments. Her characters and plots are always well developed. Ray has a way of making everything come to life. This time is no different! Reviewe...

Tiona Brown - Ain't No Sunshine - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Sometimes life doesn’t play us a fair hand. Obstacles, challenges and hardships will follow you on this journey we call life. But it’s all about the choices, knowing right from wrong and taking advantage of the opportunities that come your way. Sunshine was the third of ten children. Growing up in poverty was hard for the entire family. Getting good grades was Sunshine's only light at the end of the tunnel. When Sunshine is assaulted, her life is forever changed. Her father takes matters into his own hands, leaving him to a prison sentence. Drugs, homelessness, despair, and drama, seem to follow Sunshine everywhere she goes. Sunshine is blessed with a gift that could be her ticket out! Will Sunshine be able to stay on track and accomplish all the goals, or will temptation be her downfall? Sandra was the oldest of ten children. Sandra had a tough demeanor and was well known for fighting and gettin...

La Jill Hunt - Say It Ain't So - Available Now! - 4.5 out of 5 books - When video vixen Paisley Lawrence gets into a car with Warren Cobb, also known as the Prince of Praise, people start talking and the gossip starts to fly. Everyone is wondering why Paisley and Warren were together. The one person that is really concerned is Warren's wife. While this is going on, Paisley is trying to figure out who's stalking her. Things start to come up missing, and she feels that someone has been in her home. When her suspicions are confirmed, you will be surprised who the stalker is. Will Paisley and Warren confirm everyone's opinion of them, or will they continue to hide? When Say It Ain't So came out, I was extremely excited. I simply could not wait to read it. I am a huge fan of La Jill Hunt, and this book did not disappoint. It's very difficult to write this review and not give the plot away. I enjoyed how Ms. Hunt gave details of Paisley's life and the t...

Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant - Uptown - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Avery Lyons has been traveling all over the world for the past twenty years due to her career with the State Department. She's used to dealing with complex daily decisions, but she's not prepared for the drama at home. Avery comes back home to Harlem due to a serious car accident that involves her mother and uncle. She's concerned about her mother, but home is the last place she wants to be. Avery's cousin Dwight is willing to do whatever it takes to bring a luxury high-rise development called Dixon Plaza to life. After years of false starts, Dwight finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel. The only problem is that his cousin Avery has inherited a part of the property. Avery is ready to sell the property to Dwight until a reporter reveals some unsavory dealings about Dixon Plaza. Will Avery and Dwight be able to come together to get this project to move forward? Virginia D...

Carol Taylor - The Ex Chronicles - Available Now! - 4 out of 5 books - Precious, Bella, Zenobia, and Hope are four friends who excel in their professional lives, but their personal lives are rocky due to their search for Mr. Right. Precious is a struggling freelance writer who hopes to finally finish that novel that she started years ago. Precious is also dealing with still wanting her cheating ex-fiancé Darius. Bella, who is the product of very rich and dysfunction parents, can't seem to shake her alcohol addiction and her leech of a boyfriend Julius. Zenobia had a successful modeling career but gave it all up for her non-supportive boyfriend Malcolm. But did she make the right choice? Hope is a creative director of a fashion magazine that's also dealing with caring for her dementia-ridden mother, and her own depression. Things get complicated when she develops a strong attraction to her driver from the projects name Derrick. The Ex Chronicles is a good story about...