NEW REVIEW: Jennifer Coissiere - Crossing Over

Jennifer Coissiere -
Crossing Over -
4.5 out of 5 books -
Available Now! -


Crossing Over by Jennifer Coissiere is a story of a woman’s journey in “crossing over” to the next stage of her life. 15-year-old Rachelle Martin has a huge void in her heart when her mother suddenly passes away on Mother's Day. Rachelle adamantly refuses to ever sing again since it brings such painful memories of the day her mother died. At the age of 30, Rachelle’s father only requests one thing of her for Christmas. More than anything, he wants to hear Rachelle sing again, but she would rather do anything other than that. With the love of her father and the church, she tries to heal the pain and the loss she has felt for so many years.

Raheem, Rachelle’s twin, has always been the strong, protective brother .At a time when Rachelle is going through her transformation to open up, Raheem has a few demons of his own he is trying to cope with. He begins to shut out those he is closest with, especially when he begins dating Leigh, a girl that seems to be a bad influence. No one seems to be happy about the two of them getting together.

Crossing Over by Jennifer Coissiere was an excellent debut novel. It is a story of love, faith and trying to find one’s happiness. When a reader is able to take away something from a book to apply in their own life, this is a sign of a true writer. I really got a lot from reading Crossing Over, and I was able to pull out certain things that made it feel as if the author was speaking directly to me. I also appreciated the author’s use of great quotes. I am genuinely looking forward to Ms. Coissiere’s future novels.

Reviewed by Leona for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Crossing Over today!

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NEW REVIEW: J. Tremble - My Man, Her Son

J. Tremble -
My Man, Her Son -
Available Now! -
4 out of 5 books -


After two years of attending Xavier University, Rayshawn decides that he needs a break. His single, hardworking mother, Lynn, wants nothing more than her only son to become a successful doctor...but Rayshawn has other ideas. He really wants to be a professional photographer, so while he is home taking a semester off from school, his mother’s best-friend Ko-Ko gets him a job at Fantasy Girlz magazine where she works at.

Rayshawn is living out every young man’s fantasy, working around a bunch of scantily clad and naked women all day, every day. While Rayshawn is taking pictures of all the eye candy in front of him, a few of his co-workers are checking him out from behind, even his mom’s best-friend Ko-Ko. Ko-Ko is known for her promiscuous behavior, and when the owner of the company, Felice, starts showing interest in him, Ko-Ko becomes angry. Ko-Ko is determined not only to have Rayshawn all to herself but to keep Felice away from him at all costs. The attraction between Felice and Rayshawn soon becomes a love affair that no one seems to be happy about. When a secret is exposed that has been kept from Rayshawn his entire life, Rayshawn’s life will never be the same.

My Man, Her Son by J. Tremble was a very good read. Just when you think you know where this story is headed, Mr. Tremble throws in a twist that leaves your mouth agape. My Man, Her Son is a story of love, lust, lies and betrayal. Mr. Tremble does an excellent job in keeping the reader engrossed. Although, I do have to say that the secret in the story was similar to that of another book I recently read that came out the same month. All in all, My Man, Her Son was still a good read.

Reviewed by Leona for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of My Man, Her Son today!

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Contest for Belly of the Beast by Caleb Alexander (Winners Announced!)

Contest for Belly of the Beast by Caleb Alexander - Details Inside....

NEW REVIEW: Michele Cameron - Unclear and Present Danger

Michele Cameron -
Unclear and Present Danger -
Available Now! -
4.5 out of 5 books -


Solange Montgomery is a corporate manager for a company that is not doing so well during the recession. Solange is on her second round of layoffs. Solange and her employees are not taking them well. Even though her job has her stressed, she has a very supportive and handsome man that keeps her going. Ali Marks is a police officer with aspirations of becoming a detective. However, there is one little problem that may keep that dream from coming true...a problem that even Solange does not know about. Ali and Solange have been dating for awhile, and the next obvious step is marriage. After their engagement, they encounter people who don't share the beauty of their interracial relationship. With this and other relationship problems, Solange is not so sure that they will make it down the aisle.

Unclear and Present Danger is a wonderful read by Michele Cameron. There are several plots happening simultaneously, and Cameron does a great job of keeping them all flowing and relevant. She also adds a little mystery and drama to the story. There are several characters in the story that are all very well developed. The conflicts that the characters encounter are also very realistic. Unclear and Present Danger is truly a good read!
 
Reviewed by Tenecia for Urban Reviews
 
Order your copy of Unclear and Present Danger (Indigo) today!

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NEW REVIEW: Deouan Wilson - For The Love Of The Trigger

Deouan Wilson -
For the Love of the Trigger -
Available Now! -
4 out of 5 books -


What would you do if 10 years of your life were taken from you? Is revenge always the right plan of action, or will it lead to more issues and battles to conquer?

William Rucker has a lot of his mind. 10 years gives a man a lot to think about...his past, his present, and his future. William has been incarcerated for the last ten years because of betrayal and a set up gone wrong by his best friend Gavin. With a drug habit kicked, William is out for revenge. But it’s hard to conquer the past when the present keeps knocking at your door. Will William accomplish his goals, or will his situation and circumstances have him looking down the barrel of a trigger?

Gavin is ruthless and grimy. People fear him because of his father Luscious, and all of the connections that he has. Gavin has done a lot of wrongs and betrayed many, but his father has always had his back and got him out of tough situations.  But with Rucker back on the street, Gavin has a lot to lose. With the chance of his secret being revealed, what will be Gavin’s next move? Will Gavin silence Rucker for good?

Luscious, a one time preacher turned crime boss, has seen and done a lot in his lifetime, and his conscience is bearing heavy on him. Luscious is trying to cope with what could be his final days. With his son Gavin next in line to take his throne, Luscious has some important decisions to make. Luscious has a lot of connections, and made a lot of important relationships, but when it comes to family, what line shouldn’t you cross? How many times can a person bail someone out whom just doesn’t seem to want to do right? Will Luscious be able to settle all these matters in enough time, or will some issues remain unresolved?

For the Love of the Trigger was a compelling story of tug-of war by Deouan Wilson. The streets keep calling your name, but when you have responsibilities to tend to, there comes a time to reevaluate your life. Decisions aren’t just for you; other things have to be taken into consideration, and the consequences of a hash decision can lead to a deadly outcome. I think the book definitely was a wide awakening for those who can't leave that hustling life alone. I enjoyed how the author created a scene for each character, and the storyline was definitely a realistic one. For the Love of the Trigger was an enjoyable read from this debut author.

Reviewed by Kristin for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of For the Love of the Trigger today!

NEW REVIEW: Nikki Turner - Relapse

Nikki Turner -
Relapse -
Available Now! -
5 out of 5 books -


Have you ever met someone who you just can’t forget? When you’re around that person, you feel euphoric? Your consciousness says no, but time and time again, you fall for the person like a bad habit?

Beijing Lee was the number one concierge in the area. Beijing dealt with an elite and exclusive clientele which included celebrities. Beijing takes pride in catering to her clients needs, no matter how small or big the request. Beijing's life was not always a walk in the park. A mother with mental problems, and a drug-addicted sister takes a toll on Beijing. Her only safe haven was her father, who raised her and taught her well. Beijing comes across a man named Lootchee who changes her world upside down. Will Lootchee and Beijing take there relationship to the next level, or will Lootchee cause more havoc and pain in Beijing’s life?

Rayna, one of Beijing's closest friends, didn’t have a good track record with men. Her latest boyfriend, York, was a suspicious character who pulled a lot scams and schemes that Rayna sometimes participated in. Rayna's friendship wasn’t genuine. The green-eyed monster was deep within Rayna and jealousy between friends is a dangerous thing. Will Rayna jeopardize her friendship with Beijing, or will she stand up and help her friend in a time of need?

Lootchee had it all: looks, money, cars, and a nice home. He was a man who was accustomed to getting what he wanted when he wanted...and Beijing was no exception. Beijing was not your typical woman, and after getting to know her, Lootchee was definitely up for a challenge. Their new relationship was intense from the start, but a relationship built upon secrets and deceit has little promise of making it. Lootchee really cares for Beijing, but time and time again he shows exactly the opposite. With fears of losing Beijing, will Lootchee step up and be honest, or will it be little too late?

Nikki Turner does it again with Relapse. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it definitely held my attention with all the twist and turns that occured throughout the novel. Beijing was met with many hard decisions regarding her love life, family, friends and job. The book takes you along that journey with her and the ramifications from the choices she was forced to make, especially the ones to take back control of her life. Relapse showed a woman who on one hand had it all and could take charge but at the same time be vulnerable to one man who seemed to have her under a spell.

Reviewed by Kristin for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Relapse: A Novel today!

NEW REVIEW: Deondriea Cantrice - Rhythm Can't Keep Time

Deondriea Cantrice -
Rhythm Can't Keep Time -
Available Now! -
3 out of 5 books -


Sheridyn has always wanted a good, strong man to love. She thinks she's found the man that she's looking for when she meets Sterling. Sterling is sexy and has a good head on his shoulders. Sheridyn is immediately smitten by him and thinks this is love at first sight. But does Sterling feel the same way? A one night tryst soon becomes a complicated one-sided relationship where some hard choices need to be made. Will Sheridyn and Sterling try to make love last forever, or will they go their separate ways?

Rhythm Can't Keep Time is a thought-provoking debut novel by Deondriea Cantrice. This novel shows the trials and tribulations of a woman looking for Mr. Right. There's plenty of hilarious dialogue and situations that will have readers laughing out loud. Some readers will even identify with Sheridyn's situation with Sterling. Although this was a decent story, there were issues with character and storyline development that could have been cleaned up to make a better novel. Sheridyn is the main character of this book, but the reader never really get to truly know her until almost the end of the book. The story's main focus seems to be Sheridyn going to work, going out, and running behind Sterling. It would have been nice to see Sheridyn interact with her children and doing other activities towards the beginning of the book instead of at the end. There's really no real sense of time in this story since it’s kind of hard to decipher how many months and years have passed when things are occurring. Sheridyn's endless torch holding for Sterling was just nauseating because you never knew what was so special about him in the first place besides his bedroom skills. Rhythm Can't Keep Time shows what can happen when a person can confuse love with lust.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Rhythm Can't Keep Time: Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough today!

NEW REVIEW: Paula T. Renfroe - The Cheating Curve

Paula T. Renfroe -
The Cheating Curve -
Available Now! -
5 out of 5 books! -


One of my favorite analogies from “The Cheating Curve” was cited by Aminah Anderson in regards to Camille Cosby, Coretta Scott King, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Hillary Clinton as women who stayed with their cheating husbands. She said “when I see Camille, Coretta, Jackie O, Hillary even, I see beauty, grace, and poise, not stupidity.” I believe this was where Aminah drew her woman strength; to stay when her husband continually strayed. Aminah’s faithfulness to her successful hip-hop music producer husband, Aaron “Famous” Anderson, comes under a microscope of self reflection as she endures rumors of his affairs being fed to the media by a woman scorned. Then Aminah’s discovery that Lang, her best friend and Editor-In-Chief of “Urban Celebrity” magazine, is having an affair pushes her to not only self reflect but to re-evaluate her mantra and values in her own marriage.

Lang’s libido is as insatiable as a river is long, and one her husband cannot keep up with. So Lang begins a sexless affair with a younger man, and the affair quickly evolves from emotional to physical. Lang has no desires to stop, not even after her best friend finds out. This affair causes a wedge between them, and Aminah must choose where her loyalties lie and try to keep her family intact and maintain her self-respect in her celebrity-made marriage. In the end, their friendship and their marriages will be put to the test.

I absolutely enjoyed The Cheating Curve by Paula T. Renfroe and recommend it as a read for everyone. The book explores the adult aspect of cheating, and it allows the reader to see both sides of the spectrum with a spin. Do we have different standards for men than women? Does status, money, who you are or your age play a part in the dynamics of cheating? I dare you to read the book and find out what Aminah, Lang and their host of family and friends have to say.

Reviewed by Missy for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of The Cheating Curve today!

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ON THE LINE WITH RADIAH HUBBERT - April 2010 - Bernice L. McFadden

On The Line with Radiah Hubbert - Bernice L McFadden - Author of 'Glorious' -
  
Bernice L. McFadden talks to Radiah Hubbert about:
- Her newest release 'Glorious'
- Her 10th anniversary re-release for 'Sugar'
- Her literary journey
- Her thoughts on the publishing industry
- Her advice to aspiring authors
- And Much Much More!

Click Here For Our Exclusive Audio Interview
With The Author Of 'Glorious'
Bernice L. McFadden


Order your copy of Glorious today!

On The Line with Radiah Hubbert
Exclusive One-on-One Interviews with Today's Top Authors!

NEW REVIEW: Desiree Day - Spiritual Seduction

Desiree Day -
Spiritual Seduction -
Available Now! -
5 out of 5 books -


Meet Riley: a sister, mother, teacher, and wife to Bradley Tyson. She has a good heart, and she's a great parent to her children and a forgiving wife, even when Bradley treats her like trash. On the evening of their fifth anniversary, Bradley is murdered by a pimp for non-payment of services. His evil deeds as a human have guaranteed him occupancy in hell. However, there’s something on earth that Bradley wants too badly to stay there.

Bradley’s spirit starts to visit Riley at night in her bedroom. His seduction reminds Riley of the old times before they were married. Night after night, the seduction continues, and Bradley takes Riley on trips to the other side...a place called Lavaster. She realizes that she is falling in love with Bradley all over again, that is, until he reminds her of his dark side.

During the repast, her boss of six years, Malik Davenport, comforts her. He’s tall, handsome, rich, and exactly what heaven ordered for Riley and her family. For Bradley and the army he’s building, things are about to heat up. Spiritual Seduction is mixed with romance, sensitivity, some comedy and sadness. On page 260, Tamia and Riley are discussing the gifts that Bradley has brought her over the years. Tamia attempts to show her sister Riley that she can do better. Riley tells Tamia that Bradley brought her a pair of diamond earrings. Her comeback is “They’re no bigger than a crack head’s brain” (that was too funny).

I’ve followed Ms. Day since her first book Crazy Love and have enjoyed every read. Comedy and romance seems to be her niche; however, this time she’s added the paranormal element to her characters and I must say that it works very well. Her writing was lyrical, and the characters (wow the characters) were marked by richness and full of flavor. The paranormal elements were original and it was a fresh look at demon slayers and demons as they travelled from our world to theirs. I was caught up in this story with the very first mention of demon dust and the paladins. Ms. Day introduced major plot lines and followed up on each one of them. Spiritual Seduction was a fantastic read by Desiree Day.

Reviewed by Missy for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Spiritual Seduction today!

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Contest for Love On The Rocks by Pamela Yaye (Winners Announced!)

Contest for Love On The Rocks by Pamela Yaye - Details Inside....

Contest for Sexaholics by Pynk (Winners Announced)

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Contest for Married On Mondays by HoneyB (Winners Announced!)

Contest for Married On Mondays by HoneyB - Details Inside....

Contest for Dutch II by Teri Woods (WINNERS ANNOUNCED!)

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Contest for The Remedy by Super Nova Slom (WINNERS ANNOUNCED!)

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NEW REVIEW: Dutch - Dynasty

Dutch -
Dynasty -
Available Now! -
4 out of 5 books -


The Bells, a crime family in New York, has the cocaine market on lock. The Simmons have the heroin market on lock. The Bells and Simmons are family, and when the two families are about to merge and take all of New York by storm, Guy Simmons is shot and is knocking at death’s door. Right before Guy was shot, he was grooming his two sons, Kevin and Tyquan, to take over. Guy is left unconscious and in critical condition. Both brothers are hell-bent in finding out who is behind the shooting of their father so that they can seek vengeance.

Kevin (Kev) and Tyquan (Ty) hate each other with a passion. Not because their mothers cannot stand one another but for another reason altogether. Kev, being more of a hot-head, thinks he figured out who shot his father. A war ensues, but unfortunately he barked up the wrong tree and brought on an unnecessary war with the wrong people. Ty is the more level-headed thinker, and just when he thinks he has the culprit figured out, Ty is shocked when he finds out the truth. Bodies are dropping and everyone is suspect.

Dynasty by Dutch was an excellent novel. It is a story of two crime families on the brink to merge and take New York over. Dynasty tells how Guy Simmons, the patriarch of the Simmons family, came to run his own dynasty. It is a story of family, betrayal, love, lust, murder and mayhem. There are so many twists and turns, you are sure to be shocked when you figure out who and why the hit was put out on Guy Simmons. The only thing I did not care for is the fact that Mr. Teague compared certain characters to looking like someone famous and certain men being hung like a horse. Now I know this is not an issue for some readers, but for me as a reader/reviewer, I am tired of reading how some guy is hung like a horse (why not be average), and everyone does not look like a celebrity (be more original and describe how your character looks.) In my opinion, Dynasty is by far the best book by Kwame Teague since the Dutch series.

Reviewed by Leona Romich for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Dynasty today!

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NEW REVIEW: Patrice Franklin - The Last Good Man

Patrice Franklin -
The Last Good Man -
Available Now -
3.5 out of 5 books -


Charles Budrow is a supervisor for DC’s metro bus system who believes that he can make a difference in the world. His peculiar aura is that he is also a born again Christian that doesn’t proclaim his spirituality by intimidating words but by his humility and acts of kindness. Charles mentors the youth in the community, visits his mother, and is a worker in the church.

Wanda Harold is an estranged wife that’s accustomed to the finer things in life due to her upbringing and the life her husband afforded her and the family. But when Wanda's husband leaves her for another woman, she’s struggling to find her foothold in an independent nature while trying to stay strong for her children. Alcohol has become her closest companion; morning, noon, and evening...good days as well as bad days.

Upon their paths crossing, an attraction blossoms despite Wanda’s snobbish reservations surrounding Charles' career path and title.

Patrice Franklin’s illustration of love in unlikely places is charming with the introduction of her two central characters. The Last Good Man is brimming with relatable circumstances, emotions, reactions and words of God which really put a positive stamp on this read. There are numerous challenges addressed, such as: Will Charles’ goodness shine brilliantly enough to capture Wanda’s heart? Has heartbreak dimmed Wanda’s aspect of love and life? Will she choose addiction over her children and the chance of loving The Last Good Man? These and more are sandwiched between the pages of this read!

Reviewed by Tazzyt2bossye for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of The Last Good Man today!

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