NEW REVIEW: Tracy L. Darity - The Red Bear Society

Tracy L. Darity -
The Red Bear Society -
Available Now! -
4.5 out of 5 books -

You may be wondering by the cover of this novel and the title of this book, what exactly is The Red Bear Society? The cover alone may not appeal to you but in reading the novel, the cover will soon become very clear. Johnson White High School has a new principal and her name is Sharon Grayson. The day of orientation does not go quite as planned. If anything, it upsets a lot of the parents and students and the media begins to start questioning what makes her qualified to be principal.

The school district's superintendent has hired her for his own personal reasons. He gives her free reign to be creative and do her own thing as she see's fit. Sharon is set on trying to educate her students and parents on what is really going on with teens today. She shows how things are not how they used to be, and how teens deal with so much more than just the worry of teenage pregnancy. When an accident involving one of the students of Johnson White occurs, the students put together a blood drive and here is where a chain of events will happen that will leave everyone in Johnson White affected in some way.

The Red Bear Society by Tracy L. Darity was an EXCELLENT novel. It is a novel that parents and teens all need to read. The Red Bear Society is a novel that will open your eyes to some of the things that teens of today are going through. Startling statistics are written throughout the novel that will have you stunned. Homework that the parents of the novel were to do will surely have you doing the same. Aside from some minor editing issues, this is a novel I would highly recommend. Although, it seems that too many characters were affected, there is a message that all readers are surely able to get from reading this powerful novel.

Reviewed by Leona for Urban Reviews


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NEW REVIEW: Sophia Shaw - All Caught Up

Sophia Shaw - 
All Caught Up - 
Available Now! - 
4 out of 5 books - 

As owner of Croft Connections, Jasmine Croft makes a living bringing people together. For her own love life, she has come to expect nothing, therefore she is content dating without the happily ever after. Robert Rankins, ex-goalie for the Florida Panthers turned writer, isn't looking for love when he enlists the services of Croft Connections. He just wants his parents off his back and to prove that he has moved on since the death of his wife. So when Jasmine goes to tell Robert that his date had an accident and can't make it, the last thing that either of them expected was the instant attraction. Due to the sparks that they were igniting, they both decided that exploring a relationship was a good idea. However, they didn't expect all of the lies and deceit.

All Caught Up was a good read by Sophia Shaw. There were lots of characters in this story and Shaw did a wonderful job developing all of them to give you a feel of each characters role within the story. The setting took place in two different cities in Florida. Shaw also did a great job of giving a wonderful visual image of both cities that helped develop the story. The flow of the story was also really good. Overall, All Caught Up was a good read!

Reviewed by Tenecia for Urban Reviews

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NEW REVIEW: Regina Hart - Smooth Play

Regina Hart - 
Smooth Play - 
Available Now! - 
4 out of 5 books - 

The Monarchs are in the news again! This time it is PR exec Troy Marshall and the Monarchs' favorite neighborhood reporter, Andrea Benson. The Monarchs have made it  to the playoffs and co-owner, Gerald Bimm, is still trying to ruin the team. Andrea stopped Gerald once and may have to do it again with or without Troy's help. Troy is so determined to keep the Monarchs from getting any negative publicity that he may cause them more harm than any reporter ever could. In the midst of all the stories and rumors going around, Troy and Andrea learn a lot about each other. They discover that the attraction that they have been fighting for the past few years is something for them to pursue. That is, if Troy doesn't let his past keep him from a future with Andrea.

Smooth Play was another unique read by Regina Hart. The main character was a strong female in a male dominated profession. Once again, Hart made Andrea the main heroine, and she is strong and independent without being domineering. It was also a refreshing twist where the hero was the one that had to "fix" his past and the heroine walked away. Hart has a way of giving the women in her books strength without losing their femininity. Good read!

Reviewed by Tenecia for Urban Reviews

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NEW REVIEW: Devon Vaughn Archer - His Teen Dream

Devon Vaughn Archer - 
His Teen Dream - 
Available Now! - 
3 out of 5 books - 


Sixteen-year-old Lex Haskell is unhappy about the recent move to Lake Charmaine, CA. He has moved around quite a few times since his parents' divorce and his mother's remarriage to a man that Lex really does not care for. Lex is happy for his mother but feels lost in the shuffle. His father does not seem to have time for him anymore since he seems more concerned with his "new" family.

On the first day at his new school, Lex is surprised to see a blast from his past, his childhood girlfriend Taylor Clawson. More than anything, Lex wants to rekindle their friendship and possibly their childhood romance, but Taylor is already taken by football jock Blake Reed. Deep down inside, Taylor would like to have Lex back in her life, if only for the friendship, but she knows that Blake is jealous and insecure when it comes to her. Not only that, but Blake has a mean side that no one else but her knows about.

His Teen Dream by Devon Vaughn Archer is a novel that I could easily recommend to teenagers. This is the type of novel that could benefit them in some way, whether they are in a relationship or have friends in a relationship. The characters are easily relateable. My main issue with this story is that Mr. Archer focused on the fact that Lex and Taylor were 10-years-old when they got together. They shared kisses, he wrote her a beautiful song and played it for her on his guitar. The fact that at 16-years-old, they both kept thinking of one another and wondering if the other kissed as well as the last time (at 10-years-old.) The age was totally unrealistic. I could have seen this more if say they were 13-14 years old then saw each other again 2 years later, but definitely NOT at 10 years-old. The other descrepency I had was that Lex's mom went to seek Taylor out to talk to her at the high school and asked her to come outside and sit in her car to talk to her. I had to shake my head at this because for a parent to be wandering the halls looking for a student is highly unlikely. With a good developemental editor, this book would have rated a lot higher. The story kind of reminded me of one of those episodes of the show Degrassi Jr. High.

Reviewed by Leona for Urban Reviews

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NEW REVIEW: Cheris Hodges - Recipe For Desire

Cheris Hodges - 
Recipe For Desire - 
Available Now! - 
5 out of 5 books - 

Marie Charles was Charlotte's It Girl! Partying and disappointing her father was what she did best. However when her latest antic causes an accident that could have been fatal, her father decided that his pampered princess needed to be taught a lesson. So when Marie has to complete 500 hours of community service at My Sister's House, a homeless shelter for women, she thought her life was over. Devon Harris is a well renowned chef that volunteered at My Sister's House. His volunteer work was personal and he took it very seriously. So when he learns that Charlotte's very own party girl would be volunteering, he was not very happy about having to put up with a pampered diva who didn't want to work. To say that their initial meeting was rocky is an understatement.  It was more like a train wreck. However, it didn't take either of them long to realize that the initial judgment of the other was vastly incorrect. Devon and Marie both entered into unfamiliar territory but they both were willing to discover what the other had to offer. Hopefully friends, family, and the past would not keep them from discovering what the future has in store for them.

Recipe for Desire was a fun read by Cheris Hodges. The main characters were extremely well developed and likable. There were several secondary characters who were an important part to the overall story line, which was also very well developed. The story also flowed very well without lagging moments. Hodges does a wonderful job of writing stories that seem to be your basic romance on the surface; but once you get past the top layer, there is a positive message underneath all that passion. Great read!

Reviewed by Tenecia for Urban Reviews


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