The Way You Lie By: Aubreé Pynn

The vibe is poetic. Each line meant to touch your emotions on a level that is ocean bottom deep. This Romance brings you the different sides of love. Love can be a beautiful ignorance laid bare by reality and all you are left with is Truth. More than a roller coaster ride, this story gut punches. It leaves you exposed and in deep contemplation.

Character Breakdown:

Asharia- Raised to use her brains before her beauty. You find a woman who is a true traditionalist. Conservative in her views and takes no mess from any man. Asharia is the true definition of a helpmate. She is the ideas behind her husbands dreams, she breathes life into his determination, she is the shade that cools his brightness. Even more than that Asharia, is smart, witty, goal oriented and a supreme business mastermind. All it takes is a moment to realize that her star no longer shines and she must find a way to re-light it. 

Sebastian- Debonair and smooth talking. He has lived his life being hand walked and that sense of entitlement has bred arrogance to be rivaled by none. The world should bow down to his whims and desires especially his wife. Feeling as if he made her, he keeps her in a state of subsistence. Who he presents himself to be is a facade that no one will dare contest. Until his secrets come falling out the proverbial closet and he realizes that he is not so god-like. 

Alexia- Even with a sullied reputation she still has high hopes. Lacking knowledge of self, she lives her life dangerously on the edge. A life she created because she craves the feeling of being important and everything to someone. Even if that someone is only shared in moments. Envious you find her heart and plotting is the perpetual state of her mind. Skewed determination may be the catalyst to her life's bankruptcy. 

Blaze- Noble, passionate and the definition of a true friend. He is a man who has lost everything but determined to save himself. College opened doors to cultured relationships, brotherhood and music. Music has actually saved his life as well as the way he has advanced. No matter the success, he still ponders about the love that he let slip through his hands. Will destiny have a way of making his dreams come full circle?

Story from my perspective:

The poetic beginning placed my mind in a state of ultra awareness. With my senses awakened, I began to savor each line as if a delicacy. Unhurried, open minded and understanding were all feelings I had as each character was introduced. When I met Asharia, I totally dug the fact that she was not your typical college student. Education was her focus and she felt no need to socialize beyond those who brought her comfort. Introverted and comfortable with that existence, she avoided the opposite sex. That is until she me Sebastian. 

What struck me about the meeting was how she rationalized the difference in their stations. For about seven seconds she doubted and eventually his charm won out. Trust me Sebastian was the consummate Casanova but even that never made Asharia not stick to her guns. He worked for her heart and her affection. The course was not easy and year by year he presented himself until their lives were bound in matrimony. 

On the outside looking in you see a picture perfect marriage. If you read between the lines, you come to see some issues that left unchecked, cause even bigger problems. As a wife Asharia finds herself in a monotonous existence with her intuition silently being triggered. Love makes one turn a blind eye until the light makes a persons imperfections announce themselves. Then you are left with reality and the aftermath. 

Alexia is a woman with issues. Wanting to work for nothing but desiring everything. This woman is the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing. You can feel the misery seeping off her. It's behind her smiles, her well wishing and advice. She knows no boundaries and that makes her danger personified. 

Blaze is the man whose patience is always rewarded. Time or space does not damper the loyalty he gives others. Willing to be of service to humanity, you value the gift he provides with his words, actions and love. He embodies restoration and he does not mind touching a soul. 

The character to me were so human like. I remember a point about twenty-five percent in the book where I felt extreme outrage. It left me putting the book down for hours trying to process what I read. Once I returned to my reading. I was hit with an overwhelming sense of empathy. I knew that once
the plot was revealed. Hearts would be hurt and lives would be shattered. With that knowledge, I kept reading. Every emotion a character felt resonated deep in my bones. Outrage, anger, defeat and awakening just to name a few. I appreciate the extra mile the author took too ensure that it was not only read but experienced. One that you can feel by clicking the link below and downloading this classic: 

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Only If You Let Me By: Monica Walters

This is one of those times I am actually proud to be a reader. This book is Romance at its best. Not the fairytale that is usually weaved in a good story. No, this story is full of the realness of everyday life and all that we lose, gain, renew and reaffirm all for the feeling of purity that can only be derived from love. The characters are well rounded and with flaws, which helps you to relate to their individual struggles. Most of all, these characters make you feel love and the sacrifice one makes to attain it.

Character Breakdown:

Ansley- This woman is made of great values and good focus. She is a mother and wife who finds her greatest achievement in life is the duty to the ones she loves. No sunshine lasts forever and when it rains it pours. Ansley will find herself at a crossroads that will either change her perspective or prelude to something greater. The only problem is does she trust herself enough to live with either truths.

Jayden- He is young but oh so successful. A young black man on the rise with his dreams and goals right on the horizon. Raised in a loving blended family he knows what he wants and is not afraid to go get it. That is until he meets his heartbeat and the sadness in her eyes and heart draws him in and he wants to save her. He knows that her love won't come easy but is prepared to fight for it until the end. Does he have enough gas? Or will he find that sometimes love has a way of breaking even the strong willed.

Story From My Perspective:

Literally as soon as you open the book we have action. You find a marriage in turmoil and its participants trying to find the way to salvage it. Sometimes infidelity is the hardest thing to overcome especially when you will have forever reminders. This is the mind frame in which we are introduced to Ansley. She is torn and broken. Trying to find her way through a situation that has literally robbed her of not only her breath but her time. She traverses the world lost and unsure and just like that the unexpected lands in her lap. In the form of a young, driven and focused King who has tunnel vision from the first eye contact.

Jayden has never been starstruck before until the day he lays eyes on Ansley. She struck a chord so deep within him he was certain she was his forever. He gives her friendship and confidence all things he sees that she is lacking. Patience comes wholesale when given betwixt this bond they are building. All he wants to do is repair what is broken and he will stop at nothing until she is repaired.

This couple took me on a plethora of emotions. I valued how the author dig deeper and gave us not just surface  This was the first time I ever read a book that I felt truly conveyed emotions but residual emotions as well. I don’t know if anyone of you have ever been through divorce but I have and I could identify with Ansley on such a deep level. The feeling of being worthless to someone you endeared your life too, wondering if you should stay just for your children’s peace of mind, feeling ugly and undeserving. This was the first time I read a book that truly conveyed the depth of the feelings and thoughts associated with such a tragic time.

What got me even more was the topic of stepparents. I feel like nobody ever gives the ones who love children by choice and not obligation enough credit. I loved to see how Jayden was a product of a tightly blended family that you could see the ease in which he took to Ansley’s children. It is a subject that happens more often then not in the black family and I felt like the author she’d some great light on the love of a Step-Parent and their positive effects on home and living. I promise I could go on and on about this book but then you wouldn’t read it so take the opportunity to read this deserving work by clicking the link below:

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The 716: Love & Consequences By: A.A. Lewis

This book is like a stroll down memory lane. It was very refreshing and authentic for this author to take us back to the good ole days called the 90's. I mean there's bamboo earrings, The tick, party classics and true friendship. In a world where everything is copied it felt nice to go back in time where originality was appreciated and encouraged. This led me to a group of friends that are bonded by more than just the area they are from but secrets and motives.

Character Breakdown:

Anika- This lovely debutante is well rounded and well put together. Coming from a family that is not only high society at one end, and Owners of the hood at the other end. Her days are spent with her day one's and living life to its best ability. She is unofficially the leader of the foursome and for her girls she would endure anything.

Monica- She is a unique free-spirit who does not bow to anyone. Living her life is by her rules and you definitely get with it or get lost. Of all the friends she is the most staunch about what she wants and does not tolerate being shamed for who she is.

Ayanna- Ever the dreamer and a true hopeless romantic. She is also the friend that holds her cards close to her chest. Her attitude is on a bean and she really does not take shit from man or woman. Nothing in this world makes her happier than navigating life with her friends.

Yazmine- She is the calm one unless provoked. She is focused on her dreams. What more does a girl want but a career, a husband and a few children to fill a home with laughter. With her tunnel vision she is well on her way to having more than she bargained for. All she needs is her girls by her side and she can conquer anything.

Story from my perspective:

When I first jumped into the book it was like a blast from the past. Upon getting over the shock of the book being based in the 90's. I was totally captivated by the authenticity of the times. Everything from the clubbing scenes to the interactions stayed true to the time. So, I put myself in a 90's frame of mind and viewed it from all that was good about that era. It also helped me to connect with the characters more.

In the 90's friendships were solid and based of of certain principals. Your friend was your sister and you protect her at all costs. what was even better was how friendships could be formed with women who are all complete opposites but bond over life. That is what you find among these four friends. None of them are the same when you place them in their individual elements but as a unit you find their friendship to be fluent.

Anika was raised in a house that definitely were two sides to the same coin. Being the only daughter with seven brothers as examples and protection. She learned the game when it comes too the boys in these streets. He father spent time not only grooming her to be a wife but he also gave her the game so she will recognize those who came to play with her heart. even when she seems naive she is leaps and bounds ahead of the game. The only problem is none of the information matters when your heartbeats for the one who is forbidden to you. So she plays a game against time until a moment leads to promises but not necessarily what destiny has written.

Monica she is what you would call a proud hoe. She plays the game better than men and has broken many hearts along the way. All she cares about is the benefit afforded her and she could careless about stepping on toes to get it. Unapologetic-ally she lives her life not caring who she hurts as long as it adds up to what she deems necessary in life. Will she have the opportunity to grow or will she be a victim to the fast life and it's consequences.

Ayanna has found love on a two way street. Typical of the homie, lover, friend vibe she gives off. She is comfortable living a life in love without a title because whats understood don't need to be explained. That is until she is confronted with her ignorance and the questions make her undescribed life seem senseless. We all have to grow up and when a woman realizes her worth she will reach towards what will uplift her and lead her into her awakening. Sometimes that is hard to do when your past won't leave you alone.

Yazmine is so docile and chill and the one with the sense to take all that life has to offer her and make sense of it. Her life is good and full of the love of a good man. The only thing is the streets stay calling. No matter the price she is willing to risk it all for love. That is what makes her stand out

among her friends and the reason why she grows for the love built upon this solid foundation called sisterhood.

I found it funny that none of the girls really matched each other. How individually they could have all lead their own stories. Which made me appreciate how the author placed them together. It reminded me of my own childhood friendships. How if you break my girl heart you gotta feel us all. Or how about one fight we all fight. people you laugh with and cry with, share your joys and pains and know that their is no judgement or animosity. How you can be apart of a family that is born of life choices and the desire to overcome circumstance. You find that and many more lessons in this book that you can download by clicking the link below:


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Love Don't Come Easy By: C. Monet

Romance is a one of the lost art forms in the literary world. So imagine my surprise to pick up a title that proves that the genre is not dead. I cuddled up with this book and a cup of tea and let the poetry in the authors words take me to a place filled with dreams and aspirations of love and how it heals the soul.

Character Breakdown:

Pardison- Alpha male who balances his innate need to protect the ones he loves with a sensitive approach to how he cultivates them. Being a provider and nurturer to the family in need of his guidance. Pardison sets goals and achieves them all in the quest to secure a legacy that was placed in his heart. The tenacity in which thrives his businesses is the same emotion he uses in his quest for love. With a focus and determination of a true conqueror, he begins the journey to finding his equal.

Kahlia- Focused on having the career of her dreams. A heartbreak led her don a path of self-love and self-preservation. Time alone learning who she is was much needed. The only thing that she can't seem to grasp is her worth. Love always seems unobtainable and the one thing that is elusive. Until it finds her and she questions its validity.

Story from my perspective:

The opening poem set the tone for what would proceed it in the following pages. It set my mind and heart aflame and put me in the right mind frame to receive the story. When Kahlia is first introduced she is in a state of questioning. Like those who have been hurt before. She believes that loneliness is the answer to her questionable judgement when it comes to the opposite sex. It's not like she doesn't know what real love is, because it manifested itself daily in the eyes of her parents. Even with that blueprint she still chose paths that were contrary. Her choosing she feels has always been flawed so she has tried to make herself as unavailable to it's charms as possible. That is until an awkward moment becomes the preview to all her heart has desired

Pardison has always been a man on a mission. Raised in a home with a loving familial structure. He is never deluded in how he intends to spend the rest of his days on earth. That is attaining the life of a man whose wife completes and compliments it. Having all that a man could ever need financially doesn't negate his need for the things that truly make your life whole. When his father died he left him with not a burden but the foundation of all the things that can truly make a man successful. Once he understood that time is a commodity not afforded to anyone, Pardison doesn't waste a moment. Especially when he sets eyes on Kahlia and the natural instinct to chase your future is activated.

What got me the most was the strong familial ties shared with both of the main characters of the book. It's the image of the strong sense of love and communion that is not generally portrayed in the black family and I love that it didn't need a broken home to be the catalyst of trying to achieve the family dream. It was that image that made the fuel for Pardison to pursue Kahlia with conviction. I enjoyed how even though Kahlia fancied herself a broken project every time you turned around Pardison was disproving all of her theories. It made me proud to be a black woman woman who loves a black man.
The conversations and feelings exchanged in this work was evocative and reflective. It also showed me that love still exists and there are men in the world who still have honor, valor and chivalry. One statement in the book made me really reflect and that was the theory that black women were the most unprotected women on earth and I loved how the Author used a character like Pardison to let us know that there are still men among us who will stand up for us and protect us at all cost because we are a precious commodity. I know many men like him and it is good for the world to know they exist as well. This book is a worthy read and definitely one that will re-affirm your faith in love. If you don't believe me just click the link below and become a believer.

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Jazyme & Deontae: A Hood Love Story By:Quardeay Julien

This stunning title is categorized as Urban Fiction but it is so much more. These pages speak to life, faith, overcoming your circumstances and the true meaning of a dollar in a dream. Bounteous word used to convey not only the grit surrounding their homestead but the emotions shared as someone who lives it daily. The survival is fortuitous and every opportunity is for the taking and the journey will leave you stunned.

Character Breakdown:

Deontae- A young King in the making. Fueled by the love of a mother whose illness leaves him standing in shoes almost to big to fill. With a little brother depending on his strength to survive. Deontae finds his back against the wall and nothing but his intelligence can aide him in thinking himself out the box. Until he is presented with an opportunity to not only provide for his family but raise his status. What should a man do when the world is placed at his feet?

Jazyme- Is Kismet reborn. She is a young Queen with direction and many talents that make her possibilities endless. To her mother she is the golden child and there is nothing she will not due to see her daughter reach success. Inside of this beautiful heart is pain that fuels her motivation. Until she lays eyes on her destiny and she is faced with losing everything for love or love everything she can lose.

Bishop- A young man whose is a product of a motherless environment and a hateful father. He had no choice but to jump off the porch and get it how he lives. With the mindset that anything in the world can be taken. He starts a path to taking what he feels is his right and makes no excuses. All he is is a lost soul but with the heart of a lion.

Breeze- He is feared by many, admired by most and loved by none. That is all in the life of a boss who only choice was to make the world feel him. He doesn't mind giving the game as long as he will always be the teacher. His quest to stay on top through violence and fear may be the cause of the biggest downfall he has ever experienced. Will this king continue to reign supreme?

Kat- Forever the underdog and seen as just a big butt and a smile. Beyond her physical prowess, she has an ever thinking mind and an observant eye. She refuses to lay in the shadows especially since she is the reason that others are able to walk tall. It's nothing in this life like a woman with a plan and the fortitude to see it through.

Story from my perspective:

Amazed is the state that I found myself from the beginning. When Deontae is first introduced you are able to connect with the weight of the life he carries for himself. Taking care of a mother who suffers from Lupus and a brother who has his eyes on NBA living. He understands that to have all the things he must become the strength. Not really talkative he has a way of carrying himself that makes the world take notice of his King. Like all young adults he has the normal dreams of love, success and stability for those that he loves. Nothing made him want it more than when he laid his eyes upon Jazyme. Her Aura was pure and her walk confident and he just observed her greatness and basked in her being until the first hello and from there it was written. In her eyes he saw his worth and felt the motivation to become all that he could have imagined.

Jazyme looked at Deontae with the same wondering. She saw beyond a young king from the ghetto. His magnificence drew her in from his motherland honoring skin tone to the regal essence of every step he took. All she dreamed of was ruling beside him and then their journey was born. As she basked in the love shared in the beginning of its budding she still is plagued by the demons she faces everyday. A home in turmoil, shameful secrets from her past and living up to expectations that are not her own. This new found love is more than an escape it is the strength she needs to survive.

Bishop has never balked at anything life has thrown his way. When life gave him lemons he made lemonade, pie and ice cream. His worldview is that no matter what is placed before him it shall be a stepping stone. After the loss of his mother his father was supposed to teach and cultivate his ideals. But you will find this young man thrown to the wolves and learning to adapt. He doesn’t worry the world with his problems. Not even his best friend Deontae whose journey he can relate to. But when opportunity comes knocking he wastes no time spreading the love. It’s get it by any means necessary.

Breeze is the proverbial top dog with no fears because he is “That Guy”. He is wise in street knowledge and these are the only laws he follows. You find a modern day puppeteer who enjoys the power of the corruption of others. Unmindful of how he rose to power, you will find him arrogant, self-edifying and unforgiving. He has no love for anything but the almighty dollar and that is all he thinks of. That central focus has caused many a men to fall and it makes you wonder will he be able to forgo such a fate.

Kat is an invaluable asset to Breeze but only because of her sex appeal. Her many erotic talents have brought many a men to falling in line. She is treated like a subject with no value but the moans and groans she can bring from the competition and has been used to test a many a workers loyalty. But you will come to know that all things are used for the good of information. For years she has lived in on the coattails of a tyrant. It why when she gets a glimpse of what the future can be she wastes no time putting a plan into action. The quest to be on top is a silent war but a war bone the less.

I loved how language broke the boundaries of my mind when connecting to these characters. Even deeper than just a life of meaningless crime and violence. This author takes us on a journey through advocacy. Lupus something that plagues the African-American community at an alarming rate but is not generally talked about. I appreciated the information that I learned and the glimpse I got into the everyday living of the person who lives with it but also the emotional and physical toll it can take on those around them. This profound work of fiction touched on so many things like young love, life decisions forced by the struggle, young black kings and queens who mace live in the hood but dream beyond it. I just loved how each character no matter how sinister or innocent had a voice and at least three relatable points. This book will cause some introspective thinking as well as a few tears. I had to stop reading a few times just to cry and reflect and it is a work that everyone should enjoy. You can do that by clicking the link below and gaining a new story and future classic:

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What Goes Around Comes Around: Loyalty and Revenge

What goes around comes around is classified as Urban Fiction but I would classify it as Mystery/Thriller. It is a puzzle made for the brains of introspective thinkers but could also be relative to everyday living. Full of action, clues and a superior inter-connectivity not commonly known in authors of today. This book boggles the mind and attests to the writer's ability to find commonality among her characters.

Character Breakdown:

Detective Jimmy: He is noble and upstanding. Coming from a family of prestige with careers in law enforcement. He takes his oath to protect and serve seriously. Known for his honor and strong mental aptitude he excelled in his career on a fast track. That is until he comes across a case that would be more enlightening than the mystery it presents itself to be. 

Officer Torres: Raised to be a separatist and with a heart full of rhetoric and hatred he lives his everyday in delusion. In life he finds things that challenge his thinking. All he wants is to make Detective and it's hard to do when your mind is self-depreciating and it causes your focus to be mired. 

Roxanne: Like a phoenix she has risen from the ashes of a childhood destroyed. To survive it her education becomes her crutch. Excelling beyond her peers she has the opportunity to become a financial manager. On the outside she is perfection but on the inside she is scarred. Each new day finds her closer to eliminating the very thing that plagues her life. 

Alekzander:  He had to understand the ways of this cruel world at a young age. He was forced to be adult through secrecy. Way before he even understood that secrets have a way of coming back. When he finally hit the age of adulthood his life is shattered and it leaves him choosing to be a protector for those who are defenseless.

X: Suave, debonair and definitely about his business. He is a man inside of two worlds. His success is solidified on many avenues but his ability to plan and remain hidden are his most valuable assets. The friends he have gained are the family he always dreamed of and he will stop at nothing to avenge those whom he loves. 

Story from my perspective:

For the first time in a long time, I read a book that literally raised the goosebumps upon my flesh within the first two chapters. In the prologue we meet Roxanne and she is a character who piqued my curiosity. She seems to be this elusive image of perfection. Upon first being introduced she appears to be naive to life and bogged down by her moral compass and her sense of duty. With her academics putting her leaps and bounds above her in-subordinates she is powerful  in her own right. In between the pages you find out what it means to be literally broken only to be pieced back together stronger than ever. This is who she is and what she signifies and she shows you that she is more than meets the eye. One moment in her life almost destroyed the light in her beautiful soul but she rose above and now she wants to finally lay her past to rest so she can truly be free.

Officer Torres is the consummate racist. Raised under the tutelage of hatred for mankind that did not mirror his physical image. His father was his first teacher and the molder of his ideals. Even though his father, whom he feared, became his personal hero he was also his first disappointment. Especially when he had to learn that all the hate in his body could breed real life monsters. So his beliefs are put to the test daily. He wants love and success but his murky past leaves him feeling undeserving. Imagine what could become of a conflicted soul whose everyday living becomes the biggest dis-creditor of everything you had ever been taught.

Detective Jimmy spends his days trying to be an example to those who strive to be where he is. Everything in his life is by the book. Imagine getting stuck with a partner who combats the partnership only because of the color of your skin. His days spent with Officer Torres are definitely teachable moments blended with frustration. No matter he sees the good in his partner even though he does not see it in himself. Through their differences they form a weird brotherhood that they will come to find out is closer than they could have imagined.

Alekzander is a troubled soul wrapped up in good intentions. He found his calling to rescue the weak at the tender age of five when he had to make a decision that changed not only his life but the lives of his family as well. He is loyal to the ones that he loves and family is always first. It is why he knows that his past is something that has to be avenged and all actions are justified. 

X is one character I would classify as a smooth criminal. He has spent his life making connections and moving in silence. He is the problem solver, so you have to be sure that your problems never
reach his doorstep. His best friends Alekzander and Roxanne are as close to him as his own bloodline. That means that their issues become his and he will do nothing less than see them vindicated. 

Each character in this story taught me something. The lessons wrapped in strong Christian ideology bring importance to every moment, choice and step the character take. In all of their differences the common denominator was that you can be more than your past. How this author wove this web whose center is the bane of everyone's existence. You actually read each thread and as the design becomes clear you see that their hurts, nightmares, delusions and insanity is all tied to a moment that is unique according to their individual perspectives. I promise I enjoyed every letter and word of this book and you will not be disappointed nor bored. This seat edger is definitely a read that you should own and it is yours by clicking the link below:
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