To Be Read Tuesdays

I finished with The Family Business so now I am on to the second book, Family Business 2..and it's getting good!  So, this is what I will be reading this week.  What's on your TBR?


The Family Business 2 by Carl Weber

Welcome to the world of Duncans. By day they are upstanding citizens running one of New York’s most respected car dealerships;but by night, they’re criminals who control most of the East Coast drug traffic. No matter whether they’re on their day or night jobs, one thing is true about the Duncans: there is never a dull moment to be found.
Baby momma drama takes over the Duncan clan, as there is still uncertainty about who has fathered the Duncan sisters’ new babies. Meanwhile, Orlando Duncan, the family’s new CEO and a man with his own baby momma problems, has just developed a new product that may make the millionaire Duncans into billionaires. Orlando only has one obstacle in front of him, and it’s not law enforcement or one of his family’s many rivals. It’s his mother, and she may be his most formidable opponent to date, because she’s making the family take sides.
Can a civil war within the Duncan family be averted before it tears them apart?

Review: The Scent Of Rain by Kristin Billerbeck

Read an excerpt

Genre:   Christian Fiction, Romance

Release Date:  August 2012

Series:  None

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Author Website: http://www.kristinbillerbeck.com

Pages:  307

Source:  ARC From Publisher

Rating:  Three Flowers Of Love

Book Blurb

When deprived of her most prized sense, Daphne discovers a life she never expected, right under her nose.  

Daphne Sweeten has left Paris – and a career she loves – in order to marry a man she loves even more. But when he stands her up on their wedding day, Daphne’s left reeling. Trained as a professional “nose” or perfume creator, Daphne soon realizes that her sense of smell has somehow disappeared too.

Review: The Games People Play by C J Domino

Genre:   Fiction

Release Date:  August 2010

Publisher:  Shero Productions

Author Website:  C J Domino

Pages:  230

Source:  Author

Rating:  Four flowers of love

Back Cover Blurb

When people look at my life this is what they see, a picture perfect couple living fabulously.  But behind closed door it’s another story as I struggle to maintain this status quo glory.  With bitches on my left and ho’s on my right, it’s a constant fight trying to remain a glamorous trophy wife.  Sex, lies and alibis keep us together, but what’s done in the dark will never last forever.

    

Meet Mercedes Barone, the beautiful wife of a former NBA All-Star.  To the world she has it made, living high off of life, but as you read along you’ll soon learn that walking in her three-inch heels is no easy task.  From her backstabbing relatives to her husband’s baby mama’s, what really happens when a ride or die vixen is fed up with the drama?

My Thoughts

I have to say that this book did surprise me.  At first I dismissed it as another hood tale with weak characters and an even weaker storyline.  Once I started reading, I couldn’t get enough of the characters.

The Games People Play has more drama than a Lifetime movie.  The story is mostly told through Mercedes, the main character.  I had mixed feelings about her.  On one hand I felt sorry for her because she put up with so much from her husband Terrance. He lied, cheated, and became physical with her all because she knew what he was about.  On the other hand, I felt like she was a little too crazy and needed to think things through before she acted. 

Terrance in a word was a scumbag.  He already had one child outside the marriage but had another on the way.  And he had the audacity to go ballistic when he found out Mercedes had a friend on the side.  In the end, I felt like he got exactly what he deserved.

Bishop, what a sexy MF.  ,He was also married and had no business hooking up with Mercedes, but there was old love between the two so I really wanted them to work out.   I was so glad when he got rid of his wife.  I didn’t feel sorry for her because she had secrets of her own and didn’t deserve him. 

My favorite characters were Mercedes's siblings, Shelby and Bentley.  Shelby’s motherly advice laced with her twisted Christian beliefs mixed with Bentley’s blunt, but honest statements had me rolling.  They both loved their sister and didn’t want to see her suffering, but sometimes it takes family to talk about you before you really listen.

Overall, the history between the three main characters really kept me interested.  Some parts were a little too ghetto for me, but the author made it work and I enjoyed it. 

Other Reviews Of This Book:

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Shelfari

Review: Suspicions by Sasha Campbell

Genre:  Fiction

Release Date:  May 2011

Series:  None

Publisher:  Dafina Books/Kensington Publishing

Author Website:  Sasha Campbell

Format Read:  Hardcover

Pages:  320

Source:  Purchased

Rating:  Five stars

Book Blurb

Three women are about to learn more than they ever wanted to know about secrets--and the men who keep them. . .

As the owner of Situations, the hottest beauty salon on the south side of Chicago, Noelle Gordon has a direct line to the private lives of her clients. But when an abandoned baby girl appears on her doorstep, Noelle finds herself at the center of a personal drama. Could the baby be her husband's? Or maybe her grown son's? Both men deny it--but Noelle is sure one of them is lying. . .

Meanwhile, Noelle's employees are discovering that their own romantic relationships harbor a secret or two. The truth isn't always pretty. But can they find the strength to live with it--and with the men they love?

Review: Sex And The City by Candace Bushnell

Genre:   Fiction

Release Date:  September 1997

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Author Website:  http://www.candacebushnell.com

Format Read:  Paperback

Pages:  304

Source:  Purchased

Rating:  One flower of love-did not finish this one

Book Blurb

In this chronicle of the mating habits of New York's cultural elite, Bushnell infiltrates celebrity affairs, sex clubs, and posh suburbs to introduce us to "bicycle boys," "modelizers," and "toxic bachelors" — powerful and successful men who bed single and married women as if it were a contest. Often funny and occasionally bleak, this is an inside account of the quintessential '90s romance and the never-ending search for the perfect marriage partner in high society.

My Thoughts

This was the first book that I’ve read by Candace Bushnell and I did not love it.  I can’t say that the book was a total waste of time because some parts were funny and it included some very interesting opinions on sex and relationships. 

Although the story started out promising, somewhere along the way, I got lost in the randomness and just lost interest.  Thus the one flower rating. 

I had all intentions of getting into the original story without comparing it to the show, but it just didn’t happen.  I guess I just kept looking for Carrie’s point of view and all the craziness of her three besties.  I was not prepared for the “real” Carrie, who turned out to be very forgettable because she was a drunken hot mess.  Big was not all that grand either so there was no epic love to get engrossed in. The other characters were just as forgettable because they changed every other paragraph.  I tried my best to latch onto a character or two, but it just didn’t work for me.

Overall, it wasn’t that bad.  Like I said, I loved the in your face dialogue from the characters, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough.  Perhaps if I had read the book before seeing the show, my review would have been more favorable.  Despite my less than fabulous review, I still have a few of the author’s books on my TBR and can’t wait to read them. 

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

Review: Secrets Of The Black Box by Amanda Wolfe

Series:  Beneath The Silver Lining, Book #1

Genre: NonFiction

Published:  August 2010

Publisher: Xlibris

Author Website: http://beneaththesilverlining.com

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  380

Source:  Pump Up Your Book Tours

Read an except

Book Summary

On the outside, her family appeared to be one big, happy family. Their house, with her parents, three sisters, and two brothers, was the epitome of a simple yet fulfilling life lived in a small town. But as the author would soon discover, her childhood was in fact a nightmarish phase of her life she would always be running from. Growing up as a carefree girl, Wolfe struggled to comprehend why she was reared in a family where children are deprived of their right to know the truth, adults are always right, and smoothing out a misunderstanding is never an option.

At the young age of nine, she started experiencing cruelty at the hands of her father, who not only abused her emotionally, but physically and sexually as well. Her mother, whose love she sought, was a stern woman who refused to see her husband's mistakes. As if her deeply troubled relationship with her parents was not enough, Wolfe also had to deal with inner secrets involving creepy characters from the afterlife. Feeling tormented, confused, solitary, and even filthy, this naïve girl had yet to be transformed into a strong-willed woman who would become cynical about love and learn to depend on no one but herself while facing more of life's bitterness.

My Thoughts

Oh my gosh.  What to say about this book?  Secrets Of The Black Box is one of those books that leaves a stain on your brain.  It was no easy book to read.  I originally decided to read it because I thought it was a paranormal story.  While it did have some paranormal happenings, it retold the life of author Amanda Wolfe and ugly parts of her life that most people would not have to courage to talk about.

The book deals with physical, sexual, and emotional abuse that an entire family has to endure.  Little Amanda doesn’t understand what’s going on so she tries her best to make sense at an age where a child should be happy and safe, not fearful of what abuse she will suffer next.

Her parents are the worst parents ever.  Her dad is a total sleeze.  He’s supposed to be taking care of the family but he’s the one destroying it.  Rape and beatings are his preferred methods of dealing with his daughters.

The mother is a shell of a woman.  She’s ignorant and weak.   She continues to stay with her scumbag husband and is very aware of all the abuse he is subjecting their children to.  When she’s not dealing her own cruel form of punishment, she fuels her husband’s sick shenanigans and looks the other way as if nothing is happening.

Secrets Of The Black Box was a train wreck to read, but I couldn’t put it down.  It made me sad and angry to know that this was a real life story and this could also be the story of someone else’s life

There were a few happy spots in the book and I’m glad that Amanda Wolfe had the courage and determination to stay sane and get her story out.

My  Rating

I give Secrets Of The Black Box four stars.  It’s not my normal read and I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was a very good book.

Review: The Mermaid's Pendant by LeAnn Neal Reilly

Genre:  Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

Published:  March 2010

Publisher:  Zephon Books

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  572

Author Website:  www.nealreilly.com

How I Got It: reviewed for Pump Up Your Book Tours

Book Summary:

Inspired by the beloved classic The Little Mermaid, THE MERMAID’S PENDANT is a modern fairy tale about growing up and discovering who you are—and what you believe in. At times lyrical, this novel is a fantastic journey filled with magic, myth, romance, and adventure.

Four years after John Wilkerson claims the mermaid Tamarind for his wife, they have an idyllic marriage that depends on a talisman that she crafted on their island paradise. But Tamarind learns a painful truth: it takes more than legs to live on land and more than magic to sustain a bond. When the talisman breaks, she and John are forced to rely on themselves instead of magic.

Three wise women play key roles in the young lovers’ journey to mature love. Ana, Tamarind’s aging mentor, casts spells and performs seductions to keep the lovers apart. Valerie, an expat jewelry maker cum fairy godmother, works her own magic to bring them together. Lucy, their widowed neighbor, grounds the couple in the realities of marriage, parenting, and family.

THE MERMAID’S PENDANT is a story for anyone who has ever believed in the transforming power of love.

My Thoughts

The Mermaid’s Pendant is like the adult version of The Little Mermaid. It still has the magic of the fairy tale, but Leann Neal Reilly takes the classic tale and tests the happy ever after

romance.  

Tamarind is the naive mermaid that gives up everything she knows to live a human life with John.  With the help of Ana, a local witch, Tamarind goes through the motions of winning John’s heart from two other women that he is already involved with.  Yeah, when the two meet, John already has a girlfriend and has just started a fling with someone else.

Although John is already juggling two women, he’s still drawn to Tamarind and after much drama, they finally get together.  That’s where the real story begins.

I was seriously intimidated by the size of this book when I first got it. As I read it, there was so much going on in the lives of Tamarind and John that I felt the book actually should have been longer. 

Their relationship made my head hurt.  It started out strong with them knowing each other’s mind and mood, but became so strained because they didn’t trust each other.  At times, their daughter could sense that something was seriously wrong when they couldn’t.  I was confused about that part, but it kept the story interesting.

The ex girlfriend and the witch created the most the strain with Tamarind and John’s relationship.  I kept waiting for a knock down drag out session with the ex and a magical showdown with the witch, but the events that got rid of them were unexpected twists.  

My  Rating

I give The Mermaid’s Pendant four flowers of love.  The book was very well written and easy to follow.  The characters development was good.  At times, parts of the story did get a little wordy and drawn out, but overall I enjoyed the story.

 

The Master And The Muses by Amanda McIntyre

Title:  The Master And The Muses
Author:  Amanda McIntyre
Series:  None
Genre:  Erotica, Romance
Released:  June 1, 2010
How I Got It:  received ARC ebook from Net Galley

Book Summary:

They are his inspiration.

He is their obsession.

Icon, rebel, unabashed romantic… with a single look painter Thomas Rodin conveys the ecstasy of creativity—the pleasures awaiting the woman who can fuel his artistry.

the Innocent

What did this master artist see in me? Genius abided in his soul, rapture in his flesh—I doubted not. To refuse him…my folly. To surrender…my sensual salvation.

the Upstart

I chafed at the bonds of servitude until he set me free. I turned my back on all that I knew to follow him and found myself between two men—master and student—one whom I loved with my heart...the other with my body.  

the Courtesan

I understood, perhaps better than any, his needs.
I stoked the fires of his soul, the spark of his creativity— he made me a legend. But never could I forget his searing touch.…

Three transcendent tales of women bewitched by a master of seduction— a slave as much to his art as to his boundless passion.

My Thoughts
Here's another book that has been on my TBR list forever.   Not sure why, but I thought I wasn't going to like it so I keep pushing it down on the list.   After reading the first story, I was more than ready for the rest of the Thomas' drama to unfold.  His life played out like a super hot soap opera.

This book is divided into three different stories.  Each story is told by a naive woman that Thomas  hired to be his model.  He then seduces them into becoming his lover.  Each woman thinks she is the one that will capture his heart, but slowly each realizes the mistake she has made in giving him her heart to break.

Although each story is told from each woman's point of view, in the end, they all connect and tell the real story of a miserable playboy afraid of commitment.  He gets no love from me because he jumps from bed to bed before the sheets get cold from his last fling.

Thomas in one word:  Manwhore.  I found myself wanted to feel sorry for him, then love him, then hate him, and finally, I decided that I just wanted to castrate him.

Of all his muses, none of them were strong independent women when he met them.  The promise of money and fame made them sway easily to his perverted lifestyle.  No matter how crazy his demands were, they went along with it because they loved him.

Helen was young and inexperienced in so much that Thomas easily won her over even though her heart belonged to another.

Sara, came across to me as a complete user.  She was also boring and I couldn't wait for her to be gone.

Grace, I felt sorry for.  She was fiesty, but out of all three women, she was the dumbest of all.  the other girls were young and dumb, but was older and should have been wiser. 

My Rating
I give The Master and the Muses four flowers of love.  Sure Thomas was a complete slut and he treated his muses like live in prostitutes, but I can not say that this book did not entertain me.  It's not a favorite, but I would definitely reread it because it was a good book.  I also checked out Amanda McIntyre's website and found some juicy covers that I think I'll be adding to my TBR list.  Scandalous!

Read an excerpt from The Master and the Muses