Every Woman's Got A Secret by Brenda L Thomas

Pocket: January, 2007
978-0743497060
Reviewer: Tiffany
Rating: 2

Every Woman's Got A Secret follows Caroline, a very popular and successful vee-jay. Her employer decides to take her show on the road and hires an intern, Mari, to help make this happen. Mari seems to be the perfect intern, coming up with great and exciting show ideas and just falling into place with the show. But she is a very private about her personal life as if she has something to hide. Over time, Caroline and Mari develop a close friendship and then all of the deception, intrigue, romance and murder begin.

This book did not live up to the billing. I was quite intrigued by the opening of the book but it did not live up to the hype. The storyline became quite predictable and did not have me wondering what would happen next. I continued to read the book to the end as I have enjoyed some of the author’s other work. But, this book did not entertain me as other books written by Brenda L. Thomas.

Forever My Lady by Jeff Rivera

Grand Central Publishing: July 2007
978-0446698818
Reviewer: Tiffany
Rating: 4

There is nothing quite like young love, and this book is an engaging story about two young people named Dio and Jennifer. Dio is a gang member who ends up in boot camp and Jennifer is a victim of a gun shooting. Forever My Lady is the story of their relationship and tells in vivid detail of its survival under extreme circumstances.

Forever My Lady is a realistic portrayal of a teenage love that keeps the reader engrossed for the outcome. Jeff Rivera does an excellent job of describing the emotions and the struggles that the two main characters encounter. This book kept me interested until the very last page and left me wanting for more. I would recommend this book to others.

Not His Type by Chamein Canton

Genesis Press: October, 2007
9781585712533

Reviewer: DD

Rating: 3.5 (Amazon 4)

Plus-Size (size 16), literary agent Cathy Chambers has a great life or so she would have everyone believe. The literary agency is doing great. Her twin sons are doing well at school and it is baseball season so she can watch her beloved Yankees just about every day. Love is not an issue. A past filled with disappointments in love, size and weight insecurities, and some emotional issues from her childhood have made it easy to retreat into a routine of work and Yankee games until she meets the Yankee's top player Marcus Fox. Will Cathy be able to deal with her weight issues as her relationship plays out in the media that surrounds Marcus' life

When I first picked up Not His Type I was not sure what to expect. Since I had previously listened to an interview with Chamein Canton, I hoped for a book that gave a well rounded story that showed the issues many plus size women have as they face the challenge of being plus size in a world that does not always see beyond your size. I was not disappointed. Chambers is able to covey the struggles of the plus size woman without making her plus size character the funny fat girl. She was a real woman ,with real concerns that were amplified by the public interest in her relationship.

The story is filled with an interesting mix of characters and personalities, that shape Cathy and Marcus' world and help them deal with the media blitz that surrounds their very public relationship. I enjoyed watching the romance between Cathy and Marcus develop. It was great to see these two fall in love despite the media hounding them and an ex-girlfriend with serious control issues. I was happy to see Cathy work through her personal issues to make things work with the type of man that comes only once in a life time, if ever.

My only complaint was that the book was a bit wordy. There were scenes that just seemed unnecessary. Canton paid great attention to detail in her novel. In most cases this would be a plus but for this book it was a bit overdone. Despite this I really enjoyed the story and would recommend it to both romance lovers and lovers of plus-size literature.

Laying Down My Burdens by Brenda Thomas

Phillywriter.com; October 2, 2007
978-0979762208
Reviewer: Toni Mac
Rating: 4

Brenda Thomas’ memoir, “Laying Down My Burdens,” is like an intimate conversation with Brenda. She writes about family, drug abuse, domestic violence, and self discovery. With raw emotions, Thomas recounts all of her struggles in painful detail.

While not a thriller or an action-packed story, “Laying Down My Burdens” is instead an evocative book. With details of her life, Thomas has laid out a touching story that will hopefully educate readers and/or motivate those with similar circumstances.