You're All I Need by Karen White-Owens

Title: You’re All I Need

Author: Karen White-Owens

Rating: 3.5

Headline: Good Story but No Surprises

The book started off quite well as we are introduced Tia who is a young lady working as an assistant for an attorney. Tia is asked by her boss to help a new attorney from France get situated in their office. What was supposed to be a professional relationship turned into a romantic one once Tia realized her boyfriend was unfaithful a multiple number of times.

Tia’s new relationship is going quite well until her family meets the new boyfriend. Her grandmother and mother are against the interracial relationship and they do not hide their feelings. This creates one obstacle in the relationship but a much bigger one occurs when Christophe is offered a promotion back in his home country. He asked Tia to join him in France but her mother is a major hurdle.

The book was quite predictable as it did not have many twists and turns. You’re All I Need was a very quick read and enjoyable. The lovemaking scenes were quite HOT but were described in a respectable not raunchy manner. I would recommend this book to others.

This book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Fighting the Blues as a Black Woman: How I Survived Suicidal Depression by Tanisha L. Herrin

Title: Fighting the Blues as a Black Woman: How I Survived Suicidal Depression

Author: Tanisha L. Herrin

Rating: 4

Headline: One Woman’s Journey to Healthy Living

One would think this book is a general self-help book to help guide a person work their way through depression but it is much deeper than that. Tanisha L. Herrin shares her personal journey of battling depression from her early teen years to her mid-twenties. She lets the reader experience pain that she felt as a child that did not fit into the “in” crowd during elementary and high school and to how the loss of her mother affected her mental state.

This book is not a clinical know-how on ways to overcome depression. It is a woman bluntly sharing her journey and the methods that she used to begin living a more positive lifestyle. While I have never battled depression, this was a great read to help me to notice the signs of depression and to have suggestions if I encounter someone that could be battling it. For that reason, I would recommend this book. I commend Tanisha L. Herrin for sharing so much of her person life with the public.

This book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Lila: A Journey of Life and Love by Peggy Simms Lyles

Title: Lila: A Journey of Life and Love

Author: Peggy Simms Lyles

Rating: 5

Headline: A New Lease on Life        

Lila: A Journey of Life and Love” tells the journey of one woman who finds a new lease on life after her husband passes away. Lila had lived her life making sure her husband and children had their needs met but never took the time to take care of herself. After her husband Ben’s death, she decides it is finally time to put herself first.

Peggy Simms Lyles does a wonderful job with her debut piece of work. She introduces us to a woman who is full of life who has unwavering faith. This book was a quick read and very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book as many women (whether widowed or not) will relate to.

The book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Can You See What I See by jusTemple

Title: Can You See What I See

Author: jusTemple

Rating: 3

Headline: A Book of Exaggeration

Can You See What I See is a book of exaggerated fiction. This piece of work is full of twists and turns and makes the reader question what is true. The book is very random and it is also quite abstract. While it was hard for my attention to stay focused while reading this book, I will commend the author, jusTemple on writing a book that is different in its approach than others.

The author was provided by the author for review purposes.

I've Been Where I'm Going by Earnell Brown

Title: I’ve Been Where I’m Going

Author: Earnell Brown

Headline: A Book of Inspiration

Rating: 5

I’ve Been Where I’m Going is an inspirational, thought-provoking book of poetry and essays. The book is filled with passages that not only make the reader think but it also makes the reader laugh. Earnell Brown also takes the reader on a trip around the world as she writes about her experiences in places such as Egypt, Trinidad, Buenos Aires, and Greece.

Earnell Brown shares some of her most innermost feelings and emotions and she dares the reader to examine themselves. This book forced me to think about myself, my relationships and the direction I would like for my life to go. As the poem Life Ain’t No Joke! states: “Live it, Share it, Feel It, Love It, Want It, Take It! Life ain’t no joke, But you can laugh yourself to death if you do it right!”

Earnell Brown hits it out of the park with I’ve Been Where I’m Going. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

The book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Butterfly by Sexy

Title: Butterfly

Author: Sexy

Headline: Spread Your Wings

Rating: 4

Butterfly is truly original in its concept. Deja Padilla is an abused wife of two children and when she decides to leave her husband she has a plan for a better life. Deja completed the training to become a corrections officer but that was merely a means to her real goal of becoming a madam.

Deja recruits women (inmates) to become her employees and the rollercoaster begins from there. Butterflies most loyal customers are the same men who were the correctional officers where the ladies were imprisoned. Sex, jealousy, and betrayal make this book a page-turner.

The book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Draw by J-Real

Title: Draw

Author: J-Real

Headline: A Real, Gritty Street Novel

Rating: 4

In the first chapter of “Draw” the reader is introduced to the street life culture surrounding drugs and murder. This is done in the narrative voice and it is totally captivating. The main character is a teenager by the name of Sincere. In the beginning of the novel, he is merely a bystander and his brother, Pharaoh is the one living the street life.

Over the course of the book, the street life becomes the lifestyle of Sincere (known as Serious on the streets). It then totally consumes him and the book at times gets a bit confusing midway through. It seems as if the debut author attempted to cram a lot of “story” in his pages. I would be interested in a sequel based on the last chapter and the surprise twist.

Overall, this is a good read and I believe a great start to a very promising career for author J-Real.

This book was provided by the author for review purposes.