REVIEWS - MAY 06

RATINGS:

1 Star - POOR

1 ½ Star - FAIR

2 Stars - OK

2 ½ Stars - GOOD

3 Stars - VERY GOOD

31/2 Stars- GREAT

4 Stars - EXCELLENT

41/2 Stars - EXCEPTIONAL

5 Stars – SUPREME

MAY BOOK OF THE MONTH

This Time
Author: Ingrid Monique
Dafina Books
ISBN: 0-7582-0967-3
Published: May 2006
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed By: Shelia Marie

Ingrid Monique’s This Time is a romantic suspense novel set on a beautiful Caribbean island, St. Pala. In this story, we’re introduced to Kelee Kingsly and Sean St. John.

Kelee makes a special trip to the island to spend time with her pregnant sister Lori before the birth of her first child. During this trip, she hopes to relax and possibly rejuvenate her creative juices. Meeting a man was the last thing on her agenda. Fate intervenes and she ends up meeting Sean St. John.

Sean is ministry of security for the island. Sparks fly between the two from the moment they meet at a restaurant. During the course of the story, it’s revealed that this is not their first time meeting. They originally met when they were much younger and Sean’s appearance was different. Sean figures out their past connection, but fails to mention it to Kelee. In the meantime, he sets out to win her heart. When Kelee finds out that Sean has been hiding something, she is determined to move on without him. Both are miserable without the other.

Sean’s latest case has not only put him in danger, but those that he cares about. Although they are on the outs, Kelee becomes a target for his nemesis. Will their past liaison end up deadly for one or the both of them?

This Time has the right amount of romance and suspense. Neither outweighs the other and makes for an enjoyable read. Sean and Kelee’s relationship has depth and you can’t help but cheer for the couple.

APRIL BOOK OF THE MONTH

Hoochie To Holy
The Process of Sanctification
Tomeca Richardson
Ninth Line Publishing
Published April 2006
Non-fiction Spiritual
Rating: 5 Stars - SUPREME
Reviewed by: Camellia Johnson

Have you ever known or been called a “Hoochie”? Tomeca candidly shares her testimony of coming from Hoochie to Holy. She vividly explains the process of being delivered from things and people that had her bound. She gives us a front row seat in her life of why she was called “Spicy”. She showed the compassions of God even when she failed time after time to get her walk with God right and he accepted her with instruction. With those same instructions, Tomeca shares with us to: come after Jesus, deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus.

These steps require a choice to put God first in our life and commit all our ways to him. These steps will take time to develop but with daily prayer, spending time with God they get easier. Tomeca, shares her testimony to help, encourage others to first come to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and develop a prayer life. If you’re struggling with fornication, adultery, alcohol and disobedience read how Tomeca overcame and you can too!


Nothing But The Right Thing
Stacy Hawkins Adams
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
ISBN: 0-8007-3097-6
Published: April 2006
Rating: 3 Stars – Very Good
Reviewer: Patricia Woodside

Nothing But The Right Thing is an engaging tale about the many facets of love – love for self, love between childhood friends, love between husbands and wives, love among sistafriends, love between parents and children, and most of all, the love of believers for God’s will and guidance in making life’s decisions.

Serena and Micah McDaniels are seemingly comfortable in their upper middle class, suburban life, which includes a new home in a toney subdivision. A former advertising executive, Serena has downscaled her life by taking a less demanding position with a non-profit organization in anticipation of having the baby that she yearns for so desperately. Micah, the senior pastor of the Standing Rock Community Church, presides over one of the area’s oldest and largest congregations but struggles to pacify the church leadership and yet lead his flock beyond the walls of the church into the community where they might make a real difference. When circumstances present Serena with the opportunity to help a longtime friend and Micah with the challenge of hearing and obeying God’s voice, both discover that God has an interesting way of giving us our heart’s desires if we hold on to our faith.

Ms. Adams boldly tackles topics that are not often found in Christian fiction – domestic violence, church politics, infertility, and even the aftermath of infidelity. Delving beyond the surface of these issues, Ms. Adams has imbued the characters and plot twists with a degree of realism that will feel familiar to anyone who has spent time with church folks, had a friend in trouble, or simply strived to hear God’s voice for their own life.
Nothing But The Right, more narrative than dialogue, slowed in pace at times, but the story was intriguing enough to keep me reading until the end. A sequel to her debut novel, Speak to My Heart, this novel confirms that Ms. Adams will be present on the Christian fiction scene for some time to come.