Review: Before We Were Wicked by Eric Jerome Dickey

Before We Were Wicked by Eric Jerome Dickey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: April 2019
Ken Swift Series #2
 

Ken Swift is a young college kid, just trying to pay his way through school and life without having enormous debt. His job isn't exactly on the legal side, but it helps him to survive and once he's done with school, this job will be done too. When he is working one night at Club Fetish, reminding the owner that he still owes for his thriving club, he meets Jimi Lee. Jimi Lee is a beautiful Ethiopian woman who he can't keep his eyes off of. She feels the connection too and before long they are at his apartment dancing in other ways. Even though Ken is forbidden fruit in the eyes of Jimi's strick Ethiopian family, she can't stay away from him and soon enough, she'll be joined to him forever.

Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is Book 2 in the Ken Swift series by Eric Jerome Dickey, but it's a prequel to Book 1, so I think it's fine to read this one before. It's been a while since I've read an EJD book, but I was looking forward to this one. I will soon be reading the first book because I'm very curious to know what is going to happen next.

I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture in this book and talking with those in my community, I can see that what I read is accurate. I also learned about colorism within the black community. This is something I wasn't expecting. I was taught to love all people regardless of the color of their skin.

There were several times in this book where I wanted to jump in and smack Jimi Lee. She was really an evil woman. While Ken's job wasn't the most upstanding, he himself was a very good man and in my opinion he didn't deserve to be treated the way he was treated by Jimi Lee.

I look forward to reading book 1 and any other books in this series.

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Review: Private L.A. by James Patterson

Private L.A. by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Private really has their work cut out for them this time. Two major cases that have very strong implications to the community. First, there are four dead and burned bodies that have been found on the beach. They carry a sign that says 'No Prisoners'. Days later there are more dead bodies, another sign, and promises that this is not the end. Then they have the case of the Harlows. A Hollywood couple who make great movies and do amazing philanthropy work all over the world. When they go missing without a trace, it's up to Private to find out why they were taken and where they could be.

Another interesting book by James Patterson. This is the third book for the Los Angeles Private offices series and the sixth book for the entire Private series. I think next I'm going to read Private Games that has to deal with the Olympics in London since the Olympics are going on right now.

For the first few chapters of this book, I wasn't sure what was going to happen or if I was going to continue to read the book. But after a while, the action got going and my attention was held. Let's start with the first case of dead bodies showing up on the beach. There is a group out there who is looking to get revenge, but for what? And who are these people. They want the city of Los Angeles to pay them big money or they will continue to kill people. One more person per day than the day before. How are they going to be stopped if they can't be found. When one of Private's own investigators gets seriously injured on the job, Jack, the head of Private is even more determined to find out who these people are.

For the Harlow's, on the surface they seem like your typical Hollywood couple, but they have some skeletons in their closet. Skeletons their closest team members do not want to let the whole world know about. So, when they ask that Private not involve the police or the FBI in this case, this make the situation even more difficult. When the skeletons come to the surface, it's easy to see why the Harlow's wouldn't want this getting out to the public.

Packed with adventure around every corner and a few funny bits along the way, this was a great Private book by James Patterson.

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Review-The Crossing at Blaisdell Park by Marta Tandori

The Crossing at Blaisdell Park by Marta Tandori
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars
Finn Butler is an amazing director in Los Angeles.  His wife Diane is a well accomplished actress in soap operas.  After the success of The Crossing at Blaisdell Park, he is now in the process of shooting the sequel.  Finn and Diane are also in the process of selling their house, when a dead woman is found by the realtors right before the broker's open.  More and more people are turning up dead all over the city and the common denominator in each case is Diane Butler. How is she connected to each of these murders?  Will the police be able to find the killer before someone else turns up dead?

I had a lot of mixed emotions about this book.  While the story was very interesting and I wanted to know what was going to happen at the end, I didn't find myself running to pick up the book and read it.  The beginning of the book started out slowly.  After the half way point it picked up a lot more and the end was much better than the beginning.  There are a lot of twists and turns throughout this book, that will have you saying WHAAT?  But overall the book was just OK for me.  I would be interested to read more from this author.

**I was given this book for free from the author in exchange for my honest review.**


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Review--Jemima J by Jane Green

Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans by Jane Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jemima Jones is overweight.  She is aware of this fact and she's okay with it.  She loves models and magazines and frequently cuts out their pictures and tapes them to her wall.  Currently she writes the Top Tips for the Kilburn Herald in London.  She would like to right features, like her friend Geraldine, but right now, she enjoys "proofing" the copy.  She has a crush on another colleague, Ben Williams and occasionally, the three hang out.  Ben is crushing on Geraldine, while Jemima is crushing on him.   After an internet seminar given by the newspaper, the trio decides to check it out what all the internet hype is about for themselves.  When they find a chat room called Cafe LA, Jemima becomes JJ and her world is flipped upside down.

JJ meets Brad in the chatroom and after talking for a while, they exchange photos.  Brad is a hunk and JJ is smoking hot, but Jemima is not and before she agrees to meet Brad in person, she has to lose about 100 pounds.  With this goal Jemima sets out to join a gym and get a personal trainer and the weight falls off. Armed with a new body and a new attitude, JJ is off to LA to meet Brad.  Is he going to be the man in the pictures?  Will they fall madly in love and will she finally get the man of her dreams?

Many women can relate to Jemima J.  She is self conscious about herself and how the world perceives her.  I could see myself in her shoes.  I was afraid for her when she went to meet a man on the other side of the world that she had met on the internet.  I wanted Ben to see her as more than a friend.  I wanted her roommates to not be such idiots.  Jemima is a character that you can understand and root for.



Second Title in Take Control of Your TBR 2015.


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