July Review Round Up

Should Have Known Better by Grace Octavia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dawn believes she has the perfect marriage, until her sorority sister from college comes to visit and decides she wants Dawn's husband for herself.

This one was just okay, didn't really like the characters, although the story line was intriguing enough to keep me reading.

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Source: Library
Secret Obsession by Kimberla Lawson Roby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed every Kimberla Lawson Roby book I have read and this one was no exception. Paige has lived in her sister Camille's shadow all her life and she is sick of it. She has devised a devious scheme to take away everything her sister loves, starting with her husband Pierce.

This was a very quick read as I couldn't wait to figure out what Paige would do next. The only criticism I have is that Camille and Pierce were just way too naive and stupid, unbelievably so. Still, a very good read.

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Source: I own this
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment by Steve Harvey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I know I'm a couple years late on this one, and I still haven't seen the movie, but I'm glad I finally read this. Harvey fills this relationship manual with very straight-forward advice that's very easy to read. Most of it is common sense, but it was nice to hear it from a man's perspective. I also like that he kept the little personal stories and anecdotes to a minimum and the ones that were included, were interesting to read.

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Source: Library
Fast Break by Regina Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was excited to pick this book up since it combines two things I love: romance and basketball. Plus the main character, Jackie Jones, has the same name as my mother. Jackie is the new owner of her family's team, the Brooklyn Monarchs, who are the worst team in the league. She is not too happy when she finds out that Marcus, a former NBA championship player, has signed on to be the new coach. Even worse, she wonders if he is part of a plan to sabotage the team so they will have to relocate to a new city.

This one started off really slow, and I wished there had been more romance, and less of the basketball behind-the-scenes meetings. Those parts really dragged the story down, but the romantic parts with Jackie and Marcus definitely made up for it. If this is the first in a series, I look forward to reading more.

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Source: Library (although I realized after reading it, that I had also already downloaded a free copy to my Nook)
Guilty Pleasures by Donna Hill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jake and Eva Kelly are happily married--happily married con artists, that is. They've sailed along with no problems, until one day they end up conning the wrong couple.

This is another one that I wish had been more romance and less thriller. Once I got over that part though, I did enjoy reading their antics on the cruise ship, while they tried to out-con the people after them.

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Source: Library

Review-One for the Money (book and movie)

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Great book, one of my favorites. This is the Stephanie Plum I fell in love with, the witty dialogue, the LOL situations, the lovable bumbling idiocy of Stephanie as she figures out the bounty hunter business. It's such a refreshing change from the disappointment of the last few books in the series.

The movie, however, does no justice to the book. I should've gone with my first instincts when I heard this movie was coming out and just not bother to see it, but the closer it got to release date and the more previews I saw, the more I wanted to see it, especially after rereading the book. But I should've waited until it came on TBS or something. I'm pretty much indifferent to Katherine Heigl (liked her on Grey's Anatomy, loved her in Knocked Up, haven't paid much attention to anything since then) but she wasn't so good as Stephanie. She played her a little too overly confident for my tastes. I hated the guy who played Morelli. I'd give the movie a 2.5 out of 5. If they decide to come out with another one (and I hope they don't) I won't be seeing it.



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Source: bought
Challenges: Outdo Yourself, Mystery and Suspense, Ebook Challenge

Breaking Dawn Part 1 Premiere

Tonight I was able to see an advance screening of Breaking Dawn Part 1. omg, it was amazing!!!! I loved it! And I'm going to see it again on Saturday with my boyfriend! Can't wait!

Review-Not Easily Broken (spoilers)

Not Easily Broken: A Novel by T.D. Jakes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Not Easily Broken tells the story of a married couple, David and Clarice. They have been married for 15 years, but lately there has been some strain in their marriage. A terrible car accident leaves Clarice with a badly broken leg and their marriage is put to the test even more.

Not Easily Broken was made into a movie that came out a year or so ago and it stars 3 of my favorite actors, Taraji P. Henson (or as she will forever be known as to me--Yvette from Baby Boy), Morris Chestnut, and Jenifer Lewis. They all did a fantastic job in an otherwise "just okay" movie. It's very rare that a movie is better than the book, but that is definitely the case with this one.

None of the characters in the book are well developed or sympathetic at all. We are left to wonder why Clarice and David love each other and why they should even stay together. Clarice just seems like a harping shrew. David is a spineless punk. And then there's Julie, who plays Clarice's physical therapist, whom David starts to have feelings for. They tried to make her sympathetic what with the situation with her son Bryce, but it just came across to me like she was using that tragedy to get closer to David. And then at the end, all of a sudden David and Clarice are going to stay together, and Julie is dating Brock? SO did David and Julie's feelings for each other just disappear? There is no way I'd want the woman that my husband developed feelings for anywhere around us, much less dating my husband's best friend.

Clarice's mother in the book didn't have nearly as large a role as she did in the movie, played by the fabulous Jenifer Lewis. She did a great job bringing some life to an otherwise boring and bland character, who again was never fully developed. All the actors did.

All in all, not a terrible book, but could've been much better. Skip the book and just rent the movie instead.



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