Review-Right Package, Wrong Baggage

Right Package, Wrong Baggage by Wanda B. Campbell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book!

It tells the story of Pamela, a widow, and her 6-year-old son Matthew. Matthew has decided to give his mother a very special gift for Christmas: his basketball coach, Micah Stevenson. Micah and Pamela begin dating, and fall in love. Pam is ready for Micah to propose to her, and instead, one night he tells her something about his past that totally changes their relationship. Pamela has to decide if she can look past his former indiscretions, as well as some of the skeletons she's hidden in her own closet, and decide if she will let Micah into her family.

I was a little put off at the beginning of the story, which starts with Matthew giving Micah as a present. Micah and Pam had already met each other, and I'm so used to stories like this starting with the main characters seeing each other for the first time in the book. But Pam and Micah had already met, and Micah had been interested, but never acted on anything until Matthew decided to give him as a present.

I was totally shocked when I found out what Micah's secret was. I thought it would be something like dealing drugs or murder, or something like that. I give Micah major props for admitting it to Pam. Due to my own ignorance, after finding out his secret, I was ready to complete write him off myself and thought there was no way Pamela should be with him. But Micah actually ended up as my favorite character in the book. Very sympathetic character. I liked Pamela also, she reacted in the same way I would have. Her secret was a shock to me also, and I liked the growth she showed throughout the book. I was happy with the story's ending, and would even love to know more about what happens to Pam and Micah in the future.

I also enjoyed the minor characters in this book. I thought little Matthew was cute and not too annoying/grown like a lot of the little kids in books can be. The side story with the romance between Micah's friend AC and Pamela's friend Jessica, was cute, also and thankfully kept small and didn't take over the main story. Also, although this is Christian-fiction, it didn't get too overdrawn and preachy, but had a very good message.

I definitely recommend this book!!!



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Source: Library
Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Review-Be Careful What You Pray For by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Be Careful What You Pray For by Kimberla Lawson Roby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As usual, the fabulous Kimberla Lawson Roby did not disappoint with this latest installment in her Rev. Curtis Black series.

This one is the follow-up to The Best Everything. It stars Curtis' grown daughter, Alicia Black, who has set her sights on a new up-and-coming minster named TJ Valentine.

On the surface, TJ seems perfect--he cares about Alicia, but mostly he buys her anything she wants, which was her main problem during her first marriage to Phillip, he was too money-conscious.

Everyone loves TJ, with the exception of Alicia's father Curtis, who belives TJ is just a shady, shiesty, character. You would think this would tip Alicia off a bit, since her father had had numerous affairs of his own. Takes one to know one, right?

So TJ has been sleeping with two other women, Diana, a rich, older woman who gives his money whenever he asks, and Carmen, a girl who used to be friends with Alicia (although TJ doesn't know that.) TJ tries to break things off with Carmen after he finds a new mistress, Veda, but Carmen is having no parts of that and starts acting psycho and stalkerish, even re-introducing herself to Alicia and having them catch up on old times.

While all this is going on, TJ is trying his best to increase his church's membership, and he forges Curtis' signature on recommendation letters to other, bigger churches.

As I said, Ms. Roby never disappoints and while this one was slightly predictable and not much different than some of her older novels, it still kept me entertained and wanting to see what would happen next. I really like Alicia as a character, although she can be bratty and spoiled (like me) and I didn't like how she so easily cheated on her husband in her first book, she seems like a girl I'd definitely want to be friends with.

Challenge Used For: 100 Books in a Year



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Review-The First Lady

The First Lady by Carl Weber

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book is about a church bishop, whose wife (the church's First Lady) has died. Prior to the First Lady's death, she and her friend (the church secretary) wrote a series of letters to be delivered after her death to 4 women of the church whom would be in the running to become the new First Lady after her death.

The four women are: Marlene, the bishop's first girlfriend, whom he has a child with and she is currently a recovering drug addict; Savannah, a younger woman whose father (a deacon in the church) wants to improve his status at the church so he is pushing for his daughter to become the next First Lady; Monique, the "harlot" of the bunch, who dresses provocatively and is gossiped about by the other women of the church; and Lisa May, the "perfect" one who would make a wonderful First Lady.

This book had its moments, but was kinda boring. I could pretty much figure out right away who the Bishop would end up with. None of the women or the Bishop were very interesting characters. I did like the story line of Marlene's struggles with her drug addiction. Certain events seemed like kind of a cop out (especially the outcome of Monique's predicament), and also the ending.

All in all, I give this a generous 3 stars, it did keep me mildly entertained, but it did drag a bit and the characters were boring.



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Challenges: 2011 e-book Challenge, 100 Books in a Year Challenge