Customer Reviews

The Best Man: Four Sensuous Novellas

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The Best Man is a collection of four novellas that showcases
some very positive, very sensitive men. The male characters
are warm and personable and the writers have written stories
that are strong enough to appeal to a man but are made for a
woman.

Brenda Jackson's STRICTLY BUSINESS is another slice of the
Madaris series' pie. Regina Grant-Farrell, a freelance writer
whom you may remember as the sister of Trevor Grant, has
received an offer to do a career enhancing exclusive story.
She has a week to interview ruthless, ambitious, self-made
millionaire Mitch Farrell. What she doesn't know is that
Mitch asked for her specifically. This Texas enigma has Gina
wondering if she can keep the interview strictly business;
Mitch is her ex-husband and she's never stopped loving him.

Cindi Louis's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN opens to a wedding in the
town of Lovebug, Texas. Sexy Lonzell Jenkins is back in town
for his best friend's wedding and Leesa Fairchild, his frist
love is also back in town. The two have not communicated with
each other since he left town without saying goodbye four years
ago. Both have issues about the abrupt ending of their
relationship and while there is a good reason why they have not
been in touch with each other, there is an even better reason
why they should be. When Lonzell finally pieces everything
together, he is in a panic to catch Leesa. This story left me
thinking about oranges.

Felicia Mason's PROMISES and VOWS is set in the city where voodoo
reigns supreme. And when Jerome's Aunt Josephine, once a high
priestess of New Orleans, arrives unannounced for a lengthy visit,
he wonders what has alerted her that his marriage to Elise is
dissolving. Jerome moves back into the bedroom with Elise so they
can present a united front. But to Aunt Jo the view from the front,
the back and the side all spell trouble. She elicits the help of
her friend Eliza Mae, to work her magic. And yes little 'gris-gris'
bags do show up around the house.

In Kayla Perrin's KIDNAPPED, Nia Copeland exits the limousine and
mentally enters the church, walks down the aisle and says "I do".
But her thoughts are interrupted by the roar of a motorcycle; and
Nia watches as Jamal, her ex-boyfriend, jumps off his bike and walks
up to her. He grabs her and races off, with her wedding gown blowing
in the wind. Jamal wants to bring closure to their relationship, one
which he ended over a year ago. And though he does not want a
commitment, he says he needs to make sure she is happy. Nia knows the
last thing she needs is to spend time alone on her wedding day with a
man who has brought to fruition every passionate thought she has ever
had.

The writing is realistic, entertaining and quite erotic. The writers
present excellent looks at how men feel after the demise of a
relationship. And a candid look at how these men choose to rectify
this problem, because each man definitely has his own agenda.

The four novellas intertwined within the Best Man give us some of the best offerings by the men within. Jackson, Louis, Mason and Perrin showcase their sensual and heroic men with the Best Man whether it is for better or for worse.

Strictly Business by Brenda Jackson gives us the return of Mitch Farrell and Gina Grant Farrell. After divorcing two years prior, Mitch is back in Houston with a plan to win his former wife back. In true Brenda Jackson fashion, we witness Mitch's plan as he goes full steam ahead with calculated tactics and romantic twists. The return of the Maderis family is always a treat and we learn some things about Mitch's childhood that stand to reason his past behaviors. Mitch has changed, he has grown and he sets out to showcase this change to Gina. Strictly Business provides friendship, sensuality and true love as Mitch fights for his woman.

Catch Me If You Can by Cindi Louis joins long lost lovers Lonzell and Leesa together again after a breakup neither understood and secrets so devastating you will wonder if anyone involved can be forgiven. This is a truly touching family romance ripe with emotions for all to witness.

Promises and Vows by Felicia Mason highlight Jerome and Elise Gregory on the verge of divorce. Unannounced and unbeknownst, a strong, emotional force arrives in the form of Jerome's Aunt Josephine. Aunt Joe is a voodoo priestess from the back country of Louisiana. Watch and read as Jerome and Elise try to elude Aunt Joe into believing that everything is all right with their marriage and as Aunt Joe mixes her own brand of magic to save the couple's marriage.

Kidnapped by Kayla Perrin is perhaps the most risqué and erotic of the four novellas. Nia and Jamal were lovers from two different worlds. Pressured by her family to enter into the family business as opposed to teaching, Nia regrets not going with her heart. Add to the fact that her family and Jamal believe he was not good enough for her and you have an explosive situation as Nia prepares to marry the man of her family's dreams. On her wedding day Jamal whisks Nia away, not to prevent her marriage but to prove a point. As Nia learns to go with her heart so to does Jamal as he learns to accept his fate.

The Best Man is a consortium of novellas with enough character development to make you care and the right amount of appeal and charm to fascinate and titillate a thirst for romance.

Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
APOOO BookClub

This book was very hot! It was difficult to choose which story to read first because I like everything these ladies write especially Brenda Jackson and Cindi Louis. Each story was could have been a full novella on its own. The characters and their stories were well written and I couldn't put the book down. I would like to see these ladies write another book like this one. This is one of the best anthologies this year that I have read. Great Job ladies!! -JaT

"Strictly Business" by Brenda Jackson. Houston writer Gina accepts an assignment to interview her former husband Mitchell. Gina still loves her spouse, but believes his only love is his business. Mitchell craves his second chance to prove to Gina that she is everything to him.

"Catch Me If You Can" by Cindi Louis. In Lovebug, Texas, Lonzell and Leesa plan to marry just before he goes overseas serving in the military. Leesa becomes pregnant but she is unable to contact her beloved. Several years later he returns home to find single mother Leesa raising their son and learns how his mother kept them apart.

"Promises and Vows" by Felicia Mason. After three years of marriage, Jerome and Elise head towards divorce as both pushes their respective careers before their relationship. They sleep in separate rooms until his voodoo-practicing Aunt arrives for a visit. Jerome vows to use any form of magic to save his relationship with his beloved.

"Kidnapped" by Kayla Perrin. In Fort Lauderdale Jamal plans to prove to Nia that she is marrying the wrong man. Jamal crashes the wedding, abducts the bride before vows are exchanged, and blackmails her into spending an evening with him in Key West.

These are fine contemporary tales with strong plots starring lead protagonists whom seem real though the males appear a bit nerdy when it comes to commitment. Fans of well-written modern day relationship anthologies will want to read THE BEST MAN because it is one of the sub-genres better collections.

Harriet Klausner

THIS BOOK WAS SOOOOO GOOD. VERY HARD TO PUT DOWN. I LOVED THE CHARACTERS IN ALL THE STORIES AND EACH AUTHOR WOVE THEIR OWN STORY BEAUTIFULLY. I MUST SAY IT'S HARD TO PICK A FAVORITE FROM THE FOUR. THIS IS THE PERFECT BOOK FOR A PICNIC IN THE PARK OR ON A BLANKET BY A FIREPLACE OR WHILE YOU'RE SOAKING IN THE TUB AND HAVE THE STORIES READ TO YOU BY SOMEONE SPECIAL. VERY SENSUOUS!!!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed some of the stories in this book; it took me one day to read it. I especially like the fact that each story portrayed black men positively...men who were trying to right their wrongs and accept responsibility. The stories were well written and the plots were easy to follow, all while still being erotic and semi-erotic in some cases.

In Brenda Jackson's "Strictly Business," we have Gina who has a gig that could make or break a writer's career who involves spending a week interviewing a handsome, ambitious and ruthless Texas millionaire--who's also her ex-husband. I love Brenda's work but this one really didn't captivate me the way it should, it sort of drag in some spots but speed up in a few places that shouldn't.

"Catch Me If You Can" by Cindi Louis. We have Lonzell and Leesa who plan to marry just before he goes overseas serving in the military. Leesa becomes pregnant but she is unable to contact her beloved. Several years later he returns home to find single mother Leesa raising their son and learns how his mother kept them apart. I have to say that this story was the best out of the bunch; from start to finish it had me glued and I just wish it had been a full blown story. It really captured my heart.

"Promises and Vows" by Felicia Mason. After three years of marriage, Jerome and Elise head towards divorce as both pushes their respective careers before their relationship. They sleep in separate rooms until his voodoo-practicing Aunt arrives for a visit. Jerome vows to use any form of magic to save his relationship with his beloved. This story was okay even though the plot was unrealistic but the passion was well felt. I've never read anything from this author and probably give her a try when the time comes.

"Kidnapped" by Kayla Perrin. In Fort Lauderdale Jamal crashes the wedding, abducts Nia before vows are exchanged, he is determined to prove to her that there's no better man for her than him. This story was interesting but ended up being another story that was unrealistic to me. I respect Kayla's work but I felt it could have been better. There were a lot of touchy moments between these two as well as the craze.

The characters again were interesting, story lines were captivating but most importantly the book was soundly written. I couldn't put it down at all it was full of love, lust, lies, pain, happiness and some big time freaks in love. In the other hand if you're looking for raw, raunchy sex scenes, sorry, this book has WAY more substance than that. "The Best Man" is really a fantastic book especially for those lazy weekends.

All four stories in this book were excellently written, and as I read them, I could relate to the characters in each story. That is how I know I've read a wonderful book..when I can relate to the characters.

I purchased this book primarily because I'm a big Brenda Jackson fan. However, I must say that after reading Kayla's, Cindi's and Felicia's novels...I've just added three more authors to my reading list. Each novel was sexy, hot and left me aching for more to read. The men in each story, were strong, sensitive, sexy and determined to love their women. Jamal in particular was edgy as all get out and oh so sexy! The women were femininine, independent and strong. This was a wonderful read and I'm glad I read ALL the novels. It was time WELL spent! Much respect to all the sistahs!

I bought the book because it includes a story by Brenda Jackson and is part of the Madris series. As usual I was not disappointed by Mrs. Jackson's work. The other stories were just as good. I believe you will enjoy this book, I know I did.

All I can say is that "I just simply loved this book. I suggest to everyone who have not purchased or borrowed this book to please get it, one way or the other. It is well worth your money and time. However, I will be the first to admit that "I am very much so a Brenda Jackson fan" and I love everything that she writes. The other authors are really good but she is GREAT.
I won't talk about the book itself as I am strongly hoping that efforts will be made to get it so you can see for yourself what a GREAT read this is.