Customer Reviews

The Cartel

5 star:		(152)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yessssssssssssssss! Oh my God! I don't know what to say! Breathless, I am sitting here typing this review screaming the words: Why would Ashley and JaQuavis murder this book like they did?!?!?!?! The Cartel was . . . I don't think there's a word in the dictionary that can define this book and how wonderful it was!

Hey Mr. Carter . . . tell me where have you been? They been watching, they been searching, they wonder-ing . . . To you, forever, from me to you. I heard somebody say, "Church, say I'ma need a suit." That's what basically happened when Young Carter showed up for his father, that he never knew funeral. When Young Carter arrived to Miami he had no idea he would be taking over The Cartel picking up where his father left off. With the help of his twin brothers Mecca and Money and Uncle Polo he immediately takes over likes he's from Dade County, but he's from Flint, Michigan, and he know his role and he plays it well. . . In Dade, Young Cater, go farther, go further, go harder is that not why he stayed? And if not then why bother? And he's far from being the [....] that his mother had fathered. . . Blind eyes could look at him and see he's the truth.

And then there's Miamor, the bad Brooklyn [....] who's also in Miami to take over. She and her crew "The Murder Mamas" job was to take down The Cartel. When the plan goes wrong she loses her sister in the mix, And now, Miamor is out for revenge. She don't care who die. She'll kill ya' grandma if she has too. Miamor is ready to put the man six feet under who took her sister, but there's a problem: the man happens to be the man who she's in love with brother. Can she bring herself to do it? Or will she put being in love over getting revenge for her sister?

The Cartel grasped you by page one and let me tell you -- you better have on a seatbelt because this book is a crazy ride packed with nonstop action you won't see coming. You will journey with the Diamond family where you will never hear the two words: "Cartel quit" because they win and their enemies lose. That is, until one bad episode go wrong after another. . . After reading The Cartel you won't see the city of Miami the same. This story is combined with everything any book has to offer: drugs, sex, lies, drama, revenge, murder and redemption . . .

Very beautifully written, great plot and twists, well developed characters and great choice of words! I really mean great choice of words. The sex scenes were amazing!!!! Every character had their place and I traveled with them for every which-a-way they turned. Even the smaller people who didn't have a big role I found myself getting emotional attached to their lives. The only thing that took away from the story for me personally was, for this to be a street story, capture in the heart of Miami I would have like to see the characters go more inside the real Miami. I only say that because I'm from down there, and would have liked to see them name a couple places where they were at. . . But who cares because this story was so damn good it doesn't even matter.

I read this entire book in one day. I was force to put it down because I could no longer bear to see anybody else get hurt. Every chapter I found myself screaming NO, NO, NO, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, and WHY, WHY, WHY!! I knew I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. And my heart raced for every page I turned. A part of me wishes this story was a non-fiction because I so lives for Young Carter and I hope he really exist; so I could be on the next flight home to find him and make him my setup, and I ain't talking about robbing the dude.

This is urban-street-hip hop- literature at its best thanks to Ashley and JaQuavis. The Cartel is a hands down classic!!! This story will be talked about long after it's put down. You don't believe me, read it and prove me wrong!!

"The Cartel" falls between the good, the bad and the ugly. Using the street lit handbook and a predictable plot line, this novel will have you glued to your seat.

Someone younger or newer to the genre would welcome the mixture of drama and violence and enjoy this novel. For me, those are the exact problems I found with this novel.

This difference in opinion simply could be chalked up to my reading resume. I've read a lot and at this point I expect a little more, particularly creativity and originality. Realism doesn't hurt either.

"The Cartel" will have some readers enthralled. For those who crave a little more depth, it's an okay read - nothing new or exceptional but readable.

Reviewed by: Taye

This is by far the best book that I have read by Ashley & JaQuavis. Some of their other books in my opionon were mediocore, but this book was on a whole another level. The diamond family is Crazy. Miamor and Carter were a cute lil couple. Mecca diamond was just crazy, i found myself jus shaking my head at his stupidity. This book had you just turning pages in a rush to find out what happens next. I was shocked at some of the twist and turns that book offered. I cannot wait until the Cartel 2 come out, b/c it is the first of a trilogy. Ashley & JaQuavis job well done, and plz keep it up!

This book is so deep on so many levels. The bond that Miamor and carter shared was so hood, yet so romantic. Miamor was one of the strongest and charismatic girl characters i have read in a long time. This story keeps up a fast pace and is a psgeturner. WAIT UNTIL YOU READ ABOUT MECCA, this boy is straight Ganster and the twist in this storry had my jaw to the floor. I CAN NOT WAIT UINTIL PART TWO. This ending had me flippign through the last pages wanting more. Ashley and JaQuavis just made them selves number 1 with this novel. GREAT JOB

I've been reading hood novels since Sistah Soldier and it seems that alot of todays "hood novels" follow the same typical path. The Cartel lacked depth and realism. It wasn't a totally bad read. It was just predictable and I felt like I've read it before.

At the beginning I couldn't put the book down. The first couple of chapters I was like; DANG, something I tried to write but they did it better! In the middle; some of the plot twists made me feel a little slow because I just didn't understand. Especially when Money "love" was revealed. I was like, "are ya'll serious, a mafia family would have never."
I had another issue, Mia has a tat that say at the beginning what crew she was with, so why didn't Young Carter question it to Uncle Polo if he knew they were at war.
Other than that, it was a very good read because I love Street Novels and I'm a big Mafia (Godfather) reader. I love the fact that they tried to combine the two but they have to get the Mafia side better because certain things the Diamonds did or let happen (security wise) would never happen in the Italian Mafia or even in the Black Mafia.
I recommend the book and I'm going to be watching for Part II.

Ashley & Jacquavis have delivered another certified banger!! The Cartel is a non stop action and drama filled tale that will have you hooked from page 1!!
Carter Diamond is the patriarch of the Diamond family. Carter and his twin sons Mecca and Money have control over the drug game and the streets of Miami, along with their crew known as the "CARTEL". Meanwhile Carter's wife Taryn and daughter Breeze enjoy the FAB life courtesy of their father's organization.
Once tragedy strikes the Cartel, secrets are exposed and the world of the Diamond Family is turned upside down, especially after the arrival of Carter's secret son Carter Jones.
Carter reluctantly sticks around Miami and tries to get to know his "new family". Carter eventually meets and begins a love affair with Miamor, a dangerous beauty that has a score to settle with a member of the Cartel!!! Will Miamor's plans change when she finds out the love of her life is part of the Cartel??

First off, let me start by saying if you gave this book less than 5 stars...YOUR BUGGING!!!! Wow. All I can say after I finished this book was wow. It was pefect!!! It had it all, the gangsta street life, the romance, the conflicts, the turn of events... it was all of that wrapped into one, excellent book. The Cartel has surpassed my expectations to the fullest!!! from the first page to last last, I was hooked. Never a dull moment in this book. I felt a connection with every character. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I sighed, I did it all!!!!!! Straight up, I recommend this book to anyone whoses a fan of reading. Even if you don't enjoy street lit. like I do, I TRUST that you would be able to appreciate this excellent peice of literature. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. Awesome book, hands down.

Oh man, Ashley and JaQuavis really did this one up! I have to put this close to the top, if not on the top, of my street lit favorites!

The Diamond family is off the hook. They run Miami like they invented the city. The patriach is Carter Diamond, and he's helped by his twin sons Money and Mecca. But when Carter is killed, it's his illigetimate son, Carter Jones, who really steps up to the plate.

But then young Carter falls for the beautiful Miamor (english translation: my love), unaware that she has an agenda. She has a grudge against the Diamond family, and has sworn to take them down. But she didn't plan on falling in love. And what a love it is!

This book really has the streets down pat, and it has a love element that can't be beat, too!

This book is the truth!

Good job, Ashley and JaQuavis. I can't wait to read the upcoming books in this series!
Raw: An Erotic Street Tale

I enjoyed this book but it kind of dragged in the middle. Carter the illegitimate son of Carter Diamond comes to Miami after learning of his fathers death. He then takes over The Cartel which has Miami on lock or does it? Enter Matee the ruthless killer that is out for revenge. The things these families go through is unreal. Miamor is part of the murder mamas who is sleeping with the enemy and when all paries involved figure out what is going down who is left standing? Matee? The Cartel? Or is it the Murder Mamas? The book has plenty of twists and turns almost to many, over all it was an intriguing read and I am waiting on the sequel!