Cheaters [Library Binding]

Eric Jerome Dickey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000

This "hot, sexy, and funny" bestseller (Library Journal) solidifies Eric Jerome Dickey's place as a master of the modern relationship novel. With Cheaters, the bestselling author of Milk in My Coffee rips the covers off the L.A. singles scene--exposing the lovelorn lives, and lowdown lies, of six young professionals...

Everyone's talking about CHEATERS...

"STEAMY." --Seattle Times
"SURPRISING." --USA Today
"DELICIOUS." --Washington Post
"PROVOCATIVE." --Publishers Weekly
"FIRST-RATE." --Los Angeles Times
"AMBITIOUS." --Booklist
"FRESH." --Kirkus Reviews
"HONEST." --Ebony
"TERRIFIC." --Philadelphia Inquirer

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

After a brief detour to New York City for Milk in My Coffee, Eric Jerome Dickey returns to Southern California for his fourth multi-track African American love story. The main story is a "he said, she said" affair between Stephan Mitchell, a well-to-do young software designer who's determined not to let any one woman get in the way of his good time, and Chanté Marie Ellis, who's decided to start turning the tables on men who try to play her for a fool. From now on, she declares, "A dog gets what a dog gets... dogged." Dickey makes their road to romance extremely rocky; in addition to sorting out their own feelings for each other, both Stephan and Chanté have to contend with exes who have just gotten out of their lives. Meanwhile, Stephan's best friend, Darnell, is having problems with his marriage: he wants to be a writer, but his wife insists that he put aside the "hobby" to pay more attention to her. When he meets Chanté's friend Tammy, an up-and-coming actress-singer who not only understands Darnell's artistic passion but encourages him, his commitment to marital fidelity is pushed to the limit.

As always, Dickey shows that he's on top of the current scene, peppering his characters' lives with the latest in black fashion and culture (if you ever find yourself driving in the Los Angeles area, you'll know exactly what your radio presets should be). Although the ending might be a little too neatly wrapped up, you'll never know before you get there whether the next chapter's going to contain romance, comedy, heartache--or maybe a little of each. Dickey's at the top of his form in Cheaters, establishing yet another credential for his status at the top of the contemporary urban romance heap. --Ron Hogan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Dickey's racy comedy of African-American singles and couples will please, and won't surprise, the many fans he won with Milk in My Coffee, Friends and Lovers and Sister, Sister. In Dickey's Los Angeles, everybody who's anybody assumes that all couples cheat, and that nothing feels more divine than a forbidden sexual rendezvous. A trio of first-person narratorsAStephan, Chante and DarnellAtell interlocking stories in slick, contemporary chatter: often their talk reads like transcripts of phone sex. Stephan battles the memory of a father who considered the number of his female sexual conquests a measure of manhood. Chante seeks exclusive love from a high-performance stud. Darnell's wife, Dawn, doesn't understand him or his pressing desire to write; that's why he cheats on her with the comely Tammy. In and out of the bedroom, these protagonists' self-serving choices frequently get their hearts broken and leave them little room for insight and redemption. Trying hard to make his characters sexy, Dickey can forget to render them likable, attending instead to their stressful self-doubts and their torrid sexual desires. Though Dickey's numerous jokes about sex toys and organ size grow limp, he sprinkles raw, street-savvy humor on almost every page until the strained denouement. This provocative diversion is just right for summer reading, as lusty partners change places with the regularity of a sunrise and every encounter is rendered with a knowing smirk and a playful wink. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates; author tour. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding
• Publisher: San Val (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141780243X
• ISBN-13: 978-1417802432
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (481 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,474,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric Jerome Dickey is the author of twelve novels, including the bestsellers Genevieve, Drive Me Crazy, Naughty or Nice, The Other Woman, and Thieves' Paradise. Dickey writes full time and is developing a six-issue mini-series of comic books for Marvel Enterprises featuring Storm (X-Men) and the Black Panther.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheaters, January 3, 2000

By 

Ms. S.R. Lewis (Charleston, WV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cheaters (Hardcover)

Cheaters is the first book by Mr. Dickey which I've read. It's truly a SUPERB piece of work, and I literally can't wait to read everything he has written! Once I started reading this book, I would of never put it down, if it wasn't for those few hours of sleep I needed at night. Even with all the "cheating" going on, I found the main characters to be engaging, easy to relate to, and their situations mesmerizing. The detail in the erotic scenes captivated me; for the simple fact that Mr. Dickey kept it intense & HOTT! That was a refreshing change from other African-American fiction I've read which seemed to be, ummmmmm, devoid of sexual imagery. As if.......... Anyway, in closing, I would just like to thank Mr. Dickey for keeping it funky and also the enjoyable trip he took me on! PLEASE don't make us wait too long to see, CHEATERS, THE MOVIE!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eric REALLY Outdid Himself This Time!, August 2, 2000

By 

Michelle Simmons - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cheaters (Paperback)

Wow! I thought Friends and Lovers was his best book, but Cheaters is head and shoulders above it! EJD did an excellent job of taking me into the world of Stephan, Darnell, Chante, Tammy, Karen, and Jake. The were all funny, interesting characters who did some crazy (and oftentimes self-destructive) things in their quest for love (and sex - let's not forget the sex!) I love EJD's writing style, and he is at the top of his form in this book. I was engrossed in this book from page one, and pretty much ignored everything and everybody until I finished it. One thing I hate about EJD's books is that, they are so engrossing that you end up finishing them too quickly, and then you're wanting more! But, I haven't read Liar's Game yet, so I have something to look forward to.

I'll just say about the outcome of the character's lives in Cheaters: I was VERY happy for how things turned out for Stephan and Chante; I was pleasantly surprised by how things turned out for Darnell (although that part was a bit dramatic and far-fetched); I hope everything worked out just fine for poor Tammy; and I hope Karen and Jake seek professional help RIGHT AWAY! And I like how EJD brings in characters from previous books - I think it's cute. I've been a fan since reading Milk in My Coffee last year (my first EJD book), but just in case you ever happen to read this review, I want to let you know you have a fan for life!

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lot of fun!, December 2, 2003

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cheaters (Paperback)

CHEATERS by Eric Jerome Dickey

CHEATERS was my introduction to the writing of Eric Jerome Dickey. I found it a refreshing novel, taking the reader into the world of hip affluent African Americans living in Southern California.

In CHEATERS, Dickey uses three voices: Stephan Mitchell, who is single and can't seem to be faithful to just one woman. He juggles a number of women, all of them oblivious to this fact, and so far he's doing ok with it. So Far. Then there is Chante Ellis. She's single too, and also seems to have problems with the opposite sex. And finally there is Darnell, the lawyer who wants to be a writer. He's married, but not happily, and his wife probably feels the same way.

Through these three, we get to know each of them but also are introduced to some of their friends and lovers. Stephan's latest conquest is Toyomi, an African-Japanese-American woman who was becoming very needy. This didn't bode too well for Stephan, as he was also trying to spend some time with his other women. Toyomi soon becomes the b***h from hell, when she catches him saying "yes" to her best friend on the phone. I found myself chuckling as the battle between Stephan and Toyomi got uglier and uglier.

Stephan's best friends are Darnell and Jake, who is single but is engaged to be married to the lovely Charlotte. There is an obvious problem with the relationship, as Jake and Charlotte evade questions to "when are you getting married"?

Chante's got two best friends: Karen, who seems to be a very negative person and also seems to have a cash flow problem. Tammy is their famous beautiful singer/actress friend. The three of them are tight, but their friendship starts to weaken when their true colors start to show.

Through a twist of fate, Chante and Stephan meet, and they bring their worlds and their friends together. Chante and Stephan appear to be perfect for each other, or are they? And Darnell meets Tammy and they find out they are kindred spirits. It's too bad he's married...

I really enjoyed CHEATERS. It was a combination of his writing style, his characters, and the outrageous story lines that had me laughing out loud as I read. I am looking forward to reading more by Eric Jerome Dickey. My next book will probably be MILK IN MY COFFEE.