Customer Reviews

Darius Jones

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

"It's a small world after all" resonated in my head as I read this novel. All of the main characters seem separated by six degrees. Every one's story is some how intertwined and even if they are unaware, they are all somehow tangled in the same web off drama. Interestingly enough, this novel does not pick up exactly where Unconditionally Single left off. It creatively takes us a few weeks prior and follows through from other character's point of view. Jada Diamond's playboy son Darius Jones is the focal point of this installment. Without him the drama that unfolds would not be possible but that doesn't mean it is all his fault. Surprisingly, Darius and Fancy are happily married. Besides occasionally receiving oral sex on the side Darius is actually deeply in love with his wife and more committed to her than he has ever been to one woman. They have sole custody of Darius and Ashlee's son DJ and are more content then ever planning to have a second wedding to renew their vows. Every element of their happiness is put in jeopardy when a hit and run driver rams their car into oncoming traffic causing a t-bone collision, that leaves Fancy in a coma.

Unbeknownst to Grant, Honey is pregnant with his twin boys. Once he started getting serious with Jada he demanded that Honey never call him again and she stubbornly obliged. She finds refuge in Valentino whom is there for her throughout her entire pregnancy. He is so elated to finally have a chance with her that he proposes marriage and even plans to raise the boys as his own. Honey accepts the engagement ring but is not in love with Valentino. She looks at him as a best friend and only loves him as such. They attend Velvet's movie premiere in which Grant and Jada are also present when all of the sudden, Honey's water breaks. . . and all hell breaks loose. Velvet's boyfriend proposes, Grant asks Honey if she is pregnant by him, and Jada gets the phone call informing her Fancy is in the hospital.

Darius asks his mother to watch DJ while he stays at his wife's bedside, praying that she wakes up. Jada is so busy chasing behind Grant trying to keep him from Honey that she repeatedly makes lousy decisions regarding her grandson. First she leaves him with her unfamiliar personal assistant Bambi, then she actually calls his mentally unstable mother to come watch him for the weekend. It quickly becomes clear that everyone and everything comes second to her watching Grant like a hawk. Rather then focus on her family when they need her most she would rather spend her time smacking, yelling at, and persuading Grant to be with her. The self-imposed ruin of Jada Diamond Tanner is absolutely disheartening and downright painful to read. Same as in Unconditionally Single, this Jada is definitely not the Jada we've grown to love but more like a silly, selfish, naive, younger woman. She says it best herself, "The lack of my ability to control Grant's actions and reactions made me lose self-control."

With the media exploiting the massive amounts of drama and Jada handing off DJ to his mother without a care, Ashlee sees this as the perfect distraction to kidnap her son and go forth with legally receiving physical custody. Ashlee doesn't truly want to nor can she even care for her son properly, she is just dead set on hurting the men who have hurt her. Jay Crawford remains in prison after Ashlee falsely accused of rape, she also moved into the house across the street from his and spies on his girlfriend and son daily. Ashlee is still crazier then ever but shockingly her old school mate Bambi has her beat. Bambi is the root of all evil, a straight certifiable psychopath. She offed her parents and plans for Darius' wife to be her next victim. She has been infatuated with Darius since the sixth grade and literally pulls every trick in the book to claim the man she believes is destined for her. Being Jada's assistant gives her unlimited access to private information about all of the characters and with the millions she inherited from her parent's death no expense is ever spared when it comes to following Darius around the country, or on wigs, clothes, body shapers, or high tech spy gadgets. When it comes to orchestrating each and every well planned out misdeed Bambi works diligently on disguising herself and transforming into several completely different women so that she can be in room full of people who know the real her yet not be recognized. Bambi is the epitome of extreme craziness and has a hand in every misfortune in this novel, including the kidnapping of Honey and Grant's newborn twins.

If you haven't read the Honey series from the beginning then you are sure to be confused when certain situations are referenced. This is also the last installment of the Soul mates series, but most importantly one would need to have read the complete Honey Diaries to get the most from this novel. Mary B Morrison claims this is the last book for both series, but I'm not so sure. Although all of the women in this series become fools after falling for a man, these story lines serve as valuable lessons for readers. Self love is the most important type of love, sometimes what you want isn't what you need, and you can't manipulate a man into loving you for long, are just a few. I highly recommend this series, each installment is better than the last.

This was a good story about Darius and his wife, son and crazy ex-girlfriend. It also includes, Honey, Grant and Sapphire. The book was good and it had my attention. There were a few unsupected twists and turns but overall it was a good ending... If you have read the other books about these characters then it was a great finale.

This was bad. I don't know any way to sugar coat it. This is simply the case of a book that should not have been written and a series that should have ended a book or two ago. This final book finds Darius, Fancy and DJ moving on with their lives until Fancy is injured in an almost fatal car accident. The accident was not really an accident but something far more sinister. Add to that Ashlee returning to the picture wanting full custody of DJ, Jada having issues with her man, and a stalker who will stop at nothing to make Darius hers. Drama, chaos and mental health run rapid through these pages with a few stops for Facebook updates and a hoodoo lady.

I am so disappointed. I had quickly become a fan of the Soulmates Dissipate series way back when and have followed Jada, Wellington, Darius, Fancy and their antics. This final book did this series an absolute injustice. I don't know what happened but Mary B. Morrison is so much better than this. Moving swiftly, with chapters as short as two pages and told from the perspective of several characters (too many!), "Darius Jones" didn't have much substance. The plot had potential, but instead was thin and stretched. Some of the things that transpired were outlandish and borderline ridiculous. Anyone who has had a baby in more recent years or visited someone in the hospital who has knows that one scene was downright unbelievable. This was also the final book to the Honey Diaries series, which I have not read, so the introduction and narrative of those characters only added confusion to an already garbled story.

The Soulmates Dissipate series started with a smooth takeoff but ended with a crash landing. Besides being a very quick and easy read, the only other bright spot to this book is the Poetry Corner at the end.

Reviewed by: Toni

Darius Jones is a superstar NBA player in love with his wife, Fancy, and has custody of his son, DJ. Things were all gravy until they were victims of a hit and run accident which left Fancy seriously injured. Darius saw his life falling apart - his wife barely hanging on to life, his son cut up badly, his mother going crazy over a man, his baby mama wanting custody and not knowing whether to play this season or not. Enter Bambi, rich and crazy, with a Darius Jones obsession. The characters from two separate series are featured in this book - Soulmates Dissipate and Honey Diaries. The drama that goes on is totally off the chain. Morrison attempts to fill in background information on relationships, killings and crazy antics but I was a bit lost. I believe that wrapping both series up with one book was asking more than Morrison put out. There was some closure at the end but everyone didn't have a clear ending. I've read several other Morrison books and this one lacks detail needed.

This book is all over the place and all of the obvious solutions that would tie up the loose ends were overlooked. I experienced this via audiobook and the reader made it worse. She paused and stammered in so many obvious places and the musical interludes are a total waste. This is the first book of this series that I have been exposed to and I doubt that I will engage in any of the others.

First off let me say that I am truly a fan of Mary B. Morrison's Soulmates Dissipate series. I read all of the books. When I read the synopsis of what Darius Jones was suppose to be about, I was instantly hooked because I wanted to know what was happening with Darius and Fancy. I didn't know that ALL the other characters (from the Honey series) were going to be in Darius and Fancy's story. When the story centered on Fancy and Darius, I was hooked. I was familiar with the characters, but when Mary went to characters from her other series, I was lost. If you have not read the Honey series, read it before this book or you will be lost. I wish I had known that before I spent my hard earned money for a book that I half read. (Eventually, I started skipping chapters that centered on Honey, Grant, Valentino, etc)

I love how this book brought all of the characters together. If you are reading the series then you will absolutely love this book. And I love how Honey and Grant are finally together *spoiler*.

"Mama told me one day it was gonna happen, but she never told me when. Is this the end?" An old song from then Puff Diddy, Ginuwine, & Twista comes to mind. Anytime a series begins, we wonder how long it will last, not exactly sure when it will end. Mary B. Morrison started the Soulmates Dissipate series in 2000, and the Honey series in 2007. As you can see below, Darius Jones is the conclusion to both series.

It's a small world after all. This book brings all of the characters together. Somehow, someway they are all connected. Without providing any spoilers, here is a brief synopsis. Darius Jones is a successful NBA star who constantly updates his Facebook and Twitter, is in love with wife Fancy, and still the target of his son's mother, Ashlee. Now enters Bambi, the personal assistant of Jada, who also has an ulterior motive. Bambi wants Darius all to herself and will go through any lengths to make it happen. Meanwhile, Jada finds herself fighting for her fiance's affection because he's still in love with Honey Thomas. Sound confusing? Well, I highly suggest that you read the previous books in the series, before reading Darius Jones. If not, you will be completely lost. All the drama and backstabbing will go over your head without knowing the history of these characters. Below is a complete list in chronological order:

Soulmates Dissipate Series
1. Soulmates Dissipate
2. 2. Never Again Once More
3. He's Just a Friend
4. Somebody's Gotta Be on Top
5. Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This
6. When Somebody Loves You Back
7. She Ain't the One
8. Darius Jones

Honey Diaries Series
1. Sweeter than Honey
2. Who's Loving You
3. Unconditionally Single
4. Darius Jones

Mary B. Morrison's earlier writing was much better. I personally think the series should have ended a few books ago. But I still read this conclusion out of loyalty and curiosity. It was a tidy ending to both series, but something tells me it really isn't over.

L. Marie

Not the worst book I've ever read but certainly was a little too drawn out for me. Every Chapter started to become more and more crazy to the point you were a little tired of all the sob stories and crazy people. It was an Ok book, it just got a little unrealistic at times, and every single female character was weak so that was my personal turn off. Other than that check it out for yourself, you may like it.

This book went in so many different directions you did not know where you were going. There were to many insignificant things going on with some of the characters for them to even be included in the book. The book should have stayed focused around Darius, Jada, Fancy, Ashlee and of course Bambi. Having Honey, Grant and all of Honey's former workers thrown in there was just to much to keep up with. For me it took away from the story. I thought it was supposed to be about Darius and Fancy starting anew with D.J. After Fancy was hurt in the accident Darius should have stayed by her side but where does he eventually end up, read it and see for yourself. If he is supposed to love his wife then why have his character the way it was. Some how in this novel it ended up being a smaller version of Honey and Grant and their saga. Just not a good read for me because Bambi was just to unbelievable.