Customer Reviews

Dating Games : A Novel

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hail! Hail! RM Johnson has done it again with his new and exciting fifth novel Dating Games. I am giving straight praises for this one. It is a must read, well worth ANY dollar spent. This book was undoubtedly amazing, and it had me hooked from the first chapter. Mr. Johnson has definitely put his foot in this novel, and it is obvious!

The book starts off with Livvy Rogers, single mother of two twin girls; Hennesey and Alize, yes the wild combination of two liquors. And that's just the beginning. Livvy is a hard working, underappreciated nurse's aid who has a strong desire to someday be a nurse herself. She wants to give her two teenage daughters a better life than what she had growing up, if only she can get herself together first, and stop falling into bed with the wrong men and for all the wrong reasons. Livvy tries to instill in her girls the value they hold within themselves, but it's hard for them to see her side of things when they don't understand why she doesn't have that same strength to make her own life better.

The story also opens up to the lives of these two twin girls who are dramatically different in their own right. The oldest of the two siblings is Hennesey, a straight A, straight-laced bookworm, who spends her free time being her mother's biggest cheerleader. She's dressed in baggy clothes, glasses, and all of the other things that would hide a beautiful young woman underneath. Her focus is school. She's planning on becoming a doctor as she prepares to head off to college. Boys and falling in love are the two things least on her list, until she runs into a ruff neck, braid wearing older guy name Rafe;and not only does she shed that soft school girl image, she opens herself up to love.

And love. That's the one thing that fast and sassy Alize acts like she isn't looking for. She so hell bent on being the finest thing in every man's life that she doesn't even think about the consequences of the wild activities she's involving herself in. She's willing to use her body and her looks to get exactly what she wants, and if playing sexual games with Smoke, a notorious and brutal drug dealer will thicken up the pockets of her tight hip-hugger jeans, she's down for the challenge. But when that moment comes and more than her life is at jeopardy, Alize finds herself wishing she never headed down that dark road to begin with.

This book was a serious page-turner. I felt like I personally knew these people. I laughed, yelled, and cried with these characters. RM Johnson made me Fall In Love with each and every one of them. And even when the book was over, I found myself wanting to know what was going on in the lives of these unforgettable characters. I'm still wondering.

I'm telling you, Dating Games is hot...and the characters will leave you drunk with pleasure and no doubt wanting more. Can we please say sequel? ; )

K. Renee

Not your typical relationship novel, DATING GAMES has an extra pinch of something akin to what one finds in a thriller. It's not the same ole, "I lost my man, I want a man, or I don't need a man" seen in contemporary relationship novels. This book focuses on the importance of family, showing how our lives are truly a reflection of those we encounter, and the impact our actions have on those around us. With witty dialogue, unforgettable characters, and a heart-stopping ending, DATING GAMES is sure to be a favorite amongst R.M. Johnson fans.

DATING GAMES starts off with the introduction of thirty-three year old Livvy Rogers, a single mother who wants to be a registered nurse. Livvy has had a rough life and has been very unlucky in love. She is fiercely devoted to her twin daughters Hennesey and Alize, who are as different as night and day in attitude, demeanor, and their goals in life.

Hennessy's love interest Rafe is a recent parolee who is set on cleaning his life up and staying away from those people who could affect his probation. Unfortunately, his parole officer has set him up with a job working with his old buddy Smoke, who appears to be legit on the surface but is still involved in illicit activity.

R.M. Johnson does a superb job in developing his characters so that each one comes across as being a uniquely memorable individual. He also manages to elicit sympathy for his characters, tossing them into unbelievable situations that leaves the reader praying that things will work out. When the lives of these characters criss cross, this novel takes on the type of climactic ending only seen in a thriller. R.M. Johnson does not disappoint in creating conflict and setting about taking the reader on a journey that will change each of the character's lives forever.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Dating Games is nothing and everything you can expect from writer RM Johnson. The novel starts off introducing us to Alize and Hennesey (teenage twins who are opposite in behavior and demeanor), and to their mother Livvy, a frustrated but earnest woman who hopes to become a nurse and try to live a better life for her kids when it comes to her relationship with men.

The action sparkles and pops while reading about the adventures and attitudes of Alize, a hoochie mama with a mouth that takes no prisoners. If she feels it, she's gonna say it, and at times, it's a delight to watch her energetic self in action. Hennesey, smart and ambitious, has her own problems to solve when she meets a guy who is trying to gain her admiration.

For the first part of the book, the story does a lot of build up as other minor yet critical characters are introduced. By the last third of the novel, the action and intensity may have you gripping the pages to see what happens next. RM Johnson takes these characters and puts them through all kinds of conflict, causing them to discover the importance of family, trust, sacrifice, and commitment. The novel is as good as my favorite Love Frustration, and should be embraced and enjoyed by his many fans.

Although I am familiar with RM Johnson, Dating Games is the first novel I've read from his collection and now I know it was a good novel to start my collection. I loved this book!! It had drama, comedy, suspense, and most importantly a good storyline. It's the type of book that you don't want to end but you also can't wait to see what happens next. I won't go over the synopsis again but I will tell you that it's even better than what is described on the book jacket. The author was able to tie all of the characters in to one central theme--trying to make it!! Throw the "dating games" in this mix and you have a great book. I think each of these characters wanted to do better in life, they just all had different ways of trying to get there. I like that each character has faults because then you identify with them even more since we all know no one is perfect. Even Hennessey wasn't as perfect as everyone around her made her out to be. You'll find yourself rooting for Alize because you know she's smart but she feels she has nothing more to offer than being cute in the face and thin in the waist. She puts the meaning in "never trust a big butt and a smile". Bottom line, buy this book, you'll be happy you did.

this book is actually is the best book of r.m. johnson. i haven't read the harris men yet, and love frustration was okay. but dating games was by far the best piece of work this wonderful author has put out. it literally had me on the edge of my seat. and it had a beautiful ending. now, there has to be a movie on this. i'm going to send rm johnson a personal e-mail. i was totally blown away! now this book is just destined to be a movie! it just got to be, that's all.

I love this book. I was teary eyed and told myself I wouldn't cry because this is just a book, but sure enough I cried anyway. It was great! It was interesting and dealt with problems a lot of people can relate to. I checked it out at the library, but I am definatley going to buy it.

I've been a RM Johnson fan since reading "Harris Men" and I was surprised to see him jump slightly outside of African American fatherhood issues and tackle the life of young twin sisters. The book was easy to read and maintained a nice study pace. I found the book to be a great ride until the end. The only reason for giving it four stars instead of five was the fact that I got the impression that the female mindset was not familar ground for Mr. Johnson. He does such a great job getting into the mind of men and the troubles we go through in various stages of fatherhood/husbandhood that I hoped to get more from his character development for he twins. All in all I still recommend this book if your looking for a good storyline.

With names like Hennessey and Alize, I was a little skeptical about buying this book. So, I sat in the cafe and read it and after the first chapter, i picked it up and bought it. Mr. Johnson had romantic scenes that weren't vulgar or corny like SO MANY FICTION novels today. He had suspense, thriller, violence, and awe in a real way, not the made-for-Blockbuster kind of way. Real people having real emotions. What's even better is through all the drama, comedy showed through. Reading about Wade and the old annoying lady buying a car was as amusing as the more serious scenes. I thoroughly loved this book and would read it again.

[

A great well-written book with believable characters. This one is worth the money. It's not your typical "girl meets boy." story. It has romance, mystery, drama and humor. I think readers of all ages will like the story. RM does a good job of making each character multi-dimensional. No one is perfect in this story. By the end of the book, you feel like you actually know and understand Rafe, Livvy, Hennessey, Alize and Wade. I found myself pulling for each of them. As a single mother, I definitely related to Livvy and understood her struggles with working, raising children.

I have read all 5 of his novels and enjoyed each. Check out the author's website at www.rmnovels.com. He posts the first 3 chapters of his books on the site so you can get a feel for the book before you purchase it.

The dept of the book had me not able to put it down and left me excited about finishing it. The characters were brought to life with each page. I recommended it to all my friends. This book is well worth the money.