Customer Reviews

From My Front Porch (Urban Soul Presents)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book entails practical scenarios of living the dream from being a country girl to a city girl. Most important, it reflects the potential of being misguided or easily off track when experiecing something new. It's awesome and very suspensful in regard to wanting to read and never putting the book down...even if it means you only have three hours to sleep until you have to wake up for work!

This book is a "can't put down". I found myself wondering what Rayann was up to. The words seem to inner into your soul and cause you to want more and more.The characters are believable and likeable. They seem to draw you into their lives as you read the pages. I gave the book 5 stars, I wish the rating had been higher. A must read.

Around 12 years ago, I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Leigh in Jessamine Mall now Sumter Mall where she was doing book signings for her book, "From My Front Porch." I begged my husband to lend me the money to buy the book. I am truly glad that I did. Not only did I have the honor of an autographed copy but I was privy to a well kept secret in the area. Leigh did such a marvelous job with her characters. I remember telling her that I would read the story and let her know what I thought about it. Now here we are in 2009 and her self published book has caught the attention of publishing company and the book is in two parts people. Can you believe that? I say buy the book. You won't be sorry you did. Leigh does a tremendous job of painting exactly how things are in Sumter, South Carolina. She gives insight into how families are. No family is perfect and they all have their problems. You find yourself cheering for the heroine, Rayann and wanting to shoot Ralph to wanting to beat the tar out of Dorien. I give her books 2 thumbs up.

I am proud to say that I was and am one of the first (1st) to have had the honor of reading Leigh's FROM MY FRONT PORCH! This should be not only be a collector's piece but a MOVIE, a CLASSIC! This saga is so REAL that one wander's "is this Ms Dix/ McKnight's own story? HMMMMM? This story is "everything RIGHT" that ALL can relate to!!! I look forward to once again having the HONOR of reading MORE from such a GREAT TALENT. THIS IS A MUST READ!!! AMARICA-WE ARE BLESSED!!!! BRAVO/HAND CLAPPS!!!!!

You will want to add this book to your reading list to read. Keeps your attention all the way through. Great characters. Look forward to the sequel, Sinners Never Sleep.

I love the book, it took me two days to read the book.that how good the book was. now i am waiting on sinner never sleep

This book is a must have, once you pick it up you can't put it down. The character are great you really begin to feel like your taking part in what's going on. To the writer well done and i can't wait for the next book.

This book is a great "take along" book. It's perfect to take with you if you know you're going to have to wait (for example, while having your oil changed or at a doctor's appointment). Leigh McKnight makes the intricacies of the lives of Rayanne and her friends and family deliciously entertaining while keeping the story easy to read, follow and pick up where you left off if, unfortunately, you have to put it down for a moment.

The story begins with Rayanne moving to New York from South Carolina and rooming with her best friend, Ivory, and Ivory's roommate, Dorian. The three, who call themselves the "Manhattan Trio", become as close as any group of friends can without being related and share their triumphs and tragedies. Ivory is quite the prankster who will have you wondering what she could possibly do next. You will surely be surprised and amused by her antics. And Dorian is seduced by wealth and the good life. While relationship problems plague Ivory and Dorian, Rayanne meets a wonderful man who is loving and supportive. Her career as a playwright takes off and she partners with another business woman for what becomes a lucrative and successful venture.

Success can't spoil this young woman who remains grounded and firmly rooted due to her strong southern upbringing. Drugs, infidelity, betrayal and disappointment invade her life in various ways but Rayanne never allows any of the negativity to overshadow what she has accomplished or to derail the bright future she can see just ahead of her. However, a series of emergencies forces her to return to her family home where, from the slow peacefulness encountered in a swinging chair on the front porch, she experiences a moment of clarity that will change her life. And this is the partition, so to speak. The story ends there until the sequel hits the shelves in October.

I can't wait for the second half, Sinners Never Sleep (Urban Soul Presents)! I need answers to my burning questions... Will Ralph still love and support Rayanne? What becomes of Ivory and which man did she choose? Does Dorian manage to straighten out her life and how badly did she betray Rayanne? Trust and believe, you'll want to peek into their lives, too.

Sunida E. York
Poet and Author
He's Not Your Boyfriend If... She's Not Your Girlfriend If...: A Rude, Offensive And Humorous Take on Unrequited Love
[...]

Our lives can change so much from the time we leave high school until we become functioning adults in this forever-changing world. As many go off to the big city in search of bright lights, success and romance, the realization often hits that they really didn't need to leave home for all of that. In FROM MY FRONT PORCH, Rayanne Wilson takes a look back over her life from her front porch trying to figure out what happened to have her seeing a therapist monthly and what possessed her to move back to her hometown.

After graduating from college, Rayanne leaves Sumter, South Carolina with a dream that involves fame and fortune in the Big Apple. Upon arriving in New York, she moves in with friends, Ivory and Dorian. Together these three become the best of friends as they each pursue their various interests and become successful. That fame does not come without a price. Ivory spends many years developing a modeling career and being involved in some unhealthy relationships before she finally settles down. As Dorian chases the modeling profession also, she becomes involved with a married man who has intentions of leaving his wife, but never does, so Dorian turns to drugs instead. Rayanne becomes the successful playwright in New York and eventually finds the love of her life in Ralph Underwood, but she begins to long for the simple home life she left in South Carolina. With her priorities changing and family needs calling, Rayanne and Ralph try a long distance relationship that will test her friendships and show that all she ever needed was right there in Sumter.

Minnie Dix has written a very moving and captivating novel on big city adventure and romance for a small town girl. The characters were well developed. I came away feeling like I knew each one personally, although I may not have liked some of them. They seemed to be people you would meet anywhere. Their antics were not so over the top as to be unbelievable, but rather made the readers feel as though it could actually happen to them. In fact, I could've sworn that I was reading part of my life in Rayanne's story. For such a huge book (BAB), the writing was near flawless. I had this book on my to be read (TBR) list for so long that now I could kick myself for not reading it sooner.


Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I know book had been out awhile and just now reading but mad at myself for just now reading and what I missed... This was so awesome Rayanne takes you from being the country girl to moving to the big city and oh boy after meeting friends and going through so much together it reminds you of something that you would want to see in the movies the trials and the hope and all that this story entails is a great read...I am not one who tells all in a review because that takes away the good but I truly enjoyed the book.