Customer Reviews

Getting Hers

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Stuck in a elevator during a blackout in New York city, three unlikely women make a pact that can change all their lives in Donna Hill's suspense novel, Getting Hers. Tess McDonald, Nikki Perez and Kim Sheppard have someone in their lives that have made them miserable and now the thought of revenge sounds like a plan.

Tess McDonald is living large as the elusive Madam X when she gets word that her empire is about to be exposed, causing her to flee her penthouse and move into an efficiency apartment. With all the crime in New York, she wonders why she is the target of this manhunt. Nikki Perez takes the fall for a crime she does not commit and is jailed. Her boyfriend did not visit her once while she sat in jail, suffering all kinds of abuse. Now that she is out, he wants to pick up things where they left off but Nikki may have other plans. Kim Sheppard's husband has found out about her secret life and only her fortune and a divorce can appease him. Kim will be damned before she hands over this lazy, fortune-hunting husband a thing as she goes all out to protect her secret.

The who, what, when, where and how question is what kept this reader turning the pages. The suspense in this book was very well played out. For a while, I thought I had things figured out only to have to guess again and be surprised at the end. I am one of those readers who likes things tied up at the end of a book but with this one, I am left with a cliffhanger that has me anxiously awaiting a sequel.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub
Motown Review Book Club

Put simply, Getting Hers is a tantalizing story of revenge. However, when you're dealing with vengeance, nothing is ever really simple. Three women with completely different personalities and backgrounds are stuck in an elevator during a citywide blackout. After being trapped for hours they realize they do have one thing in common: they have been wronged and it's payback time.

Tess McDonald is an educated black woman who exudes class and sophistication. With exemplary business savvy, she has built an empire in the escort service business as Madame X, but one phone call changed her life. She lost almost everything and she wants it back. The assistant district attorney who's responsible must pay.

The famous Kimberly Sheppard-Benning, a no-nonsense blonde bombshell, is a powerful executive with a secret. Unfortunately, her husband has discovered her indiscretion and is blackmailing her, threatening to ruin everything she has worked so hard to get. Of course, she cannot let that happen.

Then there's Nicki Perez, a beautiful but sassy around-the-way Latina who has been recently released from jail after serving time for her boyfriend. While incarcerated, she endured unthinkable acts, and her man never once visited her. The anger she feels toward him can only be relieved by revenge.

After being trapped in the elevator, the odd trio decides to avoid the hassle of New York traffic after a blackout and checks into a nearby hotel where Kimberly always has a suite waiting. They continue to get to know one another and before you know it, an interesting game is proposed. The names of the people who have wronged each of the women are put on slips of paper. Each randomly takes a name, but cannot reveal whose name they have. The object of the game is to get rid of the person named on the slip of paper. Can you say homicide? Lastly, the three women can have no further contact with one another.

The interesting part of the game is that you can never be sure if all the women are indeed capable of murder. And what if one of them cannot or will not go through with it? Let the games begin!

Getting Hers is a literary thrill ride. While reading, you simply don't know what will happen next. With heightened suspense, you eagerly turn pages as your mind is racing and your heart is thumping. Kudos to Donna Hill for crafting such a clever and unique storyline. She developed believable characters that readers honestly can feel empathy for. However, the cliffhanger ending was a bit of a letdown. To this reviewer, the best part of a mystery type novel is finding out if your hunches and guesses are right. With Getting Hers, you never really know, unless there's a sequel. Personally, I feel a little gypped. I didn't exactly "get mine."

Jazzypen rating: 3.5 stars

Donna Hill is without a doubt a talented writer and a great storyteller. It's been a rewarding experience shadowing her from her days of writing romance to her move to mainstream fiction and now as she offers something slightly different in her newest novel. GETTING HERS is a story filled with secrets, friendships, and retribution -- getting back what should've never been taken away.

Tess, Kim, and Nikki are three different women living in different worlds who probably would've never met, but they are connected by one factor -- they all have the same doctor. After leaving the doctor's office, they are trapped inside an elevator during a city-wide power failure. Tess, aka Madam X, once ran the biggest escort service on the East Coast, but she is on the run from the law. Her twin sister is the Assistant District Attorney, committed to locking away the famous woman, but has no idea her sister is actually Madam X. Kim is a highly successful executive, in charge of her own enterprise and the awe and envy of many in the business world. Closer to home, her husband has a strong love/hate for Kim and uses a career-ending secret to divorce and blackmail her for full control of her company. Nikki is a quick-tongued petty criminal, who was caught up with the wrong hustler. After taking the rap for one of his crimes, she spent time in prison, suffering at the hands of those who tormented her.

Each woman has something she's trying to get back and when the opportunity to seek revenge is presented, they weigh their options and then toss all cards on the table. A proposal is offered up where the women will secretly draw names identifying the person they will "take care of" for the other woman. The intrigue is that no one knows exactly who has whose name or how the murder will take place. They don't even know if their conspirators will even carry through with the pact. An added twist is that there is no connection to the three women, so they are sure they can commit the perfect crimes.

In GETTING HERS, the storyline was original and fresh, the characters are believable and multi-dimensional, and the writing is suspenseful, fast-paced, and entertaining. The tale captures what readers look for in a great book, and I loved the ride shared with Tess, Kim, and Nikki on their journey to getting theirs. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the journey was complete and was positive that my copy of the book was missing at least one ending chapter. It was somewhat of a disappointment to read such an intriguing story to get to the end and find out that there wasn't really an ending. It reeks of a sequel, which will delight some readers, but for me, I dunno on this one. I want the final chapters now.

Other than that, GETTING HERS is definitely a book which will draw much discussion and lead one to question at what limits they will go to get what they think should be theirs. An additional plus is that it has cross-over appeal and isn't specifically written for one ethnic group, sex, or type of reader. It speaks to the masses.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

When three unlikely women get together to get revenge, they get more than they bargained for. Murder and revenge bring about a lot of twists and turns with a surprise ending. I will eagerly await the sequel!

The potential ramifications of their pact were slowly becoming clear to the three women, once the alcohol-inducted courage had worn off. Could they really follow through with it? Could they risk the chaos that would occur if they didn't?

Tess is the strong, seductive Madame X, and the subject of a search headed by none other than her own sister, a district attorney bent on protecting her constituents. Kim is a powerful businesswoman and media mogul, whose passionate affair with the wife of a respected congressman may cost her everything she has built, if her husband has his way. And then there is Nicole, a fiery and streetwise ex-convict, filled with anger towards her ex-boyfriend and accomplice, and with love and hope for her family.

Their meeting was pure coincidence, but there similarities were eerie. All three are intelligent, beautiful, and strongly independent, and in need of revenge and restitution. Together they make the pact to silently and anonymously help each other solve their respective problems, knowing that their differences will protect them from suspicion. They soon discover the emotional consequences of conspiracy, and the lack of satisfaction in resolution.

"Getting Hers" is a novel filled with intrigue, tension, and wonderfully tangled angles. The characters are incredible rich and colorful, and so well developed that they linger long after the book is finished. Donna Hill's writing is clear, descriptive, and above all, refreshingly mature; the characters are not watered down to be more morally acceptable to a broader spectrum of readers. Instead, they are sexual women, sometimes graphically so, with genuine thoughts and emotions.

Donna Hill has many other novels to her credit that vary widely in the different genres, three of which have been adapted for television. She has won her share of awards for her work, as well as being recognized for her community service, including an organization that helps empower women and grants scholarships to deserving applicants.

This is a must-read for anyone who loves written portraits of strong, independent women, or even those who simply enjoy an exciting mystery.

Reviewer: Nancy Morris, Allbooks Reviews.

How many times have we seen this story? From Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers On A Train (1951), to the scores of imitators in film and print. The tale of a chance meeting by strangers who wind up getting each other to permanently dispose of the others headache. In Hill's treatment, three strikingly different, very beautiful and successful women meet in the GYN office and due to a power outage find themselves bonding and ultimately, agreeing to kill for each other.
I must say I wasn't expecting much from Getting Hers (I have Ms. Hill's Rhythms, but never got through it), but I really enjoyed this book. Hill's refreshing approach kept me turning pages. That Vincent was in some form of law enforcement, positioned to get Tess wasn't a surprise. But I got a kick out of the inclusion of a train scene and the sister, Tracy, all over Madame X like Jean Val jean. This is a thoroughly enjoyable work and a ChocolateSleuth.com recommend.

Donna Hill returns with a thrilling novel about 3 women with one common goal, PAYBACK! Hill cleverly takes 3 very different women from 3 very different walks of life and brings them together through one common denominator. The main character, Tess, talks two strangers into committing murder in the name of retribution (now that's gangsta!) Do yourself a favor and read this novel. It's filled with suspense and several twists and turns. The story was so captivating, I read it in a couple of hours.

Donna Hill really did it in this one. I like the way the three women meet in the doctor's office and develop a bond from the "stories" they told while stuck in the elevator. I also liked the way she put you in the shoes of every charater and can feel what they are dealing with and the hard decisions they have to make. Ms Hill also lets you see just the lenghts a person will go through when they feel betrayed. The highlight was trying to figure out who really did what and the conclusion you get at the end. Donna Hill gets you hooked from beginning to end. I hope there's a part 2.

I read this book a few years ago. It was the best. I'm still in the dark about some of it. I just might read it again to get what I missed. Donna Hill did a fabulous job.

I loved the price of the book and the fact that I received it so quickly.

Thanks!!

Vera-Ellen Trice