Customer Reviews

Bad Girls Finish First

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

 

 

Raven is destined to get to the governor's office any way she can. After convincing her Senator-husband to run for governor, she definitely gives it her all and then some. Whatever it takes, Raven is not beyond anything -- whether it is accepting political bribes or sleeping with a journalist to get a newspaper endorsement. Besides being a smart, driven, drop-dead gorgeous woman, it is hard to believe that her self-centered, egotistical nature was ignored by her husband.

In Harvey's prequel to this book, Illegal Affairs, Raven steals Steven from his wife and while in law school, is involved in some kind of alleged disappearance. Whatever it is, it is enough to keep her from wanting it to get out for fear that it would keep Steven from getting to the governor's seat and also, ruin her reputation. Steven's campaign chairperson spends a lot of time digging through Raven's past to find out her secret but only ends up with bits and pieces, as does the reader.

This is very disheartening because this book was definitely a page turner. You are turning pages because you really want to know what the big secret is but it is never revealed. The author leaves it open, so you know another book is coming. As a reader, it is very disappointing to not be able to give this book a higher rating because the only downfall was how it ended and that you just read 300+ pages to not ever know what was the big deal.


Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub

Raven Holloway is back! The character you loved to hate in "Illegal Affairs" is back in the sequel "Bad Girls Finish First". Raven is now married to Senator Michael Joseph and is determined to help him become governor of Texas. Raven is every man's dream and every woman's nightmare. She will do whatever it takes--no matter who is hurt in the process to get what she wants. Soon it appears that her plans will come to pass but when an unexpected event occurs and things become to spiral out of control and Raven finds herself backed up against the wall. Her marriage is falling apart, and it doesn't help that someone is digging in her past and all of the secrets she has tried to hide are about to be revealed. Bad Girls Finish First is an somewhat satisfying sequel as Raven is an interesting character to read about as you never know what she's going to do next, but the ending leaves many unanswered questions. I give this book 3.5 stars. Reviewed by Shay C of PeoplewholoveGoodBooks.

Bad girl Raven Holloway from Illegal Affairs by Shelia Dansby Harvey returns in BAD GIRLS FINISH FIRST, as Raven Holloway Joseph. Married to Senator Michael Joseph of Texas, Raven is up to her old tricks. When Illegal Affairs closed it appeared Raven, then a law school student, was responsible for the disappearance or as some assumed, murder of a lover.

As this story opens Michael is deciding whether or not to run for the Texas governorship and with Raven's browbeating and forcefulness, the decision is not a difficult one to make. Always wanting to be the center of attention, Raven plots, schemes and beds influential men in her quest to be the first lady of Texas. Unbeknownst to her, her past stands in the way as more and more people have heard about Raven and her exploits while in law school and the scandal that unfolded when Michael left his wife for her.

The African American women of Texas are an unforgiving lot, casting their relationship baggage and pain upon the couple as Michael fights an uphill battle trying to secure their votes. By his side is his trusty aid Dudley and friend in the form of David, pastor of a Dallas, Texas mega-church who is as charismatic as he is troubled. Realizing David's power with the African American women through the spoken word, Michael employs him to trot around the state attending speaking engagements. When it appears that Michael has the votes and the endorsements of several powerful companies, organizations and newspapers, everything starts to unravel and no one knows who the culprit is. Understand, Michael's position on gun control is something he will not bend on and with Raven's meddling and his refusal to be quiet, a very powerful and wealthy woman shows her hand and all bets are off for the governorship.

BAD GIRLS FINISH FIRST is a fast-paced book that begs you to continue reading to see how all parties end up. However, the plot appears convoluted and unrealistic; drama for drama's sake. The characters' behavior remains intact throughout with some being very endearing, while others were off the beaten path. The story was one incident after another of Raven's exploits which are drawn and tiresome. Finally, there is no conclusion, but a set up for a continuation. Dansby Harvey shows the affects divorce can have on children and the offended spouse; she showcases an array of political machinations and the psych of an insecure and dysfunctional villain.

Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Enjoyed Bad Girls Finish First more than I did Illegal Affairs. There was
more drama, sex and mess in this book. And of course Illegal Affairs left me hanging and I just had to know what happened to Omar Faxton.....
BGFF did not really bring Omar back like I thought it would, the book focused more on how terrible Raven had become, sexing anybody to get what she wanted. It was definitely an entertaining book as I watched Raven go thru the motions.....but I still want to know how Omar will get his revenge, thus I have purchased Aww Sookie Sookie and am ready to embark
upon that wild ride of a story.

Raven is back again. This time she has a little help with her "devilish" acts. Raven is a woman with a cold heart. Raven is a woman on a mission and she will not let anyone (including her husband) stand in the way of getting what she wants. No woman should be this devilish, but hey, Raven is not just any woman. She is a bird, preying on her victims. If you are not familiar with Raven, then you should become acquainted with her. You never know when you might just meet her. This book was even better than the first book. I can not wait to see what the final book of Raven has in store for us. This book was worth the wait.

And not enough answers..for as long as this book was, there was no resolution...I couldnt relate to the main character at all because the author didnt give us access to her past, what makes her so devious...No ma'am..wouldnt recommend

Raven is back and has a new bag of tricks. Just when you thought she was done, she resurface to wreck havoc all over again. Bad Girls Finish first is a "I can't put this book down read". Bad Girls Finish First is a perfect sequel to Illegal Affairs. Entertaining summer read from beginning to end.

Raven is driving ME insane!!! Sheila Dansby Harvey does it again with Bad Girls Finish First. Once again, this book was a page turner!

I am a member of the Houston Divas Book Club, where we have actually done all 3 of the books in this trilogy. This book sparked SO much converation and brought so many issues to light in our club. It is truly a fascinating and compelling work.

As has been stated before, Raven is a Black Alexis Carrington-Colby - the woman you love to hate! (am I telling my age here???) She meets someone who is not afraid of her (FINALLY!), but in the end, she still seems to come out on top. But where Raven seemed unstoppable in Illegal Affairs, in this book, you get to see some of her vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Even though I tried to find some sympathy for her, I just couldn't. But I loved every minute of it!

Another excellent read from Sheila Dansby Harvey!

I'm apart of a book club "Sister's At The Round Table" and we choose this book for the month of our reading. The book was very good and very well written. The author knew what she was doing when she wrote this book. She kept you wanting more, so the book kept my interest. Raven and David was one of the hot couple's but you would never want them as friends. Cause having friends like those pair you would never need an enemy. This is a must read...to give you some insight how some women can be when they let the word hight strong take control of their life.

I opened this book itching to find out what happened to Omar??? Illegal Affairs left me hanging, but in a good way. Bad Girls goes part of the way in answering the question, but mainly tells about another Raven conquest named Reverend David Capps. If Raven has a heart, it seems like he's the man to capture it, even though he's a minister and she's basically a conniving tramp. I liked the political angle (something different) and I really liked the way Grace, the senator's first wife, came out of her shell. All in all, a very satisfying read. Now I want to know: since you know who isn't dead, how's he going to deal with Raven?