Going Broke [Paperback]

Trista Russell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2005

What's A Girl To Do When She's Going Broke?

Sarai Emery is a young woman who lost her job as a radio disc jockey because of a heated breakup with her wealthy "dealer" boyfriend which was accidentally broadcasted live. With the sudden lost of income, she went from living it up to giving it up for cash when she met a stranger who promised her a steady income working for a high-society "escort" service. With thoughts of dodging the repo-man, past due bills, an impending eviction, and an Alzheimer-inflicted father’s nursing home care fresh on her mind, Sarai feels she has no choice but to plunge into a world where the line that separates sex and money is blurred beyond recognition. However, when she meets the man of her dreams, will she come clean about how she’s been paying her bills, or will her low down dirty secrets rise to the top on their own?

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Urban Books (January 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974702560
• ISBN-13: 978-0974702568
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #412,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some Folks Got to Have It: Those Mean Greens, April 27, 2005

By 

Dera R Williams (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Going Broke (Paperback)

Sarai has the blues. In the space of a few days, she catches her man cheating with her so-called friend, loses her job and faces possible eviction. What's a girl to do? In Trista Russell's debut, Going Broke, Sarai hops on a plane to the Bahamas, what else? The trip, already planned and prepaid is where she gets a solution to her problems. Enter cool, suave Conrad who hands her a proposition she cannot refuse; acting as an escort to wealthy black men. Sarai is at first insulted but as she contemplates her bank balance and realizes the payment for her Alzheimer's afflicted father's nursing home is due, she reconsiders.

Meanwhile the attractive guy she met at the masquerade party prior to her trip resurfaces when she visits her sister friend, Natalya at the school where she teaches. The fact that he is a janitor becomes less important after spending time with him. Tremel Colten is a spoken word artist and songwriter with ambitions of becoming a singer if he can only get that lucky break. Sarai is determined to help him but her greatest fear is that he will find out about her secret life. It is becoming harder to juggle her two worlds and she vows to get out but, alas there are too many skeletons rattling in her closet and people who are trying to trip her up at every turn. There is the record producer brother who holds the key to the big time for Tremel but what price would Sarai have to pay and with what? Then there is her ex, Damian, a stockbroker/drug dealer and the devastating news she receives from her twin brother, Savion. And not in the least is Sarai's indomitable need for both the mean greens and revenge. A visit to Ohio to finally meet Tremel's family brings a startling shock.

This book was an enjoyable, pleasant surprise; the story was well written and engaging. Though it is fiction, this reviewer has no doubt that the escort business is prevalent among the rich and famous. The ending is simply ingenious as Russell offers her readers three possible ending scenarios. I will definitely pick up her next book.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the Love of Money, January 25, 2005

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Going Broke (Paperback)

When GOIN' BROKE opens, Sarai is living the life. She has a plush apartment, is paying a costly nursing home bill for her father, and basically buys (or charges) whatever her heart desires. However, her financial freedom comes at a price. When she catches her boyfriend in their bed with one of her friends, she decides that infidelity is too high a price to pay for her current lifestyle and throws him out. After making that decision, she struggles to make ends meet and the pressure to pay the bills escalates even more once she loses her job. With very little cash and a lot of bills to pay, Sarai must make some difficult decisions about what she is willing to do for money. To complicate matters, she develops a new love interest and the secrets to her financial success may be enough to destroy their relationship.

Trista Russell is a talented new author. From the opening line of the book, it is evident that if nothing else, she knows how to capture the reader's attention. She uses interesting plot twists, graphic sex scenes, and diverse characters to transform a relatively predictable storyline into a surprisingly enjoyable read. The story reminds readers of just how quickly one bad decision can spiral into an unfortunate series of events. I especially enjoyed the way the author offered her own version of alternate endings for the book. Not being a huge fan of urban fiction, I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly Not Predictable, Cinematic and Exciting, May 15, 2005

By 

Dorrie Wheeler - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Going Broke (Paperback)

The author of this book had me on her mailing list for quite sometimes, I think as long as three months prior to the books release. I knew I was going to purchase the book and support this sister, but this book sat on my book shelf for awhile because I felt that "Going Broke" was going to be predictable. I thought I had it all figured out, yeah girl that has it all, loses it all, turns to debauchery, but I was oh so wrong. This is such a well written book and in the scenes with Sarai and Damian, heck the whole book I felt like I was watching a movie. The character development is awesome, plot and storyline points are unique and this is quite an engaging story and you can related to the main character very well. From the difficulties Sarai and her brother face with her fathers debilitating condition, Sarai's challenges in her broadcasting career, and her girlfriend that was not quite right, Sarai goes through an awfully lot in this book. I know I will be reading more from this author in the future.