Customer Reviews

The Great Pretender

5 star:		(113)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

In this captivating tale of deceit and betrayal, we are introduced to Reginald Brooks who has seemingly mastered the art of living a double life. On one hand, he is a devoted family man with a wife of 18 years and two children. On the other hand, he lives with his much younger girlfriend and their six-year-old daughter.

After six years, the stress of trying to keep both lives separate is eating away at Reginald, so he decides it's time to choose which life he wants to live. After making his decision, he comes to realize that exposing his secret does not bring the peaceful resolution he was expecting. Instead, it opens up a chasm of lies and deceit so deep that it's anybody's guess who, if anyone, will escape unscathed.

Like an F5 tornado, THE GREAT PRETENDER sweeps you deep into its vortex, drawing you into this enthralling tale of secrets, secrets and even more secrets. With a surprise ending that is so intense, you will be left slack-jawed and wondering why you didn't see it coming.

Look out literary world! Millenia Black, a very prolific mystery writer, has hit the scene as a force to be reckoned with. THE GREAT PRETENDER is a wonderful debut novel and I highly recommend this to readers everywhere.

Reviewed by Renee Williams
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

What a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive. Mr. Brooks traveled from Miami to Orlando for 10 years and had an outside child for 6 of them with a woman his wife didn't know existed. The mother of this child also knew nothing about Mr. Brook's wife and two daughters that existed long before she did. What a roller coaster ride we have here. No stone goes unturned when all the chips fall and it is too good to put down when it reaches the climax. I was shocked by what the ramifications were in the end, but could definitely see such a result in a situation like this. No one can win. I recommend this book because it is a pageturner and the storyline is not overdone or trite as so many fiction books I've come across in recent months.

Geena Brighton, columnist for Sherrington

I loved everything about this book! I relate well to Reginald's wife Tracy, she's the type of woman that most of us women find ourselves becoming at some point when we feel distanced from our mates.

The book is exciting, dramatic, mysterious and clever. The characters are interesting. Completing this book will leave you feeling the need to write the author and DEMAND a follow up of some sort!

I would also LOVE to see a movie! I would be so eager and happy to see how well the actors would portray these very complex characters and make them come to life! I could see it being a movie to watch over and over again, it would probably be just as addicting as Millenia Black's spicy book! If you read ANY book, THIS is the one to read! --.

I loved this book. The story is certainly clever and unique. I especially identified with the state of mind of the naive girlfriend Renee after Reginald "confessed" about being in a long marriage, and I understood the difficulties and why should couldn't let go.

Through the indiscretions of the characters, this story highlights the importance of honesty, integrity, and trust, and without being the least bit sappy or sentimenal it offers an unmistakable moral. It is also very straightforward and gripping. I look forward to a follow up very much. Millenia Black is definitely a major new writing talent and I hope her next book will be out soon. PVG

I have three words for this book: gripping, mesmerizing, and explosive. I define a good book as a book that simply does not really allow me to put it aside to do my day-to-day things like dishes, laundry, carpooling, etc. This book achieved that in spades.

Based around two very different families that are headed for a relationship collision, which is inevitable from the first page, the story follows Reginald's struggle to overcome his self-indulgent choices of the pasts. While reading, I had very strong emotions about the family members actions and feelings while they strive to get through all the drama that occurs in their lives. The author engaged me with her ability to make each scene authentic while keeping a captivating & exciting storyline. The secondary characters were also very engaging.

We've all thought of completely escaping from our own lives, waifing off to our own time and space, right? This book has the capivation and characterization to do that for you, as it did for me. I was able to picture the scenes in my head as if I were watching a film. To whoever's reading this review: This book is a great read. Get yourself a few pillows, grab a cup of cocoa, and get ready for an extended sitting of escapism!

From page one I was engrossed in the lives of the characters. I wholehartedly wished that Reginald had been honest with Renee from the beginning. I kept wondering why her family never called him on their suspicions, especially since they all felt so strongly. Renee's mom wanted to be supportive but knew deep down something wasn't right about Reginald. As the old saying goes, "Mother knows best". I have recommended this book to several of my book clubs and friends. I'm so proud of you Millenia, you have an unique writing style. I eagerly await your next release. Blessings...

A fast-paced and well-written book which was an absolutely fantastic read, a book I could not put down and I totally recommend it 100%. The book starts with the story of Reginald Brook's overwhelming feelings to set the past right and do right by his "first" or "primary" family and home. Some colorful forerunner characters along with really interesting secondary ones really bring this book alive.

I was entertained by this story of Reginald Brook's double life and his ultimate pennance and eagerly await the next story from this author, which I hope Ms. Millenia Black will be releasing very soon.

I heard this author on the radio here in Los Angeles discussing signs of a cheating spouse. My curiosity was peaked because my live-in boyfriend travels bi-weekly to make a living.

THE GREAT PRETENDER did not disappoint me. In fact, I started this book the day after I got it and read and finished nonstop while doing laundry and when I went to have my pedicure done. Family lessons are wrought throughout the story. Reginald was torn between Renee and Tracy, but ultimately he realized where he belonged. It's just a shame when men realize this when the damage has been done to the people they claim to love most.

Sexy, engaging, scandalous, shocking, and unforgettable, THE GREAT PRETENDER is a true pageturner I was not able to put down for long.

I heard a lot about this book going around in reading groups before I bought it. It took me one sitting to read the WHOLE THING! At some scenes, I was so involved that I literally tossed the book across the room when the characters ticked me off. At any rate, the structure of the story is one I greatly appreciate.

At one point, Reginald's family in Miami, Florida meets for a counseling session. The author supplied me with enough description to understand the actions of the family members - NOT CONDONE, but understand.

In the end, I recommend this book to both men and women. It's a busy story but straight forward, and I believe that for men, it shows the unfortunate penances of infidelity and the effect on those who love you and you also love. For women, it shows the horror of the way in which we as women tend to accept immoral, disrespectful, and emotionally abusive behavior from our men.

Reviewed by: P. Brook

Reginald Brooks is a big shot gentleman that is living a dream life. He has a great job at Hart-Roman with a boss that is also a close friend, his best friend has been with him for all of his adult life, he's been married to his childhood sweetheart for almost two decades and they have two beautiful, well-adjusted daughters. However, this was not enough for Reginald. While traveling to Orlando to oversee another division of Hart-Roman's advertising ventures, Reginald meets and takes up with Renee Jameson. They have a young daughter together, Denise.

This begins the split of Reginald's life.

He orchestrates it so traveling to and fro is intertwined with his work for Hart-Roman and as the intringing prologue conveys, for six years, "All was well in Miami." and "All was well in Orlando."

THE GREAT PRETENDER was a fascinating read. The transitions from one scene to the next was quick and fluid and caused me to fly threw the story. Though I am very tempted to give away the ending of this tumultuous plot, I won't. I can only say that the author did such an exciting job of having the ramifications creep up on me that my mouth literally fell open and then I said, "Well, it figures." because it made perfect sense. Why didn't I see it coming? Needless to say, it was an ending I shant soon forget.

Once I reached the end of this story, I do have but one serious complaint of THE GREAT PRETENDER: I have not seen or heard anything about a sequel.