Customer Reviews

Guilty of Love (Urban Christian)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In Guilty of Love, debut novel from Pat Simmons, readers are welcomed into the life and times of Cheney Reynolds, a self-sufficient, independent, new millennium woman. Having had no empathy from college sweetheart, Larry Thimes, after having endured a traumatic medical procedure, Cheney decides to relocate to her hometown. Starting over would not be easy. She had practically shut everyone close to her out of her life except her best friend, Imani.

Upon settling into her new home, Cheney was a bit apprehensive of letting her guards down with her neighbors, Mrs. Beacon and Parke. However, Mrs. Beacon, affectionately known as Grandma BB to those in her inner circle, and Parke do not allow Cheney's bold exterior to stop them from getting to know her better. After several incidents where she realized these two were there "to her rescue," Cheney finally softened her shell and allowed them into her personal life and into her heart.

This novel deals with strongholds, overcoming them, judgmental family and friends, spirituality and most importantly, what it means to be equally yoked with your life mate. I particularly enjoyed getting to know the many layers of each character, as well as the supporting characters. Descriptions given allowed me to draw a visual of what they looked like and their overall style, especially Parke and his twin brother, Malcolm. I also enjoyed reading about the spiritual warfare with Hallison's character. In the end, I was happy to see that almost all the characters were willing to let go and let God be in control.

Admittedly, the storyline was a bit slow for me at the outset but the author had a way of keeping my interest in hopes of the story picking up. About midway through, the story did pick up and I was happy about it. At this point, it did become a page turner for me. Lastly, and not to take away from the overall connotation of this review, I'd be remiss if I did not recommend the author pay close attention to verb tense for future novels (i.e., worst vs. worse).

Cheney is in love with Larry. Her whole world revolves around him; that is until he convinces her to do the unimaginable, abort their baby. Five years later, Cheney is still haunted by the nightmares of what she'd done. How could she allow a man to dictate her life for her? Cheney cut all ties with her family when the only thing they were trying to do was help. But what they didn't know was that Cheney was carrying around so much guilt and shame. Now after years have lapsed, Cheney has moved back to her hometown of St. Louis trying to make amends with her family and start a new life WITHOUT a man. The task at hand may be a little more difficult than she could've ever envisioned. With the help of her busy body neighbor, Grandma BB, and Parke, a pesky neighbor who lives five blocks away, Cheney's life of solitude is disrupted.

I loved the fact that Pat Simmons used genealogical lines. I learned valuable information about black history. "Guilty of Love" was a very good read. However, I did not like the way the book ended so abruptly! I felt like I was trapped on a cliff left hanging by the rescue helicopter. So there had better be a part two in the works! It has to be! I need to know what happens with the little secret.

Reviewed by: Carmen

Cheney Reynolds had fallen in love with Larry Thimes and thought they were a match made in heaven. Her feelings soon changed when she told Larry she was pregnant. Larry became distant and cold towards her, causing her to make a life-altering decision. During this time of despair, Cheney cut all ties with her family when the only thing they were trying to do was help. The only one that knew what was really going on was her best friend Imani. After five years of loneliness, she decides to move back home to St. Louis to reconnect with her family. Cheney moves into a historical neighborhood enriched with African American history. The house she bought was old, worn down, and needed a lot of work. Cheney soon realized that it was more of a challenge to rebuild her relationship with her family than to restore her new home. With the help of her nosy neighbor Mrs. Beatrice Tilley Beacon a.k.a. Grandma BB, she realized there is someone on her side who truly cares for her. Then she meets Parke Kokomuo Jamison, who is a descendent of a royal African Tribe. Parke is handsome, smart, and looking for his African Queen. The two bump heads and realize that the qualities they were looking for in a mate they found in each other. At times, Cheney would submit to her own guilt and Parke would soon realize that he wasn't as suave as he thought. With the love of Christ, they are drawn to each other spiritually and are destined to be together.

In the book Guilty of Love, I was intrigued as to how Pat Simmons was able to intertwine African-American History throughout the book. I really admired how she took each character through their spiritual walk with God. The scriptures she chose were perfect, and you can see the religious transformation each person was going through. Guilty of Love will have you questioning your own walk with God and whether it's a good one or a bad one. I was kind of upset with the way the story ended, but overall, Guilty of Love is a very good read.

Reviewed by Jackie

for Urban Reviews

Set in the suburbs of Ferguson, Missouri in a quaint and charming area called Old Town Ferguson, Pat Simmons has developed a story filled with love, sexy, handsome African American men, strong families and friendships.

GUILTY OF LOVE is not a typical love story. The story begins with a young woman trying to handle a situation she finds herself in, hoping love will surpass the problem. Then the story picks up with a fascinating twist that will trick even the most avid reader.

Cheney Reynolds enrolled in Duke University in North Carolina to study, graduate and live the American dream. Smart and intelligent, she meets and falls in love with Larry Thimes, an aspiring attorney. But things get out of hand when she becomes pregnant. Cheney is certain Larry loves her enough to do the right thing, but she soon discovers life doesn't always turn out as expected. Hurt and bitter, she returns to her hometown where she encounters a cast of people who affect her life in many unexpected ways. Angry at the world, she retreats into herself. Will Cheney seek God's guidance despite her bitterness?

Pat Simmons has written a solid and satisfying story that will keep you glued until the last page. The characters are colorful and seem familiar. GUILTY OF LOVE describes friendship across racial lines, brotherly love, family issues and religion in a non-preachy format. Successfully merging a variety of topics into the storyline, Simmons has included information on forgiveness, love, black history and spirituality.

Pat Simmons is a fine writer. I look forward to reading more of her work.

Reviewed by R. M. Jackson

for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Sometimes what's best for us doesn't always come in the packaging that's familiar; especially when God is at the helm. Parke finds out that how he envisioned the love of his life isn't quite the package God wrapped her in. What unfolds between Parke and Cheney will have the single reader yearning for a love like theirs, a man wanting to be a better lover and people in general taking time to share history the way the Kokummuno family did.

Every one of Ms. Simmons characters touched me in more ways than one. As a matter of fact I know Grandma BB, she is that neighbor who watched all the kids, and she's your grandmother who loved life. From the protagonist to the secondary characters they were bold and unforgettable. We are all "Guilty of Love" but can we say we are guilty of twin souls? I wish I could but until I find my twin soul I promise to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Missy

Readers Paradise

Guilty of love by Pat Simmons is an inspiring tail of lust, love and lies all with a redemptive spin.

It starts with the main character, Cheney Reynolds, trying to rebuild her life after suffering alone with decisions she made while in college; decisions that kept her family at a distance.

The author uses the metaphor of a rehabbed house as the center of her healing. Instead of working on, and forgiving, herself completely and wholly; the house is her main focus.

She finds herself amongst rich and multi-dimensional characters that add more depth and insight into her life due to her family's absence. There is Grandma BB, her nosy and sassy next door neighbor who seems to be more trouble than Cheney can handle, but ultimately becomes her closes ally. Then there is the man that she never saw coming,Parke Kokumuno VI, a man on a mission to keep his African lineage going with the perfect woman. Though Cheney's talk, physique and handywomen know-how doesn't

quite fit, he can't stay away from her. Thus, he hounds her until she starts to realize that she may feel something for him after all. Along with Parke comes his fun loving family that supports him regardless of his vast love affair with "this" woman. She becomes the glue for all of these people and learns about love, life, God and ultimately the gift of

forgiveness.

This book chronicles the life of a woman that scorned God because of a decision that she made as a young girl. Realizing that with God's grace redemption is possible; she not only discovers the real meaning of family and friendship but also the true meaning of unconditional love. The different themes such as abortion, adoption and the African

American heritage is so well woven throughout the novel, that you don't realize you have actually learned anything until the end of the book. All in all, you get a bird's eye view on the consequences of abortion, insight on being a foster parent as well as an education on genealogy.

I really enjoyed Guilty of Love. It is such a beautiful story line. So many times in the Christian community, young people are at a loss for "How to date." This is a great illustration on how couples can get to you know each other intimately while dating with lower their standards.

There are a lot of biblical principles introduced. The other part that is interesting and refreshing is the cultural and geneaology the author weaves in the story. I can't wait for her next two books to be released. Great book. I would recommend for all readers.

While in college, Cheney Reynolds made a life-altering choice that caused her to lose faith in herself and in her religion. During this time of great misery and because she was so ashamed of her decision, Cheney cut all ties with her family. The only person who knew what happened was her best friend Imani. But after five years of solitude and being haunted by her nightmares, Cheney wanted, no needed, to reconnect with her family, so she decided to move back to her hometown. She knew that it was not going to be easy; but she was willing to try. Now, if she could only keep her elderly noisy neighbor, Grandma BB and the handsome, pesky Parke Jamison "whatever his number is" out of her business she will be able to focus all her attention on reuniting with her family.

Parke Jamison VI was on a mission to find and marry his African Queen. She had to meet certain qualifications in order to become his wife because he was a direct descendent of a royal African Tribe. Parke refused to deviate from his requirements. So he couldn't understand why he continued to seek Cheney Reynolds out. She was totally opposite of what his queen was supposed to be - she was too tall and more importantly, too opinionated and smart mouthed for his taste. Yet, he couldn't stop butting heads with her. The more time he spent in Cheney's company, the more Parke wanted her to be his wife. Will Parke be able to break down the painful wall that Cheney has built around her heart?

Guilty of Love by Pat Simmons was my first experience with Christian fiction and I must admit that I truly enjoyed reading this novel. I thought that Ms. Simmons did an excellent job of inserting the character's spirituality into the dialog in such a natural manner that didn't come across as being preachy and she was also able to interlace a multitude of rich African American history in the process. I felt each and every emotion of the heroine and it touched me deeply within. This story centered on a very difficult, heartbreaking issue and how Cheney dealt with it came across so incredibly real to me. It was astonishing to find such strong characters in a novel, even with the weaknesses evolved from their past experiences. I advise the reader to keep a big box of tissues handy because you will need them on numerous occasions. Thanks go to Ms. Simmons for a truly inspirational story.

Nikita

reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

The story line was ok but as another reviewer stated, it wasn't really a page turner for me. I actually contemplated putting it down a few times because in addition to it not being a page turner, there are errors throughout the book. One example is on page 61, "She was one of thousands of women who didn't response to the Jamieson charm." These errors proved to be quite distracting for me as I desparately tried to allow myself to be drawn into the story.

I finished the story nevertheless, and it was ok.

GUILTY OF LOVE is a novel that has it all. I was awed by the way the author wove together spirituality, Black history, family, forgiveness and love. From the minute I picked up this novel, I became engaged with the author's ability to pull me in to the emotions of the characters and not let me go. So many of the journeys in this novel are ones that many can relate to. The author shows us a variety of characters in various stages of their walk with God and uses the Word with stunningly accurate and right-on accounts of what it is like to grapple with one's spirituality. The messages abound and they touch the reader in such a subtle way that it one would be hard pressed not to close the book in the end with a desire to get right with Him. The relationship between Cheney and Parke grows in a wonderful and believable pace. I love that Parke realized first that Cheney was the woman for him. And I love the way the author portrayed this strong African prince of a man. The way he helped Cheney battle her demons was not only commendable, but also romantic as all get out. And Grandma BB... Wow! What a character. She popped off the page from the moment we meet her in the book and quickly became one of my favorites. The major theme I took away from this was the way God uses people around you to bring forth his blessings. When Cheney's family all but turns their back on her, she finds that God is placing family all around her to help her heal. And once she accepts them and God she is redeemed and renewed. The spiritual enlightenment and the strong love story make GUILTY OF LOVE a very enjoyable read from beginning to end. I LOVED this book and I don't feel in the least bit guilty about it. I can't wait to read more from Pat Simmons. She is an author to watch!