Customer Reviews

If There Be Pain

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In If There Be Pain, Gloria Mallette writes a tale of a man who thinks that he has his life under control. Kyle thinks that by giving the ladies who he uses as sex objects gifts, he is doing alright by them, and that they are getting a deal. After all, he his very nice looking. Kyle does not respect any of the women in his life, not even his mother. He emotionally and physically deserts his mother when she needs him most. When his Native American grandfather, who has always supported him, becomes ill and is no longer of any use to Kyle, he makes himself scarce , leaving his grandfather feeling abandoned. Everyone, from his parents to his friends, has tried to get the selfish Kyle to grow up.

After his grandfather dies, he is plagued with nightmares and visits a tarot reader to try and find out the meaning behind the nightmares. The tarot card reader tries to warn him, but Kyle still refuses to examine his life and does not believe that his women could have a problem with him.

Kyle was so selfish that I wanted to jump into the book and shake him. I could not find one reason to like Kyle nor could I like any of the women in this book. Hated characters make for memorable books, but I do want to have at least one character to sympathize with but I found none in this offering. But, on the other hand, I did enjoy reading this book . Women that have potentially selfish sons would benefit from reading this novel; maybe it could help to steer them in the right direction.


Reviewed by Margaret Ball
APOOO BookClub

If There be Pain serves as a wake-up call and a reality check for men and women, who use the opposite sex for personal gains. Kyle Lawson was wrapped up in "his world" and did not care about anyone--his family, his best friend, his employees--and especially not the many women in his life. He did not care about how anyone felt, as long as he felt good. He did not care about the pain that he caused others, as long as he felt good. His life motto: If there be pain--oh, well! Kyle used many women, but dated three main women. Kyle was recklessly leading his life down a path of total destruction. Then his grandfather died. He was very close to the Native American Shaman. His grandfather came to him repeatedly in painfully real dreams--to get Kyle to see the dangers of his lifestyle. Kyle seemed to never truly understand and learn from his life lessons. Kyle and death had a face-to-face encounter! But he continued to treat women with disrespect and his grandfather knew that he had not learned from his pain and his wrongs. Kyle learned almost too late that to do what is right takes strength of mind and character. Mallette takes us on a nightmarish tale that startles the reader into reality!

"If There Be Pain is a fabulous read. This compelling story is gripping and provokes deep reflection."

"Kyle Lawson is living a wonderful life. He is a successful business owner, attractive and a ladies man. Everything is going great until Kyle's grandfather dies and begins appearing in his dreams. Eventually those dreams turn into nightmares."

"Kyle's business begins to suffer, his relationships are unraveling and the three women he is intimately involved with begin to cause havoc in his life."

"Desperate to stop his nightmares he seeks help from a surprising source. This unfortunately opens Pandora's box and will change his life forever."

"Gloria Mallette has written an enticing suspenseful read."

Kyle Lawson is a successful businessman that has everything a man could want. His biggest flaw is his arrogance and his ability to string three women in his life along without a conscience. Kyle sees absolutely nothing wrong with his scandalous behavior but his family wants him to stop playing around and be a responsible adult. Kyle wants everyone to leave him alone. Things go from bad to worse for Kyle when his beloved Native American shaman grandfather dies. After his traumatic death, Kyle begins to have terrifying dreams that causes physical and mental pain. He runs to a tarot reader that tells him that one of the women in his life will put him in danger. Kyle thinks that cutting ties with all of his lovers will end his nightmares but he finds out that it's not that simple. He better pay attention to the meaning of those dreams before it's too late.

If There Be Pain is an exceptional novel by Gloria Mallette. Mallette brought us an engaging storyline and characters that her fans have come to know and love. But what I really loved about this book was how this author incorporated a supernatural element into this story. The Native American shaman, tarot reader, and Kyle's nightmares added a whole new level to this already wonderful novel. Fans of this author's previous books will find that this story is truly unlike anything she's ever written and will be pleasantly surprised. There also a valuable lesson to this story: You can't go through life disrespecting people without consequences. If There Be Pain is enthralling and dynamic. Gloria Mallette has taken her writing to even greater heights.

Bestselling author Gloria Mallette's seventh book, If There Be Pain, is melodrama in high form.

Kyle Lawson seems to have everything going for him: his own business, a six-figure income, and more lovers than he can schedule. As far as Kyle is concerned, life can't get any better. But his family, friends, and feisty bedmates think differently.

The death of Kyle's most unconditional supporter, his grandfather, forces Kyle into increasingly dangerous scenarios. Too selfish and sex-driven to read the writing on the wall, Kyle avoids his grandfather's warnings from the beyond the grave, rushing headlong toward a final date with death.

Mallette serves up a sexual extravagance that would find a happy home on Jerry Springer. Kyle is the epitome of a playerâ"he sleeps with sisters, female employees, his best friend's love interest, and more. The book keeps up a tight pace, dishing out sexcapades and female drama on every page. Pregnancy scares and wet dreams that turn increasingly more ominous are just a few of the trials Kyle faces on his journey toward leaving the player lifestyle behind.

While fans will be pleased that Mallette spares no expense on the sex scenes, she loads so many stereotypical bad boy traits onto Kyle that at times he feels more like a type than a living, breathing character. If you need a fix of unabashed melodrama or you're coming off a bad break up and need something to sate your taste for divine retribution, then this is the book for you.

Armchair Interviews says: Drama king alert!

This was the worse book ever, it would have been a good book from another writer but this is not Gloria Mallet compared to Shades Of Jade, what happen!!!!!

Fine Behind Kyle has it going on, he is an entrepreneur, and women love him. He has a philosphy of all are consenting adults, so he is not doing anything wrong. Well Kyle is in for a surprise, because everyone is coming down on him... Mr Got it Going on is getting ready to get his life shaken upside down, as he has to battle everyone in his life & beyond, and why is he going through this? Well first there must be some pain and he is haunted at night and haunted by day and when he meets up with a tarot reader, he realizes that one of his lovers wants him dead!!!!! One, Two, Three who is it going to be???? Kyle's trouble starts at work, travels into his home & then when his grandfather dies, life gets real crazy.... you reap what you sow!! Gloria Mallette has you sitting on the edge as you drift into the life of Kyle Lawson and learn the unforseen tell all of his life. Good and Fast read.

I am a Gloria Mallette fan to the bone but this book I serioulsy could have done without.

It is about Kyle Lawson who is supposedly some type of "man-whore" heartbreaker who continuously has nightmares. He was really close to his Native-American grandfather whom he started to pull away from once his grandfather was diagnosed with Cancer. So Kyle has these nightmares which apparently through these nightmares his grandfather is basically telling him to get his life together. Kyle has three women and does not plan to commit and one of them all of a sudden goes crazy towards the end. It may sound exciting but believe me it is a little on the boring side.

I do admit Kyle's attitude is disgusting. His mother is a busybody (to me) and his sister is a lesbian who Kyle later "father's" her lover's child. With her consent of course...

If you are a Gloria Mallette fan and have her collections. I say to go for it. Otherwise not her best work at all.

Gloria Mallete told you what this story was going to be about and she proceeded to break it down for you, just the way she told you. At one point I was like come on with something...and it really never came. To me, what was iterated was that men simply can't be satisfied with one woman also that you should treat people the way you want to be treated. I'm not going to get into the "men are dogs" thang because all of them aren't but this book kinda focuses on Kyle, the dog. He thought he was a player but I thought he was a trick. All in all I liked the ending. It wasn't a tell your gurlfriend to hurry and read this book but it's a book to pass along.

Reviewed by Jayne Cubbage.

On the surface it appears that Gloria Mallette has designed her latest novel, If There Be Pain to read like a chronicle of the life of Kyle Lawson, a selfish, ego centric womanizer who has more than a little disdain for his family since they've been nagging him about his horrible behavior. Shirking family duties and practically ruining his own business, Kyle can only be counted on to rise to the occasion when it comes to one thing--women. Despite being his grandfather's favorite grandchild, Kyle barely makes it to the nursing home where his grandfather lay dying. And at that he feels like the visit is a chore. But as grandfather Lawson dies he holds onto Kyle's sacred turtle given to him by his grandfather many years ago. The grip is so tight as his grandfather dies, the chain has to be broken in order to free Kyle.

But in order for Kyle to really be free, he must first break himself of his chain of narcissistic behavior or else possibly face death himself, if not from recklessness then from one of his many scorned lovers.

After reading page after page of Kyle's `it's all about me' mentality one may perhaps grow bored with his antics. But Mallette keeps the story fresh with a new twist around every corner by giving insight into the peripheral characters of the book and how Kyle's dirty deeds effect them.

Despite appearing to be a shallow story and a quick and easy read, Mallette touches on many deeper subjects in the book such as African American and Native American history, and the importance of family and the sacredness of personal bonds and matters of the heart. She also focuses on the importance of the lives of ancestors and their stories. For Kyle as a young child he loved to listen to the stories his grandfather told, but failed to apply them in principle in his own life. He is also very disrespectful toward his parents possibly annoying the ancestors for failing to cherish his elders.

Of course the central theme to the novel is that the world is round and what goes around comes around. This is a lesson Kyle struggles with throughout the story. In his mind the problem is everyone but himself and he refuses to recognize his own role in the downward spiral of his life.

With heavy use of the spirit realm and dreams Mallette allows Kyle's grandfather to speak to him by providing vivid imagery and near death experiences. The dreams, though scary enough to cause Kyle to avoid sleep, are meant to cajole Kyle into true manhood and into atoning for his selfish behavior. Whether or not it works is a mystery.

In the end has Kyle learned his lesson, or is he simply scared of the consequences of his actions? Or is he scared to death and craving peaceful slumber? If Kyle doesn't learn his lesson, the message to the reader is clear--abide by The Golden Rule!

Mallette has spun a wonderful story that reminds us all to evaluate our lives and strive for peace in life and in our relationships. If There Be Pain is entertaining, educational and eclectic all at once making for a fabulous read.