Illegal Affairs [Mass Market Paperback]

Sheila Dansby Harvey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2005

A sophisticated, African-American tale of spicy intrigue.

Four talented professionals enroll in historically black Monroe School of Law. They’re best friends, until one starts to outshine the others. As competition escalates, these ‘friends’ begin a dangerous, titillating game of seduction and treachery. Whatever it takes to come out on top. When envy and egos spin out of control, betrayal is certain. But what about murder?

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When a group of thirtysomething professionals begin their studies at the historically black Monroe Law School in Texas, affairs commence. Raven Hollaway is a beautiful, confident, and untrustworthy woman. She sets her sights on a Texas senator and employs ruthless tactics to entice him. Callie Stephens, daughter of a respected judge who kills himself, is carefree, smart, and a great legal researcher. She gains the trust and respect of her peers and professors. Keith Dawson left a family in Atlanta to pursue a new life after an affair destroyed his marriage. His past hurts and doubts force him to remain platonic with the woman he really desires. Omar Faxton is a former football player. His good looks and enormous ego cause him to choose pride over ethics and revenge over forgiveness. When he finally chooses to do what is right, he discovers his change of heart has come too late. In the end, these students are very different than when they arrived, and their law careers are in question. And the reader has enjoyed a compelling read. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Shelia Dansby Harvey was inspired to write Illegal Affairs when she returned to her alma mater, Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, as an adjunct professor. She presently practices law and teaches at Rice University. During the 90s Shelia and her husband, Henry, published Black Tie, an African-American lifestyles magazine. Illegal Affairs has been eagerly anticipated by those familiar with her writing in various publications including the Houston Chronicle. Shelia and Henry reside in Houston, where she is at work on the sequel to Illegal Affairs. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (January 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758208219
• ISBN-13: 978-0758208217
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,769,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talk About Touching Close to Home!, June 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Illegal Affairs (Paperback)

This story hit me everywhere, my heart, my head, and my funnybone. I was hooked from the first page, which starts with a detective finally tracking down a body that he's been looking for for quite a while. The detective tells a woman that he can't wait to talk to her daughter about the dead body, but since no names are used, I couldn't tell who the detective suspects.

Then the book goes back about three years to the first day of law school and all of these really interesting characters show up. Raven is my favorite, that scene with her in the men's restroom had me laughing out loud and feeling like I know nothing about real sex! And the part with her and the doctor took me completely by surprise. Callie's situation with her father broke my heart, and the senator teed me off with his superior attitude. I laughed when I saw how he ended up. Omar simply defies description.

I wish that there had been more about Keith, his ex-wife and his lover. That part was almost too painful for me to read (for personal reasons) but I still wanted more of it. The book is really a page turner and I was blown away by the ending. The writer deliberately left some provocative questions unanswered, so I'm on the lookout for part two.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Critique of "Illegal Affairs.", July 11, 2002

By 

G. Madison (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Illegal Affairs (Paperback)

I am Georgia Madison, author of Gettin' Down to the "Real" Nitty-Gritty. I am an author who is very realistic, humorous and direct, not only in my writing but also in my life, and I would like to submit my honest critique of "Illegal Affairs" from my point of view as a woman with the aforementioned attributes. I would like to congratulate Shelia Dansby Harvey on a job well done. Her story line and characters are realistic, very interesting and all have substance, which is something I value in reading. At that point in her book where intrigue first rears its head, each chapter thereafter flows with a constant rhythm of intrigue, which impels the reader to want to continue reading on and on in anticipation of what intriguing events will occur next. I have not watched a soap opera since 1980, but I remember how I was when I used to watch, and "Illegal Affairs" reminds me of a soap opera in a book. Just as I hear my family members and coworkers carrying on and anxiously anticipating what new intriguing events will occur from day to day on their soap operas, so will the readers anxiously anticipate what will occur from chapter to chapter in "Illegal Affairs."

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing - I can't wait for the sequel, May 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Illegal Affairs (Paperback)

In addition to realistically portraying the competitive law school classroom experience, ILLEGAL AFFAIRS, skillfully intertwines romance, humor, everyday life challenges, and ... murder. I gasped, laughed, reminisced, and eagerly anticipated the next twist in this intricate storyline of 4 law students who have a multitude of "issues."

I enjoyed ILLEGAL AFFAIRS, I eagerly await the sequel and it is worth buying.