Customer Reviews

The Mating Game

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

 

 

The MATING GAME by Jonathan Luckett is a definite must read. The story lines are so detail and descriptive; it would definitely have your juices flowing and not wanting to put this book down. I was little disappointed with the ending but I am happy there is a sequel to this book that would put the main characters lives into prospective.
Mr. Luckett, I can't wait to read the FOREVER GAME the sequel. I hope it is captivating as the Mating Game.

Thanks again for another great read!

I really enjoyed reading Jonathan Luckett's MATING GAME. Once again, Jonathan has blown me away with his story line. I like the way he described his characters and the scenes in each chapter; many times, I could have felt myself in the story. I really enjoyed how he portrayed each character, individually. In spite of Trey having "Too much of an Ego" I still found a gentle side trying to peek out of him.

The end of the book left me a bit disappointed, but when I found out there was a sequel that excited me. I am so looking forward to reading his second book.

The book was pretty good, even though the character Trey kinda got on my last nerve. It's a very descriptive book. I could visualize almost every scene described in the book-Good job Mr. Luckett. I did not give it a 5 star for the same reason that someone else wrote, I was disappointed in how it just ended.
Jackie from Ebony Eyes book club

...be careful, however, of where you choose to read it. Some of the scenes are rather intense and may cause you to giggle, blush or get hot around the neck/ears;)

The book was not a five for me because it ended too abruptly and the description on the back cover did not match the book's contents. Despite its shortcomings, I am still looking forward to reading the sequel.

DC dating and reality slaps you right in the face! Looking forward to the next book to see the three main characters in the Mating Game come full circle.

I was anxiously awaiting the release of this book and I can't find enough words to say how disappointed I was once I began to read this book! It was long, tedious and just plain boring.

Jonathan Luckett's THE MATING GAME, originally released as How Ya Livin', is the first half of the tale of three best friends- Trey, Vince and Erika and their quest to find the right mate. All three are residents of Washington, DC., holding down successful careers and are very attractive. The story is shared mainly from Trey's point of view. When he is not handling high-profile divorce cases, he is actively pursuing erotic encounters. Haunted by an ex-lover, he involves himself with numerous women to feed his over-inflated ego.

Vince, an author and an inspirational speaker, is a romantic. In his search for "Ms. Right", he is not sure which of the women he's seeing is the one. Erika rounds out the trio. She is a fine and extremely sexy sister who has it all together. The new man in her life is handsome, a very arduous lover and financially stable but she can't shake the feeling that something is not right.

I felt THE MATING GAME was saying a lot but not really saying anything at all. The scenes were humorous and sizzling, but the unrealistic ego of the main character was over the top, which took away from the story. Erica's character could have been developed more. Luckett kept the action moving, so I could easily make it through the story but I found myself wondering where it was going because the book just ended. This is due to the fact that How Ya Livin' is now split into two books and the second half is the sequel. Maybe that volume will provide the answers that I seek.

Reviewed by Paula Henderson
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This book is definitely a must have. The author's descriptive style of writing allows you to feel each character's experience as if you were along side them.

I enjoyed the three principle characters, but Trey defiantly kept me wanting to read more. His promiscuous lifestyle kept me so entertained...

Vince, almost the complete opposite of Trey, is defiantly the kind of guy you would want to come home to, the kind of guy that knows how to take care of his woman.

Lastly, Erika (Positive Black Sista) independent, sophisticated, and sensuous, unintentionally could be intimidating to some men.... but she keeps it real and knows what she wants.

This book was outstanding hot/steamy/sexy. Just what a girl needs for train riding in DC. Trey was a horse of a different color his day life and his night life was just to good. Vince I think N.O. and the paint just turned him out and then there was Erika and she was great and she was there for her boys all the time glad she found love inside herself.

Initially, I totally judged this book by its cover. To say the least, I was reluctant to read Jonathan Luckett's novel because I presumed it would be another story about sex, love and relationships. It was; however, the way Luckett relayed and told the story made it different. Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed and pleasantly surprised.

Most male writers tend to be action-oriented; that is, their writing is not as descriptive as female writers. Jonathan Luckett's writing style is totally the opposite; I felt as if I were directly experiencing everything his characters were doing. Luckett doesn't endow his characters with titles or jobs and then that's it. He actually took the time to describe every nuance of their careers until they became fully realized individuals. I am a lover of language, too, so I must add that the way Luckett writes is fluid like liquid, the words themselves flow across the pages. I enjoyed his usage (or rather the "narrator's") usage of ellipses at the end of certain passages. It read like a song fading out on an album instead of just ending. You know, where the melody lingers and bleeds into the next cut that follows it.

With the inclusion of a character like Angelique, Luckett carries on an archetypal character that is prevalent throughout the African and African-American oral and literary tradition: the "wild" or free woman (as I prefer to call them). Angelique is a combination of Zora Neale Hurston's Janie and Toni Morrison's Sula (two of my favorite characters of all time). By including Angelique, he raises his work to that which deserves analysis. His novel became no longer just entertaining and erotic but cerebral. Angelique links the reader back to African-Americans' rich heritage, especially through her practicing voodoo and other holistic arts.

As well, I loved how Luckett ingeniously juxtaposes the character of Trey and Vince. They exist on two opposite ends of the same extreme; however, by the end, we learn how each are more alike than they know or care to realize. It's a technique that has been used by many writers with varying degrees of success. Luckett does it successfully because no longer were his characters just characters; they represented IDEAS: something that is very much needed in contemporary novels. The author challenges the reader's way of thinking. Is how Trey living right? Is how Vince conducts himself correct? Is there someplace in the middle that we all can reside comfortably and be at peace? I'm still pondering these notions.

Also, the shift in point of view throughout the novel shook me from complacency. I enjoyed how Luckett combines the first person and third person point of views. In my mind, Trey is the narrator of the whole story.

Needless to say, if you've read the book or the excerpt provided on this website, Luckett's book needs to come with a warning. For the most part, I read it in public places (work, etc.), and certain scenes would even make a grown man blush. It's funny because we live in a culture in which we're bombarded by so much sexual imagery that one can easily be desensitized by the whole act, but Luckett writes about the art of sex so sensuously that the sensitivity is resurrected like Lazarus!

I have personally met the author at the Baltimore Book Festival and he is as real as they come. After reading The Mating Game, I'm sure you'll be hooked. Jonathan Luckett is an excellent writer. Give him time; the Pulitzer Prize is on its way.