May December Souls: A Novel [Paperback]

Marissa Monteilh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 2002

A sexy, honest, and spiritual journey
from a fresh new voice.Mariah Pijeaux is about to turn the big 4-0. Although she has always dreamed of becoming a broadcast journalist, she is working as a temporary assistant in Hollywood. She is a tall, striking mother of three with a honeysuckle complexion and a funky hairdo. Physically addicted to her boyfriend, Kareem Washington, an ex-professional basketball player wit the charm and charisma of a politician, Mariah yearns for a more emotionally satisfying relationship. She wants to break free from Kareem's narcissistic patterns, yet his skill at manipulating her mind and body make her feel stuck and controlled. She even attends local relationship seminars in an attempt to escape from her self-defeating patterns in relationships. And then she meets Malik Tolliver. He is a tall, dark man who just happens to be twentyone years old. She tries to resist his charm but is immediately drawn to him. This one, she hopes, will be different.

Told in Mariah's own voice, May December Souls is a moving story of soul-searching and life lessons.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Glam-town L.A. is the backdrop for this slick New Age-style romance by a former relationship lecturer turned novelist. Mariah Pijeaux is about to hit 40 and hopes one day to "experience the beauty of unconditional love from a man." But because her musician father abandoned her at age five leaving the family for a white woman this gorgeous African-American single mother with three well-adjusted kids believes she is "independent and controlling just like my mother," and therefore unfit for true love. Stuck for years in a purely sexual relationship with Kareem, a wealthy, possessive but unfaithful ex-professional basketball player, Mariah attends a local relationship seminar run by love specialist Dr. Singer to learn how to break free of her self-defeating tendencies. Her efforts to change pay off handsomely, attracting the interest of one Malik Tolliver a gloriously good-looking man with a "perfectly shaped, Michael Jordan chocolate head" who happens to be 21. Despite their nearly two-decade age difference (Malik is only a few years older than Mariah's eldest daughter), the romance blossoms into the kind of healthy, supportive friendship heartily endorsed by Dr. Singer. This book sports far too many contrived plot twists and one-dimensional characters to engage most readers. But the snappy, in-your-face tough girl dialogue and steamy sex may be enough to keep some turning the pages. Agent, Richard Curtis.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

As Mariah Pijeaux approaches her fortieth birthday, she begins a process of self-evaluation: the intimate relationship with her ex-football player lover, the tribulations of raising her children as a widow, the ups and downs of her career, the hurt of her missing- in-action father, and the health of her ailing mother. Yet, with all of the woes she is experiencing, Mariah is determined to make some life changes. After attending a women's self-empowerment seminar, she realizes that she has more control over her relationships than she has taken responsibility for. Then she meets the handsome 21-year-old Malik Tolliver. She is immediately drawn to his persistent charm and flirtatiousness. As she struggles with the age issue, she is even more conflicted by the fact that this young man represents the type of person that she is searching for. Monteilh has written an emotionally charged novel about life and the reverse stereotype of an older woman involved with a younger man. This will definitely be a hit for this first-time author. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1st edition (March 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006000732X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060007324
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,631,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Voted amongst the 2010 Women of Influence in Publishing by Written Magazine, and a 2010 Pink Diamond Award Honoree at the African-American Literary Festival hosted by SistahFriend Bookclub, Marissa Monteilh (Mon-tay), a former model, television news reporter, and commercial actress, originally self-published her first book, May December Souls, in November 2000. The following year she signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins for the re-release of May December Souls, and a second novel, The Chocolate Ship.

Marissa again signed with HarperCollins for her third title, Hot Boyz, and the next year wrote two books for Kensington/Dafina. The first Dafina book, Make Me Hot, was a 2006 African-American Literary Award nominee. The second title, Dr. Feelgood, was released in 2007, and re-released in March 2011.

Life Changing Books published Something He Can Feel in 2008. The self-published e-book version was pubbed on March 1, 2011. An inspirational e-book novella called The Six-Letter Word debuts on January 31, 2012, and the long-awaited sequel in the Hot Boyz trilogy, called Hot Girlz, hits the shelves on October 29, 2011. A title regarding the ultimate best-friend betrayal, Turnabout is Fair Play, debuted on June 1, 2011, through A Chapter A Month.com. And coming October 2012 - the highly requested sequel to Dr. Feelgood, called You've Got It Bad.

Marissa is a regular contributor to the literary blog, Novel Spaces, and a member of the all female group of touring writers, Atlanta's GA Peach Authors.

Originally from Los Angeles, Marissa now resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her family.

Visit Marissa's website at www.marissamonteilh.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May December Souls, March 14, 2001

By 

Rochelle Scroggins (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: May December Souls (Paperback)

This was one of the best books that I have read since starting our book club a year ago! This book was not only about a older woman and younger man which you quickly forgot about when you realize that Malik knew more about being a real man then men twice his age. This book dealt with issues that everyday people deal with. If you thought this book was only going to deal with a May December relationship, you are in for a very pleasent surprise. This book dealt with everything from feeling like you were abandent by a parent to getting to know yourself better than someone else think they do. Also the issues that Dr. Singer talker about were deep and thought provoking. I would recommend this book to both men and women alike in or out of a relationship. You can learn the difference from being alone from being lonely. The characters are so realistic that I'm sure that we all can relate to one or all of them. I sometime ask myself, when do a player get tired of playing? I'm sure we all know somebody like that. This book can definitely be used for future reference. This book left me smiling long after I turned the last page. I could tell that Marissa Monteilh put her heart and soul into this book and it really showed. I look forward to reading her next book coming out in August. I wish her the best of luck in her future which I'm sure will be very bright!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXTRAORDINARY, November 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: May December Souls (Paperback)

Marissa Monteilh is one of the most eloquent, down to earth writers that I have experienced in years. Her creativity and ability to bring her characters to life were so extraordinary. The emotional rollercoaster of these experiences became so realistic throughout the chapters of May December Souls that I found myself actually recognizing remedy of healing that will allow me to purge from my own personal closet many of the negative memories of situations I've experienced in the past.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HILARIOUS AND THOUGHTFUL, March 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: May December Souls (Paperback)

Not only was this book funny from start to finish. It also gave me a different outlook on older women younger men relationship. It seems to me sometime, in order to find happiness and compadability in a relationship we have to cross over to another generation,wether it be a much younger or older man.

For those of you who haven't read the book go get your copy. It's worth it. I think this writer has great potentials. I wish her the best and looking forward to her next book CHOCOLATE SHIP.