A New Kind of Bliss [Paperback]

Bettye Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2009

"[Griffin is] a budding name in mainstream African American fiction." --Chicago magazine

After her father's death, Emily Yancy agrees to move back to the dead-end town she grew up in. But she's dreading every minute she'll have to spend in her mother's tiny apartment. After all, she's a forty-three-year-old divorcée who's been doing just fine on her own.

There are some rewards for dutiful daughters, though--like Aaron Merritt, a rich, single doctor with chocolate skin and bedroom eyes. Soon he's taking Emily to fancy restaurants and inviting her to meet his family. But when the lights go out, something's missing.

Enter Teddy Simms, Emily's eighth-grade crush. Teddy hasn't achieved what Aaron has--but she soon learns that he's picked up a few skills in other areas. Can Emily choose a relationship that doesn't satisfy her mind--or an easy compatibility that doesn't quite extend into the bedroom? Or is there some way that she can find the best of both worlds?

"Fear and joy practically leap off the pages. A well-written story you will hate to see end." --Romantic Times on Once Upon a Project

"A compelling drama about three families striving for the American dream." --Booklist on If These Walls Could Talk

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Emily is on her way home to Euliss, New York, to see her dying father. Her brother and sister want her to move back and take care of their elderly mother since Emily is the only single sibling. But to Emily, Euliss is a place you move out of, not to. At her father’s funeral, however, she meets an old friend who sets her up with a very handsome and eligible widower. For an African American woman in her forties, Aaron is a dream come true—successful, intelligent, and attentive. With the incentive of a great catch waiting for her, Emily reluctantly packs up her life and moves in with her mother. But there’s Aaron’s three children and an antagonistic mother-in-law to contend with. And Aaron’s lack of pizzazz in the bedroom. Emily must decide what she wants—a truly wonderful man or a man she cannot live without. Griffin expertly explores the universal search for love and the difficulties that face women of a certain age. --Patty Engelmann

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dafina; 1 Original edition (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075823161X
• ISBN-13: 978-0758231611
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,000,053 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bettye Griffin was told by her English professor that she had a gift for writing and might want to consider pursuing writing as a professional career. She promptly dropped out of college and started crafting stories...and just 22 short years later sold her first book. Bettye writes both contemporary romance and women's fiction. A native of Yonkers, New York, Bettye has also lived in Florida and Illinois, and now crafts her compelling, drama-filled tales from her home in the great dairy state of Wisconsin. Bettye thoroughly enjoys Wisconsin's contributions to the American diet and often nibbles on cheese while writing, and she celebrates a good day of writing by having a glass of the beer that made Milwaukee famous.

Since 1998, Bettye has written 6 novels of women's fiction, including Once Upon A Project (2008) and A New Kind of Bliss (2009); and 13 contemporary romances, including A Love For All Seasons (2007) and A Love of Her Own (1999). In 2009, seeing the creative and financial freedom of publishing independent projects, Bettye started her own imprint, Bunderful Books, and to date has published three contemporary romances through this outlet, Save The Best For Last (2009), The Heat of Heat (2010), and A Kiss of a Different Color (2011). Visit her web site at www.bettyegriffin.com, and befriend her at Facebook.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Chance To Love Again, May 28, 2009

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A New Kind of Bliss (Paperback)

After the death of her father, forty-three-year-old divorcée Emily leaves her contented life in Indianapolis to move back to her hometown to help her mother with her financial affairs.

After her divorce, Emily thinks she will never find love again; that is until she meets Dr. Aaron Merritt. Rich, handsome, and a single parent, Aaron exposes Emily to fine things and summer homes, but there is something vitally missing in their relationship.

Emily runs into her junior high school crush, Teddy. Teddy is not rich like Aaron, but he gives her what she's missing with Aaron.

A NEW KIND OF BLISS by Bettye Griffin is a well-written story from beginning to end. It draws the reader into Emily's world of confusion. The characterization is very strong, and with each character, I experienced an emotional connection with each of their personalities.

Reviewed by Sharon Lewis

of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Something's Missing", October 4, 2009

By 

L. D. Brown ""Novel Diva"" (Compton,Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A New Kind of Bliss (Paperback)

I'm a fan of Ms. Griffin's work but I was bored with this novel. The supporting characters held my attention better than the main characters and it's because of this that I read the book to the end. Just an o.k. read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Staying True To Yourself To Find Love, August 11, 2009

By 

Priscilla C. Johnson "bookmaniac" (Baltimore, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A New Kind of Bliss (Paperback)

Bettye Griffin's novel, A New Kind of Bliss, is the story of 43 year-old divorcee, Emily Yancy. After she found her husband in bed with another woman, Emily built a life for herself in Indianapolis as a physician's assistant. She was settled and loving her new life with her friends when she received a call to come home to Eurliss, New York.

Emily returned home just moments before her father passed away from a heart attack. Eager to return to Indianapolis after the funeral, Emily was forced by her brother and sister to remain at home to take care of their mom, who was 77- years old. To help her get adjusted to life in Eurliss, her friend from high school introduced her to Dr. Aaron Merrit, a recent widowed, very handsome, and rich doctor. Emily and Aaron were immediately attracted to each other. Aaron wined and dined Emily until she was convinced that he was the man of her dreams - that is until she bumped into Teddy Simms. Emily had a crush on Teddy in grade school and she was still attracted to him. One night, she decided to act on her attraction with Teddy and she immediately realized that Aaron was not the one for her. She had to decide whether she wanted to live with the man that could give her everything she ever wanted or the man that satisfied her in every way imaginable.

Griffin's story was a lot of fun to read. I found myself laughing-out-loud at the characters and the decisions that Emily made throughout the book. For this reviewer, the story did drag in some place but it was compensated with laughter.

I would recommend this book to any book club to read.

Priscilla C. Johnson

APOOO BookClub