Customer Reviews

Playing with the Hand I Was Dealt

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Playing With The Hand I Was Dealt by Nikki Jenkins is a three day journey through Natalie Kelley's life. She had a set of twins to deal with, alongside the dysfunction of her greater-than-thou mother, drug-addicted sister, baby-daddy seeking best friend, and an absentee husband, Anderson. With such contorted relationships, who could remain sane?

Natalie attempted to play a role that most women fall prey to; rehabilitator. Natalie wanted to fix the lives of those she loved, often neglecting her own needs. Anderson made for her biggest challenge. With a past laced with infidelity, it took all of Natalie's strength and faith to trust her husband. Believing that he was worth the fight, she fought hard to maintain a normal marriage. But with Anderson always working, suspicion constantly crossed her path. How long would Natalie be able to dismiss what she knew in her heart? Would the people she was so dedicated to helping ever rise to her expectations? Or would Natalie crumble to pieces when she is faced with a healthy dose of reality?

Playing With The Hand I Was Dealt was a depiction of everyday living. While it is apparent that the author can write well, this novel lacked the freshness that would catapult her into the literary world. Though Natalie's mother, sister, and best friend were supporting characters, I was more interested in the stories they could possibly tell. There are a few chapters that could be omitted, as they do not add anything to the storyline. There were so many flashbacks that I was distracted through most of the novel. At this time, I cannot recommend this novel to others; however, I would not totally dismiss the author. Nikki Jenkins has a nice way with words and will hopefully weave her way to someone's best sellers list one day.

Reviewed by Darnetta Frazier
APOOO BookClub

The main character, Natalie, reminds me of Nora in Ibsen's "Doll House" because she tries hard to fit into everybody else's world. Author, Nikki Jenkins created an easily identifiable character. I felt so nervous for Natalie because she was trying so hard to live a life that she always wanted instead of acknowledging the regular life that she led. We can all find see somebody that we know while reading this book. Natalie is a good woman trying to convince herself that her man deserves her.

The other characters such as Leslie, Andrea and Dreama are very distinct and they are a lively group. I found myself angry, frustrated and even appalled by some of their antics.

There is an air of culture and class woven into the lives of the characters and I found it very refreshing. There are lessons for all women and men who love women within the pages, as well.

I enjoyed ready this character-based debut and I hope that a sequel drops in the future.

I recommend that you buy a copy.

I went into this book thinking I wasn't going to like it but surprise I really did. I think if you changed a few names and details and Natalie could of been any woman. I found myself pretty much from the begining wanting to know more about the characters. The author did a good job of getting us inside their heads. I would of liked to know more from the point of view of the husband and his motivations. I also struggled with all the flashbacks. Some of them werent very clear and it took awhile to figure out we were back in present day.
I wasn't thrilled with the ending. I prefer HEAs but even so I would of like to have a more defined outcome and some hint the stories of at least Leslie and Andrea are coming at a later date. A would recommend it.

Because of our natural instinct to be caregivers, many women fall into the role of being the doormat for all kinds of treatment from the people who rely on us. This natural instinct has a way of making us feel we should solve all of life's problems for our friends and family members while sadly leaving our own needs unattended. Such is the life of Natalie Kelley in PLAYING WITH THE HAND I WAS DEALT.

Taking a gamble on her high school sweetheart, Natalie married Anderson knowing he had a problem with infidelity and self-centeredness. Her mother, using the term loosely, was only a shell of a woman providing little in the area of motherly affection and concern. Her sister, Andrea, became addicted to drugs due to the dysfunction in their family. Her friend, Leslie, is desperately looking for a sperm donor to stop her biological clock from blowing up. Natalie tries to be the stabilizer in each of these relationships, despite her needs, until she is forced to face the facts--these are grown people who should be accountable to themselves.

PLAYING WITH THE HAND I WAS DEALT takes a brief look into a life that could possibly define any woman you know. She is the caregiver, the nurturer, the psychologist, the therapist, the mom, the lover, and the forgiver. Nikki Jenkins did an excellent job of portraying these roles in her main character and showing the dependant roles of the secondary characters. She accomplishes this over a three-day period using flashbacks as the means of bringing the readers up to snuff. The flashbacks were somewhat distracting to me due to the frequency of them; however, the author's writing style is what captures my attention. I believe this is a good first effort, and Jenkins is a new author to watch.

Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers