Playing the Hand You're Dealt [Paperback]

Trice Hickman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 2010

Emily Snow is a gentle, kind-hearted young woman who plays by the rules, makes good decisions, and always does the right things. But her quiet and rather uneventful life soon changes when her mother dies--the only family she had left, leaving her devastated and grief-stricken. Ready to bury her sorrow, and with coaxing from her best friend, Samantha Baldwin, Emily decides to make a fresh start, moving from her hometown of Atlanta, to the power capital of Washington, DC. There, she fights to build a new life and tame a secret demon that's been gnawing at her for years, the one thing her heart has always desired...her best friend's father!..........Samantha Baldwin is the ultimate rebel, not necessarily with a cause! Wild and bold, she does whatever she wants without a second thought. From her poor choices in bad men, to her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Samantha has always run from truth and straight into trouble. But just as she's about to finally get her act together, a chain of events threatens to spin her life dangerously out of control. Embroiled in drama, Samantha doesn't think things can get any worse...until her best friend betrays her in a way she never imagined. Now, she must tap into an inner-strength she didn't know she had, and hold on to a family she realizes is worth fighting for.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Trice Hickman, is the award-winning, bestselling author of Unexpected Interruptions, and Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies. Trice is currently working on her next novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Platinum Books (August 24, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979561825
• ISBN-13: 978-0979561825
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #557,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Trice Hickman's love affair with books began when she was a small child, but it wasn't until she enrolled in an advanced women's literature course during her junior year of college that she thought about becoming a writer. After suffering from years of writer's block, her literary window finally opened with the release of her self-published debut novel, Unexpected Interruptions, November 2007. The book garnered praise from literary reviewers, book clubs, and readers, and was selected by Black Expressions as their December 2008, Editor's Pick for Dynamic Debut Feature. Trice's much anticipated sequel, Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies, was released June 2009, and her third novel, Playing the Hand You're Dealt, was released August 2010. Upon the success of her work, Trice signed a book deal with Kensington Publishing Company (Dafina Books), for the publication rights of her three originally self-published titles, which will all be re-released beginning April 2011. Trice is currently writing her next book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyone Deserves to Be Loved..., August 31, 2010

By 

A.Q.Branch - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing the Hand You're Dealt (Paperback)

Although I was not convinced I would enjoy Playing the Hand You're Dealt after reading a synopsis of the book (as the underlying "creep-out" factor that surrounded a young woman falling in love with her best friend's father had the potential to overshadow the sub-plots), Trice Hickman's third novel, Playing the Hand You're Dealt, proved to be both a great summer read and the ultimate page turner!

Without giving away any of the story, this is a definite book club must read! Set in Washington, DC, this newest work of fiction from Trice Hickman is so much more than the tale of a torrid affair; rather, I would argue that any of the other sub-plots (i.e., mother-daughter relationships, African American's attitudes toward gays/lesbians, perceived social status, and perceptions of beauty in the African American community) all had enough substance to stand on their own as separate storylines and therefore, were just as central to the development of the characters as the primary storyline.

I do, however, suggest (although not absolutely necessary) that if you have not already read Unexpected Interruptions and Keeping Secrets and Telling Lies, that you do so before reading this work (as the characters from the other two novels, in a writing style similar to E. Lynn Harris', are intertwined into this storyline and much of the back-story is key to truly understanding the actions and overall development of the characters in this work).

I would have given the book five stars if the nice, neat "fairly tale" didn't seem so contrived.

I am looking forward to reading the next book by Trice Hickman; her works of fiction continue to give a voice to the middle/upper-middle class African American, a voice that will always struggle to be heard in the "land" of street/urban literature that is currently saturating the market.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Twist Of Fate, November 6, 2010

By 

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

This review is from: Playing the Hand You're Dealt (Paperback)

PLAYING THE HAND YOU'RE DEALT pulls the reader into the close-knit friendship of Emily and Samantha. As close to being sisters as they could possibly be without sharing the same blood, their friendship takes some unexpected twists that test the bond they built over many years. Samantha struggles to find herself and her place in life. Her self-reflection proves to be both painful and frustrating. Will she ever find real happiness?

Emily is forced to come to grips with some forbidden feelings she has held onto for many years. Will she finally give in to her emotions? Will she lose a cherished friendship in the process?

This tale shows how friendship of the tried-and-true nature can endure the roughest of storms. It reveals the stuff that genuine sisterhood is made of. Trice Hickman has once again written a page-turner, which has the reader rooting for some of the characters, while despising others. It will be great to see a sequel to his work.

Reviewed by Marcia Brevard Wynn
for The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Self-assured, July 2, 2011

By 

BookFiend "BookFiend" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing the Hand You're Dealt (Kindle Edition)

Is just one way to describe this book. The writing style is confident with hardly any missteps.
This is the story of Emily & Edward (thank you for giving the protagonists simple and in my view, elegant names!), Ed is Emily's best friend - Samantha's - father. This is about their enduring love spanning years, kept secret from all including each other to protect their loved ones. Not so hard a task as long as they live in different states...until Emily suffers the loss of her beloved mother and last living relative and moves temprarily into Ed's turf...and home. The home in which his wife and grandchild reside. Now all bets are off as they try hard & ultimately fail to suppress their feelings amidst a background of family dysfunction & drama which though seemingly endless is never OTT. Let's not forget Ed's harridan of a wife, Brenda who will not go quietly. Brenda is a scheming, damaged woman more interested in keeping up appearances than keeping her family together. The author's skill at drawing the persona of Brenda- a figure of dislike, hilarity yet pity- is superb. In my experience, too many authors would have overplayed their hands, desperate to portray a deeply unsympathetic character & remove any hint of sympathy one might feel towards the wronged wife but Ms Hickman rose to the task unflinchingly; never sugarcoating the unpleasant reality of Emily's affair with a married man and the potential havoc this could wreak on his wife no matter how problematic she might be. We end up rooting for Emily simply because she is wonderfully written as a loving, truly decent person who is all too human and does painfully pay a price for her affair with Ed.
Running parallel with the Ed and Emily saga is the mixed-up, crazy world of Ed's daughter Samantha, her son CJ, thug of a baby-daddy Carl and an assortment of men including a never to be forgotten ex- boyfriend, Tyler who stands by her when things really start to unravel. Namely, a hilarious, brilliant scene involving a society garden party, a drugged out Carl spoiling for a showdown, an even funnier 'ready to beat him down' Samantha, the police and a near-hysterical Brenda devastated by the social ramifications of a less than perfect society party!
Throughout the book we are given each characters narrative, allowing us insight into their thoughts and feelings. This is a skill which is hard to pull off and I for one enjoyed reading each characters perspective; reminding me how easily we can (especially in real-life) misconstrue others words or actions.
We did get our fairytale (sort of) ending but not tied up in a neat little package- hearts needed to mend and wounds heal from all the pain inflicted but in the end they all lived happily ever after... hey it's a fictional story afterall; albeit one which is mature and beautifully written. This is one of the few books I would willingly award more than 5 stars, had this been an option.