She Had It Coming (Hardcover)

by Mary Monroe (Author)
Key Phrases: Mary Monroe, Miss Naomi, Paw Paw (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The question in Monroe's steamy but seedy shocker is who should suffer the most: the unreliable narrator or her BFF who commits murder on the night of their senior prom? Dolores Reese, a foster child, and her best friend, Valerie Proctor, get caught in a web of deadly secrets after LoReese witnesses Valerie killing her stepfather, Zeke Proctor, to protect her mother. The friends drift apart but stay in sporadic touch, and 16 years later, Lo, now married, confides her own secret: she's jailhouse married to her first love, Floyd Watson, who's been locked up for years on a bogus rape/murder charge. When Floyd is belatedly cleared of the charges, Lo's determined to stay married to both men, and Valerie agrees to help her. Monroe draws a bleak picture of how secrets can wreck friendships, but she fails to create much sympathy for either the sometimes sarcastic and conceited Lo or Valerie. Readers might find Lo's bigamy lifestyle a little too unbelievable and a late-breaking affair too out-of-left-field, but those who can sit back and go along with the chain of double-crosses and deception should enjoy the ride. (Sept.)
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From Booklist
Dolores Reese has had a rough life, but she has managed to stay out of trouble. A foster child in South Central L.A., her boyfriend, Floyd, ends up wrongly arrested, charged with the brutal rape and murder of a young girl, and sentenced to life in prison. Dolores is crushed, but she slowly rebuilds her life while promising to stick by Floyd no matter what. However, she meets and marries Paul, keeping Floyd a complete secret even though she visits him monthly. On one of these visits, Floyd asks her to marry him, and feeling pity, she agrees and goes through with the ceremony. Then Floyd is released, and Dolores finds herself building lies on top of lies as she lives two separate lives with two separate husbands. It’s only a matter of time before she is found out. Though it all seems rather farfetched, Monroe keeps the suspense high, and readers will draw a bated breath with the turn of each page. --Hilary Hatton

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dafina (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758212194
• ISBN-13: 978-0758212191
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #137,615 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good to the last page!!! , September 6, 2008

By	PrinceLuva79 "Loves a good book!!" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

Mary Monroe writes a book like no one else can!!! I love reading her work. I find myself laughing out loud at the descriptions she gives that are so vivid I can picture what she is describing. The descriptions about Noble, Moanin' Lisa and Glodine had me near tears!!!
In this novel you meet Dolores Reese a young woman who grew up in foster care. Valerie is Delores' best friend, and Valerie and her entire family (including the elderly grandfather Paw Paw !!) suffer the wrath of her psycho step father Mr. Zeke. Valerie will do whatever it takes to ensure that her family is protected. Dolores ends up involved in Valerie's family drama, although she is an unwilling participant. Meanwhile, Dolores falls in love with another foster child, Floyd Watson, a neighbor from down the street, and they vow to be together, until an innocent Floyd winds up in jail..for life!
Dolores tries to move on with her life while her one true love is locked up, but finds it hard to do so. Dolores eventually moves on gets a great job on a cruise line, and marries Paul Dunne while keeping Floyd as a deep dark secret. Eventually Dolores marries Floyd out of pity thinking he will never be released!! Shockingly,Floyd is released when new evidence turns up and this sends Dolores' life into a complete state of turmoil. With Valerie's help, Dolores is sure she can pull off the ultimate secret, having two husbands!!! Only some secrets won't stay a secret for long...
This book is well written, the story is filled with surprises and the characters will seem so real. This book was so good I am sad to see it end!! Can't wait for the next novel from Ms.Monroe, I know it will not dissapoint!!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars WHICH ONE HAD IT COMING?, October 6, 2008

By	Lesley E. Hal "Author of 'Blind Temptations' ... (Dallas, Tx) - See all my reviews

WAS IT VALERIE OR DELORES OR BOTH? I LOVE THE HUMOR MARY DESCRIBES HER CHARACTERS WITH. SHE DOES THIS IN EVERY BOOK AND IT'S SOMETHING I LOOK FORWARD TOO. HOWEVER, THE STORY LINE WAS A GOOD ONE BUT TOO DRAWN OUT. IT SHOUDL'VE JUST TOLD US WHY DELORES FELT SHE OWED FLYOD HER TOTAL DEVOTION THEN GOT ON WITH THE PLOT. WE SHOULDN'T HAD TO GO THROUGH THEIR CHILDHOOD AND MR ZEKE'S DEATH. IT COULD'VE BEEN IN THE STORY BUT AS A MEMORY OR A SECRET NOT A FULL BLOW BY BLOW ISSUE.

I DON'T FEEL THAT THERE WAS ANY CLOSURE WITH THIS BOOK. WHAT HAPPENED WITH MOANING LISA, PAUL, FLYOD AND DID VALERIE DECIDE TO KEEP THAT MUCH OF A SECRET ABOUT DELORE'S INVOVLMENT IN THE MURDER? I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE SINCE SHE SUNG LIKE A CANARY WHEN SHE LEARNED OF HER MAN'S DECIET. BEING THE FRIEND SHE CLAIMED TO BE SHE SHOULD'VE SAW WHO WAS REALLY AT FAULT EVEN IF AFTER THE FACT. I HATE THERE WAS NO MORE INTERACTION WITH DELORES AND FLYOD AFTER ALL SHE DID FOR HIM TO KEEP HIS SPIRITS LIFTED WHILE IN JAIL IT SEEMS AS IF HE WOULD'VE GOT OVER HIMSELF ADN AT LEAST FORGAVE HERT AND RESUMED A FRIENDSHIP SINCE LOYALTY WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM. I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY PAUL MARRIED DELORES OR HIS POINT IN THE BOOK.

THE STORY WAS ENTERTAINING BUT RUSHED AND LEFT A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. I GIVE THIS BOOK 3 STARS ONLY BECAUSE I KNOW MARY IS A BETTER WRITER THAN THIS AND HER LAST FEW BOOKS HAVE ALL BEEN LACKING THE APPEAL OF THE UPPER ROOM, LAY MY BURDENS DOWN, GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY ETC. MARY NEED TO GO BACK AND RE-READ THOSE BOOKS TO GET HER MOJO BACK BECAUSE FROM RED LIGHT UNTIL NOW HER STORIES HAVE ALL SEEMED THROWN TOGETHER.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Should Have Seen It Coming!, October 23, 2008

By	Urban-Reviews.com (Urban-Reviews.com) - See all my reviews

When Dolores Reese met Floyd Watson, she knew that he was the one for her. Dolores promised that she would stick by Floyd's side no matter what. Because of a bad decision, Floyd is sent to prison for life. Dolores visits Floyd and keeps her promise to do his time with him forever. But when Dolores meets and marries Paul, she thinks that she can still continue visiting Floyd without revealing that she is now a married woman. Dolores enlists the help of her best friend Valerie to help with this deception. Dolores soon finds out that playing this dangerous game can have devastating consequences.

She Had It Coming is an entertaining novel by Mary Monroe. Monroe once again brings an intriguing novel with an "out of the ordinary" plot. From the very first page, you will see that Dolores is not the only flawed character in this book. Some of the actions of the characters in this story are so unbelievable and outrageous that you will be laughing out loud. Monroe also did a good job of showing the consequences of living this kind of life. Although living a double life is dubious, you may find yourself rooting for Dolores to get out of this situation unscathed. She Had It Coming is full of all the drama and humor that Mary Monroe is known for.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for Urban Reviews