Customer Reviews

Sugar's Daddy (Urban Soul)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sugar's Daddy opens with Payton pleading with his wife, Keisha, not to leave the house for a night of partying...again. But she ignores his pleas and his worst nightmare becomes a reality. After a frantic phone call in the middle of the night from Keisha, she disappears, leaving Payton to care for their only daughter alone. Now seventeen years later, Alana is in high school and diagnosed with Bipolar disease. But with the help of therapy and medication, Payton is determined to give Alana the best life possible. Sometimes sacrificing his own needs. After a trail of dead-end relationships, Alana suggest an on-line dating service. There he is introduced to a woman only known by the screen name Even-Sweeter and that's when his troubles begin. From Alana's secret new boyfriend, a strange stalker, to Keisha resurfacing, Payton's world is about to come undone.
Sugar's Daddy is not your usual Boy meets Girl love story. The mysterious spin lured me in and toyed with my emotions. Though I predicted the identity of the stalker before it was revealed, the ending was a shocker that i didn't see coming. I enjoyed reading Sugar's Daddy by Kaira Denee and recommend it to those who appreciates a good love story with a twist.
Author Iris Celeste
Sisterhood BookClub

Can a single man really raise a girl child and still have a decent romantic life? Not if he is Payton and his daughter is Sugar. In Sugar's Daddy by Kaira Denee, Payton prepares himself to finally being able to seek the comfort of a woman now that Sugar will be going away to college. He did not bargain for things to change over night with Sugar. Sugar was diagnosed with bipolar disorder; which causes her behavior to go from well-mannered to out of control. Will Payton find out what has sent Sugar into her latest bout of destructive behavior before he loses a chance at love?

Ms. Denee did a good job of writing about a character who is mentally unstable. As I read anything that had to do with Sugar I found myself shaking my head and saying `this girl is nuts.' The other characters were well-developed as well. I could feel the mental anguish that Payton dealt with as he tried to figure out what to do to keep Sugar from turning dark. The editing was not perfect, but it was not bad enough to slow the pace of the reading. There was a secondary plot that was a bit confusing to me; and I did not feel as though it was clarified before the books end. Overall, Sugar's Daddy was a fast and drama-filled book. I recommend it to readers who are looking for something entertaining and quick.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

Alana Harris, also known as Sugar, is a 17-year-old senior who is on her way to college. Privileged to have a great father in her life, who puts her every need before his own, she is a high achieving student. Unfortunately, she is sick and will face some serious challenges with her health and state of mind.

When Payton met his wife Keisha, she had an infant. When Keisha disappeared, Payton raised Sugar as his own child, giving her the best he could. Although he does whatever he can to ensure his daughter's happiness, when it comes to his needs, he is neglected. Having to end many relationships because of his daughter, he looks forward to her leaving for college. At least then, he can began to concentrate on his love life and getting his needs met.

Payton is excited about Sugar's foray into college. He feels he has prepared her well and though he will miss her, he can hardly wait to find Ms. Right when she leaves. Although his heart longs to meet the right girl, he will have to wait because his daughter's life is spinning out of control. Payton must save his Sugar or he will lose her forever.

SUGAR'S DADDY is a great story that focuses on a father and his love for his child. The story demonstrates how a father will do whatever it takes to help his child overcome her problems. If you are looking for a book filled with drama and put fathers in a positive light, showing them loving and caring for their child, this is the book for you.

Reviewed by RM Jackson
for The RAWSISTAZ (tm) Reviewers

Payton Harris is looking forward to the day his daughter, Alana, goes off to NYU. She's seventeen and like the average teen she's complicated. While she is a teen and goes through growing pains, she's a lot different due to her bipolar disease. Usually Payton keeps his eyes peeled for any indication that she's not taking her meds, but lately, his mind has been occupied with the roller-coaster that has become his love life.

Cassandra Stone is a single mom with an open relationship with Mia's dad, Brice. While it's apparent that they love one another, Cassie simply can't deal with the cheating that comes with being apart of Brice's life. When Cassie overhears Brice telling another woman that he loves her, it's then that she's determined to never become the other woman.

Whereas neither Payton nor Cassandra is ready or interested in being involved, the two become drawn to one another. Friendship blossoms and the two find themselves in search for more. However, jealousy and hatred quickly entwines their getting to know you phase which has them both on edge. Is this a romance in the making?

SUGAR'S DADDY is a fine read that deals with relationships, mental health, love and betrayal. What I really liked is the author was unafraid to use a different method. Finally a single father who was willing to run the course with all together different prevalent issues affecting the African American community, sickle cell anemia, instead of the run of the mill prostitution and drug abuse. However, missing was more from the story. Cassie and her friendship with Tasha - what happened? The importance of the mother finally coming back into the picture after all that time? I don't want to ruin the story, but I felt like the explanation was sub par to say the least.

Reviewed by: Crystal

The lead character Payton has sacrificed quality relationships to focus on raising his daughter "Sugar". When his wife left when Sugar was still around 4, Payton decided to dedicate his life to fathering her and making sure she gets everything she needs. He has had the occasional physical relationship but they never go far because of his dedication and commitment to his daughter. Then he meets Cassie and suddenly he is counting down the months until his now 17 year old daughter leaves for college and he will have the chance to pursue a more serious relationship. Cassie is recovering from a final breakup with the father of her child and though thinking she needs a break from relationships, she too is intrigued by a relationship with Payton. Unfortunately, both Cassie and Payton have special needs children. Therefore, Cassie and Payton have to decide if they follow up on their attraction to each other...

This book was part drama, part mystery, part romance and a little bit of horror (at least to me). I think because the author tried to mix so many things, it came out unsatisfying in most of those areas. Several of the side story lines were underdeveloped...probably because there were so many...and some of the stories were either not resolved or wrapped up nice and neat in a paragraph or two near the end.

I give author Kaira Denee credit for trying something different, for me it just didn't work. The summary of the book gives the impression that is is a romance novel, but it is something very different from that so different that if I'd really known the premise I never would have bought it.

KC Girlfriends Book Club Reviewers use a specific book review template. These are the five elements that we use to help come up with the score for our reviews:
1. Book Presentation (title, cover and synopsis)
2. Book Price
3. Character Development
4. Storyline
5. Editing

Our reviews will reflect these important aspects that we think should be apart of a book review from an avid reader's prospective.

Book Presentation: 0.5pt
The biggest issue with this book is the cover. The cover is very misleading and doesn't do the book justice. This is definitely a Contemporary Fiction novel not a Young Adult or Romance novel. Love the title. The title is a great play on words. The synopsis would make me want to purchase the book.

Book Price: 1pt
Book price is comparable.

Character Development: 1pt
I loved all of the characters. I felt that the characters were believable and all the characters were relative to the storyline. You really felt that you knew the characters through the character's dialog and not through a lot of description or narrative from the author. The characters took on a life of their own.

Storyline: 1pt
I really loved the storyline. I felt that Sugar's bipolar disorder really hit the mark and that the storyline really held you attention. There was suspense, romance (loved those sex scenes! lol), and really just a great storyline!

Editing: 1pt
Editing was good.


Book Review Score: 4.5 Stars

TaNisha Webb
KC Girlfriends Reviewer
KC Girlfriends Book Club President

I thought this book was great! I really enjoyed it for a couple of reasons. First, I loved the twist at the end, didn't see it coming at all! I don't want to give anything away, but I thought it was clever and it made for one powerful ending...it really left an impression. Also, this book was actually pretty informative about some really relevant health issues. And I liked that Kaira Denee was able to convey that information in an interesting way while still keeping us entertained by the storyline. As far as the dynamic between characters goes, I thought there was something really endearing about the way that the two main characters, Payton and Cassie, went about trying to develop their relationship in the midst of the struggles and difficulties (and downright drama) that each of their lives involved. All in all I thought it was impressive that Kaira Denee was able to incorporate all of this and still manage for this book to be a light and easy read, which is what I was looking for out of it.

I just got finished reading Sugar's Daddy and all I can say is that Kaira Denee has done it again! I was a fan after reading Take it There and now I'm a groupie after reading Sugar's Daddy. It's very refreshing to read a book in this genre that brings awareness to illnesses that are rarely discussed and does not glamorize sex, drugs, and money. I can't wait for book #3!

This is the second book I've read by Kaira Denee and I must say "I like her style." In this story, Kaira has dared to address serious topics (such as HPV, bipolar disorder, and sickle cell) that are not usually found in contemporary urban fiction, and mixed it with lots of drama and suspense. Definitely kept my attention throughout...

Sugar's Daddy was even better than her first - Kaira is definitely growing as a writer and I will continue to support her efforts to promote literacy and awareness!

I read Kaira Denee's previous novel "Take It There" and "Sugar's Daddy" was "Take It There" times 3! I definitely agree with Judy's comment that it was a pager turner with a twist. It's definitely a quick read with a lot of excitement and worth purchasing.