Customer Reviews

Whatever Gets You Through the Night

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WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT by Teri Denine chronicles Bari's life, from her early childhood through her marriage to Earl Jordon. She witnessed the stress between her parents and finally the death of her father. She grew up as a rule-following, very smart young woman who loved to learn. Her sister, Franki, was just the opposite. She found joy in life and ignored the rules when she wanted to. One day she invited Bari to a `hooky party.' Bari was afraid, but against her better judgment she went. As she attempted to hide from the partying teens in an empty bedroom, she ran across Earl and the romance begins to blossom. After she graduated from college, they were married and began their life together in spite of her friends' attempts to discourage her. She loved Earl and wanted to not only spend the rest of her life with him, but please him in every way. Earl wasn't quite that devoted and her life took a frightening turn.

WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT is a tale about listening, not just to your heart, but also to your intuition and paying attention to the wisdom your grandmother passed on, even if it didn't make sense when you were a child. Bari was living the life that many women live - existing to please a man while ignoring their own needs and desires. It is well-written and should be read by women contemplating marriage as well as those already married. It was quite a page-turner and I also recommend it for men getting ready to make the big step as well as those who are already there. There are lessons included for everyone.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Bari Jordan is the definition of the old adage Love is Blind. In Terri Denine's debut novel, Whatever Gets You Through the Night, Bari Jordan turns a blind eye to all the problems existing in marriage and household. Bari met her husband Earl, while she was still in high school when they attended a "hooky party." Earl was drunk and looking for a place to crash; Bari was out of her element and looking for a place to hide until the party was over. They ended up finding refuge in an unused bedroom. After a deep conversation with Earl where he spilled his inner demons to her, Bari knew he was her soul mate. Right after Bari graduated college, they married. Things were going well in the beginning. Bari was an up-and-coming superstar at her job. Earl was in business with his father. Then one day, Earl ran into an old friend, Tommy, the neighborhood drug dealer. As Earl's association with Tommy grew, his marriage and life spiraled downward.

Whatever Gets You Through The Night had drama and suspense. I kept waiting for the big climax, but somehow the delivery fell short. There were instances where there was a build up that something was going to happen, then it just fizzled as it was not dealt with in the next few pages; or by the time the author mentioned it again, it was too late for it to matter. I found there to be too much narration and not enough of the characters' voice. Some of the characters' actions did not make sense. I could not understand why Bari would choose to go see a psychic as the only option to seek help for her husband, then when his behavior did not change, she did nothing nor did she not go back to the psychic to at least get another potion. Despite these concerns, the interactions with Bari and Earl; Bari and her sister, and Bari and her job was interesting enough to keep me reading. I think those who enjoy the urban fiction genre will like this one.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub

Bari Jordan is a 26-year-old newlywed that has landed an executive position at one of New York's top advertising companies. This position requires long hours away from her husband Earl. Bari's seemingly perfect world shatters when Earl's controlling behavior spins out of control and he becomes abusive. With no one to turn to, Bari resorts to a Jamaican spiritualist for help. But can this spiritualist provide the help that Bari needs to get her marriage back on track? Earl is dealing with unresolved family problems and the pressure of working for his father's family-owned paper mill company. Earl's feeling of inadequacy continues when his loses his job and Bari becomes the sole breadwinner. Earl and Bari's marriage is strained when Earl's sinister behavior becomes dangerous and life-threatening.

Whatever Gets You Through The Night is a sensational debut novel by Teri Denine. Denine tells the story of how a young woman's idea of a perfect marriage really isn't that perfect at all. The signs of Earl's questionable behavior were present even when Bari and Earl were in high school. You will see how Bari's own sister tried to warn her about Earl but she still couldn't see it. This story shows that sometimes people see what they want to see instead of heeding the warnings of others. Readers may become frustrated with Bari and will want her to wake up to see the truth about Earl before it's too late. Denine showed creativity by including what is perceived to be the real meaning behind the childhood song "Ring Around The Rosie" Whatever Gets You Through The Night is fast-paced with shocking twists and turns. Hopefully this is the start of a long writing career for Teri Denine.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban Reviews

This inspirational book takes readers deep into the life of its main character, Bari Jordan, and in the process leads us to explore critical issues in our own lives: the repetitive and destructive nature of substance abuse and addictive relationships, the need for balance between the personal and professional, the unbreakable bonds of family and the fierce loyalty of friends.

Drawing readers in immediately with a prologue filled with emotion and spirituality, the author captures our attention and never lets go. As the drama of the story builds, we find ourselves relating not only to the protagonist but to those who touch her life for better or for worse. This includes her husband, Earl, who is plagued by seemingly unslayable demons, as well as her mother, who offers unconditional love from near or far; her brother, protective in adulthood as well as in childhood; and her devoted sister, always there to provide support, even if it means forcing her to confront things she isn't quite ready to face (any readers with loving siblings who insist on "telling it like it is" will catch glimpses of themselves in this relationship!).

Denine uses clever turns of phrase to keep the book consistently entertaining--in describing Bari as a young girl, for instance, she writes: "If her head wasn't buried in her books, it was buried in the sand." She also twists the plot so intriguingly we're never quite sure until the final pages how things will end up for Bari and the other characters we come to know and love.

Ultimately, deceipt, abandonment, self-doubt and loss of faith prove to be some of the truest themes--and most enduring lessons--of this page-turner: Once we finally accept certain harsh realities, do we fall victim to them or do we emerge stronger, more hopeful, and motivated to help others engaged in similar struggles? In Whatever Gets You Through the Night, that choice is Bari Jordan's. In real life, it is ours.

Whatever Gets You Through the Night truly embraces the saying that love is blind. Bari Jordan meets her husband, Earl, at a high school hooky party. From the beginning, everyone around her told he that he was not the one. But Bari knew that she loved Earl and wanted to be with him for the rest of her life. Five years later he proposes and they marry. Bari gets off to a great start with her carrier, while Earl is working for his father. Happily ever after comes a quick halt when Earl runs into his old high school buddy and begins a drug addiction. He's doing quite well keeping it from Bari. But everyone around them can see the change.

Denine takes you into the life of many women. Women doing whatever it takes to keep their man; even at the expense of their happiness. You continuously want Bari to wake up and see the real deal. You appreciate her closeness with her sister, Franki. And route for her to see the light. Whatever Gets You Through the Night kept my attention and I can't wait to see what else Teri Denine has in store for us.

Donnica Copeland
Sista Talk Book Club

Bari Jordan has had more than her fair share of heartache. As a child she witnessed her father's abusive behavior towards her mother until he was killed during a gambling argument. For Bari's mom, raising three children without her husband was a struggle but she persevered and Bari, Franki and Ricky grew up to become successful adults.

Bari's always been exceedingly smart and driven. As a student she took her studies very seriously until her sister Franki convinced her to skip school to attend a hooky party. It's at this party that Bari meets Earl. His sadness draws Bari to him and she's soon caught up in her whirlwind romance with Earl - ignoring warning signs that there could be some potential problems. He's her first and only love so when he asks her to marry him five years later, she agrees.

After they're married, Bari's busy trying to keep Earl happy and working to land the coveted position as an advertising executive. Earl works for his father at the family-owned paper mill. They're both busy with their business lives and doing their best to nurture their relationship at the same time. When Earl succumbs to the lure of drugs their lives spiral out of control. Suddenly Earl's behavior becomes erratic and Bari, who's unaware of the true reason for the change, is convinced that somehow she's to blame. She struggles to repair their relationship using any means necessary - including enlisting the aid of a Jamaican spiritualist. Will Bari succeed in saving her marriage or is Earl already too deep into his secret life of drugs, lies and abuse for even a `good girl' to save?

How often do abused women hear `just leave' or `why do you stay?' Teri Denine's WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT takes readers into the mind set of an intelligent woman as her life spirals out of control due to her husband's drug abuse. What I found genuinely interesting about this book is Ms. Denine doesn't just tell Bari and Earl's story, you also learn about the abuse that Bari witnessed as a child between her own parents. I found this book to be shocking and terrifying simply because it's so easy to understand how women could find themselves in Bari's position. I especially appreciate that there's no sugar coating the facts in the storyline.

If you're looking for a story that rouses all your protective instincts and has you wanting to step into the pages to smack some sense into some of the characters then this is the book for you. However, I must warn you there is no happily-ever-after, just a love that goes very wrong thanks to the `white lady' (cocaine).

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)