What's a Woman to Do? [Hardcover]

Victor Mcglothin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

When a corporate diva Janeen Hampton-Gilliam meets the kind of dream man that'll make most women want to trade theirs in, her struggling marriage with a philandering husband gets even harder to maintain. Throw in trouble at work and a novel that tells the deepest secrets of her youth, and Janeen has more on her plate than she can handle.

Her younger sister, Sissy, is having the time of her life working dirty real estate deals and enjoying her friendship with the young women who are paid mistresses to Dallas's powerful men. But when the only man she's ever loved suddenly reappears, he causes more drama than she could imagine.

And then there's Joyce-the eldest of the three, who spends most of her time praying for the sins of the other two, while at the same time dealing with hidden secrets of her own. When she sees a woman who looks suspiciously like Sissy in a compromising position with Janeen's wayward husband, she has to decide which sister deserves her allegiance.

The combination of new and old secrets is explosive, and it sets off a whole powder keg of emotions. With so many scandalous issues hanging in the balance, Janeen, Sissy and Joyce are left wondering, What's A Woman To Do?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Joyce, Janeen, and Janesse are sisters who grew up in Dallas, transplanted from Newberry, Louisiana. They are beautiful, smart, and harbor secrets that keep them from being as close as they should. Joyce is the oldest and has been desperately trying to get Janeen to share their family past with Janesse. Janeen, the middle child, is entangled in a work situation and a quickly crumbling marriage. Janesse, the youngest, is living well but unscrupulously. Their past and present fears come to the fore when Janeen's husband is caught up in a scandal that the FBI is investigating. The special agent assigned to the investigation is not only interested in solving the case but also in Janeen. The investigation turns the sisters' lives and sisterhood upside down and forces them to deal with their skeletons. Once their indiscretions are revealed, they realize just how much pain keeping those secrets has cost them personally and collectively. The twists and surprises are both plausible and unbelievable, the novel both engrossing and entertaining. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Back Cover

Praise for Victor McGlothin's Autumn Leaves:

"An absolute page-turner...intriguing and thought-provoking."
-Kimberla Lawson Roby, bestselling author of A Taste of Reality

"Victor McGlothin has given Autumn Leaves a life of its own, with a compelling storyline and a strong depiction of the trials and triumphs of interesting and appealing characters...immediately draws the readers into the depths of his character's emotions...an unforgettable read."
-QBR

"Credible, honest."
-Kirkus Reviews

"A very moving story with plenty of drama, heart-pounding action and seriously emotional scenes."
-Romantic Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312286872
• ISBN-13: 978-0312286873
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,788,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Essence Best Seller- Victor McGlothin is a former bank vice-president who nearly forfeited an athletic scholarship due to poor reading skills. His knack for weaving passionate tales of suspense and drama, ('Autumn Leaves,' 'What's A Woman To Do?' 'Every Sistah Wants It,' and 'Down on My Knees') has book clubs across the country adding his novels to their Must-Read lists. Victor, the on-line columnist of highly entertaining Victor Said', a real Brotha to Sistah look at relationships, has also given his loyal readers several reasons to hail him as a refreshing voice in African American fiction. Living in Dallas with his wife and two sons, Victor is working on future novels and as a contributing writer for D Magazine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars engaging family drama, August 25, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What's a Woman to Do? (Paperback)

In Dallas the three Hampton sisters feel they are close to one another, but each one keeps a major secret or two from their beloved siblings. Middle child Janeen feels she has hit the corporate glass ceiling especially when the board selected an outsider for a position that should have been hers, but it is her personal life that is in shambles. She and her womanizing spouse Ray are near the end as he cannot stop hopping the women and even sired a child with one of them. She now salivates over the FBI hunk investigating Ray.

The youngest Janesse, called Sissy, is enjoying the wild side of life running with a rough crowd pulling unethical real estate scams. The oldest sibling Joyce sees Sissy deeply kissing and groping Ray; she feels torn between her beloved sisters as she ponders telling Janeen what she has shockingly observed, which would break her relationship with Sissy; or does she remain quiet, which breaks her bond with Janesse?

WHAT'S A WOMAN TO DO is an engaging family drama that looks deep into how close siblings really are when secrets are kept that involves all of them. Sissy as the youngest has gotten away with crossing the line many times; Janeen as the middle sibling feels the squeeze above and below at home and at work; finally Joyce is the oldest who sets the moral tone for her younger sisters, but struggles with what she perceives is her moral role as an paragon for them. Victor McGlothin furbishes a strong, insightful and entertaining character study.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A woman's gotta do, what a woman's got to do... !!!, February 7, 2005

By 

Jackie M "jaibeem" (Jacksonville, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What's a Woman to Do? (Hardcover)

Victor McGlothin has written a tremendous story that is so captivating and real. You start this book and won't want to put it down. Janeen, Joyce, Sissy are 3 sisters from Newberry Louisiana and they have put Newberry behind them. Janeen has made a name for herself and is a career woman with values and virtues,then in walks Janeen's fantasy and what is a woman to do when the man in your fantasy is in the flesh, but she is married to Ray. Women really need to know who they are marrying, `cause it doesn't matter how long you are with someone, you still may not know them. Joyce and Janeen know something that Sissy doesn't know, but that's alright, `cause Sissy knows something that they don't know. Sissy is also a woman who knows men and she has what it takes to turn a head and quiet a room in a mere second, but then in walks Mr. Cooper after 3 years, what is a woman to do?? Secrets unravel and let the truth be told, when Joyce & Janine's bookclub decides to read a bestseller about women of Newberry. Uhhhhhhhhhh, who is this author, let the story be told. You will not predict the course of this novel nor the ending, so if you really want a good read, go ahead and get this book and trust me on this, you will enjoy it.
Great Job Victor McGlothin!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!!!!, January 2, 2005

By 

R. A Rippy "rarippy" (Shelbyville, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What's a Woman to Do? (Hardcover)

Great book and a must read for any avid readers. The characters were real. The storyline was great and the ending was amazing. Great story Victor.