Player Haters (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: wanna marry, Carl Weber, Big Mike, Jeanie Brown (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Weber's winning record of frothy, scandalous African-American novels (Baby Momma Drama, etc.) continues with his fourth book, a fast-paced mix of scandal, jealousy and wickedness featuring the bickering, beautiful Duncan family. Successful, handsome Wil Duncan is frustrated with Diane, his wife of 10 years, who's been inexplicably frigid lately; tensions really begin to mount when Mimi, his sexy temp secretary, makes it clear she wants to take more than dictation. Wil's unemployed, "playa" brother, Trent, saddled with money problems and an eight-month-old baby he refuses to acknowledge as his own, grows desperate for quick cash. At a bar, while trying to talk his younger sister, Melanie, into a loan, Trent meets Indigo Jones, a sexy, budding singer and recent lottery winner, and woos her with promises to make her into "the next Whitney Houston." Meanwhile, as Wil's marriage continues to deteriorate, Mimi sets her sights on becoming Wil's permanent secretary—and knocking Diane out of the picture for good. Indigo's vocal demo tape proves her talent, so Trent makes a play to catch her rising star, while Michelle, the mother of his supposed love-child, vies for his attention. As Wil and Diane accuse each other of being unfaithful (Wil with Mimi; Diane with the mailman) some hard truths are revealed. Can Wil resist temp-from-hell Mimi and save his marriage? Will Trent turn his life around before it's too late? Will Melanie find true love? While the interpersonal antics remain shamelessly over-the-top, Weber strikes a better balance between the melodrama and the storytelling this time out, making for a more resonant (and fun) reading experience.
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From Booklist

The Duncan siblings have more in common than just their last name. All three have lives filled with emotional, financial, and romantic drama. Trent, the ultimate ladies' man, assumed responsibility for his siblings and kept his family together after their father died. His former long-term partner and current girlfriend are forcing him to rethink his bad habits. Wil, who appeared in the author's previous novel, Married Men (2001), is a good husband and father. He has worked to regain his wife's trust and is content in his marriage. His wife has begun to withhold intimacy, and her lack of affection is tempting him to lust after his eager secretary. Melanie, nicknamed Mimi, has finally met her knight in shining armor, Prince. Although he is Trent's friend, he does not have the same player reputation. Mimi is ready to settle down only to discover she has competition for Prince's attention. The Duncans are all experiencing unsettling personal episodes, and the player haters have united the siblings and made each one stronger. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; First Printing edition (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575669099
• ISBN-13: 978-1575669090
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #829,266 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Relationship Drama Galore, January 19, 2004

By	Cydney Rax "rmn1994" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

With Carl Weber's PLAYER HATERS, the drama begins on page one and literally doesn't stop until the final sentence. Warning: Get ready for a energy-laced, outrageous ride that details the adventures of two brothers and their sister.

Trent, Trent, Trent, is the ultimate player that takes scandal to a new level in this book. He's a babe-magnet and takes full advantage of his player skills. His brother Wil is having marital problems with Diane; maybe Wil's new temp Mimi can relieve some of his bedroom anxieties, and Melanie, the sister, has troubles of her own to deal with including developing a relationship with an irresistible new man, and trying to decipher the behavior of her flaky acting roommate Desiree.

There's wild plot changes, pretty much, with each chapter. Just when you think the action can't get any more zany, something else goes down to make you shake your head. Although the scenes appear outrageous, if you're honest you know that somewhere out there, people like this do exist in real life.

My favorite part of this book, the thing that makes it the most worthwhile, is the climatic ending. The final scene may cause you to burst out laughing so loudly that you won't care if anyone hears you. PLAYERS HATERS is a must-read, with an unforgettable ending, and is brimming with enough male/female drama to keep you turning the pages.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Entertaining, but Predictable in Areas., February 22, 2004

By	Keith Middleton "Analytical" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The good news first: With his novel, "Player Haters", Carl Weber has created a hilarious, page turning story with brilliant dialouge and plot twists in every chapter. Weber tells three different stories simultaneously in this novel. The first deals with Trent, a 35 year old "player" who charms women and swindles them out of their money. The second story deals with Trent's older brother Wil, who is having marital problems and contemplating infidelity. Last but not least, there's little sister, Melanie, and her up and down romance with a gentleman she met at the club. All characters have a lot of spunky personality and remind us of people we would encounter in our every days lives.

Weber is no scholar or literary genius, but you will like his ability to tell a story well. His writing style is lean and has no "fat". He only gives us the brief details we need to know and this helps to speed up the pace of the story. In other words, there is never a dull moment, here. The book is funny, witty, and annoying (in a good way). It has the flavor, inner city appeal, and humor that you would find in a movie like "Friday" or "Barbershop".

The book would have gotten five stars from me, had it not been for two significant flaws:

1) One of the supporting characters turns "psycho" and begins to develop a love obsession for one of the main characters. Why is this a flaw? Well, first of all, this scenario has been done over and over again in countless other novels (and movies), so it's an old, worn out, unrealistic, predictible cliche that we ALL should be weary of by now. "Fatal Attraction" was the ONLY story that effectively dealt with the subject matter, in my opinion. Too many of our African American writers (in particular) are beating the "psycho stalkin' character" plot like a dead horse. Michael Baisden did it in "God's Gift to Women". Zane wore it out in "Addicted", and Martin Lawrence did it in "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate".

To all aspiring writers, out there, if you are currently writing about a violent psycho character who has a love obsession and gets jilted, STOP IT RIGHT NOW! We all know what's going to happen and how it's going to end. Save it and give us something different, PLEASE.

2) The second flaw here relates to the first flaw. Without revealing what is going to happen, (If you read this book, you'll be able to guess. Trust me.) I'll say that Weber tries (unsuccessfully) to mix genres in this book. The book is mostly upbeat and funny, but it has some dramatic elements and life threatening danger. The two don't mix well in this story. I was spending so much time laughing at Trent's antics that it seemed awkward when the serious moments happened to Wil. It made the impact of the dramatic moments less dramatic and a little ridiculous. If you're going to write a drama, I say write a drama and tone down the humor some. If you're writng a farce, don't all of a sudden add in a 9/11 tragedy and expect us to stop laughing and take it seriously.

Bottom line is this: Yes, I give this one both thumbs up! It's a fun read-----As long as you are not looking for something serious, deep, extremely introspective, and rich with literary merit! "Player Haters" is a must read for those who love great storytelling and suprise twist endings. Enjoy!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DRAMA! DRAMA! DRAMA! DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!, January 17, 2004

By A Customer

I like Carl Weber's books I have to admit so I may be bias (Married Men is my favorite) but with Player Haters he's taken it to the next level. First there's Trent. The dog you love to hate. He's got more tricks than a magician and tongue slipperier than a snake. Trust me, we all know him. Then there's sweet lovable Wil. (I love him because he likes a big woman like myself. Plus he was in Married Men) Wil's got problems, beyond problems but I won't give away the story. (Just watch out if your man gets a secretary named MIMI) then there is Melanie. This girl can't see a good thing when it's standing in front of her. She's found her prince and I mean that literally.
I wish I could give this book 10 stars because it was that good. Don't plan on going to bed early if you start this one. Cause you won't be able to put it down.