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The Best-Kept Secret (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "THE REVEREND CURTIS BLACK proofed the last line of his news column and e-mailed it to his editor..." (more)
Key Phrases: Brother Bailey, Brother Dixon, Sister Mason (more...)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
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The Best-Kept Secret + Too Much of a Good Thing + Love and Lies
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  • This item: The Best-Kept Secret by Kimberla Lawson Roby

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rev. Curtis Black has finally changed his ways: no more close encounters with temptation, either of the flesh or of the wallet, just a simple existence running his new church and loving his young wife of two years, Charlotte, and their son, Matthew. But readers who relished Black's down-and-dirties in Roby's Casting the First Stone and Too Much of a Good Thing need not worry that the series will shy away from its deliciously trashy concerns. For Curtis has more than met his match in Charlotte, a babe 15 years his junior who didn't bargain on a solid middle-class existence when she married him—after all, he was a holy high-roller who knocked her up before she was 18. Charlotte fills the void she feels with spending sprees and wild sex with Curtis's best friend, Aaron. Of course, Curtis finds out, and Charlotte vows to be better. But Aaron, who has a history of mental illness, will stop at nothing to win Charlotte back—including sharing her entire sinful past (and Matthew's questionable paternity) with Curtis. Self-pitying, self-justifying Curtis figures that "nothing he'd ever done could compare to the sins Charlotte had committed," and so he promptly goes back on the prowl himself. The novel's utterly sleazy conclusion will leave readers shaking off the cooties—and eagerly awaiting the next scandalous installment.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist

Curtis Black is back! After failed marriages to Tanya (Casting the First Stone, 2000) and Mariah (Too Much of a Good Thing, 2004), two unsuccessful ministries in Chicago, and two children, Curtis has finally settled down with Carmen and their son, Matthew. He is committed to ensuring that Matthew has a happy childhood and relocates his family to a small town in Illinois. Curtis starts a new church there called Deliverance Outreach, writes a monthly column for the local paper, and is working on his first book. Although his family is not living extravagantly, they are comfortable. Yet Carmen is very dissatisfied that he is unable to provide the lifestyle she believes they deserve. She soothes her disappointment with overspending and having an affair with his best friend, Aaron Malone. Her manipulation is causing Curtis the same doubt and pain that he inflicted on his ex-wives. It isn't until Curtis receives a book deal that Carmen decides to break up with Aaron and all their secrets are revealed, and the reader is treated to a well-written narrative. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 264 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow (February 1, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060734434
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060734435
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #448,522 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #19 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > African American > Roby, Kimberla Lawson

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Kimberla Lawson Roby
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Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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THE REVEREND CURTIS BLACK proofed the last line of his news column and e-mailed it to his editor. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Brother Bailey, Brother Dixon, Sister Mason, Mary Ellen, Etta Mae, Game Boy, Sister Simmons, Aaron Malone, Deliverance Outreach, Sister Black, Great America, Meredith Connolly Christiansen, Pastor Black, Brother Sanders, That Negro
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The Best-Kept Secret
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Customer Reviews

92 Reviews
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 (49)
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 (28)
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 (10)
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (92 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Saga Continues, January 23, 2005
By The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews
THE BEST-KEPT SECRET is the third book by Kimberla Roby featuring the infamous character, Reverend Curtis Black. In it, he is rebuilding his life - again, and hoping that the marriage to his newest wife, Charlotte, will succeed. He has left Chicago, and started a new church. The new church was a carefully planned endeavor; Curtis and Charlotte wrote the by-laws and hand selected the governing body with hopes of avoiding some of the power struggles he encountered in churches he pastored prior. Curtis has slowed down considerably, trading his womanizing role for that of a family man dedicated to raising his young son to the best of his ability. While on the surface things look great for him both professionally and on the home-front, things are not always as they seem. Curtis just may have met his match with his young wife, and add to that a healthy dose of betrayal, old skeletons and lots of conflict and you have a story that is sure to please.

Although I may not be anxious to see a fourth book featuring Curtis Black's character, I really enjoyed following his evolution from Casting the First Stone to THE BEST-KEPT SECRET. While the book could stand alone, knowing the history behind the various characters will make this a much more interesting read. My only real issue with this book was that I felt like a lot of the events that occurred in the story had happened before in an earlier book, just with different characters playing pivotol roles. This made the story less believable simply because it seemed unrealistic for Curtis to find himself amid such over-the-top, once-in-a-lifetime, dramatic events more than once. Still if any character would be swimming in drama, it would surely be Curtis Black, and because of that I still give the book an above average rating.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars MORE DRAMA IN THE BLACK HOUSE.....!!!, March 28, 2005
By Dana Y. Bowles "DYB" (West Chester, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
In this third in the series involving pastor Curtis Black, there is drama of course, but not of his doing. Seems as if wife and first lady Charlotte has learned a few tricks of her own from her husband. Charlotte is involved in a red-hot affair with Aaron Malone--illustrious church member and most notably, her husband's best friend. Poor Curtis Black hasn't a clue...he just knows that his wife is less attentive and seems to be "tired" all of the time. Charlotte's unhappiness stems from the Reverend Black's paltry six-figure salary--why can't he earn more to keep her in the lifestyle to which she had become accustomed? So she seeks solace in the arms of Aaron Malone--that is, until the book publishers come calling. When a publishing house offers the good Reverend big bucks for the book that he has written, Charlotte does an aboutface--turning into the idea wife, and ending things with Aaron--or trying to. That's when Charlotte finds out what a true nutcase she has become involved with; and Aaron lets ALL of the cats out of the bag...not only to the good Reverend, but to all of the members of Deliverance Outreach. All Charlotte can do is pray.....!!!

Good follow up to the second novel...and judging by the ending, the saga doesn't end here. Stay tuned.......!



DYB
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Do Unto Others Before Others Do You, March 6, 2005
This was Mrs. Charlotte Simmons Black motto. She knew the kind of man Curtis was before she married him. She knew that he was the type of guy that messed around because he messed around with her when he was married to someone else. Now, before he has a chance cheat on her, she decided to beat him to the punch by not only messing around on him, but with his friend, the deacon of the church. Sounds familiar? Curtis did this same thing to his deacon in the first book, Casting The First Stone. He messed around on his deacon's wife and finally drove that woman to insanity, which by the way was outrageous the way it ended. Imagine walking into a church with thousands of people and getting close enough to the pulpit to shoot the preacher. Not very realistic. Large churches have too much security to prevent that. Nevertheless, that was in the 2nd book.

Most of the members read books 1 and 2, but this is the only book we've read as a newly formed bookclub. In our opinion, two thumbs up for giving Curtis a taste of his own medicine. However, BEST KEPT SECRET lacked that gripping, page-turning style writing. After a while, we didn't care what happened to Curtis or Charlotte.

We felt this was an average read with no major twists and turns.

AfterWords Book Club
Omaha, Nebraska Chapter
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Book review
That whole Curtis Black series is just wonderful. I could not put the book down; even took it to work to read on my lunch break. I am going to purchase her other books also.
Published 3 months ago by Lauren B. Reynolds

4.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT CONDITION
I ORDERED "THE BEST KEPT SECRET" BY: KIMBERLA LAWSON ROBY. THIS BOOK WAS AT MY FRONT DOOR STEP WITH THEN A COUPLE OF DAYS. Read more
Published 11 months ago by R. Jasper

4.0 out of 5 stars Reap what you sow
Curtis Black is back with wifey number 3, but this time the third Mrs Black is as devilish as her husband was. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Denny

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Roby is a one of a kind and don't let ANYONE and I mean ANYONE deter you of a book like this
Published 16 months ago by Brandon James

3.0 out of 5 stars The Best Kept Secret
Regina Belle said it best, "What goes around, comes around" and karma is ripping Curtis Black a new one. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Ms. 90

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved
Loved, loved, loved this book. I couldn't put it down for 1 second, it's a must have book.
Published on May 2, 2007 by C. Gerena

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent-couldn' t put the book down
This book is awesome I'm just mad that I read it out of order.I read The Best Kept Secret-1st and now I Will read Casting The First Stone and then Too Much Of a Good Thing. Read more
Published on March 28, 2007 by Mia Owens

5.0 out of 5 stars The tide changes for the Rev. Curtis Black!!
Before you read this one, you must read "Casting the First Stone" and "Too Much of a Good Thing". Within the first two chapters, you are drawn deep into the world of Curtis Black... Read more
Published on March 20, 2007 by David A. Jones, Jr.

4.0 out of 5 stars A real Good Book
I LOVED THIS BOOK. MS. ROBY REALLY DID HER THING WITH THIS ONE. I CAN'T WAIT FOR HER NEW BOOK TO COME OUT.
Published on January 28, 2007 by Kim Turner

4.0 out of 5 stars The best is yet to come
This audio had almost as much action as Eric Jerome Dickey's "The other woman".To get a full understanding readers definately should listen to the first two of this sequel. Read more
Published on January 18, 2007 by Janet F. Tull

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