Best friends Charlotte and Janine have serious problems with their love lives. Charlotte's husband, the flashy preacher Curtis Black, may keep her living in luxury, but his book tours and evangelism mean he's never home. Charlotte's sure he's cheating and even hires a PI to follow him, but she's been known to have indiscretions herself. Her 12-year-old Matthew is another man's son and she suspects troubled 5-year-old Marissa, whom she swore was Curtis's child, might be the result of a tryst with a schizophrenic. Her friend Janine, a college professor, also is worried her boyfriend Antonio is cheating on her and getting heavily into drug dealing. She kicks him out but Antonio won't take no for an answer.
Kudos to narrator Tracey Leigh, whose strong performance hooks the listener on this soap opera-like novel. She makes one care about the serious, although sometimes incredible, sufferings of preacher's wife Charlotte Black, whose husband is cheating on her (and on whom she has cheated) and her best friend, Professor Janine Turner, who can't find a man who treats her right. The women's problems include abuse, mental illness, and marital problems. Leigh beautifully characterizes children and adults and expertly portrays Janine's abusive boyfriend. She brings to life the full range of emotions experienced by the large cast of characters and gives the listener a reason to overlook the novel's shortcomings. J.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
About the Author
Kimberla Lawson Roby is the author of seven national bestselling novels, including The Best-Kept Secret, A Taste of Reality, and Changing Faces, which are available from Sound Library®. She lives in Illinois with her husband.
