Review: A Killer Good Read. . .
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 8, 2014
De'Nesha Cole was a B.A.P. (Black American Princess) at her finest.  Her parents were wealthy, by their own design of running a successful business.  De'Nesha had it all to the outside world.  The problem was her family and two best girlfriends thought she needed a man to complete her.  De'Nesha wasn't in a rush to get a man, just because her friends had husbands.  She was twenty-nine years old and living the life.  Holding the  New York Best Seller's List title of a few books.  The only thing she wanted was to own a publishing house--which that dream became a reality!  She ended up being a partner for a major publishing house in the ATL (Atlanta) and with that job came an extra bonus by meeting her future husband, Terrance Jones.He was the complete package--good looking, well-built, well-endowed, wealthy, smart and a businessman.  What's not to love, right?  Well, for starters, it's kind of hard to love someone who secretly beats you senseless day in and day out.  All De-Nesha wanted to do was love and respect her gorgeous hunk of a husband.  After all, they worked together and everyone envied her because of her fairy-tale lifestyle.  How could she tell anyone what was really happening to her at home?  She couldn't be the laughing stock of the community!  Her parents would be shocked and embarrassed.  They were the Coles and with that name came prestige!  Knowing this, De'Nesha did what any well-to-do B.A.P. was taught, keep up appearances at all cost!  Unfortunately, the price was De'Nesha getting beat and degraded nearly every night, by this imposter Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde husband.Her two besties knew something was rotten, but De'Nesha denied every bit of it.  They weren't crazy, but she refused to give in to their accusations.  After all, they were jealous of her lifestyle and trying to come between her and her husband.  As this story unfolds, one thing will become very clear--De'Nesha should have been named Da'Victim!She was a constant state of victimization.  This character just makes one bad decision after another and eventually it begins to weigh the reader down.  It's downright overkill with what this one main character has to endure and live through, and that began to wear on my nerves.  De'Nesha classified herself as being strong, but I viewed her as being an idiot.There are several sections where my jaw dropped from De'Nesha's candidness in her accounts of what landed her in prison.  This novel is packed full of drama and I know that's going to be a major plus for Love's readers.  Unfortunately, I found many inconsistencies that didn't add up in the time line of the story.  There were also certain instances that weren't complete and leaves the reader feeling a little bit misplaced and somewhat confused.  De'Nesha's character angered me so much by her lack of control.  She was the smartest dumbest character I've ever read.  I mean this woman went beyond stupid in her careless decisions, to the point I found myself no longer feeling sorry for her, but rather, happy with the way things turned out.  The sympathy I once held for her, went toward her two children, Keyshia and Rashad--that's who I felt so sorry for!The upside of this heavy subject is I read the book in one day and it is extremely engaging.  I couldn't help but to turn the pages eager to see just how much stupid stuff De'Nesha would do?  She was like the Energizer Bunny--just going, going, and going.  I've never seen a character quite this 'out there!'  She couldn't get out of her own damn way which causes a great deal of her demise.Love worked the drama well into this edgy story and you will find it hard to put down, as I did.  There were a few bumps along the way in which I felt the writing could have been stronger, continuity a lot more prevalent, but overall this wasn't a bad book!  It's quite entertaining and will keep most readers on the edge of their damn seat.  A pretty decent read!  Not bad at all!  Great Job, Melissa Love!