Title: The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir by Jennifer Lewis
Narrated by: Jenifer Lewis
Release Date: November 14, 2017
Format: Audiobook (10 hours and 47 mins)
Genre: Autobiography, Memoir
The “Mega Diva” and legendary star of Black-ish looks back on her memorable journey to fame and the unforgettable life lessons she learned along the way.

Jenifer Lewis keeps it real in this provocative and touching memoir by a mid-western girl with a dream whose journey from poverty to Hollywood will move, shock, and inspire readers.

Told in the audacious voice her fans adore, Jenifer describes a road to fame made treacherous by dysfunction and undiagnosed mental illness, including a sex addiction. Yet, supported by loving friends and strengthened by “inner soldiers,” Jenifer never stopped entertaining and creating.

We watch as Jenifer develops icon status stemming from a series of legendary screen roles as the sassy, yet loveable, mama or auntie. And we watch as her emotional disturbances, culminating in a breakdown while filming The Temptations movie, launch her on a continuing search for answers, love, and healing.

Written with no-holds-barred honesty and illustrated with sixteen-pages of color photos, this gripping memoir is filled with insights gained through a unique life that offers a universal message: “Love yourself so that love will not be a stranger when it comes.”

From her first taste of applause at five years old to landing on Broadway within eleven days of graduation and ultimately achieving success in movies, television and global concert halls, Jenifer reveals her outrageous life story with lots of humor, a few regrets and most importantly, unbridled joy. Candid, warm and wonderfully inspiring, The Mother of Black Hollywood intimately reveals the heart of a woman who lives life to the fullest.

Enjoyment: ♥♥♥♥½
Narration by Jenifer Lewis: ♥♥♥♥½
Plot: ♥♥♥♥
Writing: ♥♥♥♥
I listened to this story and was fascinated. It was dramatic, over the top and loud just like the actress. Jenifer Lewis has lived an eventful life thus far. I found this audiobook more succinct, more dramatic and more in depth than many of the memoirs I’ve read of late.
I loved that she told her own story and controlled the narrative in a way that introduced her to the audience so we get a rounded picture of her life in front of and behind the Hollywood persona.

She is so bold and blunt, saying it like she feels and making no apologies. The Hollywood Diva takes the reader through her childhood, relationships, her abuse and her struggle with mental illness. I only knew what I’ve read on blogs and in magazines so it’s always interesting to hear the private musings of a celebrity. I love her brutal honesty, I love that she is able to reflect and admit mistakes she made in relationships and understand how her attitude affected others around her. After listening to her book, I think there is a little bit of her actual personality in EVERY character I’ve seen her play. She clearly loves what she does because it comes across loud and clear. The world of entertainment is her first love. I hope she continues to do what she loves.

Blogger Themes, Contemporary Romance, Review Books

I Have Never (First Comes Love #2) by Camilla Isley

September 20, 2018 EziChi

Title:I Have Never by Camilla Isley
Series: First Comes Love #2
Narrated By: Audra Cook
Release Date: July 13th, 2017
Format: Audiobook (5 hrs and 38 mins)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit
Blurb: Twenty-nine-year-old Blair Walker is a girl with a plan, or more like a girl with a list – a list of dos and don’ts to live the perfect life, land a dream career, and marry Mr. Right. But when Blair loses her job and gets dumped by her boyfriend all in one day, she starts to wonder if she’s had it all wrong. And what better way to find out than experience everything the list forbade?

Never lie
Never pick a fight
Never make a scene
Never make the first move
Never make impulsive decisions
Never mix business and pleasure

With hilarious consequences, Blair will discover some items are trickier to tick off than she’d thought.

This audiobook was easy to follow and was a fun listen until I got the end. It was a happy ending but it reinforced that office romances can never remain secret and can make the workplace tense when there is a disharmony.

Blair Walker was a girl who followed all of society rules of how a refined lady should behave. Living by that good girl code led her to losing her dreams to another who was willing to use all in her arsenal to get what she wanted. So Blair decided that she will throw out her list and just live without those constraints.
Life as a rebel led her to entrepreneur Richard Stratton, who was looking for someone to help him grow his online business. Their professional relationship thrived and was smooth until they developed an attraction. That’s when things got awkward. Should they risk it or play it safe?

I liked them together, but I am not a fan of office romances. They have a tendency to get messy when people have fights and/or break up. These sort of relationships are bad for business and it gets co-workers caught in the middle. There is workplace gossip as well as a resentment if there is a perception of favoritism.

I really liked the new Blair until she threw a couple of unprofessional fits at end of the book because of her feelings for her boss Richard. I was embarrassed for her and for Richard. The new Blair was empowered, likable and interesting. Her journey showed development and maturity even though she was likable even with the list too. Both Blair and Richard were fundamentally good people with a great work ethic.

Their relationship worked out in the end but I didn’t like her doing the opposite of what her list would have told her to do. The list wasn’t bad, I think she just needed to learn not to be so rigid. That is what life is about, having some flexibility in some things and being steadfast in others. Both Blair and Richard came to learn that in order to find true happiness, they had to be honest and true to themselves.

If you want an enjoyable and easy read, then I recommend this office romance to satisfy that need.

Contemporary Romance, Review Books

The Space in Between by Brittainy C. Cherry

September 17, 2018September 19, 2018 EziChi

The Space in Between by Brittainy C. Cherry

Blurb:

She’s scarred by her past.

Andrea Evans is traumatized and guilt-ridden by the death of her fiancée. Tired of the gossiping small town, she travels to New York City to pursue her dream of dance.

He’s uncertain of his future.

Cooper Davidson is a famous photographer and reality television star trying to flee from his own life filled with paparazzi, mental health clinics, and a cheating wife who is pregnant.

When Andrea and Cooper’s paths cross, they realize how damaged and in need of escapism they both are. The two create an arrangement to explore the space in between chaos and order with one another. The rules are simple—no emotional connections, no talking about the past, no speaking of the future, and when one finds order, the other walks away.

All is well until Cooper accidentally falls in love with Andrea.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this audiobook, but I had some issues with the plot and character development. Andrea and Cooper both had life altering events occur, making what seemed like a certain future up in the air. Sadness and anger are acceptable part of the grieving process but I didn’t feel like there was enough self reflection by both characters. While Cooper mentioned it, it didn’t feel like he really examined his own actions that contributed to the problems in his relationship. He was tender, patient and understanding with Andrea and her pain for her loss in a way that he wasn’t depicted as being with his own wife Iris. That surprised me the most. I would have liked to have gotten Iris’s perspective because Cooper’s thoughts of her wasn’t favorable. Also, I would have liked to know a little more about Derek from his own perspective because it wasn’t necessary to villainize him or Iris to arrive at the second shot at love for Cooper and Andrea.

This story does remind us that something beautiful can happen after experiencing a heart-wrenching loss. This young characters got a second chance at love and it
]I liked Andrea and Cooper together I enjoyed LaDasha and I hope the author gives her own book to explore her story more because she was a compelling character for me.

View all my reviews

Contemporary Romance, Review Books

Audiobook Review: On a Tuesday by Whitney G.

September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 EziChi

On a Tuesday

by Whitney G.
Publication Date: September 19, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon | Audible | iTunes

We met on a Tuesday.
Became best friends, then lovers, on a Tuesday.
And everything fell apart on a Tuesday…

Charlotte Taylor has three automatic strikes in my book: 1) She hates me. She also claims that I’m a “domineering jerk with a huge, overbearing ego.” (I do have something huge. It’s not my ego, though.) 2) She takes our mandatory tutoring sessions way too seriously. 3) She’s sexy as hell…And a virgin.

At least, those were her strikes before our study sessions started lasting longer than they were supposed to. Until one innocent kiss became a hundred dirty ones, and until she became the first woman I ever fell hard for.

Our future together after graduation was supposed to be set:
Professional football for me. Law school for her.

But she left me at the end of the semester with no explanation, and then she completely disappeared from my life.

Until tonight.

We met on a Tuesday.
Became everything, then nothing, on a Tuesday.
And now it’s seven years later, on a Tuesday…

*This is a full length second chance romance, inspired by Adele’s “When We Were Young”

☀️☀️MY REVIEW☀️☀️

Title: On a Tuesday by Whitney G.
Series: One Week, Book 1
Narrated By: Erin Mallon, Joseph Discher
Release Date: February 6, 2018
Format: Audiobook (4hrs and 59 mins)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: ♥♥♥♥
This story was developed so carefully and realistically that it captivated me. It was just a heartwarming and sweet college romance that continued on. I adored was Charlotte’s feistiness. She was smart, focused and independent heroine and so chasing after the college football star Grayson wasn’t on her radar. The push and pull banter made them a fun couple. Grayson’s persistence also won me over. He wasn’t a jerk, but he also wasn’t used to taking no for an answer either. He got pretty creative in his bid to get Charlotte’s attention.

Narrators Erin Mallon and Joseph Discher did an awesome job bringing this well written story to life. Their voices worked well in tandem and I felt the characters chemistry. Charlotte and Grayson’s continual banter had me chuckling for most of the audiobook.

I love second chance romances and I love dual POV stories because it allows the reader to be aware of the thought process of both main characters. With that said, I really dislike second chance romances that could have been resolved with some effort considering the two people love each other. It seems like if the characters are passionate about each other, they would communicate a little better to avoid going seven years pinning for their loved one. While the minor snag turned into a major thing, there was never a doubt that the main characters cared deeply for each other.

This book was funny, yet emotional and I felt very satisfied with the conclusion of the love story. Abiding love prevailed yet again. Another entertaining story by Whitney G.

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

About Whitney G.

Whitney G. is a twenty-eight-year-old optimist who is obsessed with travel, tea, and great coffee. She’s also a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of several contemporary novels, and the cofounder of The Indie Tea–an inspirational blog for indie romance authors.

When she’s not chatting with readers on her Facebook Page, you can find her on her website at http://www.whitneygbooks.com or on instagram: @whitneyg.author. (If she’s not in either of those places, she’s probably locked away working on another crazy story.)

Don’t forget to sign up for Whitney’s monthly newsletter here: http://bit.ly/1p9fEYF

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Review Books, Urban Fantasy

Venom in the Veins (Elemental Assassin, #17) by Jennifer Estep

September 1, 2018August 27, 2018 EziChi

Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep
Title: Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assassin, Book 17
Release Date: June 12th, 2018
Format: Audiobook: 9hrs, 37 mins (Kindle): 267 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Blood might be thicker than water, but venom is stronger than just about anything …

It was supposed to be a nice, quiet, simple dinner with friends—but nothing is ever nice, quiet, or simple when you’re Gin Blanco, the Spider, notorious assassin and current queen of the Ashland underworld.

This time around, someone seems to be targeting Stuart Mosley, the president of First Trust bank. Lots of people have grudges against Mosley, but the more I investigate, the more Mosley’s problems seem to be connected to some of my own, especially when it comes to the Circle, the evil, shadowy group that is secretly responsible for much of the crime and corruption in Ashland.

But when another blast from my dark and deadly past as the Spider comes to light, I wonder if I’ll be able to survive this dangerous new enemy, who has a burning thirst for revenge that will only be satisfied with one thing: my death.
Enjoyment: ♥♥♥♥
Narration by Lauren Fortgang: ♥♥♥♥♥
Plot: ♥♥♥♥½
Writing: ♥♥♥♥½

This is one of my favorite series. I enjoy the assassin/great cook Gin Blanco and her cohorts. Since the author revealed that Gin’s family were involved with the illuminati-ish group “The Circle”, I’ve been waiting to see which one of Gin’s parents is still alive. That didn’t occur in this book but I know the deceased savant Fletcher knew which one of Gin’s parents was into shady business and I can’t wait for him to reveal it in one of his notes to the gang.

While I continue to enjoy the plot, I am impatiently waiting for the big reveal of Hugh Tucker’s motivations because he is a gray area in this story. He is portrayed as a villain, but he goes out of his way to assist Gin, Finn and Bria. So, what exactly is Hugh’s deal? I am also waiting for a villain on the level Mab Monroe. No one, not Mab’s daughter, Finn’s mom Deidra or anyone else has captured my attention like the elemental sociopath Mab Monroe. I want the Spider to have another great rival, and I am not convinced the real power behind the Circle will provide that. I hope so, but I am certainly waiting for the next one.

View all my reviews

Contemporary Romance

The Gamble (Colorado Mountain, #1) by Kristen Ashley

August 30, 2018August 27, 2018 EziChi

Title: The Gamble by Kristen Ashley
Series: Colorado Mountain, Book 1
Release Date: April 18th, 2011
Format: Audiobook (25 hours, 16 mins); Kindle Edition: 679 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis: Love is the greatest gamble of all…

Nina Sheridan desperately needs a timeout vacation. With a fiancé who can’t even remember how she takes her coffee, Nina wants some distance to rethink her engagement. Flying halfway around the world from England to a mountain town in Colorado should do the trick. But when she finds a gorgeous man at her rental cabin, Nina’s cold, lonely adventure suddenly heats up.

The owner of the house, Holden “Max” Maxwell is surprised by the beautiful woman who turns up at his door. But when Nina becomes ill, Max spends days nursing her back to health. A private man with a broken heart, Max finds himself drawn to the strong-willed woman. Soon it becomes impossible for Nina and Max to deny their growing attraction to one another. Yet even as these two wounded lovebirds think about taking a chance on a relationship, a dangerous secret from Max’s past emerges-and threatens to end their love for good.

My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Enjoyment: ♥♥♥
Narration by Emma Scott: ♥♥♥½
Plot: ♥♥♥½
Writing: ♥♥♥
MY REVIEW:
I would have rated this book a little higher if it wasn’t so long…unnecessarily long. I felt every minute of twenty five hours and sixteen minutes. It ended so many times before it actually ended. It was like 3 books in one. I liked it but I was just exhausted by it all.

Unlike most of KA’s heroines, I actually liked Nina and she was a character that grew as a person, woman, friend and lover as the story developed. She was a pushover in the beginning, the norm for KA heroines that I’ve read, but her journey to reassess her engagement expanded her horizons. Nina went to a Colorado Inn for a vacation as she pondered her romantic relationship which wasn’t so romantic. She met the Inn Owner, Holden “Max” Maxwell, who came off as an ornery guy, but clearly he was a nice guy since he took great care of a sick Nina without knowing who she was.
I’ll admit that they were good for each other because they challenged and frustrated each other but clearly were crazy about each other. It was angsty but not the kind of angst I typically enjoy. It was more like watching my grandma and elementary school bus driver when they were crushing on each other. Plus, Nina capitulated too easily and Holden was a bit bossy.

The story was interesting but I find her writing to be slow and formulaic if you have read one of her stories. My two favorite things in this book was the attention to family relation and community as the Kristen Ashley wove this tale around a small town in Colorado. Then the slow development of trust and love that took place in ONE WEEK.

That’s right, majority of this long drawn out romance, family drama, murder and mayhem took place in a couple of weeks. It was just a bit much for so-so enjoyment. I won’t rule out reading another Kristen Ashley book in the future, but it’s highly unlikely as I just don’t enjoy them enough for the length of her novels.

View all my reviews

Autobiography/Memoirs, Nonfiction, Review Books

The Last Black Unicorn by by Tiffany Haddish

August 29, 2018 EziChi

Title: The Last Black Unicorn by by Tiffany Haddish
Release Date: December 5, 2017
Format: Audiobook (6 hours and 29 mins)
Genre: Nonfiction; Biography; Memoir
Published By: Simon & Schuster Audio
Purchase Links: Audible • Amazon (US)
Synopsis: From stand-up comedian, actress, and breakout star of Girls Trip, Tiffany Haddish, comes The Last Black Unicorn, a sidesplitting, hysterical, edgy, and unflinching collection of (extremely) personal essays, as fearless as the author herself.

Growing up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles, Tiffany learned to survive by making people laugh. If she could do that, then her classmates would let her copy their homework, the other foster kids she lived with wouldn’t beat her up, and she might even get a boyfriend. Or at least she could make enough money—as the paid school mascot and in-demand Bar Mitzvah hype woman—to get her hair and nails done, so then she might get a boyfriend.

None of that worked (and she’s still single), but it allowed Tiffany to imagine a place for herself where she could do something she loved for a living: comedy.

Tiffany can’t avoid being funny—it’s just who she is, whether she’s plotting shocking, jaw-dropping revenge on an ex-boyfriend or learning how to handle her newfound fame despite still having a broke person’s mind-set. Finally poised to become a household name, she recounts with heart and humor how she came from nothing and nowhere to achieve her dreams by owning, sharing, and using her pain to heal others.

By turns hilarious, filthy, and brutally honest, The Last Black Unicorn shows the world who Tiffany Haddish really is—humble, grateful, down-to-earth, and funny as hell. And now, she’s ready to inspire others through the power of laughter.

Enjoyment: ♥♥½
Narration by Tiffany Haddish: ♥♥½
Plot: ♥♥♥
Writing: ♥♥♥
MY THOUGHTS: ♥♥♥
Thanks to this audiobook, I am more aware of Tiffany Haddish’s journey growing up with a mentally ill parent to her time in foster care to her current status now that she finally achieve stardom with her hit movie Girls Trip.
I can’t say that I liked her book as parts were entertaining, parts made me cringe, but it was clear she was determined to be a comic. I appreciated the authentic feel of listening to Tiffany’s story in her own voice, but I wonder if the audiobook would have been more palatable in a voice of professional narrator. Her recitation wasn’t smooth even though she was reading her own words. Plus, her cheeky and court jester narration style got old on audio even though I surmised that she was trying to use humor to cushion the uncomfortable situations and events.

Tiffany has had many struggles in life. It’s always interesting to see how people can persevere and I am proud that she is finally winning in life. However, I had a hard time with the flow of this story. The transitions were choppy and the narrative just wasn’t well laid. I prefer biographies to go in a linear or chronological timeline and Tiffany jumped around a lot. I would have enjoyed this story if we were hanging out and she was telling me these stories in doses, more like a serial short story than a full out novel. I applaud her for the realness of her struggles like illiteracy, homelessness or her brief stint as a pimp. She was forthright and I respected her for not sugar coating her background. I actually think she is inspiration because she made it with so many odds against her. It took almost twenty years of grinding to realize her current success. I take from this story that we have to keep fighting despite our obstacles to attain our goals. I wish her much success and happiness and I hope that I get to see her live at a comedy show.