The Bishop’s Daughter Review


TITLE: The Bishop’s Daughter
AUTHOR: Tiffany L. Warren
PUB DATE: January 9, 2009

Thanks to Samantha at Hachette for sending me this ARC to read and review for the First Wild Cards Tour that will be taking place on January 12th 2009.

This is the third book by author Tiffany L. Warren. I have yet to read her two other books, from reading this one I will definitely be looking for them. I really enjoyed the book.

It opens up with a guy named Darrin. He is a young and inspiring writer, a great cook and a playboy. Darrin has is own blog in the book called “Diary of a Mad Black Blogger”. Its a Sunday morning and he is awakened by voices. The female is that of his “unofficial” girlfriend, Shayne, and the other is a man that he doesn’t recognize. He gets out of bed to check it out. When he sees Shayne watching a church service on tv and the male voice is that of Bishop Kumal Prentiss. While watching the service Darrin gets an idea to do an expose on the Bishop. Knowing that this man has got to be up to something.

Darrin convinces his father to foot the bill for him so that he can go to Atlanta to uncover the truth. Darrin’s father is rich he has his own business called “BainBridge Transport”. His father makes him a deal that if he comes up with nothing that Darrin will get a real job and stop mooching of him. Darrin agrees.

With the funding and a paid apartment in Atlanta, Darrin begins the adventure. He joins “Freedom of Life” one of Bishop’s Church’s. On his first visit to the church, Darrin sees a pretty girl that catches his eye. He finds out that she is the Bishop’s daughter Emoni. He begins to get to know her more when he joins the Single Ministry and Bible study with the church. He begins to fall in love with her. He doesn’t pursue it because Darcus, a member of the church tells him that Oscar and Emoni are together. Oscar is in love with Emoni. Emoni doesn’t feel the same way. She has her eye on Darrin. Emoni gets some tips from her younger sister Sasha in ways to get Darrin to notice her.

Darrin lands a spot with the church newsletter writing about the social events the Bishop attends. On a trip to Savannah with Emoni, Oscar and the Bishop, Darrin gets the dirt on the Bishop. What is this dirt you are asking? You will have to read the book.

Once back from Savannah Emoni and Darrin get together. Their are together a short time when Darrin invites Emoni over for dinner. Needing something at the store Darrin leaves Emoni alone in the apartment. Thinking of the conversation Emoni had with her mother about “No one just reveals himself” she sees a brochure for a cooking school in Atlanta, she goes to pick it up and accidentally bumps the desk where Darrin’s computer comes to life. She hits the back button and his blog appears with all the info about the Bishop and Emoni. Seeing this Emoni runs out of Darrin’s apartment before he returns. When he returns he realizes what has happened.

To complicate matters even more Shayne shows up in Atlanta hoping to reconnect with Darrin. Darrin finally tells her that there is nothing between them. Before he sends her packing Emoni shows up and she thinks Shayne is the girlfriend from Cleveland. She realizes that Darrin has been lying to her so she leaves. Darrin sends Shayne packing. With the realization of Darrin lying to her Emoni decides to give Oscar a chance. After awhile Oscar is always around and she is unhappy. Her mother picks up on this and Emoni realizes that she is in love with Darrin and lets Oscar know they are over.

While Darrin come clean to the Bishop and Emoni about the real reason he came to Atlanta? Will he expose the Bishop’s secrets? Will things work out for Emoni and Darrin? If these questions are burning your mind then I suggest you go and pick up the book to read and find out.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

The First Person and other stories Review


TITLE: The First Person and other stories
AUTHOR: Ali Smith
PUB DATE: January 6 2009

This was a book I had won on Twitter. I have to thank Penguin Group Canada for sending me this book to read and review. I have never read Ali Smith before so it was a real treat. Not only was it a quick read but it also exposed me to a new author. Ali has several books out.

The First Person is a compilation of twelve short stories. The books is about how the imagination reacts to every day people, conversations and situations people may be a part of.

True Short Story is the first story of the book. Its about an over heard conversation about the differences between a novel and short story. While listening to this conversation the author thinks of her friend who is in the hospital dealing with her cancer treatments. She calls her to ask her opinion as she knows everything about short stories.

The Child is about a woman who has stopped at the grocery store to do a quick pick up. She walks away from her cart to go and look for something and then when she returns there is a child sitting there. She waits for a few minutes to see if an parent returns but no one does. She goes to customer service. She tries and fails to persuade the staff or other shoppers that the child isn’t hers. No one listens to her so she feels bad and decides to take the child home. On the way home she is shocked to hear the things coming from the child. Getting annoyed she decides to drop the child off in the middle of a forest. Several hours later she feels bad and decides to go back for the child. She then heads to another story to drop the child off in someone Else’s cart.

The stories are a quick and fun read. I am sure I will pick up other books by her to read.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

The Misadventures of Oliver Booth Review


TITLE: The Misadventures of Oliver Booth
AUTHOR: David Desmond
PUB DATE: October 2008
ISBN: 9781929774562

Thank You to Julie at FSB for contacting me and asking me if I would be interested in reading and reviewing this book. I was after reading what the book was about.

Oliver Booth is the kind of person who wants to mingle and join the high society of Palm Beach. Oliver is obese, foul smelling, pesky, ambitious and an abrasive social climber. He is not the kind of person most people want to find themselves seated across from at dinner. He runs an antique shop filled with overpriced Mexican reproductions of Louis XIV.

Oliver has many misadventures that make the story funny. From loosing his balance and landing in the pool at Morningwood that made the news to getting beat up by a woman, to going to court and getting bit by his dog.

Oliver spends his time being obnoxious to his staff, bathing, and not paying his bills. Everything is past due and it doesn’t seem to bother him. When Margaret Van Buren wanders into the shop looking for a bathroom for her grandson, she meets Oliver and his latest assistant, Bernard. When Bernard manages to get her to buy a commode that he picked out. She sees that Bernard has an eye for real antiques and offers them an opportunity of a lifetime- an all expenses paid shopping trip to Paris to find antiques to furnish her guest house. Bernard is just happy for the opportunity to work and learn and Oliver just wants to charge Mrs. Van Buren as much commission as he possibly can, will both men be able to get what they want? Will Mrs. Van Buren catch on to what Oliver is up too?

I enjoyed reading this quick read. It was funny to see how Oliver thought he should get everything that came his way and he had no problem taking advantage of people. It was nice to see what came to him in the end.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

The Kings of Innocence Review


TITLE: The Kings of Innocence
AUTHOR: Michael Burns
PUB DATE: September 2007

Thank You to Michael for sending me his first book to read and review. I found this to be a quick read once I got into the story. This is a story of friendship and love for your friends.

The Kings of Innocence is about three recent college friends who are also childhood friends. Roy, Mark and Jay come together one summer in 2002. Roy goes home for two weeks to take care of his 17 year old brother, Bobby while their parents are in Ireland. During the two weeks the friends are living the typical college life, haven’t yet thought about adulthood. They are out drinking, flirting with the women and getting into a fight or two. One that lands them being arrested.

Roy is 24 years old and he is an investment analyst living in Boston.

Mark is one of his best friends who is now a police officer.

Jay the last best friend has been teaching for a year and thinking about quitting. Jay has quit many colleges and changed his majors many times. He has yet to grow up and accept responsibility for his actions. He has a serios gambling problem.

When Roy and Mark realize how serious Jays problem is they try to help him out but he refuses their offer of help. Jay resorts to illegal measures to come up with the money. He goes from breaking into a drug dealers business and stealing some weed and reselling it to a college dealer to breaking into his place of employment and stealing money and he leaves evidence that a loan shark did it.

You can tell that there is a lifelong friendship between the friends. They tell it like it is and if any of them is in trouble they jump in and help out.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.