Connie BriscoeReseñas

My go-to book whenever life gets me down.

If you enjoyed Peyton Place (which is on my to-read list), you'll enjoy the trashy and entertaining P.G. County. It tells the tales of the upper-class Blacks of Prince George's County, Maryland and those who strive to be upper class. P.G. County is full of family secrets, back stabbing, love triangles, affairs, and crime. It's a guilty pleasure. (If you're curious about classism and colorism among African-Americans, you'll find this book even more fasicnating. If you like P.G. County but want better writing, I suggest Bestey Brown and The Wedding.

Jolene is ridiculous in this book, and the Jolene hate is worse than ever. Still, the growth of Barbara is gratifying, the womens' friendships with the Countess are lovely (up until the reveal at the end), and Pearl's interactions with her new family are so authentically awkward that her eventual successes are even more satisfying.

Pearl does become a bit of a Mary Sue in this book, but her breakthrough with her daughters is what will keep me coming back to reread it time and again. The main negative in this book is Bradford. He acts exactly the same as he did in the first book, but because he told Barbara that he's faithful now, the reader is supposed to believe him. BUT - the reader doesn't know they're supposed believe him until the end, so everything he says is just interpreted through the lens of Barbara. If the goal was to set Barbara up as an unreliable narrator and make the reader rethink all of their previous conceptions, that goal really is achieved. But I wish it wasn't at the cost of taking a badass woman and making her the villain.

Feminist rubric:

Positives
1. Barbara's growth towards independence and self love: So the book may not end the way I would like it to, but Barbara's journey is so sweet and honest and powerful that I would still mark this as a positive. SPOILER: I love that she doesn't end up with Noah. I don't love that she ends up with Bradford again after learning what he did to the Countess (GAH), but I can appreciate that she is there because she wants to be rather than needs to be.
2. Chapters 30 and 33!
3. Characters are racially and/or culturally diverse without being stereotypes and without that being their main characteristic.

Neutral
1. Fewer strong parent-child relationships: Pearl and her daughters are great. I'm frustrated that Jolene becomes a terrible mother in this book, or at least, an absent one, since that was her love for her daughter was her most humanizing characteristic.
2. Pearl and Patrick's relationship: Pearl and Patrick are pretty great together, but I just hate the scene where she decides to "fight for her man."
3. Language about men deprives them of autonomy, e.g. "keeping them," or "stealing them." Pearl does lay down some sense in chapters 30 and 33, but then the seduction scene with Jolene and Patrick really does make men seem like they completely lack autonomy.

Negatives
1. Virulent misogyny and slut shaming towards Jolene ALL THE TIME. From what I knew of Jolene, I just don't see her going through with the terrible thing she did in this book. I would have much preferred that she change her mind halfway through and work to come to an understanding with her new extended family. In the first book, Briscoe sets Jolene's humanity up so well by telling us about her pregnancy and showing her with her family. There is so much material there! I'm sad that it's wasted just so everybody else can band together over a common enemy.
2. Appearance generally tied to male approval or disapproval: I believe Patrick says something like "I like a little extra sugar on my brownie," when referring to Pearl's weight. No. Pearl is allowed to be whatever weight she wants to be. She doesn't need your permission by learning what level of weight you prefer. GROSS.
3. It seems unrealistic that Lee wouldn't need counseling after what she's been through. I would have preferred a more sensitive exploration of her transition to her new life.

It's nice to follow up on the three sisters from "Sisters and Lovers," and I found the sequel even more engaging than the original. Still, the relationships in this book are problematic, and I'm not sure whether the author knows so, or whether the end is intended as happily ever after. Kevin and Evelyn growing apart gives Evelyn the needed room for developing independence. This independence is a theme in a number of Briscoe's books, and it's one of the reasons I read her over and over again. But this particular deployment is unconvincing. Kevin's actions and transformation are so confusing that Evelyn's independence seems contrived. As for Charmaine, she and Tyrone never demonstrate an ability to talk about how to set boundaries with Tyrone's daughter, and the armistice between his daughter and Charmaine at the very end seems like a deus ex machina to make the relationship appear healthy. Beverly's story is definitely supposed to be the happiest of the three, and it very nearly is. But the secret her fiance kept seems more serious to me than it does to her and her sisters.

Relationships are hard and complex, and that complexity is well shown by this novel. I just worry about the disparity between the tone and the message.
I marked it four stars, because it's a book I'll read over and over again. The dialogue is delightful, the story is well written, the chronological structure is smart and effective, the characters have grown and changed since the first book, and the relationship between the three sisters is a thing of beauty. But none of their partners are Prince Charming, and I just hope that they, the author, and the other readers know that.

Feminist rubric:

Positives
1. Womens' success outside of romance: The womens' work lives are highlighted less than in the previous book, but they are still definitely working women whose jobs do more than just provide a change of scene from interacting with their partner.
2. Consensual sex: The sex is consensual, and the women are active instigators rather than passive recipients. No slut shaming, no sexual hang-ups, and no forcing themselves to do things to please their men. These women are genuinely confident and comfortable with their sexuality. Love it.
3. Positive relationships with other women: The sisters' relationship is the biggest strength of this book. There is much more understanding, kindness, and support than in "Sisters and Lovers." I loved Valerie and Beverly's relationship in "Sisters and Lovers," so I'm sad that had to be sacrificed on the altar of romantic drama, but the sisters' strengthened relationship makes up for it.
4. Passes Bechdel test.
5. Characters are racially and/or culturally diverse without being stereotypes and without that being their main characteristic.

Neutral
1. Self love not explicitly discussed.
2. No discussion of systems of oppression or toxic ideals (e.g. kyriarchy, beauty myth).

Negatives
1. Virulent misogyny: Briscoe does give Valerie a chance to explain her side of the story and gain some of the reader's compassion, but her explanation is weak and used to characterize her as a fundamentally untrustworthy friend rather than a person who made a mistake. Even in cases where the characters are so black and white and the hatred is justified, I don't need misogyny in my romances. I get it, like, everywhere else.
2. Non-consensual relationshipping: There are few examples of couples working together to make changes in their relationships, and the main dynamic for Charmaine and Evelyn's relationships is that of a constant power struggle.
3. Appearance generally tied to male approval or disapproval.

Briscoe has a gift for introducing characters in snippets and leaving the reader wanting more. I admire the inclusion of Lee and the difference of her life from that of the other main characters. I give this three stars because the hubris of Jolene and the substance problems of Barbara make the story less fun to read than its sequel. (Although, to be fair, Jolene's hubris is a problem throughout the series.) The new friendship between Pearl and Patrick is very sweet, and comes across more innocent and less sanctimonious than in the second book. Barbara breaks my heart, and Candice is just bizarre.

Feminist rubric:

Positives
1. Strong parent-child relationships: Regardless of how villainous the main characters are, they all love their children and treat them well. Lee is the exception, but we never meet her mother.
2. Pearl and Patrick's relationship: Their intimacy serves as a foil to Jolene and Patrick, and their unwillingness to be adulterers contrasts with Bradford. Even despite the relationship's functionality, I find them to be sweet and charming, and one of the best parts of this book.
3. Dips a toe in heavier subject matter: The book addresses race with Candice and Pearl, and prostitution, homelessness, and sexual assault with Lee. I admire Briscoe's willingness to explore darker subjects, though I wish some of that carried through to the experiences of Lee in the second book. I still don't know what to make of Candice. I really appreciate Pearl's awareness of her racism.
4. Characters are racially and/or culturally diverse without being stereotypes and without that being their main characteristic.

Neutral
1. Self love not explicitly discussed. But it's worth waiting for in the next one!

Negatives
1. Virulent misogyny and slut shaming towards Bradford's mistresses and toward Jolene
2. Language about men deprives them of autonomy, e.g. "keeping them," or "stealing them.,"
3. Appearance generally tied to male approval or disapproval: This is frustrating, because Pearl is normally the voice of reason in P.G. County, and even she is obsessed with losing weight so she can be found attractive by men.
4. Womens' lives are focused around men or stereotypically feminine activities like shopping and manicures: Granted, this is a lifestyles of the rich and famous type of book, so this may be a neutral rather than a negative.

I was really into Connie Briscoe five or six years ago, but hadn't read anything by her in a while. This was a perfect choice for what I needed. The dialogue is delightful, and because the book is character driven rather than plot driven, I could read a couple of chapters after work or before bed without needing to finish the book in one sitting. I'm going to put some of her other books on my to-read list.

Clara starts off as a nearly eleven year old slave, owned by former president James Madison. As she grows up, she struggles to conform to the polite, obedient, and subservient ways of her mother and aunts, all house slaves in the Montpelier mansion. The inevitable and imminent death of President Madison means unclear futures for all of his slaves, field and house. Whispered questions like, 'when he finally died would they be freed?' 'Could they stay on the plantation, especially if it is all they ever knew?' scatter through hallways like runaway marbles on a tile floor. Would Madison's slaves even have a choice? What no one saw coming was Madison's awful stepson, Todd, taking over as Massa of Montpelier. His attraction to Clara sets off a terrible chain of events and life changes for everyone involved.
This is supposed to be the story of three generations of house slaves: Susie, Clara, and Susan. Susie is barely in the story, but Clara passes on her feisty nature to her daughter Susan. When Susan is sold away to satisfy a debt, readers follow her coming of age, growth into womanhood, and emerging sense of independence.
Aside from a great character story, A Long Way From Home is a fantastic historical fiction. Events of the Civil War described in detail color the fate of the south and give the story an interesting perspective.

Lenora Stone wins the lottery. What she does next is unbelievable. She..... well I won't say here but I shook my head while reading this book on many occasions. A quick read with not much to think about you may want to continue reading until the end just to see what Lenora does next.

The Price of Greed

We've all, at some point or another, fantasized about what we would do if we won, inherited or had a substantial amount of money. For me, I'm not greedy, I'd pay my tithes, God first; buy a modest home; set up college funds for my children; and help my immediate family, friends and my community. Sounds simple enough, right? But for Lenora Stone, it isn't so easy.

After months of dodging creditors, dealing with a boss she absolutely hates and dreaming of joining the ranks of Girlfriends, Lenora wins the Maryland lottery and life as she knows it is over. Before she can bask in her winnings, she can't stomach the thought of what this money may do to her life. After confiding in a few of her closet friends, her boyfriend, parents, and a client, Lenora is finally ready to claim her winnings.

As she upgrades her car, home and loses a few pounds, she is still on the fence about her job, her friends and even Gerald, her boyfriend. When Ray, the sexy, landscaper, starts giving her the time of day, Lenora can't help but appreciate all that he brings to the table. Is she willing to risk what she and Gerald have had for three years?

MONEY CAN'T BUY LOVE by Connie Briscoe was just all right. While predictable, it's interesting, but I felt so much of the story was skimmed over that readers would've benefited from.

Reviewed by: Crystal

Oh. My. Word. I wanted to reach into the book, snatch that woman up by her throat and slap her around. And I’m not a violent person. But Lenora Stone like to have driven me to drink. And I don’t drink. Yes, her crazy was that bad.

Without giving the book away, let’s just say that Lenora did everything wrong that you could possibly do when you’ve won the lottery. Furthermore, she was the least sympathetic character I’ve read about in a long time. And, honestly, I think that’s why I became absorbed in the story. I kept hoping and wishing that Lenora would show some signs of growth, development, maturity, wisdom, something… But, um, no, she didn’t.

I also felt like the writing on this book wasn’t as tight as it usually is with a Connie Briscoe book. Lenora was incredibly frustrating as a character and, as a person, I would have cut her loose as a friend. And the other characters in the story were just there. They didn’t do anything to add or subtract to the story, they really seemed to serve as emotional punching bags for Lenora.

I think if you’re looking for a quick read, this is the book. If you’re looking for something with a little more depth, pass on this one.

Sisters & Husbands is a story about marriage. It's centered around Beverly who is a month away from marrying Julian. Beverly's family and friends are crossing their fingers that she will go through with it. She has backed away from marriage two other times at the last minute. This time things seem to be different. Beverly and Julian are truly in love. And, Julian is not just a good looking man. He's reliable, hard-working, successful and completely devoted to Beverly. He's her soul mate.

You could say that Beverly has commitment issues but it's really more than that. Beverly is not a dewy-eyed twenty-something. She's 39, owns her own townhouse, has a good job as a journalist and she's dated enough to know the good guys from the bad. What's bothering Beverly is that she is afraid of marriage. She doesn't want anything to go wrong.

Beverly has examples of good marriages to look at. Her parents and Julian's parents and his brothers all have long term, good marriages. Her sister, Evelyn, who's a psychologist, has what everyone calls the perfect marriage. Now then her other sister, Charmaine, has been married four times but this last one looks like it's going to stick. So, why would Beverly have any major doubts?

She doesn't until Evelyn's perfect marriage falls apart. She and her husband have been married for over 25 years. It's the marriage everyone looks up to. That starts a cascade of problems. Charmayne's 14 year old stepdaughter comes for the summer and is the cause of a split between Charmayne and her husband. Beverly learns a cousin is getting divorcced and then there is her best friend who's fiance has been physically pushing her around. Now Beverly has serious doubts about marriage.

I hope I haven't made this sound like a soap opera because it's not. It's a light-hearted look at a family of three sisters a month before a wedding. They do have enough drama going on in their lives but, they have such a strong bond between them. It's rewarding to see how supportive they are of each other. They joke around and squabble, just like real sisters. Their conversations are that of people you know.

It felt so real that there were times I was talking out loud to these women as if I were sitting there. For instance, men do not fare well here. There were occasions when I was shouting to the sisters, "Not ALL men are dogs!" Beverly was so focused on the marriages that were having trouble. I kept telling her to look at her parents and Julian's parents. She wasn't listening to me.

I loved this book. I gulped it down. Although the subject matter, marriage, is serious, it didn't feel heavy. It felt light and fun and a little gossipy. I liked that this was a story about a middle class black family. There were no stereotypes or characterisations. Just real people. There were a few references to black marriages and black men but just a part of the story.

A family of slaves at the time of the Civil War works first to be "decent" people and then toward the dream of becoming free. When the war ends, the two young women who are still living make successful transitions to free life.

This was my second time reading this one. I read it once when I was a young teen, but wanted to again, just to see if it would be different. It's interesting because the author is deaf, and that's very evident in some of the odd dialog between her characters.

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this book is wack. i had to read it for an african american lit class, and felt it was a huge waste of time. doubt i'll read connie briscoe again.½

Connie Briscoe won me over years ago with Sisters and Lovers. Since then, Briscoe has never failed to deliver a riveting read. This book opened with a bang and held me captive. I love the fact it had mature characters than your regular twenty something year olds. This sequel was just as good as the first book. The wealthy community of Silver Lake, MD and all it's outrageously snobbish residents are a treat to read about. The details were great right down to the designer shoes the characters were wearing. She dealt with greed, revenge, lust, divorce and insecurity really well. Connie Briscoe intertwined the different storylines and reached a nice twist and good closure by the end of the story.

After reading this novel, you'll find that you "Can't Get Enough" of Connie Briscoe's intriguing novels.