Somebody's Knocking at My Door: A Novel

Against the Odds #2

by Francis Ray

Kristen Wakefield grew up the privileged, beloved daughter and sister of a wealthy family...yet she felt eclipsed by the achievements of her older brother, Adam, a renowned neurosurgeon. In New Orleans, Kristen believes she now has the opportunity to prove herself and forget a rather disastrous past relationship. But life is much harder than she expected in the Big Easy. Then she meets a man from her past, Rafe Crawford...a man battling his own demons and keeping his own secrets.

The beautiful, but down-to-earth Angelique Fleming has always had to fight to get what she wanted in a world dominated by men and she has the chip on her shoulder to prove it. Which is why she takes great pleasure working at a local strip club, hoping to expose a few naughty little secrets of the community's upstanding men. But before she gets all the dirt, she's going to find out a few things about life, men, and forgiveness she thought she already knew.

Claudette Thibodeaux Laurent comes from old New Orleans money and had always adhered to the family honor above all else. But she shocks polite society when she marries a man much younger than herself, a man everyone suspects is only after her money. Claudette has done her duty to her family and now she wants a little happiness for herself. And yet doubts eventually begin to creep in and she isn't sure which Maurice loves her or her money, as his desire for the finer things in life become more and more lavish. Just exactly how much is her happiness is going to cost her?

Told with Francis Ray's trademark emotion and passion, Somebody's Knocking at My Door is a powerful story of betrayal and forgiveness, love and healing.

Genres: Romance, African American Romance, African American

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2013

About the author

Francis Ray was a New York Times and USA Today bestselling African-American writer of romance novels. Her literary fiction series – Taggart and Falcon, the Invincible Women, Grayson Family of New Mexico, and Grayson Friends – have consistently made bestseller's lists. She was born in Richland, Texas, and studied nursing, receiving a bachelor's degree from Texas Woman's University in 1967. She began writing in 1987, while continuing to work as a nurse, and had her first book published in 1992.

AWARDS
Romantic Times Career Achievement
EMMA
The Golden Pen
The Atlantic Choice
Romantic Times 2008 Reviewers' Choice Award Winners for AFRICAN-AMERICAN ROMANCE Reviewers' Choice Awards – Best Books Not Even If You Begged, St. Martin's Griffin (February 2008)
Borders 2008 Bestselling Multicultural Romance Award for Nobody but You
Written's 2010 Readers Choice Book of the Year for If You Were My Man

Reviews

[Michelle Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book feels like more than a book. I'm not just reading to get to the end, I actually don't ever want it to end. The characters in this story come to life and attach themselves to you. You feel love, pain, hope, anger and much more. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. There are a few parts that might make a person blush so I obviously wouldn't recommend this for a young person. I would recommend this to any person who enjoys a good love story with a little bit of drama. It will make your heart swell and it will stick with you long after you read it.

[SassyMama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Changes Things

This book was absolutely amazing! Mrs. Ray's characters are always so well developed and quite memorable. They always appear to interrelate in some way or other within her novels. In this book Rafe doesn't magically change overnight, it takes time and with the gentle loving encouragement from Kristen, who is so sweet and compassionate, it just makes for a more believable romance. A definite MUST read!

[Latoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great sequel

I love this book. The ending was great but I wish we had more of the ending. It seemed hurried. But overall I loved the book. The romantic notions of courtship and love. Just so beautiful. I just wish there was a sequel to this sequel!!!!!!!!!

[Thais · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it either will hurt you or you'll go down trying to keep it. This book was full of hurt and love in the end. It's worth reading I enjoyed it a lot.

[Michelle Chavis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! I couldn't put it down. Rafe's pain was hard to read at times. But overall a great story.

[Vonetta Augustine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this book was broken up into three love stories linked by the relationships to each other. Kristen and Angelique are best friends & neighbors; Jacques and Damien are father & son, Claudette is good friend with Jacques.

If you read The Turning Point or Trouble Doesn’t Always Last (same novel), you’re familiar with Rafe and Kristen. Their love story is the sweetest because they have known each other for years since his stepmother and her brother are married. So they already consider each other family. She learned to grow up just because of life‘s circumstances, and he learned love and forgiveness because of her. Also, we get to catch up on some old characters from the turning point.

Damien and Angelique is relationship is about learning to trust yourself and others intentions, not judging( Damien to Angelique just b/c of her past profession) and not believing all men are bad guys(Angelique towards Damien). There’s a point in the novel when Damien reads Angelique’s dissertation and tells her “it’s a shame that I don’t see my father or your foster father in your description of men”. Since both are great men. He also called her out for not being able an objective clinical psychologist and how was she going to treat patients if she can’t be objective. She was do more harm than good.

Claudette and Jacques relationship/courtship was about finding love based on respect, desire, friendship, and laughter. Maurice was scum and she handed him his comeuppance.

I love this book. I bought an ebook to read again and again.

[TheBookstress · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sooo refreshing. I loved every romantic minute of it. Always great to see a successful black blood line that are also a great loving family that plays no games when it comes to one of their own and in a professional elegant way. I loved all the characters and the conflicts and the resolve. So glad Lily got away and found authentic love. So glad Elenor stopped fighting what her heart needed (Jonathan). Rafe and Kristen you guys deserve each others love and doors it’s getting ready to open . Angelique and her boo, I stay rooting for you guys because this is what real love should look like. Always making sure your loved ones are good

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three coupkew each with a diffent road to travel

Here we met several characters. Some were well worth every page and a few others were every bit the bad they were portrayed to be. Kristin, Rafe, Angelic, Claudette, Jacques, Damien and a few other from a prior book gives each of their stories some extra. Seeing how some entwined and others had to develop and grow. Three couples. Three different romances. Three different comung togethers with a very similar outcome, marriage.

[Felecia Pressley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Reading

Well written and fast paced. Romantic love, friendships and family ties. Lies and betrayal. Redemption and new beginnings.Highly recommended. Enjoyed.

[Nola Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that introduced me to Francis Ray, and I've been a fan ever since.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somebody's Knocking at My Door by Francis Ray
Kristin hopes to gain attention for colored painters. She goes to dinner but Maurice's wife is not present and he can give her the money and paintings she wants but she does not want to go to bed with him at all to get it.
Rafe had come to the rescue but had punched Maurice in the nose. When Maurice and Claudia wen to the director of the gallery they forced him to fire her after they listened to Rafe's answering machine tape of when she was in the bathroom.
Rafe felt so bad that after 7 years Kristin was not working at the gallery.
She not only gets a job but one she loves with help from her friends. The revenge of Maurice is going along well with no help from them.
Kristin gets Rafe involved with teens who need to work with their hands for a cause and she's been able to sell items he's made at the gallery.
There is a subplot of Kristins friend Angel and her love interest and her work as a stripper doing research for college.
And her boss and his love are showcased here as well.
Love how she is able to get the boys into a sponsorship with something they can do good for others in their lives.
Love to hear about another and their craft, working with their hands and mind.

[Sylvia Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read!

[Joan Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. I laughed and cried; it was so difficult to put down. I found the characters to be well-developed and the story-line riveting.

[Morgan Pugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basic romance. Skimmed last few chapters.

[Cf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to admit this but this book is boring. Definitely a one time read.