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The Next Phase of Life
As a forty-year-old woman tries to find romance, she reunites with a long-lost sister in this story of companionship, compassion, and adventures among close friends.
Finding a good man, getting along with your sister, and keeping up with your friends’ escapades doesn’t get any easier—even after forty!
Now that Tai Wilson has hit forty, the successful entrepreneur and proud homeowner is finally ready to settle down with the man of her dreams. She just has to find him. But her focus on dating gets pushed aside when her long-lost sister, Trista, surfaces. Separated as children following their parents’ deaths, the women live completely different lives, and Trista has trouble fitting into Tai’s upscale world. Will the sisters finally create the everlasting bond they crave, or will their relationship crumble entirely before their very eyes? Will Tai find the partner she seeks? Throw in some feisty friends with their own issues, and Tai is definitely ready for The Next Phase of Life .
Finding a good man, getting along with your sister, and keeping up with your friends’ escapades doesn’t get any easier—even after forty!
Now that Tai Wilson has hit forty, the successful entrepreneur and proud homeowner is finally ready to settle down with the man of her dreams. She just has to find him. But her focus on dating gets pushed aside when her long-lost sister, Trista, surfaces. Separated as children following their parents’ deaths, the women live completely different lives, and Trista has trouble fitting into Tai’s upscale world. Will the sisters finally create the everlasting bond they crave, or will their relationship crumble entirely before their very eyes? Will Tai find the partner she seeks? Throw in some feisty friends with their own issues, and Tai is definitely ready for The Next Phase of Life .
- GenresErotica
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 3, 2011
About the author
Charmaine R. Parker
3 books6 followersA former journalist and the sister of national bestselling author Zane
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 30, 2011
The sisterhood pact: Tai, Candace, and Nevada enjoy outdoor parties, taken aback in the 70s and celebrate the good times together. Some of the album covers mentioned in the novel, I recalled seeing those same ones as a youth.
Tai, turning the big 4-0 (40 years old) also known as the “new twenty,” the next phase of her life, and former career as a marketing representative to entrepreneurship of her own employment agency. She also wanted to spend her special day with Austin, but he was a no-show and ignored her calls, tests, and emails. Ladies, some of us have been there!
Candace loves adventure and pure freak-a-zoid until she meets a man that is far off than she could ever imagine where she ran the h-e- to the double “ll” out of there.
Nevada is a loner except for spending time with her partners in crime (Tai and Candace): no kids, never married, and focused on career as a former newspaper reporter to investigator—good at what she does! She unlocked the mystery of estranged husband while on a PI case.
Trista comes back to the fold, in Tai’s life, her long-lost sister where Tai takes her under her wing also feeling slightly guilty for living with Grandma after their parents died and Trista stayed with a close neighbor until she dies. Trista doesn’t want to discuss bad memories as Tai shares good memories, yet regretful since Tai didn’t have the same outcome as Trista during their years of separation until now in their adulthood. Waiting to see what Trista has been through that she doesn’t want to rehash on bad memories during small talk with her sister, Tai.
See what’s in store with the fashion diva (Candace) and getting-back-on-track (Trista) when they meet two debonair twins on a shopping spree that goes woe is me…
Charmaine R. Parker debut novel started off beautifully written, just enough but not an overkill to take you over the edge with fluff. Her sexual scenes were so delicately shown as a romantic, but keep you on the tip of exoticness. If you like “Sex in the City” show, you’ll enjoy reading this novel. There is a dose of suspense, mystery, laced with romance and adventure.
Dream 4 More Reviews received a copy of "The Next Phase of Life" by publicist Yona Deshommes at Simon and Schuster/Atria Books/Stebor for a book review.
Dream 4 More Reviews,
Adrienna Turner
Sweet Dreams!
www.dream4more.webs.com
Tai, turning the big 4-0 (40 years old) also known as the “new twenty,” the next phase of her life, and former career as a marketing representative to entrepreneurship of her own employment agency. She also wanted to spend her special day with Austin, but he was a no-show and ignored her calls, tests, and emails. Ladies, some of us have been there!
Candace loves adventure and pure freak-a-zoid until she meets a man that is far off than she could ever imagine where she ran the h-e- to the double “ll” out of there.
Nevada is a loner except for spending time with her partners in crime (Tai and Candace): no kids, never married, and focused on career as a former newspaper reporter to investigator—good at what she does! She unlocked the mystery of estranged husband while on a PI case.
Trista comes back to the fold, in Tai’s life, her long-lost sister where Tai takes her under her wing also feeling slightly guilty for living with Grandma after their parents died and Trista stayed with a close neighbor until she dies. Trista doesn’t want to discuss bad memories as Tai shares good memories, yet regretful since Tai didn’t have the same outcome as Trista during their years of separation until now in their adulthood. Waiting to see what Trista has been through that she doesn’t want to rehash on bad memories during small talk with her sister, Tai.
See what’s in store with the fashion diva (Candace) and getting-back-on-track (Trista) when they meet two debonair twins on a shopping spree that goes woe is me…
Charmaine R. Parker debut novel started off beautifully written, just enough but not an overkill to take you over the edge with fluff. Her sexual scenes were so delicately shown as a romantic, but keep you on the tip of exoticness. If you like “Sex in the City” show, you’ll enjoy reading this novel. There is a dose of suspense, mystery, laced with romance and adventure.
Dream 4 More Reviews received a copy of "The Next Phase of Life" by publicist Yona Deshommes at Simon and Schuster/Atria Books/Stebor for a book review.
Dream 4 More Reviews,
Adrienna Turner
Sweet Dreams!
www.dream4more.webs.com
August 31, 2011
In the Next Phase of Life by Charmaine R. Parker, readers are introduced to Tia Wilson, the owner of an employment agency, who is ready to settle down. Tia has tried everything to find Mr. Right without any success. Tia must be patience and she just might get her Mr. Right.
Tia’s sister, Trista surfaces and both will soon have changes in their lives. Tia realizes that her sister needs encouragement and a boost of confidence so she enlists the help of her friends, Nevada and Candace along with their mandatory Girl’s Night Out event.
Trista is having problems fitting into an unfamiliar world along with dealing with issues from her past. She does not understand the different upbringing that Tia had over her own but she does realizes that with time she may have a secure relationship with her sister. When Trista starts working things seems to brighten up for her and she starts to agree with her new life or does she…
The Next Phase of Life is about family, friendship, and love. The author shares the development of a friendship between sisters with the bad and the good. The secondary characters in the book seem to take over, which may take readers focus away from the main characters. It was hard to stay focused on Tia and Trista when Nevada’s investigating skills and Candace’s styles seemed to entertain me more. I found myself wanting more from Nevada and Candace then Tia and Trista. I do recommend this book to others.
This advanced uncorrected proof was provided by the author for review purposes.
Teresa Beasley
A&RBC Reviews
3.5 Stars
Tia’s sister, Trista surfaces and both will soon have changes in their lives. Tia realizes that her sister needs encouragement and a boost of confidence so she enlists the help of her friends, Nevada and Candace along with their mandatory Girl’s Night Out event.
Trista is having problems fitting into an unfamiliar world along with dealing with issues from her past. She does not understand the different upbringing that Tia had over her own but she does realizes that with time she may have a secure relationship with her sister. When Trista starts working things seems to brighten up for her and she starts to agree with her new life or does she…
The Next Phase of Life is about family, friendship, and love. The author shares the development of a friendship between sisters with the bad and the good. The secondary characters in the book seem to take over, which may take readers focus away from the main characters. It was hard to stay focused on Tia and Trista when Nevada’s investigating skills and Candace’s styles seemed to entertain me more. I found myself wanting more from Nevada and Candace then Tia and Trista. I do recommend this book to others.
This advanced uncorrected proof was provided by the author for review purposes.
Teresa Beasley
A&RBC Reviews
3.5 Stars
April 15, 2012
New Beginnings
Tai Wilson is a successful entrepreneur in the D.C. area. Like most, she’s ready to settle down. After spending five years with Austin, she assumed he was the one. Unfortunately, it’s the night that she celebrates her 40th birthday that she realizes happily ever after is not in the cards for them. Despite her failed relationship, Tai is still living, learning and searching. Trista, Tai’s younger sister, reaches out to her on Facebook, after 30 years.
Though they are sisters, Tai and Trista’s upbringing do not mirror the others. After a tragedy involving their parents, the sisters were separated. Tai was raised with the grandmother and Trista a neighbor. Tai knows that her sister is in need and willing opens her home and heart to her. Tai prays that this is not a decision she will regret. Will she?
I like that “The Next Phase of Life” is based on successful women of color. An easy read, I wish more emphasis would’ve been placed on the story versus that of the designer brands.
Reviewed by: Carmen
Tai Wilson is a successful entrepreneur in the D.C. area. Like most, she’s ready to settle down. After spending five years with Austin, she assumed he was the one. Unfortunately, it’s the night that she celebrates her 40th birthday that she realizes happily ever after is not in the cards for them. Despite her failed relationship, Tai is still living, learning and searching. Trista, Tai’s younger sister, reaches out to her on Facebook, after 30 years.
Though they are sisters, Tai and Trista’s upbringing do not mirror the others. After a tragedy involving their parents, the sisters were separated. Tai was raised with the grandmother and Trista a neighbor. Tai knows that her sister is in need and willing opens her home and heart to her. Tai prays that this is not a decision she will regret. Will she?
I like that “The Next Phase of Life” is based on successful women of color. An easy read, I wish more emphasis would’ve been placed on the story versus that of the designer brands.
Reviewed by: Carmen
March 1, 2012
This book was very difficult for me to read because the story was all over the place, and too far fetched for my liking. I wanted to stop reading it within the 1st 50 pages, but I had to finish it because it was one of our bookclub reads. There was just no substance and just too fake for me.
August 9, 2011
Will love to read another book by this author in the future. She did really good on her debut book, flawless!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews