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Genevieve
Learn exactly why Eric Jerome Dickey was renowned for his novels starring “bold, smart women oozing sexuality and vulnerability” ( The Atlantic ) in this New York Times bestseller.
Genevieve is brilliant and beautiful. Her husband has a thriving career. Together, they have a beautiful home in Los Angeles. Together, they're crazy in love. Then one day a family tragedy brings Genevieve back to her Alabama hometown, back to a past she hoped her husband would never discover, and back to secrets shared by her sister Kenya—mysterious, teasing, and dangerously irresistible. Soon, Genevieve's husband will discover the truth about his wife and her family. Something he was never meant to know—and a desire he was never meant to explore.
Genevieve is brilliant and beautiful. Her husband has a thriving career. Together, they have a beautiful home in Los Angeles. Together, they're crazy in love. Then one day a family tragedy brings Genevieve back to her Alabama hometown, back to a past she hoped her husband would never discover, and back to secrets shared by her sister Kenya—mysterious, teasing, and dangerously irresistible. Soon, Genevieve's husband will discover the truth about his wife and her family. Something he was never meant to know—and a desire he was never meant to explore.
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2005
117 people are currently reading
3276 people want to read
About the author
Eric Jerome Dickey
60 books3,630 followersEric Jerome Dickey was born in Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Memphis (the former Memphis State), where he earned his degree in Computer System Technology. In 1983, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in engineering.
After landing a job in the aerospace industry as a software developer, Eric Jerome Dickey's artistic talents surfaced, inspiring him to become an actor and a stand-up comedian. Yet Eric quickly found out that writing was something he could do and do well. From creative writing classes to avidly consuming the works of his favorite authors, Eric Jerome Dickey began to shape a writing career of his own. Having written several scripts for his personal comedy act, he started writing poetry and short stories. "The film work gave me insight into character development, the acting classes helped me understand motivation...All of it goes hand in hand," Eric explains. He joined the IBWA (International Black Writers and Artists), participated in their development workshops, and became a recipient of the IBWA SEED Scholarship to attend UCLA's Creative Writing classes. In 1994 his first published short story, "Thirteen," appeared in the IBWA's River Crossing: Voices of the Diaspora-An Anthology of the International Black Experience. A second short story, "Days Gone By," was published in the magazine A Place to Enter.
With those successes behind him, Eric Jerome Dickey decided to fine-tune some of his earlier work and developed a screenplay called "Cappuccino." "Cappuccino" was directed and produced by Craig Ross, Jr. and appeared in coffee houses around the Los Angeles area. In February 1998, "Cappuccino" made its local debut during the Pan African Film Festival at the Magic Johnson Theater in Los Angeles.
Short stories, though, didn't seem to fulfill Eric Jerome Dickey's creative yearnings. Eric says, "I'd set out to do a ten-page story and it would go on for three hundred pages." So Eric kept writing and reading and sending out query letters for his novels for almost three years until he finally got an agent. "Then a door opened," Eric says. "And I put my foot in before they could close it." And that door has remained opened, as Eric Jerome Dickey's novels have placed him on the map as one of the best writers of contemporary urban fiction.
Eric Jerome Dickey's book signing tours for Sister, Sister; Friends and Lovers; Milk in My Coffee; Cheaters; and Liar's Game took him from coast to coast and helped propel each of these novels to #1 on the "Blackboard Bestsellers List." Cheaters was named "Blackboard Book of the Year" in 2000. In June 2000, Eric Jerome Dickey celebrated the French publication of Milk in My Coffee (Cafe Noisette) by embarking on a book tour to Paris. Soon after, Milk in My Coffee became a bestseller in France. Eric Jerome Dickey's novels, Chasing Destiny, Liar's Game, Between Lovers, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, Drive Me Crazy, Genevieve, Naughty or Nice, Sleeping with Strangers, Waking with Enemies, and Pleasure have all earned him the success of a spot on The New York Times bestseller list. Liar's Game, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, and Genevieve have also given Dickey the added distinction of being nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. In 2006, he was honored with the awards for Best Contemporary Fiction and Author of the Year (Male) at the 2006 African American Literary Award Show. In 2008, Eric was nominated for Storyteller of the Year at the 1st annual ESSENCE Literary Awards. In January 2001, Eric Jerome Dickey was a contributor to New American Library's anthology Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories, also a Blackboard Bestseller. He also had a story entitled “Fish Sanwich” appear in the anthology Mothers and Sons. In June 2002, Dickey contributed to Black Silk: A Collection of African American Erotica (Warner Books) as well as to Riots Beneath the Baobab (published by Inte
After landing a job in the aerospace industry as a software developer, Eric Jerome Dickey's artistic talents surfaced, inspiring him to become an actor and a stand-up comedian. Yet Eric quickly found out that writing was something he could do and do well. From creative writing classes to avidly consuming the works of his favorite authors, Eric Jerome Dickey began to shape a writing career of his own. Having written several scripts for his personal comedy act, he started writing poetry and short stories. "The film work gave me insight into character development, the acting classes helped me understand motivation...All of it goes hand in hand," Eric explains. He joined the IBWA (International Black Writers and Artists), participated in their development workshops, and became a recipient of the IBWA SEED Scholarship to attend UCLA's Creative Writing classes. In 1994 his first published short story, "Thirteen," appeared in the IBWA's River Crossing: Voices of the Diaspora-An Anthology of the International Black Experience. A second short story, "Days Gone By," was published in the magazine A Place to Enter.
With those successes behind him, Eric Jerome Dickey decided to fine-tune some of his earlier work and developed a screenplay called "Cappuccino." "Cappuccino" was directed and produced by Craig Ross, Jr. and appeared in coffee houses around the Los Angeles area. In February 1998, "Cappuccino" made its local debut during the Pan African Film Festival at the Magic Johnson Theater in Los Angeles.
Short stories, though, didn't seem to fulfill Eric Jerome Dickey's creative yearnings. Eric says, "I'd set out to do a ten-page story and it would go on for three hundred pages." So Eric kept writing and reading and sending out query letters for his novels for almost three years until he finally got an agent. "Then a door opened," Eric says. "And I put my foot in before they could close it." And that door has remained opened, as Eric Jerome Dickey's novels have placed him on the map as one of the best writers of contemporary urban fiction.
Eric Jerome Dickey's book signing tours for Sister, Sister; Friends and Lovers; Milk in My Coffee; Cheaters; and Liar's Game took him from coast to coast and helped propel each of these novels to #1 on the "Blackboard Bestsellers List." Cheaters was named "Blackboard Book of the Year" in 2000. In June 2000, Eric Jerome Dickey celebrated the French publication of Milk in My Coffee (Cafe Noisette) by embarking on a book tour to Paris. Soon after, Milk in My Coffee became a bestseller in France. Eric Jerome Dickey's novels, Chasing Destiny, Liar's Game, Between Lovers, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, Drive Me Crazy, Genevieve, Naughty or Nice, Sleeping with Strangers, Waking with Enemies, and Pleasure have all earned him the success of a spot on The New York Times bestseller list. Liar's Game, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, and Genevieve have also given Dickey the added distinction of being nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. In 2006, he was honored with the awards for Best Contemporary Fiction and Author of the Year (Male) at the 2006 African American Literary Award Show. In 2008, Eric was nominated for Storyteller of the Year at the 1st annual ESSENCE Literary Awards. In January 2001, Eric Jerome Dickey was a contributor to New American Library's anthology Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories, also a Blackboard Bestseller. He also had a story entitled “Fish Sanwich” appear in the anthology Mothers and Sons. In June 2002, Dickey contributed to Black Silk: A Collection of African American Erotica (Warner Books) as well as to Riots Beneath the Baobab (published by Inte
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
May 23, 2022
Yaaaaasssss for that opening scene in Genevieve! Now, that’s how you start your book! That sex scene was beyond pearl clutchin’ honey. Whew chile! Now, on to the actual review. Genevieve and her husband are a successful couple on the surface but, are strangled by their traumatic pasts. This book shows some of the difficulties that a lot of marriages go through day to day. Its filled with lies, infidelity, secrets, and betrayal. It shows how much power the past can have on your present and the limits you’ll go to completely block it out. I am confused why the author wouldn’t name her husband. Not one time did Genevieve ever call her husband by name. I know EJD tends to not name his protagonists but, there was no secrecy or mystery surrounding him so, it made no sense not give him an identity. Richard Allen did a phenomenal job narrating. He has now been added to my list of favorite black male narrators. Genevieve was an excellent read. And, that plot twist at the end had me lookin’ real crazy because, I definitely did NOT see that coming.
October 11, 2014
I love this author. This story is already gripping, but the plot twist at the end literally made my jaw drop.
October 28, 2024
Great story well written.. I love the characters in this story.. I will be rereading this one… One of the first books from this author which let me know I need to read more from this author..
August 4, 2014
Maybe it was because I half read this book / half listened to it on audio book (and that's the first time I've ever done it), but I found this book lacking in a lot of aspects. I thought the idea behind it and where I thought it was going had promise, but it ended up falling flat. The story itself could have been expanded on to probably another fifty pages, but it wasn't. I thought the middle of the book - the part where really everything was supposed to happen - was mediocre. Genevieve went back to her old town, but I really don't know why. The main thing I remember about that whole part was the fight her brother and his wife had.... I thought the reasons she went back lacked conviction and I thought she was so good at planning things, so detail oriented, so organized, that the whole concept of returning to her old town for a funeral was unbelievable.
At the end of the first chapter you find out that her husband (the narrator of the story) is having an affair, so I thought the story was going to go more into detail about that - but instead his "affair" consisted of one time sleeping with the woman and another time at the beginning of the book - which still doesn't make any sense to me since there was no part for that to fit into the story. At the end of the first chapter he says, "This is the story of my affair", but it's actually far from it. It's more the story of his and Genevieve's childhood, which you really only drag out in the last few pages. Otherwise Genevieve is tight lipped and so stuck up that she refuses to talk about it. The story of his "affair" consists of a one night stand and falls to the back burner.
I found Genevieve annoying and couldn't connect to her at all. Her being a doctor added absolutely nothing to the story as there was no place for her to ever be a doctor. She could have easily been a cashier for all it mattered - no bearing to the story.
The one thing it did remind me is that an affair is not worth it. If you're happy in your marriage, don't venture out. After the initial frenzy of the sex is gone, all you're left with is a feeling of, "Is that all? Now what?" and a constant feeling of worry, wondering if the other person is going to ruin your life by telling. I think at the end of the day, that's the only thing I took away from the book.
The story itself wasn't bad, just majorly lacking in every aspect of the plot.
At the end of the first chapter you find out that her husband (the narrator of the story) is having an affair, so I thought the story was going to go more into detail about that - but instead his "affair" consisted of one time sleeping with the woman and another time at the beginning of the book - which still doesn't make any sense to me since there was no part for that to fit into the story. At the end of the first chapter he says, "This is the story of my affair", but it's actually far from it. It's more the story of his and Genevieve's childhood, which you really only drag out in the last few pages. Otherwise Genevieve is tight lipped and so stuck up that she refuses to talk about it. The story of his "affair" consists of a one night stand and falls to the back burner.
I found Genevieve annoying and couldn't connect to her at all. Her being a doctor added absolutely nothing to the story as there was no place for her to ever be a doctor. She could have easily been a cashier for all it mattered - no bearing to the story.
The one thing it did remind me is that an affair is not worth it. If you're happy in your marriage, don't venture out. After the initial frenzy of the sex is gone, all you're left with is a feeling of, "Is that all? Now what?" and a constant feeling of worry, wondering if the other person is going to ruin your life by telling. I think at the end of the day, that's the only thing I took away from the book.
The story itself wasn't bad, just majorly lacking in every aspect of the plot.
July 13, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. I got half way through and realized that there was no adventure and the story line was super dry. Only in the last last chapter of the book does it get good but by then it is over. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. The whole time I was thinking when is this going to get good... never did.
July 31, 2016
All I kept thinking: an AIDS researcher who has unprotected sex with some he just met????
April 29, 2020
3.5 my first Dickey experience, won’t be my last.
October 2, 2007
Steamy! If real people have sex lives like these characters, then my friends are certainly holding out on me! Ha. Anyway, this author is great at creating realism in his settings and none of his characters are quite what they seem. Lots of pain & emotion. Still, entertaining...but a bit graphic for my tastes.
December 7, 2020
Wow. I went into this one blindly. I didn't really know what to expect. I read a couple of reviews and noticed a few people mentioned a "plot twist' at the end. This plot twist really took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting it at all. I love the way the author built this story. It started off a bit slow but picked up pretty well. I am well pleased.
September 11, 2017
My least fav book by EJD.....his usual blue print for storytelling is all over this read but I just didn't care for the story....
January 1, 2021
If I wanted to have read a book about two people who really didn't know one another before getting married and acting stupid, Id of just had to look around at some people I know.
So the story goes like this:
This guy marries a smart woman, a beautiful woman. Both have college degrees and make awesome money but wait for it............................ they are not smart at all.
Then have said husband think of sex 24-7 with or without his wife on a daily and about potential sex with other women. Oh he's so cute isnt that sweet?........................
I guess he is more connected to his sexual needs than her. AWWWWWW. Isnt that so predictable.
Upon meeting wife's sister he has sex with her right off the bat. Damn.........he waste no time. Winner winner chicken dinner.
Did i mention he is a Aids researcher and has unprotected sex with said wifes sister? Um did he not learn anything from this research?
They are gathering for wifes grandfather's funeral. Isn't that so kind and caring of him......Yhea, that's what I thought.
In the end the girl he has sex with turns out to be the wifes very own daughter. Gawd.............Could it get worse.
Genevieve take your smart or dumb ass and and run.
HATEED it.
So the story goes like this:
This guy marries a smart woman, a beautiful woman. Both have college degrees and make awesome money but wait for it............................ they are not smart at all.
Then have said husband think of sex 24-7 with or without his wife on a daily and about potential sex with other women. Oh he's so cute isnt that sweet?........................
I guess he is more connected to his sexual needs than her. AWWWWWW. Isnt that so predictable.
Upon meeting wife's sister he has sex with her right off the bat. Damn.........he waste no time. Winner winner chicken dinner.
Did i mention he is a Aids researcher and has unprotected sex with said wifes sister? Um did he not learn anything from this research?
They are gathering for wifes grandfather's funeral. Isn't that so kind and caring of him......Yhea, that's what I thought.
In the end the girl he has sex with turns out to be the wifes very own daughter. Gawd.............Could it get worse.
Genevieve take your smart or dumb ass and and run.
HATEED it.
September 9, 2011
This story did hold my attention. I know that all families have some issues, small or large, but Genevieve's family had serious problems. Genevieve's husband was a cheater and her sister/daughter was no better. Kenya was an example of one of the worst types of family members that a person could have.
The ending was surprising, but not very believable to me. Most people don't forgive those kind of betrayals that quickly and easily. I don't see how Genevieve could ever truly trust her husband again. I get that sometimes a man may stray from the woman he's committed to, but he shouldn't try to hide it from her. Her husband waited until he stopped cheating to tell her and then expected it to be okay. He should have told her when the cheating first started and she should have left him. He should have been more accountable for his behavior. Once a cheater, always a cheater (& a liar too, in his case). This story was definitely not short on drama, all of the characters were crazy and not really likable.
The ending was surprising, but not very believable to me. Most people don't forgive those kind of betrayals that quickly and easily. I don't see how Genevieve could ever truly trust her husband again. I get that sometimes a man may stray from the woman he's committed to, but he shouldn't try to hide it from her. Her husband waited until he stopped cheating to tell her and then expected it to be okay. He should have told her when the cheating first started and she should have left him. He should have been more accountable for his behavior. Once a cheater, always a cheater (& a liar too, in his case). This story was definitely not short on drama, all of the characters were crazy and not really likable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2018
Not what I expected.
Wasn't pleased with the ending chapters. Since it was mainly about erasing Willie Esther, then all the extra incidents were irrelevant especially since they went unresolved. That's all.
Wasn't pleased with the ending chapters. Since it was mainly about erasing Willie Esther, then all the extra incidents were irrelevant especially since they went unresolved. That's all.
November 19, 2007
Hated it! I did not like the places Dickey took us poor unsuspecting readers in this novel. And guess what - I told him so at a book signing for "Sleeping with Strangers".
December 29, 2014
Overall this book was okay. I thought it was a little scattered and although the background of these characters once revealed was interesting, the execution of this work was not as solid.
October 12, 2016
Entertaining read.
June 8, 2017
This is a super slow reading, the type that you end up taking forever to read because it draaaaags but if you have the patience it has a very exciting ending!
August 20, 2019
The best book!
January 17, 2023
Eric Jerome Dickey… the reread was even better
When I say this man is masterful in his words… I had so many thoughts and still do. Like baby the story, the characters, the imagery. I just love the way he weaves a story together. I’m speechless. He really dropped the mic at the end.
When I say this man is masterful in his words… I had so many thoughts and still do. Like baby the story, the characters, the imagery. I just love the way he weaves a story together. I’m speechless. He really dropped the mic at the end.
February 18, 2024
EDJ
Recommend to me by my HLF, I LOVED this book! The end and plot twist had me about to fall out! Highly recommend! Read in 2 days!
Recommend to me by my HLF, I LOVED this book! The end and plot twist had me about to fall out! Highly recommend! Read in 2 days!
May 4, 2018
❤️❤️I loved the book from the start but the end, about Kenya, blew me away, my jaw literally dropped. Oh, it was an awesome read❤️❤️❤️
April 17, 2023
I wish I could upload the 10 minute voice note I sent to Asia-Ana as my review 🥲. I gotta sort my thoughts and transfer over some memorable quotes, but I'll report back after.
Just know EJD was writing like he had to unearth this family's past or he would perish. Also I'm currently re-reading and teaching Sing, Unburied, Sing and there are so many parallels since they both are grounded in southern black family experiences.
Just know EJD was writing like he had to unearth this family's past or he would perish. Also I'm currently re-reading and teaching Sing, Unburied, Sing and there are so many parallels since they both are grounded in southern black family experiences.
Read
February 5, 2009The name of my book is named Genevieve and the auther is Erick Jeromoe Dickey. This book is an urban book. The them is mainlyy about love and its struggles in life. There are 3 main characters in this book Genevieve her husband and her sister. In th ebook Geneveieve has various porblems she smokes drinks and keeps everything bottled up. Her and her husband have been going through issues but they love each other very much. They got a phone kall that Genevieves uncle had past away. So they had to go to the funeral. She was upset but happy at the same time. As a kid her uncle would put her through alot make her alot.Genevieve ran away when she was a kid and decided she would never turn back the first time she tried she failed but the second she succeded she was pregnant along the wayy but her baby ended up staying with her uncle that passed in realitiy Genivives sister was really her daughter but nobodyy knew untill almost the end of the book. Genevieves husband was lusting for her sister but didnt wanna betray Genevieves trust but he ended up cheating on her. Genevieve found out and almost left him but was pregnant they were so happy they worked out there marital problems and discussed things with Geneveieves "sister" (daughter). And tried to live anormal life. I liked this book it showed poeple that no matter how many lies you tell there laways gonna catch up with you. Genevieve lied her whole life and at the end they ended up finding out everything. This book has alot of meaning from lies to love and even betrayel.I was kinda konfusin wehn Genevieve said she was her sister mother thats weird id ont get it Genevieve was described as being beautiful and having a nice figure i pictured a young female around her thirties maybe.I think many young kids even adults would read this once you start reading it your not gonna wanna stop. in conclusion i think this book was a good book and i would give it a 6 out of 10. i recomend teens and older adults read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2019
This book was really slow-going, I feel like it had some moderate pacing issues. Genevieve and her husband (I find it so interesting that Dickey has a tendency to not name his protagonists) were not likable people to me, which was intended, I believe. It made for a really interesting story, two people who are successful on the surface but strangled by their traumatic pasts under the surface. It didn't make me particularly attached to either of them, though. Genevieve is distant, her husband is selfish, and these are their defining traits to me until the end. Although these characteristics are explained by their pasts, which get revealed towards the end of the book, it doesn't really make up for the slow pace in the first 200 pages. I don't regret my choice to read this one, it was wasn't as enthralling as some of EJD's other novels such as The Other Woman.
March 7, 2011
"She is not mine. She is my wife's sister. This is our affair." The suspenseful best selling author Eric Jerome Dickey released his talent in the book Genevieve, a book full of jealousy and confusion. So you're here because you have been very confused. You don't know what to do make your marriage a fairly tale marriage. Confusion comes with lust when you don't know where the Pacaso you call a mistress comes from. Thinking your life is just a story made for confusion. How does this make you feel? How has that afected you?
What is marriage to you? Is it love,
What is marriage to you? Is it love,
March 14, 2012
EJD should have retired from writing after his first four books. Everything after Sister, Sister, Milk in my Coffee, Between Lovers, and Cheaters was too Zane-esque and a cheap attempt to cash in on the African-American Noir market.
September 30, 2010
A steamy novel by one of my favorite authors!
December 30, 2012
I started on this book yesterday evening and finished it this morning.
July 22, 2016
I enjoyed this book. Eric Jerome Dickey is a great storyteller. The narrator was very good.
February 2, 2015
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews