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First Kill Wonder: A Naim Butler Romance Suspense
Naim Butler, a rainmaker, has perfected the art of sentencing mitigation, as a partner with Manhattan power-firm, Baker and Keefe. He's the kind of captivating and accomplished man that therapists vent too. His bachelorhood is turned upside down when an old flame, Sinia Love, drops a seventeen-year-old son into his lap forcing him to balance this revelation and his budding romance with Brandy Scott. Professionally, Naim's assigned to prove a man's innocence of murder is filthy work itself, but catastrophic when an envious lover of Sinia Love's sets out to kill him while hiding amongst the glitterati of Manhattan's upper crust.
340 pages, Paperback
Published June 16, 2016
2 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
R. Jerome Brooks
1 book17 followers"My previous novels explored how people were tied together by crime," Brooks says. "But with First Kill Wonder, I sought to connect people by the mystery of falling in love with new friends and estranged family. I'm excited and eager and anxious--like going on my sophomore dance. To join the Prodigy Gold family is a great honor and thrills me to my wing tips."
Brooks grew up in Philadelphia before trekking to Los Angeles to study film/TV at UCLA. Finding it difficult to break into Hollywood, he adapted his screen play into his first novel and later pursued an English degree at Harvard University and making writing a full-time job. He lives in Philadelphia with a Manx.
Brooks grew up in Philadelphia before trekking to Los Angeles to study film/TV at UCLA. Finding it difficult to break into Hollywood, he adapted his screen play into his first novel and later pursued an English degree at Harvard University and making writing a full-time job. He lives in Philadelphia with a Manx.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 3, 2016
With "First Kill Wonder" R. Jerome Brooks creates a story that straddles the border between urban fiction and literary romance as it leads us through the life of its suave protagonist Naim Butler, a successful litigator trying to overcome his criminal past and find love, all while not compromising what makes him a man worth his word. This novel does a lot of thing extremely well. Firstly, it's well-paced. I found myself jumping from page to page without much in the way of clunky exposition slowing me down, or boring scenes that removed me from the story as I read.
Rahiem also does an excellent job of describing the world of the novel. New York City is brought to life in his prose, and even the finest physical details are given without seeming overwhelming. Have no doubt, R. Jerome knows how to write.
The only real issue I have is with the story he's trying to tell-or maybe the story telling. It's not clear what the plot of "First Kill Wonder" is (even the book's title is no help, and connects only vaguely to the story's conclusion). The novel doesn't stick with any particular conflict, so as a reader I'm not sure what I should be focusing on as things happen in a way that resembles a collection of interesting scenes more than a cohesive story that's taking me on a ride from point A to point B.
If you can overlook this, First Kill Wonder has a lot to offer: characters you can root for, interesting settings and the escapism that only good books provide.
Rahiem also does an excellent job of describing the world of the novel. New York City is brought to life in his prose, and even the finest physical details are given without seeming overwhelming. Have no doubt, R. Jerome knows how to write.
The only real issue I have is with the story he's trying to tell-or maybe the story telling. It's not clear what the plot of "First Kill Wonder" is (even the book's title is no help, and connects only vaguely to the story's conclusion). The novel doesn't stick with any particular conflict, so as a reader I'm not sure what I should be focusing on as things happen in a way that resembles a collection of interesting scenes more than a cohesive story that's taking me on a ride from point A to point B.
If you can overlook this, First Kill Wonder has a lot to offer: characters you can root for, interesting settings and the escapism that only good books provide.
September 6, 2016
FIRST KILL WONDER by Rahiem Brooks was a refreshing experience to read. I was not expecting a mystery but got legal suspense instead. I never read legal suspense novels with the exception of THE FIRM by John Grisham. Raheim took me to the New York City I know and love with accurate locations like Midtown, Upper East Side, Hunt's Point and Park Slope. I wondered what was going to happen to successful mitigation and sentencing specialist and law firm partner Naim Butler, who underwent personal and professional redemption after spending time in prison and received a second chance in his life and career. He learned about the existence of seventeen-year-old music and child prodigy Marco Love (later Butler), a son he never knew he had with former flame, Sinia Ferguson-Love, who passed Marco off as the child of her ex-husband, Kyle Love. Although Sinia still craved sexual attention from Naim's self-assured and arrogant bedroom game, she still had unresolved issues about his past as an ex-con from the so-called wrong side of the tracks. She dumped him when he served time in prison by sending him a Dear John letter. Marco plans to stay in New York to begin a new relationship with his newfound father and attend college to study music and law. Naim met Brandy Scott, an executive editor of The New York Times, during a near-tragic accident in which a swerving truck almost took her life near the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He was determined to prove to her that his past did not determine his present. His relationships with both Marco and Brandy are thwarted by Sinia and legal figures who do not want him to overcome his past and truly change the legal system in how poor Blacks and Latinos are criminalized and convicted of crimes they had no business spending long prison sentences for. I wonder when the conflict of FIRST KILL WONDER was going to take place. It took me to the middle of the plot to see Naim and Marco face obstacles brought upon by a pimp named Jackson Brown, DEA Agent Warner and Sinia's oncologist/lover Dr. Austin Mills. The newfound father-and-son dynamic was natural and the emphasis on Black father-and-son relationships were central and needed for this novel. Although I enjoyed the fast pace, I wanted the conflict to show up early on. It was refreshing to read about the lightness of the sex and love scenes between Naim and Sinia and Naim and Brandy because the scenes made sense to the plot and character development. The diversity was excellent, especially with the friendship Naim had with best friend, Assistant United States Attorney Derrick Adams, who happened to have been Caucasian, and their meetings at the popular steak bistro, Hector's Brazilian Bistro, owned by their mutual friend, Hector. It was great to observe the newfound friendship between Marco and Stefon Adams, Derrick's son, because it mirrored Naim and Derrick's. I do not know if it is me but there seems to be subtle colorism when it came to the physical appearances of Sinia, Brandy and Amber King, Marco's girlfriend while Naim's housekeeper, June, and secretary, Ginger Robertson, were backburned characters due to them being dark-skinned. It is also ironic how Sinia was depicted as the villainess. This is not seen in literature, film and music created by Black male creatives where light-and-fair-skinned Black females are the love interests and objects of desire. There were some loose ends and I hope Raheim will do a sequel to address them, especially when it came to Sinia and Naim's estranged mother, who was mentioned towards the book's conclusion. By the way, President Jackson Radcliffe mirrored President Barack Hussein Obama and this is for those readers who are into the U.S. political scene. I read this in two days straight and happy to do so despite minor typos and lack of physical description of the secondary and minor characters.
April 20, 2016
First Kill Wonder: A Naim Butler Romance Suspense by R. Jerome Brooks
“Patiently Waiting For Book 2!”
If there is one thing that I enjoy as an author, it is getting to read great books in another genre other than my own. I had the privilege of reading and reviewing an advanced copy of First Kill Wonder. R. Jerome Brooks delivers. I truly had to pace myself; slowly savoring the main character of Naim Butler.
What do you do when you have been working hard to turn your life around, find out you have a seventeen-year-old son you never knew about and an ex that lives to manipulate and try to destroy your happiness? You turn on the charm, get your poker face in place, and never let your enemy see you coming; even if you don’t know who your enemy may be.
Naim Butler has been working diligently to erase his past and the mistakes he has made. Including giving his heart to a woman that left him when he needed her the most. Twenty years have passed, and Naim has turned his life around. He is successful, wealthy, and has no problems with the ladies. As he is moving up the ladder in his career, he learns that he has a son. Conflicting emotions war inside him, but nothing he cannot handle; especially if it means being the kind of father he never had.
Charm—with slight arrogance—and the ability to walk that narrow line between right and wrong attributes to the strength and sexiness of Naim’s character. Along with his equally charming son, Marco—the two are a dynamic duo that one book is not enough to contain. They are characters that readers will easily fall in love with, and demand more of.
R. Jerome Brooks delivers a delicious and sexy mix of suspense that will have you falling in love with the charismatic Naim Butler, and his equally charming son, Marco. The story is woven with tales straight from today’s headlines, which attributes to First Kill Wonder’s realism and authenticity in dialogue. Brooks brilliantly intertwines romance and suspense, taking his reader on a luxurious ride of highs and lows, wondering with bated breath how the story will end while simultaneously wishing for more.
“Patiently Waiting For Book 2!”
If there is one thing that I enjoy as an author, it is getting to read great books in another genre other than my own. I had the privilege of reading and reviewing an advanced copy of First Kill Wonder. R. Jerome Brooks delivers. I truly had to pace myself; slowly savoring the main character of Naim Butler.
What do you do when you have been working hard to turn your life around, find out you have a seventeen-year-old son you never knew about and an ex that lives to manipulate and try to destroy your happiness? You turn on the charm, get your poker face in place, and never let your enemy see you coming; even if you don’t know who your enemy may be.
Naim Butler has been working diligently to erase his past and the mistakes he has made. Including giving his heart to a woman that left him when he needed her the most. Twenty years have passed, and Naim has turned his life around. He is successful, wealthy, and has no problems with the ladies. As he is moving up the ladder in his career, he learns that he has a son. Conflicting emotions war inside him, but nothing he cannot handle; especially if it means being the kind of father he never had.
Charm—with slight arrogance—and the ability to walk that narrow line between right and wrong attributes to the strength and sexiness of Naim’s character. Along with his equally charming son, Marco—the two are a dynamic duo that one book is not enough to contain. They are characters that readers will easily fall in love with, and demand more of.
R. Jerome Brooks delivers a delicious and sexy mix of suspense that will have you falling in love with the charismatic Naim Butler, and his equally charming son, Marco. The story is woven with tales straight from today’s headlines, which attributes to First Kill Wonder’s realism and authenticity in dialogue. Brooks brilliantly intertwines romance and suspense, taking his reader on a luxurious ride of highs and lows, wondering with bated breath how the story will end while simultaneously wishing for more.
May 9, 2016
I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.
Does the path you’re meant to travel stop when a bad decision is made? Or are like the Phoenix, formed in the fire and destined for greatness, once consumed. For Naim Butler, he was most definitely formed in the pits of fire. From dire circumstances, Butler’s life choices were a product of his environment. However, that wasn’t the end for him, one could call it; just a prelude. After turning his life around, Butler became the first non-practicing partner at the law offices of Barker and Keefe, a prestigious law firm in Manhattan. Life for Naim Butler was exceptional…
A fury of events including finding out about his now seventeen-year-old son, Marco and the chance meeting of Brandy Scott sets a change of pace for Butler. And once again, just like a Phoenix he rises to the occasion and is determined to be the kind of father He wished was a part of his life.
Great books are formed by details they present. It’s all in the details, and Brooks made sure not to leave them out. Combining his love of a mystery with a hint romance, Brooks is definitely one to watch. This introduction to Naim Butler is one I didn’t want to end right away. The flow and pace were steady enough to keep the reading experience engaging while pulling you deeper into the world of Butler. I am looking forward to seeing where this series will go. Five Stars
www.coffeebreaksandbookmarks.com
Does the path you’re meant to travel stop when a bad decision is made? Or are like the Phoenix, formed in the fire and destined for greatness, once consumed. For Naim Butler, he was most definitely formed in the pits of fire. From dire circumstances, Butler’s life choices were a product of his environment. However, that wasn’t the end for him, one could call it; just a prelude. After turning his life around, Butler became the first non-practicing partner at the law offices of Barker and Keefe, a prestigious law firm in Manhattan. Life for Naim Butler was exceptional…
A fury of events including finding out about his now seventeen-year-old son, Marco and the chance meeting of Brandy Scott sets a change of pace for Butler. And once again, just like a Phoenix he rises to the occasion and is determined to be the kind of father He wished was a part of his life.
Great books are formed by details they present. It’s all in the details, and Brooks made sure not to leave them out. Combining his love of a mystery with a hint romance, Brooks is definitely one to watch. This introduction to Naim Butler is one I didn’t want to end right away. The flow and pace were steady enough to keep the reading experience engaging while pulling you deeper into the world of Butler. I am looking forward to seeing where this series will go. Five Stars
www.coffeebreaksandbookmarks.com
April 21, 2016
Received an Advance Reader Copy for a pre-publication review.
First Kill Wonder is the journey of: did wrong, paid the price, did right, grew and succeeded.... "in spite of." And, was much "in spite of" but so goes life. This novel is our introduction to Naim Butler because clearly, he's just getting started therefore, there must be more to come. I am so looking forward to reading more of him.
Naim Butler is an ace in sentencing mitigation and a partner with Baker and Keefe, one of the most prestigious law firms in Manhattan. He's successful, personable and fine as a great wine. His life is progressing and on the steady rise when he learns that he has a 17 year old son, Marco. They meet and establish the foundation of what type of relationship they will have.
Naim meets Brandy Scott in a very fortunate situation for her and romance blooms. This to the disdain of Marco's mother, Sinia Love, a definite "in spite of," whose dismissal of a paramour ignites another bomb in Naim life. This novel is chucked full of systemic paths that are entwined to create a dramatically engage read.
Mr. Brooks has penned a tale that draws you in and blankets you in a cocoon of curiosity and awaiting what's next. I didn't want this story to end and I am definitely awaiting more.
First Kill Wonder is the journey of: did wrong, paid the price, did right, grew and succeeded.... "in spite of." And, was much "in spite of" but so goes life. This novel is our introduction to Naim Butler because clearly, he's just getting started therefore, there must be more to come. I am so looking forward to reading more of him.
Naim Butler is an ace in sentencing mitigation and a partner with Baker and Keefe, one of the most prestigious law firms in Manhattan. He's successful, personable and fine as a great wine. His life is progressing and on the steady rise when he learns that he has a 17 year old son, Marco. They meet and establish the foundation of what type of relationship they will have.
Naim meets Brandy Scott in a very fortunate situation for her and romance blooms. This to the disdain of Marco's mother, Sinia Love, a definite "in spite of," whose dismissal of a paramour ignites another bomb in Naim life. This novel is chucked full of systemic paths that are entwined to create a dramatically engage read.
Mr. Brooks has penned a tale that draws you in and blankets you in a cocoon of curiosity and awaiting what's next. I didn't want this story to end and I am definitely awaiting more.
January 29, 2017
Nate Butler is a man with a colorful past. He spent a little time in federal prison and used that time to motivate himself to overcome his obstacles. He was in a relationship but the relationship ended once he went to jail. Fast forward seventeen years and Nate is doing outstanding for himself. He went to college, got a degree, garnered a position tailored just for him and financially he doing well. He owns a property that is worth millions, great job, yet he is single until a chance meeting changes his perspective.
Everything is good until he learns he has a 17-year-old son, named Marco who is something of a prodigy. He is outstandingly smart and mature for his age. Also, add that there are forces and people working in the background who don’t want to see Nate succeed anymore. They are looking to murder his career and if not his career, him. Nate has to stay ahead of the game in this fight to protect his name, career, and new found son. Will he succeed?
I am rating three stars. Brooks gave us a background look into a different world we don’t see other than on TV and made it realistic. Brooks penned a good legal suspense novel yet there were some errors.
Format: Kindle
Review Copy Supplied By Publisher
Everything is good until he learns he has a 17-year-old son, named Marco who is something of a prodigy. He is outstandingly smart and mature for his age. Also, add that there are forces and people working in the background who don’t want to see Nate succeed anymore. They are looking to murder his career and if not his career, him. Nate has to stay ahead of the game in this fight to protect his name, career, and new found son. Will he succeed?
I am rating three stars. Brooks gave us a background look into a different world we don’t see other than on TV and made it realistic. Brooks penned a good legal suspense novel yet there were some errors.
Format: Kindle
Review Copy Supplied By Publisher
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2016
The story is good, but does not leave one breathless to see what will happen next.
The people do stay pretty much in character. Sinia, Naim's ex, has some real problems, and is consistently totally unpredictable.
There are editing and proofreading problems, (grammar, missing or wrong use of words) which should have been taken care of before printing. No way would a young man of Marco's intelligence use "seen" when it should have been "has seen" or "saw". (Just an example.)
The people do stay pretty much in character. Sinia, Naim's ex, has some real problems, and is consistently totally unpredictable.
There are editing and proofreading problems, (grammar, missing or wrong use of words) which should have been taken care of before printing. No way would a young man of Marco's intelligence use "seen" when it should have been "has seen" or "saw". (Just an example.)
May 3, 2016
After an eventful and troubled Chicago upbringing and a reunion with his sophisticated (and very wealthy) former love, Sinia Love, Naim Butler is living in New York's Upper East Side, cashing in on his partnership at Baker & Keefe. Life as a bachelor is grand.
But Sinia plans to interrupt Butler's comfy life...starting with introducing him to the son he fathered many years ago.
But Sinia plans to interrupt Butler's comfy life...starting with introducing him to the son he fathered many years ago.
July 3, 2016
FTC Disclosure: I received this book free from Goodreads hoping I would review it.
July 20, 2016
This book was just okay. There are quite a few typo errors which irk me.
The storyline is okay but is discombobulated to the point that I wonder why I wasted my time reading the entire book.
The storyline is okay but is discombobulated to the point that I wonder why I wasted my time reading the entire book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews