Black Hamptons

by Carl Weber, La Jill Hunt

Now a NAACP-nominated Limited Series on BET!

Hidden away near the end of Long Island, New York, is a community where affluent African Americans, their friends, and the wannabes have secretly vacationed for more than 75 years. Unlike the bluffs of Martha’s Vineyard, black folks here own five miles of prime beachfront. With a mix of legacy families, new money, hangers-on, and thirsty developers, drama can never be far behind in a place called . . . the BLACK HAMPTONS .

The Brittons are the owners of Amistad Bank, the nation’s largest minority-owned bank. They consider themselves the “First Family” of the Black Hamptons and have owned their estate home for three generations. Their matriarch, Carolyn Britton, and her two sons, Malcolm and Martin, are not to be played with. They truly embody the Black Hamptons’ old guard and will do whatever they feel is necessary to maintain their place at the top.The Johnsons are relatively new to the Black Hamptons, having summered there only five years. Sometimes they still feel like outsiders, but that might be because Anthony Johnson is viewed as competition by the Brittons. He’s the handsome CEO of Sydney Tech, a company he built from the ground up. Many people consider him the most powerful man in the Black Hamptons, but don’t say that around the Britton boys.

Genres: Fiction, African American, Audiobook, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Urban

304 pages, Paperback

Published June 27, 2023

About the author

Carl Weber is a New York Times and #1 Essence® bestselling novelist.

In addition to his writing, Weber is the founder and publisher of Urban Books and in 2005, he was named Blackboard's Publisher of the Year. He is the owner of the Urban Knowledge chain of book stores and a past recipient of Blackboard's Bookseller of the Year award.

Weber graduated from Virginia State University and holds an MBA in marketing from the University of Virginia.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I despise too many character plots that lead to an unfinished ending and "to be continued." Check, check, check. 2 of 10 stars

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Hamptons by Carl Webber and La Jill Hunt
10h 24m narrated by Ace Bentley, Chanté Ellison, Dylan Ford, Ebony Mendez and Michael Rishawn

Genre: African-American Fiction

Featuring: Sag Harbor, NY; Affluence, Sex - Detailed, Drama, Bidding War

Rating as a movie: R

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⅓

My thoughts: 📱12% 1:13:07 Ch. 7 - I don't like it, it's like a soap opera, every chapter has been a character introduction and they are all one-dimensional so far.
📱47% Ch. 31- So far this is just okay and fueled by a lot of unnecessary drama. 🙄
63% Ch. 44 - I knew this was going to be some mess, this is basically The Young and the Restless vs The Bold and the Beautiful with a predominantly Black cast so, like The Haves and the Have Nots but better written.

I wasn't crazy about this one, it was better than okay but not much. Once you get pass the overdramatic characters a story comes together but then it just ends before it really heats up. I don't trust La Jill Hunt, I read Private Property and the entire book was character introductions, it's been 3 years and she still hasn't finished the story. Hopefully Carl Webber will finish this one and not leave his fans hanging, although I haven't seen anything stating the book is part of a series. If it's not a series the ending was terrible, if it is it's the cliffhanger kind and you may want to wait for the next book before jumping in.

Recommend to others?: Yes and No. If you like soap drama this is for you, if you want a good game of chess this isn't it.

[Trio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! I had no idea what to expect from Carl Weber's Black Hamptons, and I definitely got more than I'd bargained for..., but it was definitely riveting!

My daughter and I go to Sag Harbor several times a year, it's only a little over an hour's drive from where I live. The town has so much charm, and there's a unique vibe to it. If you ever have a chance to visit the east end of Long Island, NY, make sure you take the time to stop there.

The story is really nicely written, but the extra star this novel earned from me is due to the marvelous performances by the narrators: Ace Bentley, Chante Ellison, Dylan Ford, Ebony Mendez, and Michael Rishawn. Fantastic! They truly brought this tale to life.

An amazing cast of characters, most of whom behave badly most of the time, Black Hamptons was jaw-dropping good fun.

thank you to RB Media, Recorded Books, via NetGalley for providing an audiobook copy of Black Hamptons for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was an adolescent, I enjoyed reading fiction and nonfiction about America's Gilded Age, "robber barons," and High Society's Newport foibles. For me, this was as far distant from my experience as say, the court of Henry the VIII, or the characters in the TV drama "Dallas." But the very distance of the abyss inspires intrigue. In BLACK HAMPTONS, Carl Weber delineates "how the One Percent lives," only these aren't the WASP High Society of the Gilded Age: these are wealthy (extremely) and very elitist and inclusive African-Americans, suddenly finding themes at odds with "New Money" (Tech baron) and a Black police sergeant whose moral code is far higher and more apparent than the "wealth and background is everything " upper class elitism of the Black Hamptons "ruling class."

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before you decide to step into Sag Harbor, NY aka the Black Hamptons, you better know the players involved. From Queen B Carolyn Britton, to her loyal sons, Malcolm and Martin, you ain’t moving a thing without their crew knowing.

Oh, and shout out to Kimberly, the loyal snitch per Carolyn.

Let me state, the television show follows very closely to the book with a few twists for the sake of time however, the storyline is fully in tact with more insight via the novel.

The battle for a particular piece of property ensues when Anthony and Sydney Johnson vie against Carolyn at the HOA meeting, causing a chain of events to occur over the Memorial Day holiday. Let’s just say no one is off limits to be shaded.

Carl Weber and LaJill Hunt wove a masterful drama-laced novel and brought it to life on television for the masses. I enjoyed the novel as well for the crisp writing, visual art and plot twists.

Highly recommended!

[KarynReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh no where is book two!!! What happen to Jesse and whats up now that Moses is back!?? Ahhhhh! I love a good rich black messy family!

[Stacey Labissiere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carl Weber always does a great job writing stories that pull me in like I’m watching a TV show. His writing style makes you feel like you’re right there in the drama, and not many authors can handle so many intertwining storylines and character perspectives as smoothly as he does.

I originally picked up this book after watching the TV series, and I’m glad I did. The book gives a lot more depth to the characters and fills in some gaps that the show didn’t have time to explore. It still has that same mix of wealth, secrets, and power struggles that make it such a wild ride.

I gave it four stars because while I loved the story and the pacing, a few moments felt slightly rushed or over-the-top, but honestly, that’s part of what makes a Carl Weber book so entertaining. If you love family drama, messy secrets, and stories that feel cinematic, The Black Hamptons is definitely worth the read.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting read from start to finish, it was full of drama. Tactful and enjoyable. Can't wait for ther sequel! (I hope)

[andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot going on in this book. It seems to be written for the sole purpose of being a television show (which it is). There are so many characters and it is hard to follow especially in the beginning. With so many moving parts its hard to focus. I was sure that this was not going to be my cup of tea, but about halfway through the books narrows down the amount of characters that are being focused on and the story starts to come through. By the time the story get really good, its over and on so many cliffhangers that I need the sequel to know what happens. This is a series that I would gladly continue as long as the focus came along with the book. Old Money vs. New Money in a world where money and power matter. The Brittons vs. the Johnsons for who will receive a coveted piece of land. There are many players and who will come up on top and who will be destroyed.

[Dione Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to read part 2. This book was a great introduction to The Characters.. I will absolutely watch the Series on BET. I wanted to read/Listen to the book to get the REAL low down on the Characters 1st.. The books are always more detailed.

[trina (kenan ross’ wife) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My coworker gave me this book to read because she is obsessed with Carl Weber, and I can definitely see why.
A cliffhanger?! COME ON, where is book 2?? I need to know what’s going to happen to Jesse, and what’s going to happen to the Britton family now that Moses returned?? I have so many questions! If you love rich family drama, this is the one for you!! I’m a sucker for a drama, so I enjoyed this so much. There are a lot of characters in this novel, but I loved that it didn’t confuse things. It did at first, but I swear the story just comes together the further you get in the book. Every character had their own drama going on, and I could not get enough. I can’t wait to watch the show!

[Cayddrick Harris-Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those pictures of people reading quietly at a coffeehouse or in a cute reading nook? The reader looks so serene, enjoying a nice story, maybe with a mug of tea or coffee to the side.

Lies, all lies! While to the public’s eye, we readers may be the image of peaceful, every reader knows the feeling you get when you encounter any of the following: almost kisses, plot twists, character betrayal, and dare I mention last-page cliffhangers? You want to throw that book right across the room with as much arm strength as you’ve got (which, being a lover and carrier of books, is probably significant).

My thrown book award is meant celebrate outstanding reads, that keep me engaged from beginning to end. I think I have only given it to three books overall. Now, I am going to add Black Hamptons! What a spellbinder of a read, from first page to last Weber draws you in to the world of affluence, feuding, in-fighting. Its a simple concept, simple plot, but thats what makes this novel such a deceptively complex good one!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay… so this was a perfect book for the end of summer! It has drama, craziness, and really rich black folk!

LIKES:
1) Black people doing for themselves! It was so refreshing to see that crazy rich Black people are the same as crazy rich Asians and white folks!
2) Hampton setting, I love when books are set locally
3) Full cast audiobook

DISLIKES:
1) I can’t believe I’m saying this but the epilogue. Actually the ending of the epilogue. That was too abrupt and open ended. It really made me lower the rating
2) This is on BET+ so I can’t watch it and that really makes me upset!

Big thank you to RBMedia and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! It comes out today!!!

[Hyacinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so done! Carolyn Britton is the spawn of Satan. She is the ultimate in manipulation. Some of it was very predictable. Tania I didn't like, Peter I knew would be problematic at some point. The jury is still out on Martin and Malcolm. I'm glad Anthony had a come to Jesus moment. There are too many loose ends. I need Carolyn to be publicly laid flat. She absolutely makes my teeth itch. I am also curious about Moses's backstory. I was a little surprised about the errors though. It was a good, fast paced read to the very end.

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Family seemed to be everything to Carolyn and she ruled it with an iron fist. A narcissist to the max. Sydney was my favorite.

A feud begins over a piece of property in Sag Harbor(The Black Hamptons). Carolyn, her loyal sons and Leslie will stop at nothing to make sure no one else gets the property but the Brittons. I’m sure they wasn’t expecting new money Sydney & her husband Anthony to give them a run for their money.

Five stars easily and a pageturner for sure!

[Danica T · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was well written had my attention from the beginning but what a DISAPPOINTING ENDING. There were SOOOOOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS for the characters. I seriously searched to see if there was a book two to which there was none. So now I’m left with questions which is a HORRIBLE WAY to end a book. Ughhh

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no strong feelings for this book. I listened it to as an audiobook and the narrators left a lot to be desired. Some of them sounded like they forgot or were surprised that there was another sentence after they read a quote from their character.

Too many characters, but it was entertaining....for the most part.

2.5 stars

[Jade Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carolyn Britten is a piece of work!!! 🤨

[Regina Buchanan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many loose ends left unraveled at the end. Only one story kind of wrapped up. The other 56 storylines are to be continued, I guess.🤷🏿‍♀️

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in reading the book as I have been watching the mini-series on BET. Admittedly, I was interested to see how the TV series and the book differed. To be honest, they are very similar in terms of the storyline. I am so interested to see when and if Moses Britton returns home in the series and if Malcom will leave Vanessa for Morgan.

There honestly needs to be a second book so that we can see how ALL of the foolishness ends-LOL.

[Santeelah Jackson]

DNF at 5%. not sure wtf was going on with this book but i got bored and cancel my hold on the second book of this series…i knew when it had a BET stamp i should’ve ran far away😔

[Jazzmyn Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

So. Not my favorite Carl Weber book and honestly that hurts me to say because I love me some Mr. Weber. With that said , I don’t know what I expected because it was everything I would think a book about the Black Hamptons would be about but I wasn’t really a fan of this story.

Carolyn is the head bit h in charge and everybody knows it. There’s a few new comers who don’t know hit they definitely learn QUICK lol. I know that she is the bad old lady in the story but it felt over the top

There was the story of Carolyn dominating everyone in the city and everyone in her family but there were also side stories. Too many and none really interesting enough for me to feel any really connection with any of the characters. There was the police officer and his son whose trying to go to the Olympics. Carolyn’s grandson who just wanna do ratchet ish with his friends which leads to some very not fun trouble.

Its a bunch of stories about people in a community and how they are separate but still connected, which I guess is what you think of when you read a story about the “Hamptons” but there was just something missing in the storyline for me, that “oh man I can’t put this down even to run to the bathroom” kinda hook.

Now I won’t give away the ending but I will say that the ending was actually the best part of the book…like the last 5 pages was really the only thing that kept me intrigued and now I have to read the next installment. But this one felt almost like a waste of time. Sadly.

[Bethany Loper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Martin, Malcolm, and Jesse 🤦🏾‍♀️ lol. IYKYK! Aside from the names being a little distracting, this read like a soap opera and was a nice break from the heavy stories I have been reading.

[Juliette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a cliche in every sense. From red-bone to THOT references. I am left thinking Black Hamptons is the same as White Hamptons with more intra-race fighting.

[Mary C · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept expecting this book to get better, and it did not. It is rather like an extended soap opera with excessive drama and lack of character development.

[Heidi | Paper Safari Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley.com. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I can see why this was made into a BET series as the book reads more like a screen play. I could see all the sexy Britton boys swaggering around the Hamptons like they own the place. It felt very much like a soap opera and is definitely part of a series as it ends on a cliff hanger.

The Brittons have been in the Hamptons for years, they own the local bank and their matriarch is a stone cold bitch. She runs the family on threats, bribes and some unsavory maneuvers. The Johnsons are new money and have only been in the Hamptons for 5 years. They don't always feel they fit in and families like the Britons often look down on them.

When a piece of land comes up for sale both the Brittons and the Johnsons have their eyes set on it and a vicious battle ensues. New money vs. old money in an epic showdown. There are twists and turns I didn't see coming and I was terribly disgusted with how the whole Britton family cowers to the matriarch. Grown men, forced into marriages, denied who they want to spend time with and catered to when they do something she approves of. I didn't see them as strong I started to see them as weak minded fools who are so invested in their luxuries they couldn't fathom going against their mother.

The Johnsons are self made, and while the sister in law gives me a bad taste in the beginning she seems to come around somewhere in between. I'm not sure what they have in store for her but she could be a good asset in the future.

Overall I felt this was well written and while it did get too dramatic for me at times it kept me engaged enough to finish and want more.

[SPENCE5280 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't find the sequel at the library, so I'll have to buy it

This book is hard to keep up with in the beginning with the back-to-back character switches. This doesn't stop me from enjoying the story at all. The intro paints the beautiful quiet area like a ticking time bomb ready to explode with the summer creeping in. Jessie is the perfect character to represent Brittons. Tanya is also a great centerpiece that returns at just the right moment to keep the suspense building. You get drama in the teen world as well as the adult bridging the gap in this story. At no time does this world fall flat both authors deserve praise for this.

One thing I love is Carolyn Britton because a good villain helps everything progress. Her selfish soul shines especially when it comes to Malcom & Martin. Also, her actions toward people who don't come from money make her entertainingly horrid. Especially the way she used Jessie to manipulate his parents that was a masterclass move. This area is obviously under her thumb regardless of the struggle everyone puts up. The ending was unexpected, but I want to see where else she can go low in the future.

Anthony & Sydney are good at working out marital issues. No matter how big the problem they eventually talk it out. This is what makes them pivotal to the plot of the story. Even when they almost take the dive the prove to be more resilient than the Peterson family. Karrin is a bad sister to Sydney, and they still come out unscathed. The cards are stacked but they are resilient can't wait to see what else they have waiting in the future too.

This is a great book I feel like I wanted more before it was over I recommend people who enjoy world building stories.

10/10

[Macy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written, wear read tale that is as old as time. The uber rich (1 percenters) believing their money allows them to believe the rules do not apply to them, believe that they can do whatever they want and their money and power will buy their way out of any “issues: that may occur, do not care who they take down along the way, In fact, they revel in causing others pain to get what they want. In essence, their moral compass is broken and they are proud of themselves for mowing people down. Old money vs new money, elitism, the wealthy trying to get their way while they are dealing with a moral upright police sergeant who just wants to live his life, do his job but the law and raise his son in the peace and quiet of the beautiful Hamptons. They take aim at him and anyone who gets in their way. Lots of twists and turns. It's a retelling of a centuries old issue of the haves and have nots.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Deidra (ShadeTreeReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 of 5 stars - This was just so messy that I couldn't help but to like it. If you know my reading tastes, then you know I like my urban fiction sexy and with no shortage on drama. And that's exactly what I got here though in a far more exclusive Black suburban setting. My main complaint and reason for the reduction in stars is that the pacing was so fast that things were left underdeveloped. I imagine the TV show fills in some of those gaps but I haven't seen it. Though many if not most of these characters were unlikeable (to me), I thought they were very real(istic). As soon I met Carolyn, for example, I knew what and who she was immediately. She was every bit the old Black money matriarch who gets what she wants by any means necessary. Anyway, I hope to goodness sakes that this is a series. If it isn't, that ending is unacceptable and a bit lazy if I must say so myself. I hybrid read this over the better part of 2 months via a library borrow and an ebook. So I am unsure what's going on on that front. All that said, I would pick up the next book before I make time for the show.

[SueCanaan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested Black Hamptons based on the description and title. As a fan of beach settings, and knowing the wealth on the Hamptons, this one was an obvious summer choice. Turns out, doesn’t matter the color of the people, money equals power and entitlement and this book covered it all.

Old money Britton family vs. relatively new to the fabled summer playground family Johnsons with a battle over a plot of land each wants to own. The characters were at times very annoying based solely on the attitude because the top 1% have it all. Most enjoyable, however, was the use of a slew of narrators to voice the tale. Frequently you will find two readers who present dueling sides of a story, but this felt more like a full on stage performance with a five talented voices. Very unique and kept me listening.

At just around 10 hours for the audio book, this was a nice two day listen that didn’t require a lot of effort and passed the time.