"Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies " - Trice Hickman's follow up

[Justine]

Has anyone read the follow up by Trice Hickman?
I have read her first book and I have a question I would like to have answered before purchasing her follow up novel.

[A.M.]

Good morning, No I haven't read it and she really does not give many details about the book on her site, http://www.tricehickman.com/welcome.html.

I did go to over to Amazon and read the reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Secrets...

But I think I'll still wait awhile before purchasing.

Brenda

[TinaNoir]

I read spoiler that pretty much killed any desire I had to read this book. And it is such a shame because I LOVED the first one.

[Justine]

That's the thing Trina and Brenda. I would like to buy the book to support the author. But not if she has taken the story along the line of where I think she has taken it.

I despised the heroine! To me she was up there with the heroine of Dyanne's Davis' book Many Shades of Gray on my disgust/dislike list. But I was still willing to lend my support to the author.

HOWEVER, from what I have read - the author seemed to have introduced a plot twist to the hero. Some sort of secret that his mother told him on her dying bed.

I can only think of one twist- "hey son guess what , you are black"

Do you all think this is the big secret as well?

[A.M.]

Justine wrote: "That's the thing Trina and Brenda. I would like to buy the book to support the author. But not if she has taken the story along the line of where I think she has taken it.

I despised the heroine..."

Well I can only hazard a guess, but I say the odd are yes.

I won't mention the name of another book I read were I could see this coming a mile away after about page 3. Turns out everybody was black.

I'm all for telling a good story. And this is just my opinion, don't say up front the story is about whether it be BM/BW, WM/BW, BM/WM then have me spend my hard earned dollar, and I end feeling I've been cheated not only out of my money but the story I'd been expecting to read.

[Yolonda]

Well I see what book I won't bother purchasing. I wasn't that fond of the heroine in the first book anyway. She was already too wish-washy for my tastes, but to find her cheating on her husband in a follow-up is a turn off for me. Not to mention the ole "surprise your grandmama's black" twist.

[A.M.]

Loni wrote: "Well I see what book I won't bother purchasing. I wasn't that fond of the heroine in the first book anyway. She was already too wish-washy for my tastes, but to find her cheating on her husband in..."

Loni, that's another thing I hate bringing the hero and Heroine together, have them declare their undying love and devotion. Then in walks in Mr/Ms irresistible and they start bedding hoping.

[Justine]

Loni wrote: "Well I see what book I won't bother purchasing. I wasn't that fond of the heroine in the first book anyway. She was already too wish-washy for my tastes, but to find her cheating on her husband in..."

Yeah!!!!!!!! I so hate that!!!!!!!!!

hate it!!!!!!!!! hate it!!!!!!!!! hate it!!!!!!!

Freaking lazy plot twist!!!!!!!!!!!!

Freaking annoying stupid plot twist!!!!!!!!

[Justine]

Brenda wrote: "Loni wrote: "Well I see what book I won't bother purchasing. I wasn't that fond of the heroine in the first book anyway. She was already too wish-washy for my tastes, but to find her cheating on h..."

Oh I don't like that bed hopping either. But even so I would have still purchased the book in support.

But that grandmama was black thing is where I draw the line!!! And if even Judith Smith- Levin was to do that with my all time fave couple Mitch/Star - I would not buy another book.

[Justine]

Brenda wrote: "Justine wrote: "That's the thing Trina and Brenda. I would like to buy the book to support the author. But not if she has taken the story along the line of where I think she has taken it.

I despis..."

I agree wholeheartedly. It is deceptive isn't it?

[A.M.]

Justine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Loni wrote: "Well I see what book I won't bother purchasing. I wasn't that fond of the heroine in the first book anyway. She was already too wish-washy for my tastes, but to find he..."

Justine, to me it's not romance when bed hoping is involved by either main character.

Hoping into bed with someone else because of non communication or you hurt my feelings so I'll show you by taking some else to bed is just so sleazy, IMO.

[A.M.]

Justine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Justine wrote: "That's the thing Trina and Brenda. I would like to buy the book to support the author. But not if she has taken the story along the line of where I think she has take..."

Yes, it is very deceptive, insulting to the reader, and a cop out. Once again this just my opinion.

[TinaNoir]

Like I said, it is a shame because I really liked the earlier book and really enjoy this author's writing. But even though I want to support her, I can't. She broke one of my cardinal rules in romance novels: She messed with a previous HEA.

Once you have a couple who finished their book and got their HEA, you can't go back and mess around with it. It taints the previous book. I can get behind a sequel that explores growing pains in a marriage. But as long as the couple are still in love and faithful underneath the struggle, then I am ok with that. But that doesn't sound like what is happening in this book. It sounds like she's treading back into the triangle ground and not in a good way.

And that leads me to my biggest problem with the previous book, that Victoria really didn't choose Ted over Parker really, truly in an equal contest. Parker shot himself in the foot and made her choice easy. I never really liked that aspect because I thought Ted & Victoria's romance was the result of a cop-out in the first place. But even so, i really did think the first book was quite good.

But with what I am gleaning from this new book, it truly brings that ending into question. And if she is making Victoria step out on Ted then I am truly pissed because that is like Kryptonite to me. Just No. And then to retcon Ted's background also strikes me as a cop out.

So, no, unfortunately, I can't get behind this new one and i am trying to hold onto my good feelings of the first book.

[Justine]

Well, Tina you hit the nail on the head about one of the issues why I didn't like the first book when you said the following, "Ted over Parker really, truly in an equal contest. Parker shot himself in the foot and made her choice easy. I never really liked that aspect because I thought Ted & Victoria's romance was the result of a cop-out in the first place".

This is exactly how I felt. And I didn't care for it. Love is too hard to find and I'm tired of this nonsensical I'll only get with a man of another ethnicity if I can't find a black man crap.

To see it in writing annoyed the hell outta moi!

[Justine]

Brenda wrote: "Justine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Justine wrote: "That's the thing Trina and Brenda. I would like to buy the book to support the author. But not if she has taken the story along the line of where I th..."

Absolutely agree and I'm sorry but I can't support the second book

[CaliGirlRae, Mod Squad]

This is such a shame. I thought about checking out the first book, too. :-/ Knowing that the HEA isn't really there just deflates my interest. Guess I'll bypass this one. Thanks for bringing it up, Justine and to Brenda and everyone for sharing the details.

[Justine]

Eugenia wrote: "Oh this truly sucks, I liked the first book now even that book is ruined. Oh this truly sucks eggs. "

oh chile break dem eggs and make omelets