Brick has put his job as an engineer on hold for a health emergency.
He’s also suffering from a breakup with a woman he still loves.
Helping his neighbor, Penny, he finds himself becoming the chauffeur
and body guard for three tough, beautiful women working as escorts.
Dwayne, his brother,
is also suffering setbacks in career and love. He’s been fired from
his latest acting job and is nearly broke after giving money to
Frenchis, is ex and the mother of his son. He wants to connect with
his son, but doesn’t plan on the attraction he still feels for
Frenchie.
This character study
focuses on the two brothers, but also brings in the fascinating
women, Penny, Christiana and Mocha Latte. Together with Brick these
women form an unusual family. Dwayne’s struggles reveal his growth
and enhanced ability to connect with his son.
The book tackles
difficult issues particularly important to black men and women living
in LA. These include job uncertainty, family dysfunction,
gentrification, and LGBTQ issues. Although these are heavy topics,
the author handles them with brisk dialogue and characters showing
they can grow into new situations.
The pace is fast and
the background covers many aspects of life in LA both glamorous and
poverty stricken. I would have liked to see more background on some
of the characters, particularly the three women, but it was a
satisfying read.
I received this book
from Dutton for this review.
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