Rating:  Summary: THE TRUTH ABOUT MONEY AND LOVE Review: CONNIE BRISCO'S PG COUNTY WAS AN INTRIGUING STORY OF THE RESIDENCE OF THE PRESTIGEOUS SILVER LAKE COMMUNITY. THE CHARTERS COME ALIVE AND YOU WANTING TO KNOW MORE. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE BENTLEY'S, THE BROWNS AND MS. PEARL JACKSON ON THE BIG SCREEN. BARBRA BENTLEY A COUNTRY GIRL FROM VIRGINIA AND HER HUSBAND BRADFORD CROSSED THE TRACKS OF POVERTY INTO THE LUXUREOUS LIFE OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS. THEIR HARDWORK IN PRODUCING THE COMPANY DIGITECH PROVIDED THEM WITH ALL THE LUXURIES THAT MONEY COULD BY. MRS. BRISCO'S SURELY ILLISTRATED HOW MONEY CAN BY YOU EVERYTHING BUT MONOGOMY AND TRUST. MRS. JOLENE BROWN, WANTED THE WORLD AND DIDNT CARE HOW SHE WAS GOING TO GET IT. SHE LIVED A LIFE OF COMPITITION ALWAYS WANTING BIGGER AND BETTER. FROM HER HOME TO HER MEN EVERYTHING HAD TO BE THE BEST. SHE WENT TO ANY LENGTH TO HAVE IT HER WAY EVEN SLIPPING WITH HER HUSBANDS BOSS. WITH NOT THE HOPES OF GETTING A BETTER SALARY FOR HER HUSBAND BUT GETTING A RICHER HUSBAND FOR HERSELF. PEARL JACKSON, A LOVING SINGLE WOMAN DO ALL SHE COULD DO TO RAISE HER CHILD ON HER OWN IN THE RIGHT ENVIORMENT. SHE HADN'T HAD A DATE IN SO LONG THAT THE IDEA WAS FRIGHTNING WHEN SHE WAS APPROACHED WITH IT. NICE AS SHE APPEARS SHE STILL HAD TO DEAL WITH THE DREADFUL TRUTH THAT HER SON WAS DATING A WHITE GIRL, OR SO SHE THOUGHT WAS WHITE. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK BY CONNIE BRISCO AND I WOULD RECOMMEND IT. IT IS A QUICK AND FUN READ. I WOULD JUST LOVE TO SEE IT IN MOTION PICTURE. STACY D CAMPBELL
Rating:  Summary: Entertaining.... Review: Connie Briscoe creates a soap opera-like melodrama in her latest release entitled P.G. County. The novel takes place in the posh Silver Lake community of Prince George's County, Maryland where we enter a world filled with a host of characters representing the various socio-economic classes. We meet the black elite represented by Bradford Bentley, a self-made, philandering millionaire and his wife, Barbara, a woman who hides her pain in the bottle. There is a "BUPPIE" couple represented by Patrick and his wife, Jolene who has an insatiable, materialistic desire to supercede Barbara regardless of the costs. The upper-middle class white matriarch, Candice, is comfortable living in a black world until her teenaged daughter begins dating a black man (Pearl's son). Pearl owns the local beauty salon and lives in the much frowned upon townhouse development on the outskirts of Silver Lake. We are also shown the impoverished suburb of Seat Pleasant and meet Lee, a young victim of child abuse in search of her real father. Briscoe builds excitement with Bradford's extramarital affairs, mystery with Lee's search for her father, and suspense with Candice's genealogical search for the truth. Unfortunately this reader found that some of the story's climaxes fell short which made for slow reading at times. Nonetheless, Briscoe does a great job with character development. She provides a solid background for each of the characters so the reader has a clear understanding of their behavior, fears, and motives. The author ends the story in such a way that the reader suspects a sequel may be needed to obtain closure on some open issues and deferred dreams. I believe most Briscoe fans will not be disappointed with this novel because despite the intermittent lags P.G. County is a light, easy, entertaining summer read. Briscoe remains on my favorite author list and will no doubt win more fans with this new release. Phyllis APOOO Bookclub
Rating:  Summary: A good read from a good author. Review: First let us remember this book is fiction not fact. I found this book to be very engaging and well written. Briscoe uses her writing skills to remind us that money doesn't equal no problems. The characters in the book represent everyday people they cheat, they lie, they steal, they hide their true problems and feelings. For this reason I found it a very good read. Keep up the good work Connie.
Rating:  Summary: Scoff? Definitely not a Peyton Place Review: I cannot begin to tell you how many times the people in P.G. County "scoffed." Briscoe or her editor should have used a thesaurus. This word had to literally appear on nearly ever page. After having read "scoffed," for the fifth time, all times after that, I jerked because it was just getting on my nerves. Peyton Place and The Return of Peyton Place are classical stories written in the 60s and there is no story that can compare to it. Peyton Place, although, can be credited for such successful night time soaps such as "Dallas," "Knots Landing," "Falcon Crest," and "Dynasty." P.G. County is just another drama filled story of not so "every-day" black folks. I thought the story was written nicely, and naturally, as with any novel, it has it's boring moments and starts out slow because the reader has to get to know the characters. It takes some time to get to know characters in books, unlike a movie, you can get to know them immediately. The end was somewhat outrageous. It seemed like the author wanted to bring closure on everything in her ending chapter which made it look "rushed along." Actually, she should have brought closure about Candice during the moment when she called her family meeting. Barbara should have bought closure to her situation when she first suspected Jolene. The only situation that should have taken place in the last chapter should have been Lee's discovery of her dad. There were really no true "heroins" in the book. This is good because it lets you know that a sequel will follow. Overall, the story was written from a "white" perspective (i.e, "wanna-be-white"). Face it. Even highly successful black folks still talk and entertain in black fashion---not white.
Rating:  Summary: What a wonderful read! Review: I love how all the lived wind up intertwined and people are sometimes NOT what they appear to be whether it be good or bad. I think I loved Pearl the best. Her character was modest and I was excited at the end for her. Def some shockers in this book. A good read to keep your interest until the end!!! Bravo Ms Briscoe!
Rating:  Summary: Mama always said Review: If you don't have anything nice to say keep your comments to yourself. But then who really listens to mama. This book had too much drama, I liked the author's style of writing but this book was a demoralizer for black women. The basis of the book was that you needed to stay with a man who treated you like crap to make it. Or sleep with whom ever you can to make it to the top. And spend well beyond your means. Not a book for someone with low self esteem. But plenty of drama for the soap opera fanatic.
Rating:  Summary: Shallowness Prevails. Review: Ordinarily, I am a die-hard Connie Briscoe fan. I loved all of her previous novels and found her to be a wonderful storyteller who educates as much as she entertains. I was somewhat disappointed in this latest work, however--not because the plot was not intriguing, but because the depth and focus of the primary characters were not in keeping with what I have come to expect from this author. With possibly two exceptions, the principal characters were shallow, self-absorbed, and possessed few redeeming qualities. The fact that they were supposed to be illustrative of the more elite, intelligent, and prosperous elements of African-American society made their antics all the more disturbing and embarrassing. The climax was particularly outrageous for its lack of believability, and detracted from the more credible aspects of the story--including the promising genealogy angle. To its credit, though, the book is a quick read and, in all likelihood, will hold the interest and attention of most readers who have experienced Ms. Briscoe's past literary successes.
Rating:  Summary: a quick and fun read Review: P.G. COUNTY by Connie Briscoe is very quick reading and very enjoyable. However, it is a letdown from her previous contemporary stories of African-American womens' lives: namely SISTERS AND LOVERS and BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY. The characters in P.G. County are two-dimensional at best, though I liked Pearl Jackson the hair-salon owner. She has everyday worries like many women, raising a teenage son and keeping her business successful. You could do worse than to spend a couple evenings breezing through the soap-opera stylings of the majority of the dialogue. I'm looking forward to Connie Briscoe's next book, which hopefully will showcase her talent for well-developed characters and a story you can really care about. All in all it's simply good entertainment but not the great fiction we've come to know!
Rating:  Summary: A must read, Page Turner, Leaves you wanting more. Review: This book is one of the best books I've read in a long time.....I'm hoping there is going to be a part 2 because it leaves you wanting more...if the author doesn't write part 2 i'm going to have to wrtie it...lol I NEED to know what is going to happen next.
Rating:  Summary: UUUGH Review: This was my first time reading a book by Connie Briscoe. P.G. County kept me on the edge of my seat..I couldn't put the book down. I am looking forward to reading other books by Ms. Briscoe.
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