Love Don't Live Here Anymore

Rating:
Summary: Too Much Work for a Predictible Ending
Review: Love Don't Live Here Anymore was an interesting read that made you want to slap the piss out of Randy and Mikki, the main characters in this entertaining novel. Randy is a successful ad executive who opts to go to Paris to expand his professional horizons, leaving behind Mikki--his bitter wife who is as self-centered as they come.

With thousands of miles of emotional and physical distance between them, there's very little communication, and a whole lot of room to roam. And the one thing that becomes clear to both Randy and Mikki--there's definitely trouble in Paradise. The problem is neither one of them knows how to salvage things, or if what they've shared is even worth saving. Unfortunately, both Mikki and Randy have allowed lusty thoughts and sexual indiscretions to become a part of the equation. And as a result, their marriage becomes wrapped in lies, and accusations that neither are willing to openly admit.

The story is told in alternating voices. And although Mikki's character is sassy, bold and even witty, she can make you want to smack her silly with her righteous, self-serving attitude. And as the saying goes, when the cats away, the mice will play. But when Mikki becomes entangled in a torrid love affair with her husband's best friend, she's the one who gets played in the end.

I like how the authors Denene Millner and Nick Chiles give readers a look at how infidelity, mistrust and a lack of communication can destroy the best relationships.

Rating:
Summary: If love don't live here, then who's knocking on the door?
Review: Love Don't Live Here Anymore was an interesting read that made you want to slap the piss out of Randy and Mikki, the main characters in this entertaining novel. Randy is a successful ad executive who opts to go to Paris to expand his professional horizons, leaving behind Mikki--his bitter wife who is as self-centered as they come.

With thousands of miles of emotional and physical distance between them, there's very little communication, and a whole lot of room to roam. And the one thing that becomes clear to both Randy and Mikki--there's definitely trouble in Paradise. The problem is neither one of them knows how to salvage things, or if what they've shared is even worth saving. Unfortunately, both Mikki and Randy have allowed lusty thoughts and sexual indiscretions to become a part of the equation. And as a result, their marriage becomes wrapped in lies, and accusations that neither are willing to openly admit.

The story is told in alternating voices. And although Mikki's character is sassy, bold and even witty, she can make you want to smack her silly with her righteous, self-serving attitude. And as the saying goes, when the cats away, the mice will play. But when Mikki becomes entangled in a torrid love affair with her husband's best friend, she's the one who gets played in the end.

I like how the authors Denene Millner and Nick Chiles give readers a look at how infidelity, mistrust and a lack of communication can destroy the best relationships.

Rating:
Summary: You Abandoned Me
Review: Love Don't Live Here Anymore. We have heard the song of woe and pain. Another man, another woman feels they have been abandoned in their relationship. This novel captures the essence of a love and marriage gone sour and the path that has brought it to this point.

Husband and wife authors Milner and Chiles, who are known for their nonfiction- he said/she said books on love and relationships, employ the same technique in their first novel. We hear from Randy first, who is in Paris as an advertising executive. He left his disgruntled wife Mekki, a dress designer, back home lonely, frustrated, and dissatisfied. Meanwhile Mekki finds solace in the arms of Marcus, Randy's best friend. A trip to Paris to try to repair the damage that has already been done proves to be disastrous. Can this marriage be saved?

I loved the writing, style and the voices of Randy and Mekki. We got to see their less than perfect personas. All of their fears, dreams, and fantasies were revealed. I didn't always like these characters. In fact, I spent a great deal of time cursing Mekki under my breath. Randy is an overachiever yet he has insecurities and sensitivities that most men will not admit to. I often wondered how these two got together in the first place (he wants children, she does not) because it seemed there was little communication to begin with. A secondary story line involving Mekki's parents' crumbling long time marriage is also a lesson about how precarious and vulnerable our relationships can be.

For me this was a mature read though the protagonists were in their late 20s, early 30s. It methodically detailed a message that was conveyed throughout the novel. Most couples do not put enough time and energy into making a marriage work (divorce statistics prove that). I enjoyed the glimpses of Paris and the differences in work ethics of the French and the Americans as well as the office politics. The one blight for me was Marcus and his reasons for stabbing his best friend in the back. I felt his character was underdeveloped because I had to make assumptions as to why. I gave this book a 4.5 rating but because of this detail I didn't feel comfortable rounding it up to a 5 for this review.

Dera Williams
APOOO Book Club

Rating:
Summary: Same Soup different Crackers
Review: Most popular Black fiction revolves around relationships and the their inherent drama. I complained about having to read this book the moment it was chosen but I confess it was better than I anticipated.

The book unfolds in an alternate narrative between the Husband and the wife, who open the book physically separated and growing further apart by the word. I will spare you the gory details of their relationship and its dilemmas, but I will say that I found the characters rather predictable and shallow. It is obvious that the authors are quite in tune with the emotional turmoil of a dissolving marriage. It would be remarkable if one author could expose the inner workings of both the male and female mind, but considering this is a book written by a married couple, it is merely acceptable. I believe it will be entertaining and even a bit informative to those struggling in dysfunctional marriages, considering they are honest enough to accept both sides of a complex story.

Rating:
Summary: All About Love & Marriage...............
Review: Mostly written from a narrative point of view, Millner & Chiles introduces you to Randy & Mikki Murphy, who's marriage is put to the test by the committment of Randy's professional career vs. his marriage and what his wife wants and needs in her life. Randy's decision to temporarily relocate to Paris, chasing his dream career and a huge account, reeks havoc on Mikki's lonely nights.

Many conversations later, Mikki's non-chalant attitude about Randy extending his stay in Paris, causes Randy to re-evaluate what's more important.....his wife or his work. Randy makes a challenging decision that eventually turns his world upside down.

The heat turns up hotter than hell and everyone tries to determine the difference between what's right and what's best!

Rating:
Summary: It was ok
Review: Not a true page turner. I would check it out from the library vice buying this book. This book is about a selfish woman who never seems to be satisfied with anything that her husband says or do and has an affair with her husbands best friend. This book is also about a man who realizes that his marriage is on the rocks long before he left for a business trip. He ends up having an affair but still seems to want to be with his wife more than having a fling. blah blah blah... Predictable ending...

Rating:
Summary: Slow start but gets good
Review: The book had a very slow start but definitely heats up in the middle towards the end of the book. Very good read and I even read the sequel!!

Rating:
Summary: Love Don't Live Here Anymore
Review: The Book, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", is a story that tells what happens to a marriage when infideility and distance, both physical and emotional enter the equation. i will scale this 9.5 because it is easy to understand and the author use simple sentences but describe the story clearly. I like this book because it's about the marriage and their have the third person in the middle. That's make me excited to continue to read this book. Randy Murphy is an ads executive who has temporarity relocated to Paris to pursue a prestigious account. Mikki Chance-Murphy is a fashion designer living in Brooklin. If you like "Bittersweet" and "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow", you will like this book.
Canh Dang

Rating:
Summary: SMART NOVEL!!
Review: The character development was outstanding! You either loved or hated Mikki, pitied or loathed Randy. The descriptions of Brooklyn were phenomenal and consistent, thumbs up from this Brooklyn native!
I thought that the ability to touch emotions and provoke heated discussions about the ins and outs of relationships, with your partner/spouse and friends were this novels strongest points.
A sharp, realistic, wonderful novel! This one is a great choice for some poolside/afternoon on the beach reading! Just be prepared to start arguing with SOMEONE when you are literally forced to take sides!

Rating:
Summary: A REAL PAGE-TURNER............
Review: The reader of this novel will simply not be able to put it down. Mikki and Randy seem to have the idea marriage; she owns her own bridal design boutique, and Randy is a successful marketing exec. But a lucrative marketing account and the opportunity to further his career beckons Randy to Paris...leaving Mikki to fend for herself in their Brooklyn brownstone. Randy, feeling slightly guilty, enlists the help of best friend Marcus to keep an eye out for his wife. And Marcus does his job well--too well, as Mikki and Marcus find themselves involved in a steamy love affair.

The abrupt return of Randy from Europe throws a monkey wrench into their shenanigans....and the drama heats up when Randy finds out exactly what's been going on while he was away.

Despite the slow beginning, the book picks up dramatically, making it difficult to put down. The only thing saving the novel from being given 5 stars, in my opinion, was its lackluster ending. It was abrupt, unexpected, and left the reader yearning for more. Is it possible that the authors are positioning for a sequel? We can only hope......

DYB