Rating: 
Summary: Can it get any better than this?
Review: I have read every book written by RM and I have enjoyed each and every one of them, but I must say this is the best, his stories seem to get better and better what an outstanding job. This novel is a must read, He is such a gifted writer hats off to you MR Johnson for a job well done! This book is a pager turner it was hard to put down an avid reader will appreciate this book.
Rating:
Summary: Off The Chain!!!
Review: I just finished reading this book and what can I say...? This book was off the chain! I could not put it down. RM Johnson you put your foot in this one as you did in The Million Dollar Divorce. If you don't have this book, get it! You won't regret it. Very good read!!
Rating:
Summary: 6 stars!!
Review: I love this book. I was teary eyed and told myself I wouldn't cry because this is just a book, but sure enough I cried anyway. It was great! It was interesting and dealt with problems a lot of people can relate to. I checked it out at the library, but I am definatley going to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!................................
Review: I'm a fan of RM Johnson, but when I started this novel and was introduced to two of the main characters--Hennessey and Alize--I was skeptical. But this book captured my attention and interest immediately.Alize and Hennessey are identical twins--physically. However, in terms of behavior and personality you could not meet two more different people. Hennessey is the bookworm; quiet, smart, with real goals in life. Alize is all about Alize; lives life fast, and has no use for people beyond what they can do for her. The turning point is when they cross paths with Rafe, a young ex-con who despite his thug-like exterior has turned his life around and has a desire to do better. He and Hennessey begin a romance...but Rafe has difficulty extricating himself from his former lifestyle, and a friend who has not left the business. The result is a series of climactic events sure to keep fans of RM Johnson riveted, and yearning for more!
Rating: 
Summary: A very interesting thrill! A good read, hard to put down!
Review: I've been a RM Johnson fan since reading "Harris Men" and I was surprised to see him jump slightly outside of African American fatherhood issues and tackle the life of young twin sisters. The book was easy to read and maintained a nice study pace. I found the book to be a great ride until the end. The only reason for giving it four stars instead of five was the fact that I got the impression that the female mindset was not familar ground for Mr. Johnson. He does such a great job getting into the mind of men and the troubles we go through in various stages of fatherhood/husbandhood that I hoped to get more from his character development for he twins. All in all I still recommend this book if your looking for a good storyline.
Rating:
Summary: Off The Hook !!!!!!!!!
Review: If you want a book that after you have finished reading it you want to feel like you got your money's worth then this is the book for you. I have been sleeping on this author but now I am glad I woke up. What a story !!!!!! First off the story is about Livvy who has twin daughters named Hennesy and Alize. For that reason alone I wanted to read this book. There are many entertaining characters in this book and to tell you any of the story would take the affects away. If you are an avid reader this is one for your stash.
Rating:
Summary: interesting look at the mean streets
Review: In Chicago, with her twin daughters now seventeen and sick of depending on loser males, nurse's assistant thirty-three years old Livvy Rodgers decides to take care of herself for a change after years of struggling to put food on the table by returning to school to become a registered nurse. Her daughter Hennesey, an honor student with a college scholarship supports the decision; her other daughter street wise Aliz, who is going nowhere, detests the decision because she will have to earn a living instead of sponging off her mom.
Rafe Collins spent three years behind bars for a crime he did not commit as he protected his friend Smoke. Rafe works as an auto mechanic at Smoke's car dealership, which the latter uses to traffic in drugs. Rafe meets Livvy and they begin to fall in love while mom Livvy meets nice Wade Williams; besides trying to steal Rafe from her sister, Aliz and her street pals make money rolling drunks. However, they chose the wrong target when they mugged Smoke, who takes this as an affront to his manhood and plans vengeance on Aliz and anyone she might hold dear.
This is an interesting look at the mean streets as readers compare the twins' diametrically opposite ways out of the slums. Though Hennesey works at it while Aliz seeks shortcuts to the good life, fans will understand the attitudes of both even the latter's selfish yet realistic outlook. Thus the strong story line provides varying perspectives through its solid cast though the ending seems sappy after the flow of blood.
Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Title to Be Revised
Review: Livvy Rodgers is the thirty three-year-old mother of twin girls, Alize and Hennessey. She works as a nurse's assistant but dreams of becoming a nurse. She makes sacrifices to provide the best for her daughters. Hennessey is very appreciative of all her mother has done for them and plans to attend college to become a doctor. Alize, on the other hand, is lazy, would rather party all the time and she feels her mother is hard on her and shows Hennessey preferential treatment. She also resents how weak her mother is where it concerns her relationship with her boyfriend, Carlos.
Livvy realizes the long time relationship she has with Carlos is going nowhere. She meets a new man, Wade, after going out to a club with her best friend and Livvy and Wade connect. Wade, her new man, encourages her to apply for a scholarship to enter nursing school. She makes the decision since her girls are grown and feels it is time for her to develop in her career. With the decision, she has to move to a smaller apartment, which causes a dilemma for Alize. However her relationship with Wade is put to the test when she finds out he deceived her concerning what he does for a living.
Being told she has to find a job to support herself, Alize and herfriends devise a scheme to make fast money. The scheme required that all four girls work together as a team to swindle big money ballers out of the money. But when Alize and only one of the girls attempt to play their "little game" one last time, the consequences play out with very dramatic results.
Both twins meet Rafe, an ex-con who was put away on drug charges. Rafe chooses good girl Hennessey, over Alize much to her dismay. Livvy is not approving of Rafe when she meets him. She feels he is no good for Hennessey and wants the relationship to end. Rafe is trying to get his life back in order after his incarceration but he can't seem to escape the ties he has with an old friend, Smoke. The drama starts to unfold as the lives of Livvy, Wade, Rafe, Hennessey, Alize and Smoke are intertwined. After the smoke clears, relationship between Livvy, Alize and Hennessey are strengthened.
RM Johnson has done another excellent job with his fifth novel, Dating Games. I have a feeling we may see these characters again. This is a real page-turner. The reading is fast paced. I couldn't put the book down. Kudos, Mr. Johnson!
Reviewed by Esther "Ess" Mays of Loose Leaves Book Review
Rating:
Summary: NOT THE AVERAGE RELATIONSHIP NOVEL
Review: Not your typical relationship novel, DATING GAMES has an extra pinch of something akin to what one finds in a thriller. It's not the same ole, "I lost my man, I want a man, or I don't need a man" seen in contemporary relationship novels. This book focuses on the importance of family, showing how our lives are truly a reflection of those we encounter, and the impact our actions have on those around us. With witty dialogue, unforgettable characters, and a heart-stopping ending, DATING GAMES is sure to be a favorite amongst R.M. Johnson fans.
DATING GAMES starts off with the introduction of thirty-three year old Livvy Rogers, a single mother who wants to be a registered nurse. Livvy has had a rough life and has been very unlucky in love. She is fiercely devoted to her twin daughters Hennesey and Alize, who are as different as night and day in attitude, demeanor, and their goals in life. Hennessy's love interest Rafe is a recent parolee who is set on cleaning his life up and staying away from those people who could affect his probation. Unfortunately, his parole officer has set him up with a job working with his old buddy Smoke, who appears to be legit on the surface but is still involved in illicit activity. R.M. Johnson does a superb job in developing his characters so that each one comes across as being a uniquely memorable individual. He also manages to elicit sympathy for his characters, tossing them into unbelievable situations that leaves the reader praying that things will work out. When the lives of these characters criss cross, this novel takes on the type of climactic ending only seen in a thriller. R.M. Johnson does not disappoint in creating conflict and setting about taking the reader on a journey that will change each of the character's lives forever. Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
Rating:
Summary: Raw and Gritty
Review: Poverty and crime set the stage for this urban soap opera as five characters seek nirvana from the mean streets of Southside Chicago but instead wind up in an abyss of lies and tragedy. From the author of three successful contemporary novels, RM Johnson's DATING GAMES is the gritty urban story readers have been waiting for.
Livvy Rogers and her identical twin daughters Hennessy and Alize live a less than grandiose life in the projects of Chicago. Livvy, a thirty-three year old nurse's assistant is at the end of her rope with her dead end job and raising her seventeen-year-old twins. Not to mention her on again, off again relationship with Carlos is beginning to wane when she meets used car salesman Wade. Before long, Livvy is head over heels in love until she stumbles upon evidence Wade tried desperately to withhold from her. Hennessy and Alize have such divergent approaches to life; if it were not for their uncanny resemblance one would never believe them to be sisters. Hennessy has plans of becoming a physician while Alize is more concerned with who will become her next conquest. But the one thing these sisters have in common is former felon, Rafe. Having served a three-year bid of a five-year sentence, Rafe, is focused on living the straight and narrow and avoiding the one man responsible for his incarceration - Smoke. With a guilty conscious Smoke becomes Rafe's Svengali in hopes of renewing their friendship. Quickly Rafe finds himself entangled in a life he vowed never to live again and this time it will implicate an innocent bystander with Hennessy or Alize. DATING GAMES is every indication that urban fiction is on the rise by popular demand. RM Johnson has given readers a glimpse of his versatile writing ability by incorporating youthful characters with a street life setting, deviating from his customary writing style. There is always the chance this may serve as a deterrent for readers who prefer a more mature storyline as is his previous works. This reviewer prefers the latter and at times grew weary of the sophomoric antics of Hennessy, Alize and sometimes, Livvy; however, I must admit DATING GAMES is one the best well-written street life fiction novels to date. One thing fans can rely on is Johnson's compelling characters who experience a gamut of human emotions as they struggle to free themselves of one another and their environments. I recommend DATING GAMES to individuals who enjoy urban fiction and look forward to reading more from RM Johnson.
Reviewed by Nicki Lancaster
APOOO BookClub
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