Date Night

Rating:
Summary: Another Black Chik Lit Contender
Review: Quita, BJ and Ebony's friendships have grown stronger as their profits from their investment club have increased. But just as sure as the market strains during a volatile market, so does their friendships when their personal lives turn chaotic.

Ex-WNBA pro Beverly Jason "BJ's" life has slowed down from its once world wind pace. She's nestled into the home of her dreams that includes a custom-built basketball court and a high profile gig as VP of PR for the Atlanta Hawks. Yet she wants more. She wants a husband, and affordable senior living arrangements for her grandmother without exhausting her income, ergo her investment fund shares. Restaurateur and Club Owner Marquita Snell can have any man she wants. However, Quita doesn't want a man, she wants a baby, something that her gorgeous body may not provide unless she takes some funds out of her share from the investment club for fertility treatment. And odd woman out, Ebony Manchester has a dead end job as Office Manager for Braeden Construction and an even deader living situation with her overbearing mother and leaching aunt. All Ebony wants is her life and good looks back. When the three get together to discuss their dating diatribes Quita devises a different kind of investment, Date Night. BJ, Quita and Ebony agree to attend at least one date a week and meet on Sunday night- AKA Date Night- to discuss their weekly dating activities.

Will Date Night prove profitable? Will money or men destroy their friendships? Or will it take a huge investment on their parts to keep them together?

The concept is cute, but commonplace--girlfriend pact, career and men. Nothing new and a few things borrowed homely friend with a less than stellar career, diva power broker man heart breaker, and the average girl gone good. Their love interests were just as predictable as their names, and the passion that I wanted to happen for them never made it past a slow sizzle. The other issues that the book could carry: Alzheimers, fertility, and abuse were just thrown in to create a sense of timeliness, but not further developed to discuss even greater issues of family responsibility and self-reliance. Green is such a great writer that I wanted her signature blend of Southern Cosmopolitan and well thought out characters to brand this book just like she did in ATLANTA LIVE. But this book was a bit of a disappointment for me.

On the other hand, it is a light and fairly entertaining read. It's not depressing and too deep to read during the holidays. And if you're a Hotlantan like myself you'll enjoy the name drops and fictional hot spots.

So if you're a little nostalgic for black chik lit and have exhausted your collection of Terry MacMillan, Trisha R. Thomas, or Jacqueline Powell than DATE NIGHT is the book for you.



Rating:
Summary: Choices...
Review: B. J., Quita and Ebony are good friends who are each at a crossroads in their life. None of them are in a serious relationship, so during one of their investment club meetings, they decide to make a date one night a week. When they meet to discuss their latest investments, they will also apprise each other of the success or failure of their date. The women soon realize jumping back into the dating scene is not as easy as they thought it would be. And if the trials and tribulations of dating aren't enough, each must contend with some unexpected issues that force them to take a long, hard look at themselves and the life they are leading.

DATE NIGHT was an average read; nothing really stands out that makes you want to grab this book and pull an all-nighter as you become engrossed in the storyline. I was a bit disappointed that the book didn't live up to the blurbs I've read. I expected a hilarious account of each woman's escapades as they tackled the dating scene in their quest to find Mr. Right, and rejoice with them when they did. Sadly, that was not the case. Instead, it was a story with only a little fizzle instead of a great big bang, with characters who could've been developed a bit more to make them strong, independent black women, instead of the weak, somewhat co-dependent women that they are.

Reviewed by Renee Williams
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers