A House Divided

by Kimberla Lawson Roby Narrated by Gwen Hughes

Overview

Life is close to perfect for the Reverend Curtis Black and his wife, Charlotte--except their son Matthew and his girlfriend, Racquel, are about to become parents at the tender age of eighteen. Even though Curtis and Charlotte wish Matthew could focus on Harvard instead of fatherhood, they are determined to welcome their new grandson with open arms. But for Charlotte, welcoming her future in-laws is another story. Try as she might, Charlotte can't stand Racquel's mother, Vanessa--and the feeling appears to be mutual.

When the tension between Charlotte and Vanessa finally erupts, the stress sends an already-fragile Racquel into early labor. Everyone is quick to blame Charlotte, including Matthew and Curtis. That her own husband would side with someone else infuriates Charlotte and strains the relationship they've only recently been able to repair. Her one ally is Racquel's father, but that brings problems of its own.

While Charlotte schemes against Vanessa, Curtis is consumed with his own concerns about Deliverance Outreach. A mysterious figure from his past has been sending Curtis cryptic messages threatening to take away Curtis's coveted position as senior pastor and destroy everything he has worked so hard for. But who could hate Curtis that much? And how can he fight an enemy he can't even name?

Times of trouble are descending upon the Black family in more ways than one. Will they be able to overcome their challenges and stand together against someone who could take it all away? Or is the Black family finally out of miracles?

Editorial Reviews

Lolita Files

"Kimberla's writing is magical."

San Jose Mercury News

"Roby, a bestselling author with a devoted audience, knows well the recipe for success: equal parts heartbreak and romance, with liberal dashes of sexual satisfaction."

Rockford Register Star

"Kimberla Lawson Roby has reached a pinnacle most writers only dream of."

Memphis Commercial Appeal

"Roby's fiction...[addresses] issues that are important to women today."

Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"Roby [deals] with real issues in her novels."

Indianapolis Star

"Kimberla Lawson Roby weaves truth into fiction."

Corpus Christi Caller-Times

"Lively, action-packed, and full of sassy sensuality, Roby once again has created a story that grabs the reader's attention and holds it in her grip until the very end."

The New York Amsterdam News

"Love, Honor and Betray is an entertaining read and remains true to Roby's style of creatively telling a story."

Las Vegas Review

"Lively, action packed and full of sassy sensuality, Roby once again has created a story that grabs the reader's attention and holds it until the very end."

Philly.com

"For those thousands of fans, who can't get enough of the 'good' reverend and his wives, this is a book that should not be missed."

USA Today

"Roby writes with high-octane levels of emotion. She pushes her characters hard, spotlighting their flaws, showcasing their weaknesses, drawing in the readers to be more than bystanders."

Eric Jerome Dickey

"Kimberla Lawson Roby is a true writer, a storyteller at the top of her game."

Library Journal

In the tenth entry (after The Reverend’s Wife) in the popular Rev. Curtis Black series, Charlotte and Curtis Black eagerly await the arrival of their first grandchild, but Charlotte ruins the happy occasion when she becomes possessive over the baby. Vanessa, the maternal grandmother, confronts Charlotte about her behavior, and a battle erupts between the two. A growing attraction between Charlotte and Vanessa’s husband throws readers yet another messy and captivating turn. Curtis appears to be doing fine until he starts receiving strange letters and phone calls from a mysterious enemy threatening to reveal a long-forgotten secret no one, not even Charlotte, knows.

Verdict A deeper exploration of the challenges that Matthew, the Blacks’ son, faces as a teenage father might have been interesting. Nevertheless, Roby delivers a well-developed and entertaining plot and fascinating characters readers just love to hate. A good choice for fans of popular African American fiction.—Lisa Jones, Birmingham P.L., AL
(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Reviews

The Black family is ecstatic: Son Matthew and his girlfriend, Racquel, are about to deliver the very first grandchild. But squabbling between the two grandmothers threatens to irrevocably divide the family. The 10th in Roby's (The Reverend's Wife, 2012, etc.) series following the adventures of Rev. Curtis Black (a potentially reformed adulterous minister) focuses on his third wife. Unfortunately, Charlotte is an egocentric, paranoid, mean-spirited woman, which makes for an unpleasant reading experience. Jealous of Racquel's mother, Vanessa, and her access to the baby even before it is born, Charlotte is determined to get her fair share of face time. She wants Curtis to baptize the child, even though Matthew and Racquel have decided upon Pastor Collins; she wants the child called Matthew the Second, even though Matthew and Racquel have chosen Matthew Jr.; she wants to plan his resume, even though Matthew and Racquel plan to give him a loving, accepting extended family. Vanessa tries to block Charlotte, bristling not only at her domineering behavior, but also at her husband's obvious attraction to Charlotte. The two grandmothers' animosity erupts into an altercation at the baby shower, which sends Racquel into premature labor and Vanessa into taking even higher-security measures. Charlotte responds by plotting vengeance. The baby does deserve a better mother, right? Meanwhile, Curtis has troubles of his own as mysterious, threatening messages arrive. Who's trying to blackmail him? Who's trying to destroy his financially lucrative Deliverance Outreach church? Burdened with stiff exposition--summarizing both Charlotte's and Curtis' many transgressions--and flat dialogue, Roby's tale plods along, punctuated with occasional outbursts of excitement. A soap opera filled with people indulging in bad behavior. Fans of the Black family's misplaced haloes will love this latest installment.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170121267
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	05/07/2013
Series:	Reverend Curtis Black Series , #10
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,149,422

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