Nappily in Bloom

August 15, 2009
Venus Johnston is back, but the only thing blossoming is her Atlanta floral business.

Still hurting after the forced move from L.A. that transpired in a previous installment of this African-American soap opera (Nappily Faithful, 2008, etc.), Venus is making a go of it with her In Bloom florist shop, aided by the mysterious and handsome Vince. Custody of her beautiful four-year-old daughter Mya is now legally shared with sleazy father Airic, but Venus' husband Jake seems to have adapted to the new routine. Jake has brought the worst of their old life to Atlanta, however, in the form of his friend Legend, whose lascivious looks make Venus's skin crawl. But this time around, the light-hearted drama is more focused on mother-daughter problems than romance. Venus is dealing with Mya's crush on a little white boy, while Judge Delma Hawkins' adopted daughter Keisha is about to jump into a hasty marriage to a suspiciously smooth lawyer. Keisha's birth mother, televangelist-with-issues Trevelle Doval, doesn't like him either, which should make things simpler, but Keisha's two mothers continue to be oil and water, each believing she holds the sole key to the young woman's happiness. Legal issues, including an unsolved murder and a kidnapping, also come into play before everything gets resolves at the altar. Thomas once again lets her characters tell their stories in lively and distinctive voices, dropping loads of references to African-American culture and pop culture in general.

A smartly paced, fast and funny high spot in an uneven series.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

August 1, 2009
Venus Johnston returns in the latest novel in Thomas popular Nappily series. She now runs a successful flower shop in Atlanta, and life with her ex-rapper husband, Jake, and daughter Mya seems to have settled down. But just as Venus gets hired to plan the dream wedding of Judge Delma Hawkins daughter Keisha, Jakes past legal troubles resurface and his shady friend Legend comes to town. The wedding is full of its own drama. Keisha is the biological daughter of prostitute turned televangelist Trevelle Doval, and Trevelle and Judge Hawkins butt heads endlessly. Plus, Keishas fianc', a wealthy lawyer, is hiding secrets, too. Venus is left juggling two needy mothers-of-the-bride, an FBI tail, and her husbands dangerous associates in this funny, a bit knotty, yet fast-paced story featuring three strong and intriguing African American women.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)