Love and Lies » (Bargain)

Kimberla Lawson Roby is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen acclaimed novels, including Be Careful What You Pray For, The Best of Everything, and One in a Million. She lives with her husband in Illinois.

Best friends Charlotte and Janine have serious problems with their love lives. Charlotte's husband, the flashy preacher Curtis Black, may keep her living in luxury, but his book tours and evangelism mean he's never home. Charlotte's sure he's cheating and even hires a PI to follow him, but she's been known to have indiscretions herself. Her 12-year-old Matthew is another man's son and she suspects troubled 5-year-old Marissa, whom she swore was Curtis's child, might be the result of a tryst with a schizophrenic. Her friend Janine, a college professor, also is worried her boyfriend Antonio is cheating on her and getting heavily into drug dealing. She kicks him out but Antonio won't take no for an answer.

Publishers Weekly

For Charlotte Black, there are some good things about being married to the "world renowned" Rev. Curtis Black (whose flashy, trashy life Roby has dished in earlier works). Her husband's bestselling books and flourishing ministry allow her a life of luxury, but Curtis is always away on publicity tours, and Charlotte suspects he's cheating. Of course, she's cheated, too, but Charlotte hires a private detective to catch Curtis in the act. Meanwhile, Charlotte's best friend and co-narrator, college professor Janine, has man trouble of her own. A farcical array of misfortunes (a death, a near-deadly stabbing, etc.) rock the cast as the book lumbers toward its conclusion. Astonishingly, none of this gets in the way of the happy ending; all the trouble, it turns out, was worth it. Readers may not be so sure. (Feb.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.