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Between Lovers
With each new novel, Eric Jerome Dickey has established himself as one of the freshest and most exciting writers on America's contemporary fiction scene. His latest book is no exception. Set in the San Francisco Bay area, Between Lovers brings together three irresistible characters. The novel's narrator — a Los Angeles-based writer — is still reeling from being dumped by Nicole after seven good years followed by an aborted trip to the altar. Nicole grew up during their time together, and changed — she became a successful career woman, moved north to Oakland, and fell in love with another woman. But she's still not satisfied. She likes what she has, but misses what she had, and wants to find out if she can have it all. She's playing with fire, not to mention the feelings of the two people who love her most in the world, but Nicole lures her former fiancé back into her new life, opening the floodgates of anger, passion, pain...and refreshing honesty. How these three fascinating people handle this unusual and complex love triangle makes for one of Dickey's most provocative and unforgettable novels.
Mass Market Paperback
Published May 1, 2002
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About the author
Eric Jerome Dickey
60 books3,646 followersEric Jerome Dickey was born in Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Memphis (the former Memphis State), where he earned his degree in Computer System Technology. In 1983, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in engineering.
After landing a job in the aerospace industry as a software developer, Eric Jerome Dickey's artistic talents surfaced, inspiring him to become an actor and a stand-up comedian. Yet Eric quickly found out that writing was something he could do and do well. From creative writing classes to avidly consuming the works of his favorite authors, Eric Jerome Dickey began to shape a writing career of his own. Having written several scripts for his personal comedy act, he started writing poetry and short stories. "The film work gave me insight into character development, the acting classes helped me understand motivation...All of it goes hand in hand," Eric explains. He joined the IBWA (International Black Writers and Artists), participated in their development workshops, and became a recipient of the IBWA SEED Scholarship to attend UCLA's Creative Writing classes. In 1994 his first published short story, "Thirteen," appeared in the IBWA's River Crossing: Voices of the Diaspora-An Anthology of the International Black Experience. A second short story, "Days Gone By," was published in the magazine A Place to Enter.
With those successes behind him, Eric Jerome Dickey decided to fine-tune some of his earlier work and developed a screenplay called "Cappuccino." "Cappuccino" was directed and produced by Craig Ross, Jr. and appeared in coffee houses around the Los Angeles area. In February 1998, "Cappuccino" made its local debut during the Pan African Film Festival at the Magic Johnson Theater in Los Angeles.
Short stories, though, didn't seem to fulfill Eric Jerome Dickey's creative yearnings. Eric says, "I'd set out to do a ten-page story and it would go on for three hundred pages." So Eric kept writing and reading and sending out query letters for his novels for almost three years until he finally got an agent. "Then a door opened," Eric says. "And I put my foot in before they could close it." And that door has remained opened, as Eric Jerome Dickey's novels have placed him on the map as one of the best writers of contemporary urban fiction.
Eric Jerome Dickey's book signing tours for Sister, Sister; Friends and Lovers; Milk in My Coffee; Cheaters; and Liar's Game took him from coast to coast and helped propel each of these novels to #1 on the "Blackboard Bestsellers List." Cheaters was named "Blackboard Book of the Year" in 2000. In June 2000, Eric Jerome Dickey celebrated the French publication of Milk in My Coffee (Cafe Noisette) by embarking on a book tour to Paris. Soon after, Milk in My Coffee became a bestseller in France. Eric Jerome Dickey's novels, Chasing Destiny, Liar's Game, Between Lovers, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, Drive Me Crazy, Genevieve, Naughty or Nice, Sleeping with Strangers, Waking with Enemies, and Pleasure have all earned him the success of a spot on The New York Times bestseller list. Liar's Game, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, and Genevieve have also given Dickey the added distinction of being nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. In 2006, he was honored with the awards for Best Contemporary Fiction and Author of the Year (Male) at the 2006 African American Literary Award Show. In 2008, Eric was nominated for Storyteller of the Year at the 1st annual ESSENCE Literary Awards. In January 2001, Eric Jerome Dickey was a contributor to New American Library's anthology Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories, also a Blackboard Bestseller. He also had a story entitled “Fish Sanwich” appear in the anthology Mothers and Sons. In June 2002, Dickey contributed to Black Silk: A Collection of African American Erotica (Warner Books) as well as to Riots Beneath the Baobab (published by Inte
After landing a job in the aerospace industry as a software developer, Eric Jerome Dickey's artistic talents surfaced, inspiring him to become an actor and a stand-up comedian. Yet Eric quickly found out that writing was something he could do and do well. From creative writing classes to avidly consuming the works of his favorite authors, Eric Jerome Dickey began to shape a writing career of his own. Having written several scripts for his personal comedy act, he started writing poetry and short stories. "The film work gave me insight into character development, the acting classes helped me understand motivation...All of it goes hand in hand," Eric explains. He joined the IBWA (International Black Writers and Artists), participated in their development workshops, and became a recipient of the IBWA SEED Scholarship to attend UCLA's Creative Writing classes. In 1994 his first published short story, "Thirteen," appeared in the IBWA's River Crossing: Voices of the Diaspora-An Anthology of the International Black Experience. A second short story, "Days Gone By," was published in the magazine A Place to Enter.
With those successes behind him, Eric Jerome Dickey decided to fine-tune some of his earlier work and developed a screenplay called "Cappuccino." "Cappuccino" was directed and produced by Craig Ross, Jr. and appeared in coffee houses around the Los Angeles area. In February 1998, "Cappuccino" made its local debut during the Pan African Film Festival at the Magic Johnson Theater in Los Angeles.
Short stories, though, didn't seem to fulfill Eric Jerome Dickey's creative yearnings. Eric says, "I'd set out to do a ten-page story and it would go on for three hundred pages." So Eric kept writing and reading and sending out query letters for his novels for almost three years until he finally got an agent. "Then a door opened," Eric says. "And I put my foot in before they could close it." And that door has remained opened, as Eric Jerome Dickey's novels have placed him on the map as one of the best writers of contemporary urban fiction.
Eric Jerome Dickey's book signing tours for Sister, Sister; Friends and Lovers; Milk in My Coffee; Cheaters; and Liar's Game took him from coast to coast and helped propel each of these novels to #1 on the "Blackboard Bestsellers List." Cheaters was named "Blackboard Book of the Year" in 2000. In June 2000, Eric Jerome Dickey celebrated the French publication of Milk in My Coffee (Cafe Noisette) by embarking on a book tour to Paris. Soon after, Milk in My Coffee became a bestseller in France. Eric Jerome Dickey's novels, Chasing Destiny, Liar's Game, Between Lovers, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, Drive Me Crazy, Genevieve, Naughty or Nice, Sleeping with Strangers, Waking with Enemies, and Pleasure have all earned him the success of a spot on The New York Times bestseller list. Liar's Game, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, and Genevieve have also given Dickey the added distinction of being nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. In 2006, he was honored with the awards for Best Contemporary Fiction and Author of the Year (Male) at the 2006 African American Literary Award Show. In 2008, Eric was nominated for Storyteller of the Year at the 1st annual ESSENCE Literary Awards. In January 2001, Eric Jerome Dickey was a contributor to New American Library's anthology Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories, also a Blackboard Bestseller. He also had a story entitled “Fish Sanwich” appear in the anthology Mothers and Sons. In June 2002, Dickey contributed to Black Silk: A Collection of African American Erotica (Warner Books) as well as to Riots Beneath the Baobab (published by Inte
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
July 8, 2019
In true EJD fashion, the reader is like a fly on the wall watching this all unfold...
Beautifully written, this story encompasses the measure people can go for love.
Three stars because I felt the book was too long and repetitive.
Beautifully written, this story encompasses the measure people can go for love.
Three stars because I felt the book was too long and repetitive.
September 12, 2025
Honestly, F Nicole 🤷🏽♀️ I said what I said.
It’s been a while since I read a book and genuinely didn’t know how it would unfold, and that was exciting.
Hear me out though, when it comes to romantic love, male authors have always captured it best. Since Shakespeare’s time it’s followed the same pattern: instant, unspoken, burning too bright and always ending in tragedy. That’s their blueprint.
But on the other hand, female authors write the best compatible love stories.
It’s been a while since I read a book and genuinely didn’t know how it would unfold, and that was exciting.
Hear me out though, when it comes to romantic love, male authors have always captured it best. Since Shakespeare’s time it’s followed the same pattern: instant, unspoken, burning too bright and always ending in tragedy. That’s their blueprint.
But on the other hand, female authors write the best compatible love stories.
November 10, 2007
I'll start this review by saying this, I am a very big fan of Eric Jerome Dickey.There's just something about his work that makes you not want to put the book down until the end.This is also the case with his latest book, Friends and Lovers. Although at first I was somewhat drawn to the story line, it wasn't until I had gotten through the first chapter that I had found myself hooked.
The story line is this: The main character got dumped at the altar by Nicole. Nicole then moved away from their hometown to be with her loved Ayanna.The author comes to visit with leads Nicole to feeling torn between her old love and her new love.Also, Nicole then tries to merge her old life with her new life which leads to hurt feelings as well as new experiences with intimacy.Throughout the course of the novel, the reader is put on a kind of emotional roller coaster. While at times you feel sorry for the narrator, at times, you feel angry with him because he is not seeing things as they truly are.
What I liked most about this novel was the way in which the characters interacted with each other.When I was reading this book, I felt as if these were people I actually knew and I was friends with them. In my opinion, it takes a special person to be able to communicate relationships like that to a reader.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and I have already recommended it to someone.I feel that anyone who reads it will like it as much as I did if not more.
The story line is this: The main character got dumped at the altar by Nicole. Nicole then moved away from their hometown to be with her loved Ayanna.The author comes to visit with leads Nicole to feeling torn between her old love and her new love.Also, Nicole then tries to merge her old life with her new life which leads to hurt feelings as well as new experiences with intimacy.Throughout the course of the novel, the reader is put on a kind of emotional roller coaster. While at times you feel sorry for the narrator, at times, you feel angry with him because he is not seeing things as they truly are.
What I liked most about this novel was the way in which the characters interacted with each other.When I was reading this book, I felt as if these were people I actually knew and I was friends with them. In my opinion, it takes a special person to be able to communicate relationships like that to a reader.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and I have already recommended it to someone.I feel that anyone who reads it will like it as much as I did if not more.
February 16, 2010
I really enjoyed this look at a world outside of my experience. This is a tale of three people working their way through a war of affection. The characters felt pretty real to me.
June 3, 2019
WOW!!!
This book had me all in my feelings. I have never been in the situation depicted in the book, but it was so well written that I FELT like I had been. That's how talented EJD is as a writer.
Btw, loved loved loved the ending. I wasn't sure that I wanted the tale to conclude in that manner, but upon further reflection it was PERFECT!! Heart rending, but perfect. "Butterflies never become caterpillars."~EJD
Buy it, read it and enjoy.👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
This book had me all in my feelings. I have never been in the situation depicted in the book, but it was so well written that I FELT like I had been. That's how talented EJD is as a writer.
Btw, loved loved loved the ending. I wasn't sure that I wanted the tale to conclude in that manner, but upon further reflection it was PERFECT!! Heart rending, but perfect. "Butterflies never become caterpillars."~EJD
Buy it, read it and enjoy.👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
December 31, 2009
Dickey was extremely out of the box in this book and it was indeed a page turner for sure....the sex scenes were explosive!
January 12, 2009
I wasn't sure I would like this book. I got so mad soo many times at the stupid sh*t the characters kept doing. But before I knew it, it was making me cry and I couldn't put it down. Over all it ended up being a good story.
December 4, 2022
EJD doesn’t miss!
July 8, 2009
I really enjoyed the imagery of this book. Beautiful and sexy. The twist in the the middle alse had me tied emotionally to the constant struggle for love and acceptance.
November 28, 2020
This was a great reread! I had forgot a couple of the characters and scenes.
December 17, 2014
Tiring of reading Dickey's books. They're the same: erotica~a scorned woman, and a man too sensitive to her needs. Other than that, ok read.
July 28, 2017
In true fashion EJD always puts the plot on its head
April 29, 2008
This book is about a man named Darell who is a big time writer living in Calaiforina and he is madly in love with a woman named Nicole and on there wedding day he thinks he is going to get married to the woman who he thinks is the love of his life well when it's time to say their I do's Nicole leaves him at the altar she them goes to Ohio to be with her lover onn the side wh turns out to be a woman a who goes by the name of Annya, well one day Darell is in Ohio for a book signing when he bumps into Nicole well they get into it den make up and now he knows of her lover and how Nicole was with her that whole and on there wedding day she was at the wedding well after all of this Darell meets Annya and the exchange a few works and now you'll just have to wait and see if Nicole is gonna choose Darell or Nicole read t to find out the shocking twist. will she be with Darell or Annya?
February 3, 2016
A relationship of three, you, me and she is the main focus of this EJD work. You get a front row seat to what a semi-open relationship might look and feel like. Frankly, I don't think I know any man (nor woman for that matter) that would tolerate as much as this main character did. One thing is for sure is that he love, love, LOVED Nicole with every ounce of his being. I enjoyed the story and looked forward to listening to it on the way home from work everyday. P.S. Ixnay when the kids are around.
February 2, 2015
This is the reason I wanted to write and he has been my idol since the beginning of my career. I read this book from cover to cover twice and would read it again. I was young at the time but the way the man was pulled in two, and the way his woman was confused about her sexuality had me sitting on the edge of my seat. And the main character was this smooth author who they both wanted. Its just amazing, erotic, and witty. I recommend this to all readers who like a lil fire in the pages.
August 2, 2019
After every EJD book I read I always say “oh this is my favorite”. But I mean it this time!! I don’t know how he has the ability to pull at my emotions.. but he does, and he does it well. I cried like a damn baby at the end... the ugly cry. I was hoping for it to end one way but I always knew that it would end another and I guess it made me a little emotional lol.
March 9, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book although it didn't end the way that I thought it would. This book had a few twists and had me crying in the end and my heart poured out for the narrator and the love that he had for nicole. Great job EJD!
June 18, 2017
A unique read. Darrell was crazy,for continuing to see Nicole her ass just wanted her cake and to eat it too no,matter how he felt. I was so happy when he got over her ass. It's like Nicole had Darell under some type of spell hating everyone but her.
February 14, 2013
I did enjoy this book, but Nicole really started to irritate me!
April 30, 2025
beautifully written! i can’t wait to read it again.
January 19, 2021
Glad I reread this. It was so much better this time. 4 stars instead of 3 stars.
I really thought Nicole would be with “him”. I don’t believe his name was ever mentioned. Lol
I really thought Nicole would be with “him”. I don’t believe his name was ever mentioned. Lol
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February 21, 2023Between Lovers
A man from LA (whose name it doesn’t give. Maybe it will later) sits looking at wedding photos while his lover is in bed. We find out that after they were married (seemingly) she went back to Oakland while he stayed in LA, and that something happened when they went to Paris. We also find out that she has another lover there.
Nicole wants her lover to meet her other lover. He doesn’t exactly say HELL NO, but we know it’s in his head. They go for a morning jog so they can discuss. Nicole says it’s for all of them. Her because she’s living in hell with the stress of going between the two. If they all meet maybe things will be easier. She wants it for the other woman because she feels slightly intimidated by the seven years they’ve had together. Again, she stresses he should move there. Again, he stresses who she’d stay with. They get into a small argument which distracts him (and almost gets him hit).
They get back to the hotel, His friend (her frat) is having something later but Nicole blows it off and says she can’t go. He calls her out on his because she wants him to met her lesbian friend but she can’t support his. But they end up making love again. Only Nicole has a breakdown. Nicole says she has to work and can’t come to his signing, but it turns out she has plans with her “friend”. But she says she’ll be back tonight. Nicole stays mum on what she’s feeling and give him some advice about the signing. She always wants him to record them so she can hear and critique them. She then rushes out. Before she leaves, she tells him her other lover's name is Ayanna. After she leaves, he calls her mother and they exchange some small talk about his books, but when he mentions Nicole, she says her daughter is dead to her and brings up the wasted money on the wedding. He suggests they talk. This gets him the dial tone.
We find out that he was the one that suggested they go to a strip club in Paris because he wanted to see another woman pleasure his woman. She didn’t want this at all. But when it was over she was ALL INTO IT! When they make love she can’t get the dancer out of her head. She begs him to screw her so she can get the crazy thoughts out of her head. While he’s out with his friend Nicole is blowing up his pager, but when he gets back she says she can’t make it.
When she gets back, she brings up the idea of having sex with the two of them (him and Ayanna). He wants to know if she goes down on Ayanna and she points out that he was the one that brought this out in her. Then they go back and forth throwing accusations if they’re f**king other people (other than her friend). They also question when the last time was the other was tested. Then she points out of all the things she’s done for him out of fear that he’ll leave her. He says what she’s asking isn’t. normal and she takes offense to this word. She says she can only be who she is not what anyone else wants her to be. He asks if he lets her have this fantasy will she go back to being who she was before and she says she can’t go backward. Again they end up making love, but in the middle of the night, he catches Nicole on the phone with Ayanna (whose gotten locked out). Her interrupts the conversation and tells her to come back to bed (not liking that he heard the other woman’s voice and she’s now becoming more real by the minute).
The unnamed author calls his father who says somewhere there’s a line that’s gonna have to be drawn. Nicole is again blowing up his pager. He goes to her job, and she’s pissed and tells him to never call her mother again. Then she says that all three of them can hook up tonight before he leaves and she and Ayanna fly out to Italy.
He kinda agrees but thinks about what his pops said about drawing the line. On first meet, Aryanna isn’t impressed with his writing and he tries to see what Nicole sees in her. They exchange insults back and forth. Ayanna admits that it messes with her whenever Nicole is with him and she can’t help wondering what they do. They both agree they have the same problem with each other. Each has the other’s woman. Their egos go back and forth over who loves Nicole more. Turns out Nicole’s been there all along. He’s surprised to find out Ayanna has known her longer (eight years). Nicole tells them they’re getting out of there.
Ayanna wants to go out dancing. So they go to a club. While dancing Ayanna questions his motivations. He tells her it’s simply to have a family with Nicole. He asks her what she wants and she simply replies Love. When they get home, Ayanna and he get better acquainted while Nicole handles some work business on the phone. They talk about how she and Nicole met and her experience with her ex-husband (and how she discovered he was cheating), She says she better off but she misses him. He was Oakland PD and ended up getting shot over someone not wanting a ticket. Then they discuss jogging times. Ayanna says she knows what she is when he asks, but Nicole is still on the fence. They both agree that one master can’t serve two Gods. But a master can have two slaves. They both want to see what’s special about the other and prove the other one isn’t needed.
As they start to make love, it turns into a competition on who can please Nicole better. As he watches Ayanna and Nicole, he realizes that Ayanna really is giving her something he hasn’t been able to. After it’s all over, Nicole freaks out when she finds them in the bathroom together (talking). Ayanna tells her she needs to choose, gets in her car, and leaves. He and Nicole go after Ayanna and admits to him (in the car) she doesn’t want him to have sex with Ayanna. They get into an argument An accident stops them. But it’s not her. Nicole goes to a spot that’s a lil too much for him (men are openly making out outside) and he tells her to take him back to his hotel. Nicole says on the way there that she wants to have children with him, but she loves them both. He wonders why he can’t be enough. She confides she broke down because she thought of her Daddy and knowing he wasn’t coming back She says it’s because she never had to worry about what he felt. He just accepted her and he reminds her of that. She says Ayanna reminds her of the mother she never had (and friend). At times she even reminds her of him. Then she tells him how it started with Aynna. She was there for her after her husband and something just happened. She asks him to be patient a little longer. After she leaves, he doesn’t know what he wants. He imaged Ayanna touching him when Nicole touched him in the car. When he pages her later Nicole doesn’t answer.
Ayanna shows up the next day and makes a bet with him and challenges him to jog off. If she wins he’ll do whatever she says (leave) and if he wins she’ll do whatever she says. He wins. He tells her to pick her shit, get out of Oakland, don’t call Nicole, and don’t don’t answer her calls. But she refuses to give up. She follows him back to his room. We find out that Nicole couldn’t go through with the wedding that day and called it off. When he gets out Ayanna tries to seduce him. She jars him a little bit to find out that she was at the wedding. Also, to find out she’s trying to *be* Nicole “to understand her”. But before they can get it, he asks her more about her first experience and her marriage. During the talk, she vents some about Nicole. When she’s done, she hears a click. He’s been recording her the whole time. She threatens to fk up his life, but then admits she was going to go to Nicole smelling like him. He then makes his move to leave and Ayanna follows in fear.
But he doesn’t go to Nicole (though she calls still worried that she can’t find Ayanna). He goes to another book signing. Ayanna tries her best to challenge his with questions on how much of one of his books is rotted in
reality. But then someone else asks a question. It’s his father (whose never shown up for one of his signings). He tells him Nicole’s mom is coming. When they’re in the room, her mom uses him as the mediator. It doesn’t go well. As much as Nicole pleads with her to accept her as she is she says that if she does she goes against her God. Her mother even tries to get her to come home to Memphis but Nicole turns it down. Her mother (speaking to God) announces she tired but she’s too far gone and says the next time they see each other it’ll be at each other’s funeral. He feels like they both want to go to each other, but Nicole’s mother won’t back down. When the door opens, Ayanna is outside. Her mother sees Ayanna, calls her the devil, and spits in her face.
After she leaves, he goes for a jog to get her out his system. Later, they all end up making love. This time they’re all on one accord. After it’s over, Ayanna thinks they should all experience each other (aka she should be with him), but Nicole clearly doesn’t want this. Later when out, he’s come around to the idea of all three of them, she says that she loves them both but she doesn’t think she can be with Ayanna anymore.. She says that even if they do the circle thing she’ll have to choose they all will. She expresses wanting to have a baby and her mother’s acceptance back. He’s having conflicted emotions. He’s thinking about Ayanna and wishing she was there. Nicole realizes the truth. That he loves Ayanna. He feels like he’s going to have to break away from her (although it’ll hurt). That night, he leaves the recording out and she hears every disrespectful thing Ayanna said in the conversation he and she had. She knows he did it on purpose. She removes the silver bracelets.
While jogging, Nicole tells Ayanna she’s not going to Italy and then throws her words in her face on the tape. Ayanna doesn’t deny it. He feels bad. He doesn’t want Ayanna out of their life but what’s done is done. She tells her she’ll be moving out, getting her own house, and then she shows that she’s wearing her engagement ring. Ayanna then drops the bomb that they had a commitment ceremony and she and Nicole are married. That’s what the bracelet symbolizes. He grabs Nicole to confront her and pushes Ayanna and calls to have him arrested. Nicole takes off her ring and gives it to him. Nicole runs off. There’s an accident. An out-of-control car hits Nicole. She’s taken to the hospital and they’re told she’s in a coma. Time passes. Ayanna and he make amends and he agrees to stick around at her house. He calls Nicole’s mother who just says that was God. Nicole recovers tho bits of her memory are gone. They come back slowly. She also gets speak back, but she doesn’t talk much. He decides to move on. Ayanna says they’ll miss him. All Nicole remembers is fishing with her daddy, him crying, and apologizing. He stays long enough for her to recover and finish a book about three lovers. Off and on they keep in tough (he and Nicole) through the years. Now he has seven, silver, bracelets. He’ll take one off every month until he’s free. Her realizes he feel in love with them both but now he has to find another foundation.
My Thoughts:
This may be the hardest review I will ever have to write because I know someone that’s very close to me in this situation and I will say this. Only ONE person wins. I’ve never had an issue with a person loving who they love. If you’re a man you can love a woman if that’s what you choose. You can love another man if you choose. FINE BY ME. The same goes for women. You can love a man. You can love a woman. NO JUDGMENT HERE! I have had friends that confided in me they went both ways (female) and it didn’t bother me in the slightest. BUT what I do take issue with is you can NOT have your cake and eat it too. Which is why I struggled so hard when this person told me they were in a open marriage (and no less a one-way open marriage). I just think it’s SELFISH. If you commit your life to ONE PERSON even if you down the line find out you like the other sex, then guess what? You STILL committed your life to that one person and it’s SELFHISH to go back and forth. It’s SELFISH for someone to think they can have two different dishes whenever they damn well please but the other person always seems to be restricted because the person all three parties to unite, can’t stand to conceive the male party with not only the female sex partner but any other female. In this story, it stayed equal. Both of her lovers got sex. One didn’t get it on the regular. But what if one didn’t get it AT ALL? So, NO T for this arrangement because I’ve heard over and over and over how it can go with one party wishing they were enough for the SELFISH woman dominating the relationship. And I agreed with the father that YES something one day WILL have to give. I wish someone *WOULD* even try it. I love you, but I love him (or her) too. I’d say you can’t have both. You HAVE to make a choice. I kinda knew. He tried to make this work. But then as we saw he was falling in love with Ayanna. Situations like this just cause confusion. So in short if you are married to someone of the opposite sex and as the years go by (or something happens and you discover your into the same sex) if you can’t just be content to look but don’t touch then you need to decide which party you want more. Even if you want them both. Don’t put them both through that kind of hell because you want your cake and eat it too because that’s not fair. So, Nicole (and it didn’t help that I kept seeing my sister's face in my head because she has shoulder-length locks and wears glasses) pissed me off. She reminded me a lot of someone else who trips out and calls someone’s phone off the hook when they’re on the phone with another female other than her. The mother also pissed me off because I just can not STAND those kinds of people. I have a family member that called himself a pastor and then wished something bad on someone else in my family. But they call themselves “Christians” and speaking from what “their God” would want. Noe the eroticism, you might like either if your bi or just a normal person that likes some good racy scenes on one of *those* nights. Unfortunately tho, I couldn’t enjoy it because well I’m *not* normal and so it just went through me as words. I'm just glad that in the end, he freed himself from that messed up situation and I just hope and pray that one day that person is able to do the same.
Rating: 8
A man from LA (whose name it doesn’t give. Maybe it will later) sits looking at wedding photos while his lover is in bed. We find out that after they were married (seemingly) she went back to Oakland while he stayed in LA, and that something happened when they went to Paris. We also find out that she has another lover there.
Nicole wants her lover to meet her other lover. He doesn’t exactly say HELL NO, but we know it’s in his head. They go for a morning jog so they can discuss. Nicole says it’s for all of them. Her because she’s living in hell with the stress of going between the two. If they all meet maybe things will be easier. She wants it for the other woman because she feels slightly intimidated by the seven years they’ve had together. Again, she stresses he should move there. Again, he stresses who she’d stay with. They get into a small argument which distracts him (and almost gets him hit).
They get back to the hotel, His friend (her frat) is having something later but Nicole blows it off and says she can’t go. He calls her out on his because she wants him to met her lesbian friend but she can’t support his. But they end up making love again. Only Nicole has a breakdown. Nicole says she has to work and can’t come to his signing, but it turns out she has plans with her “friend”. But she says she’ll be back tonight. Nicole stays mum on what she’s feeling and give him some advice about the signing. She always wants him to record them so she can hear and critique them. She then rushes out. Before she leaves, she tells him her other lover's name is Ayanna. After she leaves, he calls her mother and they exchange some small talk about his books, but when he mentions Nicole, she says her daughter is dead to her and brings up the wasted money on the wedding. He suggests they talk. This gets him the dial tone.
We find out that he was the one that suggested they go to a strip club in Paris because he wanted to see another woman pleasure his woman. She didn’t want this at all. But when it was over she was ALL INTO IT! When they make love she can’t get the dancer out of her head. She begs him to screw her so she can get the crazy thoughts out of her head. While he’s out with his friend Nicole is blowing up his pager, but when he gets back she says she can’t make it.
When she gets back, she brings up the idea of having sex with the two of them (him and Ayanna). He wants to know if she goes down on Ayanna and she points out that he was the one that brought this out in her. Then they go back and forth throwing accusations if they’re f**king other people (other than her friend). They also question when the last time was the other was tested. Then she points out of all the things she’s done for him out of fear that he’ll leave her. He says what she’s asking isn’t. normal and she takes offense to this word. She says she can only be who she is not what anyone else wants her to be. He asks if he lets her have this fantasy will she go back to being who she was before and she says she can’t go backward. Again they end up making love, but in the middle of the night, he catches Nicole on the phone with Ayanna (whose gotten locked out). Her interrupts the conversation and tells her to come back to bed (not liking that he heard the other woman’s voice and she’s now becoming more real by the minute).
The unnamed author calls his father who says somewhere there’s a line that’s gonna have to be drawn. Nicole is again blowing up his pager. He goes to her job, and she’s pissed and tells him to never call her mother again. Then she says that all three of them can hook up tonight before he leaves and she and Ayanna fly out to Italy.
He kinda agrees but thinks about what his pops said about drawing the line. On first meet, Aryanna isn’t impressed with his writing and he tries to see what Nicole sees in her. They exchange insults back and forth. Ayanna admits that it messes with her whenever Nicole is with him and she can’t help wondering what they do. They both agree they have the same problem with each other. Each has the other’s woman. Their egos go back and forth over who loves Nicole more. Turns out Nicole’s been there all along. He’s surprised to find out Ayanna has known her longer (eight years). Nicole tells them they’re getting out of there.
Ayanna wants to go out dancing. So they go to a club. While dancing Ayanna questions his motivations. He tells her it’s simply to have a family with Nicole. He asks her what she wants and she simply replies Love. When they get home, Ayanna and he get better acquainted while Nicole handles some work business on the phone. They talk about how she and Nicole met and her experience with her ex-husband (and how she discovered he was cheating), She says she better off but she misses him. He was Oakland PD and ended up getting shot over someone not wanting a ticket. Then they discuss jogging times. Ayanna says she knows what she is when he asks, but Nicole is still on the fence. They both agree that one master can’t serve two Gods. But a master can have two slaves. They both want to see what’s special about the other and prove the other one isn’t needed.
As they start to make love, it turns into a competition on who can please Nicole better. As he watches Ayanna and Nicole, he realizes that Ayanna really is giving her something he hasn’t been able to. After it’s all over, Nicole freaks out when she finds them in the bathroom together (talking). Ayanna tells her she needs to choose, gets in her car, and leaves. He and Nicole go after Ayanna and admits to him (in the car) she doesn’t want him to have sex with Ayanna. They get into an argument An accident stops them. But it’s not her. Nicole goes to a spot that’s a lil too much for him (men are openly making out outside) and he tells her to take him back to his hotel. Nicole says on the way there that she wants to have children with him, but she loves them both. He wonders why he can’t be enough. She confides she broke down because she thought of her Daddy and knowing he wasn’t coming back She says it’s because she never had to worry about what he felt. He just accepted her and he reminds her of that. She says Ayanna reminds her of the mother she never had (and friend). At times she even reminds her of him. Then she tells him how it started with Aynna. She was there for her after her husband and something just happened. She asks him to be patient a little longer. After she leaves, he doesn’t know what he wants. He imaged Ayanna touching him when Nicole touched him in the car. When he pages her later Nicole doesn’t answer.
Ayanna shows up the next day and makes a bet with him and challenges him to jog off. If she wins he’ll do whatever she says (leave) and if he wins she’ll do whatever she says. He wins. He tells her to pick her shit, get out of Oakland, don’t call Nicole, and don’t don’t answer her calls. But she refuses to give up. She follows him back to his room. We find out that Nicole couldn’t go through with the wedding that day and called it off. When he gets out Ayanna tries to seduce him. She jars him a little bit to find out that she was at the wedding. Also, to find out she’s trying to *be* Nicole “to understand her”. But before they can get it, he asks her more about her first experience and her marriage. During the talk, she vents some about Nicole. When she’s done, she hears a click. He’s been recording her the whole time. She threatens to fk up his life, but then admits she was going to go to Nicole smelling like him. He then makes his move to leave and Ayanna follows in fear.
But he doesn’t go to Nicole (though she calls still worried that she can’t find Ayanna). He goes to another book signing. Ayanna tries her best to challenge his with questions on how much of one of his books is rotted in
reality. But then someone else asks a question. It’s his father (whose never shown up for one of his signings). He tells him Nicole’s mom is coming. When they’re in the room, her mom uses him as the mediator. It doesn’t go well. As much as Nicole pleads with her to accept her as she is she says that if she does she goes against her God. Her mother even tries to get her to come home to Memphis but Nicole turns it down. Her mother (speaking to God) announces she tired but she’s too far gone and says the next time they see each other it’ll be at each other’s funeral. He feels like they both want to go to each other, but Nicole’s mother won’t back down. When the door opens, Ayanna is outside. Her mother sees Ayanna, calls her the devil, and spits in her face.
After she leaves, he goes for a jog to get her out his system. Later, they all end up making love. This time they’re all on one accord. After it’s over, Ayanna thinks they should all experience each other (aka she should be with him), but Nicole clearly doesn’t want this. Later when out, he’s come around to the idea of all three of them, she says that she loves them both but she doesn’t think she can be with Ayanna anymore.. She says that even if they do the circle thing she’ll have to choose they all will. She expresses wanting to have a baby and her mother’s acceptance back. He’s having conflicted emotions. He’s thinking about Ayanna and wishing she was there. Nicole realizes the truth. That he loves Ayanna. He feels like he’s going to have to break away from her (although it’ll hurt). That night, he leaves the recording out and she hears every disrespectful thing Ayanna said in the conversation he and she had. She knows he did it on purpose. She removes the silver bracelets.
While jogging, Nicole tells Ayanna she’s not going to Italy and then throws her words in her face on the tape. Ayanna doesn’t deny it. He feels bad. He doesn’t want Ayanna out of their life but what’s done is done. She tells her she’ll be moving out, getting her own house, and then she shows that she’s wearing her engagement ring. Ayanna then drops the bomb that they had a commitment ceremony and she and Nicole are married. That’s what the bracelet symbolizes. He grabs Nicole to confront her and pushes Ayanna and calls to have him arrested. Nicole takes off her ring and gives it to him. Nicole runs off. There’s an accident. An out-of-control car hits Nicole. She’s taken to the hospital and they’re told she’s in a coma. Time passes. Ayanna and he make amends and he agrees to stick around at her house. He calls Nicole’s mother who just says that was God. Nicole recovers tho bits of her memory are gone. They come back slowly. She also gets speak back, but she doesn’t talk much. He decides to move on. Ayanna says they’ll miss him. All Nicole remembers is fishing with her daddy, him crying, and apologizing. He stays long enough for her to recover and finish a book about three lovers. Off and on they keep in tough (he and Nicole) through the years. Now he has seven, silver, bracelets. He’ll take one off every month until he’s free. Her realizes he feel in love with them both but now he has to find another foundation.
My Thoughts:
This may be the hardest review I will ever have to write because I know someone that’s very close to me in this situation and I will say this. Only ONE person wins. I’ve never had an issue with a person loving who they love. If you’re a man you can love a woman if that’s what you choose. You can love another man if you choose. FINE BY ME. The same goes for women. You can love a man. You can love a woman. NO JUDGMENT HERE! I have had friends that confided in me they went both ways (female) and it didn’t bother me in the slightest. BUT what I do take issue with is you can NOT have your cake and eat it too. Which is why I struggled so hard when this person told me they were in a open marriage (and no less a one-way open marriage). I just think it’s SELFISH. If you commit your life to ONE PERSON even if you down the line find out you like the other sex, then guess what? You STILL committed your life to that one person and it’s SELFHISH to go back and forth. It’s SELFISH for someone to think they can have two different dishes whenever they damn well please but the other person always seems to be restricted because the person all three parties to unite, can’t stand to conceive the male party with not only the female sex partner but any other female. In this story, it stayed equal. Both of her lovers got sex. One didn’t get it on the regular. But what if one didn’t get it AT ALL? So, NO T for this arrangement because I’ve heard over and over and over how it can go with one party wishing they were enough for the SELFISH woman dominating the relationship. And I agreed with the father that YES something one day WILL have to give. I wish someone *WOULD* even try it. I love you, but I love him (or her) too. I’d say you can’t have both. You HAVE to make a choice. I kinda knew. He tried to make this work. But then as we saw he was falling in love with Ayanna. Situations like this just cause confusion. So in short if you are married to someone of the opposite sex and as the years go by (or something happens and you discover your into the same sex) if you can’t just be content to look but don’t touch then you need to decide which party you want more. Even if you want them both. Don’t put them both through that kind of hell because you want your cake and eat it too because that’s not fair. So, Nicole (and it didn’t help that I kept seeing my sister's face in my head because she has shoulder-length locks and wears glasses) pissed me off. She reminded me a lot of someone else who trips out and calls someone’s phone off the hook when they’re on the phone with another female other than her. The mother also pissed me off because I just can not STAND those kinds of people. I have a family member that called himself a pastor and then wished something bad on someone else in my family. But they call themselves “Christians” and speaking from what “their God” would want. Noe the eroticism, you might like either if your bi or just a normal person that likes some good racy scenes on one of *those* nights. Unfortunately tho, I couldn’t enjoy it because well I’m *not* normal and so it just went through me as words. I'm just glad that in the end, he freed himself from that messed up situation and I just hope and pray that one day that person is able to do the same.
Rating: 8
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2010
This is a book I would never have picked up at the library, or
bought, or would have been interested in by reading a review. It came in a box of books on tape that I bought secondhand. A book about a guy and his exfiance who's now in a lesbian relationship? Written by a black
male? With steamy sex scenes? No, not my type of book at all.
So I was shocked. Not by the sex, but because I ended up really
liking this book. I was prepared to dislike all of the characters.
What kind of a loser would still want a woman who left him for another woman? And Nicole was so extremely selfish and self centered.
Ayyana was such a heartless homewrecker. But by the end of the
book I found I liked all of these character. The author made each
of them a person I could actually have sympanthy and respect for.I find this a rare and wonderful talent in an author.
Now, as for the sex scenes I could do without them. For me they
were more of a distraction from the story than an inhancement.
bought, or would have been interested in by reading a review. It came in a box of books on tape that I bought secondhand. A book about a guy and his exfiance who's now in a lesbian relationship? Written by a black
male? With steamy sex scenes? No, not my type of book at all.
So I was shocked. Not by the sex, but because I ended up really
liking this book. I was prepared to dislike all of the characters.
What kind of a loser would still want a woman who left him for another woman? And Nicole was so extremely selfish and self centered.
Ayyana was such a heartless homewrecker. But by the end of the
book I found I liked all of these character. The author made each
of them a person I could actually have sympanthy and respect for.I find this a rare and wonderful talent in an author.
Now, as for the sex scenes I could do without them. For me they
were more of a distraction from the story than an inhancement.
August 8, 2020
I liked this one, it was cool. Some of the characters were annoyingggg me though!
April 20, 2012
The book was great.
Though I certainly did not expect what I got, initially, once I read into it and the plot got deeper, It was enjoyable. Eric Jerome Dickey never disappoints. I recommend it to anyone looking for a book that is hard to put down.
Though I certainly did not expect what I got, initially, once I read into it and the plot got deeper, It was enjoyable. Eric Jerome Dickey never disappoints. I recommend it to anyone looking for a book that is hard to put down.
January 4, 2015
A sanitized affair. A jilted man reconnects with his intended wife. He was left at the altar for another woman. The main character is an Author who lives on the road. Could this be biographical? He is the best writer of love scenes in the business. I rate this in the lower tier of his novels.
February 10, 2017
Could have been sub-titled Fifty Shades of Black. Honestly, the whole book is tantalizing foreplay leading up to the suggested menage a trois that just falls flat. One I wished I could have skipped reading.
July 3, 2018
I got hooked the first few chapters, and I thoroughly enjoyed the shaping of each character, but I found that they got flat towards the middle of the book. Maybe, because we had to endure how selfish Nicole was for much of it. The ending could have been better, but overall, a decent escape.
Read
January 10, 2009This was the first book I read by this author and I mustsay it lead me to really start reading more book, This was a great and very interesting book! I loved it!
September 15, 2018
I had to think on this a little more i couldnt make that decision i dont like to lose especially the love of my life.Nicole didnt deserve neither
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