Friends & Foes

Jasmine and Rachel #2

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Victoria Christopher Murray

Bestselling and award-winning novelists ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that’s “double the fun…a match made in heaven” (Grace Magazine).

IT’S “A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN!”* when the bestselling authors of Sinners & Saints bring back their outrageous first ladies in this sassy, witty, and poignant sequel!

Now that Rachel Jackson Adams’s husband has won the coveted position of president of the American Baptist Coalition, Jasmine Larson Bush has concocted a scheme to one-up her rival—by promoting her new community center on the nation’s #1 television talk show! The power play won’t stop Rachel, who jets from Houston to Chicago to sabotage Jasmine’s TV appearance. But Chicago is the last place Rachel should be when one of the Coalition’s heaviest hitters turns up dead— and Rachel looks guilty as sin. Will her nemesis leave her stranded and let her take the rap? Or will Jasmine help Rachel hunt down a killer? Could danger this deep turn the enemies into BFFs? After all, miracles do happen. . . .

Genres: Audiobook, Christian Fiction, Fiction, African American

271 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2013

About the author

ReShonda Tate Billingsley is a general assignment reporter for KRIV-TV, the Fox affiliate in Houston, Texas. She is the author of the nonfiction book Help! I've Turned Into My Mother! and three previous adult novels: My Brother's Keeper, for which she received the prestigious Gold Pen Award for Best New Author from the Black Writer's Alliance and the Nova Lee Nation Award from the Greater Dallas Writing Association; the national bestseller Let the Church Say Amen, chosen for Library Journal's Best of 2004 list for Christian fiction; and I Know I've Been Changed, a Main Selection of the Black Expressions Book Club.
Her previous Christian teen novels are Nothing But Drama and Blessings in Disguise, both available from Pocket Books.
She is also a contributor to the story anthology Have a Little Faith.

Reviews

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friends & Foes by ReShonda Tate Billingsley & Victoria Christopher Murray - 3 stars

I've debated with myself for days about this review and I have to give my honest opinion of the book. First, let me say that I know both authors and consider them friends. Second, I purchased this book as with all of their other titles (although I don't have all of their teen books). Third, I truly respect their dedication to their craft and readers along with their devotion to the world of publishing. Fourth, as a avid reader and honest reviewer, I was disappointed with this book. Let me explain...

The first installment of the Jasmine and Rachel saga was titled Sinners & Saints which was amazingly funny, fast-paced and unpredictable. Friends & Foes was far from that. While the chapters provided a smooth transition and at times it was hard to recognize which author wrote what. I kept waiting for the same flow from their previous work but I didn't catch until the last few chapters. After the initial 'Oprah' showdown, there didn't seem real interaction between Jasmine and Rachel. There were times that I thought the storyline was forced and so far-fetched that I threw my hands in the air. I wanted more humor and crazy antics. I did like the fact that Jasmine and Rachel grew up a little. Mae Francis is one of my favorite characters as she is over-the-top funny and adds so much flavor to the tale. Don't get me wrong the story has a twist that I didn't see coming and I would certainly read other books by these authors but I expected so much more. Until next time, remember crazy leaves clues...

[OOSA · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Odd Couple

Rachel and Jasmine are back. This time they are playing for the same team. Say it ain’t so! And the stakes are much greater as someone has been murdered and all fingers point to Rachel. Working with each other instead of against each other changes things for this duo. Or does it?

Two minds are better than one, so it was great to see authors ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray team up again to bring readers their memorable characters and their crazy antics with “Friends & Foes.” The premise of the two being forced to work together because of the seriousness of the circumstances was a good one. However, how that premise played out left much to be desired. The book often felt stretched, forced, farfetched and too convenient. It lacked the substance of “Sinners & Saints” and was very predictable. Also, in the copy I read, beginning with chapter 23, the pages were out of order. It quickly became annoying for my reading flow to be hindered by constantly having to check for page numbers and flip back and forth. This went on for several chapters.

On the plus side, I do like how well Billingsley and Murray worked together. Their voices blended so well and complimented each other; one could easily feel they were reading the book of just one author. I’d love to see them work together again for more escapades of Rachel and Jasmine but the next time with a little more depth and plausibility.

Reviewed by: Toni

[Nardsbaby Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frienemies

Rachel Jackson Adams is enjoying the spoils of Lester’s win as the president of the American Baptist Coalition. Now that they’ve reached the national spotlight, the Adams hired a publicist. Before she can luxuriate in her newfound status, Rachel finds out that her number one nemesis, Jasmine Cox Larson Bush, has landed an interview with Oprah.

No way, un-un, Rachel is determined to make her presence felt in Chicago. Of course Jasmine is agitated as she learns that her rival is in town looking to try to upstage her, again. Jasmine and Rachel are fussing and fighting. This time around, they find themselves forced in a more troublesome situation.

FRIENDS & FOES is the second book where readers get to interact with Rachel and Jasmine in the same setting. The story was beyond belief from start to finish. I don’t know if Billingsley and Murray felt like the excessive drama was required, but personally it was too gimmicky.

[Kimberly Coley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a little more drama than normally but I loved every minute. Is it possible to be team Rachel and team Jasmine? Heck I'm team Mae Frances. That lady is the business.

[Cyrus Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has been a fan of both Reshonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray it was exciting to see the two of them bring their creativity together (along with the characters that some loved to hate) and write SINNERS & SAINTS. The book allowed us to see a different side of the characters Rachel and Jasmine---and for those who couldn't get enough they have done it again with FRIENDS & FOES.

I think what I loved the most about Friends & Foes is that it shows that regardless of whether you are in the church or out, you are still human. There will always be parts of you that will feel resentment, anger, jealousy---it's up to you to wrestle against those emotions and qualities and strive for the best of who you can be. With Rachel and Jasmine might not be on the best of terms, but when trouble comes (and with these two trouble is never too far away), it's clear that they are the only one the other can depend on.

This book not only takes you into the zany relationship of the two women but their quest to right a wrong, clearing themselves in the process. Get ready to choose your sides, because with FRIENDS & FOES you will definitely find yourself rooting for one yet can't get enough of the other.

Rachel and Jasmine might have had their differences, but when the chips are down they find out who their real friends are. Will it be each other? That is the answer the reader will enjoy as you go through the mystery, the drama and the journey towards some resolution.

Reshonda and Victoria show through the characters they create and their working together that not only can you be friends and in the same business but you can want the best for others along the way and still succeed. Team Rachel and Team Jasmine get ready: FRIENDS & FOES is the literary adventure you have been waiting for.

[Tiffany Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

“So, let the games begin!”

With five simple words, the fun begins in Friends & Foes by ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray. I must admit that I am a huge fan of both ReShonda and Victoria’s so it would have taken a major catastrophe for me to dislike this book. If you aren’t familiar with Rachel Jackson Adams and Jasmine Larson Bush then you are truly missing out on entertainment that could rival any show that is currently on Bravo or VH1.

Even though both are married to pastors, these two ladies are not the perfect image of first ladies. They are flawed, conniving, competitive, in a nutshell, they are regular women. Jasmine and Rachel are so used to being at each other’s throats and trying to outdo one another that the script is completely flipped when they must team together in order to survive until the final page of Friends & Foes.

ReShonda & Victoria have again accomplished the amazing feat of seamless writing. The writing flows off the pages and it is full of humor, wit, suspense, drama, and eventually friendship. If you have not read any of the other books in the Rachel or Jasmine series that is ok, because Friends & Foes will work as a standalone. But, why neglect yourself? Grab all of the books by ReShonda and Victoria, I guarantee you will NOT be disappointed!!!

[Keleigh Hadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lines were drawn in the sand during the first collaboration between Reshonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray in 'Sinners and Saints'. No matter where your loyalties lie, you will thoroughly enjoy the witty repartee, colorful characters, and madcap antics of the First Ladies you love to root for.

I loved several elements in this novel:

1. At a certain point, I could not tell which writer was writing. It was that seamless. Both Billingsley and Murray know their characters and their "writing twin's" character's voice so well that it was never apparent who was writing.

2. I actually felt empathy for Rachel Adams during her tribulations in the book. She is not someone who I would befriend in real life, but she was in one of those situations that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. And in this case, Jasmine felt the same way I did and acted accordingly.

3. Oprah. (You gotta read it to know what I mean.)

4. I closed the book and took away this blessing: Pray for your enemies. You never know what the outcome will be. God can turn anything around.

Keleigh Crigler Hadley author of Revenge, Inc.

[Alta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the sequel to Sinners and Saints. It features Rachel and Jasmine at their worst again. In this book, they start out trying to get on to Oprah and they fail because of their underhandedness. After they fail to get in Oprah, they get embroiled in a murder mystery, and they actually come together to run around Chicago and try to solve the mystery. I am a huge fan of this series, but looking at it critically, I think they could do a better job of character development. I say this because there is a clear delineation about who are the "good" and "bad" characters in the book, but I would love to have the background behind these characters and why they are the way that they are. Or maybe I'm just spoiled by all of the super descriptive books that I've read for this class. If I were teaching writing in a class, I might have my students critically examine different types of books to see which ones are the most descriptive.

[Douglas Lord · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Christian novel, by two authors each with three names, features…two protagonists, each with three names! Two rival chicks are forced, nemesis-style, into an uneasy partnership when they are bound together to serve a higher purpose: the American Baptist Coalition. I’m not a Baptist, and I wouldn’t have thought there could be so much politicking and backstabbery in a church hierarchy. It’s not the wacky high jinks of The Odd Couple, but hey, Neil Simon could only write so fast. VERDICT The male characters here are as fleshed out as flensed carcasses, the dialog reads like nine seven-year-old girls trying to play with three Barbie dolls, and the backdrop of religiosity lends an unseemly, grimy feel to the enterprise.

Find this review and others at Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal: see http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/cat.... Copyright Library Journal.

[Shalawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow...in the last 7-8 chapters of the book, the pages were out of order. Had to flip back and forth to find the correct order of the pages. Very frustrating.

[ConSonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lolol these two Jasmine and Racheal together then add a lil Mae Francis.. Loved it

[Dee Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with mild humor. Jasmine and Rachel seemed to work well together when faced with major issues. Mae Francis was an extra bonus. Good cast of characters, storyline & read.

[KayBee's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this installment on audible and out of all the books thus far this was the most entertaining for me. It is always hard to remember that Jasmine is not in her twenties with the way the character is written. At this point in the two series ( Jasmine/Sinners & Saints), she is 46 or 47 years old. Finally there appears to be a bit of character growth from Jasmine & Mai Francis (although still abrasive). You can see it through the sniping and biting remarks shared by the ladies. Rachel was still cocky without cause, naive, loud and abrasive. The men and the church were relegated to minor characters in this edition.

The plot & players was pretty easy to figure out within in the first chapter or two after the "incident" with Pastor Griffith. However, the authors wrote the story in a way that provided you plenty of laughs on the road to discovery for the newly formed trio. I'm actually looking forward to listening to Fame & Fortune. However, I do hope it will be the end of the line for Jasmine Cox Larson Bush (ugh that name...smh)

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jasmine had the opportunity to be on Oprah Show to talk about the community center she was opening up in honor of her daughter "Jacqueline Hope" for Missing and Exploited Children, but Rachel found out and she felt she should have been the one since she was first lady of the American Baptist Coalition. They ended up arguing and Oprah had them all escorted off the premises
They supposed to met with Yvette (publicist) but they got there early so Rachel told Jasmine she had to use the bathroom and gave her Reverend Griffith apartment number but she gave her the wrong apartment number so she could make it there first, but when she got there the Reverend Griffith was dead.
Really enjoyed this novel.

[Sheryl Boyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

First ladies Jasmine and Rachel are back at it again! Jasmine is supposed to be a guest on Oprah;but not without Rachel trying to invite herself. But because of the rivalry between the two, the show never happened. Instead, a whole scheme involving pastor Griffith took place and Rachel was set up for killing him or being responsible for his disappearance. Read the book to find out how Rachel and Jasmine team up to clear her and become friends.

[Elise Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good show of jealousy and cattiness. We have to support each other's success not try to ruin. If you have faith in trust in the Lord and his word your time will come. Rachel could've avoided all of this had she kept her butt home where she belonged. The ending was wonderful and I'm glad they were able to depend upon and count on each other

[Cheryl Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

New found book additions

This book was filled much drama and excitement. I only wish I knew how the ending affected Jasmine and Rachel when they returned home. I'm new reader of these exemplary authors so my book list just expanded to continue on this journey with mesmerizing characters.

[Twana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a good book. The characters in the book kept you guessing to the end on who really did kill Pastor Griffith. Who knew church members had so much going on inside the church.

[lakeria taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved it, it just took a little while to get to the better parts.

[Tynece · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gotta give 3 stars because chapter's 23 & 24 were out of order.....

[LaQuita Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of the best that I read by this author. I struggled through it.

[Renetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series of books are great. I really get into the characters and want to read more about them and their drama.

[Veronica Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed reading the 2nd book of this series, never a dull moment with these ladies 😊

[Paula Laraine Augbon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read, kept me interested.

[Dr. Joy C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

These two together are nothing but fun!

[Stephanie R Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you thought the first lady antics couldn't get any crazier...LOL! Rachel Jackson Adam's, Jasmine Larson Bush, and Mae Francis need to be brought to life on some streaming platform.

[Blue North · Rating 4 out of 5]

These two authors just keep getting better and better. Every time I stopped reading FRIENDS & FOES by ReShonda Tate Billingsley & Victoria Christopher Murray to do a chore or run an errand was frustrating. I wanted to get back to New York, Houston, Chicago or The Virgin Islands where Rachel and Jasmine were having a really exciting adventure. Perhaps, Rachel wouldn't call it an adventure, but looking from a distance at thugs and guns and a disappearing dead body might seem downright fun. At least, the authors know how to make such goings on fun.

I knew this was going to be a fun novel when at the very beginning who should show up on the pages but Oprah. I had to keep reminding myself this is not really Oprah, silly. It's just a novel, but it all seemed so real except for the fact I have seriously doubts whether Oprah would find herself outside of Harpo in the parking lot with two angry women throwing words as hot as fire. President Obama and The First Lady are mentioned in the novel also. "Tell Barack and Michelle I said hi and I promise I won't come to DC again without calling....I think this is name dropping with a lost of etiquette. First names??? Hmmmm. Not unless you are Oprah Winfrey.

What seemed over the top was the competitive spirit between Rachel and Jasmine. After all, would a Baptist church lady member lock another member in a small room just so she could have an interview all to herself? I suppose competition and jealousy or envy are strong emotions. So I did learn not to think religious people are above playing down and dirty with one another outside of church. Jasmine and Rachel throw such painful, shameful words at one another that I felt ashamed for them. Believe me I know now it's no fun hearing two role models of your community fighting like cats and dogs with cruel words. Really, I disliked the times when they went at each other like they were trying to win a contest for who could give the best insult. I also thought it was more than awful for Rachel to lock Jasmine in that small room. I thought Rachel was playing a borderline criminal. Really, I think the dislike between these two women plays into the hands of those people who choose to believe women can't work together without hating on one another, and it also played into the race factor. Some people believe black women are only capable of scratching and tearing each others hair out never able to work together as a good business team.

However, the novel is very well written. I made my opinions, threw the novel, laughed at the novel, but I definitely kept reading until the end. I enjoyed Mae Frances. Did feel pain for the way they treated this elder lady. Jasmine and Rachel treat her the same way they treat one another with harsh descriptions, etc. "I have no idea. You know she's old. She's probably in the early stages of dementia and likely thought it was a doorbell."
While I didn't care for the dialogue between the characters and thought the two husbands Lester and Hosea were very weak I thought the mystery surrounding Pastor Griffith a very good one in this time when so many Mega church preachers seem to find it hard not to go astray. I think Yvette needed a bigger role too. I also applaud the two authors for their use of humor. I've read somewhere it's very difficult to write humor. At least they gave it a shot and almost didn't miss the basket.

I also wondered why the dress worn by Rachel never came up again. Rachel had wiped Pastor's blood all over the dress. I thought that would have been important evidence to keep her in trouble for a while. However, I enjoyed The Magnificent Mile,themagnificentmile and The Virgin Island, visitusvi. I hope to meet Mae Frances in a different book where she acts a bit more mature. Thanks for a great few days of fun. Plus, I learned a new word"No they wouldn't be friends, but they wouldn't be enemies, either. They'd be frenemies."

It's kind of difficult to call this Christian Fiction. There aren't moments of prayer, meditation, choir sweet singing hymns or feelings of repentance or change. The one lesson I will hold on to is "But I've learned that worrying ain't gonna add a single hour to my life. At least, that's what it says in Matthew." Jasmine grinned.victoriachristophermurray, reshondatatebillingsley

[The Book Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I just finished and I usually know about six or seven chapters in what I will rate a book unless it totally turns around in the middle and end. I am usually spot on with my guess from the beginning. I have to first say as a preface that I respect both authors and have even met one of them in person and attended a panel discussion. They are serious about the craft. My opinion is that I enjoy them separately. But when they write together it is very seamless however, it doesn't work for me. Unlike many who have reviewed this book and the previous book, my tale is totally different. I absolutely abhorred Sinners and Saints. If anything was gimmicky that was. I keep wondering what church have these authors attended. And before anyone says anything, I know how church folk can be. I am one myself and have befriended and known several First Ladies. There is mess in the church! Ok? Ok. Now, with that being said, Rachel and Jasmine are far fetched and quite irritating. Why did I read the second book you ask? First off, I happened to have obtained a copy of Fortune and Fame by certain circumstances that came about and I realized that I would have to read Friends and Foes first. I dreaded it. But I did. The first half of the book was a mess. I was so mad that I had to endure these irritating unbelievable women again. The whole southern vs. northern ideology and the liberal profanity used by First Ladies who don't even read or know scriptures by their own admission. (And I'm sure there are women like this because I do know a couple of them,) however reading Jasmine and Rachel was just so unrealistic! The storyline didn't really bother me as it did others. I thought it was decent. But having to endure the characters and I will say some of the things that happened in the story wasn't very plausible. Mae Francis is funny, I give them that, but she has over stretched her boundaries for me. Knowing all of these different people.I did like that the women teamed up instead of all of that high school drama and name calling and I will admit that in the end, it turned out rather well and I even laughed and smiled a few times. I think that it was better than Sinners and Saints.u

[Adrienna · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, it took until the ending that was the killer-ending and cliffhanger that made me give it a great read. I laughed aloud at work while on slow moments and others in the call center was wondering what I was giggling at...and another co-worker told me about these series and quickly got a copy of book 1 and book 2 of this series...

So one line at the end had them laughing too was, "we can feed the animal" in reference to Mae (older lady in the novel) but said I will use this line in general to someone I am joking around with or to be condescending?


Side note: One of my coworkers on our team (after changes again), she looks forward to me coming to work and said get off part-time and come back to full-time; not right without you but the other coworker next to me is always seeing what I am reading since she seems to only read street-urban lit.

Now I will look for book 3....after the mystery lies with sin! It was also a pleasure both of these ladies at Urban Books event in Midwest (but no longer live there)--now on just the West (coast).

Adrienna Turner
Author of Day Begins with Christ
adriennaturner.net

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it over and over again. You just cannot go wrongs with either a VCM or RTB read. You just cannot. Friends & Foes is not exception.

Jasmine Larson Cox Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams - sworn frenemies - are at it again. When Rachel, First Lady of the ABC, finds out Jasmine will be on the Oprah show to promote the ABC and her foundation for kidnapped children, Rachel is livid. And determined to be right on that stage, too. But once in Chicago, circumstances turn so dire that...*gasp*...Rachel and Jasmine just might have to squash their differences and work as a team for once. But, whether they can or not is the question. Add to the plot a bitter Celine King, an angry publicist, Mae Francis with her 30 year old mink, and a couple of goons barking up the wrong tree, and you have the makings of a must-read novel.

Billingsley and Murray have once again created an interesting lineup of characters, a delightful plot, and lots of twists and turns. I can't wait for the next installment of Cagney and Lacey...I mean Jasmine and Rachel. Kudos to the authors!