Getting Some of Her Own

by Gwynne Forster, Saidah Arrika Ekulona (Translation)

"Gwynne creates a fictional world of ideas and passions...truly modern women and men struggling with a torrent of issues...delivered in accomplished prose that challenges us to think, feel, and imagine." --Robert Fleming, author of The Wisdom of the Elders After an absence of sixteen years, Susan Pettiford has come home to North Carolina, this time for good. Thanks to an inheritance, she can start her own interior design business. But it's not quite the life Susan hoped for. Single at thirty-four, she now faces a challenge that forces her to accept one of her dreams will never come true. Battling sadness, Susan decides to engage in a fling... Architect Lucas Hamilton couldn't be more surprised by Susan's dinner invitation--after all, she's the same woman who clearly rebuffed his advances at a recent party. Still, his curiosity overcomes his doubts. The result is a night of seduction neither can forget yet neither intends to repeat. While Susan focuses on her work and a new friendship with her troubled neighbor Cassie, Lucas focuses on his goal to become more wealthier than the biological father he resents for being absent from his life. Then, when Lucas's father resurfaces, he finds himself turning to Susan for counsel. As the complexities of family, work, and their undeniable attraction lead their paths to cross repeatedly, their feelings for each other strengthen. But the secret Susan is hiding from Lucas may destroy any future they share... "Touching, thought-provoking." --Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times bestselling author on If You Walked in My Shoes "A page-turner, and it's one that deserves to be read in a few sittings." --QBR, The Black Book Review on Blues From Down Deep "An unforgettable read."--Donna Hill, author of If I Could on When Twilight Comes

Genres: Romance, African American Romance, Fiction

Audiobook

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

Gwynne Forster (1922-2015) was the pseudonym of American novelist, short fiction writer, demographer, and sociologist Gwendolyn Johnson-Acsadi. Forster was best known as an early innovator of the African American Romance fiction tradition. Forster was a prolific writer who authored more than 50 books, as well as multiple studies in the field of demography. Forster won a wide readership with her novels and garnered awards, including the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and the Black Writers Alliance Gold Pen Award.

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book, I picked up at my local library. I always enjoy Gwynne's stories. This story was moving and had a strong love conquers all theme. I liked that the main characters weren't the only ones dealing with a completed love story. I enjoyed the side stories of Cassie/Kix and Lucas's parents. I want to read Willis's love story. He seems like such a tough guy.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Gwynne Forsythe and this book only rates 3.5 stars. I like the story developing between Susan and Lucas, but the book bogs down at times. This is definitely a "love conquers all" story, just doesn't move very fast.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stand for what you believe.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding story of love!

[Nicole Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. I enjoyed it.

[Limecello · Rating 1 out of 5]

:X

So.

I DNF'd this book.

I didn't love the narrator ... but was like "this is a new to me author, and a new to me narrator, and I should give them a chance." So I kept on. And that was going to be my attitude - I've been wanting to try Ms. Forster, she's often in the "recommended if you like X author" that I've read...

And look. In the first few minutes, the heroine says she'll only be "half a woman" after her hysterectomy.

Then she's at some cafe/having lunch, and a cute guy approaches her and wants her number, but she shoots him down because she won't be a "real woman" anymore, and can't have a family or love. ... ... ...

Which ... like. Woooooooow. Just ... Woooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[So are women with uteruses who can't have children half a women? Are women who are born without a uterus not women? Trans women clearly aren't women?]

I mean. There are SO MANY layers of no.

But I was like "ok, that's a bit of an ... I mean awful, but maybe antiquated idea and ... I'll CONTINUE to try to give this book/author a chance..."
[Which, uh, damn - I saw this book was published in 2007. :X Yikes.]

OK. So ... I kept listening.

Find out, the hero was the dude who approached the heroine. And he's mad she turned him down - nobody turns HIM down. 🙄 ...

Y'all.

Y'ALL.

It ... it gets so much worse. He's all "nobody has turned me down since I started noticing girls at age 13" ...

STRAP IN. IT GETS WORSE.

Apparently he noticed one of his mom's friends.

AND THE WOMAN RAPED HIM. BUT!!!! THAT'S ... THAT'S ONLY HALF OR NOT EVEN HALF THE BAD. This is written AS A GOOD THING.

It's that he noticed her when he was 13, and she noticed him noticing her ... and she's all "want me to teach you everything about sex?" and he was a horny teenage boy so he's all "yes" ... so she hikes up her skirt and [it's implied but ...] masturbates in front of him, and then has sex with him [and it even makes me itchy to say "has sex with" because CLEARLY THIS IS RAPE ] ... and then they CONTINUE TO DO THAT. Until she sees him at some CLEARLY later time with a girl.

And it's written as the ladyrapist is some benevolent person because instead of seeing her CHILD VICTIM and throwing a hugely jealous fit, she just "smiles at him."

Like...

What.

A) first of all we're supposed to be like "oh wow, such a stud, having sex since he was 13 BECAUSE HIS MOM'S FRIEND WAS RAPING HIM. "Oh but he was into it."

DUDE.NO.

B) she gets a gold star for not throwing a giant tantrum shit fit for seeing him with an age appropriate girl?!

Like...

WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING.

And you know what's almost next level crazy/all this? ...
All of this takes place before you even get to minute 13 of the book.

O_O

I just ...

Y'all.

No.

And this book has a pretty good review rating I think - like 4+ stars upon me writing this?

...

I'm not even going to check the other ones because like no. I don't want to see it.

The half a woman, and then the child rape of the hero when he was 13.

No.

F. DNF.
F.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. It was like watching a movie. The characters were memorable and easy to like. Susan Pettiford's conflict with Lucas Hamilton was realistic and engaging, but not over the top. She had a secret that she was scared to share with Lucas, for fear she'd lose him, and her keeping the secret was causing her a great deal of stress. Good read.

[Mukisa Kibaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

I enjoyed reading about two people that things to work through in life , while finding their way to each other.

[Michelle King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very touching. I thought it was going to end one way and was surprised at the ending.

[Tyshae Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book 👏🏾 and amazing Author!

[Gwyneth Mcdaniels]

So far so good.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

audio cd.. didn't like the narrator. plot was ok, but it was a bit too romancy for me.

[Ransom · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a good book.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I related to the story all to well but the writing was a bit choppy.

[FreeFormLady · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

i couldnt get into it