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Chasing Destiny
Known on the streets for her beauty and impressive motorcycle, Ducati discovers that she is pregnant just before her boyfriend decides to return to his wife, a situation that is complicated by a threat from her boyfriend's wife, the disappearance of her boyfriend's teenage daughter, and an attempt on Ducati's life. By the author of Genevieve. 100,000 first printing.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2006
117 people are currently reading
3107 people want to read
About the author
Eric Jerome Dickey
58 books3,614 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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November 7, 2008Valerie Oyibo
Chasing Destiny
Chasing destiny is a book of love, tragedy, and happiness all in one. The book is breath taking throughout. That is what keeps me reading this book. The first thing that caught my ears in the book is how up to date it is. So it’s very easy for me to keep along on what’s going on in this book. There were so many things going on in this book. So many emotions running through my head, lugubrious, ecstatic, aghast, and deviating.
My favorite character in this book would be a 15 year old girl named Destiny. She is the main character in my book. And what I love about her is the way she handles things. She’s a little bit gangster that’s why I like her. For example Destiny was raped by 12 guys in this book. So she hunted down the people that she saw of that disturbing night, and gave them what they deserved. My least favorite character in the book is a 36 year old female, named Carmen. She is more of an evil type of person, she always going after people trying to mess up their life’s. For example Carmen ran over a pregnant woman just because she was talking to her EX husband.
I think the author wrote this book because he wanted everyone to know how things really happen in this world. That everything isn’t so nice and happy. That people have problems, and sometimes problems lead into serious encounters. To majorly hurting someone to killing. And I think he just wanted us to know what happens in the hood.
One part in this book that really got my attention is when Destiny was on a hunt looking for all the people that had anything to do with raping her. So she found one boy that was video taping the rape and she stole his brand new car and also shot him the nuts. My favorite line in this book would be. “Baby Phat?” “Shhh. God is talking to me”. “Uh…uh…what God over there saying?” Finger tight on the trigger, she pushed the gun deeper into his groin. “God said,” Destiny whispered, “this is just bidness.” She pulled the trigger, red blood ran and flowed.
I recommend this book to my boy friend Denzell King because he really doesn’t like reading that much. But this book is really good and I know it will keep him captivated so much that he will love reading when he get done reading this book. If this book was made into a movie then I would want to be Destiny because she is a very strong person in this book. And I love the fire in her.
Chasing Destiny
Chasing destiny is a book of love, tragedy, and happiness all in one. The book is breath taking throughout. That is what keeps me reading this book. The first thing that caught my ears in the book is how up to date it is. So it’s very easy for me to keep along on what’s going on in this book. There were so many things going on in this book. So many emotions running through my head, lugubrious, ecstatic, aghast, and deviating.
My favorite character in this book would be a 15 year old girl named Destiny. She is the main character in my book. And what I love about her is the way she handles things. She’s a little bit gangster that’s why I like her. For example Destiny was raped by 12 guys in this book. So she hunted down the people that she saw of that disturbing night, and gave them what they deserved. My least favorite character in the book is a 36 year old female, named Carmen. She is more of an evil type of person, she always going after people trying to mess up their life’s. For example Carmen ran over a pregnant woman just because she was talking to her EX husband.
I think the author wrote this book because he wanted everyone to know how things really happen in this world. That everything isn’t so nice and happy. That people have problems, and sometimes problems lead into serious encounters. To majorly hurting someone to killing. And I think he just wanted us to know what happens in the hood.
One part in this book that really got my attention is when Destiny was on a hunt looking for all the people that had anything to do with raping her. So she found one boy that was video taping the rape and she stole his brand new car and also shot him the nuts. My favorite line in this book would be. “Baby Phat?” “Shhh. God is talking to me”. “Uh…uh…what God over there saying?” Finger tight on the trigger, she pushed the gun deeper into his groin. “God said,” Destiny whispered, “this is just bidness.” She pulled the trigger, red blood ran and flowed.
I recommend this book to my boy friend Denzell King because he really doesn’t like reading that much. But this book is really good and I know it will keep him captivated so much that he will love reading when he get done reading this book. If this book was made into a movie then I would want to be Destiny because she is a very strong person in this book. And I love the fire in her.
August 23, 2017
Loved! entertaining,interesting,lots of drama,plot twist,very detailed with good storytelling (paperback!)
April 15, 2023
Chasing Destiny was sooooooooooo good! This is another EJD book that grabs you from the very first sentence and sucks you in all the way to the end. These characters were a boiling pot of hot funky mess. You have adultery, hateful exes, a couple on the verge of divorce, racial identity crisis, psycho grandparents willing to do anything to protect their ADULT child, a husband torn between doing the right thing versus doing what his heart wants, and a daughter forced to face the horrible consequences from one night of poor decision making. Whew chile! Drama, drama, drama! I really liked how the character’s lives intertwined throughout the book. There was a lot of six degrees of separation going on. Kimberly JaJuan did a phenomenal job narrating. She gave these characters life. Her Jamaican and Korean accents were spot on! It's a shame this is the only book she narrates on Audible. I honestly don't understand why there are so many negative reviews from so called EJD "fans." But, I’ve come to realize he has a certain writing style that’s not for everyone. You either love it or you hate it. I absolutely loved this book. The writing and character development were outstanding. Chasing Destiny was an intoxicating read that is full of real life marital strife and adulterous behavior. It was steamy, riveting, intriguing, and witty with tons drama. EJD has, once again, outdone himself.
November 15, 2014
The title of Eric Jerome Dickey's latest novel, Chasing Destiny, has a dual implication because Destiny is a troubled teen who is `acting out' in the middle of her parent's messy divorce and it also alludes to an underlying theme of how far the lead characters are willing to go to change or control their fate.
Keith and free spirit Billie (aka Ducati because of the motorcycle she rides) have been lovers for about a year and the story opens with her announcing she is pregnant and him announcing he has decided to reunite with his wife, Carmen, and his fifteen-year-old daughter, Destiny - setting the stage for drama ala Dickey style. Carmen, a high powered Los Angeles attorney, is obsessed with Keith, an unemployed engineer, and wants to keep her man and her marriage together at all cost. As the story matures it is revealed how manipulative, vindictive, and conniving Carmen can be and we learn the fruit (Destiny) does not fall far from the tree.
Unbeknownst to her parents, Destiny has serious problems of her own. After sneaking out of the house for a harmless night of partying, she shamelessly victimizes and disfigures another in a "girl fight" to gain some street credibility and naively becomes a victim herself of a violent, brutal act that can ruin her future and embarrass her family. When she learns that her activities have been recorded and are being sold throughout the "hood" on DVD by her so called "friends;" she sets out to correct her mistakes and exact a little revenge but her plans go terribly awry and she is in even deeper trouble. In the meantime, Carmen conspires against Billie andKeith is agonizing over following his heart to start a new family with Billie or uphold his eighteen-year marriage vows and return to his old family, Carmen and Destiny.
Without spoiling the story - let's just say everyone's desperation reaches a boiling point and things quickly spiral out of control with unexpected results. Toward the middle of the book, I found myself rapidly turning pages to read about Destiny's confrontation with the videographers, how Carmen's threats to Billie turn physical and life-threatening, and what Keith's ultimate decision would be. The ending was a bit abrupt, but tied up nicely.
Dickey's talent and experience is evidenced in the handling of the multiple storylines and the intricacy of subplots and multi-character interrelationships. EJD fans will not be disappointed with this offering - although there is nothing new about this piece because it contains the classic components, vibe and cadence found in his last few novels -- it is a novel filled with a colorful supporting cast, a few steamy interludes, and witty dialogue just in time for a Spring release.
Keith and free spirit Billie (aka Ducati because of the motorcycle she rides) have been lovers for about a year and the story opens with her announcing she is pregnant and him announcing he has decided to reunite with his wife, Carmen, and his fifteen-year-old daughter, Destiny - setting the stage for drama ala Dickey style. Carmen, a high powered Los Angeles attorney, is obsessed with Keith, an unemployed engineer, and wants to keep her man and her marriage together at all cost. As the story matures it is revealed how manipulative, vindictive, and conniving Carmen can be and we learn the fruit (Destiny) does not fall far from the tree.
Unbeknownst to her parents, Destiny has serious problems of her own. After sneaking out of the house for a harmless night of partying, she shamelessly victimizes and disfigures another in a "girl fight" to gain some street credibility and naively becomes a victim herself of a violent, brutal act that can ruin her future and embarrass her family. When she learns that her activities have been recorded and are being sold throughout the "hood" on DVD by her so called "friends;" she sets out to correct her mistakes and exact a little revenge but her plans go terribly awry and she is in even deeper trouble. In the meantime, Carmen conspires against Billie andKeith is agonizing over following his heart to start a new family with Billie or uphold his eighteen-year marriage vows and return to his old family, Carmen and Destiny.
Without spoiling the story - let's just say everyone's desperation reaches a boiling point and things quickly spiral out of control with unexpected results. Toward the middle of the book, I found myself rapidly turning pages to read about Destiny's confrontation with the videographers, how Carmen's threats to Billie turn physical and life-threatening, and what Keith's ultimate decision would be. The ending was a bit abrupt, but tied up nicely.
Dickey's talent and experience is evidenced in the handling of the multiple storylines and the intricacy of subplots and multi-character interrelationships. EJD fans will not be disappointed with this offering - although there is nothing new about this piece because it contains the classic components, vibe and cadence found in his last few novels -- it is a novel filled with a colorful supporting cast, a few steamy interludes, and witty dialogue just in time for a Spring release.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2015
I love this author it is as if he studies women for a living. His accuracy is almost intrusive. This was a very intriguing story, it has action, love, lust, and soooo much drama! There has to be a part two, when it is released I will be first in line to read! He is so on point it scares me, he know the inner thoughts of a woman, when you read you feel exposed! I loved all of the characters even the ones I wanted to personally attack. Eric knows how to breath life into his characters like a GOD of literature!
November 12, 2012
Wow! How did I let this book slip through my book list? Thanks to my new book club I had a chance to read this 2006 amazing drama filled book. I wavered between 4 and a 5 star but because I'm a fan of Eric Jerome Dickey I gave the book a 5 star rating. What I loved about this book was from the beginning I was pulled into Billie! I love a strong female character. I was growing close to Billie's character and thought I would lose her because of the title and thought the plot would shift to all about Destiny. But it was really Billie's crazy story. What I loved about Mr. Dickey's style of writing is the comic relief of the characters. Also the passion he creates for his characters always move me. Makes me feel all warm inside like a hot bowl of oatmeal :)Then the drama spins out of control and I'm like okaaay this is getting super duper crazy -side note had me telling my girls dont every trust anyone to give you a drink-but real talk I loved what the author did with characters with a little mystery jumping off with all the choas in the plot. The only thing I kind of hope was for to see how the characters reacted to how all the drama connected together. 2 thumbs up for chasing desitny!
January 23, 2016
I don't know exactly what it was, but this book irritated me. It reminded me of a high-drama combination of Jersey Shore/Jerry Springer/Days of Our Lives. The inconsistency of the dialect (dey/they) in the same sentence was annoying. The random, academic words thrust into a colloquial-sounding sentences was annoying. During a sex scene, "His amalgamation filled me up." Wth? It sounded like some "smart" editor tried to make the book more intellectual? I don't know. I give it three stars because it did have a couple interesting plot detours, as well as moral dilemmas that were interesting to ponder. I will say that it's definitely a good book for a person who is typically a non-reader, or someone who thrives on drama...
January 17, 2023
Chasing Destiny is one of my favorite EJD novels. It follows the story of Destiny who is going through a lot of changes and storms in her life. Her parents are on the brink of divorce and her father's side chick may be pregnant.
Destiny meets some new guys who invite her to a house party where her life is turned upside down. Everything changes, but payback is a bitch because she's now looking for revenge.
This story was very gritty and tantalizing. I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book and have read it several times throughout the years.
craziness - people and dangerous twists! Keith is a man caught in a love triangle between his wife, mistress and teenage daughter, who gets caught up in a scary dangerous scandal. All it takes is one night for all hell to break loose when confronted with the consequences of their choices! Completely bizarre, but an achingly good story you can not put down. I’ve read this book multiple times over the years. If you read this, you have to follow-up with Blackbirds where we get more of Destiny!
Destiny meets some new guys who invite her to a house party where her life is turned upside down. Everything changes, but payback is a bitch because she's now looking for revenge.
This story was very gritty and tantalizing. I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book and have read it several times throughout the years.
craziness - people and dangerous twists! Keith is a man caught in a love triangle between his wife, mistress and teenage daughter, who gets caught up in a scary dangerous scandal. All it takes is one night for all hell to break loose when confronted with the consequences of their choices! Completely bizarre, but an achingly good story you can not put down. I’ve read this book multiple times over the years. If you read this, you have to follow-up with Blackbirds where we get more of Destiny!
March 16, 2013
Holy crap this book is great. I actually listened to the audiobook version. I found myself making up reasons to drive to the store just to hear what happened next. It's filled with hateful exes, couples on the verge of divorce, psycho grandparents willing to stop at nothing to protect their child, a man torn between doing what's right and doing what his heart wants and a poor little girl forced to face horrible consequences for one night of poor decision making. Whew! Enough said. Great book.
October 8, 2017
This was an okay read for a desperate girl that was trying to grown to fast. You live and you learn right?
November 10, 2014
This was a really great book! It's so hard to describe, because there are no words to describe how great this book was. Loved it!I can't quite understand why there are so many negative reviews on this book from "so-called EJD fans". Part of being a fan of someone's writing is allowing them to evolve as a writer and following them faithfully down the paths they choose to travel. I enjoyed this book tremendously. The characters were dramatic, well-developed and very real. I particularly liked the way the characters' lives all intertwined...it is a small world. The ending was classic and not typical. I hope this is not the last we read of Destiny, Billie, and Carmen. Eric Jerome Dickey has outdone himself, AGAIN!!!
January 15, 2009
Eric Jerome shocked me. I had to read about adulterous affairs during separation and this man ended up going back with his wife for the sake of their devious daughter, Destiny. I was surprised to read about a family and how it affects them, not such couples committing adultery.
February 20, 2019
One of his best books. The end had me wanting more.
February 26, 2024
A lot of swiss and turns had me on the edge of the book
August 10, 2016
I think it may be the trashiest, most morally bankrupt book I've ever read, and I've read a lot of men's adventure fiction. It's awesome, in the horrible ironic sense the word has recently acquired.
First: credit where credit is due. The dialogue is amazing. And it's all perfectly pitched. Everyone in this book is incredibly melodramatic. It's like a soap opera on the page. You almost don't have to imagine the smash zooms and cheap key lighting. It's right there. It's in the dialogue. It's not even subtext. Characters talk about it. They compare themselves to the movies the author is ripping off. Shit is text.
That said, make no mistake, Chasing Destiny is a very, very bad book. Sure, it started strong, but by page ten I was rolling my eyes. The entire book exists at a level of simultaneous hand-wringing and voyeurism normally found on true crime TV shows and Law and Order: SVU. Conversations meandered on. Critical scenes were cut short. Words, phrases, facts and metaphors are repeated an nauseum in the space of a few pages and then immediately forgotten. The massive character count and interconnection of events bogs down the narrative. A lot goes down but it takes hundreds of pages for the plot to progress even the tiniest amount. Then, Spoilers: The book falls apart. The ending is stretched and scattered to the point of anticlimax. The uplifting conclusion? It's the revelation that the entire book was a short and relatively pointless episode, one of many bad break-ups in the main character's life.
I know that by writing about it I've made this book sound much more interesting than it actually is. I know what you're thinking.
"That sounds interesting."
"It can't be that bad."
"Trashy is exactly what I'm looking for."
Perhaps even, "Those are all features, not bugs. Leave poor EJD alone. He knows what he's doing."
I want to set the record straight. Eric Jerome Dickey makes more money than god, so yeah, maybe he knows what he's doing, maybe he's exactly where he wants to be, but where he wants to be sucks. This book was hard to get through. This book hates women. This book needed an editor. This book wants to be porn and a pastor at the same time, but isn't particularly good at either. Was this book entertaining? Yes. Kind of. If you feel the urge to spend your time on this book, by all means indulge it. I did. But this book wasn't worth it.
First: credit where credit is due. The dialogue is amazing. And it's all perfectly pitched. Everyone in this book is incredibly melodramatic. It's like a soap opera on the page. You almost don't have to imagine the smash zooms and cheap key lighting. It's right there. It's in the dialogue. It's not even subtext. Characters talk about it. They compare themselves to the movies the author is ripping off. Shit is text.
That said, make no mistake, Chasing Destiny is a very, very bad book. Sure, it started strong, but by page ten I was rolling my eyes. The entire book exists at a level of simultaneous hand-wringing and voyeurism normally found on true crime TV shows and Law and Order: SVU. Conversations meandered on. Critical scenes were cut short. Words, phrases, facts and metaphors are repeated an nauseum in the space of a few pages and then immediately forgotten. The massive character count and interconnection of events bogs down the narrative. A lot goes down but it takes hundreds of pages for the plot to progress even the tiniest amount. Then, Spoilers: The book falls apart. The ending is stretched and scattered to the point of anticlimax. The uplifting conclusion? It's the revelation that the entire book was a short and relatively pointless episode, one of many bad break-ups in the main character's life.
I know that by writing about it I've made this book sound much more interesting than it actually is. I know what you're thinking.
"That sounds interesting."
"It can't be that bad."
"Trashy is exactly what I'm looking for."
Perhaps even, "Those are all features, not bugs. Leave poor EJD alone. He knows what he's doing."
I want to set the record straight. Eric Jerome Dickey makes more money than god, so yeah, maybe he knows what he's doing, maybe he's exactly where he wants to be, but where he wants to be sucks. This book was hard to get through. This book hates women. This book needed an editor. This book wants to be porn and a pastor at the same time, but isn't particularly good at either. Was this book entertaining? Yes. Kind of. If you feel the urge to spend your time on this book, by all means indulge it. I did. But this book wasn't worth it.
June 17, 2009
I'm currently reading Chasing Destinyi> by Eric Jerome Dickey. It's funny, when I started reading, I didn't realize it was written by a man. It definitely reads differently--almost to the point where I was going to give up on it. It just feels obvious and overly harsh. In any case, once I realized it was written by a man (from the full-page photo of Dickey on the back cover--DUH!), I started reading it as such, and it was better. (Doesn't that sound bad? But somehow it does make a difference! Changes perception, etc. Like reading Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks alllll those years ago (before he was a known author) and thinking, "Wow, this is cheesy," but when I realized it was a man writing it was "sweet," and "romantic." Hm...
June 23, 2017
I loved how the book had a lot of twists and turns and how all the characters were connected. It really teaches you that the world can be a small place and how your actions can affect you indirectly. It was amazing to me the lengths that a person would go for revenge, especially when mental, physical, and emotional pain was involved. The "Ain't Right" crew, LOL, were thoroughly developed. Once again Eric Jerome Dickey never leaves a reader hanging with mystery. He clearly draws you in and develops the scene along with the explanation as to why the characters do what they do. I always loved his books and this one is a re-read for me. Billie fascinates me by being the tough, beautiful, dressed in yellow leather motorcycle chick who I hope to be one day.
January 26, 2012
I was in love with this book until I got to the middle and the end made me want to burn the book. I was so disappointed. The readers are left hanging high and dry. This book is way too negative it had more negatives than positives. And what happened to Destiny made me not want to read the rest of the book. The ending pissed me off the most because I wanted Billy and Keith to stay together. But basically SPOILER Billy falls in love with Keith even though he's still married but seperated, gets pregnant on purpose, loses the baby AND keith at the end. What some BS. I'm not reading anymore EJD books after this one.
March 19, 2018
I have been a fan from EJD's first book, Friends &Lovers. I was looking to re-read Milk in my Coffee when I ran across Chasing Destiny. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this storyline about women on motorcycles. The plot twists and character interactions and how they all connected was pretty well masterfully done. Definitely a page turner. Loved it!
April 10, 2011
so far i really like by book . i never read a book for Eric Jerome Dickey , but i look foward to reading more of his book ! i love the excitement we i turn the page . i never know whats going to happen
November 20, 2019
This book was okay, I wasn't a fan of the main character Billie, she irritated me. I was glad that Destiny got her revenge. There could have been a better ending, the ending wasn't that good, it didnt sum the story up and didnt make me want to read more.
March 30, 2007
EJ Dickey got his "swagger" back with this one.
December 17, 2007
Eric Jerome Dickey is a fantastic writer. I read this book in about two days. It was filled with all the drama you would expect from Eric and then some.
March 4, 2008
Ick. Not at all appealing. I read it for a book club discussion.
March 13, 2009
Wow! This book kept me up all night. I read it like in two days that's because I had to go to work! It was action packed and moved me emotionally. A MUST read!
November 12, 2009
This was a hard read for me. Dickey went somewhere else that I wasn't considering and it went towards street literature and it wasn't up to par for a Dickey novel for me.
February 25, 2011
Loved the highs, lows, and craziness of this story. EJD is still my fave author!
June 30, 2016
Steamy, Riveting, Witty, Intoxicating, Page Turner! A Awesome Read! I Loved It!
April 6, 2020
I see why they call EDJ the king of African American fiction for women because he knows women very well that it feels almost intrusive. I loved how the book started off with dialogue that caught my attention from the beginning when Billie told Keith she was pregnant. I loved the scenario of this book from the beginning and when I was introduced to Destiny I actually felt for her.....at least in the beginning. This story was a roller coaster ride that had plenty of twists and turns. I liked Billie and her independence and freedom when she was on a motorcycle and I honestly thought she was too smart to be messing around with Keith’s sorry ass. I felt like Billie really was in love with Keith and I think that Keith loved the fact that Billie was a distraction but I don’t think he truly loved her because he would’ve fought for her instead of settling and running back to Carmen out of convenience. Keith to me wasn’t ready to be his own man; it had to take for Carmen to really drag him through the mud to see a divorce was something he couldn’t afford. Like Carmen told Billie he just was into Billie because she was an escape from home and responsibilities. But Carmen she sure was one desperate woman that was conniving and manipulative. For some reason I knew I wasn’t going to like and she was the wife!!! Then Destiny was just like her mother being conniving and crazy. Smh I lost respect for Keith when he tried to lie to Billie about HIS DAUGHTER practically feeding her abortion pills. Then for some odd reason at the end of the book, I grew to like Viviane despite the fact that she was a greedy undercover hoe. I think she decided to do right by right by Jacob because she knew deep down he was a good guy and she shouldn’t been creeping on him like that. I think the biggest plot twist in my eyes was how Carmen’s dad was the one that tried to run Billie over and the fact that Raheem was Carmen’s side piece. And to think I actually thought Raheem and Billie would be a cute couple. I knew that things would go back to normal in the ending. I’m more so glad that Billie went on to live her life. EDJ has done it again with this one because I really felt like I was watching a good movie with this one!!😉😆
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2022
Tragedy, drama, violence, and erotica LOTS of detailed erotica. This book reminded me a lot of the movie Dangerous Minds and a way more explicit than 50 shades of Grey. There is a lot going on in the book, but I think the first four letters of my sentence sums it up. I finished the book in one day. Id say my favorite character in the book is Viviann. She was quite funny. The story line alone was good but the ending was disappointing. After all the action, climax, and drama you would think the ending would be good as well. Overall, I think the story could have had more deeper substance to it than being deep in lust.
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