I'd Rather Be with You

If I Can't Have You #2

by Mary B. Morrison

Nursing wealthy businessman Chicago DuBois back to health was the least Loretta Lovelace figured she could do. After all, it was her bet that set off Loretta's stalker--and put Madison's husband at death's door. And with Madison out of the country, Loretta couldn't resist looking after Chicago's interests and reigniting his passion for life--in and out of bed. But now Madison wants to take back what's no longer hers, and that's a mistake Loretta plans to make her regret. With a baby on the way and a family empire to save, Madison knows it's past time to make some tough decisions. But for this spoiled beauty, treacherous habits die hard, and the sexy billionaire who just can't get enough of her is the weapon she needs to escape scandal and settle old scores. Too bad her newest play will put her in way over her head, and making things right will mean gambling with everything she wants most.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, African American, Audiobook, Cultural, New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Audible Audio

First published July 30, 2013

About the author

Mary B. Morrison, New York Times best-selling author is the up and coming artist with a multiple book-to-film deal. Mary has seventeen published novels including her newest release, If I Can’t Have You.

She writes for Kensington Publishing Corporation as Mary B. Morrison and Grand Central Publishing as HoneyB. In her novels Mary addresses social and sexual issues while empowering her female characters.

“Women Rule,” that’s the way I see it. “Beside every great man there is a powerful woman. The same does not hold true for every successful woman. A lot of us are single because men want to wear the pants, even if they didn’t buy them.”

Jeff Clanagan, CEO of Codeblack Entertainment and filmmaker, Leslie Small, optioned the film rights to Mary B. Morrison’s popular Soulmates Dissipate series (which includes seven novels). Her first book, Soulmates Dissipate, is being developed for feature film in 2013.

Mary is an Executive Producer on her film deal and she was Executive Producer and playwright for her stage play Single Husbands (based on her novel under her pen name HoneyB).

On June 3, 2000, Mary withdrew her retirement to self-publish her debut novel, Soulmates Dissipate. Mary has also sponsored an anthology publishing 33 students entitled Diverse Stories: From the Imaginations of Sixth Graders.

Lift Every Voice and Write is Mary’s non-profit. The organization is established to help increase literacy and support students interested in pursuing writing as a career.

Born in Aurora, Illinois, and reared in New Orleans, Louisiana, Mary is the middle child of seven. She’s a graduate of McDonogh #35 High School in New Orleans and Berkeley Community College in Berkeley, California.

Her wonderful son, Jesse Byrd, Jr. is a 2010 graduate of U.C. Santa Barbara and producer on Mary’s film deal. Jesse has recently completed his first novel and owns a clothing business, OiseauChateau.com.

Mary currently resides in Oakland, California.

Reviews

[Kiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary B. Morrison has done it again! I'd Rather Be With You is the much anticipated sequel to If I Can't Have You. When I got my book, I turned off my phone, & hung the Reading In Progress - Do Not Disturb sign on the door! What can I say about Granville? Something my grandmother used to say came to mind. As my Gramma would say, "That boy is three kinds of crazy?" You can't help but to feel sorry for Granville, because you find it impossible for someone to be that big a fool. He reminds me of a lost puppy dog.

As for the other characters, I alternated between feeling sorry for Madison, & wanting to slap her silly; Loretta was absolutely scandalous, & I don't even want to talk about Johnny.

This book was awesome, & I can't wait for April 2014 when If You Don't Know Me comes out! It is the next book in the series! (Maybe we can convince Mary to put it out sooner, LOL)

If you're looking for drama, a good laugh or two, treachery, backstabbing, sex, & a good read, get I'd Rather Be With You. (Just make sure that you read If I Can't Have You first, so you'd know what's going on!

*toasts Mary, job well done!*

[Charmer (+ Vibes Only) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why she changed Loretta so much. She made her unlikable. Loretta let Chaz talk her into doing that. She must be crazy, cause ain't noway in the world that ish would eva happen. Grossssss!!! It was gross when Madison first did it. She changed Chicago too, and I didn't like him anymore. Madison got what she deserved in the end.(claps) I felt bad for her only about her health issue. Why did Tisha and Loretta let her getaway with calling them names or talking to them like they were children. Why haven't someone whooped her ass already or just unfriended her. Some people know who they can getaway with that mess with. Daryl is a mess and Tisha did the right thing, with his ish. Was it 23 boxes?(lol) I was thinking, to the left, to the left, everything you own in a box to the left. Granville cracks me up, but what is his throwed off ass bout to do? What's up with Reynard? What's he up to? Who's gun was that at the hotel? What is Madison gonna do now? What is any of them gonna do now? I'm not in any hurry to find out. I really didn't like the big change in the characters.

[Mp · Rating 2 out of 5]

I truly wanted to like this book since I enjoyed the first one but the characters were to comical and silly for my taste. I had to make myself finish reading it but it was torture. I felt that the book dragged on with foolishness from all sides. The only character that I enjoyed was Chicago and that is not saying much. I'm not sure if I will be reading the next book in the series but if I do, I really hope that it's better than this one.

[African Americans on the Move Book Club · Rating 3 out of 5]

Centered on a male and female lead, I’d Rather Be With You is basically about a bet gone awry. Madison is every man’s fantasy and the envy of every woman, but her life takes a major turn when she decides to take a close friend up on a bet. Chicago is the man that every woman wants, but he had eyes for only one woman. The bet that Madison made could possibly turn his world upside down.
Mary B. Morrison uses first person to introduce readers to a host of characters that surround the two main characters. While they help these two characters convey a soap opera like tale, they all have their own personal drama to deal with.
Who needs enemies when you have friends? Or who needs enemies when you have family? As the plot thickens those are questions that are sure to be asked. These characters invite readers into their crazy, off the wall lives.
I’d always been meaning to read a Mary B. Morrison novel. I’d hear people discussing her books and she’d help co-write with a pretty brilliant author. I was pleased to have this opportunity. With that being said, I started with the cover. It was intriguing and I couldn’t wait to get started and see what was in those pages. The prologue was excellent and gave just enough information to whet the reader’s appetite. I was more than ready to dig in, but for nearly 14 chapters the pace seemed slow. The characters, while interesting, displayed behavior that wasn’t plausible, but then again, this is fiction. Who are the adults that bet their friends about something like that? The character Johnny was confusing at times because he contradicted himself. Granviille was difficult to visualize in that, I wasn’t sure if he was joking or just plain ignorant. He and the men he befriended, I just couldn’t take seriously, especially with names like No Chainz and G double A.
After chapter 14 I began to soar through the book and I actually enjoyed seeing how everything would play out. I found myself caring about some of the characters and wanting to watch them in action. This novel was the beginning of a series and I am pleased to say that I am ready for the second installment.


Trenika Austin
AAMBC Reviewer

[Glori DeLeon Bermudez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely have mixed emotions about this book. First off, Morrison does an amazing job with the characters. After reading, I'd expect to see news on Madison and Chicago on TV or read about their latest scandals in the paper. Definitely pure talent to be able to create such vivid characters that I've learned to like, dislike and absolutely hate. The book itself is centered around the scandalous lives of well-of people who want nothing more than money, love, sex, and scandal. I can't say that I'll be one to continue reading the series because I did struggle through reading this, but that doesn't mean it's a terrible book. It's a good book for anyone who enjoys reading about steaming romance, hatred, passion, deceit and greed. It's a book that always has something crazy going on, and I guess that's where it lost me. It almost seemed like too much going on that it made every character seem terrible, all except Tisha that is (LOVE HER!). But anyways, it's an good book overall, I guess it was just too scandalous for me to enjoy it more.

*A copy of this novel was generously provided by the publisher through a Goodreads giveaway for reviewing purposes.

[Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes this was a page-turner; however, I didn't understand why Loretta's character has taken a 360 degree turn. For the most part, I enjoyed this 2nd installment of the series but some of the situations were a bit unrealistic. Hopefully, part 3 will be much better.

[Erica L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was not feeling this book at all. And I usually like her books. This one however was eveil people on top of evil people and no one seemed to receive any type of justice or comeuppance. I am so burnt out on these writers who leave you hanging so you will buy the next book. I am done with this author.

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be continued? Really! I am tired of Madison, Tesha and especially Loretta. Granville is the same fool as always. Didn't understand the whole court verdict though. The story seemed disjointed at times. I hope all of the foolishness is resolved in book three. It could have ended with this book.

[Lord' Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd Rather Be With You (Book 2)



Well, well, well how time flies when you're scheming, lying, cheating, and trying to commit murder. I'd Rather be With You is the continuation from "If I Can't Have You," and these are characters behaving badly.


Mary B. Morrison spun a true sequel that picks up directly behind predecessor "If I Can't Have You," book 1 of the series, and I like that about multi-volume series.


I liked the first book so much, I immediately downloaded book 2 from Audible.com, which plays for 9 hours, 47 minutes, narrated by Cary Hite, and published by Blackstone Audio.


As I said before, book 2 is filled with nearly all of it's characters from the first installment and yes these characters were still behaving badly. --So it's like, where do I begin? There is so much going on with all these characters, keeping up with them you will need a score card. Yes they are all over the place; a wife pulling the plug n her husband, your number two girl nursing your man back to health, your man finding out you've been plug by another man and you're having his baby, and the maybe baby's daddy is out of jail and wants everything.


It's rare to find sequels leading off from it's prequel ending and to be just as good as the first book which drew you in. This author, Ms. Morrison is a Storyteller, and she's damn good at her job. In this novel the things which unfolds all stems from the first novel, and it's drama packed , the only thing I didn't like was the lost of friendship. I hope somewhere down the road I would see this get addressed.


This is a good story to read and follow. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I gave this novel 4 stars out of 5, so check it out.



~LW~

[Nattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the first entry into the series and was quite ashamed to admit I had. That book was actually a decent read, but it was ruined by an abnormal amount of foul language and nasty sexual descriptions.

Despite all that, I was still interested in finding out what happened to the characters. The first book ended without wrapping anything up.

I happened to see the second entry into the series at the library, so I grabbed it. I wish I hadn't.

The story wasn't very good, and it didn't have the humor that the last one had.

The foul language and overall grossness seemed to be toned down for some of the characters this time around, but there was one character that was so disgusting, I just couldn't get past it.

Granville was the absolute worst. DISGUSTING! Every other word out of his mouth was di*k and pu**y. Every time one of his chapters popped up, it was just filth overload.

I remember the character being quite nasty in the first book, but this time I was literally sickened by him. Ugh!

I won't be reading the next book in the series, not a single solitary page.

[Sos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway on goodreads. I absolutely loved it. I was definitely confused about the bet and the characters for a bit. I highly recommend this book. A continuous trend in this book with the characters is that many of them are selfish and greedy. At some parts I felt sorry for Madison at other times I did not like her at all. Loretta can be a bit hard headed, but I realize that it is just jealousy.I don't like Johnny or his behaviour. He would rather have a thriving business and a big ego than be respectful and have integrity for his wife, daughter and especially their belongings! I can't wait until the next book is released - If you don't know me April 2014

[Yuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finally getting to the end of the book (Granville was annoying, to say the least), I came to one major conclusion: Granville AND Madison are crazy and delusional. Granville is the obvious one that we all want to hate, because he is so obviously insane and unbalanced mentally. However, the more I read the thoughts of Madison and her so-called continued marriage to Roosevelt after all she had done to him -- signing off to pull the plug while he was in the hospital -- I mean, who does that? And she still had this idea that everything was going to be fine in the end.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. I almost don’t wanna bother with the next one. Geesh. This book is wildly unrealistic and all over the place. Entirely too much drama and the characters all seem bipolar which is making me feel like maybe the author is. I’m going to read the last book just to see how it ends because, in the same twisted trashy way that you can’t turn away from a deadly car accident, I just wanna know what happened.

[Carol Hornsby-mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome series, read it a few years ago. Ladies never bet on what you think you have control over. Let this book be a lesson to us all. You may know your limitations but you don’t know the limitations of your opponent nor how far he may go to win. Be thankful for what you have because when it’s gone it’s gone.

[Lizzie Winns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a continuation of 'I'd rather be with you'. It was full of twist and turns, it will have you shouting, talking to yourself and laughing.... The characters felt so real to me, like I can actually see this happening in real life,... I can't wait to read the next book in the series... Mary B. Morrison you did your thing...lol and loved it. I will be reading all your books now.

[Letesa Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like it but had some issues with the characters.....Chicago acts to desperate for Madison it's like anything she do he still loves her and he was getting on my nerve. I'm glad Loretta slap the hell out of Madison cause I don't like her. Madison thinks she's too much. Tisha acts like a gold digger. I think Granville would be a good boyfriend or father but he just need to go to therapy.

[Tiarra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many moving parts in this book and most of it seemed unrealistic. There's supposed to be a sequel. I'll probably read it just to see how things pan out in the end but this over the top drama is just not my style.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its amazing how a second book can change your feelings towards characters. I am looking forward to the third book in April 2014.

[Felisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book just didn't grab me like her other work. I just felt that there was just to much going on and not in a realistic sense! I love her work but this book, I just lost interest

[Jessica Goodman · Rating 1 out of 5]

HORRIBLE.

[Ashley H · Rating 3 out of 5]

The much anticipated sequel to If I Can't Have You, was a very disappointing book, as I'm sure others won't share my view. The storyline wasn't very realistic at all, based on what I received from the first book, which it's ending was a excellent.

The book portrayed the notion that everyone envy's a light skin woman, and a dark skin female self esteem was lower then hell . On top of making the assumption that because she is a dark-skinned female she should be happy just to have a man love her. I understand that someone people feel this way but the hate that the author displayed for the characters and their skin color was highly disappointing because the author is African-American as well and a woman. Overall, it appeared as though she was just trying to rush a book to print. This books was way off the mark, for me. I'm not in a rush to read part 3.

[Arra Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Last Book I Enjoyed Loretta Story Better Than Madison, But Honey In This Book Loretta Was Completely Unrecognizable. I Don’t Understand Why Her Character Was Changed So Much. I Still Liked Granville In This Book Too. He Was A Lot More Leveled & Down To Earth. New Characters Were Introduced Too. Cindy Which I Didn’t Like Over Time. She Was Constantly After Madison & Broke Madison & Chicago Up, Because Cindy Was Honestly After Chicago Forever. It Was So Much Drama Around Baby Zack, Granville & Chicago. I Also Feel That Madison Parents Was Useless, Chicago Parents Were Useless, As Well As Cindy Dad. None Of Them Had A Support System Only When It Comes To Doing What The Parents Wanted. Them All Being Well Known Families & Wealth As Well Didn’t Leave Much Space For Madison, Chicago, & Even Cindy To Make Decisions To Actually Make Them Happy. I Really Enjoyed It So Much. On To Book 3

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madison had it all and lost it because of her pride. How can she blame Loretta for sleeping with Granville she told her that the bet was off and how crazy he was. Loretta is wrong how can you be in love with your best friend husband and sleeping with his brother. I like the way Chicago did Johnny (Madison's father) he deserved it especially taking his company he is a snake look what he did to his daughter. Well Chicago wants a divorce and the baby is his. Wonder if Granville going still to try to kill Chicago again for the two million dollars that Sindy's father was paying him because the gun was found.

[ChuChi Mone'T · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'm not pleased at how Loretta's character made a complete U-turn. compared to the 1st book you would think we were discussing a whole other character not whoever this confused person is. she even went as far as neglecting her child which just didn't seem right. I just didn't like how all that transpired
my mouth dropped when it came to Granville smh.
I kinda feel for Madison but then again not really. she got her karma but karma was a bit harsh on her.
tisha needs to stop trying to mend the dead friendship and playing peacemaker.
I hope book 3 doesn't irritate me as much with another personality change.

[Harold Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where in the world did you find this Granville dude!? This man is a trip with no return ticket! Wow! I was feeling Lorreta for a while until she went left, sharply. I thought there was finally a character with some sense until......well. That Madison is a gift to.....herself! I wouldn't be able to deal with a woman like her at all. She's described as being a beautiful woman but that appears to be all she got going on. I actually enjoyed the series, it had a lot of stuff going on but its actually a good read. I may go back and reread the last book since I read it first just because I was looking for something to read.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing from this author has improved on the second book in this series. I still have trouble believing these random beliefs/actions like now Loretta believes she is in love with Madison? This is a bit much. Its almost as though the author has a list of random events that she kept nearby to throw into this story. I am still having a hard time imagining someone like Granville because I cannot honestly imagine someone so dumb and delusional.

[Ranie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purely twisted backstabbing psychological shocking thriller.... Phenomenal!!!!

The perfect story with so much drama that will continuously having you holding your breath...my head was literally hurting as my eyes were spinning with excitement and anticipation. The author did an excellent job of having the reader feel connected, related and compassionate for each character: Madison, Trish, Loretta, Roosevelt and Gransville.

Highly recommended

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a typical mary b. morrison book. It's full of drama, craziness, and foolishness and I can't get enough! It ended with another cliff hanger, so a sequal is coming! Grantville, is a fool of a character, but it's something about this fool that you love and hate. He's crazy, ignorant, and dumb, but adds so much to the story.

[Adrienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loretta was a trip in this novel. I have to strike her off with her behavior on all levels, claiming she's a Christian. Chicago was not taking Madison's Mess. Granville was too much for words and laughed at times. Johnny didn't need his own sections to me. Tisha was something to think about in not so good relationships. May read book 3.

Adrienna Turner
Author of mirrors Lie

[GrannyLee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why Mary Morrison's books get to me? I don't know. This book is the second installment, and it's a soap opera on steroids. Told in alternating characters, this book continues all the delicious foolishness that was in the first book. Unbelievably developed characters. I feel like I know them.
Karma is all I can say.