God Ain't Blind

God Don't Like Ugly #4

by Mary Monroe

"Monroe is a masterful storyteller." -- Philadelphia Inquirer 

There are some things even forever friends can't fix. . .

Annette Goode Davis is a survivor. Life has often knocked her down, but she's never stayed there for long. To Annette, it's all about family and old friends like Rhoda O'Toole. And right now, Annette needs all the friends she can get. Because lately, her husband, Pee Wee, barely has the time of day for her. And she has no idea why. . .

Desperate to regain Pee Wee's affections, Annette goes on a crash diet, gets a makeover, and looks hotter than she has in a long time. Everyone notices--except Pee Wee. So when handsome Louis Baines showers her with attention, Annette finds herself having an affair and spending money on Louis like there's no tomorrow. But when she learns a terrible secret about her new lover, she realizes she's in way over her head. Soon Annette must face the fact that she may have destroyed the life she loved--and this time, not even Rhoda can help her make things right. . .

"A fast-paced, sexy, tense story that will make readers think twice before getting tangled up in an affair." -- Booklist

"Monroe's never better than when she's writing about Annette and Rhoda. . .who are always getting in trouble." -- Publishers Weekly

Genres: Fiction, African American, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Romance, Drama, Adult Fiction

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

I am the third child of Alabama sharecroppers and the first and only member of my family to finish high school. I never attended college or any writing classes. I taught myself how to write and started writing short stories around age four. I spent the first part of my life in Alabama and Ohio and moved to Richmond, California in 1973. I have lived in Oakland since 1984.

My first novel THE UPPER ROOM was published by St. Martin's Press in 1985 and was widely reviewed throughout the U.S. and in Great Britain. An excerpt is included in Terry McMillan's anthology BREAKING ICE. I endured fifteen years and hundreds of more rejection letters before I landed a contract for my second novel, GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY. It was published in October 2000 by Kensington Books. GOD DON'T PLAY is my seventh novel to be published, and it landed me a spot on the prestigious New York Times Bestsellers list for the first time! My eighth novel, "BORROW TROUBLE," was released December 2006. My ninth novel, DELIVER ME FROM EVIL, was released September 2007 and my tenth novel, SHE HAD IT COMING, was released in September 2008, and my eleventh novel THE COMPANY WE KEEP, will be released March 2009.

I won the Oakland Pen Award for Best Fiction of the Year in 2001 for GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY. I won the Best Southern Author Award for GONNA LAY DOWN MY BURDENS, in 2004.

I am divorced, I love to travel, I love to mingle with other authors, and I love to read anything by Ernest Gaines, Stephen King, Alice Walker, and James Patterson. I still write seven days a week and I get most of my ideas from current events, the people around me, but most of my material is autobiographical.

Reviews

[Danita Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read. I gave it a 4.5. with that said, I was very disappointed with Anette and her actions. At her age, she should was still clueless about life. When you assume things about life and people, you make an ass out of you and me as the saying goes. But, hopefully, you live and you learn from mistakes, and hopefully, it makes you better in the outcome. karma, as they say, is a b**ch and Jade as Anette said if she doesn't change her ways, bad karma would always be a part of her life. on to the next and installment of this series. P. S. I wish I had the first edition cover eventhoug the second edition is cute.

[Suzanneparistina Johnsonkim · Rating 4 out of 5]

~Annette is so DUMB sometimes and so is her BFF, Rhoda, but I love the series^^~

[Bookish_B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had I known this series would only get worse after the first book, I wouldn't have started it. Now that I have two books left I'm only going to continue the series because of my obsession to finish. Annette is still annoying. Instead of acting her age and asking her husband why he doesn't want to touch her she decides to have a affair. Annette always makes the wrong decisions, I'm not sure if her character could ever be redeamable by me. I honestly don't think Pee-Wee should stay, she doesn't deserve him.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just because family and friends can't see your secrets....God ain't blind...He sees everything!!!!!!!!!!!



BFFs Annette Davis and Rhoda O'Toole are back. In God Ain't Blind, Annette and Pee Wee have drifted apart, sexually. Annette loves her husband and wants to bring the fire back into their bedroom. She transform into a new woman; weight loss, beauty makeover and a new wadrobe. Everyone notices the new change in Annette, except Pee Wee. When Pee Wee begins to spend less time at home, Annette concludes he is having an affair.

Handome Louis Baines moves to Richland, Ohio to help is ailing uncle and his restaurant. After his uncle death, Louis remains in Richland and thrives to become a successful caterer. One day for lunch, Annette walks into his restaurant and he immediately shows interest in her. Feeling unwanted and unloved, Annette falls for his charms and an affair commences. Jeopardizing her marriage and career, Annette is unaware of Louis actual intentions until it is too late. Once the truth is revealed, she may not be able to save her marriage or her carrer.

Great story line, characterization....a gripping story of love, trust and communication.

[Avryana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m stuck between a 3.5 and 4 star rating for this book. Annette must seriously be mentally, spiritually, and emotionally challenged. And to think, she’s middle aged and a supervisor at the collections company in this book. How can you really sit up here and play victim to the circumstances that you created? Make it make sense.🤨 Anyways, her insecurities have continued to intensify since her childhood. As a result of this, rather than doing the inner work of healing, she continued to project this negativity outward.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree either because, look at how Jade and Rhoda conduct themselves. Jade needs some serious rehabilitation and spiritual grounding in her life or something because whew, “too much” is an understatement to describe her. She just gets worse and worse and more delusional (in a bad way). And honestly, what does this say about Rhoda as a mother and how she raised and continued to parent Jade? It seems like she was and is more busy with her side piece than seeing how Jade’s steadily progressive red flags slipped under the cracks from her birth to her young adulthood era. Another thing: Otis needs to out his foot down or something because, between him and Rhoda, they’re settling at this point and it perturbs me, real bad!

I’m hoping that all of these characters mature a little bit more in the next book. It’s like the blind leading the blind at this point.

[African Americans on the Move Book Club · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely love Mary Monroe but it is not a secret to say that this book fell off the radar completely. Let's take a look at the series. God Don't Like Ugly, God still don't like Ugly, and God don't Play. ALL great reads and I absolutely love the thriller ride. However I am so confused by this book. Annette is back and for the first three installments she had been considered ugly and fat, and dark. Even though she found love in a child hood friend the fact was she looked a certain way. It was interesting that I felt I read a totally different character this time. No mention of her lack of looks instead it made it seem like she was a banger in the looks department. My point it the book lacked balance and a point. I am sorry to say that I pretty much guessed what was gonna happen. O many parts in the book got boring, and I wanted to put it down a few times. However, I felt Monroe's writing was different this time like she wrote differently or if it wasn't her. I felt disconnected to this book because the writing was way worse than the others and the bad language was sometimes unneeded. The book lacked a good ending as well to me. So I am guessing there is a next part to the series. I was just disappointed with this one. It kind of messed up the series to me.

Tamika Newhouse
AAMBC Reviewer

[Tk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok, Also the rhythm was off she used profanity like it was going out of style, I know certain circles dont have an extensive vocabulary, but somehow it seemed over used and out of place. it could have went a few diff ways for me, especially the ending, I didn't like how it ended but she can't win em all. Nothing will ever touch God Don't like Ugly

[Angie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean...for real, how dumb can a person be? But then, low self esteem can do that to a person! Smh

[Akasha Shakti Lotus · Rating 3 out of 5]

How is possible that every character in this book is unlikable? LoL Annette and Rhoda are as dumb as can possibly be; the daughters; the husbands; the lovers--every one of them had me livid and cussing the entire book! 😤😠🤬

Not saying it wasn't an entertaining read. But I've never been more irritated by fictional characters. I also grew tired of Jade being the focus throughout the WHOLE DAMN BOOK. Annette has more important matters to focus on, but she allows herself to be bullied by this girl and almost seems obsessed with her. Jade is given way too much power and too many pages. Annette needs to KNOCK HER TEETH IN, and be done with it already! 🤜🏾🦷

I could go deeper, but so many of these reviews can ruin the experience before you've even turned the first page. Open the book, and enjoy the messy ride that is 'God Ain't Blind'.

[janekareadss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed catching up on Annette, Pee Wee & Rhoda 😊
On to book #5 in the series 😅

[Gw · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book at all. I guess the older I get, my tastes have changed a lot! I wanted to read the last box of books that I have but I don't think I will be able to. When I was purchasing all of these books I was so much younger. I stopped reading on a regular basis. I hate to waste books, but some books are truly garbage so I guess I shouldn't feel bad throwing those that are in the trash.
I read the first few of this series many years ago. I remember I enjoyed the series, especially the first one. After reading this one I have to wonder if I would have read the first one recently, would I have bothered with the rest. Of course I had this bad habit of buying an entire series of books before reading one or after reading only one.
I won't do that again.
I made it to chapter 23, then I just skipped ahead to find what cancer Annette's husband had (I knew it was cancer before I even go that far) and to read about his reaction to her infidelity. The entire book was stupid.
How dumb can a woman be? Annette is "flattered" by this man she doesn't know telling her, in a restaurant at that, how he wants to F her and lick her P?! That's disrespectful not flattering. She is married on top of that! She begins to spend HER money on this guy? She is married, claiming to still love her husband yet falling for this other guy? Why do women have to be portrayed so pathetically? When I thought about it I realize Annette has been pretty pathetic through the entire series. What about Jade? Why is she even in the story?!! The parts thrown in about her were so pointless. It had nothing to do with the story. Monroe is struggling with Rhoda's character relevance. The series should have ended after the first one probably but definitely after the second one.
I think I have the last one "God Ain't Through Yet" I doubt I can read it. He may not be through but Monroe needs to be, through with this series. I went to her website and read about her other titles that I have come out since I purchased this book and wow all of those sound stupid. I guess I have changed. I can't imagine who would want to read any of that crap.
I went and bought 3 new books because I just can not bring myself to read anything in my box. I am not saying I never will, since I bought the books. It is going to have be at the same time I am reading something worthwhile, or at least right after.
I bought Gone Girl, and Beloved. I pray these books will be much much better. I am guilty of buying another book that may disappoint me, but I own 2 of the series and neither were the first book. I gotta at least start with the first of any series I read.
I'll get it, read it and post on it later.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FROM JACKET)Annette Goode Davis is a survivor, and while life's obstacles have often knocked her down, she's never let them keep her there for long. To Annette, life is all about family and old friends like Rhoda O'Toole. And right now, Annette needs all the friends she can get...because her marriage is in big trouble, and she has no idea why...

Lately, her husband Pee Wee barely has the time of day for Annette and she suspects he may have fallen for another woman. Desperate to regain his affections, Annette goes on a crash diet, gets a total makeover, and looks hotter than she has for a long, long time. Everyone notices-everyone except Pee Wee.

Annette is ripe for the picking when she meets Louis Baines, a handsome young caterer who showers her with attention. Soon, Annette is embroiled in a full blown affair and spending money on Louis like there's no tomorrow. But when Annette learns a terrible secret about her new lover, she realizes she's in way over her head. Her life crumpling down around her, Annette turns to the only person she knows she can trust: Rhoda.

With Rhoda by her side, Annette's determined to find a way out of this mess. But when the truth finally comes out, Annette must face the fact that she may have destroyed the life she loved-and this time, not even Rhoda can help her make things right...

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like I said before, Mary Monroe has good intentions. I think her ability to put an engaging plot together is amazing. While reading this book, I truly did have trouble putting it down because I wanted to find out what was going to happen next.

Her problem is the characters. Her characters are about as flat and one-dimensional as a sheet of paper. In previous books, I certainly at least liked Annette more than this one. This was a completely different Annette than what I am used to. This Annette cursed like a sailor and somehow had let losing weight inflate her ego. She had learned NOTHING from her previous drama except how to hate Jade, and somehow was manipulated AGAIN and got involved in more drama. But she provided about as much depth as the book could offer in a character.

I grow tired of hearing about Rhoda and her striking good looks and long hair. Despite all that Rhoda is supposed to represent, I still don't really feel like I know her.

I really believe that Mary Monroe could be a great writer if she would put more effort into creating characters with some depth to them. Not predictable flat characters like she continues to use.

However, I could give the book three stars based on the plot alone.

[Adrian Major Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this installment in Mary's 'God' series. This one started out a little slow for me but in the end I was fully sucked in by the drama and the twists. Without spoiling the book for anybody I will say that I was very surprised by the turnout of the story behind what was really going on with Pee Wee, as well as Louis Barnes' true motives. In the end I was conflicted between feeling sorry for Annette and thinking that she made her bed and that she deserved some of what happened.

I didn't get why the Jade storyline was so dramatic. Mind you I read 'God don't play.' so I know exactly what went on between her and Jade. I just found that it was way over played in this book. People acted like Jade tried to kill her or something.

All in all I would recommend this book to people who are familiar with the series already. I wouldn't jump right into this one to begin though.

:) Ama

[S. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled to get through this book. I'm new to Mary Monroe and this is book three in the series. I haven't read the others, (this one was recommended by a friend) so my lack of knowledge of the characters background may have something to do with my dislike. Regardless, I found the book to be disjointed and lacking in, well, everything! lol

I wanted to like this book but all of the characters seemed empty and self-absorbed. I had to shelve the book several times while reading and move on to other books to keep from giving up on it completely. I wouldn't recommend this book at all.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a freebie, so of course I downloaded it for my Kindle. I deleted it after barely going through it - if you enjoy low-class trashy people, poor writing skills, and really want to waste your time then by all means give this book a shot. I just wish I could permanently delete it from my account, as now Amazon is using it to profile me to make recommendations of other crappy novels. Just goes to prove just about anyone can be a published author!

[Tashonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a long time to get through this book. I’ve read all of Monroe’s God series books in order and this is probably the worst one I’ve read. I enjoyed the story line and I always enjoy learning how the characters are navigating through life but there is so much dialogue in the novel that it loses depth. Character development is poor. I would have loved to see more characters and their stories displayed in the novel.

[Pat Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

God Ain't Blind

I thought I lost respect fo Anette in the previous book, but this one sunk her to a lower level. What's the deal with her and PeeWee that they can't communicate? Regardless, it was no reason for Anette to have an affair. She is such a pushover. So naive. So blind. Her relationship with Rhoda is becoming sickening. Rhoda is miserable and manipulative. And she wants company in her misery. Some things need to stay within the bounds of marriage.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok read but I wish all books weren’t the same

In this book the one thing that totally got in my nerves to the point I just had to put this book down often I’d that damn Jada!! There’s no way someone’s grown tale daughter should take up so much time and pages of a book! This was just making me sick of reading the book. Maybe other readers will find this appealing but it just didn’t do it for me.

[Kecia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this for book group...and the only reason I finished it was because I wanted to see how this mess would end. This is the second Mary Monroe novel I've read and the second time I've wondered whether she has an editor and, if so, whether he/she has read anything since high school. And this is the second time I'll add the disclaimer that I don't generally read mainstream fiction...

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the worst Mary Monroe book I've picked up so far. If you're reading the "God" series, do yourself a favor and stop after #2.

I'd always liked Annette and her sense of values, however she's a completely different person in this book; after 1000 or so pages, there's too little explanation for such a drastic character change. Thumbs down.

[April · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like it. The story was blah the ending was blah. I wouldn't reccomend it.

[Dorel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This 4th book's story line was boring. From the way God Don't Play ended I don't understand how Annette started having an affair. I'm sorry but this book didn't connect with me & was boring.

[Ta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lost her weight and lost her mind.

[Deedee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting trashy. Series needs to end.

[Yvonne Gorajec · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have found each book in this series to be more annoying than the last one. Perhaps I’m being nit picky, but for an author I previously genuinely enjoyed, Ms. Mary is not doing it for me. I’ve always believed she was a better story teller than an author, but at this point, even her story telling is lack luster.

I’d like to point out a couple things Mary often does that add no literary value, and actually make the characters sound rather stupid and frankly, strange. First, everything has such an EXTREME reaction. For example, Annette will say something like, “I slammed the phone down so hard, my hand was numb for five minutes,” or, “I laughed so hard, I almost fainted,” and each time she says it, I’m just left wondering… what? And why? The exaggeration of doing something “so hard” (the same phrase she uses over and over), is just repetitive and overused.

She also uses the phrase, “she mouthed” or “I mouthed,” often. By definition, to mouth something is to form words with the lips without making any sound. In some circumstances, sure, a person can mouth words if they’re trying to say something without others hearing, but to mouth words on the phone is silly. Alternately, to mouth could mean “mouthing back” but Mary often uses the phrase when someone is feeling sad, embarrassed, defeated, etc. and would likely not be sassing back to the other party. Again, I recognize that paying attention to these details is nit picky, but the repetition and predictably in the writing is like a broken record.

One line in this book made me laugh out loud. Annette is talking about her husband going fishing and coming home, smelling like fish. She says something along the lines of, “Fish and pussy smell so similar, I couldn’t tell which he smelled like.” My jaw DROPPED and I couldn’t help but laugh because again… What?! Why?!

Lastly, Annette makes a comment about how men will pay attention to women who “don’t deserve it” and then follows up to describe the females who “don’t deserve” attention as large, plus sized women. I don’t know if that was Mary’s attempt at making Annette sound shallow, but it did not land well.

Ultimately, Annette’s stupidity and unwillingness to just ask questions and communicate rather than assume everything is played out and getting old. I’ll finish the series because I’m already over halfway through, but seriously, it’s just annoying at this point.

[Demetrica Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I dnt know what to say... I really dnt like the fact that Annette and Peewee are gong through something that jeopardizes their marriage. They are so good together and they were friends first and they have a darling child! Rhoda shouldn't have been so hell bent on Annette have this affair. I also feel like they made Annette look like a damn fool and fall victim to Louis Baine and his shenanigans. However, I am glad they moved past it. But, I also feel like Peewee should have told Annette what he was going through. She is his wife. When a partner feels less than they usually fall for the person who takes up that void.
The narrator is ok she just doesn't have enough enthusiasm.

[Scented Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so upset with Annette during this book. I just felt like she did poor lil Peewee so dirty and he really didn't deserve it. She and Mona both have really fallen from grace. They grew up to be nothing like the women I thought they would be or wanted them to be. So far they've been their best selves as kids, and that says A LOT. I am really looking forward to the last two books in this series though because I want to see how Annette, Rhoda and Peewee age and end up. I especially want to know if Ottis is ever finds out about Rhoda cheating on him for their ENTIRE marriage with his best friend. FIX IT JESUS.

[Emunah Y'srael · Rating 3 out of 5]

God Ain’t Blind

This is my second introduction to the work of Mary Monroe, I know I am late but that’s the thing about written work you can discover it in your own time. I have found reading fiction as a welcomed break from the heaviness of pouring over slave narratives, like those narratives I am able to see a common thread that runs through both genres.

The narrative is centered around failed communication and a misrepresentation of reality. Monroe proves the ol' adage to be true "misery loves company."  So many lessons can be learned if we as they say in the Caribbean ‘take sleep and mark death.” Monroe weaves a tale of matrimonial infidelity, dysfunctionality and exploitation into a comical and sometimes dramatic experience. Her choice of explicative words sometimes jars the reader because like a deer on a lonely road in the back bush the author comes out of nowhere with them. Watching how adultery unfolds how it becomes the gate way to transgressing so many other laws was a great take away from the story.

It was a good read for the purpose of studying the African American culture, the fall out and after effects of enslavement and to see how much art and life are paralleled.
God Ain't Blind

[Dani Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is truly getting worse and worse. It started out with such promise and then the characters and story lines took a ridiculous turn for the worse. I had to skip a huge portion of the book (because of the insistence of the author for retelling/repeating stories and boring dialogue) and I still don’t feel like I missed anything. That just tells me that the book is full of fluff....predictable fluff at that! I’ll continue the series to see how it ends but I’m not expecting much.