Crimson Footprints lll: The Finale

Crimson Footprints #3

by Shewanda Pugh

Deena's grandmother is dying. Her final wish is for a Hammond-Tanaka reunion. Both sides set out for Aruba, and once there, all hell breaks loose. Then they miss the evacuation order. Threatening floods push Hammonds and Tanakas up, up to the top floor. No secret is safe on the top floor. Even if Tak and Deena do survive, the question is: will their marriage?

Genres: Contemporary

285 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2014

About the author

Shewanda Pugh's a tomboy who's been writing romance since an inappropriate age. While she's been shortlisted for a few awards and snagged a bestsellers list or two, there's nothing she enjoys more than hearing from her readers.

In another life, she earned a BA from Alabama A&M University and an MA in Writing from Nova Southeastern University. Though a hardcore native of Boston, MA, she now lives in Miami, FL, where she sulks in the sunshine, guzzles coffee, and puzzles over her next novel.

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4***

Aaw, the end of this series makes Me want to cry. I loved this author's way of telling a story and this third installment was no different. I felt captivated by her story telling. I was happy, sad, mad, angry, frustrated. So frustrated that at one point I wanted to throw my kindle against my wall. Can I just say that I will miss Tak. He's so perfect. Always understanding, comforting, funny, loving, and just plain hot. I did get frustrated with Deena again in this book. She just seems to prefer her career than her family, home or even husband. This book did focus more on family. Deena didn't work but she was constantly thinking about it. Or coming up with some way to keep secrets from her husband. The one time she finds something out about Tak that was before them it seems like all she wants is to focus on that small lie and then act like their whole marriage is in jeopardy. Yes, it frustrated me to no end but that's just how good the book was.

I didn't give it five stars because the end didn't give me closure to this series. It felt like it was left open for another addition. And there was no epilogue. I turned my kindle page and was left like...okay so what next. What happenes to Deenas mom? What school does Tony go off to? Do Deena and Tak help out her nephews? What hapenes to Lizzie and Kenji? Does Tak's dad retire and leave the company to Deena? And what of Tak's mother? And what about Micheal?? See too many unknowns. Maybe the author wanted us to come up with our own ending. But hey if that were it I'd write my own book. I recommend this series and will be reading more from this author.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deena's grandmother is dying. Her final wish is for a Hammond-Tanaka reunion. Both sides set out for Aruba, and once there, all hell breaks loose.
This book has the drama, secrets and scandals.
Great ending to a great story.
I recommend this series to everyone

[Lakisha Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great end to a true love story! Like all relationships that have to go through the ups and downs, this was very well written!

[LaShanta Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!! Although I could have done without the Mike on the airplane and Carmen piece, I understand why it was needed. A great finale from Shewanda. Kudos, scribe!!

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMG reading this book was like watching that dinner scene in "Why did I get married?" only WAY MORE DRAMA!

So... Deenas grandmother is dying and her final wish is for the family to have a reunion of sorts... the Tanakas and Hammonds all under one super expensive private beach roof. Everyone arrives and from there IT ALL GOES TO HELL!

Writing format was still a little confusing... I fould myself reading lines over and over to see/ clarify what happened but it was managable.

Too many spoilers to hide!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Tak and Deena seem to have recoverd some of their initial passion that was in the first book and damn near absent in the second. Although Deena hasnt lost the attitude she seems to have dialed it back a bit... at least it seems that way at first. Shes still trying to balance being a Mom to her children, a wife to her husband, and a career woman to herself and once more she is flailing in her efforts. For some reason... Deena comes across as very petty in this book, almost as if shes jealous of her own husband (First with her Grandmother at the hospital, then with her son Anthony when her gets into all the schools he applied to... Lighten up lady!).

Can we talk about how much of an asshole Mike is? As much as I disliked him for all the things he did (Demanding John stick up for him while being a complete asshole, letting implications hang in the air for both Tak AND Deena, MOLESTING Deena as she slept, etc) I couldnt really hate him as much as I wanted to.... since it was DEENA who chose to jump to conclusions about the man she loved faster than she could turn on her "BITCH" button. Can I really fault the guy for showing Tak the crack in Deena that was already there and then exploiting it? Ehhh not really. Is it a douche move? Of Course! Should Deena have jumped to conclusions based on almost NOTHING? No, she shouldnt have. Your husband buys a house from an ex from before you two even met and you lose your shit and believe hes cheating, but he finds you holed up in a bathroom with someone you BOTH know is in love with you and you brush past him with ZERO explanation and yet... YOU'RE the victim? Yeah ok.... sure. NOT!

I felt really REALLY bad for Tak for much of the book since he not only had to endure hearing how his wife was practically raped during her drunken nap fest, but knowing that he was right there and had no idea that it had happened. It sucked for him, realizing that he wasnt there to protect her under their roof from someone he should have been able to trust. To top it all off... she decides to not only be FURIOUS about him trying to protect her by not telling her what she wouldnt have remembered anyway, but to throw out their marriage on top of that. Insult to injury.... especially since Tak has only ever been the best thing to happen to Deena in the entire series.

Deena has gotten progressively worse as the series has continued in that for me, she wasnt even a likeable character anymore. You cant be both the aggressor AND the wounded. You cant. For the love of God not EVERYTHING is about YOU. You want to keep your husband? ACT LIKE IT. Trust him, trust in your love, the vows you both said and treat him like a wife treats a husband, not like he's your personal assistant/ sex toy. Dont be a whiney, snotty, "WHY DOES EVERYONE LIKE HIM BETTER???", "I- take- things-how-I-believe-them-to-be-and-not-as-they-are,You-should-understand-my-need-for-secrets- but-how-dare-you-not-share-yours, bitch and then play the victim. Dont push, slap, shove and scream people away and then reach out for them.

DUDE, who knew that the Tanakas had as many secrets as the Hammonds did!?!?!? WTF? Taks Mom (With her sobriety), John (with his divorce and allowing his wife to beleive he cheated when he didnt based on principle. FYI dude, that was dumb. Why let your wife think you cheated on her when you didnt? Cause she had the audacity to think it? Really? Who won in that situation... please... tell me? Dont worry, I'll wait.) The sister and her second pregnancy (the first having been "handled")? The uncle having ANOTHER child with his mistress while his wife is slowly losing her mind over his blatant infidelity (KUDOS DAICHI for making it clear that the Tanakas are NOT to be messed with!).... SO MUCH DRAMA!

And now for the Hammonds! Caroline... glad you finally realized that YOU are a douche. You didnt beg forgiveness for it, but you did own up to it and explain your reasoning behind it no matter how faulty it was. At least SOMEONE was willing to come clean about their faults and their mistakes and how things could have been so different.... instead of playing the victim and being in denial (Im looking at you Deena!). Snaps for you. You made more sense than Deena's emotional roller coaster sporatic behavior. Lizzie, my GOD how you have grown into a fantastic woman. I wish I could have seen more of you and Kenji. I understand your anger towards your grandmother and I dont fault you for it. Thank you for handling Tony's indiscretion since Deena was too busy laying blame. You're a good Aunt and now, a phenominal woman. Tony... Congrats you college bound boy! You, like Lizzie have grown so much! How did you not realize you were in love with Wendy? Dont feel bad for telling your Mom the truth... that she sees what she wants to and chases characters of people, dreams of whom she thinks they are and not who they really are. It was worded harshly, like how a 17 year old boy WOULD word things, but it had to be said. Crystal, you werent imagining things, your boyfriend was in love with his comrade and I think deep down you knew you just didnt want to admit it. Ummm whoa.... you have a secret daughter? WTF? How did you manage to keep that hidden for 22 years? Tyson.... dont feel bad man, I had no idea you wanted Tak either till you tried to kiss him. That being said... HES MARRIED and DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH HIS WIFE (even if she doesnt act like shes deeply in love with him. Leave it to Aunt Caroline to notice what others dont. She shouldnt have outed you (That was rude Caroline! Crass, uncouth, and rude!). It sucks that you died... I was curious to see how you and Crystal were going to work that whole her being your beard thing out. Shame. BTW... HOW DID YOU DIE? Where you hit by falling debris? Did you drown and sustain the skull injury postmortum? You screamed before you died as if you saw whatever it was that was coming but with the injury desribed i wouldnt think you would have time to scream... WHY WASNT YOUR DEATH VERY CLEAR!?!?!? Grandma Emma... This whole book is about your last wish, yet, you dont die... you go on a ventilator. I was hoping to see some closure for you and Deena and Lizzie and everyone after everything that happened... (Like a "Soul Food" kind of ending) but... Apparently that wasnt in the cards.

All in all I have to rate this book like I did the others. Not a bad read but I doubt I'll be reading it ever again.... once is enough for me.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

So disappointed

The series finished with Deena still being selfish, emotionally unavailable and judgmental with Tak being almost doormat like. Ambition is one thing but she basically only seems to care about her job. She’s lying to Tak and keeping secrets about serious issues yet she’s offended because of who they bought the house from or how Tak didn’t tell her about Mike. After almost 15 years she still thinks that she doesn’t need anybody and that she achieved everything on her own. As if, even if she’s talented, being Mrs Tanaka didn’t help or having Tak and his flexible schedule didn’t facilitate raising her kids. She wanted Tony as an idea but didn’t really invested the time to really nurture him. She got upset when Tony told her that he wasn’t his father but he was right. Even Lizzie got the scam Lila was going for while she accused him straight away. She had this superiority complex with her family which was grating. Yes they treated her horribly when she was young so she should have either cut ties completely or made the effort to know them. As for Tak I understand love but in his case it was tooo much. She basically abused him emotionally and he never put his foot down. He was expected to deal with all her family drama, and there was a lot, and smile through it all. The situation with her mother really took the cake. Grandma Emma asked for the trip but there was no interactions with her nor with Lizzie. The whole thing with Mike finding an illegal immigrant on the flight out and her basically becoming his crutch then maybe his love interest was so out of left field it made no sense. Mike obviously has deep seated issues. It would have made more sense for him to go home or somewhere else in the States and seek professional help.

[Shanta Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Finale

The Finale was everything and more that a finale should be. Grandma Emma got exactly what was needed. To see both sides of the family together. The life experiences that are in this book will definitely have you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Family, fun, truths and secrets are revealed which has the families looking at one another in disdain. But through it all, love prevails.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Romance Novels in Color · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family. A Dangerous Storm. And lots of secrets. A perfect recipe for disaster.

Crimson Footprints III: The Finale is the final in a wonderful, page-turning trilogy! It continues the story of the Tanaka and Hammond family. Takumi and Deena Tanaka are given the task of gathering both families together for a family reunion, at the request of her dying grandmother, Grandma Emma.

The story takes place years after part II. Dee and Tak are the proud parents of three children: Tony, Mia, and Noah. They, along with their colorful family, arrive in Aruba for Christmas and things soon go from uncomfortable to nightmarish.

We are introduced to new characters and become reacquainted with old ones. At the center are Tak and Deena. What can I say about Takena (as I took to calling them)? Tak is the knight in shining, loving armor. I truly enjoyed getting into his head again. The love he has for Deena kept me turning the pages and their chemistry is OFF THE CHART!

I found myself unable to stop reading and wishing this wasn’t the finale because I can definitely see tons of story left. I enjoyed getting to know Tony, Tak and Deena’s oldest son again. I loved how Ms. Pugh gave him a little story which cultivated in his getting accepted to all the schools of his choice, further proving that children can rise above their circumstances to become phenomenal and talented individuals.

This story moved fast, and one thing I wished was that I was able to learn more about the fates of the Tanaka and Hammond family. It seems as though the author left certain things open, which gives the reader hope that this isn’t really the end.

“I think… that when people upset us, really upset us, the person we’re most angry with is our self. For not seeing, being smarter, or anticipating some flaw or eventuality.” One thing I’ve noticed when reading Ms. Pugh’s work is her wonderful ability to drop deep insight, forcing me to look inward. The beautiful prose and vivid imagery transported me right on the island, inside the palatial estate.

As with both books before this, I was given a hard look at what secrets can do to a family. Redemption is the ultimate goal, though. This book didn’t disappoint, giving me drama, suspense, peril, and unwavering love and acceptance. I found myself holding my breath at times and ended up being pleasantly surprised at other times.

I did, however, find myself being so angry with Deena I wanted to throw my ereader across the room. But, in the end, she seemed to come full circle. I also wish I’d been able to read more about Kenji and Lizzie. Nonetheless, Crimson Footprints III: The Finale was great from beginning to end. There’s definitely something to be said about getting to happy and staying there. A lot of times we’re invested in the journey to the happily-ever-after, but very rarely are we treated to seeing what it takes to stay happy forever.

Great job!

-Reviewed by Leslie

[Leona Romich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family Reunion

Rating: 4 stars

Crimson Footprints III by Shewanda Pugh is the final installment to the series with the beloved characters Deena and Tak Tanaka. Deena’s grandmother is dying and her wish is to be with those she loves: her family. Deena’s side (The Hammonds) and Tak’s side (The Tanakas) all under one roof is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Although Deena is apprehensive about the thought of spending time with her family, they make arrangements for both sides to vacation in Aruba. What is meant for a family to come together as one turns out to be a nightmare in more ways than one.

Aruba, a place that is normally a beautiful Caribbean vacation spot and where it hardly rains, comes under a torrential storm. With an immediate evacuation is in effect for those there, this family misses the memo. As the storm rages on, inside the beautiful mansion that the Tanakas and Hammonds are enclosed, secrets are exposed, hearts are broken and a different kind of storm rages under this roof. Lives will be forever changed after this vacation, for those of them that survive the outside storm.

Crimson Footprints III by Shewanda Pugh was a very good read. If you haven’t followed the series…the first book introduces you to Tak and Deena. So begins their love affair and the background of both of their families. The good and the bad. The second, delves into Deena and Tak’s siblings. With the one character readers seem to hate in the first book, readers come to love in the second. With the 3rd and final installment of the series both sides of this couples' families come together. This is a novel charged with emotions. The actual hurricane that is about to hit can be used as a different connotation within the story. The storm represents the lies and secrets that are brewing. When it hits…all hell breaks loose and the hurricane rages out of control like the emotions of the characters. My only issue with this novel is that there were too many characters that had a part within the story that needed to be addressed. Although Ms. Pugh addresses each one individually it could have been narrowed down to the immediate characters within the previous two novels. Other than that ‘The Finale’ was a very good read. Ms. Pugh is an excellent writer who writes with a lyrical style that is poetic. She immediately draws the reader into the story and builds up to a climatic ending.

Note: I would recommend all 3 novels. Although the first book is a bit slower than the other two, it is beautifully written and with each novel you see the growth of Ms. Pugh and see she is truly talented.



Reviewed by Leona

[Monica White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The culmination of an amazing love story that battles the odds of varying expectations and racism. I've thoroughly enjoyed this series. This finale is an unbelievable stretch and laden with drama. As the storm sets in, it parallels the the emotional fire storm that is brewing. For all that were initially embarrassed by the brazen ideologies and characteristics of the black family, this blasts all stereotypes that are associated with hood life placing everyone on a level playing field. Privilege masks what poverty could not even begin to with time and chance happening to us all.

What I appreciate the most is the great taste this author had on describing scenes of intimacy where a glance or silence is never just that. All urban fiction writers should read and take note. This is how classics are born: Gems of wisdom in the midst of stupidity and insecurity; and exquisite character development. You walk away feeling as if you know these ppl and catch yourself wondering what are they doing now. Most important each story has a climax and conclusion that leaves your curiosity fulfilled.

[John Angelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story of Tak wanting to grant Deena's grandmother Emma's dying wish for a family reunion by taking the Hammonds and Tanakas to their lavish island retreat on Aruba to bring healing, consolation and a closer understanding of both side is your initial prediction for this story. Once the families are together, the plot and subplots cascade into one emotional drama after another of deception, lies, conspiracy, unrequited love interest, intrigue and unforeseen surprises. On top of all of this, Deena is finally confronted about her fatalistic view of marriage and her unwillingness to let go of some of her darker beliefs and face the truth about her personality. Despite how dark this story could have been, Shewanda manages to weave the threads of the various plots together to bring us an excellent ending to this trilogy of Deena and Tak.

[OOSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unexpected

Shewanda Pugh’s “Crimson Footprints III: The Finale” is a continuance of the complicated lives of Tak and Deena Hammond-Tanaka. Tak and Deena have martial problems that have gone unresolved. Deena’s grandmother is terminally ill, which results in a big and unforgettable family reunion.

Good stories are hard to find but excellent efforts are always accomplished with author Shewanda Pugh. This novel is written to perfection for all readers and endorses the amazing talent of Pugh. I look forward to reading more of her novels moving forward!

Reviewed by: Tekisha

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a great story but it left so many unanswered questions and confusion. I feel like there should be another part. The end felt rushed like the author realized she had opened too many doors. Then Lizzie seemed to disappear inn the story. I forgot she was even on the story. You got a huge dose of her story in book two and then nothing real in book three.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay

Reading this book reminded me of reality tv. Full of the mundane events of life with moments of spectacular drama more for a shock. The ending was anti-climatic leaving several loose ends, perhaps this will be another book in the series.

[Lourdes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that reminds you that all families have skeletons in their closet.

[Nine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even have the words. Let me get back to you soon.