Married Men Only

by Octavia Grant

Some women could care less about the ring that adorns a man’s left hand. The women in this book are no different. To them, there is something alluring about having something that you’re not supposed to have. Meet Briette and Sasha. Two women that are in love with men that should be off limits. A flat tire is all took for Briette to fall in love with Troy. A man that she’s proud to call hers. The fact that he’s married is a flaw that she is willing to overlook to maintain her happiness. Sasha has it all. A fun job, her own money, and an insatiable appetite for someone else’s husband. When Big Len crosses her path, she happily disregards his married status. All she cares about is the luxury and money he can provide. Both Briette and Sasha will learn that everything that glitters isn’t gold. Two jaw dropping stories makes one amazing book.

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2019

About the author

Octavia Grant discovered her passion for creative writing in 2002 during her junior year at Georgetown High School in Georgetown, South Carolina. She began writing professionally in 2016 and, two years later, took full ownership of her literary career by becoming an independent author. A bestselling black thriller author and the bestselling author of Cutthroat, Octavia has penned more than 30 novels known for their psychological depth and gripping suspense.
Her work and voice have earned national recognition, including speaking on the Thrilling Tales Author Panel at ESSENCE Fest, Thriller Panelist at National Book Club Conference (NBCC), interview with Narrator iiKane, literary reviewer and film commentator Tamara Walker of Tam Telling Tales, and features in WYB Lifestyle, VoyageJacksonville, Canvas Rebel, and Bold Journey. She has also been honored as one of 160 Black Women in Horror and received multiple accolades for her psychological thriller novella Dear Vicky, including the Black Girls Who Write It’s Lit Award for Best Black Mystery/Suspense, the Audio in Black North Star Award, and the AAMBC Award for Mystery/Thriller Book of the Year.
In addition to these achievements, Octavia has been named Best Thriller/Suspense Horror Author by the Literary Gem Awards and Best Female Author by the Get Caught Up Podcast. Her storytelling continues to push boundaries within the thriller genre, centering bold narratives that captivate, challenge, and resonate with readers worldwide.

Reviews

[Rashawnda · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Listen here sweetheart. Just because you’re only f*cking one nigga don’t mean sh*t if the nigga you’re f*cking ain’t yours.

Octavia, Octavia, Octavia…… Ima keep this review short and sweet by channeling my good sis NeNe Leakes….. 🗣️CLOSE YA LEGS TO MARRIED MEN 😵‍💫🥴

[Jahda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So basically Married Men ain’t shit. Octavia has such a unique mind. I know these are things that can happen but to read it is crazy.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karma at its finest!

Stay away from the married mensssssss lol. Briette & Sasha’s karma came back FULL CIRCLE as they navigated through these affairs like they weren’t hurting nobody! Like this was normal & typical behavior for the average woman! All side chicks need to read this, if this doesn’t change your mentality I don’t know what will! Great read that brought all the drama and shenanigans!

[Sha Sha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Sugar Honey Iced Tea!!! Ayyyeee whenever I would say this people would look at me crazy LOL
Anyways whew chile this was ALOT!
Unfortunately Karma will forever be that bitch! When you just having fun there are consequences 🤷🏽‍♀️

[*Ebony I* · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the Side Chicks

The plot was wild as per usual for Octavia. It was giving proceed at your own risk. Karma and destiny were served quick and hot for the women that chose to entangle with married men.

The writing was mediocre though. The dialogue could have been stronger, but the storyline was engaging none the less.

[Sunflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Briette really played up & settled to be a side b*tch.. loser activity. Sasha, she was greedy just like Coco said. I feel like Sasha's situation definitely could've been avoided. She literally had it all together, she should've left that man alone when he started eating her privacy.

[Angel Sihmai · Rating 4 out of 5]

NEVER a dull moment with Octavia Grant

[Toya Davis-Stokley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Grant you have not let me down yet! These short stories were the damn truth! Whew....
Ladies, when you mess with married men, you gone f**k around and find out some thangs! The karma that was delivered was swift and harsh! They should have known what their destiny would be, playing with fire in that manner! 👀 Just wow!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew!!! This book was heavy! It included two different stories about women who were messed with married men and the terrible karma they received by doing so. One of the stories reminded me of the Tyler Perry movie Temptations. Very good and solid read and kept my attention from start to finish!

[Fatimah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two stories in this book were very good. People should Definitely need to leave married men alone!! It gets you nowhere but heartbroken & alone!!

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though there were some editing issues and the two short stories included were “cautionary” tales, the spice was there.

[Crystal (Melanatedreader) Forte' · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a wild ride

Baby that get back is inevitable in these 2 stories! I wasn’t expecting either ending but whewww chileeee I’m still blown off the second story 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[Demetrius · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all the reason why you should stay away from married people! Omg this book was a lot

[Kswag · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a couple of let downs in my reading this month and knew that if I just took a break and grab an Octavia Grant I will find my joy of reading again. Short reads PACKED with so much hilarious drama. She has yet to disappoint

['The Book Queen' · Rating 4 out of 5]

M&M only

Married men who cheat need to be slapped a few times. And in this story, they were foul as funk!

[Carrie Rembert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shut the front door!!!

These short stories was the truth. Karma ain’t no joke and whn she comes around u better b prepared. 🔥

[Doris Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

What goes around comes around

[Jailai · Rating 4 out of 5]

She got what she deserved for sure ! Play stupid games you win stupid prizes!

[Tamekia · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!

Chileeeee! You never disappoint! It’s a lesson in every book and the lesson in this one was one of the greatest!

[Love BookReviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two short stories about infidelity, greed, and lust. Nothing good comes out of doing wrong.

I enjoyed both stories as both kept me interested and wanting to see what was to come; however, by the end of each, they were predictable.

3.5 ⭐️

[Latiqua Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Octavia writes with a pen of gold. Ion care what no ones says. I truly enjoyed this book and wished it was longer. I really couldn't put it down. Troy was messed up for what he did to Briette but shouldn't have been sleeping with a marry man . She should have listened to Rodney, Cylde, and her mom instead of being hardheaded. Now Sasha's story took the cake. I had a feeling Lennox had HIV/AIDS because Phil said he didnt have a condom when she asked him to spend the night and he tried to warn her against sleeping with Lennox. She should have listened to CoCo and Phil but nope. She wanted to get back at Phil and chase that mighty dollar and got more than she bargained for. I just knew Lennox was gay after their first sexual encounter and Narobi confirmed what I knew. I feel bad for Sasha because not only did she get sick behind Lennox, she lost the man that truly loved her.

[Gemini Rule · Rating 5 out of 5]

2 Good short stories

Briette a Microsoft programmer who also had a best friend and sometimes lesbian lover from college messed with a married man ( a truck driver) only to be caught in his home by the wife and they pressed trumped up charges on her for rape and assault on a pregnant woman. 10 years in jail. She also lost her best friend a chef thinking she was jealous of her and the cheating husband relationship. Sasha a stripper messed with a married man and disregarded her best friend Coco and the mans wife Narobi advice to leave him alone and contracted AIDs. The guys bouncer was who she loved but he wouldn’t commit to her. The AIDS victim shot the bouncer cause he was about to tell Sasha about the AIDS.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but idk. It just didn’t hit the way the other books I’ve read by Octavia Grant hit.

There are two stories being told by a third-party in a restaurant to a patron. Even though there’s technically a narrator, when you read Briette and Sasha’s stories, they’re told in first-person POV. And since I’ve read a few of Octavia Grants’s books before, I was anticipating something off the wall to happen. I just didn’t know what it was going to be in either story.

BRIETTE’S STORY:
For Briette, delulu wasn’t the solulu. She was really in love with Troy and didn’t want to listen to anyone in her circle when they told her he’s only using her.

Briette also has a friend named Rodney who she is also in love with. They hook up occasionally but have a falling out because of some shitty things that Briette said. I really wanted to believe that Briette and Rodney were going to make up and run off into the sunset together. I should’ve known better though. This is an Octavia Grant book. Something fucked up gotta happen in the end lol.

When Briette told Troy she was going to stop by his house, I already knew his wife was going to pop up because that’s how these kind of stories usually go. What I didn’t know was that the story wasn’t going to end there. When I tell you I wasn’t expecting the ending to be what it was, I mean that shit. I was flabbergasted lol.

SASHA’S STORY:
Sasha was all about the money and didn’t care how she got it. She was in a situationship with Phil but since he didn’t want to progress things with her, she moved on to Big Len. Big Len had no problem tricking off on Sasha, and they eventually started a relationship (or as much of a relationship it could be given that Big Len was married).

When Big Len and Sasha were fucking, I was feeling like Octavia Grant might be hinting that Big Len was a top. His dick game and head were trash, but he could eat ass and fuck it like a pro. Now, I thought that was the fucked up part because not only was Big Len cheating on his wife, he was also DL. Like 🥷🏾 just live in your truth, ya know? But things got a little more fucked up from there. I won’t give it all away but know that Coco (Sasha’s bestie) was very much right about Big Len.

[alissa a ᖭིᖫྀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

❞People need to know and understand that when you touch something that’s not yours, sometimes you get more than what you bargained for.︎ ❞

𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: this book, Married Men Only by Octivia Grant, was absolutely CRAZY! it honestly, felt so good to read one of her books again, her books never disappoints 😭😭 EVER..the major lesson i got from this rollercoaster? married men are off-limits, period. the audacity and drama surrounding these forbidden relationships was beyond belief. in my opinion, pursuing a married man is a massive sin—they are simply not ours to touch or take from anyone. what makes a married man so special that it’s worth the risk of breaking up a home, even an unhappy one? nothing!! home-wrecking is a serious violation. we follow two main female characters, and i can’t lie, i was screaming at my kindle throughout their stories. both of them were receiving clear warnings from their loved ones to step away from the men, and yet, they straight up ignored the advice—but honestly? they both got what they deserved for the chaos they created. however, i have to give a special mention to sasha—her storyline was truly insane and the most shocking. my heart KINDA went out to her, and i bet she’s learned her lesson about messing with someone else’s husband for good.

[Deenyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how Karma and Destiny have their own voice in the story, and talking as if its “tea” time😭

BRIETTE’S STORY
Briette ass is sooooo damn CRAZY!!! There is no way she pushed away her family, and bestfriend/lover for a married man who CONSISTENTLY showed her that she will never be anything more to him but a fu*k. He never met with her in the daytime, he had an excuse to leave every-time, and yet she still ignored every red flag. Now her ass is facing multiple counts of prison time, AND she has no one 😭 and even STILL her ass woke up looking for Troy💀 Girlllllll that man is GONE!! 😭🤣

SASHA’S STORY
Sasha: A stripper who is well off, but wants more than she can handle. Her friend Coco who is a stripper to reach her goals, warns her about eyeing Lennox Russell; The walking Red Flag 🚩
“My mamma always said the best way to get over a man was to get under another one, and that’s exactly what I was going to do.” Sasha ass is playing with fire… all because she is mad at Phil; The bodyguard at the strip club who doesn’t want to cuff her officially. Wow!!! 🤯 Lennox is a low down dirty dog…

What I learned: In the words of my girl Diamond “Make the money, DONT LET THE MONEY MAKE YOU!!!!! KNOW YOUR WORTH!!!!!! LEAVE THAT MARRIED MAN ALONE LMAO 🤣🤣🤣🤣
3.5⭐️

[Lourdes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen if you are a women we all know that you should never mess with a married man no matter what. Karma will always come back to bite you in the behind for your transgressions.This follows two different women who think they are the exception to the rule. They think they can mess with a married man and still have a dream of a life. Everything that is done in the dark will come to the light and baby the light is bright. Per usual Octavia is giving you a story with some wicked turns and twist that will make you curse out the characters for their stupidity but also leave York mouth hanging open at the disbelief of what takes place.

[Pat Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard Lessons

The lessons learned in these two stories came straight from the school of hard knocks. And the devastating consequences that followed were harsher than the crime, almost. It didn't go unnoticed that the cheating spouses lived to see another day, so to speak, while their lovers paid the price. This book was rather chilling, to say the least, and if I dared to think of getting with a married man, this would be enough to make me rethink that scenario. I only rated 4 stars due to the editing issues and the overly explicit detail, which I had to skip through.

[Eros Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Octavia Grant has done it again.
“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes” was the only quote going through my head while reading this.

This is fast paced, messy & engaging.
The circumstances of the storyline were wild but borderline realistic. OG will always give us a spin with jaw-dropping relatability. By the end of each story you will be sitting with what you’ve read for a while.

If you are looking for a novella that is packed with chaos then this is the book for you. I’ve read 5 or so books from her catalog. This one isn’t in my top 3 but it’s worth the effortless read.

[DeAnna Royster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was NOTHING but the truth so help me God!!!

This book was totally awesome because I’ve in a place where my husband was cheating on me and his side chick thought it was cute or ok to sleep with a married man and sometimes they felt it was their place to let me know they were sleeping with my husband I SERIOUSLY appreciate it this book PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come out with a part 2

[Blkvelvet · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMGoodness!

I was a little bummed when Briette’s story ended so quickly and Sasha’s begin, but baby…. Sasha’s story made Briette’s story seem boring.

Mz. Grant the way you spun Sasha’s story, you should be dubbed the “SpinMaster”. You lead the reader down one path then BOOM, your spun us in another direction. The ending…definitely didn’t see that coming…..AWESOME!!!

Great Job! You NEVER DISSAPOINT!!! Keep Em’ Coming!!!

BV11