Thuggz Valentine

by Wahida Clark

When death is inevitable, all that’s left is to decide how you want to go.

Ebony and Bless are under a death sentence.

Two lovers who have never known the easy road . . . With the end of their lives looming, will they choose to go out in a blaze of glory? High on love and the promise of one last fiery adventure, this modern-day Bonnie and Clyde are taking everything they can and bringing the city’s cops down with them.

As time goes back hour by hour on their last Valentine’s Day through this wild ride, the two lovers find out that there’s no avoiding destiny. Ebony and Bless will find out that in the end, it’s not about winning. It’s about love—and embracing the moment, no matter the outcome, hand in hand until the end.

I doomed this ghetto love from the beginning, and it’s not a match made in heaven—but it’s definitely worth the trip to hell.

If you love African American urban fiction, street lit, bad-boy novels, ride-or-die romances, and thug love romance like Queen and Slim and Natural-Born Killers with lovers on the run, you won’t be able to put Thuggz Valentine down!

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158 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2015

About the author

Wahida Clark was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey. She decided to start writing fiction while incarcerated at a women's federal camp in Lexington, KY. Her style is street, raw, and she has an imagination that's in overdrive. When you read her novels they are so real you are convinced of one of three things: that you are inside the book, you know the characters, or you just have to meet them.
Her first novel, Thugs And The Women Who Love Them and the sequel, Every Thug Needs A Lady appeared on the Essence Best Sellers List.

Reviews

[Barbara]

“Thuggz Valentine” is the first Street Lit aka Urban Lit book I’ve read. It’s raw and disturbing. I decided to read a novel by Wahida Clark after asking a care-worker who cares for my father-in-law. I asked her what sort of novels she reads, being a book-crazed-person, and she said she enjoys Urban Lit. I never heard of this genre and decided to give it a go. She told me Wahida Clark is THE author of the genre. This particular novel is the first Urban Lit novel written in reverse: the story begins at the timing end. I’m not a fan of this device so I most likely should have gotten one of her other novels.

This is a story of Ebony and Bliss and their wild day together, a February 14th, day. It’s marketed as a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, with which I conquer. It’s a wild shoot ‘em up story that takes out good and bad guys. Author Clark also provides back-stories to Ebony and Bliss, and their early lives will break you heart.

At any rate, I don’t know how to rate this one since it’s the first one I’ve read in the genre. I found it fascinating. There is much street language, which includes profanity. Usually I’m not a fan of reading loads of profanity, but since it was in street form, I found it less offensive. Weird, but true. Plus, I enjoyed the reading group discussion questions at the end. Since I intend to try another novel in the genre, I’ll say I recommend it to those who are interested in new genre to give a try.

[Tia]

I knew what the shocker would be. It makes this tragic story more tragic. My heart breaks for both Bless and Ebony. Kids shouldn't have to grow up in such despair, but this is the reality many live in. I love how the story was written backwards with time stamps and how the descriptions of characters are to the likeness of celebrities. Yes, this story is over-the-top but, like I stated in my updates, it is definitely a story to be read. It's a fast paced page turner.

Vigilante behavior
Death by sex (Aids)
Revenge
Foster Care (lack of care)
Aids epidemic
Lost Kids
Sex trafficking
Pedaphiles
Unprotected sex everywhere

[ladyj]

Wow

This was actually great book...I been a fan of wahida since the thugs and the women who love them series. And I most say SHE DID THAT with this book....first off I've never read a book backwards before...which I didn't think I was gone like but this book was amazing....toward the end of the book I put two and two together I realized what was going on. So between that and the fact that some parts of the book never got finished is why I gave it 4 stars....book it was a great book and I would definitely recommend this.

[Allison Essence M Edwards]

Amazing

I absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed this book. At times was a little confusing but once I understood how it flowed I loved reading it in retrospective format. Kudos for an ingenious idea. Well executed.

[Dione Brown]

This book was great. There is so much to say yet it's diffucult without giving away spoilers. Wahida Clark never disappoints.It has been awhile sunce I've read a book that didn't have 4-5 parts to it. So get this book,press rewind & enjoy.

[Ms_luv2read]

Amazing concept with the story going backwards. The writing was easy to follow and understand. To me there is somewhat of a moral to this story, not to judge others and to count one's blessings.Very good read from start to finish. Very enjoyable.Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

[Laura]

I was challenged getting into this book fully in the beginning because it is poorly edited with sentencesthat don't have spaces...
. between the words
and the trailing dots and sentences
that just randomly stop on the line and continueof the next line. I got used to it eventually but it kind of pissed me off. This may have been intentional but I didn't like that.
The book itself goes backwards from the climax to the beginning in time increments. It's like you could have read it backwards. This was an interesting way to write. In true Wahida Clark fashion it grabbed me and I became more and more involved in the outcome and then I read the last chapter. WOAH! I thought the beginning was the climax...

[Sally Mccargo]

A Good ***** Read

This was a good read . Bless and Ebony had no idea that they were siblings. They had a death sentence from birth since they both had HIV. I wish they could have found out they was brother and sister before what transpired between the two of them. Wahida Clark is a fantastic author. Highly recommend her to anyone looking for a good book to read.

[Cherise Fisher]

Thugz Valentine’s is a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. These characters are over the top!! I also enjoyed how Wahida wrote the story starting at the end of the book and ending with the beginning. A fast paced action packed book!

[Appa Williams]

Loved this book! I recommend it

[Andrial Durant]

Man this book was such a goodread. I like how the story was told in reverse, but to find out that ebony and bless were siblings.....OMG

[Monique Bowdry]

Great Book

I love her books. I’m a fan of her work and I check for new releases and previously released bodies of work I may have missed.

[Jade Johnson]

Definitely was something different, as the story was told backwards.. I really enjoyed it, it keep me wanting to know how it all started..

[Tiffany T. Maxey]

All over the place

This book was hella confusing, but I can't start a book without finishing it, so I kept going. Eventually it started to make sense, but it was all over the place.

[Ursula Lenori]

Even though you was reading this backwards the story still flowed perfectly I just couldn't believe the ending.

[JENNIFER]

I honestly rarely review books, but this was a book from ending to beginning, how could I not review this? Just when Bless and Ebony have both decided to check out on life, they find each other. They find each other and go out with a BANG! This is a Bonnie and Clyde type story for sure, but we get twists and turns and these 2 people are just screwed in the mind. The revolution at the true end of this book is one we see coming though and I feel it was out of place. Maybe should have been dropped sooner so it would fit with the story. It's why I could not give 5 stars. Bless had just left Neecie a Valentine's gift that morning before he left, right? So why did she do what she did at the end? Perhaps overlooked her gift with the big red bow on it by her bed all day? Were we to overlook this error too?

[Ariel Moore]

Amazing from start to finish well with the way the book is written I'll say finish to start lol but this book is amazing.. Wahida brought something different to the table and I loved it. This book will really open your eyes about how thankful you should be and how you shouldn't judge people by how they appear because you don't know their story.. I wont reveal too much out of respect for Wahida but the lives Ebony and Bless had were lives I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy but their lives were what made the book that much better but I give it 5 stars I hope everyone enjoys it =)

[Melissa]

3.5 stars. It was interesting to read from ending to beginning. It put a different spin on things. The plot was standard. But, the main characters were not. They were both HIV+ and, the main female character was not typical. However, there were also things that didn't quite add up. Other than that, a quick fast paced read.

[Carolyn King]

Good Book

Ebony and Bless had hiv and was spreading it to people. I don't think that was right. The way the book was done backwards was different. Bless a nd Ebony are in love and having sex with each other. I guess they didn't know they were brother and sister. We didn't know until the ending/beginning of the story.

[LITerary Queen Latanya Burress]

Omg

This book was so good I couldn't put it down Ms. Clark she did the damn thing with this book. It was twist and turns that I didn't see but oh my rollercoaster ride of great read

[Ashley Washington]

Wow

I can't lie this was a little deep for me.... I enjoyed the turns and twist... I had to take a break from it at times because it became too much and just heartbreaking but hey overall a good read...

[Djuana Lacey]

Explosive

This book is the truth. I couldn't put it down. Wahida Clark is not playing around. I like how the story starts out backwards. The characters were well developed and the other twists were super intense. Great job.

[Kim Coleman]

Dissappointed

Although Ms. Clark is my girl, I really hated reading the end first. What's the point of continuing to read the book when you know what already happened? I really liked the storyline of Bless but I just had to stop after the 3rd chapter. Very disappointed!!!!!!

[Jacqueline O. Allen]

The End To The Beginning

Strangely written but the book was good. I got a little confused while reading because of how the book was written. I would prefer not to read a book this way.

[shekitta]

Go Wahida!!!

This was my first time reading a book that started backwards but it was worth it! Wahida has always been a great writer and this proves it more! I hope she writes a sequel to show what happened to Bless and Ebony. Great job!!

[Kieshaboo Mays]

wow this story was crazy as it come. I understand Bless and ebony was born with HIV and had a hard life but going around affect people is over top. I guess people really do this. read this need tell people get educate and wrap it up. it's real out here

[Sonnquetta Wilkerson]

Wasn't what I thought it would be I could predict the entire book before I read the next page.the book came off as rush to me waste of money

Wouldn't buy compete waste of money I was disappointed book was completely rush it was so predictable so disappointed man

[Augustus Smith]

Interesting...

I never read a book where the story is told backwards.. At first I didn't think it would flow well.. But you did it! You pulled it off flawlessly.. Great read!! Looking forward to reading more of your work.. Good job!!!

[Aisha]

This was the first time I've ever read a book that was written in reverse, it was different but still good.

[Goodread]

this was a good read, hope there a part 2 that will make it a 5 star read