The Trouble with Gabrielle

by Sylvia Hubbard

Alone... Pregnant... And About to be MurderedStruggling and pregnant Gabrielle Payne is on the brink of despair when she discovers the father of her unborn child, the man from a fleeting one-night stand, was none other than the mysteriously wealthy Oliver Farnsworth—now dead and without an heir. Desperate and alone, she reveals her secret, hoping for some assistance from the Farnsworth family.Taken in by Oliver’s seemingly benevolent stepmother, Neema McGee, Gabrielle is introduced to a world of opulence and grandeur, far exceeding anything she has ever known. But behind the luxurious façade of the Farnsworth mansion, lies a web of intrigue, betrayal, and deadly secrets.As Gabrielle delves deeper into the life of the enigmatic Oliver, she unravels startling his untimely death by untraced poison, a disgruntled twin brother living in estrangement, and above all, Neema's insidious plan to eliminate Gabrielle and claim the Farnsworth fortune.Every shadow in the Farnsworth mansion seems to whisper threats, every smile conceals a lie. With the walls closing in, Gabrielle must navigate the perilous undercurrents of her newfound existence to protect herself and her unborn child. But when her only allies could be her deadliest enemies, where is a woman to turn?"The Trouble With Gabrielle" is a gripping tale of suspense and survival, perfect for fans of heart-stopping thrillers and chilling mysteries. Unearth the secrets of the Farnsworth family and join Gabrielle in her fight against the sinister forces that threaten her existence.

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2021

About the author

With twist and turns, Sylvia will make your eyes dance and your mind shudder as you read her short stories. Find out all about this fantastic author of mystery/romance & sensual/noir.
Sylvia Hubbard, single mother of three is from Detroit, Michigan. Dreams of Reality was her first novel, and since then have published over 60 books available wherever books are sold

AUTHOR, MOTHER, SPEAKER, JOURNALIST, CONSULTANT & MORE!

Founder of Motown Writers Network & The African American Electronic Literary Network & Motown Romance Network, Editor of The Essence of Motown Literary Journal.

Owner of HubBooks Literary Service and Co-Founder of Essence of Motown Writers Alliance Literary Conference

Moderator of Detroit Writers Galore & Lulu’s Romance Writers

Board Member of National Association of Black Writers, Michigan Black

Independent Publishers

Present and Past Member of Great Lakes Booksellers Assc, National Association of Black Journalist-Detroit, Sisters In Crime, Black Writers Association, Romance Writers of America, World Romance Writers, Erotic Author’s Association, Real Sister Writers & Essentially Woman Literary Group, & Great Lakes Publishers Assc., Authors Supporting Authors (ASA), The Society of Midland Authors, The Michigan Reading Association

ABOUT HER:
Sylvia Hubbard has independently published 4 paperback books and over 10 e-books. Her foundation genre has always been romance, but she has ventured into suspense, erotic, mystery, paranormal and I/R. Always urban and contemporary styled, her writing is enjoyed all over the world by all nationalities. She’s always available for speaking opportunities at bookclubs, conferences, schools, and writing groups. In the upcoming year, she will be featured in several anthologies & will be publishing another paperback and 4 more e-books. She has a degree in Marketing/Management and minored in journalism, broadcasting (Specs Howard), drama, html programming, teaching assistant, customer service specialist, and commercial art.

Voted by Romance Book Cafe as a Favorite Author

Spirit of Detroit Winner for 2005 by Detroit City Council

2006 State of Michigan Governor’s Certificate of Tribute Emerging Minority Business Leader Award

2005 Stone’s Revenge Voted Best African-American Mystery by Mojolist.com

2006 Triumphant SPIRIT Award Winner (acknowledging Legacy of Bessie Mae Downey Rhoades Martin) by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc – Rho Sigma Chapter

2006 EbonyAuthor.com To Look Out For

2007 National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Greater Detroit Chapter’s Top 10 Michigan Business Giving Spirit Award Nominee

2007 Erotic Showdown Author Nominee by Publisher’s Market.

2007 Who’s Who In Black Detroit listing. (2nd Edition)

2007 National Inspiration Role Model Month (November) Literary Leader Award
2007 Powerful Visionary Award by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc – Rho Sigma Chapter

2008 SORMAG.com Readers Choice Award The Best Multi-Cultural Self-Published Author of the Year

2008 Facilitator at Idlewild Dubois Writing Workshop

2008 Detroit Literary Empowerment Community Champion for Motown Writers Network

2008 Distinguish Service Award Recipient from Detroit City Council

2008 NaNoWriMo Winner for Eve’s Deception @ 56992 words

2008 Metro Times The Best of Detroit Recipient – Best Literary Host and Literacy Booster

2009 Black Author Network Community Literary Legend Author

2009 Who’s Who In Black Detroit listing. (3rd Edition)

Reviews

[aleigha marie☆ •leighlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alone... Pregnant... And About to be Murdered

A one night stand with a mysterious man and four months later Gabrielle Payne is in desperate need of money and pregnant. When things are at the worst, she finds out her mysterious man, Oliver Farnsworth, was murdered and very wealthy with no heir to claim the fortune his mother left him. Gabrielle decides to reveal her secret and ask for just “a little help.”
She is taken in by Oliver’s step mother, Neema McGee. The old house of Oliver Farnsworth is larger than any place she’s ever been, but she starts to see things are not what they seem. And she starts to find out several things in the two short weeks that she stays there:
---Oliver Farnsworth was murdered by poison, but his murderer was never found. He has a twin brother, who lives outside of the state and is on the outs with his family.
---The step mother could be greedy and is lying about how happy she is about the Gabrielle’s pregnancy. and lastly….
----The step mother plans to kill her to gain the fortune Oliver Farnsworth left.

WITH NO WHERE ELSE TO TURN, WHAT’S A WOMAN TO DO?

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was gifted to me for an honest review by the author. It starts out with Gabrielle and Oliver meeting up so she can keep him company and get paid to do so! She's doing this to make money to survive as her mother Ingrid is a trip, very self centered and selfish! As this story progresses, 10 years go by and we find Gabrielle has a son Charles. Oliver shows up briefly one night drunk and she ends up pregnant again! As I kept reading so much came out and it was crazy! Enters David who is Oliver's brother and twin along with their step mom and Mina their step sister! This story had so much drama and lots of suspense. Mainly Mina was sick and evil, hell bent on getting what she felt was due her even going as far as committing murder to manipulate and get what she felt she deserved! Mina tried to murder Gabrielle, David and even Ingrid! In the end karma was served up to all the guilty parties. I thought the relationship was weird between Gabrielle and David. In the end all truths came to light. Gabrielle and David decided to get married and David's health was restored thanks to his nephew Charles! I did think some things were a little exaggerated but I guess that's the beauty of fiction. I did find some missing words and some extra words added that weren't needed, hence the 4 Star rating, but overall the ending rendered a HEA! I will explore more of this authors' work!

[aleigha marie☆ •leighlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alone... Pregnant... And About to be Murdered

A one night stand with a mysterious man and four months later Gabrielle Payne is in desperate need of money and pregnant. When things are at the worst, she finds out her mysterious man, Oliver Farnsworth, was murdered and very wealthy with no heir to claim the fortune his mother left him. Gabrielle decides to reveal her secret and ask for just “a little help.”
She is taken in by Oliver’s step mother, Neema McGee. The old house of Oliver Farnsworth is larger than any place she’s ever been, but she starts to see things are not what they seem. And she starts to find out several things in the two short weeks that she stays there:
---Oliver Farnsworth was murdered by poison, but his murderer was never found. He has a twin brother, who lives outside of the state and is on the outs with his family.
---The step mother could be greedy and is lying about how happy she is about the Gabrielle’s pregnancy. and lastly….
----The step mother plans to kill her to gain the fortune Oliver Farnsworth left.

WITH NO WHERE ELSE TO TURN, WHAT’S A WOMAN TO DO?

[Yolanda Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I voluntarily read this ARC in an exchange for a honest review. Gabrielle has been through a lot in her life. Her mother has used her and kicked her out with no money or anywhere to go. She became an escort to make ends meet. Oliver was a client that she had an instant attraction too. Her son Charles was the result of this attraction. Oliver was not involved in Charles life at all. Oliver had a twin David who was ill and need something from Gabrielle. Their chemistry couldn’t be denied and led to a very different relationship. Overall the story had suspense with a few surprises

[L. Spade · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Mild SPoilers*

Gabrielle is an escort that meets a man named Oliver, spends three days with him, and ends up pregnant. Over the next ten years, Oliver sends money to her to take care of their son Charles but he has no interest in being a father. Then he shows up on Gabrielle’s doorstep ten years later and they sleep together, and he again leaves her pregnant but then the financial support stops. When she attempts to track him down we find out that he’s died.

Let me say this book started out odd and just spiraled from there. It was hard to believe that Gabrielle knew so much about Oliver from that first meeting, for us as readers to believe that they’d only met twice. She knew things about him that it takes people sometimes years to learn in relationships. It also seemed unrealistic that he would tell a stranger so much about him from the start.

While reading there were so many inconsistencies, missing words, and misspelled words that it made it hard to get into the book. Not to mention that the flow of the novel would shift every so often, and as a reader, you had to readjust to the way the author was now telling the story. Usually a few missing or misspelled words don’t bother me and I can adjust for what is supposed to be there. However, it became overwhelming.

A majority of the storyline seemed forced. The whole narrative that Gabrielle needed this money so badly from Oliver to take care of this second child just didn’t make sense to me. If she’d worked so hard as she claimed and had a good-paying job, it didn’t make sense for her to be so desperate for him to take on the entirety of the financial responsibility while she was pregnant so she didn’t have to work. While it’s later stated the doctor says she’s a high risk, we as readers don’t know that while she’s desperately trying to locate Oliver so it just seems odd.

Once Gabrielle discovers that Oliver is dead and she makes contact with his family, the story just goes from a bit unbelievable to inconsistent and weird. There’s so much going on and so many plot holes that it was confusing, to say the least. When her relationship with David blossomed it almost felt like that was the only thing she was focused on. Making sure he wanted her the way she wanted him.

I will say the suspense in the book was okay. The culprit at the end was a little of a surprise, and the premise would have been good had it been executed correctly. I wanted to like this book but I ended up being more confused than anything by the lack of consistent facts, and the holes in the storyline. All of which an editor should have been able to catch,

There’s so much more I could talk about from the secrets and lies from David, the way Oliver died, or how Gabrielle just seemed to go along with what was happening but I’d end up typing a book.

This is my first book by this author and I’m not sure if I’ll be reading another one. I’ve never DNFed a book before and I came very close with this one.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings (contains spoilers)

The book was interesting however there were a few things which really bothered me. Once again, this idea of an only soulmate ruined it for me. Basically, in order to justify her attraction and love for David,
somehow Oliver’s character was destroyed and it felt unfair. Yes he wasn’t present and didn’t raise Charles, however I’m sure they met more than twice as she knew far too much about his family and his issues. He clearly cared for her and Charles as he gave her money (no sufficient to be called a good father obviously ), left her protected in his will and asked his brother to protect his son without putting him in danger by naming him the angel’s heart. Therefore to say that he used her is extreme. She never read the letter he left her so we didn’t get any closure as to why he did what he did or if he left a letter for Charles. Given the intrigue in that family and how David was rejected, for all we know he wanted to protect Charles from a racist grandfather and felt the weight of carrying the family legacy until his father’s death at least, explaining why he wasn’t present. He decided to be happy after the last time he saw her, so maybe he was coming back for her and Charles. I didn’t like Gabrielle’s behavior at times either. First of all, the constant use of the term my money was off putting , secondly her need to hide Charles towards the end didn’t make sense and if anything she put him in danger. After Mina tried to kill her, knowing that Charles had a claim on that fortune, she should have made sure he was protected at all times. Also, the company was actually Charles’ so instead of being so bothered about making sure David loved her, she should have secured her son’s inheritance. Very immature behavior. The whole strong independent woman stance was detrimental to her son. As for David, for me his betrayal was worse because he didn’t know her when he decided to use her as a nutrient supplier and then pretended to ask. The gall. Also, I didn’t like how his initial racist outburst was swept under the rug and found the final reveal that he wanted to marry a black woman before unbelievable.
Lastly there were a lot of factual mistakes making the book confusing at times. For instance was it his liver or his kidney the problem? It kept changing. Also if Oliver left everything to her, what did Neema leave for her and how was Mina able to contest the will ?

[Hawkeye K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this story, the characters were interesting and the MC appeared to be a strong independent woman. Gabrielle has had a hard life that has lead her into the line of work that she does which seems to be high end clientele. This is where she meets Oliver who is at a crossroad in his life where his family is concerned. Within 3 days she knows quite a bit of history about him and it seems he left her with a present then quietly supported her for 10 years without ever speaking to her about it. With the financial aid she is able to change the course of her life to a better independence and place her brilliant son in an advance school. The first part of the story moved smoothly until Oliver’s reappearance 10 years later and then his sudden death. We knew his brother David was disinherited because he married a black woman, we also knew he was unable to have children because of a medical condition and now needed a kidney. What threw me off was jaundice eyes, liver/kidney transplant, a 10 year donor, everyone in Oliver’s family trying to give her tea for their own nefarious purposes. There is more but I’ll stop here to not give away the whole plot. As I said the story is good, it’s just there are inconsistences that take away from the story.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book actually started off really well. An escort Gabrielle meets oliver. He enchants her but also leaves her pregnant. She hears nothing from him other than a deposit of money in her account each month. Then 10years later he’s knocking on her door. Again he leaves her pregnant however the money stops. In order to survive she needs to track him down.
This is when she tracks down his family and the bizarre story begins. It did have the makings of a good story but for her to become a feeder. Weird. Not for me I’m afraid.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an arc

[Zsa Zsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabrielle as a young woman found herself in a precarious situation, which led her to making the only choices she felt she could make at the time. Her involvement with a man she has a brief interlude leaves her with a child. Circumstances arise and she finds herself in need of his assistance. Unbeknownst to her he has fallen victim to murder. Finding herself entangled with his family she is immersed in a world of drama, suspense and unexpected romance. I have read books by this author before, which I enjoyed more. Unfortunately, there were inconsistencies in the story that detracted from my overall enjoyment. A more refined edit would have been beneficial.

[Charlene Silvernail · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Trouble with Mina - Psychopath

Wow. OMG, what a book. A must read. Be prepared to be angry, hurt, scared. I thought it was going to be a nice read but the deeper I went into it the more sinister it became. Everything pointed to Neema as the culprit but in later chapters we find out it’s Mina. Mina is pure evil! (SPOILER ALERT) She poisoned Oliver, tried to kill Gabriella, ordered her hired assassin to kill David and Ingrid. Receiving a life sentence was too good for her, they should have executed her on the spot!

[Shannan Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that left me breathless by the time I got to the end of the book. I went through all kinds of emotions by the time I got to the end. I especially loved the relationship between Gabrielle and her son, as well as her strength and determination. This was a fast paced read in my opinion and was very well done. I did not want to put this book down. Thankfully I didn't have to work the next day because it kept me up to well past 2 am.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Shawneice Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Read

Mrs Hubbard has done it again. Another great read with great characters and side characters and a wonderful plot with twists and turns, the drama was on point and keeps the reader intrigued from start to finish. I was unable to stop reading once I started because I just needed to know how things would end not only for Gabrielle, but for David as well. Mine and Ingrid got what they deserved, in my opinion.

[DivasoftheSerengeti_Lioness · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome read! It has everything from last, heartache, loss, drama, mystery and back around to love. This read is a story of wanting to be a part of something and making things right. Along the way, you run in to deceptive and selfish people and you find out who really matters. The dynamics of this book are eye-opening and worth you checking it out. I highly recommend this read to you!!! Pick it up and enjoy.

[carolyn williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six

I purchased six books from you at one time. One series and one single. The black family series was very good .I love the way you write . you kept me going book after book the crazy people in Detroit, the crazy hate between the heart s wow it was a trip then the lawyer that was a black cold blooded crazy. Baby's story was just as good . so I'm following you on Amazon for your next book hopefully soon

[Lisa Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good and a fast read. I was able to read it in about 4 hours because it kept me wanting to learn more about what was happening. Gabrielle's story is crazy to say the least and the fact that she ended up with David made me happy. This book has love and a mystery. I would recommend it to others.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always Satisfied

Always satisfied with the heroines capacity to think themselves out of situations. Not waiting for prince charming because they have
their own issues. She is a survivor that produce the same.

[B.J. Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mysterious!

Upon my initial reading of the story, I did not think it would be anything special. I was pleasantly surprised by this awesome story full of surprises, suspense and action. A very good read.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

Very interesting the little twist and turns. The greediness in people will hurt you in every way possible. Gabby & David 👍🏽

[Kirah P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Trouble with Gabrielle

I enjoyed this book. It kept me on my toes and had me reading nonstop, wondering what would happen next. A good blend of thriller and romance!

[Royalteabookclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED everything! I had a few issues but the story was perfect 🥰 was kind of sad about Oliver that was an amazing set up. But that ending made every okay

[Nikita Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

Sylvia is such an amazing writer. It was hard to put this book down! A wonderful Mother's Day gift to myself. Grab your copy and enjoy!📖📚🍷🍸🍹❤

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it loved it highly recommend it.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book at the beginning it was slow and wasn't much of a page turner after the 2nd or 3rd chapter I literally read it almost in one sitting.

The plot was interesting although certain parts was predictable. The steam level to this was very spicy!!!

Definitely recommend.