Parties, paparazzi, red-carpet catfights and shocking sex tapes—wild child Breanna Parker is always in the spotlight, except where her celebrity parents are concerned. Beautiful and talented in her own right, Bree has used her antics to gain attention from her R & B-diva mother and record-producer father. But now, as her whirlwind marriage to a struggling actor implodes, Bree is ready to live life on her own terms, and the results will take everyone—including Bree—by surprise.
Abandoning her party-girl ways, Bree moves to Rome—where she meets Reuben, a charismatic, compassionate artist. They become partners—in and out of bed—and launch a sexy lingerie line, Naughty, that becomes an international success. But when they return to the U.S., Bree is confronted by a new and devastating scandal. And preserving everything she's worked so hard for will be the biggest challenge she's ever faced….
Rochelle Alers was born in Manhattan, New York, USA, where she raised. She obtained degrees in Sociology and Psychology, before started to work. She is a member of the Iota Theta Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and her interests include gourmet cooking and traveling. She has traveled to countries in North, Central and South America, and Europe. She is also in accomplished in knitting, crocheting and needlepoint.
Published since 1988, today a full-time writer, has been hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today's most prolific and popular African-American authors of romance and women's fiction. With more than fifty titles and nearly two million copies of her novels in print, she is a regular on the Waldenbooks, Borders and Essence bestseller lists, regularly chosen by Black Expressions Book Club, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gold Pen Award, the Emma Award, Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award. She also wrote as Susan James and Rena McLeary.
Rochelle Alers lives in a charming hamlet on Long Island.
Breanna a lost young woman who has lived a life of privilege but along the way she lost her soul. Her relationship with her parents was cordial and her brother was her best friend and the only person she trusted. Her life changed when she moved abroad and met a man who became the most important person in her life. With all the up and downs in the end Breanna Renee Parker did good for herself.
When I read the title I got the wrong deal. The story was so much more. The way the story flowed was a joy to read. Loved the twist and turns. The drama and learning from ones mistakes. Will buy more from this author and will be following her for more of her books.
This book was a page turner. I enjoyed it very much. It started out a little different than I was expecting, then came the part Ms. Alers is known for.
Most of her life, Breanna has been ignored by those who were supposed to be closest to her: her family. Recently, though, she's been the centre of attention, due to her high-profile parties and scandals (think Britney Spears or Paris Hilton). With a music executive father and a former singing diva mother, Hollywood has always been open to Bree, and she gets away with any legal infractions because of her famous connections. When Bree gets involved in a particularly personal scandal, though, she decides it's time to grow up and take responsibility for herself.
However, taking responsibility proves harder than she'd anticipated, especially when her attempt at a celebrity marriage falls flat. To allow herself some privacy and recovery time, Bree moves to Rome, and along the way discovers some startling truths about herself, her family, and what it means to love.
You may be sitting here and thinking "Uh, Anna, you forgot to mention the romance part of the romance novel." Here's the thing, though: the romantic hero doesn't make an appearance until the last 100 pages. Most of the book is a journey of self-discovery for Bree, and the romance marketing is very misleading. I mean, it's published by Harlequin, for Pete's sake (Kimani is their African-American imprint), so the lack of romance was, at the very least, surprising.
But it's not fair to judge the book by my pre-conceived notions, so let's dive in and take it for what it is, shall we?
As you'd expect, Bree starts off as a self-absorbed party girl, motivated by her need for attention. Readers might not find her very sympathetic at first, but she does significantly grow and change through the story, and the girl at the end bears little resemblance to the one met in the beginning. I was more intrigued, though, by the character development given to Bree's mother, Karma. After twenty some-odd years, Bree is only starting to get to know her mother and the life story that made the woman the way she is, and the series of revelations are really fascinating.
There was, however, a whole lot of info-dumping. At a few points, I was sure the entire book was one long exposition, loosely tied together with short bits of dialogue (most of which were interrupted by long descriptions and backstories). There were no flashbacks, and very few backstories were related through dialogue, so there was a whole lot of "tell" rather than "show."
When the scenes were actually taking place, there was some head-hopping going on, which may not bother some readers, but it happens to be a pet peeve of mine, so I'm bringing it up.
Breanna Parker is a typical Hollywood wild child. The daughter of parents in the music industry, she was sent abroad as a child to boarding school. But that didn't make her more disciplined. If anything it prepared her to be the Black Paris Hilton - sex tape and all. When she moves back to the states she launches into full sex, drugs and rock & roll party mode. One disastrous incident after another forces Breanna to recognized the dangerous road she is on and she moves to Rome to start over with a new man and a new career. But, as sometimes happens, her past soon catches up to her.
As you can tell from my previous post, I am a fan of Rochelle Alers' romance books. This one, however, is written as straight fiction and is just as enjoyable. She is able to really flesh out all aspects of the story rather than just focusing just on a couple's relationships.
The second half of this book was better than the first half. I love Rochelle Alers, but these types of urban-esque books are not her forte, nor should they be. The way Rochelle Alers tell stories of love and romance and heroism keeps you captivated and excited for more. I find her romance novels effortless and natural. This book was not. The relationship between Bree and her mother was so hot and cold that it left me confused. Bree's relationship with Tyrone felt underdeveloped and forced. Only when Ruben came into the picture did I really feel a more natural flow in the story.
I would not recommend this book; it is not a good representation of this authors talent. Instead, I would recommend starting with her Hideaway series. Those are much more enjoyable.
When I first began reading this book, it did not feel like the typical Alers handiwork. About midway the trademark Alersw writing was back. Alers is one of my favorite authors for Romance. Her descriptive writing style and characters that crisscross the continent makes her writing so very appealing to me!
I loved this book, not sure how I missed it. Breanna Parker may be in the spotlight, but I believe it's because of all she has endured during her life - time to grow up Breanna. she moves to Rome to take charge of her life and meets Reuben, 20 years older and an artist/designer. I love their interaction and how he knows when to let her rant or shut her up. Recommended reading.
"...Alers, also instills her(Breanna) with a vulnerability that will beg you to care for that lost soul inside. Readers will become invested in Breanna and the story as she works to redeem herself" (RT Book Reviews, 4 stars).
I'll admit the cover spoke to me, and the writing is just as gorgeous! A nicely paced story about growing up the daughter of very successful and demanding parents. I loved Breanna and Reuben. The characters are well-fleshed out all around. Very well done!
This story was very touching on so many levels. Bree lived a life of love, happiness, sadness, hurt and disappointment. In the end love won and the name she thought was bad brought success. Great story!!!