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On the Run with Love
Freddie Holmes could've wrote the book on How to Be A Player. With his good looks, gift of gab, his Jersey swag, and ability to put it down in the bedroom, his only source of income is the women he manipulates.
But after meeting Simone, his new fiance, he decides to hang up his womanizing gloves, so he says, but not before his past catches up to him. Slug is a stick up kid/hustler from the dirty south. After losing his drug connect, he uses his trip to New Jersey for a funeral as an opportunity to link up with his cousin Freddie in hopes of finding a new supplier. Freddie wants to show his cousin a good time, Jersey style, while he's visiting, only he chooses the wrong place, wrong time to do so. At the end of the night, two people are left in their own blood, one, the younger brother of a known drug dealer, the other, a cop.
Freddie is forced to make some quick decisions. To evade his situation he takes his cousin up on his offer, relocates to North Carolina, and changes his profession, but not without his soon to be wife Simone. Simone gives up everything to go on the run with her man, all in the name of love, and gets a dose of reality. She had no idea what she had signed up for as she takes a good look at her life with Freddie.
See how Freddie Holmes learns the hard way that you can run but you can't hide forever...
But after meeting Simone, his new fiance, he decides to hang up his womanizing gloves, so he says, but not before his past catches up to him. Slug is a stick up kid/hustler from the dirty south. After losing his drug connect, he uses his trip to New Jersey for a funeral as an opportunity to link up with his cousin Freddie in hopes of finding a new supplier. Freddie wants to show his cousin a good time, Jersey style, while he's visiting, only he chooses the wrong place, wrong time to do so. At the end of the night, two people are left in their own blood, one, the younger brother of a known drug dealer, the other, a cop.
Freddie is forced to make some quick decisions. To evade his situation he takes his cousin up on his offer, relocates to North Carolina, and changes his profession, but not without his soon to be wife Simone. Simone gives up everything to go on the run with her man, all in the name of love, and gets a dose of reality. She had no idea what she had signed up for as she takes a good look at her life with Freddie.
See how Freddie Holmes learns the hard way that you can run but you can't hide forever...
1 pages, Audio CD
First published July 4, 2008
4 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Benjamin
30 books57 followersJ.M. Benjamin is an ambitious and witty writer from Plainfield, New Jersey. He is the author of Down in the Dirty, which won the Best Street Novel of the Year Award in 2006, an honor bestowed to him by the African American Literary Awards Show. His sophomore novel, My Manz and ‘Em was released in early 2007 and he has contributed to several anthologies: Menace II Society, Christmas 'N The Hood with Nikki Turner, and Hood Legends.
J.M.Benjamin has been compared to two literary greats; Claude Brown and Donald Goines for his ability to entertain and educate, and his passionate work ethics. J.M. Benjamin was released from prison, fully loaded and prepared to enter into a new game with the same drive and approach he had when he ran the streets. However, this time he has a different product to offer.
Susan Hampstead, Senior Editor of Don Diva Magazine is quoted as calling J.M. Benjamin "A new and exciting underground writer making noise, destined to solidify his spot in urban literature."
Readers familiar with Mr. Benjamin's work enjoy his uncanny ability to keep you in suspense, engulfed and entertained, and new fans will not be disappointed by his outstanding stories.
J.M.Benjamin has been compared to two literary greats; Claude Brown and Donald Goines for his ability to entertain and educate, and his passionate work ethics. J.M. Benjamin was released from prison, fully loaded and prepared to enter into a new game with the same drive and approach he had when he ran the streets. However, this time he has a different product to offer.
Susan Hampstead, Senior Editor of Don Diva Magazine is quoted as calling J.M. Benjamin "A new and exciting underground writer making noise, destined to solidify his spot in urban literature."
Readers familiar with Mr. Benjamin's work enjoy his uncanny ability to keep you in suspense, engulfed and entertained, and new fans will not be disappointed by his outstanding stories.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 15, 2009
On The Run With Love is packed with the streetness that fans of J.M. Benjamin's previous books have come to expect. But it also successfully appeals to both female and male readers who will undoubtedly identify with the dilemmas faced by both Freddie and Simone. And the conflict that arises as both characters attempt to follow their hearts.
August 29, 2020
Freddie, Freddie, oh Freddie!
Freddie is of course a character. He believes he is a player and women allowed him to be one. He used them and took their money for his time. There are some men like this. The world revolved around him because of his good looks. Simone made the decision to run with him and that was her first mistake. Tina was a tramp and was dealing with Freddie. Cream's wife was a slut because she was sleeping with his boys. Slug and KiKi got it together and got out of the game. Gina, Gina loved Freddie and proved there is nothing like a woman scorned. Payback was her choice. Now that Freddie is in prison he has all of the time to consider what he did wrong and work on becoming a better man.I
A good read.
Freddie is of course a character. He believes he is a player and women allowed him to be one. He used them and took their money for his time. There are some men like this. The world revolved around him because of his good looks. Simone made the decision to run with him and that was her first mistake. Tina was a tramp and was dealing with Freddie. Cream's wife was a slut because she was sleeping with his boys. Slug and KiKi got it together and got out of the game. Gina, Gina loved Freddie and proved there is nothing like a woman scorned. Payback was her choice. Now that Freddie is in prison he has all of the time to consider what he did wrong and work on becoming a better man.I
A good read.
November 28, 2010
Benjamin is one of the better authors in the urban-fiction genre IMO and I wish I could rate this higher. I'm getting tired of the underlying racism though. So tired that I'm probably going to stop reading the genre soon. I'm going to attempt to read the books I already own but I've already made the decision to not buy any new urban-fiction books.
There will always be some authors that I'll support and urge others to support, Dwayne Joseph, Sister Souljah, R.M. Johnson, etc. but for the most part, the authors claim realistic when they're anything but.
About On the Run with Love, I don't like when an author inserts him or herself in their own book. I think it's tacky as hell. Urban-fiction is the only genre I've seen this done in and I don't understand it. Not only does Benjamin mention his own name and at least two of his books by title, but he mentioned a store he owns as well.
I'm also getting tired of each and every author in the genre starting a publishing company. Don't start something you can't do well. To date I've seen dozens and not one is actually being run well. I'll use Benjamin's for example. "A New Quality Publishing". The name brings to mind quality does it not? Bringing the word to mind is about all it does. While the story itself only has a few mistakes that jumped out at me, the description on the back cover has at least one mistake and, and this is a first for me, the spine of the book is backwards. Backwards. I've never seen anything like it.
Why start a publishing company if this is how it's to be run? Any person of average intelligence would know it'll never go anywhere. It'll never be mainstreamed. Even the bigger companies won't ever achieve that.
A little sidenote about the store Benjamin owns. He claims he started the store because there was no "black" bookstore in the town. Um, does he sell anything other than urban-fiction? My guess, from being in other "black" bookstores, is no. Does that make him racist? Yes. Why? Because if I started a store, and only sold books by white authors, I'd be racist. That's why.
So, in essence, Benjamin complains about no black bookstores (yet if I searched I'm sure I'd find real bookstores selling both black and white authors, along with any other race and turns around to start a bookstore for only the race he comes from. Hmmmmm. I had more respect for Benjamin before I found this out.
The "underlying racism" that I mentioned above?
Pg. 176 - a cop is showing a picture of a black criminal to another cop from down South. The cop doesn't recognize the man and says so. The cop with the picture remembers when "men like him" used to call his father 'boy'. The next sentence is "He probably thinks we all look alike, redneck cracker."
Hahaha.... now, the term "redneck cracker" doesn't bother me any more than the term "niggah" does. I'm just not easily offended. Am I the only one who sees this as laughable? What exactly is the difference between calling black people 'boy' and saying that whites think all blacks look alike? There is none. Both are racist.
This is how "real" the book is - every addict/crackhead in the book is stereotypical. Normal right? Sure. Except for the two heroin addicts on the side of Freddie's enemy. Those two heroin addicts are "Angie Martinez/Jennifer Lopez-type dimes". I snorted I laughed so hard when reading that.
I've been through a lot of hoods, lived in the projects, known a lot of addicts, and have yet to find any who look anything but like an addict. But hey, okay.
Pg. 189 - "He hated a black man on drugs, but he hated a snitch even more."
Does the fact that this is urban-fiction mean things have to be race specific? Does that not help to keep racism alive? How about "He hated any man on drugs, but he hated a snitch even more."? Would that not have worked and had, essentially, the same effect, only better?
It's sad that most of the authors guilty of this claim to be just the opposite. Most of the urban-fiction authors that claim to be so "real" are mostly fake. They're just as racist as the "redneck crackers" they hate to much. But, maybe in a way they're even worse? They know what it's like to be judged yet turn around to do the same thing. Kind of goes hand in hand with 'two wrongs don't make a right', right?
Personally, if I was black (or anything else for that matter) I would demand that it not be an issue. race wouldn't come up in anything if I could help it.
A lot of people are being alienated, not just in the reading community but elsewhere as well, by the very people that claim they're doing it for the "people", for the "community". Newsflash people, your "people" and your "community" is not just the people directly around you, they aren't only the people with the same color skin as yours, it's all people. And you're abusing all people, just like the most ignorant white racist out there to be found. Suck on that for awhile.
There will always be some authors that I'll support and urge others to support, Dwayne Joseph, Sister Souljah, R.M. Johnson, etc. but for the most part, the authors claim realistic when they're anything but.
About On the Run with Love, I don't like when an author inserts him or herself in their own book. I think it's tacky as hell. Urban-fiction is the only genre I've seen this done in and I don't understand it. Not only does Benjamin mention his own name and at least two of his books by title, but he mentioned a store he owns as well.
I'm also getting tired of each and every author in the genre starting a publishing company. Don't start something you can't do well. To date I've seen dozens and not one is actually being run well. I'll use Benjamin's for example. "A New Quality Publishing". The name brings to mind quality does it not? Bringing the word to mind is about all it does. While the story itself only has a few mistakes that jumped out at me, the description on the back cover has at least one mistake and, and this is a first for me, the spine of the book is backwards. Backwards. I've never seen anything like it.
Why start a publishing company if this is how it's to be run? Any person of average intelligence would know it'll never go anywhere. It'll never be mainstreamed. Even the bigger companies won't ever achieve that.
A little sidenote about the store Benjamin owns. He claims he started the store because there was no "black" bookstore in the town. Um, does he sell anything other than urban-fiction? My guess, from being in other "black" bookstores, is no. Does that make him racist? Yes. Why? Because if I started a store, and only sold books by white authors, I'd be racist. That's why.
So, in essence, Benjamin complains about no black bookstores (yet if I searched I'm sure I'd find real bookstores selling both black and white authors, along with any other race and turns around to start a bookstore for only the race he comes from. Hmmmmm. I had more respect for Benjamin before I found this out.
The "underlying racism" that I mentioned above?
Pg. 176 - a cop is showing a picture of a black criminal to another cop from down South. The cop doesn't recognize the man and says so. The cop with the picture remembers when "men like him" used to call his father 'boy'. The next sentence is "He probably thinks we all look alike, redneck cracker."
Hahaha.... now, the term "redneck cracker" doesn't bother me any more than the term "niggah" does. I'm just not easily offended. Am I the only one who sees this as laughable? What exactly is the difference between calling black people 'boy' and saying that whites think all blacks look alike? There is none. Both are racist.
This is how "real" the book is - every addict/crackhead in the book is stereotypical. Normal right? Sure. Except for the two heroin addicts on the side of Freddie's enemy. Those two heroin addicts are "Angie Martinez/Jennifer Lopez-type dimes". I snorted I laughed so hard when reading that.
I've been through a lot of hoods, lived in the projects, known a lot of addicts, and have yet to find any who look anything but like an addict. But hey, okay.
Pg. 189 - "He hated a black man on drugs, but he hated a snitch even more."
Does the fact that this is urban-fiction mean things have to be race specific? Does that not help to keep racism alive? How about "He hated any man on drugs, but he hated a snitch even more."? Would that not have worked and had, essentially, the same effect, only better?
It's sad that most of the authors guilty of this claim to be just the opposite. Most of the urban-fiction authors that claim to be so "real" are mostly fake. They're just as racist as the "redneck crackers" they hate to much. But, maybe in a way they're even worse? They know what it's like to be judged yet turn around to do the same thing. Kind of goes hand in hand with 'two wrongs don't make a right', right?
Personally, if I was black (or anything else for that matter) I would demand that it not be an issue. race wouldn't come up in anything if I could help it.
A lot of people are being alienated, not just in the reading community but elsewhere as well, by the very people that claim they're doing it for the "people", for the "community". Newsflash people, your "people" and your "community" is not just the people directly around you, they aren't only the people with the same color skin as yours, it's all people. And you're abusing all people, just like the most ignorant white racist out there to be found. Suck on that for awhile.
August 8, 2012
Freddie Holmes is your archetypal street-running, heart-breaker with a specialty in seduction; a ladies man or male gigolo if you will. He loves flashy clothes, cars, money, and beautiful women. But he's far from your average gun-toting hustler. He is known for seducing and preying on women to get what he wants; milking them down to the last drop and for everything they've got.
The story wouldn't be worth the read without the supporting cast: Simone—Freddie's main woman—who is what every ghetto don desires, she is attractive, smart, and does whatever she has to in order to please her king, even hustle if it calls for it; Gina—his dessert after every meal with Simone being his main course every time; Slug the cousin of Freddie, who schools his family member on the ins and outs of the dope game.
The story doesn't actually start until Freddie murders a rival thug and accidentally strikes a police officer. From here on in, you now know why the book is titled: On The Run With Love. Freddie drops his gun while trying to evade return fire from his rivals; the gun has his fingerprints all over it. Simone is drawn in into this catastrophe after the car Freddie was driving on the night of the murder is found and authorities learn the car is registered in her name. On the run they go with Simone risking it all to be with Freddie. With police in search of Freddie and Simone, plus the victim's brother out for vengeance, how will they ultimately live their lives?
The two venture south with the help of Slug. Through it all, Simone would end up pregnant and Freddie goes back to what he knows best, "macking" in order to provide for the both of them and their unborn child. Eventually, while down south, Freddie gets back with Gina for the first time since he's been on the run and not only does she drain his pockets of the little bit of money he had, but she also sets him up with a package to distribute for sale. He turns to Slug for assistance in successfully flipping the drugs. Now it's back to the lavish life they all know, while police and henchmen track them to the south.
On The Run With Love proves to be your one-stop shop for a street lit book that is filled with: clothes, jewelry, cars, women, cops and robbers. What somewhat amazed me was the fact, that not one character in this book was unattractive; everyone for the most part seemed to either have a gorgeous face, an excellent figure or body and long luscious hair, with perfect features and well "dipped," (well dressed). This was one of the first novels that I've read where you didn't have to worry about imagining a character with a horrible appearance.
What did you like best about this book?
I loved the front cover and I also liked the book's overall message.
What did you dislike about this book?
The story took some time to pick up, then it slowed down again; a rollercoaster ride for sure. There were a few moments where the story got off track and lost its focus. There was too much description of clothes, jewelry, and the like; I often got distracted with this as well as the overuse of slang within the narrative. Freddie said "Ma" too many times and it actually got annoying throughout the read.
There were tons of unnecessary character banter, fumbling, and tussling. This also slowed the overall read down. There was not one ugly female inserted in this book; again, every last female introduced within the pages was extra glamorous: Simone, Gina, Kiki, Tina, all of them! I actually started waiting for an ugly character. The fact that everyone was beautiful made this a bit unrealistic because in reality everyone is not a beauty queen.
How can the author approve this book?
Get rid of all the irrelevant things! This took away from the narrative and story being told and made it fall off track frequently. Imagine listening to someone talk to you about a movie, but all that is spoken of is what the characters were wearing instead of plot points or scenes.
The story wouldn't be worth the read without the supporting cast: Simone—Freddie's main woman—who is what every ghetto don desires, she is attractive, smart, and does whatever she has to in order to please her king, even hustle if it calls for it; Gina—his dessert after every meal with Simone being his main course every time; Slug the cousin of Freddie, who schools his family member on the ins and outs of the dope game.
The story doesn't actually start until Freddie murders a rival thug and accidentally strikes a police officer. From here on in, you now know why the book is titled: On The Run With Love. Freddie drops his gun while trying to evade return fire from his rivals; the gun has his fingerprints all over it. Simone is drawn in into this catastrophe after the car Freddie was driving on the night of the murder is found and authorities learn the car is registered in her name. On the run they go with Simone risking it all to be with Freddie. With police in search of Freddie and Simone, plus the victim's brother out for vengeance, how will they ultimately live their lives?
The two venture south with the help of Slug. Through it all, Simone would end up pregnant and Freddie goes back to what he knows best, "macking" in order to provide for the both of them and their unborn child. Eventually, while down south, Freddie gets back with Gina for the first time since he's been on the run and not only does she drain his pockets of the little bit of money he had, but she also sets him up with a package to distribute for sale. He turns to Slug for assistance in successfully flipping the drugs. Now it's back to the lavish life they all know, while police and henchmen track them to the south.
On The Run With Love proves to be your one-stop shop for a street lit book that is filled with: clothes, jewelry, cars, women, cops and robbers. What somewhat amazed me was the fact, that not one character in this book was unattractive; everyone for the most part seemed to either have a gorgeous face, an excellent figure or body and long luscious hair, with perfect features and well "dipped," (well dressed). This was one of the first novels that I've read where you didn't have to worry about imagining a character with a horrible appearance.
What did you like best about this book?
I loved the front cover and I also liked the book's overall message.
What did you dislike about this book?
The story took some time to pick up, then it slowed down again; a rollercoaster ride for sure. There were a few moments where the story got off track and lost its focus. There was too much description of clothes, jewelry, and the like; I often got distracted with this as well as the overuse of slang within the narrative. Freddie said "Ma" too many times and it actually got annoying throughout the read.
There were tons of unnecessary character banter, fumbling, and tussling. This also slowed the overall read down. There was not one ugly female inserted in this book; again, every last female introduced within the pages was extra glamorous: Simone, Gina, Kiki, Tina, all of them! I actually started waiting for an ugly character. The fact that everyone was beautiful made this a bit unrealistic because in reality everyone is not a beauty queen.
How can the author approve this book?
Get rid of all the irrelevant things! This took away from the narrative and story being told and made it fall off track frequently. Imagine listening to someone talk to you about a movie, but all that is spoken of is what the characters were wearing instead of plot points or scenes.
November 3, 2008
Fugitive
"On the Run With Love" centers around Freddie Holmes. One minute things are good for him and the next he's on the run. One man is dead and a cop is injured. Someone must pay. Freddie doesn't want that someone to be him. He flees to North Carolina to lay low with his cousin, Slug, along with his ride or die chick, Simone. Will his past catch up to him?
Benjamin tells a great tale of love and consequences. It offers valuable lessons to all readers, whether they identify with those same situations or not. "On the Run With Love" is a well-crafted book that I would recommend to lovers of urban fiction.
Reviewed by: Marcella
"On the Run With Love" centers around Freddie Holmes. One minute things are good for him and the next he's on the run. One man is dead and a cop is injured. Someone must pay. Freddie doesn't want that someone to be him. He flees to North Carolina to lay low with his cousin, Slug, along with his ride or die chick, Simone. Will his past catch up to him?
Benjamin tells a great tale of love and consequences. It offers valuable lessons to all readers, whether they identify with those same situations or not. "On the Run With Love" is a well-crafted book that I would recommend to lovers of urban fiction.
Reviewed by: Marcella
October 9, 2010
This book was about how money and love is not at the same level . The main character Freddie was engage with a woman name Simone who he loved dearly but he never drop his love for other woman. He was a big time player so he would play with girls and get their money. Gina was crazy about Freddie about even though she knew that he had a girl she didn't care because she knew that he would always came back to her. I like this book because it has a lot of drama also its shows how money can play with people when they think they are in love. Also the theme is always watch your back even in front of you.
Read
December 8, 2010freddie had bumped in too cream and mannie on downtown plainfield and had a shoot out . . maniie got killed and when freddie was running he shot a cop that is now in critical condition. now freddie and his fiance simmone on the run. freddie let everything out and told simmone what he had been doing to get money witch was to have sexual intercourse with other woman and take thier money
August 3, 2011
On the run with love is a story that many of us can relate to. Once you start the book you find yourself trapped in the moment wondering what will happen next. The author's description of this story, in my opinion, was a bit overdone. Less is more sometimes. Overall, it was a good story and I would recommend it to a friend
November 25, 2015
Awesome
I am glad I read this book. It kept me hooked from the first page to the last. Freddie was always looking for a short cut in life. Simone was trying to live the dream. The adventure they embarked on is fast paced and exciting. Great job, Mr. Benjamin
I am glad I read this book. It kept me hooked from the first page to the last. Freddie was always looking for a short cut in life. Simone was trying to live the dream. The adventure they embarked on is fast paced and exciting. Great job, Mr. Benjamin
July 19, 2017
Best book I've read in a long time , well written and put together the story just flows . Easy read
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews