Diary of a Street Diva

Dirty Money #2

by Ashley Antoinette, JaQuavis Coleman

After the phenomenal success of their first novel, Dirty Money , Ashley and JaQuavis are back with their spellbinding sophomore novel, Diary of a Street Diva . Come with them as they take you into the world of Remy Morgan, the wife of Cease, a young hustler from Flint, Michigan. After Remy dies by gunshot, Cease goes on trial for murder. On the morning of his trial, he delves into her diary to bare the deep, dark secrets of her past. Walk with Cease as he discovers the other side of Remy and tries to save his own neck.

Genres: Urban, Audiobook, Fiction, Crime, Diary

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

ASHLEY ANTOINETTE COLEMAN is one of the most successful female writers of her time. The feminine half of the popular married duo, Ashley and JaQuavis, she has co-written over 40 novels, including the bestselling Cartel series. Several of her titles have hit The New York Times bestsellers list, but she is most widely regarded for her continuing racy saga, The Prada Plan. Born in Flint, MI, she was bred with an innate street sense that she uses as motivation in her crime filled writings.

Picking up a deal with publishing powerhouse St. Martin's Press while simultaneously inking deals at Warner Brothers Studios and NBC/Universal, Ashley shows no signs of slowing down. She is currently hard at work on a new book series and two television pilots.

To keep up with everything Ashley Antoinette follow her...
twitter @novelista
Instagram @ashleyantoinette

Reviews

[Aaliyah Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diary of a Street Diva is about a young woman named Remy Morgan. Basically on her own since she was 5, Remy had a life story of stealing, fighting, running and moving. By the time she was 16, Remy left the foster home life for good and entered the "street life." First starting off as a dancer, Remy rises to the top by becoming the girlfriend of the top drug dealer and icon of Flint, Michigan, Khadafi. After the love of her life dies, Remy drops back down to the bottom, now worse then before. Thankfully she is found by Khadafi's right hand man, Cease. Slowly Remy rises back to the top and in love with Cease. Right when she thought life was the best it could have ever been, she dies by gunpoint. While grieving, Cease is accused of her murder. Now on trial and battling to stay out of prison, Cease uncovers a diary of Remy's life and discovers a whole different side to the woman he thought he knew.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting more from this, when compared to the first book in the series. The diary format was interesting, but not totally my thing.

The funniest part was the fourth wall break, where Remy was reading Dirty Money aka the book that came before this one. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. I had to pause my listening for a few seconds going "what???".

I'm a tiny bit disappointed that those characters can never crossover with these since they're only a book in this universe.

Also apparently the audio and ebook versions have two different endings? This kinda happened with the first book too, except it was just a missing epilogue but from what I'm seeing this one is not just that, but completely different? I don't have the ebook or physical book with me to compare so I'll have to wait till I get it to see what's different.

[Nay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going through a ghetto book phase. They all have the same basic set up... a high up dealer buying from Columbians, a sexy ex-hooker/stripper that's now the wifey, the right hand man and smaller runners. Diary of a Street Diva has the same premise but I have to give props for the ending. There are two twist that I didn't expect and for once I actually like the protagonist. Most of the time they are too ghetto and annoy me. I don't understand how these girls live with a man giving them $20,000 for shopping and they never think to put a little to the side. Stuff goes down and they always end up broke again and back in the strip clubs.

Remy's husband Cease is on trial for her murder and that of their unborn child. He finds her diary and begans to read her life story. The pov is mainly Remy's starting from her childhood in group homes, her rape, her strip club life, her first real love and loss, her jail time and then her second great love Cease. We get some sections with Cease's pov to fill in the blanks. It's not the best written book in the world but it's a page turner with a good ending.

[Magen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diary of a Street Diva had me on edge the entire time I was reading it. I kind of started off a little slow for me, but by the time I looked up I was half way finished with the book. The ending made my jaw drop but definitely worth it. A must read read for those that like a suspenseful Urban Fiction.

[Tam Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again this team of authors never disappoints!! So many twists and turns!! Never a dull moment. It is like you are right there with the character!! They make them come to life!! Whew!!

[Nardsbaby Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Untold Anecdote

Once upon a time not long ago there lived a little girl in Flint, Michigan by the name of Remy Morgan. Without help she was powerless and at an early age she was not use to people being decent. Abandoned, betrayed, molested, assaulted, then plainly thrown away, this poor dysfunctional child was suffering. Jammed up with so much shame and embarrassment Remy becomes an easy target in search of independency.

Drayton Cesar had nothing. His call from the streets came early on. A challenge he would proudly answer. `Get rich, or die tryin' because there was nothing or no one going to prevent Cease from getting what he wanted, money.

Two lost souls are coupled through hardship. As they work on a plan to surviving the mean streets of Flint, Cesar and Remy begin to rely on their allegiance. Although painfully conflicted, they find they've somehow eased on down a platinum paved road of happily ever after. Have we come to the end of the road?

Ashley JaQuavis sophomoric novel, DIARY OF A STREET DIVA is an attractive and entertaining read that saunters between the past and present where you are acquainted with in depth characters. In spite of that, insightful booklovers will be stagnant trying to reckon with the how, when and why.

[Erin Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already saw most of the spoilers to this book in the AA Facebook groups 😩😩😩😩 but damn. So is this the same Khadafi as in Noah’s Dad?!?!?!?

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, as many books by Ashley, Jaquavis, AND Ashley & Jaquavis that I have read, I have never read this book. I ain't really like it. But this is their second (I'm not crazy), and I probably would have felt differently had I read it back in the day. I'm reading now and have the perspective of someone who has read books that show their evolution as authors over the last almost 2 decades.

Now I remember when Dirty Money came out. I KNOW that shit came out first. And I feel like it was a stand-alone that was kind of turned into part of a series. And if I wasn't sure before, I became sure after reading this because they did the thing I HATE SO FUCKING MUCH!!!!! They had a character in their book reading their book!
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
I HATE THAT SHIT! Remy was reading Dirty Money *insert teeth sucking and exaggerated eye roll* How she reading a book that ain't out yet? Actually, how is she reading a book written by the people who created her? That shit is dumb.

Remy NEVER became a character that I cared about. I only cared about her death because for some reason I began to care about Ceas and he loved her. She started really annoying me when she was being pampered and spoiled by begging to go shopping, as if she ain't have enough shit, while Khadafi was in the middle of a Federal investigation AND a war with the Colombians. Like bitch...priorities please. Then when she gets her body guard tortured and killed after waiting until Khadafi was distracted enough to agree to let her out, she gonna ask him why he ain't tell her it was that bad. 🤦🏽‍♀️

Her and Ceas was cute or whatever. Blah blah blah...Vegas, wedding, 2 years or whatever married "Surprise, I'm pregnant". Ok great.

Enter Khadafi, who I forgot to mention was supposed to be dead for the past 3 years. Ceas and Remy are married now. Khadafi is just in their house when they come in from dinner, like niggas wasn't thinking he been dead all this time. Then talk about how Remy was his woman and Ceas went behind his back and stole her. Nigga...first of all, you can't steal a person. Unless you talking about straight up white van with no windows kidnapping. So he can fuck off with that. Secondly, they thought you were DEAD!!!! You cannot betray a dead person. Idgaf what nobody say.

Third, plot twist, Khadafi might be Ceas's father 🤦🏽‍♀️😩🙄. So annoying. And seems like the nigga knew it. So you leave your son thinking his father got ghost while the whole time you playing father figure, fake your death and leave your woman and your son, then come back from the dead for a woman who no longer belongs to you and challenge your son to a fuckin duel over her...ok.

Khadafi don't have my respect. A man like that should have been much more strategic about how he left and how he returned.

And also, the Columbians shot his ass up and Ceas finished him off...how he alive to help Noah, his other son, in Luxe?

[OOSA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turning Back the Hands of Time

Dear Diary,

Since the debut of Ashley Jaquavis' Dirty Money in 2005, I have been anxiously awaiting their sophomore novel. Dirty Money was an OOSA book of the month. Seldom do we all agree on a book, but we unanimously enjoyed it. Upon the release of Diary of a Street Diva, it was pretty much a given that it too would be an OOSA book of the month.

Diary of a Street Diva uncovers the inner most and personal thoughts of Remy Morgan, a beautiful woman that lived a hard knock life. Just as much of her life was filled with turmoil, so was her death. Remy's life was tragically cut short by a single gun shot. Her husband Cease now stands trial for her murder. As Cease fights for his life and freedom, he looks to the pages of Remy's diary for answers. Does the name of murderer lie within it?

Again, I applaud Ashley and Jaquavis for their creativity. I liked the whole diary concept. While Diary of a Street Diva didn't meet my expectations, it is a solid effort that made for an enjoyable read. There's no question that Ashley and Jaquavis are a talented duo.

Diary, until next time...

Reviewed by: Toni

[TaQuanda Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

It doesn't matter how many times I read this book I have the same reaction. It pulls you in and keeps you until the very end. Why or why is this book so good? This is my third time ready this book and if it is possible it gets better every time.

[Mooka]

This book, is one of the best books they have written

[Pricelessfem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great, it reminded me a lot of the coldest winter ever.

[Dani love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. This was the first Ashley Jaquavis story i read and I like there style of writing together more than just Ashley (which I had read). The book had just the right amount of twists and turns (especially the final one) and I kept me interested, unlike the other books i had read by Ashley. When reading The Prada Plan (1&2) sometimes the suspense would just fall and I would put the book down for days before completing it. This story encouraged me to read it and finished it hours after it arrived from Amazon. I would definitely reccomend this book to anyone.
---Question: In the book it said that Remy was reading Dirty Money, but how could she be reading that? I'm confused because i thought Diary of a Street Diva is the prequal to Dirty Money and Supreme Clientele.

[Trisheana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a long time to get into this book..once I did it was okay!! By the end of the book I had absolutely no respect for Remy..smashing all the homies made me sick..she had no loyalty. Wen she hooked up wit Cease that there was a Tad bit much..but banging Jodi was the ultimate betrayal. Then there was too many relationships Khadafi, Ceases dad?? Betty Khadafi 's mom..wth.!! a lot of unanswered questions..y did netty stop writing Remy?? Who was tryna kill Cease n Jodi that night.?? Wen the hell did Remy n Jodi hook up.??

[Eve B.]

I can't even rate this book because honestly I don't know where I stand with it! I mean it was a page turner because I was dying to find out what happened to Remy but I felt so let down at the end. I would have been happier if she killed her self or if Shay killed her I don't know.

[Kellee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was ok, but I only gave it 2 stars because at the end, I started to wonder what the point was to this book. I probably wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

[URBANLIT BOOK REVIEWER · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really love this book and it was well written and i couldnt believe it ended the way it did love it and dont want to tell the story incase others didnt read it.

[Carol Hornsby-mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok it took a lot for me to start reading audio books. One reason is I always said the audio leaves out things that the book has. So I would get both the audio and the book and read alone. Well guess what? I just finished the audio and the book, the audio was 2-3 chapters ahead of the book. Then to make matters worst, readers get this the ending for both is totally different. I don't want to be a spoiler for anyone who has not read either, however I would suggest that you read both or at least read the last two chapters of the book if you choose to listen to the audio. I prefer the ending from the audio. That's not to say the book wasn't good, it just hurt to read about Cease and to think he could be hurting like that... anyway, just don't go to a book club for a discussion and talk about the ending from the audio and when others maybe talking about the ending from the book 😂

[J-maa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot believe what I just read. I love a good plot twist, and I’m just sitting here smiling in shock because… what?? Khadifi actually being alive and the one responsible would’ve been the obvious plot twist that wouldn’t have hit fr. But having my girl Remey sleeping with Jodi, and then Cease finding out and putting a bullet in her, was crazyyyy.

Cease needed to put the streets aside and step into his true calling of acting, because that performance on the stand was Oscar-worthy. He had me so blind. Better yet he should have been the one writing all that time instead of Remey.

Also not Cease and Noah being brotherssss 🥲🥲 My two babies smh Khadifi is such a dead beat 😭

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook was good ! I couldn’t stop listening and it’s sad how life circumstances can make the sweetest people the most hardest and coldest in the world.

[Destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good!!!! I was rooting for Remy, I love how this was written in diary form and we got a lot of backstory on the character’s lives, it tied the book all together.

[S. Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is said to be a part of the DIRTY MONEY Series, but I failed to see how it compared or its connection with ZYA/SNOW, & ANARI/VON.
The story is about REMY MORGAN's (WOW, ASHLEY ANOTOINETTE REALLY MUST LOVE NAMONG CHARACTERS "MORGAN" GIVEN SHE'D NAMED MORGAN ATKINS FROM MTAF/ETHIC/BUTTERFLY & GIVEN YA-YA THE SURNAME MORGAN FROM THE PRADA PLAN!) life through her diary, that her on-trial for her murder husband DRAYTON "CEASE" CESAR stumbles upon as he tries to figure out who could've killed his wife REMY.
The diary uncovers to readers (& Cease) what REMY had been through that includes many things being a stripper/prostitute/stripper again after her life with KHADAFI abruptly ended in his 'death', etc.) While stripping is where she met the man who would be her husband Cease.
We discovered that someone who faked their death is NOT ONLY THE VERY Person who is responsible for REMY's demise BUT IS CEASE's FATHER!
This brought me to another discovery MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN WHAT BECAME OF REMY.
While reading this book it didn't occur to me how things materialized in another AA Book series involving the character KHADAFI. When it was revealed that KHADAFI may be CEASE's dad, it OCCURRED TO ME THAT KHADAFI HAD ANOTHER SON: NOAH from AA's LUXE Series!
KHADAFI FAKED HIS DEATH , REVEALED TO NOAH THAT HE WAS HIS DAD, SET HIM UP WITH SIMONE, WHO WOULD BECOME NOAH's 'Business Advisor' & SEX PAL, while introducing his SON NOAH to one of my favorite characters in an Ashley Antoinette Book Series: MESSIAH WILLIAMS, WHO SERVED AS NOAH'S ENFORCER/HOMIE/PARTNER IN THE LUXE Series!
Now I have to remember how KHADAFI & MESSIAH met. They were probably in jail together at one point. Maybe I'll replay the LUXE Audibles to assist me with the recollection whenever I find the time.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

(FROM JACKET)After the phenomenal success of their first novel, "Dirty Money", Ashley and JaQuavis are back with their spellbinding sophmore novel, "Diary of a Street Diva". Come with them as they take you into the world of Remy Morgan, the wife of Cease, a young hustler from Flint, Michigan. After Remy dies by gunshot, Cease goes on trial for her murder. On the morning of his trial, he delves into her diary to bare the deep, dark secrets of her past. Walk with Cease as he discovers the other side of Remy and tries to save his own neck.

Dear Diary,
I never knew life could be so good. I came from nothing, and in the blink of an eye, my life was turned around. I fell into the lifestyle of a street diva. When I met Khadafi, he showed me a way of life that I wasn't accustomed to. I was the queen of the streets, and everybody knew my name. I was what every man wanted and what every woman wanted to be. The streets showed me love, and I loved them back, but the same things that will make you laugh will eventually make you cry. Trips overseas, fast cars, and more diamonds than I could possibly wear was a day in the life. But all things come to an end, and my end came too soon. If I could turn back the hands of time...
Remy

[Lesa Divine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this book was great another great read from Ashley and JaQuavis.

The book was about this girl Remy's life. She died and her husband Cease is on trial for her murder. During the trial he comes across Remy's diary that she wrote about her life growing up from when she was a teenager living in a group home to the time she got rapped and then started living with a man that had her stripping and sleeping with men for money.

She then found herself cooking up dope for this big tymer Khadafi until one day she got caught taking dope from him and was taken to him but, he didn't kill her he end up loving her and taking care of her.
Khadafi got into some trouble with the FEDs and into he people he brought his drugs from so he had to lay low and asked Remy and his crew to lay low.

He then end up getting killed so Remy thought she was going to have it all until the FEDs took everything and she had to go back into stripping. She ran into Cease one of Khadafi soldiers he took care of her.

Well best put this is that her diary says a lot of stories and Cease point of view of things. At the end I couldn't believe what happen.

Great book overall.

[Krystal Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betty Netty gave clues that Khadafi was still alive. “Khadafi loves you. Always has and always will-you remember that. Seven years or so from now when you thinking that you might move on, you remember that.”

“He loves you more than I’ve ever seen him love anybody.”

“I want you to remember Khadafi. His love is alive, Remy.”

In her letters Betty Netty says it’s funny how people stab you in the back when they think you are gone.


Cease even told her on her first night out that she belonged to Khadafi.

“If you ever wanna see if someone is following you, make four left turns. You will drive in a circle, and if the car behind you does the same thing that means that they are tailing you.”

Betty Netty was Khadafi’s mother. Khadafi is Cease’s dad.

Crazy that Remy slept with Jodi and didn’t know who the baby was.

Crazy that Cease and his lawyer was able to paint the picture that Khadafi was still living and he and Khadafi fought and shot went off killing Remy when really it was just Cease pointing his gun at Remy and her grabbing the gun and the gun went off killing her.

But is Khadafi really dead I am not so sure.

[K.augustine]

This book is the epitome of an "easy read". It seemed to go by slowly although when I looked up I was already MORE than halfway done! A few major events happened to Remy but I was waiting and waiting for the climax of the book to appear, and it finally in the last little pinch of the book. (And I do mean PINCH) The last few chapters FLEW by after that and let me tell you my jaw was on the floor. I slammed the book down suddenly and yelled out "OH MY GOSH" several times at that point. What unfolded was shocking beyond belief. I wish the author would have elaborated on several things but all in all amazing. The ending of this book definitely made it what it is. Highly recommended.

[J.R. Randle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would have been amazing had the (co-written)authors kept the integrity of the main characters in mind. Without giving away any spoilers. I, along with my circle sisters were definitely dissapointed with the ending of this novel. When you create a character... you give life to your character. Therefore, like a parent, you're responsible for the care of your child. This is also true for an author and his or her characters. All members of my reader's group absolutely loved this novel, and were all left dissapointed.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

John put this on my shelf and it came up as available. Assuming I added it as a "want to read" item, I downloaded it and began listening. Well, the joke's on you pal, because I really enjoyed this book. The only area that was missing was hearing more about Remy's feelings - she was too separated from sharing how she felt about all of the awful things happening to her. Perhaps that was the point, that she needed to separate herself emotionally so that she could go forward in life. In any case, it was an interesting read.

[Kiran]

I read this book when I was literally twelve years old. I borrowed it from the library and at the time I thought it was great. I was hooked!

I don’t know if I would have the same opinion of it now literally decades later.

But I remember it really well, the plot, the characters, the times I cried. Honestly I had no business reading this at twelve. I’m just thinking I want to read from a more diverse range of authors, and I didn’t know this was part of a series so might look into the next two.