Rating: 
Summary: Exceptional writing
Review: Between Lovers is the story of one man and two women who agree to an unusual love triangle. A man and woman openly and willingly divvy up the lips, bed, mind, and soul of another woman and they believe that this arrangement is doable, acceptable, and something that they're willing to endure because of their love for that one woman and her love for them. The center of this emotionally fascinating, yet disturbing relationship is Nicole, a woman who loves deep, loves hard, and if she has things her way, the two people to whom she wants to give all her love are a nameless male writer from Los Angeles, and an aggressive woman named Ayanna. The man is actually Nicole's former fiancé and Ayanna is the individual whose existence caused Nicole to change her mind about marrying him.
I really enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. For one, the story was written from one person's point-of-view, which is a different read for me from Eric Dickey. However, the writing wa!s detailed and thorough enough so that you're given a complete picture regarding the characters: the writer, Nicole, Ayanna, and especially Nicole's deeply religious mother, and the writer's father, a civil rights activist.
I also really liked the fact that the main characters have living parents. Sometimes their presence helps the reader to understand the main characters a little better. The novel is structurally sound: no noticeable gaps, great intensity, everything was done very well. I enjoyed the setting (Oakland) and the vivid writing makes you feel as if you're walking alongside the characters.
One other thing I was happy about is the word orchestration/combination of long and short sentences (as opposed to a lot of short sentences). To me this gives the novel more of a lyrical or poetic feel and I loved that aspect.
I truly believe the readers will enjoy Between Lovers once they settle down and begin to read...it is the type of story that takes you! to another place and that's what novels are supposed to do.
On the constructive side: the writer might want to watch those spellings of celebrity names...(Atlantic Starr). Sometimes those misspelled words stand out like a cop car sitting in front of your house. :)
In summary, I love that Eric's writing is evolving & going to an even higher level, and Between Lovers is wonderful evidence of that growth.
Rating: 
Summary: NAME THAT CHARACTER!
Review: Even though he chose not to give his central character a name, Eric Jerome Dickey has spun a fascinating tale with BETWEEN LOVERS. This novel is funny, poignant, creative, and thought provoking. It also explores a new level of sexual identity that is not examined even in the works of E. Lynn Harris.
If you're a fan of this author, then you should add BETWEEN LOVERS to your collection. If you're not a fan, then you'll soon become one after reading this enjoyable romp through the lives of its often confused and always candid characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Between Lovers is an Enigma...
Review: I have now read all of Eric Jerome Dickey's books and this one is the most racy. I commend Dickey for taking an artistic chance to explore a topic that not too many African Americans address.There are several themes Dickey addresses in his latest novel, Between Lovers: Family Relationships in particular, father and son, mother and daughter, homesexuality, man and woman relationships, spirituality vs. religion, identity, addiction to a person, forgiveness, and civic duty. It seems like alot, but Dickey develops his characters and delivers messages with incomparable delicacy and openness. There are many times in the book where you want to strangle the narrator or shout at him because you can't understand why he would chase this woman around and basically sacrifice his personal dignity in the name of love. But I couldn't help comparing it to the behavior of many women who relentlessly chase a man when it is clear that he is not emotionall available to them. In this book it is clearly from the inside of a man! It made me think twice about how I see men and their emotional capabilites. "Is he for real?" was a constant question I would ask myself while reading. Dickey explored the underground and above ground world of sexuality between women. The relationship that his former fiance, Nicole has with a high powered attorney, Ayanna, is not based on sex. It is a relationship based on trust, honesty and intimacy. Any steretypes or opinions that people may have developed about gay women will be altered after reading this novel. It also challenges your beliefs about how love is shown and how it can be expressed in human relationships. Another issue Dickey addressed is the issue of religion vs. sprituality. The ability to believe in God, but also to have other belief systems and question your own. For instance the women use reflexology to cure their hormonal issues. He also mentions many books on a variety of religions that Nicole and Ayanna read. The women as well as the narrator have questioned authorative figures in their own lives, much to their belligerent chagrin, who helped shape their belief system. Family relationships was an extremely important theme in this novel. If you are like me than you have had issues with at least one of your parents in your lifetime. Dickey explores this and shows us that reconciliation can be achieved with acceptance. There is nothing harder than emotionally detaching from your parents, but Dickey tackles it. At the end there is a particularly moving scene in which the character is given acceptance by a father who for awhile disapproves of his "life force," writing. As I bring this to a close, I will mention what I consider to be "negatives." The ending is dragged out and is almost too dramatic. You want to tell him, "to get over it" much quicker than he actually does. There are times you just want to get rid of Nicole yourself because you just don't get how she can so openly manipulate two people and they still adore her. His best-friend, Andre, I would have liked to see a plot unravel that involves him. Unlike his other books that intertwine many characters and their plots this book concentrates solely on his desire to break free from Nicole's "spell." But Dickey keeps the novel moving so quickly that you forgive him for omitting more "down to earth" charcters and for so blatantly adding in the probation cariacture of the accident witness, which was completely unncessary and degrading. Let's not forget the unhelpful references to the novel, "lolita." That book is about a child molester who obviously has mental problems. yet Dickey felt the need to keep referring to it throughout the novel as if it would help people to understand his obsession. As a woman and a survivor of abuse, I was highly offended.Unless you have read the book in a lit class somewhere it just takes up space. But it is definetely a novel you want to carry with you in your purse until you finish!
Rating:
Summary: LOVED THE BOOK
Review: I have to say that this is like no other love story I ever read. You have to give props to the gentleman who continues to love and support the woman who left him to follow a love of her own---one who happens to be another woman.
Most women who are in search of a "good man", however, will eventually find his persistence hard to swallow (find a woman who is more deserving!); that is certainly how I felt. Nicole, the love of this man's life, I disliked as a character. I found her to be selfish, and self-centered, and certainly undeserving of the love that is showered upon her by both her past boyfriend and current lover.
Ayanna, Nicole's new love, was difficult to like as a character also; I found her to be both angry and spiteful. Overall, I could not fathom why the two of them continued to pursue Nicole as they did...
The storyline was original and extremely interesting. And the way this man writes and describes the lovemaking between all involved is pure poetry.....well done, EJ.
Rating: 
Summary: "wasnt worth the $6.00 i spent on this book"
Review: I thought the book started off too slow...the writing style was terrible...too many words or letters left off of sentences...too much guessing at what he was trying to say...one of the main charcaters didnt have a name!!! i thought nicole was being so selfish...the part when all three of them were together was the worst threesome i ever read about or seen in my life...this definetly was not one of his better readings...this book was for my book club and only i was able to remotely finish it just because, the other girls cant even get past page 3...i have read alot of books in my life and this one is at the top of the list as one of the worst...
Rating:
Summary: Very Different Indead...........
Review: I'm an open minded person and I just finish this book today and I thought it was very good and very interesting. It made you think about all types on things espically the little things in life adn love both from the woman and the man side. It took me three days to read it. I won't lie I had the book on my shelf for the past year and half just didn't have the time to read it. Like the other reviewers out they said it isn't your typical EDJ story which is true but it is a good book to read and you can learn from it. Eric's written is beautiful and as usual no dissapointment on the story line. No-name (very clever), Ayanna, and Nicole is a love traingle that you'll grow to understand, yes you will feel confusion,love,hate, and passion between these three espically when you get to know them through out this book.Eric does so well in describing them. It's a book you need patience with as a fan. Great work.
Rating:
Summary: Love
Review: Love, Love, Love
Confusion, Misunderstanding, Searching, Jealousy, Deceit, Dishonesty, Needy, Wanting, Understanding, Happiness, Selfishness... This book was wonderful. It took me through so many emotions and I thought the story line was great. Nicole was selfish and missing something in her life from a very young age, Love. This need expressed itself in various ways. I thougth she was a bright woman, however she wanted to have it all. And her quest brought others into this world of hers. I was a little upset with her in the beginning too, until her mother paid her a visit for that dreadful hour. After that, I understood her need and her confusion. I wanted to root with her and then against her. I cried like a baby when she told her male lover, " What am I suppose to do with all this love I have for you?", that day in the park. I cried while reading the rest of the book as well. He wanted to let go and it was hard. I wish it had ended up the other way also. Lets just say in the end, she got her oppertunity to be free, and so did they all. What a good book!
Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Eric!
Review: Once again, Eric Jerome Dickey has rocked the literary scene with a novel that is in-your-face blunt! And hard to put down! This is the story of a man in love - so much so, he's willing to wait for his ex-fiance, Nicole, to "find herself" by stringing him and her girlfriend Ayanna along. Yep, she's in love with a man and a woman. The narrator, who's name is unknown, is a writer who stays in a hotel in Oakland whenever he wants to visit with Nicole, because Nicole and Ayanna live together. It gets to the point where Nicole wants the two to meet in an intimate setting, but she wants them to follow the "rules". How far will one go for love? Would you sacrifice your morals, what you believe in, be it homosexuality or fidelity, to please the one you love? Would you still love a person that DEEP, when that person stood you up at the alter, in front of God, your family and friends? This novel makes you answer those questions and more! A must read.
Rating:
Summary: another good read
Review: this is a good book about morals, values, self-respect and idenity confusion. a woman is so emotional, and mentally confused and stuck between her man and her woman. she really is having an idenity crisis. at one point she makes you mad, then you find yourself feeling sympathetic towards her. she has a good, open heart but doesn't know how to follow it. i wish it would've ended differently but it was still a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Ugh!
Review: Two stars because I'm not here to hate the author but at least give him props for the effort.
I realize this is fiction but its so unbelievable that it bored me. I skipped a few pages with the anticipation of a good ending. But give me a break. The protagonist was a selfish bitch and didn't deserve the back and forth love she received from her lesbian lover and her ex-fiance.
The idea was interesting but the words just didn't move me. It was like the author just threw something together, after a while, just to get to a decent word count.
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