Rating: 
Summary: Missing pieces
Review: The beginning of this book was slow and as soon as it caught my attention, the action happened so briefly and suddenly that the book was over not having quenched my curiosity.
Camika C. Spencer left several questions unanswered regarding the characters in this novel. Not as developed as I would have appreciated, Faulkner, Joyce, and Margaret were great central characters, however there was a relationship between the three ladies that was not clearly developed. I could understand the history of the relationships between Joyce and Margaret, and Joyce and Faulkner, however the relationship between Margaret and Faulkner was not clearly developed only stated.
I loved the irony created in the character of Joyce, this character was brilliantly developed, but poorly ended. The great strategist simply gave up without a fight.
Faulkner and Margaret were a predictable characters. I could imagine their ending as soon as Spencer set the plot in place. The short chapters disrupted the flow of the book. There was one chapter regarding Margaret that was out of sequence that runied the ending. I would have liked for Spencer to have taken more time to complete this book before publishing. I would like to try more of Spencer's work, hoping that she can expand on a great story line by pulling the reader's deeper into the characters creating a little intrigue and surprise in the endings.
Rating: 
Summary: THE HAND LIFE DEALT THEM
Review: This is a story about folks anticipating the "wins" and trying to prepare themselves for the "losses" as the cards in this game of life were played. Lisa was the "Wild Card"- running in a downtrodden and well-worn circle, looking for love in her new man's Mastercard. She had two children and was a mother as a result of the act only, because she never learned that the definition of motherhood had nothing to do with matching hotdogs and buns. Her fair skin, green eyes, restless nature and willing body were her trump cards. Faulkner was the "Jack Of All Trades". She was a leader, a friend, a pawn, a daughter times two, a good listener when Gail needed to take a Dorito break and a sounding board for Johnnie Coleman who harassed every Customer Associate at the phone company, determined to cuss her way to reactivation. Joyce was the "Queen Of Floors One Through Four; Heir To The Executive Suite". She was determined to position people where she would have them in life. But everybody knows that the" Ace" overpowers the Queen -sometimes savagely- and Fred Price was the manipulating backbiter who owned that power and could renege on a life-changing promise at will. Lester was the "King Of All That Is Plain And Simple", and Margaret was his "Heart". He lit a candle, placed a paper towel on his wife's lap and turned a night of unseasoned green beans and chicken into a romantic voyage that she would remember for the rest of her days. No matter what the crisis or commotion was at Lester and Margaret's house, Lester stood by his woman and Margaret stood by her grandbabies because no matter what hand life dealt, Margaret always had a heart.
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