Description
Be a good girl, don't get pregnant, do well in school, and get into a respectable college. Khadejah Johnson grew up believing this was the formula for a perfect life; the way to her Prince on a white horse ready to take her to paradise. That's how it went for her sister Asia, who met and married her dream guy, so Khadejah had no reason to believe her ending would be any different. Her mother never told her that the fairy tale doesn't happen for everyone She didn't prepare her baby girl for the reality that Prince Charming may not come to whisk her away. And not every man is perfect like her father.
When Khadejah learns her high school love, an All-American basketball standout, has gotten another girl pregnant, she feels her fairy tale ending slowly slipping from her reach. In retribution for his betrayal she runs to the arms of Justice who is ten years her senior and has a shady past that stretches the distance of their years apart. Six years later and as many broken dreams and promises, Khadejah is raising their two children alone and learning that the world of dating can be a cruel place for a single woman with children.
In He Loves Me He Loves Me Not! we journey with Khadejah on her search for true love. Along the way we meet Aaron Baxter, a young upwardly mobile brother trying to find his place in Corporate America and life in suburbia; then there's Mylan Gaines, fun-seeking, talented, but not yet ready to settle down; J. Jordan Edwards, an up and coming Corporate Attorney who has been bitten by Jungle Fever, and then there's Terrance Newsome, NBA standout who will do anything to reclaim the love of his high school sweetheart.
Experience the joys of friendship, the value of family, and the determination of a young woman destined to one day have the love she has always dreamed of despite the many obstacles she must overcome. You'll laugh, cry, scream and rejoice along the way. There will be highs, lows, twists, and turns. With realistic portrayals that easily transports readers into Khadejah's life; you'll see your girlfriend, sister, mother, co-worker, and even yourself in the characters that make this debut novel one to remember.Â
Praise and Reviews
"He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" is author, Tracy L. Darity's first novel about love - relationships between couples, family and friends. The novel follows protagonist, Khadejah Johnson - as a teenager experiencing love (or lust) for the first time through her adult years as she still attempts to find love. Khadejah goes through many trials and tribulations as she finds her own way through life and experiences many ups and downs in relationships around her - her relationship with her best friend, Vanisa, her parents, her siblings - older sister, Vanisa, and older brother, Joshua, an established businessman, who is extremely protective of his little sister and will come to her rescue in more ways than one.Â
Khadejah has her share of interesting men who come and go in her life from her first love, high school basketball star, Terrance, who ultimately breaks her heart through infidelity; the infamous Justice, an older man with his own set of problems - many of them Khadejah will have to find out the hard way. Khadejah's relationship with Justice produces two beautiful daughters - one with autism. Fast-forward a few years, Khadejah is now in corporate America with another set of issues to address. In walks charismatic, Aaron, Khadejah's coworker, who has his own share of drama, both on and off the job. Throughout her relationships, her first love, Terrance, seems to be a constant mainstay in Khadejah's life as he attempts to reclaim love once lost.Â
Though lengthy, "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" is an interesting read and many readers will reminisce about their own present and past relationships - love lost and gained and more importantly - lessons learned from each of these relationships regardless of outcome.Â
Review: 4.5 BeignetsÂ
Reviewed by SonyaÂ
Books and Beignets (BAB) Book ClubÂ
