A New Type of Love
Love to many is plain and simple as black and white, or is it? What would you do if you found yourself in a situation, experiencing a love like you have never felt before? I know I would enjoy it but cautiously. Maxine Thompson, Michelle McGriff and Denise Campbell use their characters to show what others might do in Never Knew Love Like This Before.

In Denise Campbell’s The Value of a Man, we are introduced to best friends Morgan and Alexandra. Morgan was a successful woman in business, and could be equally successful in love, if she was not confused about which of the men in her life she wanted to have a future. When she felt as if she was being pressured, she got on the next thing smoking out of New York, finding herself halfway around the world, placing space between her and her problems. Each man in her life was very different than the other, Bruce, the cocky cop; Troy, the bad boy; and Isaiah, the laid-back seasoned brother. Who would guess going all the way to Germany would make her life even more complicated? In a turn of events, all the choices Morgan was trying to make seemed to work themself out; along with Alexandra finally shedding light on a secret she has been keeping for years.

Change of Life by Michelle McGriff is a story that reflects the title in more ways than one. Glenda has to have everything planned. She is never left bewildered for any reason at all. She gives advice to her assistant, Gerri, who was having some issues in her marriage. Would Glenda be able to take her own advice, when on the day she found about a major life change, her husband, Simi, decided to flip her world upside down. This was when she realized her home life was not as great as she thought. But is Glenda really prepared for the changes ahead?

Left at the altar, infidelity, racism, and a natural disaster led two strangers to a new meaning of unconditional love, in Katrina Blues by Maxine Thompson. Coleman Blue, a jazz musician was forced to leave New Orleans due to Katrina, but not for that reason alone. He wanted to get away from his past. Deni Richards, “a court-appointed county counsel” was searching for the missing piece of her life. Her family called her a sellout, while others thought she was uptight. After viewing the horrific scenes of the Katrina survivors, she decided to do her part, by opening her home to a family in need. However, home is not the only thing she finds opening up. Out of all three stories this one touched me the most. This statement brought tears to my eyes, “I see the flood. I see bodies. I see my mom.”

Just like I will never forget the melodic voice of Stephanie Mills, when she sang the words of one of my favorite songs, Never Knew Love Like This Before, I will not easily forget some of the characters from this book, ironically titled the same, by Maxine Thompson, Michelle McGriff, and Denise Campbell. I truly enjoyed the diversity in the characters, and the lives they lived. They were memorable. However, there were some uncorrected errors, and an area of inconsistency but everything else was executed correctly. I recommend Never Knew Love Like This Before to anyone looking for a simple, quick, and enjoyable book.

Jennifer Coissiere

APOOO BookClub