Here you'll meet amazing authors who write romantic series. These excellent story-tellers will pull you into new world with characters who will make your hearts ache and plots that will keep your minds spinning. I'm thrilled to hopefully introduce you to writers you haven't met who you'll want to read over and over and over.
The reviews appear in reverse order with the most recent book at the top, so if you missed my review of a previous book in the series, simply scroll down on this same page to find it. If I highlight this same author again, that series will appear on a separate page, but all books in each series will always be posted together so you'll never have to hunt for them. I hope you'll like this spot and comment on ways to make it better.
(This is the fourth book in the series)
Book Blurb:
Dr. Vic Stafford has an enviable career, a gorgeous wife, and two handsome, well-behaved sons. He travels extensively without his family, but after twelve years of marriage, former beauty queen wife, Ramona has become cold and distant. He suspects all isn’t as it seems and sets out to discover what is behind her attitude change.
Ramona Stafford has lived a privileged life since her marriage to Vic. She spends her time doing charity work and making her husband, who is now the chief of surgery at the largest hospital in the south, look good. Mona has everything most women would kill for, but it’s not enough. She wants more, and Vic seems unable to give it to her.
Is money and status enough to keep their marriage alive?
Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015APGDB4
Here's What I Have to Say About the Book:
Vic and Ramona
are the most successful couple in the family with him being the Chief of
Surgery for a prominent Atlanta hospital and earning enough money to have all
of their dreams come true. Everything would be wonderful if only Vic had enough
time for his family or Ramona didn’t feel so isolated by the loss of his
attention. The “or” is the problem; he thinks one thing is the solution while
she’s convinced it’s the other.
This is a
classic tale of two people seeming to grow apart when the reality is that they
let one person’s ambition drive the entire relationship, and the loss of
balance is nearly their undoing. Vic wanted Ramona—a former beauty queen—to be
his trophy wife, a reflection of him in the medical community, a stay-at-home
mother, and the warm and exciting lover that he dreamed of. Ramona wanted to
please Vic. Life was simple until the promotion took him away from everything
they had been building as a couple. It got even more complicated when a young
athlete, new to Atlanta, becomes infatuated with Ramona and she doesn’t see the
wisdom of not accepting his attention.
Vic is furious
with jealousy, even though he knows that he’s been neglecting her. So typical
in relationships, people look at their partner when assigning blame and Vic is
no exception. Even though Ramona doesn’t share any intimacies with Ravon, the
handsome and wealthy basketball player, appearances lead to misunderstanding,
miscommunication leads to Ramona feeling attacked, and the fairy tale starts to
crumble.
To make matters
even worse, Ramona’s “I’ll show you,” attitude is mistaken as a desire to
betray her marriage. She’s actually taking up the challenge Vic threw in her
face to find some other way to occupy herself instead of sitting around missing
him. It was a harsh accusation and prodding that made it possible for the two
people who had been best friends for 15 years to suddenly find themselves
totally disconnected. What Ramona does may not be well-thought-out, but that’s
how people react to being insulted and feeling abandoned. WOW! Chicki Brown got
this so right!
Vic isn’t
entirely innocent in the “sending the wrong message” debacle. He’s resentful of
Ramona’s possessiveness. Although he admits she’s only expecting what he’s
always given her, he seems to want to punish her for complaining about the
state of their marriage rather than find a way to correct what he clearly knows
is causing the imbalance—he’s away from her too much. He wanted a clingy wife and
spoiled her to make her that way. Now that his job is demanding more than either of
them anticipated, Vic is the one who criticizes what his wife has become instead
of readjusting the family’s priorities. The sad thing is that he accepts and is
remorseful over his sons needing more of him and resentful over his wife also
having needs.
I love the complexity
of this story, the realness with regard to how people come to the crazy and
out-of-context conclusions they do, and the strong undercurrent that this
couple is so miserable because their love is so strong that they feel lost in
the new environment that Vic’s promotion has created. Rather than address the
hollowness they both are feeling, they make typical foolish mistakes that
nearly ruin the marriage. I’m so glad it didn’t get that bad because it’s clear
these two people belong together.
Once again,
Chicki Brown has created a story-line that pulls the reader into a new world of
emotional investment. You won’t want to put this book down until you find out
how a mess that only seems to keep getting bigger is finally resolved without
the marriage imploding. Excellent read!
My rating for
this book is:
Before you go, please enjoy this video of the song "I'm Losing You"
by The Temptations.
(This is the third book in the series)
Book Blurb:
New York TV personality Greg Stafford has been hiding a secret for years. When this secret is exposed to the world, he has to fight to restore his image with the public, his family and his belief in himself.
Therapist Rhani Drake spends her days listening to people’s problems and helping them to overcome their challenges. When Greg Stafford shows up at her office, she isn’t ready for the problems he creates in her life.
Purchase Link:
Here's What I Have to Say About the Book:
Another
amazing Stafford Brothers Story! Greg is by far the most damaged of the
brothers of this series, and that makes him very interesting. As I read his
story, I kept thinking that relationships are all about unraveling the
mysteries of the person you care about; romances are all about being willing to
make changes and take risks for love. This novel has it all.
It's
easy to get drawn into the characters in this book and care about what they
think and feel. There were times where I held my breath in anxious anticipation
of what a particular character would do next. And, as always, I absolutely love
the family dynamics that reveal so much about the characters and their
priorities. There are times when I wanted to shake Rhani and scream, “Girl,
what are you thinking?!?!” with all of the extra exclamation points and
question marks in bold and underlined. When you read this book, you’ll see what
I’m talking about. She had me thinking, “Naw, love isn’t really that dumb that
you would make those kinds of sacrifices.” But then I wondered why it isn’t.
Don’t we all say we want a man who would sacrifice anything and everything for
us? Yet, we cringe when a woman does it and feel like the feminist movement is
being betrayed. I have to wonder whether we have our priorities on straight
when we search for true love, find it, doubt it, resist all the signs a man
puts forth, and then don’t want to make the same types of sacrifices we dream
about and read romance novels fantasizing that the perfect man just might exist—without
questioning whether we would be willing to do what he needs in order to be his
perfect woman. Do any of y’all hear me? Don’t be mad at me. Grab Chicki’s books
and marvel at what a great writer she is that she will have you arguing about
whether Rhani and Greg should have done what they did, could have survived what
they went through, or would have grown stronger on the other side of it all.
Chicki Brown is an amazing writer; the story flowed effortlessly and artistically. She definitely painted a picture that pulled me in. Yeah, this book is all of that and certainly deserves the rating I gave.
While
this is a stand alone book, everyone should read the other books in this series
simply because Ms. Brown's style is so amazing and they are equally as
enjoyable.
My rating for this book:
If that's not enough to convince you to read this romance story, here's something I grabbed off the book series' Facebook page -- yes, Chicki has a fierce dedication to interacting with her fans. In 2015, USA Today recommended Don't Stop Till You Get Enough as one of the MUST READ books of the year on its Happy Ever After blog. Here's the link so that you can check it out, but I'm pasting what Michelle Monkou had to say to save you the trouble of scrolling. Told ya Chicki was awesome! http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2015/12/31/must-read-romances-2015-michelle-monkou/
Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough by Chicki Brown. Chicki Brown’s Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough, book three in her Stafford Brothers series, is a story that I read without stopping until I’d gotten to the end. There’s nothing more exciting than tossing the hero into hot — and really, really hot — water at the beginning of a story. The character, Greg Stafford, is written with a real touch that leaves the reader empathetic to his dilemma and mind-set. At the polar opposite, in profession and upbringing, is Rhani Drake, who sets the tone for the battle of wills. With introspection, humor and cautionary lessons, the romantic journey never strays into boredom or the other state of meh. Chicki Brown provides a well-rounded story that is a fun, enjoyable read and a pleasure to recommend for the top of the to-be-read pile.
(This is the second book in the series)
Driven to make a difference in the lives of the injured and deformed, Atlanta plastic surgeon, Charles Stafford gives up his successful practice to work with a medical organization in Nigeria. Awaiting him at the small village hospital is the beautiful and compassionate nurse, Adanna Okoro, who is everything he has ever wanted in a woman.
Adanna has returned to her homeland after graduation from a London nursing school. Her two desires in life are to help the sick in her nation and to marry a smart, motivated man. Charles enters her life like an answer from heaven, but cultural differences separate them. Adanna must choose between tradition and the man she has come to love.
Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KOYPVOM
Here's What I Have to Say About the Book . . .
One
of the most impressive elements of this story was the author's ability to make
me believe that she had done an incredible amount of research. Her depictions
of Nigeria and Atlanta were so crisp that I could almost imagine myself being
there. As for the story development, it was amazing. I could feel Adanna's
frustration with her family and her deep sense of compassion for the world
around her and the man who had suddenly appeared in her life. Charles was the
man we all want: smart, sexy, and unwavering in his love for Adanna. I was
really happy that the author gave them a way of being together without either
of them having to sacrifice their identities while both of them made
concessions to how they'd imagined their futures and careers.
When they meet, we feel like we’re truly in Nigeria, truly observing the lives of real people falling in love, truly hoping for that medical miracle and wanting faith to be enough this time as we watch it work its magic. Echoes of real life make us forget this is just fiction because Chicki Brown is that great a writer!
Early on, we get an impression that this story is also about fate. The author then proceeds to beautifully craft a love story that seduces us into believing that perhaps some situations in life truly are orchestrated by a higher power determined to bring love, happiness, and completeness into our lives. It’s such a powerful theme that is handled so delicately that the reader is barely aware of being fed that fantasy while gobbling down this delicious love story.
Seduction isn’t only about sexual tension, so this book is an example of why this author is perfect for this Special Spot. Adanna and Charles are great examples of what happens when two hearts allow themselves to be open to the tug of destinies more powerful than they had consciously desired for themselves. They got so much more than they bargained for when they accepted love and the challenges of a multicultural romance. I don’t want to give too much away, but your expectations will definitely be more than satisfied with this love story!
My rating for this book is:
 |
| I love that Chicki Brown lets us know what her characters look like. What a beautiful family! |
(This is the first book in the series)
Book Blurb
Gianne Marvray has been through the worst two years of her life physically and emotionally. After a battle with cancer and all it entails, she is finally ready to start living her life again. She wants to see new places, meet new people and experience new things, but she isn’t ready for the rollercoaster ride she’s about to embark on when she meets Las Vegas personal trainer and raw vegan foods advocate, Marc Stafford.
After a four year absence, Marc comes home to Atlanta to attend a family celebration in one of his brother’s honor. He’s not thrilled about seeing his father, but he has promised his mother that he won’t throw off the family balance by being the only one of their six sons absent. All Marc wants to do is make an appearance at the event and spend a little time with his brothers. Little does he know that this is the night he will meet the woman who will forever change his life.
Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUH6M3S
Opening Words from our Author:
I am so pleased to introduce
Brynette’s readers to the Stafford Brothers series. Over the three years it
took me to write this series, I came to love the brothers and their love
interests as though they were part of my natural family. My goal was to create
men who aren’t perfect but do everything in their power to be good examples to
their women, their family and their community. Please read on, and I hope
you’ll want to find out more about them.
– Chicki Brown
Before I launch right into the review, I'd love for you to enjoy the wonderful video Chicki prepared that introduced this series. She always does so much to make her series fun for the readers; from videos to Facebook parties to blog tours, you're bound to have fun when you're one of her fans! Simply follow this link to view it.
 |
| Who do you picture when you're reading those novels? When Chicki Brown host parties, she lets the fans peek into her imagination by showing the stars and models that represent those personalities she whips up for our enjoyment. Now that's talent! |
Here's What I Have to Say About The Book:
I
loved this story because Gianne was brave while also being vulnerable. She was
determined in her focus on life and love despite her health problems. Marc was
a strong character who was equally as determined in his views on health and
love. Their meeting was unexpected, their attraction was immediate, and their
commitment to each other was unwavering. It's also a great love story about
faith and family and healing.
That
was the review I wrote the first time I read this novel. I want to add, now
that I’m revamping the review for this section on series, adding that A Woman’s
Worth is the perfect start to this book series because it sets the tone for how
all of the Stafford Brothers feel about women in general. With their parents as
the examples and long-standing family traditions as the pattern, those men know
what loving relationships ought to look like. They understand what it means to
value and respect women. They have learned how to give strong women enough
space to have a bit of independence and growth but also hold them close enough
so they feel cherished and protected. That’s a balancing act that’s difficult,
and I’m not going to say that these men are flawless at it. These relationships
have their struggles. Hey, that’s life, right?
Chicki Brown brings the reality as strongly as
she brings the fantasy. That’s the beauty of her writing style. There’s
something magical about an author who doesn’t shy away from those tough
subjects in romances, because Lord knows it’s the make-or-break arguments that
bring us to our knees and make us want to hold on to that man (or woman) who
truly understands us, and loves us, and sticks by us. Yes, we want to escape
into another world when we read romance novels, but we want those worlds to be
believable, and this author never disappoints. I know that you will love Gianne
and Marc’s story, but you will also enjoy every book in this series. They are
well-written with unique perspectives and touching trials bound to draw you in
and hold you captive.
Just a reminder . . .
A Special Spot for Serial Seduction highlights series and you'll be able to find this entire series on one page. You'll always be able to link to the previous series that I've reviewed. My goal is to help you to find wonderful romance authors.
link to previous reviews of Jacinta Howard's series
link to previous reviews of Nia Forrester's series
link to previous reviews of Nia Forrester's series
Before you leave, don't forget to browse my books. Just click each title's tab at the top of the page or click Step Inside My Books for a selection of excerpts.
This is awesome, Brynette! Thank you for such a great review and for the wonderful exposure.
ReplyDelete