WARNING: This book contains EXPLICIT VIOLENCE (gang shootout of a venue) and EXPLICIT SEXUAL ASSAULT (of the FMC). Reader discretion is advised. This book also ends on a CLIFFHANGER, as the story concludes in The Lyrics To His Song Part 2.
The Lyrics To His Song is romance between Audrey Gibson, in a dysfunctional relationship with a up-and-coming rap mogul Sean Lee, but when she saw superstar Antwan Jared, things changed drastically, and not necessarily for the better. The people in this book are foul-mouthed black hood folks. Women got treated like doormat and know how to seize any advantage when offered. Only family is forever, and blood must avenge blood. It is... deeply disturbing.
Audrey had been in love with Sean since they were children, and she was pregnant with Sean's child when a driver ran a red light and T-boned the car she was riding with her brother. Her brother was killed instantly, and she spent 3 months in a coma, she lost her child, and she to receive a heart transplant, and lost her child... who turned out to be Antwan (and his twin brother Apollo)'s mother, who had the kids in secret after she was raped by a major record executive. AJ. Miller. Ever since Audrey woke up, she got dreams and memories from the heart's original owner in snatches. Audrey was just toiling away in a Foot Locker, and managed to make assistant manager, while Sean was away on tour with Antwan Jared, one of the few remaining true Gangsta Rap rappers talking guns and killing and ho's. Audrey hated the music industry because Sean changed after he had joined, and never gave her any money despite reputedly earning six figures. Then one day Antwan Jared walked into her Footlocker, and offered her chance of a lifetime: compete for a songwriter position at his company. Andrey had enough with Sean, as Sean apparently also had a thing for her sister, and possibly other girls too, not to mention whoever he gets his hands on while on tour. So she took the plunge and wrote a song to absolutely positively piss Sean off (she co-wrote a good portion of Sean's songs any way). But Antwan's offer was... complicated. Antwan knew that Audrey was special to him, not just because she had his mother's heart, but also he felt a connection to her that even he cannot explain. And with that offer, EVERYTHING changed...
WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD
As the story continues, Antwan knew Audrey would win, but Sean was pissed off being caught in a lie, as he previously lied about working on some songs. Instead, he showed up with some girl, high on something, at Antwan's club. When Audrey got home, Sean, high on whatever substances he had ingested, raped Audrey (in the backdoor), left her bruised, then went on radio next day to announced they were getting engaged. Sean was also partnering with AJ Miller, whom Antwan never forgave, to take over Antwan's company. Audrey, being a total doormat (but fighting back passive aggressive, like shading) accepted the engagement ring (as Sean apparently did not remember abusing Audrey) because her parents apparently waited for the engagement. Was Sean just trying to "mark" his girl? Was Antwan after Audrey just because Sean works with AJ Miller?
Next day, Antwan tried to, but failed to keep his brother Apollo out of trouble. When Apollo died in the club shootout and Antwan was seriously wounded, Andrey had to decide which way she will go... Back to Sean if he goes into rehab (what if he relapses?) thus taking the safe option, or go with Antwan and see where the life takes them?
Wow, that's seriously a lot of plot and background angst in the novels, and the rough language and rough background of some of the characters, like cheating husbands, Audrey not knowing Sean had already fathered two children without telling her, and a lot of all-around doormat behavior... It is a lot to handle. I am NOT African American so my exposure to the gangsta culture is mostly via inference, and it is a bit of a culture shock. And in the deepest level, it is still about family expectations vs. what one's heart wanted. Yet there's just so much douchebaggery around that one can't help but be depressed... Is there going to be ANY karma in this book? And no, nothing in this half.
And the cliffhanger ending didn't help either. Characters are deep, yet shallow at the same time. There sure are a lot of dimensions to them, but many of them seem to be more interested in money and lifestyle, not fulfillment, which is why I say... shallow. It is a complicated world. And at its core, it's Audrey and a love triangle: engaged to Sean she no longer loved, and wanted Antwan she wanted but cannot have.
In the end, I had to give it 3 stars, -1 for being a cliffhanger, and way too much douchebaggery in this world.
Category: Contemporary
Primary Plot: Woman is engaged to a man she cannot love; she wanted a man she cannot have...
Tropes: performer, triangle, violence, cliffhanger, assault
Overall Rating: 3/5
No comments:
Post a Comment