New York Times Best Selling Author, Kimberla Lawson Roby, first introduced us to Alicia Black in The Best of Everything. After shopping her way to divorce court amongst other things, Alicia is back in Be Careful What You Pray For, and has fallen head over heels in love with and married, Pastor JT Valentine. Not only is he handsome, but he’s just as ambitious and charismatic as Alicia’s father, the Reverend Curtis Black. I’ve been a fan of Roby since she debuted some years ago with Behind Closed Doors and she just keeps getting better. In Be Careful What You Pray For, Alicia tries to forgive herself for her mistakes in her first marriage, prove she’s worthy to others and convince herself that she deserves to be happy. Besides, Pastor Valentine is doing quite well financially, so he must be “the one”. As always Roby delivers an entertaining read. I always feel that I am right there with Alicia. When it comes to scandal, I don’t know how Roby does it. I always think I know where it’s going but she delivers some surprises. It was a page turner, but I finished the final chapter with a few thoughts that made me go ‘hhmmmm’.
In the real world I’ve met an Alicia or two. They think they’ve got everything figured out, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. They often refuse any advice from anyone because any and everyone is not qualified to tell them anything. You know this chic too, right? You’ll often hear them say things like, “I don’t need so-and-so’s advice because I grew up with 5 brothers and so I know the game.” Or, “I saw what my mother/sister/aunt went through.” Sometimes they even admit to past mistakes, “been there done that.” What baffles me is that most times, these women are in the same relationship gumbo as the rest of us, sometimes with extra hot sauce. They marry a man who’s game is tighter than their wack brothers, a junior version of their father/uncle/brother-in-law or the same guy they had before in a different package or income tax bracket. So my question is, when it comes to love and relationships, do we learn from watching others, or is experience the best teacher? Or do we ever learn at all? Your thoughts?
