cover image Who's Loving You

Who's Loving You

Mary B. Morrison, . . Kensington/Dafina, $24 (278pp) ISBN 978-0-7582-1514-7

In Morrison's disjointed latest, former madam Honey Thomas has come into $50 million of her former pimp Valentino's money, courtesy of semicrooked cop Sapphire Blue—who is pursuing her own agenda. Honey's new boyfriend, Grant Hill, is the first man to treat her well, but when he finds out about her past from his wastrel half-brother Benito, he's soon calling Honey all sorts of names and sleeping with single mother, stripper and aspiring actress Red Velvet. As Honey starts a group to help women who have been abused by men recover from their problems and get on their feet, Red Velvet is soon on the client list. In the meantime, Sapphire is also in love with Grant, the only man who ever treated her decently, and conspires to take him from Honey and pin the theft of Valentino's money on her. The plot bobs and weaves with the three women's and Grant's travails. Each preaches her own brand of empowerment, while all cut each other down over a man who never seems as special as any of them believe him to be. (Aug.)