After reading Single Mama Drama I was hoping to find that the sequel be a bit more entertaining or at least somewhat more fulfilling than it actually is. Maybe it is not the issue of it not being fulfilling, because it does pick up where the first book left off and gives some closure to the events of Single Mama Drama, but the only word I can use to describe the way I felt as I read Single Mama's Got More Drama was "unnecessary". I still haven't finished the book and I'm not sure I'm going to. I'm glad I checked it out from the library instead of buying it or even using one of my credits at one of the book-swapping club websites I'm a member of because I really don't feel the book was even worth that much.
Where Single Mama Drama left off with Vanessa fighting what seems to be an uphill battle with Tassie Johnson, the widow of Eli Johnson, Vanessa's so-called fiance, Single Mama's Got More Drama picks up. Vanessa wins the battle, though she does it with the help of Lewis, her ex who wants to both make amends and make her his wife. Why the change of heart in Lewis? Who knows? In the previous book he proposes to Vanessa and she doesn't accept his proposal, but she doesn't turn him down either, which leads him to believe that she wants to give him another chance, when really she wants to use him to fight Tassie Johnson and keep her condo. We later find out that Lewis is not really on the up and up and Vanessa gets more trouble than she bargained for. Then Byron, Vanessa's ex and father of her child, appears out of nowhere making demands to see their daughter. All of this is going on while Vanessa is still pining over Chaz, the seemingly perfect motivational speaker whom she lied to for no good reason and thereby betraying his trust. My problem with the book: It's too long. The book itself isn't long, but considering all the parts I either skimmed or skipped and the fact that I just glanced at the last couple of pages and figured out the very predictable ending, the book is way too long. There's several parts of the story which I felt were unnecessary and added absolutely nothing to anything, like Nikki, Vanessa's overbearing, yet loving sister and the drama that came along with her. Actually, I felt the entire book was unnecessary and that maybe Single Mama Drama should've been a few pages longer so that there wouldn't have been a sequel. Then it also bugs me to see seemingly intelligent women be so stupid when it comes to men. I think that's just a personal pet peeve of mine, but why never make it clear whether or not you really want to be engaged to someone when you don't? The whole issue with the condo and using any means necessary to keep it went over my head. I personally don't believe I would want to keep it if the man I loved had completely turned my life upside down and made me miserable even months after his death. It'll upset Rayna, Vanessa's daughter? She's two years old, she won't know the difference...possibly she'll notice, but at such a young age she'll grow out of it. Find a place for you and her that you can actually afford and make new, more pleasant memories. Why fight with the estranged widow who considers you a home-wrecker and has called you every name under the sun except beautiful over a man that lied to you both when you could do something more productive with your time, like move on with your life? I know your name was on the lease, but let go of Eli and let go of the condo that is out of your budget. It was your dream home that was supposed to go along with your dream life, but the dream life turned into a nightmare. Let it go. Last, but not least, why didn't she just tell Chaz that Rayna's father was a deadbeat instead of lying and making Chaz believe that Eli was her father? Would the truth have been so devastating that Chaz wouldn't have been able to handle it? I guess so. Forgive me for rambling, but that's the end of my rant.
I'm actually a fan of Kayla Perrin's, but I just feel like she fell short with this one. So, I'll be happily taking this one back to the library and not recommending it to anyone.
Tara Meshale
Where Single Mama Drama left off with Vanessa fighting what seems to be an uphill battle with Tassie Johnson, the widow of Eli Johnson, Vanessa's so-called fiance, Single Mama's Got More Drama picks up. Vanessa wins the battle, though she does it with the help of Lewis, her ex who wants to both make amends and make her his wife. Why the change of heart in Lewis? Who knows? In the previous book he proposes to Vanessa and she doesn't accept his proposal, but she doesn't turn him down either, which leads him to believe that she wants to give him another chance, when really she wants to use him to fight Tassie Johnson and keep her condo. We later find out that Lewis is not really on the up and up and Vanessa gets more trouble than she bargained for. Then Byron, Vanessa's ex and father of her child, appears out of nowhere making demands to see their daughter. All of this is going on while Vanessa is still pining over Chaz, the seemingly perfect motivational speaker whom she lied to for no good reason and thereby betraying his trust. My problem with the book: It's too long. The book itself isn't long, but considering all the parts I either skimmed or skipped and the fact that I just glanced at the last couple of pages and figured out the very predictable ending, the book is way too long. There's several parts of the story which I felt were unnecessary and added absolutely nothing to anything, like Nikki, Vanessa's overbearing, yet loving sister and the drama that came along with her. Actually, I felt the entire book was unnecessary and that maybe Single Mama Drama should've been a few pages longer so that there wouldn't have been a sequel. Then it also bugs me to see seemingly intelligent women be so stupid when it comes to men. I think that's just a personal pet peeve of mine, but why never make it clear whether or not you really want to be engaged to someone when you don't? The whole issue with the condo and using any means necessary to keep it went over my head. I personally don't believe I would want to keep it if the man I loved had completely turned my life upside down and made me miserable even months after his death. It'll upset Rayna, Vanessa's daughter? She's two years old, she won't know the difference...possibly she'll notice, but at such a young age she'll grow out of it. Find a place for you and her that you can actually afford and make new, more pleasant memories. Why fight with the estranged widow who considers you a home-wrecker and has called you every name under the sun except beautiful over a man that lied to you both when you could do something more productive with your time, like move on with your life? I know your name was on the lease, but let go of Eli and let go of the condo that is out of your budget. It was your dream home that was supposed to go along with your dream life, but the dream life turned into a nightmare. Let it go. Last, but not least, why didn't she just tell Chaz that Rayna's father was a deadbeat instead of lying and making Chaz believe that Eli was her father? Would the truth have been so devastating that Chaz wouldn't have been able to handle it? I guess so. Forgive me for rambling, but that's the end of my rant.
I'm actually a fan of Kayla Perrin's, but I just feel like she fell short with this one. So, I'll be happily taking this one back to the library and not recommending it to anyone.
Tara Meshale
