My Review: Jezebel's Daughter by Jacquelin Thomas

I was privileged to receive a copy of Jezebel's Daughter before it's June 2nd debut in exchange for a honest review.

My Review:

Whew! What a twisty-good read. My grandmother used to make soup and what was great about it was that she threw everything in there. But all the ingredients came together for some seriously good soup. Jezebel's Daughter was all that and then some. Jacquelin Thomas had romance, repentance, redemption, revenge, remorse, retaliation, religion which made for a sizzling read. She artfully weaved multiple characters and their storylines toward a finale that left me stunned and wanting more. All I can say is nothing turned out how I imagined and there were a few "Oh, snap" moments in this soap opera. Great storytelling. And look at that cover. Can we say hot?

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About the Book

Jessie Belle Deveraux is gone, but her legacy lives on …
Natalia Winters vowed revenge on Jessie Belle from the moment she discovered the reason her father committed suicide. Her pampered, rich girl reputation puts her at odds with almost everyone, but is she sinister enough to push Jessie Belle over the balcony?
Reina Cannon spends her days as a much sought after hairstylist and her nights reliving the cruelty of her childhood. For years, she has lived for revenge; to make Jessie Belle suffer for the pain she caused Reina. Her sweet smile and look of innocence is a ruse, a carefully calculated effort to hide a surprising and dangerous truth. 
Chrissy Barton yearned to take revenge on Jessie Belle—to pay her back for the beating she suffered by unknown assailants. She was no longer a prostitute, but she had never forgotten the triumphant look Jessie Belle had given her … at that very moment, Chrissy vowed she would pay with her life.
Three women from very different worlds … a common goal 
However, Jessie Belle’s family is determined to discover the truth behind the night she ended up on the pavement below her bedroom.

Excerpt

            The Beginning …

February 1968

“She gon’ have to go through the labor and birth this child,” the midwife said in a low voice. 

“She pretty far ‘long with this one.”

“Her daddy has no idea that she’s pregnant, Gloria.  There is absolutely no way we can go back home with a newborn.”

“Anabeth, why in the world did you wait so long to bring her here? You know how this works.”

She glanced over her shoulder at her sixteen-year-old daughter, and then back at Gloria.  “She was trying to keep it.  She had some fancy ideas about marrying the father, but that ain’t never gonna happen.” Anabeth began pacing back and forth.  “This will kill Elias if he finds out.”

“She looks to be around thirty weeks, give or take a week.  I can induce labor.  Chances are the child will not survive.”

“But what if it does?” Anabeth asked.  “My daughter has this foolish idea about keeping this child.”

“We will tell her that the child is dead,” Gloria stated.

“I paid you well.  This cannot ever come back to haunt my family.”  Anabeth’s tone was cold and exact.

“Mama …” Jessie Belle uttered from the small bed.  “Is something wrong?”

“See to your daughter while I get everything ready,” Gloria suggested.  “I’m gonna put the medication in the IV.”

“Promise me,” Anabeth insisted, grasping Gloria’s arm firmly.  “Regardless of

what happens tonight, my daughter and I were never here.”  Her voice was stern with no vestige of sympathy in its hardness.  “This can never be traced back to me or my daughter.”

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About the Author

Jacquelin Thomas is an award winning, best selling author with 50+ titles published. Her books have garnered several awards, including two EMMA awards, the Romance In Color Reviewers Award, Readers Choice Award and the Atlanta Choice Award in the Religious & Spiritual category. Jacquelin was a 2005 honoree at the Houston Black Film Festival for the movie adaptation of her novel, Hidden Blessings. She was the first recipient to receive the Writers Achievement Award at the North Carolina Book Festival in Winston-Salem. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times Magazine.

Jacquelin has published in the romance, women's fiction, inspirational and young adult genres. Her second book in the YA series, Divine Confidential was nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Award. Jacquelin is the publishing manager of Jacquelin Thomas Presents, an imprint with Brown Girls Publishing.

Jacquelin is happily married to her best friend and is the proud mother of three children. Jacquelin and her family live in North Carolina.

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