Review: The Ultimate Betrayal by Kimberla Lawson Roby

My Review: 5-Stars

Ultimate Betrayal

The Ultimate Betrayal was the ultimate in writing craft. The dialogue between characters was one of the strongest elements in the novel. Kimberla is a master at dialogue that you can follow even without tags or beats. For me, there were so many life lessons to be learned from Alicia's story. Her battle was between her mind and heart. What she felt was expected versus her own desires. However, the breakout character was Melanie. Melanie battles something as an adult that we would expect to see in someone much younger. I felt her struggle scene by scene. The transformation of this character is glaring. Melanie is a living example of how crucial a role parents play in an individual's development. This wouldn't be a Reverend Curtis Black novel without the reverend appearing. One of the powerful sentiments he says, "there are so many times when we've done things that could have been prevented ... if only we'd kept our faith in God." Can I get an Amen?

I read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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About the Book

It’s been four years since twenty-eight-year old Alicia Black, daughter of Reverend Curtis Black, divorced her second husband, the most womanizing and corrupt man she has ever known. Since then, Alicia has been dating her first husband, Phillip Sullivan, a wonderfully kind and true man of God whom she’d hurt terribly by cheating on him. Alicia has worked hard to prove herself worthy of his trust once more, and when he asks her to marry him again, she couldn’t be happier. But Levi Cunningham, the drug dealer Alicia had an extramarital affair with, has just been released from prison, and he has completely turned his life around for the better. Still head-over-heels in love with Alicia, he will do whatever is necessary to win her back. Remarrying Phillip is the one thing Alicia has wanted for years, but she can’t get Levi out of her mind. Alicia and Phillip aren’t the only ones in the middle of a crisis. Their best friends, husband and wife Brad and Melanie Richardson, are struggling to keep their marriage together. Workaholic Brad is never home and has begun losing thousands on bad investments. Or so he says. Melanie, who is certain there’s more to the story, is determined to get at the truth. At the same time, her frustration and stress cause her to eat a lot less, and she behaves in an extreme fashion. Alicia worries that she could be suffering from anorexia, but Melanie steadfastly denies it. Their friendship begins to suffer, and it isn’t long before they’re talking to each other like enemies. Fresh betrayal leads to consequences no one saw coming, and Alicia’s relationship with Phillip might not be the only thing that needs saving. But is it already too late?

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About the Author

Kimberla Lawson Roby is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the popular Reverend Curtis Black Series. Those titles include: The Prodigal Son, A House Divided, The Reverend's Wife, Love, Honor, & Betray, Be Careful What You Pray For, The Best of Everything, Sin No More, Love & Lies, The Best-Kept Secret, Too Much of A Good Thing, and Casting the First Stone. Kimberla also has 10 standalone titles: A Christmas Prayer, The Perfect Marriage, Secret Obsession, A Deep Dark Secret, One in A Million, Changing Faces, A Taste of Reality, It's a Thin Line, Here & Now, and Behind Closed Doors. She lives with her husband in Rockford, Illinois. Web Site: kimroby.com, Facebook: facebook.com/kimberlalawsonroby, Twitter: twitter.com/KimberlaLRoby