Friends and Lovers (1997) (edit title/settings)

The name of this book is Friends and Lovers. It was written by Eric Jerome Dickey. An excellent book! I rate this book ten stars. A Very enjoyable read!.

The characters in this story are Shelby, Debra, Tyrell, and Leonard. Shelby is a flight attendent and has a part time lover named Bryce. They share the same space but apparently three's not a crowd as Shelby soon finds out. She packs her bags and goes to stay with her friend Debra who she's been tight with a day and forever. Debra and Shelby go to a concert and afterwards get something to eat. There Debra meets Leonard in the parking lot and is immediately drawn to him. After they bond and talk half the night and have a looong goodnight kiss they are together from here on out. WOW! In a way it made me kinda jealous to meet someone and fall in love almost in a couple of hours and not only that but have the feelings returned. I was all into Debra and Leonard's relationship.

It was just so heartwarming. So Leonard is a stand up comedian and he invites Debra and Shelby to the club to hear him preform. He also invites his boy Tyrell who has just gone through a break up with a women named Lisa. Lisa and Tyrell were lovers but she left him to go back to her husband who she had told him she didn't want nothing to do with. But she still wants her cake and eat it too so she still wants to hook up with Tyrell ever now and then. Tyrell isn't down and we can see how much he loathes this women! Can't blame him. So that night Tyrell Shelby and Debra share a table. Leonards's show is off the chain!

He takes Debra out and Tyrell gets stuck with Shelby. They kinda are in denial at this point. You know checking it other out but they're thinking Nah wouldn't work. But Shelby does put her finger in his dimple and name it Shelby's Cavern. They exchange snappy convo back and forth. So one day I forget who calls who and Shelby and Tyrell go for a drive to a beach. There's a lotta sexual tention in the air. They go to eat and the sexual tention in so thick you can cut it with a knife. Tyrell sneaks into a store and then he takes Shelby to the top floor and they pretend they are guest at the hotel and tell the maaid they aren't through with the room. Then they go at it like rabbits fast and furious. Again I was envious!

So while they're getting they're freak on Leonard and Debra are at the house spending quality time playing games. I like Debra's character because she's strong! Although she's clearly in love with Leonard she won't let him stay the night or hit without a ring on her finger. Single ladies if you love it put a ring on it. So after Obispo (the area Shelby and Tyrell were) Shelby decides that's that Tyrell was just a good lay. But after some time she calls him and asks him does we wanna see her but she tries to be smoove about it. After that Tyrell gives her the three keys.

I use to wonder what the three keys were but they're (key to his heart) (key to his apartment) (key to his car). WOW! Don't think anyone's ever given me 1 key! So about this time Shelby soon finds out she's pregnant. She tells Tyrell who starts thinking logically about the future and being the father his own father wasn't too him. Tyell and his father have a kind of distant relationship after his twin sister Mye caught him cheating. About this time Debra and Leonard are looking at houses. This is a real nice part in the book. One I read several times.

He asks her which house she wants. She picks on and they break in. It's for sale but why would the door be open. But I digress they share a moment and it's left to the imagination but you kinda now they had sex on the floor of the house. Then he tells her he's going to buy it for her. He then starts asking her about all her old boyfriends so he'll know what not to do to hurt her. Then he asks her if a friend of his was going to propose to a women he loved what would be the ideal way. She tells him on the beach at sunset and the next morning he pops the question on a beach at sunset. Aww Romantic.

So Tyrell is getting suspicious. Shelby tells him her period came back on but he doesn't see any pads in the trash. Lisa tells him she saw Shelby at the doctor's office. He tries to get her to confess that she's had a abortion but she won't admit it. She starts to leave for work but he mistakes her and tells her take her shit and go then! Yeah I agree with her when she looks at him and says you shouldn't say what you don't mean!

Shelby moves. Tyrelll moves. Shelby gets involved with a man named Richard who she doesn't love but he loves her and has put a ring on her finger. That's important to her because unlike her momma she doesn't want to die ringless. Tyrell kinda turns into a hoe and starts screwing all these women but they all look like Shelby. I think it was a part in the book I liked about how she was trying to move on but sometimes she didn't even want to go to sleep for fear her thoughts of him would keep her up yearning. Damn! I've been there.

So Debra and Richard are happy and married. Untill and this is the sad part. In the middle of the night Debra is visited by policemen telling her Leonard had an accident but he didn't survive. When Debra invites everyone back to her house to plan the funneral Richard who Shelby wasn't gonna invite forces hisself in on the trip. Just after brusing her up so Tyrell will see that she's his. Which is why he came in the first place. The house gets a little crowded in more ways than one. Debra is pissed cause Shelby forgot to mention she's been engaged. Tyrell is pissed cause she brought another nig to his friends home.

I think after a face of with Richard and Tyrell. Richard tells Shelby he knows she's been making calls to him. He also knows Tyrell sneaked in the room (and kissed her) when she spend the night in Debra's room. Richard is SOO annoying! He wanna them kinda guys that seem good on the outside but when you get to know them assholes! So she calls it off with him and he goes home. This part I found true. Dude owned a flower shop and didn't even send one flower.

Tyrell and Shelby make up and hook up again in his hotel room. Niiiice Scene. Then in the parking lot Richard attacks her. Some dudes show up just in time to save her. They go to pick up Tyrell's dad but he doesn't show. They comfort Debra who and this shocked me the girl that killed Leonard that night sh ows up on the doorsteps sobbing. I think Debra handled that amazingly well. They have the funneral and put Leonard to rest with a homecoming celebration! Debra tells Shelby and Tyrell she wants them to stay around and help raise her baby.

Good book! Excellent book. I give it ten stars. I liked the characters. They fit well together as couples. The story hads some heartwarming moments. Shown by Debra and Leonard and the way they developed from dating to a very loving marriage. Even when other women hit on him he was like my wallets in my wife's purse. They first time they made love. Shelby and Tyrell had some super sentous moments. When they were in Obispo and when they got back together. I aslo liked how when Tyrell was hanging with Leonard he was thinking how he couldn't wait to get back home to his Shelby. I liked the soft ness mixed with the sexiness of the couples.

I liked the sadness of the story in Leonard's death and how in a moment something can be taken away so we should cherish what we value most cause you never know. I like the lesson of waiting for the right person before giving yourself away. But not waiting too late.... If you find someone you need to hold on too them. I also felt Shelby when she got with Richard cuz he seemed okay and safe and she wanted to forget Tyrell but it didn't work out that way. This book had MANY MANY good points. I would deifinitely recommed it highly!