In the Company of My Sistahs by Angie Daniels

Publisher/Date:  Dafina, Jan. 2007
Genre(s):  Contemporary Fiction, Straight Books with Lesbian Characters
Pages:  448
Website:  http://www.angiedaniels.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

The tomfoolery of four females in Jamaica is at the center of IN THE COMPANY OF MY SISTAHS, written in fun and all seriousness by romance author Angie Daniels.

Sistahs reads like a black soap opera with all the drama consumed in its 488 pages. The book is mostly narrated by Renee Moore, the wild child of the women, who has been through two failed marriages. It will soon be three if Renee can help it. And what her current husband doesn’t give her, she finds in frivolous flings. Going on this trip with her sister and two friends was just what she needs to make a decision about her marriage – if she can manage the time between her many suitors on the island.

Her big sister, Lisa, is using this trip to break some heart-wrenching news to her younger sibling. Figuring the sun and surf of Jamaica would provide a relaxing backdrop to reveal her devastating confession, she only hopes that the secret will help Renee realize that life is too short to take granted.

If anyone needs that lesson it’s their friend Kayla, who has resorted to being the mistress of a married man. She spends most of her time catering to the illicit ills of a Baptist preacher whom she’s sure will leave his wife and soon make her a minister’s wife. Kayla can’t see beyond her weight that she is a woman worthy to be loved. A man she meets on the island hopes to change her mind.

Last, but certainly not least, is Nadine, a closeted lesbian who has a great relationship with her lover, Jordan. She knows Jordan is exactly what she needs in her life, but familial obligations won’t allow her to reveal the woman she’s in love with – even to her closest friends.

I could turn the pages fast enough with Sistahs, and I didn’t want to because I was afraid I would miss something. The plot is so detailed and the characters’ flaws were so undisguised. Daniels wrote the novel in a candid and honest fashion, almost the point you wanted to knock some sense into the ladies. She also provided enough background of the characters that you could understand why they do what they do. And by the book’s end, you realize that they are far from perfect.

I would definitely recommend Sistahs for anyone who wants a quick and entertaining story with heart.

Reviewed February 2008