Domestically Cursed: A Story on Partnership Violence by Renair Amin

Publisher/Date:  Glover Lane Press, Apr. 2013
Genre(s):  Lesbian Real Life, How to Guide
Pages:  39
Website:  http://www.renairamin.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

When your back is against the wall – figuratively and literally – in an abusive relationship, you can either sign your permission slip for the beatings to happen again or you can fight to save your life. Although it took more than one instance for her to decide which way to go, Renair Amin finally figured it out in DOMESTICALLY CURSED: A STORY ON PARTNERSHIP VIOLENCE.

Though the media would have one to believe same-sex abuse doesn’t happen or is not as dire or critical because it’s two women or two men, it is. According to lambda.org, the rates of domestic violence in same-gender relationships is roughly the same as domestic violence against heterosexual women (25%). Amin knows the devastating effects, and Dometically Cursed is her contribution to stop this epidemic…or save a life.

Domestically Cursed is Amin’s time in a relationship she knew from jump would be no good for her. She was 21, dating Chris, a woman twice her age. Amin wasn’t exactly what Chris wanted, but she tried to make it work. Her age and inexperience led her stay in an over-her-head relationship, with many nights of torture from the woman who supposedly loved her.

Hindsight being 20/20, Amin had her instincts about the relationship. Her friends expressed concern. Her mother warned her against it. Even Chris warned her, telling her, “I beat my women.” She brushed these red signs aside. Nothing could deter Amin from being with this woman. Chris’ aggressive nature drew her in, but it soon was used against her to abandon her friends, be talked down to and be beaten on a regular basis. She had signed her permission slip, so to speak, to allow it to happen, but it couldn’t continue.

This is where Amin’s story takes off. Maybe I shouldn’t use the word story because this was her life. She survives the abuse, and fortunately, realized what void Chris filled in her life to allow her stay in such a dysfunctional relationship. Any woman reading Amin’s words can place themselves in her shoes, if they haven’t already been there themselves. She conveys what an abuser really is. She also provides invaluable resources to get help for women stuck in this situation. Because there is a way out.

Amin – minister, motivational speaker, and life coach – can attest to that.

Reviewed June 2013

Read the Catching Up With… Interview with Renair Amin

Pulling Me Back by GStarr

Publisher/Date:  UrbanL Publishing LLC, Aug. 2009
Genre(s):  Romance, Drama
Pages:  261
Website:  http://www.urbanlpublishing.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

There’s always a fine line in friendships between women, a boundary that when crossed the pair is never the same again. That’s the invisible line Bre Morgan and Jordan Powers find themselves straddling when they become lovers in GStarr’s PULLING ME BACK.

The debut novel from UrbanL Publishing, run by authors V. Bella and GStarr, is a dramatic page-turner. Bre and Jordan never thought they’d end up with each other, especially since Bre is in love with a man at the start of the novel. Spoiled and sheltered, Bre oversees her father’s successful real estate firm and pretty much gets whatever she wants – except a commitment from her always-absent boyfriend, Sean. Dating for four years, they only see each other three times a month supposedly because of his job. Their fly-by-night relationship doesn’t exactly fit into Bre’s plans of being married with kids – she’s 33 – and his infrequent visits make her wonder what Sean is up to when he’s not with her.

Jordan, on the other hand, is 35 and avoids commitment like a trip to the gynecologist. While she doesn’t call herself a playa per se, her motto is “to satisfy yourself…first.” She can pull just about any woman, but when the thrill is gone, Jordan simply moves on to the next. Mya is her latest conquest, but the long-distance nature of their relationship is tedious, especially when she has eye candy like Bre to hang out with: perfect petite figure, long luxurious hair, small apple bottom ass.

The friends both believe they shouldn’t cross that line, but it happens one night not so unexpectedly. The sexual tension building between Bre and Jordan came together so smoothly that it scares both women. Jordan feels herself falling in love, and Bre is just trying to deal with being intimate with a woman for the first time. Is she a lesbian? What does all this mean? She already has enough to worry about with her family falling apart at the seams.

While it was inevitable that their friendship could translate into a romance, no one but GStarr could have predicted how volatile it would become. Secondary characters weave their way into Pulling Me Back in the most interesting fashion, and drama ensues. That alone makes GStarr’s first novel unforgettable.  I was drawn into the “will-they or won’t they” commotion between Jordan and Bre, and the sex scenes are sizzling.

Pulling Me Back will reel you in – and keep you hooked for pages on end.

Reviewed August 2010

Valentine’s Day E-Book Special

This Valentine’s Day, Sistahs on the Shelf is providing a little love by featuring four reviews of e-books all about love, romance and passion to heighten your holiday. What’s good about these electronic books is that most are no more than a few dollars to download. Clicking on each book will direct you to where to purchase a copy.

Also for your pleasure are 10 Tips for an Awesome Valentine’s Day and 10 Tips to a Sexy Valentine’s Day to make the most of Valentine’s Day with your lover, written by erotica writers Stephanie Rose and Ms. Erotica.

So read on and enjoy this special day — whether single or attached!

How to Love a Black Lesbian by Velvet Knight and Joy A’Che

Publisher/Date:  Sexy Black Rainbows Entertainment, Feb. 2010
Genre:  Relationship Guide
Pages:  26
Website:  http://www.sexyblackrainbows.com

Rating: ★★★★★ 

If you’ve ever been in love, want to be in love or are in love right now, HOW TO LOVE A BLACK LESBIAN is the e-book you must read. Within the pages lie the simple truths about loving a black female.

Velvet Knight and Joy A’Che break down what it takes to deeply care for a woman — from her head to her toes. Yet it goes further than just loving the physical aspects of your mate. Getting to know her mind, soul and spirit is vital according to the authors, who preach that “starting from the outside and going in” is the best way to enjoy the qualities your other half possesses.

First, the relationship manual stresses discovering what makes your lover tick. For example, knowing exactly why she became a lesbian is a key to whom she is as a person. So ask her. The authors say “to love a lesbian you should know why one is a lesbian.” Her attitude and response to the question should reveal more her character and her heart.

But don’t think that loving a woman’s body is not important. Knight and A’Che emphasize adoring every single part of your lover, her touch, and even her imperfections. I like how the authors play up the importance of swagger – whether she’s femme, stud or in the middle – as another facet to enjoy about your partner’s confidence in being female.

For right in time for Valentine’s Day, How to Love a Black Lesbian is definitely required reading. Knight and A’Che provide a sensual guidebook for beautiful African-American women who love women. Anyone in or out of a relationship should read this how-to because it’s an excellent blueprint to building a solid foundation with your lover.

Reviewed February 2010