Too Much of a Good Thing (Reverend Curtis Black Series #2)

Too Much of a Good Thing (Reverend Curtis Black Series #2)

by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Too Much of a Good Thing (Reverend Curtis Black Series #2)

Too Much of a Good Thing (Reverend Curtis Black Series #2)

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Paperback(Reprint)

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Overview

In the sequel to the enormously successful Casting the First Stone, Kimberla Lawson Roby brings back a character readers love to hate.

Curtis Black might be a man of the cloth, but with his irresistible looks, seductive charm, and charismatic personality, he's particularly beloved by his female parishioners––and almost every other woman he's ever met.

The trouble is, Curtis is married. At first he tries to resist temptation, but not for long. His insatiable appetite for women quickly gets the best of him. Eventually, the women in Curtis's life find that with a little careful planning––sneaky and otherwise––they can help Curtis reap the punishment that he so richly deserves.

In this captivating and dramatic sequel to Casting the First Stone, Kimberla Lawson Roby, with her trademark with and insight, sets sparks flying.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780060568504
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 02/01/2005
Series: Reverend Curtis Black Series , #2
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 528,609
Product dimensions: 5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.76(d)

About the Author

About The Author
Kimberla Lawson Robyis the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Reverend Curtis Black series as well as many other novels and novellas. She lives with her husband in Rockford, Illinois.

Read an Excerpt

Too Much of a Good Thing

Chapter One

A Year Later

Mariah Johnson Black smiled proudly as her husband neared the end of his morning message. It just didn't seem real, him actually being senior pastor of Truth Missionary Baptist Church or that he'd chosen her to be his wife. It didn't seem real that he'd wanted a woman who'd grown up in a run-down two-bedroom apartment on the West Side of Chicago that also housed her single mother and five siblings. But he always reminded her that he'd grown up with nothing himself. Still, every now and then, she had to pinch herself, because she couldn't believe how happy she was. She couldn't believe they'd only been married six short months, and yet Curtis had already bought her a six-thousand-square-foot house in Covington Park, the most expensive Mercedes that Daimler manufactured, and best of all, she didn't have to work for anyone. All she had to do was be the best wife she could be to Curtis and the best first lady to their congregation -- two things Curtis said his first wife, Tanya, wasn't capable of. Mariah almost felt sorry for Tanya, because she couldn't imagine how painful it must have been, once Tanya realized what she'd given up. Curtis had told Mariah about Tanya's affair with James, and Mariah couldn't understand how Tanya even considered being with another man. Especially when she had someone as fine-looking and considerate as Curtis. Especially since he had only been with another woman -- Adrienne -- on two separate occasions. Curtis had told Mariah how he'd apologized and tried to explain everything to Tanya, but that she wasn't willing to forgive him. He'd tried to make Tanya see that this random act of adultery had only occurred because Satan was trying to attack him and their marriage. He'd told Tanya that the only reason God had allowed it to happen was because He wanted to see how strong their faith was and how committed they were to each other as husband and wife.

But thankfully, all of that was behind them now, and while she wasn't happy about Curtis and Tanya's marriage ending in divorce, she knew it was the only reason she was now sitting on the second pew, dressed in a royal blue suit, a matching hat, matching purse, and matching three-inch heels. Mariah also knew that Curtis would never have paid her the least bit of attention if they hadn't worked for the same agency. He'd told her more than once that she was beautiful, but she knew it was only because he felt obligated to do so and not because it was true. She'd been a bit on the heavy side growing up, and her schoolmates had teased her daily. So by the time she was a teenager, she'd lost all confidence in herself and in the way she looked.

But in terms of her feelings for Curtis, she'd actually liked him from the very beginning and had fallen in love with him right after their first date. He was strong, compassionate, tall, dark, and handsome, and from that point she started praying for their relationship to become serious. She prayed that God would give her Curtis even if it meant she had to go without something else in life, whatever that had to be. So when he asked her to marry him, she knew for sure that God answered all prayers.

Mariah watched Curtis twirl his hands, demonstrating what he was saying.

"God will allow you to experience every twist and turn in the road until you are as strong as He needs you to be ... until you are strong enough to deal with any trial or tribulation thrown your way," Curtis said. "And when it comes to success and prosperity, we have to take the same attitude. Sometimes we find ourselves climbing higher and higher in our chosen careers and all of a sudden a monkey wrench is thrown into the program. And of course, we as human beings don't understand it. We don't understand why God would give us such great success and then, for whatever reason, take us down a notch or two. But the best way I can explain it is to tell you what I heard on the radio last week. I was driving along, listening to 106.3, and it was then that I heard T. D. Jakes make one of the most profound statements. He said, 'A set-back is a setup for a comeback.'"

The congregation roared with amens and a good number of people waved their bulletins at Curtis, agreeing with what he was saying.

Curtis thrived on member participation and repeated in song what the crowd wanted to hear him say again. "I said, a setback is a setup for a comeback."

"Oh, thank you, Jesus!" one woman stood and yelled out.

"Glory be to God!" another added with her hands lifted toward the ceiling.

"Boy, you know you workin' that Word on us today!" an older gentleman offered.

The organist played a few notes, and Mariah stood with her hands on both hips, waving her head from side to side with quick movements, giving Curtis approval. Then a woman jumped from her seat, shouting her way across three people sitting on the same row. This, of course, was all Curtis needed to see in order to switch into his deep southern preaching mode. He'd told Mariah that he thought it was totally ridiculous to sing the ending of every sermon, but that he'd learned during his days at Faith that his older members didn't feel like a pastor could preach if he didn't do a little whooping and singing with it ...

Too Much of a Good Thing. Copyright © by Kimberla Roby. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

Reading Group Guide

Introduction

Curtis Black might be a man of the cloth, but with his irresistible looks, seductive charm, and charismatic personality, he's particularly beloved by his female parishioners -- and almost every other woman he's ever met.

The trouble is, Curtis is married. At first he tries to resist temptation, but not for long. His insatiable appetite for women quickly gets the best of him. Overwhelmed by his sizzling love affairs and busy trying to convince the deacon board of the need for an ATM in the back of the church, Curtis has his hands full. Meanwhile Mariah, his second wife, is slowly discovering that beneath the tranquil and loving facade of their marriage a storm of lies and betrayal is about to rage.

Not to mention that Curtis's already shaky relationship with his teenaged daughter, Alicia, has reached the breaking point. Feeling neglected and unloved, Alicia searches for solace in the arms of a stranger, and before long she finds herself in a dangerous situation.

Eventually, the women in Curtis's life find that with a little careful planning -- sneaky and otherwise -- they can help Curtis reap the punishment that he so richly deserves. In this captivating and dramatic sequel to Casting the First Stone, Kimberla Lawson Roby, with her trademark wit and insight, sets sparks flying.

Questions for Discussion

  1. When you first began reading Too Much of a Good Thing, were you surprised that Curtis had decided to return to the ministry?

  2. Do you feel that Mariah is typical in terms of some women wanting to marry men with money or men who have a certain amount of power?

  3. In your opinion, was Curtistruly called by God to preach or did he decide on his own to become a minister?

  4. Why do you think Alicia resorted to dating on the Internet?

  5. Do you feel that Curtis and/or Tanya could have prevented Alicia from meeting J-Money on-line? What about in person?

  6. Do you believe that real-life ministers in your own city spend social time together, discussing their corrupt ways, the same as Curtis, Tyler, Malcolm and Cletus did?

  7. When Adrienne was first re-introduced, did you think she would begin seeing Curtis again?

  8. Do you feel that Mariah acted accordingly by staying with Curtis for as long as she did? Do you believe this is typical of most pastors' wives?

  9. In your recollection, have there been any major scandals in your city involving a pastor or church congregation?

  10. What do you believe can be done to stop pastors who are morally challenged and who have no respect for God or people as a whole?

  11. In the end, do you believe that Curtis Black has finally changed for the better?

  12. Would you like to see more of Curtis Black in the future?

About the author

A winner of the prestigious Blackboard Fiction Book of the Year Award, Kimberla Lawson Roby is the author of the bestselling novels A Taste of Reality, Behind Closed Doors, Here and Now, Casting the First Stone, and It's a Thin Line. She lives in Rockford, Illinois, with her husband.

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