Nappily in Bloom: A Novel

by Trisha R. Thomas

Overview

Trisha R. Thomas' Nappily in Bloom continues her bestselling series, the basis for the Netflix Original movie Nappily Every After, starring Sanaa Lathan.

Airic and his famous televangelist wife, Trevelle Doval, make the evening news when Airic is accused of domestic battery and his life is suddenly turned upside down. But when Venus and Jake try to suspend Airic's visitation rights with Mya, they discover that Airic isn't willing to go down without a fight.

Meanwhile, Jake's best friend, Legend, turns up on his doorstep with trouble not far behind. The past is back with a vengeance, including blackmail, murder and enemies who are looking for payback. But everything takes a dangerous new turn when Venus goes missing. For Jake it's now a race against time to save the woman he loves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250623911
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/10/2020
Series:	Nappily , #4
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.41(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.64(d)

About the Author

Trisha R. Thomas is an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work finalist. She’s a Literary Lion Award honoree by the King County Library Foundation and was voted Best New Writer by the Black Writer’s Alliance. Her debut novel, Nappily Ever After is now a Netflix movie. O Oprah Magazine featured her novels in Books That Matter for delving into the self-esteem of young women of color and the insurmountable expectations they face starting at an early age. She lives in California with her family where she continues to write the Nappily Series.

Reading Group Guide

DESCRIPTION

Airic and his famous televangelist wife, Trevelle Doval, make the evening news when Airic is accused of domestic battery and his life is suddenly turned upside down. But when Venus and Jake try to suspend Airic's visitation rights with Mya, they discover that Airic isn't willing to go down without a fight.

Meanwhile, Jake's best friend, Legend, turns up on his doorstep with trouble not far behind. The past is back with a vengeance, including blackmail, murder and enemies who are looking for payback. But everything takes a dangerous new turn when Venus goes missing. For Jake it's now a race against time to save the woman he loves.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Jake and Venus fi nally appear content in their life and marriage, yet there is an underlying fear that the past will come back to haunt them. Do you believe in the current movement; what you fear the most is what you will most likely attract? Is it Venus and Jake's insecurity that draws trouble to their door?

2. When Legend shows up, Venus senses danger but has no real proof. She tries to warn Jake about his friend. How should couples resolve their disapproval of a friend or family member? When is it okay to interfere? Is it possible to interfere without appearing selfish?

3. Delma Hawkins has a huge favor to ask of Venus, putting her in the center of Delma and Trevelle's endless feud. Was there any way Venus could have helped mend their relationship?

4. Delma and Trevelle despise each other, yet they are more alike than each will admit, starting with their fi erce love for their daughter, Keisha. What is at the heart of their hatred for each other? If one acknowledged the other's pain or hurt would that resolve their conflict?

5. Three women are at the center of this story; one of them speaks from what they hope will not be their resting place, vowing to exact revenge on the person who kidnapped them. Is there any point when you know which one is taken, or does your guess keep changing? Who was your first guess?

6. Three men are also at the center of this story. One of them is responsible for a desperate act against a woman. His reasoning is that of love. Is a crime of passion any more acceptable than a crime of greed? Is society responsible for romanticizing possessiveness thereby giving permission for reckless behavior?

7. Jake is put in a situation that makes him choose his wife over his own life. He's proven his devotion to Venus over and over again. Is there ever a point in a relationship when you can rest on your laurels? Does it have to be a constant work in progress for it to last?

8. Trevelle meets a new man who meets none of her standards. Or at least none of the criteria she's imagined in her mind. Do we put up barriers to meeting someone who might be perfect for us based on invisible criteria?

Editorial Reviews

Thomas once again lets her characters tell their stories in lively and distinctive voices. Smartly paced, fast and funny.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Thomas neatly weaves issues of family, parental and social responsibility into the domestic dramas.” —Kirkus Reviews on NAPPILY FAITHFUL

“You'll find yourself caring about these characters Thomas has created over the past seven years, beginning with her debut novel Nappily Ever After…This latest novel proves that Thomas has few peers when spinning a cliffhanger.” —Essence magazine on NAPPILY FAITHFUL

“Nappily Faithful is a wonderful well-written novel about love, loss and the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child...Trisha R. Thomas' newest book is a guaranteed page-turner with more twists and turns than a roller coaster....impossible to put down.” —South Jersey Mom (4/5) on NAPPILY FAITHFUL

“Thomas pulls off a followup every bit as engrossing as its predecessors.” —Essence magazine on NAPPILY MARRIED

“Thomas keeps the action flowing with short chapters, well-orchestrated subplots, steamy sex and root-forable characters.” —Publishers Weekly on NAPPILY MARRIED

“...Fiction with a feminine take on balancing family and career with witty dialogue and endearing characters.” —Spirit (Southwest Airlines) Magazine on NAPPILY MARRIED

“'Wow' is what you say when something makes you laugh, cry and tell your friends about it. This is a definite "wow" book.” —Romantic Times on NAPPILY MARRIED

From the Publisher

Venus Johnston is back, but the only thing blossoming is her Atlanta floral business. Still hurting after the forced move from L.A. that transpired in a previous installment of this African-American soap opera (Nappily Faithful, 2008, etc.), Venus is making a go of it with her In Bloom florist shop, aided by the mysterious and handsome Vince. Custody of her beautiful four-year-old daughter Mya is now legally shared with sleazy father Airic, but Venus' husband Jake seems to have adapted to the new routine. Jake has brought the worst of their old life to Atlanta, however, in the form of his friend Legend, whose lascivious looks make Venus's skin crawl. But this time around, the light-hearted drama is more focused on mother-daughter problems than romance. Venus is dealing with Mya's crush on a little white boy, while Judge Delma Hawkins' adopted daughter Keisha is about to jump into a hasty marriage to a suspiciously smooth lawyer. Keisha's birth mother, televangelist-with-issues Trevelle Doval, doesn't like him either, which should make things simpler, but Keisha's two mothers continue to be oil and water, each believing she holds the sole key to the young woman's happiness. Legal issues, including an unsolved murder and a kidnapping, also come into play before everything gets resolves at the altar. Thomas once again lets her characters tell their stories in lively and distinctive voices, dropping loads of references to African-American culture and pop culture in general. A smartly paced, fast and funny high spot in an uneven series.

Kirkus Reviews