Mistress Me
by Venesha

Reviewed by: Joey Pinkney

Debut author Venesha, self-published urban fiction classic Mistress Me through her company Polka Dotz & Stripez. Although the foundation of this novel may be rooted in Venesha's experiences, the characters and the events that take place in this roman a clef possess a life of their own. You have heard people say, "Don't mix business and pleasure." This book shows how the transgression of that rule leads to a life that is equal parts business, pleasure, and pain.

Channing L. Golden's life is anything but "golden." Her existence is gilded by the high profile, high fashion lifestyle she lives. Sure, she has the swagger. She is the president of her Talk 2 Me Right Public Relations Firm. She has the multi-million dollar career as a publicist with multi-million dollar clients including her NBA-star twin brother Chase Golden and second-round-draft-pick Cartier Smith. Beneath the glitz and glamour lays torment, jealousy, and sexual addictions that drive this page-turner from beginning to end. Whether her services are professional or sexual, her supreme clientele includes the most handsome, libidinous, and ineligible basketball players that a groupie could ever lust after.

If the plot and subplots in Mistress Me could be any more complex, the story would be simple. Initially, Channing dates the Cartier Smith. Their relationship fails because of Channing's constant flirting with Cartier's best friend and up-and-coming rookie Alonzo Butler. Channing sees Alonzo as a profitable client and pleasurable coitus. Five years later, Channing finds herself with three beautiful children by Alonzo, a mini-mansion, expensive cars, lots of jewelry and clothes.

Channing's storybook lifestyle has one major flaw. Alonzo has been married to Sheila for six years, and she's not the type to take the infidelities without causing the biggest scene possible. After hiring a private detective to confirm her intuition, Shelia begins a mission to defame and humiliate Channing. After a lot of stress and struggle, Alonzo divorces Shelia and marries Channing.

While a wedding marks the union of families in most people's lives, matrimony serves to allow Channing to share with Alonzo the title of adulterer. Not only is Channing sexing a secret lover at the St. Thomas island getaway for the wedding event, Alonzo is creeping with Chase's girlfriend Sasha, who is also the sexual partner of lesbian rapper Mo Money, who is also the lover of Alonzo's ex-wife Shelia. (I told you that if this book could be any more complex it would be simple...)

The wedding went without a hitch, but Shelia – who tends to pop up when Channing most expects it – shows up just in time to turn the wedding reception upside down. Shelia and Sasha go back and forth over who's the better lover to Mo Money. Although entertaining to most, this situation totally demolishes Chase.

As soon as Channing and Alonzo return to the U.S., the media bombards Alonzo with pictures of him using marijuana while at the wedding festival. Channing doesn't miss a step in deflecting the questions and moving to the connecting flight going to their home. That situation quickly takes the backseat to the killing of Sasha's sister by police officers protecting Chase from gunfire initiated solely by Sasha in a bitter rage. After guiding her brother through that ordeal, pictures surface of Alonzo kissing Scottly Iverson, sister and employee of Channing. That's almost as bad as the fact the Scottly is married to Denim, teammate to Alonzo and secret lover/client to Channing.

That concupiscent encounter causes a domino effect that leads to the death of Alonzo's brother during a home invasion spearheaded by an enraged Denim. Denim later meets his demise at his mansion at the hands of an FBI agent who is also pregnant by him. If you think Venesha ends the story there, you have to read the last ten or so pages. (Four words: You. Are. Not. Ready.)

Let's just say an angry groupie, a shotgun, FBI agents and three thousand people at a funeral do not mix.

What did you like best about this book?
No matter how many infidelities you can imagine, Venesha finds a way twist another secret sexual interlude into the mix. I enjoyed the fact that these relationships were initially shocking yet realistic and true to the story this book is presenting. The lesbian love triangle is a perfect example. It was totally unexpected, but fit perfectly with the other dysfunctional relationships sprouting between the various characters.

I also appreciated the fact that Venesha is a great wordsmith. This novel is not a book where you have to overlook a bunch of grammatical errors to enjoy the story. I read in the beginning of the book where she gave props to her college professor who inspired her to excel in writing correctly. Her level of proficiency with words makes it easy to read and understand exactly what is going on at any given moment.

What did you dislike about this book?
There were a couple of spots where the story got bogged down by product placement. In one paragraph, Venesha described every name-brand item from the clothes Channing was wearing to the perfume to the music and maybe even who made the curtains on the windows (me exaggerating). After I read that paragraph, I reread it like, "What is Channing doing? Is she standing? Is she sitting? Is she still in the room?" Don't get me wrong though; she had me peeping game, too. I am going to buy some of that Angel cologne. If Cartier got Channing sprung off that scent, maybe it will work on my wife.

How can the author improve this book?
The only thing I can see to improve on is to have another editor go through Mistress Me with a fine-tooth comb. There were a couple of misused words like ceased instead of seized and grasped instead of gasped. Little things like that did not take away from Mistress Me being a true roller coaster NBA tale.

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Denise :

Posted 116 days ago

I'm just glad the book finally came out. The author only promoted it for two years before it finally dropped. LOL

FALLON :

Posted 141 days ago

Venesha's "Mistress Me" grabbed me from the VERY first page and did NOT let me go until the end! I loved the main character, Channing, and all of her drama!! To be honest, I looked up to her because she was on top of her game. You can say what you want about a mistress, but Miss Golden was educated, fly, sexy, cl ... y, and strong! She got what she wanted...and when she didn't-LOOK OUT!! it was like you were there with her. This book was filled with entertainment, sports, sex, fashion, and of course, DRAMA! The ending literally left me with MY MOUTH WIDE OPEN!!!! I loved Channing's sidekick, DeShema, her intelligent children, and her MEN!! Channing was a force to be reckoned with and this book gives in inside look at a MISTRESS!! I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book...(sneaking quick peeks at work because it was just THAT GOOD) and am looking forward to EVERYTHING that Venesha puts out from this day on...I am her fan for life...(I am also on Channing's team, too lol)...I definitely recommend "Mistress Me" by Venesha!!! Go cop you a copy and get hip to this hot book!!!!!!!

Tiece :

Posted 143 days ago

Hail to the Princess!! I'll bow to you, Sis... You've really won me over with this terrific book. I enjoyed the whole love triangle, shoot out scene, drama queen saga, and the creative twists that was in this book from beginning to end.. You really know how to put a storyline together and that's more than what I can say for some. Your editor did a wonderful job, because a few mistakes out of over 200 pages is nothing. So, who ever made a comment on that then GET OVER IT!! It's not that serious. I look forward to reading more from you, Venesha. You are blessed and I pray that you keep the storylines coming.

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