cover image The Ex-Chronicles

The Ex-Chronicles

Carol Taylor, . . Plume, $15 (295pp) ISBN 978-0-452-29587-2

It's a familiar premise—four 30-ish New York City friends bond Sex and the City –style to navigating the perils of single life. Thankfully, Taylor (editor of the Brown Sugar series) makes it fresh again in her delicious debut novel by punching up the ante with some intriguing Terry McMillanesque twists. All the women have the expected romantic issues. Aspiring novelist Precious Morgan, a struggling “Literotica” journalist, loses her job and keeps returning to an unfaithful Darius. Zenobia “Z” Bowles is a chic model who's in love with unfaithful Malcolm, a Dutch/African artist. Bella, an overindulged diplomat's daughter, is an alcoholic/addict who wonders why she can't deep-six Julius, her unfaithful musician boyfriend. Only stressed-out Hope Harris, the creative director of Shades magazine, has a different love problem—while coping with a mother suffering from Alzheimer's, she's falling for Derrick, a handsome artist from Harlem struggling to pay the bills for his three daughters. These dark beauties share realistic concerns many singletons can identify; they survive tough times by recognizing a challenging truth: “It's not what happens, it's how we handle what happens.” (Feb.)