McKinney's mediocre sequel to All That Drama
(2004) checks in on wily Sammie Davis and introduces her friend Leah Simmons just as their lives get problematic. Facing the foreclosure of her home and an adulterous husband who abandons her, Leah is forced to go back to work after an extended absence raising three children, one of whom is autistic. There for her is her friend Sammie, the protagonist of McKinney's first novel who, as before, has a knack for catching the wrong men (married, abusive). Sammie's embroiled in her own drama: as she suffers through another abusive relationship and grieves for her deceased friend, Marie, she learns she has a half-sister. Despite the histrionics-implied title, the story and writing are weak and the characters' plights halfheartedly constructed. A few creative sex scenes add some sizzle to a story that's mostly fizzle. (Apr.)
