He Say, She Say

The expectations set by the lively opening chapters of Joe's (Falling Leaves of Ivy) second novel are not fully realized in this candid but predictable story of four black singles searching for love in the '90s. Sandy Atkins, a sales supervisor at a popular Chicago radio station, is looking for a ""good man to share my life with"" when she meets jazz pianist TJ Willets at a sales party. A player in more ways than one, TJ is waiting for his big break and meanwhile avoiding all romantic commitments. While Sandy's closest confidante, older and wiser bank employee Bebe Thomas, cautions her eager friend to take it slow, TJ receives similar warnings from Speed, his widowed father and best pal. Despite all advice, Sandy and TJ settle into a seemingly monogamous relationship, until an ambitious, jealous coworker reveals herself as one of TJ's recent lovers-just as Sandy is preparing a crucial presentation for a prospective client. Devastated, Sandy turns to Bebe for comfort; as revenge, Bebe concocts a plan to disrupt TJ's much-anticipated meeting with a renowned musician, leading to a confrontation that forces the couple to seriously consider their future together. Joe has a terrific ear for current hip-hop lingo, though she doesn't establish distinctive voices among her four first-person narrators. She creates likable characters with plausible histories, challenges and dreams, but the final, unsurprising plot twist mars an otherwise satisfyingly breezy novel. (Dec.)