Childhood friends desperate for love square off over untrustworthy men in Poole's frantic if not totally satisfying latest (after A Rich Man's Baby
). Nikki Edwards has had enough of lying men, especially after learning that her biological father, Raymond Hawks, has died without acknowledging her existence. She decides she's finished with “Married Man Malcolm” Walker who's strung her along for three years. Approaching 30, Nikki and her friends Reshaun and Tia face a crossroads. Reshaun decides to marry a Liberian after a whirlwind courtship, while Tia, a police officer, becomes pregnant with a thug's baby. An accident with a drunken Nikki at the wheel of her mom Lolo's car with Tia as a passenger disrupts their friendship when Tia sues Lolo's insurance company. Meeting single hottie Dre Hill seems like a dream come true for Nikki and wedding bells start to ring, but troubles suddenly escalate as sticky revelations about Dre's past cause major conflicts. Poole's rueful page-turner is diverting, and Nikki's emotional narration keeps it real, suggesting trust is always a work-in-progress. (Oct.)
