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Is the fourth time the charm for Venus Johnson? Everybody's favorite heroine from Nappily Ever After, returns with more hair-raising drama in Nappily Faithful, our ESSENCE Book Club pick for January and February.
When we left Venus Johnson in last year’s Nappily Married by Trisha R. Thomas, the lovably complicated publicist had had a fairy-tale wedding to the fine former rapper Jake Parson. It was long overdue. In the past, Venus has been through it: She’s had to contend with the heartbreak of her and Jake’s son being stillborn, an attempted suicide and almost losing her man to a life on lockdown after he was falsely accused of murder.
In Nappily Faithful (St. Martin’s Griffin, $13.95), Venus finds her days a bit calmer until her past comes back to shake up her happy home. Do you recall Airic Fisher, Venus’ ex-fiancé from Married? The seemingly reformed bad boy storms back into her life demanding custody of his and Venus’ 3-year-old daughter, Mya. Not making it any easier for Venus and Jake to keep Mya is Trevelle Doval, a famed televangelist who happens to be Airic’s new wife. As Venus and Airic square off about who will provide the better home for the child, you’ll find yourself caring deeply about these characters Thomas created over the past seven years, beginning with her debut novel Nappily Ever After.
“Nappily is about being faithful and having trust in your relationships, and seeing [the tough times] through,” says Thomas, 43, who lives in southern California with her husband and three children. “That’s really what Jake and Venus are all about. They’re going to have trials and tribulations, but it’s all about how they deal with them.” Does that mean there’s more drama to come for Venus? This latest tale proves that Thomas has few peers when spinning a cliffhanger.
Reading Group Discussion Guide
Just for you and your book club members, we've created a guide for Nappily Faithful. Print a copy and share before your meeting. And check out recipes for some delicious dishes that you may want to serve at your gathering.
*Did you read the previous books Nappily Ever After and Nappily Married?
*What do you think Thomas' message is with the new book?
*How do you feel marriage has changed Venus?
*What do you think of Airic Fisher, Venus' former lover, who is fighting her
for custody of Mya?
*Who do you think Trevelle Doval is based on?
*Which characters could you relate to most and why?
*How would you rate the love scenes on a scale from 1-10?
*What did you think of the plot? Were the events in this book credible?
*Halle Berry discussed adapting Nappily Ever After into a movie. Who would you cast as Venus and Clint
*Were you satisfied with the book's ending?
Did your book club use these discussion questions or others? Share your experience below.
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