Review: Exit Strategy by L.V. Lewis

Exit Strategy is the second book in The Ghetto Girl Quadrilogy. I did not have the pleasure of reading book one but was able to pick this one up and read without feeling terribly lost.

From the blurb:

Ex•it Strat•e•gy (noun) 1. A preplanned means of extricating oneself from a situation that is likely to become difficult or unpleasant. 2. The method by which a venture capitalist or business owner intends to get out of an investment that he or she has made in the past.

Will Keisha and Tristan exercise their elaborate EXIT STRATEGY and end their unorthodox arrangement?

Assailed by demons she thought she had conquered, Keisha Beale has uttered the words to end her tumultuous relationship with Tristan White. Separated, they grapple for a time with their personal demons. However, when their lives apart become unbearable, a credible threat brings them back together prematurely.

As they seek to discover who is responsible for the threats, several seemingly unrelated incidents throw them into a tailspin. Will Keisha’s youthful indiscretions or Tristan’s un-reconciled feelings for a former sub derail their tenuous arrangement?

In the meantime, trouble in Nathan and Jada’s paradise send dramatic ripples that hint of future difficulties in the idyllic pairing.

Nothing Ventured…

Tristan uses his vast wealth and connections to correct a gross miscarriage of justice, while Keisha makes herself utterly vulnerable to Tristan and fears he has chosen to exercise his own exit strategy.

…Nothing Gained!

Will this be the end of the indecent arrangement that became a fairy tale? Or will Keisha and Tristan reveal the trauma from their pasts so they may heal and completely embrace their relationship?

Sensual, suspenseful, and still infused with the riotous levity of Triple-G and Fairy Hoochie Mama, the Ghetto Girl Romance Quadrilogy departs from full parody with a distinctive take on love, loyalty, sacrifice, redemption, and acceptance.

I love L.V. Lewis’ writing. I was sucked in from page one, and fully enjoyed the roller coaster ride. The book was hilarious, drama filled, sexy, and well-written and edited. Some erotica stories feel like an endless parade of sex scenes strung together by inane, empty plot filler. Not the case here. Don’t get me wrong—the sex scenes were hot, but I was thoroughly involved in the story as well. I adore humor, and there was plenty of it. Keisha’s inner voices are a special treat. Unnecessary scenes were excluded, but it was done very smoothly and never felt as though the story jumped the tracks.

I was a bit perturbed by the POV (point of view) switching. I’m okay with hearing from more than one character; however, Keisha’s portion was written in first person present tense, and Tristan’s portion was in third person present tense. It threw me for a while, although I did eventually acclimate. I’d love to pick the author’s brain and find out why she wrote it that way. Personally, I would have preferred first or third but not both.

No spoilers, but some of the events in the story seemed a bit predictable and/or overblown. I was hoping for more drama from a certain “threat.” There was so much potential there, but it fell a little bit flat for me.

Ms. Lewis’ created a cast of three dimensional characters that feel like friends—or enemies. I really cared about what was happening in their lives and had a hard time putting this one down to do other things. Despite the minor misgivings (POV and the threat that ended too soon), I loved Exit Strategy and look forward to future offerings from L.V. Lewis. As I said, I didn’t read the first book, but this one didn’t feel very parody-like; the author has put her own unique stamp on the story—and it really works. Keep your eye on L.V. Lewis.

4.25 Stars