Publishers Weekly
09/02/2019
Dickey (Before We Were Wicked) continues his study of the lives of African-American Angelenos, this time in a cluttered but heartfelt erotic drama. At the center is Brick, who works as a driver for a friend who recently started doing sex work. Through her, he meets two other sex workers, and the four form a quick, close bond. Meanwhile, Brick’s older brother, Dwayne, a former child actor struggling to find adult success, is trying desperately to reconnect with his teenage son. As they strive for what they need, the brothers explore, sometimes ponderously, the definitions and boundaries of family, love, and sex. So much time is spent establishing characters’ viewpoints—fascinating though they are—that plot takes a back seat, leaving the ending feeling rushed and unearned. However, the setting is artfully crafted, the characters’ struggles are real and moving, and the sex those characters have is flaming hot. Readers looking for pathos with eroticism, depth, and a mostly black cast will appreciate this one. Agent: Sara Camilli, Sara Camilli Agency. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Eric Jerome Dickey and his novels
“Dickey’s fans flock to his readings. . . . He’s perfected an addictive fictional formula."—The New York Times
“Dickey has the knack for creating characters who elicit both rage and sympathy.”—Entertainment Weekly
"[A] heartfelt erotic drama . . . The setting is artfully crafted, the characters’ struggles are real and moving, and the sex those characters have is flaming hot."—Publishers Weekly on The Business of Lovers
“Bestselling author of street-wise romance Dickey’s latest is a contemporary erotic tale of ambitions delayed.”—Booklist on The Business of Lovers
“In this sensual road trip across LA there are deep conversations, adult situations, and a sweet love story at every turn.”—Kirkus Reviews on The Business of Lovers
“From wanton to wicked, the love-hate relationship between Dickey's characters burn with rapid-fire dialogue and plenty of steam.”—Kirkus Reviews on Before We Were Wicked
"The love story Dickey tells . . . is potent. Readers will want to read Bad Men and Wicked Women again after being immersed in this edgy, emotional adventure.”—Booklist on Before We Were Wicked
"A passion-filled prequel that puts a new spin on the familiar conflicts that have made him a household name."—Essence on Before We Were Wicked
"Nobody currently publishing today writes sex better than Eric Jerome Dickey."—Electric Review on Before We Were Wicked
“Before We Were Wicked is a masters class in relationship drama . . . a literary feast!”—Smexy Books
“Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction comes to mind as Swift and Ellis cruise through Los Angeles’s wealthy neighborhoods debating issues of racism, inner-city poverty, and the lingering effects of slavery. . . . Suspense builds with an action-packed finale, and Dickey’s many fans will eagerly consume this.”—Library Journal on Bad Men and Wicked Women
“Dickey sets in motion a fascinating cast of characters and creates compelling arcs for their stories. . . . Readers will be cheering for the kindhearted Ken and his family in this dark yet ultimately hopeful novel.”—Booklist on Bad Men and Wicked Women
“Eric Jerome Dickey is the best thing going in fiction now in terms of writing stories that blend action with sensuality. . . . Dickey’s penchant for creating fiction that resonates with the forbidden overtakes us—these elements of danger and lust dominating each and every passage. At its best moments, Bad Men and Wicked Women recalls bits and pieces of the famed HBO series The Sopranos as we come to drench ourselves in the types of secrets many families harbor but seldom share.”—Electric Review
“Dickey steadily generates a taut, deadly atmosphere throughout the book, and readers will not be able to predict who will be the last man standing.”—Booklist on Finding Gideon
“An epic story about an epic quartet [of friends].”—Essence on The Blackbirds
“In this sensual tale, words stoke the body and the imagination. With prose that is both witty and current, Dickey chronicles the pothole-filled journey four modern black women take to find love.”—Kirkus Reviews on The Blackbirds
“[An] empowering story of four women friends . . . [featuring] relatable voices and feelings to difficult issues.”—Booklist on The Blackbirds
Library Journal
04/03/2020
In his latest sexually charged novel (following Before We Were Wicked), Dickey exposes complex relationships between men and women by using themes of love, friendship, erotica, and family. Brick Duquesne, a stoic Los Angeles everyman, is recovering from cancer and is intent on jump-starting his life after being dumped by Coretta, whom he was planning to marry. He finds himself a chauffeur/protector to three young female escorts, Penny, Mocha Latte, and Christiana, each with exciting pasts but who now sell sexual pleasures to wealthy men and women. Brick's brothers, Dwayne and André, each carrying their own relationship, are also in Los Angeles muddling Brick's daily life. Dickey's cast takes turns leaning on Brick as they delve into African American social and emotional issues from the right to vote, gentrification, single parenting, and interracial marriage to their partners' sexual prowess. VERDICT The action between the sheets is hot but at times clunky verbal foreplay grates (e.g., "I feel like an animal with you. Animals don't know sin. Animals are free"). Minor quibbles aside, this is sure to please Dickey's many fans. [See Prepub Alert, 10/14/19.]—Rollie Welch, Lehigh Acres, FL
Kirkus Reviews
2020-01-27
An out-of-work project manager and his two brothers are broke and brokenhearted in Los Angeles—until a trio of sex workers offers him a way to help his whole family.
A “pace of asses” is what Brick jokingly calls them. But the three women he works with—Penny, Christiana, and Mocha Latte—are sophisticated, well educated, and down on their luck thanks to bad jobs and worse relationships. He’s initially hired to serve as their chauffeur, but soon their high-end female clients invite him inside for more. These high-powered women have deep pockets and deep emotional issues to match, but Brick seems to enjoy giving them the boyfriend experience. He’s out of work after a bout with cancer, and he’d also like to help out his brother Dwayne, whose kid and ex-girlfriend are struggling too. Dwayne is a fairly successful stage actor, but after hitting a rough patch he’s behind on his child support payments, and his ex-girlfriend won’t let him forget it. Their other brother, André, meanwhile, has managed to turn his unfortunate run-ins with the cops (and other hazards of being black in America) into a popular comedy routine. The brothers see LA from all angles, from its high-end hotels to its neglected homeless population. An education alone can’t guarantee survival in California’s unforgiving real estate market, especially not for people of color. But love can help (or hurt) their chances, and when it goes wrong, as Dwayne’s ex observes, “Love spares no one. We all pay.” Brick’s neighborhood is also home to fictional bill collector Ken Swift, and here Dickey (Before We Were Wicked, 2019, etc.) has left an Easter egg for readers to find.
In this sensual road trip across LA there are deep conversations, adult situations, and a sweet love story at every turn.
