Something on the Side

This book is more than fantastic. I loved it and truly couldn't put it down (I sometimes forced myself not to read it because I wanted it to last longer). I have read Carl Weber books before, but he absolutely outdid himself here. Firstly, I must say how refreshing it was to read about women who are plus sized, and also how these plus size women are in relationships (good and/or bad). There are four (really five) main characters he puts focus on; Nikki, Tammy, Coco and Isis (and Egypt who we never read of in the first person). All of them are great in different ways and the stories they tell are of the men they love and the relationships they have. Parts are predictable and other parts will have you in disbelief. I laughed through this and cried in parts and honestly, honestly, honestly couldn't put this down. I thoroughly enjoyed it and if you are a fan of African American writing, then you'll love this I'm sure. It's definately spicey here and there, but that's another great aspect to this amazing book that I can't rave highly enough of. Go grab a copy.

This is my first Carl Weber book and I'm sorry that I waited so long to read this man. The write-up in the dust-jacket caught my attention and so did the premise of a book club that only had "members" that were size 14 and above! Lawd, how could I NOT read it?! This book had some serious "WTF" moments and a few "you've gotta be kidding" moments. Tammy causes most of them and I seriously think she needs therapy. Coco's my girl (yeah I wish) and has no shame in her game. The other characters I did like but I really followed those two. There is one huge (no pun intended) surprise that, if you pay attention, could have seen coming but still a shock nonetheless. Carl has a very unique style of writing that I can't name but I can follow. He's definitely got another fan with me and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work. On a side note: I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Carl Weber at BEA (Book Expo America) 2008 in Los Angeles and he was very nice and gracious. It was nice to see him and so many of our other authors supporting and being supported!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story...and couldn't finish soon enough. After reading the first 14 chapters I needed to know how it all ended....Carl did a great job with this one as well as his other books. He offers characters and situations that draw us in and keep us entertained.

Have you ever been in a club that had some weird restrictions? Like, you must be tall with long hair, or your name must start with the letter "K" and end with a "Y." Well, meet Tammy, Isis, Egypt, Nikki, and Coco, they're all members of the BGBC (Big Girls Book Club). To be a member of this club, you must be at least a size 14. Tammy, the club's president loves her life. She has two adorable kids, a loving husband, and the best sex life you could imagine. Tammy's husband Tim has a birthday coming up, and she wants to fulfill his most freakiest sexual fantasy: a threesome with two women. She has it all planned except for one thing: Who can she trust to be the third player in this game? The only person that comes to mind is her best friend Egypt. As much as Tammy knows that Egypt would never willingly agree to this, she has to tempt her with something that Egypt could not refuse. Will Egypt agree to play, or will Tammy have to find another "gift" to give Tim for his birthday? Not all members of the BGBC has a loving man to come home to. Meet Nikki, she was in love with her baby daddy. That is until he started beating her for no reason at all. He would punch her in the face if she smiled at the mailman. Now that he's her ex, it takes all of her strength not to kill him, or let her "roommate" Tiny complete the task. The only thing that's stopping her is her son. He loves his daddy, and she will do whatever it takes not to disappoint him. Isis has a man (Tony) that worships the ground she walks on. He knows how to please her in every possible way. And that makes Isis want to settle down & become his wife. That is until Rashad comes back to town & tries to take her away. Little does Isis and Rashad know, Tony has a few tricks up his sleeve. Some are good, and some will destroy Isis's faith in men. And then there was Miss Coco, who's habit was trying to decide which man she's going to allow to pay her bills. It didn't matter if they had a girlfriend, was already married, or was a single man. As long as the price was right, she would be their lady for the night. That was until she meets Mac. He makes her weak in the knees and enjoys every minute of it. But here's the question: Is Coco ready to give up her many men for Mac, or is she satisfied playing the field? I want to thank Mr. Carl Weber for finally putting a little meat on his characters' bones. Something On The Side had a lot of excitement. Carl Weber made sure this book had some spice...and it had a lot. Each character added their own little "umph." The storyline dealt with a lot of issues that sometimes happen in everyday life. The way the characters always found a way to be encouraged by each other made you like each one of them. This was one of those books that when you pick it up, you don't want to put it down. You'll want to find out what's next in the lives of the women in the Big Girls Book Club. Reviewed by Jackie for Urban Reviews

Mr. Weber has done it again! OMG! This story belongs on an HBO special!!! I LOVE the BGBC women! Tiny, Isis, Nikki, Tammy, Coco and Egypt are something else! The drama! The action and the hot, steamy sex = I could not put this book down!!! There are so many points where I just busted out laughing because Mr. Weber is also a comedian as well as a writer! Great story with women focused issues that certainly keep the reader turning pages well into the night! It also helps to have that special someone near by to help you get through the hot & steamy scenes too! Oh - yes YOU TOO CAN USE THIS BOOK AS A BOOK CLUB SELECTION!!! :)