Wives, Fiancées, and Side-Chicks of Hotlanta

"Who gon' check me, boo?" ~ 60%

Sasha Wellington's goal is to be a well-known fashion designer. She moves to Atlanta with a plan to be an entrepreneur. What a brave move! Within a short amount of time, she befriends Norman (a savvy gay stylist), Casey (an NBA player's wife), and Paris (a nightlife dancer). Sticking to her dreams prove difficult when Sasha gets mixed up in the fast-paced Hotlanta life and is romanced by a baller.

"I'm sure there are a lot of things you weren't into before moving to Atlanta, but trust me when I say this town has a way of making you something that you aren't." ~ 27%

I am not sure what I expected before I started reading this new release by Bravo TV's Real Housewife of Atlanta, Shereé Whitfield. Although I must admit that I judged this book by its cover and by its author. The title is very urban and reminds me of those "hood" books I used to read way back in the day. The cover shows a woman living a lifestyle much like a wife, fiancée or side-chick.

I couldn't help but match every fictional character with someone from Shereé's real life, such as her ex-husband Bob, fashion stylist Miss Lawrence or fellow RHOA. This distracted me from the very beginning. But once I mentally matched the fictional characters with real life colleagues of Shereé's, I sat back and enjoyed the story, wondering how much truth this fiction is based on.

"Fun was temporary. Happiness was the real deal." ~ 39%

Fiction books from celebrities get an automatic side-eye from me. No, it is not fair. Yes, it is okay to dabble in the book field while being seen on our television screens via reality television. I don't expect to read literature with deep prose. In fact, I suspect ghost writers are usually used. And that is fine. But the tone of the main character in Wives, Fiancées, and Side-Chicks of Hotlanta is so Shereé! She did a great job of creating a reliable character that is easy to root for. Readers want to see Sasha Wellington (mmm hmm, same initials as the author) succeed.

However, this book will probably not appeal to avid novel readers. It is full of pop culture phrases like "throw shade" or "twerk" or "turn up." The supporting characters are not developed. The ending is beyond predictable and rushed, leaving readers with a cliffhanger. The book started off strong but the storyline didn't carry well giving the impression a deadline had to be met so "just end it here." Of course, this could be good for the author in future sales of the sequel. In conclusion, the intended audience are women who watch RHOA and enjoy rumors mixed with a hint of reality and hot mess drama.

Happy Pub Day, Shereé!

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are honestly my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Wives, Fiancées, and Side-Chicks of Hotlanta
Author: Sheree Whitfield
Published: January 2017
Pages: 320
Edition: Galley
Challenge: Popsugar—A Book with a Family-Member Term in the Title
Rating: ♥♥♡