Kim, Another amazing job with The Pastor Black Series. #BBlessed

The first I have read in this long-running series, The Ultimate Betrayal is loaded with drama, angst, stellar characters and enough twists for a Gordian Knot. Kimberla Lawson Roby writes dialog that could be taken from an actual conversation, and her characters breathe through the pages: laden with contradictions, conflicts and insecurities galore. Alicia is the daughter of Reverend Curtis Black, and her own life has not been free and easy. For the past four years, after divorcing her second husband, she has been dating her first husband, Phillip. Since she broke Phillip’s heart with her own infidelity, there is a sense of what you put out in the world comes back at you in the dissolution of her second marriage, as her husband was a cheating liar, and corrupt to boot. This has left her at a bit of a disadvantage: licking her wounds while trying to prove herself to Phillip. But, just as things are looking up: Levi is released from prison, just as enamored with Alicia as he was when they had their affair, and Alicia just can’t get him out of her mind. When her best friend Melanie confides some of her own marital issues with Brad, and her own behavior becomes more erratic and confused, the plot heats up and one betrayal is followed by another, and another. Every choice has a Solomon-like option that would destroy relationships, ties and even faith. With choices that are ‘less bad than good’ and less wrong than deadly, the characters never once catch a break from dealing with their own desires, their issues or the emotional toll that grows as events unfold. With the Reverend dropping in moments of wisdom and the pleas for turning to their faith in God to bring them peace and good decisions, the impact of hasty words or selfish choices and unforeseen consequences pile on to each character with abandon, giving readers that Need to Know feelings about the story that is mixed with a healthy dose of wanting to reach in and smack a few characters for being so foolhardy. Not the last I will read from this author: characters, emotions, twists and turns all made this a stellar read and one that is hard to forget. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.