Patricia Reid and Gayle Saunders have been best friends since childhood. They've weathered the storms of life togetherβexcept for that ten year period when they didn't speak at all. But that's behind them. Now, their growing doll company, for all its professional blessings, tests them personally in ways that will bend, and maybe break, the bonds of friendship.
Can Patricia continue to focus all her attention on the Ell & Me Company only to ignore Marcus's desire to start a family? What is she really afraid of? Can Gayle continue to take on the guilt of Ramsey's departure and Vanessa's subsequent abuse in silence?
GOTTA KEEP TRYIN' is a sequel that definitely stands on its own. I didn't read the preceding book yet I had no problem getting to know the characters and the ins and outs of their lives. Ms. DeBerry and Ms. Grant have a light, enticing yet sassy style such that the words wrap themselves around and pull in the reader, like a down home hug from a long lost friend. When I should have been doing other things, all I wanted to do was turn the pages of this book. At one point, I found myself frustrated by Patricia's failure to deal with her marital issues while the story focused primarily on Gayle. But I realized that the story split paralleled some of the conflict between the characters, in terms of the amount of attention given to each character, a masterful touch.
I first read these authors some years ago but got away from them. Shame on me! I'll be keeping up with the writings of Ms. DeBerry and Ms. Grant from now on.
From the bestselling authors of Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made comes a heartwarming tale of how true friendship can overcome life's obstacles.Gayle Saunders and Patricia Reid have been lifelong friends, as close as sisters. When they were teens their dreams led them down separate paths and away from each other. But they reunited as adults, drawn back together by a bond of friendship that stood the test of time.
Now Pat and Gayle co-own the Ell & Me Company, a business they founded based on a character Gayle created years ago for her daughter. Things are going well, but real-life dramas ensue as each must face issues from the past in order to protect the future.
Pat and Marcus look like the perfect twenty-first-century couple -- smart, talented, each at the helm of a high-profile enterprise and at the top of their game. But behind closed doors their marriage is challenged by the stresses of a two-entrepreneur household. Will their professional pursuits leave them time for each other and a family, or carry them into the arms of others? Will a paternity claim prove to be too much of an obstacle to overcome?
Gayle faces her own family drama and struggles to maintain control of her life. Despite dating other men, has she ever really gotten over her ex-husband, Ramsey, the gambler who left her and their daughter, Vanessa, in financial ruin? Gayle bends over backward to provide a stable, comfortable home for Vanessa, and support her dream of becoming a dancer. And Vanessa, a rebellious and hurtful teen, seems just as devoted to making Gayle pay for every mistake she has ever made. And what ever happened to Ramsey?
In Gotta Keep on Tryin', Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant bring us heroines who remind you, for better and worse, of women everywhere -- women who know that true friendship keeps us grounded. And when things get rough the bond between women can be stronger than any trials we face.
No excerpt available.
© 2003-2026