After getting severely beaten by her boyfriend, Valentine Daye was rescued by Richard Washington. Together they got themselves out of the projects and away from a life of drugs and violence. Learning of Rich's dream to become a fashion designer, Valentine encourages him to go to design school while she gets her GED. Now they both have decent jobs and are planning to get married, until Vanessa enters the picture. Vanessa and Rich are both vying for the VP position at clothier Jorge Jacobs but they are not big on promoting women. In order to get where she wants to be in the corporate world, Vanessa decides she and Rich make a great team so she decides to help him get the position and he will bring her all the way to the top floor.

Valentine knows Rich occasionally cheats on her, and she has no problem letting the women know that Rich is her man. Vanessa is different; she is an heiress with plenty of money and clout behind her name. Although he loves Valentine, Rich has never met a woman like Vanessa. If Valentine isn't careful, Vanessa will have everything she wants, Rich in her bed and her home.

A fascinating tale of one woman's desire to hold unto the love of her life and the strength she gets along the journey. In many ways Valentine is strong but certain insecurities place her in a situation that almost destroys her. The authors of HE WAS MY MAN FIRST have created a wonderful character driven story with lots of angst. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next in the ongoing battle between Valentine and Vanessa. The story flows smoothly and kept my interest from the very beginning. The love scenes are hot and varied enough to singe the pages, making for a great book.