Review: A Family Affair by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Title: A Family Affair (Click on Link for Synopsis)

Author: ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Publisher/Publication Date: Gallery Books, July 30, 2013

Format/Source:  E-ARC, Edelweiss

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 My Thoughts

If you’re looking for a fictional novel filled with well-developed, diverse characters and family drama, then A Family Affair by ReShonda Tate Billingsley is the book for you.  It’s a realistic story that highlights how lies, money, and power can lead to more problems.

Bernard Wells had an affair with Lorraine that resulted in—a child, Olivia. After Adele Wells, his wife, found out she gave Lorraine a lump sum of money and forbade Bernard from having any further contact with the two of them.  As a result of having a lack of funds, Olivia grew up having dreams that she could not pursue. She learned her father’s identity just prior to her mother’s death. Olivia was on a quest to find answers. And as she searched for answers, there were a series of revelations that caused the key players to deal with  unresolved issues from their past and inner conflicts while facing the truth.

In A Family Affair, Billingsley presents the perfect example of the effect that money and power can have on relationships. We meet Bernard Wells whose desire for wealth outweighed following his heart.  His web of lies caused so many people unnecessary pain. He was just so self-righteous and when he knew in his heart that he was wrong, he used money to fix it. Bernard Wells was a prime example of a man playing the blame game, and not really looking in the mirror to own up to his personal faults. Adele Wells used money and her family’s status in society to get whatever she wanted. Yeah, money could buy her a lot of things, but back to reality—could she really buy her husband’s love? At first glance, Adele Wells seemed callous and unlikable, but as the story unfolded I began to understand the underlying issues that affected her attitude. I loved the portrayal of Kendall, the Wells’ son, who experienced the effects of growing up in a dysfunctional family with money. He was surprisingly candid about the important things in life and oh, so wise.  As for Olivia, she was looking for answers, but she would soon learn the harsh reality that some of the answers she sought might not be the truth that she was looking for.

This is the first book that I’ve read by ReShonda Tate Billingsley, and it definitely won’t be the last. The book was well-written and had diverse characters. It was also a real page turner that encompassed important life lessons.

Rating 5/5

I received an e-arc of A Family Affair by ReShonda Tate Billingsley from Edelweiss for an honest review, thank-you.