Entertaining and thought-provoking The Business of Lovers by Eric Jerome Dickey is one to add to your list of summer reads. Bricks actor brother Dwayne is back in town after his son Fela sent him worrying texts. He tries to convince Brick to check up on Fela. Brick is still trying to get over his girlfriend's break-up. He is also trying to be a good friend to his neighbor Penny. He helps her with her errands and also acts as a protector for her.

These three young women are not afraid to be in the spotlight. Penny is a college student who got her ex-husband's money and ruined credit. She offers her friends a job and a place to stay when they need it most. Christiana is a smart and educated professional who knows what she wants out of life. Brick is a man who genuinely likes women. He is also a little frustrated with his brother Dwayne due to him not being able to help him. He is also thinking about becoming an escort. The Business of Lovers is a smart and entertaining novel that features a diverse cast of characters. Thank you, Dutton, for the gifted copy via net galley.

I really enjoyed this book. Nothing that I expected to happen happened... I am pleased with the ending and I throughly enjoyed my time in Vegas....

I'm a big fan of the author and have read most of his books. This one is very much written from the male gaze, but what saves it from becoming too much of a bromance, and too sexualized is how very generous the gazes of the male characters in this book are. Especially when it comes to Brick, who was my favorite character POV in the book. There is plenty of hot sex in the book, sometimes so much that it is on the border of being gratuitous, but the author always pulls it back right before it goes over the edge and makes the scene mean something to the characters, or to the reader. It's a story about brotherhood, found family, and how we are all searching for love and that one person who can love us despite our flaws. This book also touches on so many social issues, poverty, race, professional snobbery, America's expensive healthcare system, and more. However, it never becomes preachy, because the subjects are so well interwoven into the narrative that you don't even notice how much this book makes you think. Not until you've turned the last page and it lingers on your mind for a long time and you desperately start asking your friends if they have read it because you need to talk about how it made you feel and all the thoughts rumbling around in your mind.

The Business of Lovers was the first book for me by author Eric Jerome Dickey. I quickly saw how his writing has become a favorite for so many. I felt pulled in to the story as the themes of being down on your luck was woven throughout. I’m excited to get to more of this author’s backlist books now.

*thank you Dutton and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own

I wanted to enjoy this book. It was an arc read from netgalley. It has been years since I have read an EJD book and I felt like I was missing something. I'll reread it again at a later date and see if my feelings change

This was a quick, page turning read. The story is well written and the characters are interesting. Their fears and insecurities are so real it’s spooky. I can't help but to try and remember a time I felt that way.
The Business of Lovers is a very impactful take on what it's like to be an escort and to know someone who is an escort. There is a side story about family and what it takes to keep them happy and provide for them. It was inspiring, heart breaking, honest, and again, well written!

The Business of Lovers is a very intimate take on what it's like to be an escort and to know someone who is an escort, with a side story about family and what it takes to keep them and provide for them. It was inspiring, heart breaking, honest, and well written!

In this muli-perspective story, we hear from the two brothers who struggle with their love lives. Brick is a bodyguard for his neighbor and friend, Penny while also dealing with a bad breakup (she went off with a woman but he still loves her). Penny is an escort. One day Penny brings along two other girls who end up staying with her, and we begin to see how their job effects them all (Christina is wise and seems to enjoy it, Penny hates herself for it but also sees it's worth, Mocha Latte hates it all and just wants a normal job and life). Eventually Brick gets involved and we see how it can affect men as well.

Dwayne on the other hand struggles with money and family issues since Frenchie, the love of his life, wants nothing to do with him and he has to fight her to see their son. He manipulates others into paying for his things and slowly grows into a man who can provide for a wife and son. His struggle is sad to read, but it was wonderful to see him grow and make amends.

This was a quick read, I read it in a day. The characters are interesting and their fears and insecurities are so real you can't help but remember a time you felt that way. It is a well written story that will impact many.

*I received a free eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review*

Brick and Dwayne Duquesne aren't having the best of luck in life right now. While their little brother is finding success as a comedian, they're forced to take a new look at life and love.

Brick is an educated black man who climbed the corporate ladder until life knocked him off his feet. His pseudo-fiancee left him a broken man, dealing with one of life's greatest burdens and wondering if he'll ever find the kind of love he's been looking for. Dwayne was a child star who took his fame into adulthood, but his glory is fading. The baby mama drama he has had to deal with didn't help and when his ex starts making rumblings about new worries, he's left struggling and trying to figure out how to be the best dad he can be for his son when he himself didn't have the best example.

Told primarily from Brick's perspective, The Business of Lovers highlighted the lives, the loves, the strengths, the flaws, the triumphs, and the pitfalls that built these intriguing characters, creating a multi-faceted dynamic that I couldn't look away from. Whether it was compassion or understanding that pulled me in, it was the unique voice of the narrator that kept me there.

I love Eric Trump Dickie! I’ve been reading his books since 1995 in I’ll never stop this book was intriguing it was sexy it was a serious it was thought-provoking it made you question your own moral compass it called a lot of preconceive notion’s in judgments to the carpet I love that the main characters were sex workers and were not villainized this book was brilliant!

Thank you Dutton book and netgalley for the gifted copy of The Business of Lovers - I wanted to like this book a whole lot but there was just nothing grabbing my attention about this book. I even resorted to the audiobook and found my mind wandering while reading. The writing felt disjointed and the storyline was lacking quite a bit.
I wasn't a fan of any of the character's stories and felt myself wanting to DNF more than I wanted to read it.

I know there are some hardcore EJD fans out there and I considered myself one was well, but this just did nothing for me. I read this one as a bookclub pick and we all felt the same.

Another awesome book by Eric! I love the characterization and the development of the plot! The book was interesting from beginning to end.

"Sex was always about some other need, or some rejection, or revenge, or acceptance. Sex was rarely about sex." - Brick Duquesne

When I tell you that The Business of Lovers was a spicy read, please believe me! Brothers Brick, Dwayne, and Andre send readers on a rollercoaster ride with their affairs of love and sex. Andre is living the life of a famous comedian who enjoys plenty of female company. Dwayne can’t get his child’s mother to reason with him (or rescind the petition for higher child support payments). Meanwhile, Brick finds himself caught up in the sex work lifestyle, thanks to his neighbor Penny and friends.

While the story started off slow, I was reeled in before long. Sometimes I’d get lost in Brick’s lengthy dialogue or want to rush through Dwayne’s repetitive drama. And I wanted to learn more about Andre. While it took me a while to warm to a few of the characters, I hope to see more from many of them in upcoming books. EJD is known for revisiting characters, so I have my fingers crossed (especially for you, Penny).

I’ve been an EJD fan for several years and I will continue to be, as long as he keeps writing steamy books like this. The Business of Lovers was an overall good read with a nice hint of escapism-- perfect for these times we’re living in. 

Major thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of The Business of Lovers in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

I always look forward to EJD books as he writes books I usually like to read. With that said, I really wanted to like this book, but something has been missing for me with the last three books he has written or, to be honest, it could be me putting EJD in a box, in my head and I only want him to write about Gideon a character I L O V E.

This story isn’t terrible; in fact, it has some engaging parts that I liked. The story delves into family issues and relationships, in particular, the good bad and very ugly. Tire slashing ugly.

I enjoyed the interaction between Brick Duquesne and his brother Dwayne as they both have serious business with lovers that followers of EJD will enjoy. Sex workers Penny, Christiana, and Mocha Latte are a big part of Brick’s life and moved the story forward.

If you have enjoyed the past three EJD books, you will also enjoy this one. I am waiting for EJD to write a good Gideon novel. Please. Thank you.

I was SO eager to read this book that I ended up buying it before Netgalley approved me for the eARC.

If you are a fan of EJD's writing, this will NOT disappoint - as steamy as always and the escapism one wants when reading during a pandemic!

EJD brought the heat in this read. Brick started off helping his neighbor Penny and her friends, Christiana and Mocha Latte as a driver with their escort business and ended up being involved more than he intended. Filled with classic metaphors, drama and his unique style of storytelling, this is a sizzling read. Relationships between brothers, father and son, exes are covered, and somehow, it leads to a satisfying conclusion. This is not a tame read.
#Netgalley Thank you.

The Business of Lovers is one of Eric Jerome Dickey's well put together novel. For a complicated story with heavy sexual content, he was able to make me see another side to how people cope with life's woes. He highlighted when "sex is rarely about sex." The writing was typical for the author; however, it was a beautiful paragraph at the end that will stay with me for a while. This is a book you must appreciate for what it is. It is not mind-blowing or exceptional literary fiction. However, it had valuable ways of telling a story about how some use sex along the way of finding themselves.

Families and Lovers in LA

Brick has put his job as an engineer on hold for a health emergency. He’s also suffering from a breakup with a woman he still loves. Helping his neighbor, Penny, he finds himself becoming the chauffeur and body guard for three tough, beautiful women working as escorts.

Dwayne, his brother, is also suffering setbacks in career and love. He’s been fired from his latest acting job and is nearly broke after giving money to Frenchis, is ex and the mother of his son. He wants to connect with his son, but doesn’t plan on the attraction he still feels for Frenchie.

This character study focuses on the two brothers, but also brings in the fascinating women, Penny, Christiana and Mocha Latte. Together with Brick these women form an unusual family. Dwayne’s struggles reveal his growth and enhanced ability to connect with his son.

The book tackles difficult issues particularly important to black men and women living in LA. These include job uncertainty, family dysfunction, gentrification, and LGBTQ issues. Although these are heavy topics, the author handles them with brisk dialogue and characters showing they can grow into new situations.

The pace is fast and the background covers many aspects of life in LA both glamorous and poverty stricken. I would have liked to see more background on some of the characters, particularly the three women, but it was a satisfying read.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Unfortunately I had to DNF one. I didn't expect the vulgarity and couldn't relate to any of the characters. I know that I'm probably in the minority here.

In retrospect, I perhaps should have waited to read this but I am often too eager to read an EJD to wait, so... here we are.
I find Dickey's writing to be decadent and entertaining, though he often goes deep and long, particularly on the sex scenes. That said, the story overall is engaging, and he hints at something in his author's note that tells me that we might see these people return in another novel.
I once told someone that EJD is one of the few male writers that write women well. That fact remains true, however, the women in this novel, while they felt real, didn't go very deep. Maybe Frenchie, but we just got a little dip into her psyche. I enjoyed reading the brotherhood, how the stores weave between each other and manage to dovetail at the end.
In all, a pretty good read. I am hard-pressed to be hypercritical about a Dickey novel. Might give it a re-read when my mind isn't occupied by enduring a historical event and trying to escape from it.

I wait on new Eric Jerome Dickey releases like clockwork. Every April, I can count on a page-turning, sexy fictional novel that shows a colorful portrait of hard-to-forget characters. In The Business of Lovers, we meet two (2) brothers and three (3) women.

Allow me to introduce them. Dwayne Duquesne is hard on times. The formal child star has just been fired from his latest acting role and is broke after paying child support. He returns home to check on his teenaged son and to hopefully make amends with the spiteful mother of his son. Brick Duquesne is taking a break from the corporate world. He put his job on hold after a health emergency and nasty breakup with a woman he still loves. Brick spends his days playing security and chauffeur to escorts. His neighbor, Penny, is a college student in debt. Mocha Latte is a former engineer looking for real love. Christiana is a Cuban refugee playing pimp. It is not long before the trio convinces Brick to become an escort himself. Let the story sexily begin!

The title is perfect. Dickey pens a page-turner about the family we are born to, the family we choose and the business of lovers. It is oh so unconventional but it flows like a classic EJD novel. Signature clipped sentences. Characters searching for life's purpose while loving on one another. Emotional turmoil and internal debates on morality. Relationships based on lust and less trust. Cash only professions. And an unforgettable cast with alternating points of view. All elements of a good book!

So why not a solid 5⭐️ rating? Through some of the engaging dialogue between the characters, a few interesting things were mentioned that could have been expanded upon. It would've given a deeper look into the psyche of Dwayne and Brick. More background on Penny, Christiana and Mocha Latte would have been appreciated to fully understand why they chose sex work. Sure it was mentioned in a paragraph or two, but more character development could have added layers to the story.

Hopefully this prompts the author to revisit these folks in the near future. Maybe they can cross paths with other Dickey universe characters like Gideon, Margaux, Destiny or Ken Swift. Just the thought excites me! (If none of these names sound familiar, my dear bookheart, you have some reading to catch up on.)

Before I go, let me have my chance to shine. Thank you for the acknowledgment. You are welcome, EJD, for my being a loyal reader because without my help, you'd be sitting in a cubicle from 9-5pm unhappy, battling all the characters' voices in your head with co-workers that disregard your previous emails and wishing you were traveling around this great world writing for readers' pleasure. You too are the best of the best!

Happy Early Pub Day, Eric Jerome Dickey! The Business of Lovers will be available Tuesday, April 21.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

LiteraryMarie