Book Review: Larger Than Lyfe by Cynthia Diane Thornton

Description from Goodreads:

Beautiful, Wharton-educated, recording industry mogul Keshari Mitchell is leading a double life. As owner of Larger Than Lyfe Entertainment, a multimillion-dollar record label specializing in platinum-selling hip-hop, R&B and jazz, she is undeniably the most powerful woman in the American music industry. As second-in-command in The Consortium, one of the most powerful, Black organized crime rings on the West Coast, she is, undoubtedly, one of the most powerful and most feared women in the United States’ criminal underworld.But… she wants OUT… out of an organization that does not accept resignations. As Larger Than Lyfe unfolds, readers receive a VIP pass into Keshari Mitchell’s very glamorous but extremely dangerous life. Readers get a taste of the decadence, drama, and hedonism so prevalent in the music industry. Readers also view the dark side of organized crime where millions of dollars are made and controlled from the trafficking and sale of cocaine, where law enforcement can be bought and corrupted, and where lives can be snuffed out strategically and without remorse at any given time to protect and expand criminal empires. Keshari Mitchell is on the verge of total meltdown as she works desperately on a daily basis to keep the stressful duality of her life as record industry mogul and increasingly reluctant crime boss separate. This most complex predicament is complicated all the more when she breaks her own rule regarding romantic entanglements and falls in love with the handsome, new, West Coast general counsel at ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). Will love of a lifetime be able to survive and surpass the deception of Keshari Mitchell’s double life? And will Keshari Mitchell be able to survive and walk away from the very dark side of her life that is “blood in—blood out”?

My thoughts:

I really like Keshari as a main character. She is a strong and successful woman that holds her own very well. While she is in the spotlight alot because of her record label, there is also a very dark part in her life that may cost her everything. She is one of the leaders in an organized crime ring. Keshari makes a very deep decision. She wants to quit the crime lifestyle and live the straight life with her soul mate. That does not come easy, of course.

This was a really good read overall. The storyline was solid, yet somewhat predictable at times. It had a good flow. The name brand dropping was a little much in my opinion, but I'm not much of a materialistic person anyway, so maybe it's just me. I would definitely read another book by this author, and will be picking up a copy of the sequel, Rise of the Phoenix, Larger than Lyfe II.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book to read and review from the author, Cynthia Diane Thornton. This does not affect my opinion or rating in any way.