Lola belonged to a gang in South Central Los Angeles. Everyone thought that she was just a member, but the reality of it is that she leads them. Because of society's way of thinking, it's assumed that her lover Garcia is the leader.

Then there's little Lucy. Her mother is a drug addict and Lola is determined that Lucy doesn't end up like her and has a better life than she ever did.

This was a fantastic book with a strong female lead. There's tons of action and twists to keep you riveted. Melissa Scrivner Love has written a wonderful novel everyone will enjoy.

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. ( )

If you have been reading my reviews, you will notice I don't post a lot of negative reviews. On my previous site, a long time ago, I did and never felt great about it. I know what it is like to write a book and the amount of time that goes into it, so as a small time book reviewer, I try to highlight only books I really enjoy. So, I am going to be a little uncomfortable with this review, but I have to review it since I got it from Blogging for Books and need to post a review.

I was so excited to read this book too. After having the main character described as Lisbeth Salander meets Walter White, I was in. The problem is Lola is a great character, but the rest...

Lola is the leader of the Crenshaw Six, but isn't the recognized leader by any of the other gangs because she is a woman and she puts her boyfriend in front regularly. At a party, her boyfriend is approached by the Cartel to interrupt a drug deal between a rival dealer and a new supplier. The cost of the deal is $4 million. If they blow it, Lola is going to be gutted by the cartel.

I am not going to spoil anything as one can guess what happens. The deal is blown and now Lola must figure out what went wrong and solve the mystery of who is the new supplier and deal with the rival gang leader. She also only has a week to do it. Will Lola get out of this?

While this book is only about 320 pages, it felt incredibly long due to the sheer amount of downtime in the story. One would think only having a week to get everything done, we would be in a fast paced book filled with twists and turns. Sadly, that is not the case. Lola observes her rival several times throughout the book watching his porch and you are with her for all that time. She also makes trips to the hospital to do visits, walks around the neighborhood, gets into her brother's love life, etc. This should have been a go-go-go type of book.

As stated earlier, Lola is a great character. She is ruthless when she needs to be and tactful in her decisions. She should be the lead of a book. The difficulty is her supporting characters are unforgettable and because there is so much downtime, the element of danger is lost. I kept forgetting her boyfriend's name for example, as he would disappear from the book for long stretches and he is supposed to be a main secondary character. Her rival is kind of two dimensional and her brother's side story is just a major distraction. As stated, this should have been faster paced for a drug deal gone wrong with the police, cartel, and rival drug gangs all gunning for her, but it simply wasn't.

Sorry to say that I would have a hard time recommending this one. I gave it 3 stars, maybe 2.5. I'm sorry about this one as I wanted to enjoy it. ( )

An interesting first novel with several twists and turns -- and definitely a story of a powerful woman trying to find her place in the drug land of LA. The author has some good storytelling, but some elements seem unnecessary and it takes a while to get to the good parts. Overall, an enjoyable read. ( )

This book is fantastic. I've reread it twice now, and lent it to several friends. Highly recommend ( )

In some ways, this is a run of the mill gang/cartel turf battle novel. However, the gang leader is a woman. Lola is a smart, tough, woman who has managed to keep her status as leader a secret for a long time. A botched deal leads to her unveiling and the rest of the story as she tries to survive the consequences. It is the internal monologue which runs in Lola's mind that ratchets the novel up a level, in my opinion. The reader is offered a glimpse into the making of a gang member. Neighborhood, familial dynamics, lack of alternative opportunities all play a role, but it is Lola's childhood experiences with an addict for a mother which toughen and damage Lola most. A very good read. ( )