I like the disclaimer in An Inconvenient Friend, a good work of "urban Christian" fiction, that says anything referenced that seems real is "intended to give the novel a sense of reality." Better than ignoring such references with a disclaimer that says it's just fiction. Like some celebrity makes an appearance or something. So annoying.
Maybe, a word about the book. Let me first say that the author is either very gracious and/or a diligent person, since she is sure to thank everyone she finds who has said nice things about it -- I have never seen so many thank yous from the author over in Amazon comments. Second, I have read some uplifting books of this nature a few times, and do appreciate when it is written in a nice easy to read style. This includes a few amusing asides, even if now and then, the writing is a bit rough. I can see why the target audience -- black Christian women -- would enjoy it.
Not fitting in any of those categories at the moment, clearly the book can be enjoyed on some level by other readers as well. The book concerns a two women, who are in some ways alike (especially in their backgrounds), but in a very different place now. One is a successful wife of a doctor (Angelina) and leader at her church, though has problems with her marriage, and sadness from losing a child a few years before. The other is a younger woman, who plans to get to know her at church to take her place, just having an affair with her husband not doing it.
Someone with a bit of biblilcal knowledge would nod knowingly -- her name is Samaria Jones. Oh, Angelina (another symbolic name) has gone to a doctor to deal with fertility issues. "Dr. Luke," that is. That my friend, is an inside joke or reference. Samaria falls sway to Angelina's Christian message but continues to try to steal her a husband. Samaria might in the end be saved, but it all doesn't end well. This is part of the interesting aspect of it all. We only know Angelina forgave her husband from a preview of the sequel. There is clearly a "to be continued" vibe here.
[Angelina also informs that "to forgive" does not necessarily mean you will continue to be with the person involved. How she will end up with her husband and maybe Samaria -- her fate is left open -- perhaps will be dealt with in the sequel.]
The book has an interesting device -- Samaria narrates but we also are privy to Angelina's thoughts, though those chapters are done via a third person narrator. The very different perspectives both come off pretty well as does the contrasting locales, from the projects to an upper middle class (or rich) black church and home. We understand why Samaria acts like she does and quickly are rooting for her to find the right path. The book puts this to be faith in God, but in a big way it is faith in yourself (your inner voice, your conscience) as well as the need for special people close to you to care about and have them care about you. Thus, you can view events from a type of secular way, though I think the deepness of feeling and so forth involved still has a "religious" aspect to it.
I think it might be a good film too. Anyways, it was a good read.