Nappily Married

August 6, 2007
Thomas's nicely-turned sequel to Nappily Ever After opens with Venus Johnston at a beauty salon, throwing around hundred dollar bills and requesting that her natural hair be straightened immediately. It's Venus's desperate reaction to catching her rich, handsome husband, ex-rapper and successful businessman Jake, in flagrante with his assistant. But Venus blames herself, and soon tells the other salon patrons the backstory. Despite a full life with Jake and daughter Mya (whom Jake accepts as his despite unclear paternity) Venus takes a public relations job at a troubled community hospital, which eats up her time and puts her in daily contact with ex-lover Dr. Clint Fairchild. What follows are enough misunderstandings for a daytime soap, and Thomas keeps the action flowing with short chapters, well-orchestrated subplots, steamy sex and root-forable characters.