I found The Real Deal by Margaret Johnson-Hodge to be a disappointment. It is a story of Samone who is in love with a man, Max, while a White co-worker, Jon, is in love with her. Max's refusal to propose to Samone soon brings their relationship to an end. Waiting in the wind and eager to take his turn is Jon.

I was never quite sure where the author wanted to take the reader. Did Max really love Samone but not enough to marry her? Did Samone have genuine feelings for Jon or was he simply a "will do" until Max came to his senses?

While the beginning of the book held my attention - I was eager to see how things would play out between Max and Simone. By the time I arrived at the middle of the book, it had taken a serious downturn for me. It was around this time that Samone discovers she is pregnant with Max's baby. On the day of her scheduled appointment for an abortion, Max professes his love for her and his unborn child. Typically, this would have been enough for anyone else to decide against the abortion but, apparently, not Samone. Not only does she goes through with it, she also allows Jon to accompany her. After that incident I really lost interest in the book.

Max proceeds to date another woman with a child that he totally adores. Is this his way of trying to live the role of a father that Samone denied him? That was never explained in the book. Meanwhile, Samone struggles with being in an interracial relationship with Jon. There never really seemed like there was much of a spark between Samone and Jon. One thing for sure, they most certainly did not make an interesting couple at all. The supporting characters, Pat and her husband Ray, really added nothing to the story - they could have been totally excluded with little to no change to the storyline.

Overall, this book was a disappointment and does not begin to compare to True Lies. Therefore, I cannot recommend this book. ( )