A Dead Rose (Urban Soul)
by Rhonda M. Lawson

Can a lack of self love make a woman self-destruct? Does a woman’s past really dictate her present? Are "loose" women only as deep as the make-up they wear? Meet Isis Reynolds. She’s young, pretty, and smart, but has a lot to learn about relationships. In her quest for love, she’s developed an "easy" reputation, earning disrespect from men, and hatred from women. Through it all, she strives to repair her relationship with God while fighting off the demons of her past and struggling to be the rock for her friend, Kendra, who struggles with the realization that she’s gay, and her sister, Cleopatra, who moves in with her boyfriend and tries to hide it from their parents. On top of it all, Isis quickly marries Vincent, who doesn’t seem to be as comfortable with his new wife’s past as he claims to be. As Isis’ world seems to fall apart around her, she learns there are no easy answers to life’s questions.