Official Review: Closure or Ammo by Sharryn Dotson

Jennifer Allsbrook · Post by **Jennifer Allsbrook** » 23 Jan 2017, 18:59

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Closure or Ammo" by Sharryn Dotson.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Closure or Ammo, by Sharryn Dotson, propels readers into the world of the urban, single woman by following the antics of best friends: Alana Rivers and Valerie Wright. Virtually sisters, Lana and Val love one another and share the daily minutia of their lives. Hence, emotional upheavals, sexual conquests, and budding relationships are the topic of conversation over many a glass of wine or late night phone call.

Alana, a career advertising executive, works hard at her job but plays even harder. Since losing her husband, Lana tries to fill the emotional void by bar hopping and bringing home strange men. Her promiscuous behavior concerns Val and her partner on the job, Adrian Young. The situation becomes even worse when Lana meets and falls for her new boss, Leo Piazzo. Adrian and Val both warn Lana of the dangers of an affair with the boss, but she is drawn to Mr. Slim and Sexy, her nickname for Leo. A hot affair ensues but burns out fast. Has Lana ruined her career?

Meanwhile, Valerie’s life takes some drastic turns. Her son’s father, Andre, is arrested and she becomes the sole guardian of her son. Consequently, Detective Travis Clarkson shows up at her door to question Val about Andre’s drug and gang related activities. Val experiences an instant attraction to the sexy detective and after additional meetings, he offers to befriend her and mentor her son. Agreeing, Val and Travis meet often and the mutual attraction between the two develops into an exciting and satisfying relationship.

In Closure or Ammo, Dotson develops her characters through abrupt and engaging dialogue. Accordingly, their realistic conversations reveal their hopes, fears, and insecurities. Lana, damaged and lost, tries to find happiness through sexual promiscuity. Her friends all encourage her to be careful, but her need to escape the pain of losing her husband makes her vulnerable. After losing Leo, she spins even further out of control. Taking advantage of Travis’s connections in law enforcement, Lana asks for a background check on Leo. Travis reluctantly agrees and asks Lana if she wants it for closure or for ammo, thus the title of the book. What will Lana do with this information? Will this drive a wedge between Val and her new love?

Overall, Closure or Ammo rates 4 out of 4 stars. Dotson’s approach to and portrayal of her characters’ strengths and weaknesses was intriguing. The story did involve romance, but I found that too tame a word for the sexual encounters in the book. The erotic scenes were raw and frenzied, especially between Lana and Leo. I loved the complex themes of single parenting; loss and grief; exploration of new relationships; and betrayal. What I liked the least were some of the outcomes for the characters. Beware of some shocking developments for both Val and Lana! Definitely recommended for readers who enjoy erotic romance, this book also provides an opportunity for readers looking for diversity in their main characters who are all African-American.

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Closure or Ammo
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nramomof2 · Post by **nramomof2** » 28 Jan 2017, 11:02

Sounds like an interesting story.

Jennifer Allsbrook · Post by **Jennifer Allsbrook** » 28 Jan 2017, 11:37

nramomof2 wrote:Sounds like an interesting story.

It was interesting and provided a perspective on relationships that I had never read before.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 28 Jan 2017, 21:34

I haven't seen a lot of reviews that are 4 out of 4 do that's nice to see. Not really my book, but thanks for the review.

Jennifer Allsbrook · Post by **Jennifer Allsbrook** » 29 Jan 2017, 14:23

kandscreeley wrote:I haven't seen a lot of reviews that are 4 out of 4 do that's nice to see. Not really my book, but thanks for the review.

Thank you for your comments. This book was very different for me as well. The urban culture, blunt language and raw sexuality gave it a different feel from most erotic romance novels that I have read in the past. I found myself shocked at times about the conflicts that occurred in the main characters' relationships. It was also very timely since we have been discussing diversity in books as apart of our BOTM discussions.

Kdonegan91 · Post by **Kdonegan91** » 29 Jan 2017, 19:53

After seeing the cover, I did not think this book was going to be about love, loss, and sex. Your review had given me a different perspective and I must know what Lana chooses to do! However, it seems like this book contains a lot of characters. Did the storyline get confusing with so many characters or are they well defined?

Jennifer Allsbrook · Post by **Jennifer Allsbrook** » 29 Jan 2017, 22:14

Kdonegan91 wrote:After seeing the cover, I did not think this book was going to be about love, loss, and sex. Your review had given me a different perspective and I must know what Lana chooses to do! However, it seems like this book contains a lot of characters. Did the storyline get confusing with so many characters or are they well defined?

The story line was straight forward but as I stated in both the review and the comments, the outcome is so unexpected. I found it very difficult to write the review without spoilers!! Overall, the author writes a gritty story about woman unafraid to embrace their sexuality and go after what they want.

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 30 Jan 2017, 04:24

Sounds like a very interesting and enjoyable book with intriguing characters. The book seems intended for matured readers

. Great job on the review.

Jennifer Allsbrook · Post by **Jennifer Allsbrook** » 30 Jan 2017, 13:00

kimmyschemy06 wrote:Sounds like a very interesting and enjoyable book with intriguing characters. The book seems intended for matured readers . Great job on the review.

Thank you for your kind remarks. I would agree that the book is intended for mature readers!

Cheeky · Post by **Cheeky** » 01 Feb 2017, 09:38

This is really not my genre of books, I don't like the steamy erotica. But did a great job of translating the book.Thanks for the review.

Post by **bookowlie** » 13 Feb 2017, 12:21

Nice, insightful review! It sounds like the author did a great job of subtly developing the characters through their conversations. I laughed when I read the phrase about romance being too tame a word for the couple's sexual encounters.

Although I don't think this book is my cup of tea, I am glad you enjoyed the book.

Jennifer Allsbrook · Post by **Jennifer Allsbrook** » 13 Feb 2017, 13:43

bookowlie wrote:Nice, insightful review! It sounds like the author did a great job of subtly developing the characters through their conversations. I laughed when I read the phrase about romance being too tame a word for the couple's sexual encounters. Although I don't think this book is my cup of tea, I am glad you enjoyed the book.

Thank you for the kind remarks. This book was interesting because of the cultural differences. I had to completely set aside those differences when doing the review.

Post by **bookowlie** » 13 Feb 2017, 17:24

Jennifer Allsbrook wrote:
bookowlie wrote:Nice, insightful review! It sounds like the author did a great job of subtly developing the characters through their conversations. I laughed when I read the phrase about romance being too tame a word for the couple's sexual encounters. Although I don't think this book is my cup of tea, I am glad you enjoyed the book.
Thank you for the kind remarks. This book was interesting because of the cultural differences. I had to completely set aside those differences when doing the review.

I'm sure you learned a few things about another way of life, even if some parts were shocking.