Not rating because I only made it 11% in (over an hour).

The women in this book--the WIVES--are so one dimensional I can't take it any more. They are all beautiful! And they talk of their children and shopping! They take group shopping trips to Europe! And don't forget they are all so beautiful. So, so beautiful.

I was hoping this might change, but after wasting an hour listening to this, I can't take any more.

This has a fantastic concept not fully executed. I'd give it 3.75 stars. ( )

Way too much going on...chapters too short. Insane premise.
Needs a sequel.

It was good, wanted it to be great. Would have worked better as a film, but crazy enough to work in its current form.

Won't talk about the characters because doing so would spoil it, but I will say the protagonist will work your good nerves as he handles the macadamian nuts he encounters throughout the story. He wasn't so much naive, just unreasonable dealing with known fools. You tend to act accordingly once foolishness enters into a relationship. ( )

I'm really not quite sure how I feel about this novel. When I initially started, I didn't think I would finish as the short chapters and basic writing style annoyed me.  However, I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know what happened. I can say that the climax was really good as I was kind of on the edge of my seat with my butt clinched, yet the denouement struggled a bit. It felt rushed. Kind of like watching a movie for 2 hours and finally getting some action for it to last and be over in 10 minutes. The ending was ambiguous  so if that bothers you then don't even try it. I think that it was kind of predictable and the entire "secret" premise was uncomfortable  and weird but I think that I have read much worse novels. The ride was intense for a moment but short lived. Although it was a little lengthy, it was a quick read. If you have time and aren't bothered by open endings, I guess you should check it out.   ( )

Oh dear. [Cue the dull hum of crickets chirping]. This is awkward.

I had a difficult time reading this book, and I'm having an even harder time reviewing it. As a Caucasian, I have difficulty verbalizing and discussing racial inequities and discrimination. It isn't that I think things are right or fair or equal between the races - just the opposite, but I don't know how to talk about it without causing offense or being antagonistic. The desire to be politically correct is almost ingrained, at this point, and I'm terrified of being perceived as offensive when I'm trying to be anything but. So, you know, I'm not in the habit of really talking about race - or any potentially inflammatory subject like religion or politics - because I'd rather polite than start a fight. Forty Acres forces the issue, making readers address issues like slavery and reparation head on.

Martin Grey is an African American attorney on the very brink of fame and fortune. Coming off a high-profile win, Grey is invited to join an exclusive group of similarly minded successful black men. He is taken to Forty Acres after agreeing to partake in a type of team-building whitewater rafting expedition. Upon arriving, there are no raging waters to be found; but there is danger beyond anything that Martin Grey could imagine. Unknowingly, Grey has been invited to join a members-only club where the members are exclusively African American and the wait-staff is exclusively Caucasian. The grounds of Forty Acres are strikingly similar to the Southern plantations of long ago, and the traditions they keep there, with the oversight of Dr. Kasim and his staff, are just as antiquated. Slavery has been resurrected in an attempt to empower these black men, and the slaves have been, um, recruited (see also: kidnapped) according to their ancestry, In fact, all the slaves laboring on Forty Acres have been chosen because of their relation to those persons who profited most directly from slavery. Which, then, begs the question: should those who have profited from slavery be compelled to provide reparation decades after the initial offense? Martin Grey isn't sure, but he knows that if reparation are due, the debt should not be paid in blood.

This book wasn't quite my cup of tea. It was a luke-warm, weak, sugary-sweet concoction that could maybe pass as tea - just not tea that I would want to drink again. It could be choked down with a little bit of effort, but it isn't something that I would order again, I may recommend this one to fans of legal thrillers like those of John Grisham or to fans of mystery/suspense books with strong, morally-minded African American protagonists like James Patterson's Alex Cross. The twist ending was a pleasant surprise. Let's just hope that it isn't another lead in to a sequel - because I've had my fill, ummkay?

This review is based on an e-galley provided by the super nice people at Atria Books and NetGalley. ( )