Mary Monroe’s first book was published and disappeared. Fifteen years of rejection letters passed before she sold her second novel God Don’t Like Ugly. Mary has published many books since but sooner or later she always returns to Annette and Rhoda.
In fact it was the third book in The God Don’t Like Ugly Series, God Don’t Play, that first placed on the New York Times Bestseller List. Mary Monroe has her own website at Mary Monroe.org
Each week I pick a new series and detail it here – giving you the proper order. Click the mouse on the book covers to order these books from the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library.
 God Don’t Like Ugly |
God Don’t Like Ugly (The God Don’t Like Ugly Series #1)Author: Monroe, Mary |
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In her richly drawn debut novel, Mary Monroe brings to life the bond between two girls from opposite sides of the track—and the shattering event that changes their lives forever. At the heart of the story is Annette Goode, a shy, awkward, overweight child who keeps a terrible secret. Mr. Boatwright, the boarder her hardworking mother has taken in, abuses her daily. Frightened and ashamed, Annette withdraws into a world of books and food. But the summer Annette turns thirteen, something incredible happens: Rhoda Nelson chooses her as a friend. Dazzling, generous Rhoda, who is everything Annette is not – gorgeous, slim, and worldly – welcomes Annette into the heart of her eccentric family, which includes her handsome and dignified father; her lovely, fragile, “Muh’Dear;” her brooding, dangerous brother Jock; and her colorful white relatives – half-crazy Uncle Johnny, sultry Aunt Lola, and scary, surly Granny Goose. With Rhoda’s help, Annette survives adolescence and blossoms as a woman. But when her beautiful best friend makes a stunning confession about a horrific childhood crime, Annette’s world will never be the same. Set on the streets, porches and parlors of 1960s and 1970 Ohio, God Don’t Like Ugly sparkles with clear-eyed wit and uncompromising honesty. Readers will find this remarkable new novel full of laughter, inspiration, and pure enjoyment. |
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 God Still Don’t like Ugly |
God Still Don’t like Ugly (The God Don’t Like Ugly Series #2)Author: Monroe, Mary |
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Growing up, Annette Goode thought all men were as low-down as the father who abandoned her. There was Mr. Boatwright, the boarder who abused her for years – until her best friend Rhoda murdered him. And what about the men she slept with to earn the money she needed to run away from her life? None of them was exactly the picture of chivalry. But now, after decades of soul searching and heartache, Annette has reunited with the father she never really knew. She’s severed all ties with the dangerously unstable Rhoda. And finally her real life has started to take shape. Or so she thinks . . . Things start to fall apart at – of all places – Annette’s own pre-wedding celebration, where a guest reveals that the beautiful bride-to-be once turned tricks for a living. When her fiance pulls a disappearing act, Annette reunites with Pee Wee Davis – the man who has been her on-again, off-again sweetheart since childhood. It’s not a great life, but it’s a pretty good one. Yet Annette still holds the secret of her ex-friend Rhoda’s murderous past deep in her heart. She knows it’s a burden that will torment her until she can put it to rest. So when Rhoda suddenly walks back into her life, Annette must decide what she should believe – and what she can forgive – as she tries to salvage the one relationship that she just can’t seem to let go . . . |
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 God Don’t Play |
God Don’t Play (The God Don’t Like Ugly Series #3)Author: Monroe, Mary |
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With a handsome husband, a beautiful daughter, and a lovely house to come home to every night, it looks like forty-five-year-old Annette Goode finally has it all. And heaven knows she paid her dues to get it – from a childhood filled with abuse to a rocky start as an adult. Annette’s friend Rhoda knows too, for Rhoda has been both her savior and her greatest fear. Their erratic relationship has survived some serious bumps in the road, and now things are good. But apparently someone thinks Annette has it a little too good . . . When Annette receives an anonymous – and menacing – birthday gift, it is just the beginning of a slew of hostile letters, vicious phone calls, and vile packages from a female who is obviously disguising her voice. Soon nasty notes about Annette are also being circulated throughout her community. But despite the onslaught, Annette has no clue who the harasser is, or what is behind her contempt. Gaining comfort from the support of Rhoda and Rhoda’s teenage daughter, Jade, Annette hopes that somehow the problem will just go away. But when the threats extend to her little daughter, Annette realizes the situation is dire. And she’s right, for soon her tormentor reveals exactly what she wants – and claims to have been playing a role in Annette’s life all along. To make matters worse, she provides evidence that may destroy everything Annette has built . . . Just as Annette reaches the brink of what she can bear, her mysterious enemy challenges her to a face-to-face showdown. It is a meeting that will not only shock Annette, but will forever change the lives of those closest to her . . . |
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 God Ain’t Blind |
God Ain’t Blind (The God Don’t Like Ugly Series #4)Author: Monroe, Mary |
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In this gripping, unforgettable new novel by New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe, forever friends Annette Goode Davis and Rhoda O’Toole are about to learn that even the rockiest relationships can survive just about anything – as long as you’re there for each other when it matters most . . . Annette Goode Davis is a survivor, and while life’s obstacles have often knocked her down, she’s never let them keep her there for long. To Annette, life is all about family and old friends like Rhoda O’Toole. And right now, Annette needs all the friends she can get . . . because her marriage is in big trouble, and she has no idea why . . . Lately, her husband Pee Wee barely has the time of day for Annette and she suspects he may have fallen for another woman. Desperate to regain his affections, Annette goes on a crash diet, gets a total makeover, and looks hotter than she has for a long, long time. Everyone notices – everyone except Pee Wee. Annette is ripe for the picking when she meets Louis Baines, a handsome young caterer who showers her with attention. Soon, Annette is embroiled in a full blown affair and spending money on Louis like there’s no tomorrow. But when Annette learns a terrible secret about her new lover, she realizes she’s in way over her head. Her life crumbling down around her, Annette turns to the only person she knows she can trust: Rhoda. With Rhoda by her side, Annette’s determined to find a way out of this mess. But when the truth finally comes out, Annette must face the fact that she may have destroyed the life she loved – and this time, not even Rhoda can help her make things right . . . |
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