Truth and lies . . .

At long last, the Reverend Curtis Black appears to be living the straight life. The all-too-human preacher is a bestselling author now, and he and his wife, Charlotte, are raising two adorable children. But the ever-suspicious Charlotte doesn't trust that Curtis has put his womanizing past behind him. While he's on the road promoting his latest book, she knows that there just needs to beone extra-devoted fan in his flock for him to stray.

Secrets and lies . . .

Still, Charlotte is no angel herself, and she's been keeping plenty of secrets from Curtis while he's been away. For one thing, their daughter, Marissa, is behaving bizarrely, reminding Charlotte a bit too much of the man with whom she had an affair five years ago—an affair Curtis won't let her forget.

Then there are the disturbing visits from her so-called brother-in-law, a man once involved with drugs and the law. Curtis has forbidden the family to see him, but the guy simply keeps turning up on Charlotte's doorstep no matter how hard she tries to keep him away.

Charlotte believes with all her heart that things will be better once Curtis comes home.

Love and lies . . .

But Charlotte should be careful what she wishes for. She thinks love is enough to untangle the web of lies she and Curtis have woven for themselves. What she doesn't know is that when her husband finally returns, she'll have some tough decisions to make if she wants to save her soul and salvage her marriage.

"For Charlotte Black, there are some good things about being married to the 'world renowned' Rev. Curtis Black (whose flashy, trashy life Roby has dished in earlier works). Her husband's bestselling books and flourishing ministry allow her a life of luxury, but Curtis is always away on publicity tours, and Charlotte suspects he's cheating. Of course, she's cheated, too — one affair yielded 12-year-old Matthew, while five-year-old Marissa, a budding pyromaniac (Charlotte assured Curtis the girl is his), is the demon spawn of her tryst with mentally ill Aaron. Charlotte hires a private detective to catch Curtis in the act. Meanwhile, Charlotte's best friend and co-narrator, college professor Janine, has man trouble of her own: freeloading boyfriend Antonio turns her living room into a drug den and takes up with another woman. Janine eventually calls the cops and gets her locks changed, and Antonio promises revenge. A farcical array of misfortunes (a death, a near-deadly stabbing, another illegitimate child born, etc.) rock the cast as the book lumbers toward its conclusion. Astonishingly, none of this gets in the way of the happy ending; all the trouble, it turns out, was worth it. Readers may not be so sure." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

The author of the "New York Times" bestseller "The Best-Kept Secret" returns with a fabulous tale featuring the beloved scoundrel, Curtis Black.