Bliss.

Bliss by Danyel Smith Crown Publishers, August 2005 $23.95, ISBN 1-400-04642-4

Danyel Smith received wide acclaim for her fiction debut More Like Wrestling (Three Rivers Press, February 2004), a stirring tale of sisterhood and family ties. In her sophomore novel, the journalist and former editor-in-chief of Vibe shows her musical prowess in this tale of love, spite and angst nestled in the war zone backdrop of the music industry.

It's 1998, and Eva Glenn is a record exec who has a love-hate relationship with her cronies in the music biz. She also has a mouth like a sailor, the fashion sense of a supermodel and a heart of steel--not to mention the love life of a rabbit, which is hardly a secret, as if she cares. She was raised by a father who pulled no punches when it came to life. He taught her the value of sex--especially in business--and the dangers of love. The only trouble is Eva's pretty sure she's pregnant--again.

The prospect of motherhood doesn't appeal to her any more now than it did in the past, but could love finally be a factor? Eva is the powerhouse behind Grammy Award-winning artist Sunny, and she's about to take the singer's career to another level. She's also had her share of flings. Motherhood may just soften her yet.

Smith gets off to a slightly slow start as lyrics, flashbacks and reveries abound, but the story line takes off once Eva faces the toughest decision of her life.

Regina Cash-Clark is an assistant professor of journalism at Ramapo College of New Jersey and a freelance writer/editor.