It's Like That.

It's Like That by Cheryl Robinson New American Library, January 2006 $13.95, ISBN: 0-451-21746-2

"Everyday Is a Struggle" could be the alternative rifle for Robinson's new book, told from the rotating narratives of an engaged mother of two living with H1V and her fiance. In this follow-up to If It Ain't One Thing (NAL Trade, 2005), Winona Fairchild is a successful auto designer, but between her diagnosis, her failed relationships with her children's fathers and her current engagement to Porter Washington, a man almost 10 years her junior, she feels incomplete. Porter, a firefighter by trade but a musician at heart, must decide whether to pursue passion over practicality. He loves Winona, but finds their relationship difficult as he battles his own secrets.

Winona's decision to follow the 40-day plan in the book The Purpose Driven Life gives her hope that change is on the horizon.

The author interjects a significant number of plot points within the short period of time, which fosters underdeveloped scenes, uneven transitions and abrupt closers. However, these do not ultimately diminish the central message. It's Like That exemplifies that life is flail of tangled situations and that a person must be flexible and responsive to embark upon the road to happiness and understanding.

--Reviewed by Felicia Pride Felicia Pride is the founder of BackList (www.thebacklist.net), a Web site on black books.