Beautiful Ugly — Shelia E. Bell

Envy Wilson, Layla Hobbs, Kacie Mayweather, three thirty year old women, each with their own set of problems, situations, and secrets, share a friendship bound together by their need for each other. One by one, they each try to play with the deck life deals them. After all, the alternative to living is dying, and who wants to go down that pathway. There is too much zest in living for them, too many things to see, places to go and an endless list of mistakes yet to be made. Layla fights the battle of obesity, but her melodious voice can soothe the savage beast, but who can soothe her desire for love? Envy is her backbone and is one of the few people in her life who doesn't beat up on her about being overweight. Kacie has cerebral palsy, six children and five baby daddies, but never a husband. She prays that Deacon, an older man she meets at church, will be the perfect man to love and care for her and her children. Envy has her own secrets that she refuses to share, not even with Layla and Kacie. When life begins to change for each of these ladies, will their friendships hold up? When good things happen can it cause bad reactions? Can a good man bring you down? Can a bad man bring you up? Can friendship last in the midst of joy and pain? Through it all, the three of them cling to each other â€" but the circumstances they face in life will hopefully teach them how to cling to God.