Everything to Me. AC Taylor. 2017. 177 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Haze and Dominic have an oddly intimate friendship. Dominic’s an R&B star who immediately claims Haze as his friend when he visits her ice cream shop while on vacation in Hawaii. For her part, Haze has run to Hawaii in an attempt to heal from her mother’s recent death. Despite them both being from Dallas, it’s only half a world away that they connect, but they fall into a friendship that’s actually valued by both of them. They have an open enough friendship that both acknowledge wanting more. On the other hand, both are realistic enough to know that Haze is not well-suited for the high scrutiny and aggressive pace of Dominic’s lifestyle.  The author was able to capture their obvious affection for each other, but perhaps a bit too well. I often felt it was unrealistic that the visit in this book was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. But sometimes you just reach a tipping point. An added complication is that Haze’s best friend, Avery, is behind a popular celebrity gossip blog and podcast.  Naturally, Haze feels pressure to insulate her friend from Avery’s scrutiny…

Wins & Losses. Alexandra Warren. 2018. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] For her twentieth release, Alexandra Warren outdid herself. Wins & Losses is a page-turner that I couldn’t put down and gets my strong recommendation.  With this release, she demonstrated that she’s capable of more than just telling a story, but is able to make a compelling critique of current events in an authentic and insightful way. The book starts with Carmen at her father’s funeral, reeling from his yet-unsolved murder.  Charles Wellington was an integral and well-loved member of their community so his death doesn’t make sense to anyone.  In the wake of his death, Carmen has to figure out how to support her 17-year-old brother Jordan who is captain of the basketball team and in the midst of his final year of high school when she lives hours away with her fiance Will.  Luckily, Jordan’s basketball couch, a former rival, Nasir, is staunchly in his corner and willing to be a pillar of support for them both while they figure out their new normal. Warren prefaced this book by sharing that it isn’t anything like what she’s written previously, and she’s spot on.  One of the most prevalent themes in this book…

Room Service. Rochelle Alers. 2018. Dafina Books. 353 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]. Room Service is a look at second-chance love featuring Jasmine, a 42-year-old woman who is still a bit shy of relationships after a failed marriage. She spends a good chunk of the book avoiding the advances of, and later feelings toward, Cameron, a 48-year-old bachelor.  I appreciated that the main characters were older than what is usually seen in romances. It showed that the search for love doesn’t have an age limit.  The settings in this story are vivid, with much of the action being split between New York City and New Orleans. That Jasmine is an interior decorator also provided an interesting look at the interior spaces they visit, with strong images provided for buildings, furniture, and art. As someone who loves New Orleans from afar (yet hasn’t visited) I particularly enjoyed this imagery. The plot itself is solid. It’s definitely believable and the characters are relatable. I did find the reactions that Jasmine and Cameron had to each other at times seemed a bit less than plausible, but not so much that I couldn’t find…

Road to Love. Nicole Falls. 2018. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] This book starts with its main character crying her mascara off in a club bathroom stall. I didn’t know where Road to Love would go from there, but I was along for the ride (pun intended). Emerson Parker has odd luck with men. She didn’t date a lot in high school, thanks to her devout religious upbringing. The one serious relationship she had ended with a swinging hanger in an empty closet and a 4-word goodbye note. She’s been backstabbed by her closest friend and is estranged from her parents. Drama. A much-needed sabbatical from work leads her on a road trip home to Michigan from her new home in L.A. Along the way, she finds an undeniably handsome stranger stranded on the side of a Colorado highway. Roosevelt Ashe is probably too handsome for his own good, and definitely for Emerson’s. Nonetheless, they find themselves unlikely travel companions of sorts, and later, friends. As they both adjust to being back home among family and friends, they provide the support the other needs to face old demons and attempt to move forward in their lives. Road to Love is an enjoyable,…

The Wanderer. Nia Forrester. 2018. Stiletto Press. 202 pages.  [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Blu — short for Bluebell — has finally come home, sort of. She’s a wandering soul, the product of two “hippie” parents who never quite focused their life energy on her and her younger brother. She’s spent most of her adult life on the go, working for relief organizations in developing countries.  When she lands herself in Washington, D.C., unemployed and living with her younger brother, she’s open to what the world brings her way.  That path, coincidentally, brings her back in contact with one of her closest friends from college, Bryan. Along with their other friends, Blu and Bryan bonded over their art, painting for her and writing for him.  In rekindling their friendship, Blu and Bryan realize they’ve both changed in subtle and obvious ways.  Blu’s travels have opened her up to the world — including love and pain — that have shaped the way she approaches her relationships and life in general.  Her art is still as significant to her, but Bryan’s has tapered off.  Instead, he has settled into a life as a teacher and father, leaving his writing a part of his past.  He’s…