Please Come Home for Christmas. Kahillah Fox. 2016. 65 pages. HeartBeat Press. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] So, I love all things Christmas. Sure, I grumble about the cold, the stress of decorating and gift buying, and dinner planning.  But I also permanently change my radio station to 97.1fm the day after Thanksgiving because that’s when the Christmas music starts. So when I came across Please Come Home For Christmas last night on Kindle Unlimited, I said why not have a little Christmas in April. I’m clearly a glutton for punishment. This book is centered around Zahara, who reluctantly returns home to Maryland for Christmas.  She’s been living the life in California, and the slow, cold style of Maryland just doesn’t fit her. When she arrives home, she finds her parents have invited over her ex-boyfriend, Adrian, and he’s on a mission to win back her heart.  Throw in some drama with her younger sister and a surprise pop-up from her boyfriend Christian, and you’ve got all the makes of a holiday (maybe) romance that will at least entertain you while you sip your egg nog.

Something Old, Something New. Beverly Jenkins. 2011. 355 pages. William Morrow Paperbacks. [Source: personal copy.] Book 3 in the Blessings Series  This series can do no wrong in my eyes, but book 3 is admittedly not as captivating as the first two installments. I’m interested to know the amount of time that lapsed between book 2 and 3, as there was substantially more back-tracking and reminding in this than noticed in book 2. With the introduction of new characters and more discussion on the native culture, I felt book 3 left many of the original members stagnant. I’m eager to get to 4 and see who claims focus, how, and why … I’m still fixated on Tamar, Griff looks like IG star BennyHarlem in my mind, and I was hella annoyed with Devon this time around. Kinda wished for something different for Zoey, but waiting to see how that progresses, too.  Overall pleased, yet slightly disappointed in the skimping of the details as it pertained to the final courting days and the actual ceremony. Nonetheless 5 stars …

The Lies: The Lies We Tell About Love, Life, and Everything In Between. Christina C. Jones. 2017. Amazon Digital Services. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] After months of teasers through her “Sample Sundays” feature, Christina C. Jones released her latest, The Lies:The Lies We Tell About Love, Life, and Everything in Between, on March 30.  I’ve been a fan since discovering Jones last year, and her newest boasts the same drama spliced with hot sex and humor as her other books. The characters in The Lies aren’t new; they were actually introduced in The Truth: His Side, Her Side, and The Truth About Falling in Love.  Brandi is a single mom who’s raising a teenager while still struggling to love again after rejection from her son’s father. Ex-ball player Kyle has an back-and-forth cycle with his son’s mother that he just can’t seem to shake. The two have always had a flirtatious rapport, but never acted on it … until now. 

A Blessing & a Curse. ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Victoria Christopher Murray. 2017. 288 pages. Gallery Books. [ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] They’ve done it again! I swear, I never think there’s anywhere else for these characters (and more importantly the duo) to go … yet somehow Reshonda and Victoria find away to take them to the next level. The idea of Jasmine & Rachel being sisters seemed unrealistic until they started weaving the tale. Then it seemed so possible and as a long time fan of the series made you wonder “how did I miss this possibility!?” Expertly written, it’s still impossible to tell one writing style from the next. 5 stars and I’m literally salivating at the idea of FINALLY finding out just who Mae Frances is. I hope Victoria and Reshonda keep up their collaborations, this book is proof they’re still capable of taking these characters further!

Her Secret Life. Tiffany L. Warren. 2017. 320 pages. Kensington Books. [Source: ARC provided couresty of NetGalley.] “She’s a series of beautiful contradictions” … my favorite line in the book as Graham simply explained Onika. Similarly, the line  encompasses my emotions about the main character … I was always conflicted. My feelings of empathy were  a direct contradiction to the disdain I felt for her superior, entitled attitude. Onika was so caught up in focusing on the bad hand she was dealt as a child that she failed to realize that the adult negativity was all the root of her own doing and poor decision making. The showcase of how one lie will ultimately beget many others was a valuable and continuous lesson. In addition to how failure to accept your flaws will stunt your ability to grow despite them. An ideal book for many teachers for it’s clear message without forcing hard topics. 5 stars for the effortless way Ms. Warren wove this tale, as a D.C. Native and fellow Greek, she was true to the culture and environment and it only aided the overall work.