The Guy Next Door. DL White. 2019. 244 pages. [Source: Public Library.] Life is full of happy accidents, even if they start from bad ones. When Evonne and Taj cross paths in Potter Lake’s medical clinic, both assume it’s a one-off meeting after he patches up her injury from an unfortunate fall. They’re both chagrined when the cute yet hysterical patient happens to be the new tenant of the sexy male nurse with whom she traded barbs. While the connection starts off with professional distance, it’s clear that their paths in and around Potter Lake are going to increase — being neighbors aside. What neither realizes is that their connection is closer to home than either realizes, and that has the potential to derail their attempts to figure out if their chemistry will lead to anything more than lustful looks. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and found Evonne and Taj’s interactions hilarious, even with their significant emotional baggage. Despite a decade having passed, Evonne still lives under the shadow of mistakes she made in college. Her attempts to move past it seem to work for everyone except her mother, and her newfound independence threatens the relationships that she actually values….

Black Love Matters. Jessica P. Pryde, ed. 2022. Berkley. 285 pages. [Source: Public Library.] As a proud lover of all things Black romance, I had to get my hands on this anthology which features essays from some of the most visible names in the field of Black romance publishing and scholarship. With this book, Pryde has brought together long-established names as well as those who are on their rise to consider the ways that Black Love Matters. The result is a book filled with contributors representing all facets of Black life and love, sharing their insights on the genre and what it means for them or critically examining the space that Black love occupies in literature. One of the greatest take aways here is that Black Love Matters gives space to ask the question — why do we need to center Black love? If romance is one of the best-selling segments of the publishing industry, why are Black stories still lacking in representation? In responding to this topic, the authors share their own experiences as creators, consumers, and scholars of Black romance. What I love about this book is that its chapters reflect the complexity of Black writing; there are…

New Year, New Ci. Nicole Falls. 2021. 269 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Usually when people say “new year, new me,” there’s a lot of personal agency at play. You know, someone wants a new job and they’ve started planning. Or they want to move and start shopping neighborhoods. Cienna doesn’t have that same fortune. Instead, her career and relationship implode unexpectedly, leaving her heading into the new year with more uncertainty than ever before. New Year, New Ci does have a heavy focus on Cienna’s dating life, but it’s very much about how she rebuilds not just her life, but herself. More aptly, though, it shines a light on how she sometimes gets in the way of her own success — something I think most folks can relate to on some level. She’s a great example of “once bitten, twice shy,” and while it’s easy to understand why she’s like that, it’s still disappointing to watch. So the idea of crafting a “new Ci” is critical to her moving forward with her great new life. The book is, of course, filled with drama between friends, family, coworkers, etc. Nicole Falls doesn’t disappoint when it comes to creating a story that…

Continuum. Danielle Allen. 2021. The Art of Being. 176 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] There’s nothing quite like a youthful, unrequited infatuation. Aisha spent a year tutoring Kwame in college stats, only to graduate without having the opportunity to express her true feelings for him. A chance encounter nearly two decades later, however, gives her a chance to finally act on desires she’d long put behind her. Continuum takes place over only a few days, but it packs a lot in. While Aisha and Kwame reacquaint themselves, they explore how life has impacted them along the way. Everything from career growth, death of loved ones, and failed relationships plays a part in who they’ve grown to be, and it’s compelling to see the two of them navigate trading in the old Aisha and Kwame for who they’ve matured into. No romance would be complete without drama, and Continuum has plenty. Aisha’s an attractive woman on the dating scene, and Kwame’s a catch in his own right. Others don’t necessarily see the two as a match and don’t shy away from making their opinions and intentions known. Things are further complicated by the reality that Aisha and Kwame live halfway across the…

Her Pleasure. Niobia Bryant. 2021. Dafina. 288 pages. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] In the past I’ve been of the opinion that there’s never too much of well crafted characters, the more of their journey, the better. Book 6 of the mistress series tested this theory. I loved reading about the next phase of Jamie and Graham’s story when I approached the characters as though they were new. However, the continuous references to the past frustrated me because most I simply couldn’t remember this many books later. I was excited that Jessa Bell didn’t have a role in this storyline, and I’m intrigued if Bryant will continue with exploring the minor characters independently. She definitely set this up to be possible with this ending. Overall, her books usually read like a movie in my head, but this one didn’t meet that expectation in some areas. It’d be too wordy or descriptive and I simply failed to conjure the image I believe she wanted. 4 stars but definitely my least favorite in the series to date.