The Garden of Eden. Millie Belizaire. 2019. 356 pages. [Source: Provided courtesy of author.] Who knew stumbling into the wrong car while looking for an Uber could lead to something like love for Eden, a rising pop-star, and Drew, a reluctant megachurch pastor. The Garden of Eden, set mostly in New Orleans with a few scenes in Miami, is an intriguing look at a passionate but sometimes reluctant courtship that has so many obstacles it’s hard to know whether it’s worth the fight. I had mixed feelings about the main characters. On one hand, it’s easy to sympathize with them. Eden’s career is something she values, but it impedes her ability to just be herself and breath. Drew is living in the shadow of his father’s ambition as a pastor. But I often questioned their decision-making that led to worse circumstances or put them into easily avoidable situations. But hey — that just means they’re complex characters and have room for growth. I rarely find myself having strong feelings about secondary characters — regardless of how critical they are in a story, they’re still peripheral to me, and as such don’t often warrant emotional investment. I was shocked at how…

Collision Course. Christina C. Jones. 2020. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] CCJ is back with a new series and I’m loving the first installment. This novella features Addison Clarke, a reformed playboy who has his eyes set on Samara Holloway. The two met at the (in)famous Arch & Point club where Samara was a popular dancer. They hooked up once before she left town to follow her dreams in Vegas. But she’s back after nearly a decade, and Addison makes sure their paths collide as frequently — and passionately — as possible. Although short, this was a really enjoyable read. Addison and Samara have a playful banter that is flirty and filled with tension. She’s clearly trying to keep him at arm’s length and Addison just knows they have something more to explore. Samara is well-connected with beloved characters like Nubia Perry, Kora Oliver, and Nashira Drake — she fits in well but sticks out with an distinct identity and career. Addison, as one-third of a notable local family (his cousins are those Drakes), is trying to show her that he’s grown up and can be taken seriously as more than a hook-up. The fun is seeing how, if at all, he…

Annabelle and Lee. Danielle Allen. 2020. 240 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Annabelle and Lee is a love story that spans more than two decades — romantic, right? Annabelle Winston and Bradley Thompson met as tweens in the small Rhode Island town of Heathrow Beach. They spent three months of every year falling in love with each other, making plans for a future, and growing up. It was a fairy tale until Lee didn’t show up one summer — no call, no email, no AOL instant message. In turn, Belle grew up; she built an impressive career for herself, got married, and carved a life for herself, trying to forget about the heartbreak Lee’s desertion caused. Annabelle and Lee starts with the story of how the two grew into love, and catches up with them when Belle returns to Heathrow Beach to pick up something from the family home and hopefully make peace with her heartbreak. While the book is primarily focused on placing Belle and Lee back in each others’ orbit, it also has a secondary plot involving a mysterious set of letters from the past, a dead woman in the present, and the realization that family secrets — infidelity,…

Small Town Secrets. Katrina Jackson. 2018. 153 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] I’m a sucker for small-town series, and Katrina Jackson has me completely sucked into Sea Port. I was first introduced to this quaint southern town in From Scratch. I fell further in love through Inheritance, and Small Town Secrets is another in a series of eyebrow-raising looks at the citizenry. Small Town Secrets further introduces Sully, the owner of the town’s coffee shop. For the past year, she’s pined after Bria, who works in the town’s new bakery. Surprise, surprise – Bria has eyes for Sully, too. Much of the story follows them getting to know each other; they have a cute courtship, mostly devoid of drama. As Bria and Sully get to know each other, Sully is struggling with her closest friendship. She and Willie, the town mayor, have been drifting apart for nearly a year, inexplicably. The truth is that Sully has her own secret obsession with Bria, and is harboring a secret that’s getting harder to keep to herself. Small Town Secrets captures the complexity of the relationships and politics of small-town life that Jackson has highlighted in her other books. I enjoyed this one because…

Inheritance. Katrina Jackson. 2018. 155 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] I already knew I was in for a treat with Inheritance, because From Scratch set the bar high. Jackson’s series featuring a lazy southern town looking to inject some new energy into its population. The newest arrival is a librarian, Lorraine, who will be at the helm of a newly reconstructed library. At nearly thirty, Jonah is Sea Port’s prodigal son. After his father’s sudden death, he reluctantly returned to town to settle his father’s affairs; but instead of just handling business and returning to his life in Atlanta, Jonah decided to stay and take over the construction company his father intended to run with his son. Lorraine and Jonah have an immediate and potent sexual chemistry, with a side of exhibitionism (it’s actually ridiculous and humorous how little restraint they show). They fit right in with other newcomers to Sea Port, in that regard. I thought their emotional connections were interesting. Jonah was raised to deal with his emotions head on, while Lorraine clearly is still working through abandonment issues caused by her mother. Usually, you see the woman coaching a man to confront his emotional baggage and communicate better,…