Tangled Roots. Marcia Talley. 2019. Severn House Publishers. 180 pages. [Source: Public library.] Anyone who has participated in genetic testing or otherwise had their DNA analyzed will be familiar with a general disclaimer. The results may include something you are not aware of, and could be upsetting. Naturally, when Hannah Ives gets a call from her sister Georgina that her DNA test results indicate a 25% Native American heritage, the sisters are taken aback. They’ve grown up hearing about their family background, with its Puritan roots that make them a shoe-in for DAR membership. This little wrench, then, raises all kinds of questions about the truth of their grandparents. Tangled Roots presents Hannah’s attempts to figure out whether the results are a fluke or if they do indeed have Native American heritage and a family they’ve never known. Along the way, they deal with a shady death closer to home that threatens to wrench the family further apart and unable to trust anyone. From their quiet lives in the suburbs of Maryland to protests in the nation’s capital and visit to a remote Native American reservation, this story goes all over, both in plot and locale. As someone who is…

F*ck Around and Find Out. Nicole Falls. 2021. 126 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Oh, this was a fun read. It’s a lil bit May-December, a lil bit friends-turned-lovers, and all sexy. In the second book of the Friends and Lovers series, Ebonée was dispatched to welcome her younger brother’s friend, Floyd, to the city while he was in town for a year-long stint as a visual artist. What she wasn’t expecting was for the youngin she remembered from nearly 20 years ago to have changed into a grown-ass man who has his sights set on her. Ebonée has nearly a decade on Floyd; she’s loved and lost, is trying to navigate coparenting with a lazy ex-husband, and generally has a lot on her plate. She doesn’t particularly look at Floyd as anything but her brother’s little friend, but he’s not so little anymore and she might f*ck around and find out what that really means. For his part, Floyd is grown, not as inexperienced as Ebonée imagines him to be, and is far more open-minded about their potential connection than she is. I appreciated the structure of the book, which told the story across seasons that document a year in…

Love Scammed. Rilzy Adams. 2021. 141 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Blind dates are usually a recipe for disaster — you show up somewhere, hoping the other person doesn’t look like an ogre, isn’t a sociopath, and if you’re lucky, you’ll make a love connection. Imagine, then, planning for a tropical getaway with your best friend, only to show up to the airport and see the would-be blind date you’ve been dodging for months. This unexpected — and quite unwelcome — intro sets the tone for Love Scammed. Monae and Hudson are duped, but there really isn’t much else they can do but enjoy a free trip to Turks & Caicos on their friends’ dime to make up for the scamming. The trip, then, turns into an opportunity — albeit forced — for Monae to see if Hudson lives up to the hype she’s been fed for months. She’s definitely is reluctant to risk her heart again, but their time together gives her a glimpse of Hudson that has her rethinking her plan to swear off men for a bit. The characters themselves were likeable and relatable. Monae’s a workaholic who has had misfortunes in her love life. She’s cautious, almost…

The Outside Child. Tiffany L. Warren. 2018. Dafina Books. 306 pages. [ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] The Outside Child follows the courtship and marriage of make-up artist Chenille and NFL star Brayden Carpenter. Chenille is “once bitten, twice shy” when it comes to dating, but Brayden is convinced nearly from the start that he’s destined to spend his life with her. Their relationships has normal ups and downs, but is rocked by trauma that would rattle the foundation of any relationship. I can say that I enjoyed The Outside Child as a book; it was filled with drama, usually as a result of their inability to find a compromise that allowed Brayden to pursue his career in a way that allowed Chenille the stability to do the same. But the title was a misnomer, if only because of how the plot actually played out. The driving tension that’s presented does not come into play until a point where most books would be leading to a resolution, not introducing a key conflict. As a result, the ending felt rushed and unrealistic given how things took place throughout the rest of the book. What I do commend is Warren’s ability to write…

Nothing to See Here. Kevin Wilson. 2019. Ecco. 254 pages. [Source: Public Library.] Nothing to See Here starts off innocuously enough. Lillian and Madison were roommates in boarding school — Lillian because of an academic scholarship and Madison because it’s what’s expected for a girl from a wealthy family. Their time as roommates is short-lived, but the friendship continues more than decade later. Lillian’s not doing much in her life, and Madison’s the wife of a prominent politician, Jasper. Things go left when Madison asks her dear old friend to serve as a governess of sorts for her stepchildren, Bessie and Roland. Did I mention they spontaneously combust? I read about 4 pages into this book before I asked myself “what the hell am I reading?” I asked that several more times throughout the book. That’s not a critique; it’s just illustrative that this book was never quite what I expected. I waited for sordid family secrets and cover-ups as one might expect from a politician who’s on the fast track to a federal appointment. Instead, I saw the fear of a family reckoning with what happens when things don’t fit expectations and how to make sense of it. Lillian…