Stay With Me. Alexandria House. 2017. 194 pages. Pink Cashmere Publishing. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] As the first book in the “Strickland Sisters” series, Stay With Me introduces the lively bunch while focusing in on Angela’s most recent foray into romance.  She’s a naturalista turned Youtube starlet, but can’t seem to get it right in her love life.  When the ever-so-gorgeous Ryan Boye rents the vacant half of her duplex for a 6-month business stay, she’s put to the test. Ryan, admittedly, “ain’t shit.” He’s a playboy who has no intentions of settling down, let alone with his short-term landlord. Alas, fate has a funny way of challenging you. Angie and Ryan had an undeniable attraction from the start and their chemistry only grows over time. They do a song-and-dance about not complicating their relationship as landlord-tenant, but that obviously wasn’t going to last.  It didn’t come as a shock that they hooked up, but the question remained about whether they could actually have a functional relationship despite Angie’s insecurities in love and Ryan’s resistance to commitment. 

Bad Habit. Blu Daniels. 2015. 168 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment. I devoured Misconceptions, and I just had to know more about Braxton Earwood.  He left a bad taste in my mouth in the first book, because he treated his girlfriend (?)/babies’ mother so horrifically while she was pregnant.  I came into this book expecting him to have had a “come to Jesus” moment after the birth of the quadruplets and be good for once. That’s not quite what happens here. The book starts with Braxton basically forcing Alex to marry him. His outward excuse is that if they aren’t legally married, the costs of her healthcare will bankrupt the family.   She reluctantly agrees, and Braxton feigns that he’ll be a devoted-ish husband.  I found it difficult to ascertain, in the beginning at least, whether Braxton was capable of viewing their marriage as more than a legal contract. It was clear that although Alex was a reluctant bride, she was also willing to throw herself 100% into their partnership beyond just a legal level. If it was possible, this book made me dislike Braxton even more. His outlook on life and interactions with friends, family, and…

Misconceptions. Blu Daniels. 2014. 332 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] I came across Misconceptions courtesy of Girl, Have You Read, who did a feature on favorite romance tropes on Instagram. This one seemed outlandish with a high potential for drama, and I was lucky to find it available on Kindle Unlimited. The book is told from the perspective of Alex Stone, a recent MBA graduate who has a bright future. She jets up to New York after one last fling with her “Bad Habit,” and seems poised to take on the marketing world. Too bad she finds out she’s pregnant a few months later. Then finds herself jobless.  Oh wait, on top of that, she’s actually having four babies, not just one. She reluctantly tells Bad Habit, assuming he’ll let her live her life as a mother in peace, but when he moves her down to Atlanta, she finds out she’s getting more — and simultaneously less — than she bargained for. In all honesty, I vacillated between loving and hating Alex. She’s young and sometimes acts more immaturely than I think most would given the circumstances. I also recognize that in many ways, she’s between a rock and a hard place,…

Island of the Blue Dolphins. Scott O’Dell. 1960. 194 pages. Houghton Mifflin. [Source: personal copy.] Admittedly, this is a book I should have read years ago. Like, over 20 years ago when my grandmother gave me a copy. But a good book is both timeless and ageless, so when my little one had to read it for class, I decided it was past time for me to read it as well.  I’m upset that I didn’t read this sooner; 10-year-old me would have loved it; adult me, however, had better context for the book and appreciated it more than I could have at that age. Island of the Blue Dolphins centers on Karana, a 12-year-old girl whose family lives on the remote island of San Nicolas. It recounts the coming of Aleuts, who exploit the island’s resources, hunting and failing to pay what they agreed to the island’s inhabitants.  The result is a decimated population, with many of the men gone, and the women and children left to figure out how to survive.  One day, another ship comes, bearing people who will take the inhabitants to a new home.  Everything is fine until Karana’s brother is left behind and she jumps ship to stay with…

The Bed We Made. Ivy Symone. 2016. 343 pages. [Source: Amazon Kindle Unlimited.] The Bed We Made is messy. Remarkably so. Nene is unhappily married to serial philanderer Tavion. When Tavion tells her about his new baby — with a side-chick — Nene decides she’s reached her breaking point.  She goes out with the intent of a one-night-stand, but doesn’t anticipate that being at the hands Asad “The Lion” Crawford, her nephew by marriage. The rest of this book follows Nene’s tumultuous relationships with Tavion and Asad.  She decides a side-baby is too much, and divorces Tavion, but she can’t seem to shake him from her life in any capacity.  Her conscience is guilty, but not so much so that she can leave Asad alone for good.   The two are constantly drawn to each other, and have explosive passion with worrisome results.  Not only does she have to contend with her role in the family after her divorce from Tavion, she also has to grapple with how her relationship could change if she decides to be with Asad.