Can’t Get Enough. Kennedy Ryan. 2025. Forever. 448 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.] This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an unbiased review, and I was dancing a whole jig at the “invite” to read it after missing the “read now”. I’d only been stalking the author and site for months. Since the beginning of the Skyland series, I’ve been saying “Ken...

The Soulmate Project. Reese Ryan. 2024. Forever. 304 pages. [Source: Public library.] I’m a sucker for a friends to lovers story, so The Soulmate Project was right up my alley. The book starts with a New Year’s Eve love confession by “girl next door” Emerie to her best friend Nicholas. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go as planned and he doesn’t return her affections. Instead of ringing in the new year in a new relationship...

Church Girl. Naima Simone. 2024. Afterglow Books. 264 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.] Admittedly, the cover of Church Girl drew me in, and the story held my interest. Aaliyah is a runaway bride who left her small Alabama hometown to get out from under the thumb of her bishop father. She convinces her cousin to take her back to Chicago, where she’s planning to reinvent herse...

Stuck Wit’ Chu. Olivia Shaw-Reel. 2020. 149 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Stuck Wit’ Chu is essentially a story about a broken marriage and a couple at a crossroads. Keith and Marlow have been married over a decade, are parents to three young children, and have somehow lost their way. They’re navigating the Covid-19 pandemic while facing their own crisis at home, and the book follows their attempt to figure otu whether to s...

Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I’d Known. George M. Johnson. 2024. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 127 pages. [Source: Public library.] The Harlem Renaissance was a remarkable period in American history, but was pivotal within Black America. The “New Negro Movement” launched the careers of countless scholars, photographers, musicians, and dancers and ushered in a rebirth of racial pride and solidarity, in addition to le...

Real Men Knit

Real Men Knit. Kwana Jackson. 2020. Berkley. 336 pages. [Source: public library.] Real Men Knit caught my eye months before its release for a few reasons: The title – a statement like “real men knit” is somewhat provocative, given that knitting is seen as a feminine craft, despite is origins The content – one of my primary hobbies is crocheting, so anything that centers fiber arts is worth checking out The cover,...

Salt

Salt: A World History. Mark Kurlansky. 2003. Penguin Books. 494 pages. [Source: public library.] I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into when I picked up Salt, but what I got was quite literally a world history of salt. At its core, this book asserts that “since the beginning of civilization, salt was one of the most sought-after commodities in human history.” I can’t say I’ve ever put that much thoug...

#Catfished

#Catfished. AshleyNicole. 2020. 107 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Who, in the year of our Lord 2020, is still getting catfished? Kardea is. She’s been talking to “Magnus” for two years, long distance, but has somehow missed the classic red flags that made the MTV show famous. She’s just been stood up by “Mag” when she runs into him in a local coffee shop. Big shocker — it’s not him, b...

Close Contact

Close Contact. Christina C. Jones. 2020. Warm Hues Creative. 75 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Finally, a closer look at the third Clarke brother, Aiden. The anticipation for his story has been building for a bit, so I dove right into this one. Aiden’s story is actually centered around Kima and her restaurant Tigress. She’s reluctantly accepting the Clarke brothers’ capitol and restaurateur expertise to save her pr...

Oops!

Oops. Alexandra Warren. 2020. 250 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Well this one rips the bandage right off – Oops! is a tale of an unplanned pregnancy. And not just any unplanned pregnancy. It’s with a guy Camryn sworn to hate, but can’t avoid because she works for his mother. Camryn’s about her business and in her opinion, Maverick is a social media obsessed playboy. She doesn’t take him seriously, and ...