Quarantined: A Collection of Shorts. Sabrina B. Scales. 2020. 79 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.]
I can’t remember how many days we’ve been in quarantine-life, but I do appreciate that authors are putting their spin on love these most dire of days. My latest quarantine read is the new release by Sabrina Scales, which features three shorts with a string of connection between each.
My favorite of the three shorts was the first one, which featured a nice forbidden love between Jabari and his best friend’s younger sister, Nicki. She’s had eyes for him since they were kids, but the question is whether the two can pursue something without damaging the relationship they each have with her brother, Courtney. If Jabari feels familiar, it’s likely because his character seems was based on DJ D Nice’s “Club Quarantine” instagram sets.
The second story featured Courtney and his on-again, off-again, hidden in plain sight, secret love affair with ex-girlfriend Milo. It sounds complicated because it is. Their affair is best described as a case in which nothing has to be explained because it’s understood. Except that the two clearly are not on the same page. It’s amusing to see them stumble through figuring it out, particularly while balancing the heaviness of them wading through their unresolved feelings for each other. Their story felt a bit more realistic/commonplace and was spot on for situationships.
The final short centers Milo’s brother Dominique, who’s struggling with whether to make his relationship with girlfriend Janay more permanent. The issue — she and his daughter’s mother can’t stand each other. I have to admit I didn’t care for either of the main characters here; Janay’s insecurity made her irrational, and Dominique’s clear lack of maturity caused more problems than necessary. I was frustrated that the two women fed so much into the bitter ex/baby mama and new insecure girlfriend tropes. I did, however, appreciate how Dominique confronted their behavior.
Quarantined is a fast read that’s filled with heat between the couples. Clocking in at under 80 pages, there’s not a lot of detail to each story, but it works. It’s as much erotica as it is humor and romance, which was a helpful bit of catharsis that the world is short on these days. I haven’t read much from Sabrina Scales, but this has me interested in checking out a longer project.
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