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zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This was so funny. I enjoyed the author's voice and look forward to more from her. I've never read any romance novels with non-stereotypical depictions of native romantic leads, and I've only heard of a few others, so I'm glad this exists.
Ember was a little annoying as a character because of all her lies, many of which were completely unnecessary, but I understand that part of her character growth was realizing how unnecessary those lies were. Donoa on the other hand seems to have absolutely no flaws, which is fun to fantasize about, but obviously stretches credulity. Unlike some other romance novels, this book only tells the story from the point of view of one of the romantic leads. I wonder if there would be more character development if the chapters alternated between perspectives.
Ember was a little annoying as a character because of all her lies, many of which were completely unnecessary, but I understand that part of her character growth was realizing how unnecessary those lies were. Donoa on the other hand seems to have absolutely no flaws, which is fun to fantasize about, but obviously stretches credulity. Unlike some other romance novels, this book only tells the story from the point of view of one of the romantic leads. I wonder if there would be more character development if the chapters alternated between perspectives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Minor: Ableism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Rape, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
lmm0's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Ember Lee Cardinal, frustrated by a string of job rejections, decides to get creative with her applications, lying about her qualifications and ethnicity to land her dream job as an accountant in Oklahoma City. Thriving in the corporate world, she begins a secret romance with Danuwoa Colson, a fellow Native who works in IT. However, when they're caught in a compromising position on a work trip, a manipulative coworker blackmails Ember, threatening to expose their relationship. As the pressure mounts and her lies spiral out of control, Ember must decide whether to keep hiding the truth or risk everything by coming clean.
Although not classified as such, this read extremely YA to me - and I wonder if it's because of the narrator, who came off as whiny and over the top in her inflections, so I can't recommend the audiobook. I appreciated the background provided in the author's note at the end of the book, but the overall story line fell a little flat for me.
Although not classified as such, this read extremely YA to me - and I wonder if it's because of the narrator, who came off as whiny and over the top in her inflections, so I can't recommend the audiobook. I appreciated the background provided in the author's note at the end of the book, but the overall story line fell a little flat for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Pregnancy, and Cultural appropriation
moonlit_coastal_garden's review
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a cute read and I loved that it amplified indigenous characters/voices. This would make for a cute movie or short series. There are parts of the book that felt corny and predictable but overall, I could get past that with how many times I laughed out loud.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Pregnancy and Cultural appropriation
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
Moderate: Confinement, Vomit, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Terminal illness, Violence, Excrement, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
paigesonpages's review against another edition
challenging
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Three cheers for the first Indigenous romance from a major publisher! Thank you Berkley for sending a copy my way.
Read if you 🩷:
• 💻 Workplace Romances
• 🌳 Found Family and Community
• 💜 Native American Representation
• 🦎 Lucky (But Ugly) Lizards
Unlike Ember, I have to be honest and admit that I have mixed feelings about this one. Danuwoa is the ULTIMATE book boyfriend. He’s a cat parent, his younger sister’s caretaker, and he’s flirtatious to no end. Plus, the man has a spine when it comes to the major conflict of the story! All in all, he’s the total package, and I would never want to get on his bad side. 💕
What I didn’t love so much was Ember and her constant lying. It got to the point that all of her fibs gave me anxiety the entire time I was reading! I went in thinking the only lie would be that she wasn’t mentioning her Native heritage on her job applications, but without spoiling too much, it’s a lot more than just that omission. If you like tension and the fear of getting caught, these scenes will be more for you than for me, but my little nervous heart could barely take it! 😅
💜 What kept me going was Danica Nava’s down-to-earth and detailed writing style. It truly feels like being in Ember’s head the entire time! Even without the author’s note near the end, it’s clear she pulled from her own personal experiences.
The truth, according to this reader, is that even with destructive pathological lying, there’s a lot of love, community, and passion in Nava’s debut novel. I hope this is just the first of many more romance novels from major publishers featuring Indigenous leads! 🥰
Read if you 🩷:
• 💻 Workplace Romances
• 🌳 Found Family and Community
• 💜 Native American Representation
• 🦎 Lucky (But Ugly) Lizards
Unlike Ember, I have to be honest and admit that I have mixed feelings about this one. Danuwoa is the ULTIMATE book boyfriend. He’s a cat parent, his younger sister’s caretaker, and he’s flirtatious to no end. Plus, the man has a spine when it comes to the major conflict of the story! All in all, he’s the total package, and I would never want to get on his bad side. 💕
What I didn’t love so much was Ember and her constant lying. It got to the point that all of her fibs gave me anxiety the entire time I was reading! I went in thinking the only lie would be that she wasn’t mentioning her Native heritage on her job applications, but without spoiling too much, it’s a lot more than just that omission. If you like tension and the fear of getting caught, these scenes will be more for you than for me, but my little nervous heart could barely take it! 😅
💜 What kept me going was Danica Nava’s down-to-earth and detailed writing style. It truly feels like being in Ember’s head the entire time! Even without the author’s note near the end, it’s clear she pulled from her own personal experiences.
The truth, according to this reader, is that even with destructive pathological lying, there’s a lot of love, community, and passion in Nava’s debut novel. I hope this is just the first of many more romance novels from major publishers featuring Indigenous leads! 🥰
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
huichola's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
First off, tlazocamati to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!
I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was when I saw this book on NetGalley. I've been waiting my whole life for a NATIVE ROMANCE by a NATIVE AUTHOR!! And Danica Nava delivered!!!
It was so refreshing and special to be in these cultural references, the slang, the lived experiences of a mixed Native woman, and everything else that came with this novel. The story of Danuwoa and Ember was so cute, I was immediately hooked. The pacing was good and I stayed entertained throughout. I just at times felt it was a bit hard to suspend my disbelief with the plot, and I thought that the lie of Ember saying she was white for the job would factor into the story more but it didn't. I wish there had been a bit more in terms of convo around race, identity, assimilation, etc. through the lens of Ember's new experiences in a predominantly white space. She experienced a lot of microaggressions but I ultimately feel they were learning moments for the audience and didn't build towards much in the plot.
Overall, I think Danica Nava has some room to grow as a novelist but wow, what a debut. I really can't wait to see how she grows in her writing, her storytelling, and her artistry -- and I hope to see more romances (or even just fiction in general) from her in the near future!
I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was when I saw this book on NetGalley. I've been waiting my whole life for a NATIVE ROMANCE by a NATIVE AUTHOR!! And Danica Nava delivered!!!
It was so refreshing and special to be in these cultural references, the slang, the lived experiences of a mixed Native woman, and everything else that came with this novel. The story of Danuwoa and Ember was so cute, I was immediately hooked. The pacing was good and I stayed entertained throughout. I just at times felt it was a bit hard to suspend my disbelief with the plot, and I thought that the lie of Ember saying she was white for the job would factor into the story more but it didn't. I wish there had been a bit more in terms of convo around race, identity, assimilation, etc. through the lens of Ember's new experiences in a predominantly white space. She experienced a lot of microaggressions but I ultimately feel they were learning moments for the audience and didn't build towards much in the plot.
Overall, I think Danica Nava has some room to grow as a novelist but wow, what a debut. I really can't wait to see how she grows in her writing, her storytelling, and her artistry -- and I hope to see more romances (or even just fiction in general) from her in the near future!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Classism