276 reviews for:

The Build Up

Tati Richardson

3.87 AVERAGE

lighthearted medium-paced

Such a cute romance!

I won’t lie, Ari had me so annoyed a few times for giving Porter such a dang hard time! This man was putting in that work for her heart and she was slamming the door on him each and every time. Like sis, please give the man a chance!

I enjoyed the banter between the two MC’s. These characters were well written and well developed. Even though it was maddening, I understood why Ari was so apprehensive.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style and can’t wait to read more of her books!

All I can say is "awww." We all need a love story like this in our lives. I never get tired of the "I will wait for you man," trope in romance books, especially when its from a black man. Cause okayy sir!! The development of the characters was chefs kiss. They won me over fast with the AA references. I was eating it up and cracking up at everyyy bit of banter.

For transparency's sake: All though we all love a good slow-burn romance, it was dragging at some points, not gonna lie. Like girl... you know this your husband so what's the problem? Still, this rom-com definitely came at the right time for me and wasn't completely centered on the romance aspect, so I enjoyed the journey and themes nonetheless. I would describe this as the perfect vacation read if you're looking for a good, quick read.

4.0 stars

2.5 stars rounded up. This felt flat for me.

Very little suspense of any kind but nice to read a book with a large sized main character just living her life.
slow-paced

Abosultely amazing read from, a promising new author. Tati gave us a great story that every black woman can relate to. It was amazing to read of couple falling-in-love, learning from their heartbreaks, and choosing one another despite the odds.

I need a Porter in my life. What a fun and sexy story with great memorable characters. Ari was a delight and I love the fact she was a sexy curvy girl. Porter reminds me of a crush and oh boy….

Between the weird pacing and the FMC continuously dismissing the MMC feelings, i truly just trudged through the end.
mjs_busyreading's profile picture

mjs_busyreading's review

3.5
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This story gave me 90s black love vibes. Ari making her way into a male dominated career meets the southern gentleman Porter. Although I enjoyed the story, the dialogue was sometime cringey. Still a solid read. I look forward to reading more by this author.