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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book. There were some parts that were cringy and corny..
I'm picky with romances, especially contemporary romances. This didn't fit my preferences for romances. I don't personally love a miscommunication trope when the FMC & MMC are grown. And these characters are so straight it's suffocating.
But I'm not gonna rate it low just bc it wasn't to my taste. I'm sure this hits for people who like the will they won't they, kept apart by outside forces shit.
But I'm not gonna rate it low just bc it wasn't to my taste. I'm sure this hits for people who like the will they won't they, kept apart by outside forces shit.
medium-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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
Loved Mrs. Richardson’s debut novel!! I have so many thoughts about this book but for now I’ll stick to these
- I LOVE a tremendously down bad male protagonist. Porter embodies that spectacularly. *chefs kiss*
- The characters were really well developed. You can tell that there’s been a lot of thought out into the characters’ backstories and family histories.
- Community and family values are central to this book. In a landscape of romances rooted in Western individualistic values, reading books written by Black women like Mrs. Richardson is really refreshing and an attitude I wholeheartedly embrace. Dont get me wrong, most romances I’ve read have a firm sense of community and place central to them (Lauren Blakely, Grace Reilly, Samantha Whiskey, and Ali Hazelwood all demonstrate this in my opinion). However, books written by older/more experienced Black women seem to have a more grounded reality in terms of place (physical location/geography; world of the story, etc. see that one essay we read in college like 5 times for reference. EF something visit to a small planet? Idk. ) Anywayyy both Tati Richardson and Talia Hibbert demonstrate this in different ways. Richardson’s sense of place is rooted in the North American South (primarily Atlanta) while Hibbert’s Brown Sisters Series is grounded in a specific region in England (close to London I think?)
- Main reasons this isn’t a five star read are as follows
- Personal pet peeve of mine in all forms of media but with books particularly: throwing away or wasting food. I can’t stand people who so carelessly throw away food without a second thought. Growing up, we’d say “il faut finir » in French. Meaning, we have to finish all the food. At this point it’s become a bit of a running joke and yet it is rooted in a strong belief in making the most out of what we’re given by the Earth and the Universe. We don’t waste food. If someone doesn’t like something, the rest of the family chips in to help finish the food or save it for later. If a food is making you sick and you can’t stomach it, “il faut pas forcer” meaning “dont force it”. Note; I am using colloquial French here. My family’s from the Southeast of France, rooted in a rural village close to Lyon. This is my mother’s side of the family although two parental figures of mine have been welcomed into the fold. Point is, I can’t stand wasted food. It’s a blatant display of wealth and privilege that drives me crazy.
It absolutely makes sense for Porter as a character to toss out perfectlg good, fresh, and delicious Mexican food directly into the trash. That will always pull me out of a story because it just pisses me off. I don’t care how logical it is to the character or story. It’s a pet peeve. - The other thing is that Tati dropped way too much additional plot to the epilogue of the story. It was her debut novel so I’ll give her grace with it. With the additional details of the epilogue, this book should’ve hit the 400 page mark at least.
- That being said, the pacing, conflicts, and the depth of characters were great.
- Side characters were delightful except for the multiple misogynistic assholes ofc.
Greer if I catch you—you got another thing coming. Ari would probably scold me for rising to the bait but idc another person needs to take that mf down several hundred pegs. Tbh I forgot he was Black half the time cause he just reminded me of sooooo many white assholes I’ve met. Ugh. Disgusting. OH I almost forgot. The inclusion of queer characters in the epilogue was glorious but I want more of that in the plot of the book!!! Might be a pipe dream but I’d LIVEEEEE for Justina/her petite beauty romance.
I look forward to reading more of Mrs. Richardson’s catalogue!! I’m not a big podcast gal but I’d be intrigued to check out any research or academic writing she’s done (she has at least two degrees).
adventurous
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:
Complicated
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ari’s indecisiveness got really annoying.
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ari and Porter are the cutest. The book is dual pov. I love reading books of men who adore and shower the women their with.