Reviews

Thanksgiving/National Day of Mourning read recommendation from Dani/Thunberbird woman reads on bookstagram. An easy read that in many ways is about the Crooked Rock Indian Center and its future and hopes and dreams than the love interests themselves. The development of their relationship was fairly straightforward with minimal bumps, while Crooked Rock faces all sorts of obstacles. I found myself most invested in the future of Crooked Rock itself and its mission.

One thing that was interesting for me was that Crooked Rock is in an unnamed city and the center treats urban Indians from around the country who all end up in the city. While there were some tribe specific traits mentioned occasionally, most of the characters seemed almost an amalgam of Indian traits and traditions.

Edit: I actually preferred the second book. And it further developed the choice to have Crooked Rock be a central space for Indians to join together when they are in the city.

mindfullibrarian's review against another edition

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5.0

FINALLY! An #ownvoices romance with Native characters and intertwined storylines re: Native community issues, family and of course L-O-V-E! Highly highly recommend. I’ve already purchased the second in the series! Maybe a 2.5/5 on the steaminess scale.

sungmemoonstruck's review

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emotional hopeful informative slow-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

Where this contemporary workplace romance really succeeded for me was in its portrayal of urban Indian life, thoughtful look at the issues they face, and examination of the family dynamics between Rayanne and her grandfather. I'm also honestly just delighted that this is out there, since I haven't previously read any romances featuring Native characters by Native authors. The romance itself is a little underdeveloped--I liked Rayanne and Henry individually and they had some cute moments together but I never felt like the chemistry between them was electric and wanted some more of the right details to show why they fall for each other and why they're meant to be.

pn_hinton's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a cute, sweet, short, romantic read. I enjoyed it and it didn't take me long to get through. There were times I wanted to shake the character's for their actions and I think that's more to do with the fact that they were young fresh out of college twenty-somethings and I am not. By any stretch of the imagination. Still, it was a sweet read. I loved Rayanne's passion for the elders and how she as always concerned about them and that was her driving force. However she also had to be
reminded that she couldn't control everything or people.

Henry's path was a bit more muddled but he did make some growth throughout the story. Because if there is one thing I can't stand it's a story where no one learns anything. His relationship with his mother was interesting and I would have liked to know more behind that besides the snippets that we got but that is probably something expanded on later in the series since the author went around to a few more PoVs in this one than just the main couple.

It did take a bit to find its footing though. And there were many parts that it felt jumbled and rushed. Some of the character personality seemed a bit inconsistent at times but maybe that something that improves with the rest of the series. It's not a cliffhanger for the main pair's story, but there are things that are left unresolved at the end, which the author does warn about.

It's also primarily a 'fade to black' romance and doesn't get too explicit. That's not necessarily a deal breaker or maker for me but I think it's good to know going in for habitual romance readers. I feel that to get a more well rounded sense of the overall story you would have to read the rest but this will not leave you unsatisfied.

elemomi's review

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emotional 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

3.5

Solid series opener that laid the groundwork for the rest of the books in the series. I really enjoyed Henry’s growth and even though the resolution to his living and job situation was predictable, I’m happy that it was the result. The romance between Henry and Rayanne was cute and a solid example of rivals-to-lovers. I really appreciated that the author showed so much of the breadth of Indigenous culture in the context of the urban centre - I wasn’t surprised that she highlighted that in her author's note. At the same time, she created contrast with a reader’s own experiences with issues like elder care by sharing details that were more specific and engaging.

The only thing that didn’t work for me were the chapters that focussed on Linda and Arnie, especially since they get their own book at the end of the series.

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