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lizzie_b99's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I was really hoping this would be a nice series to dive into after The Brown Sisters by Talia Hibbert, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Hibbert's work. I found the writing overly repetitive and some of the "problems" the characters faced didn't seem as important as the novel made them out to be. Samiah spends ages agonizing over "betraying" the oath she made with her new friends when the goal of the Project is just for them to find happiness in themselves? I thought the point of the Project was for them to be happy with who they were regardless of whether they had a partner, and I found Samiah's constant worry over the pact pretty annoying. I have anxiety and I understand those struggles, but it felt too much in this case, especially because Samiah's concern over the Project was always phrased verbatim.
It made me really uncomfortable that a meeting between a bunch of non-Indigenous people was referred to as a "powwow". How'd that get past a 2020 editing team? I also think Samiah forgave Daniel way too quickly at the end. That was a huge betrayal of trust, and it was treated like it was basically nothing.
I listened to the audio book for this, and mostly continued listening because I was interested in hearing the end of the mystery aspect of the novel, but was largely dissatisfied there. The resolution just wasn't what I was looking for. I'm also not a fan of epilogues that are mostly used to focus on characters that will be the focus of the sequel. I prefer when epilogues wrap up the main characters' stories rather than promote the next book.
I did enjoy the banter between Samiah, London, and Taylor, and Daniel and Samiah's relationship had a lot of cute moments. To be honest, though, even though I don't like the military or the police, I almost would rather have read about Daniel's parents' romance. That plot sounded a lot more interesting than this one.
It made me really uncomfortable that a meeting between a bunch of non-Indigenous people was referred to as a "powwow". How'd that get past a 2020 editing team? I also think Samiah forgave Daniel way too quickly at the end. That was a huge betrayal of trust, and it was treated like it was basically nothing.
I listened to the audio book for this, and mostly continued listening because I was interested in hearing the end of the mystery aspect of the novel, but was largely dissatisfied there. The resolution just wasn't what I was looking for. I'm also not a fan of epilogues that are mostly used to focus on characters that will be the focus of the sequel. I prefer when epilogues wrap up the main characters' stories rather than promote the next book.
I did enjoy the banter between Samiah, London, and Taylor, and Daniel and Samiah's relationship had a lot of cute moments. To be honest, though, even though I don't like the military or the police, I almost would rather have read about Daniel's parents' romance. That plot sounded a lot more interesting than this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy and Car accident
lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I struggled with the rating of this one because I really liked Samiah (and her friends who feature in future books) a lot! But I don't like "lying about one's identity" as plot/tropes in romance, so I found that whole aspect of the story, and the hero, to be just not for me. I know some people don't mind concealing one's identity in romances, so that wouldn't hinder their enjoyment here. I enjoyed Samiah as a character and seeing how she made friends and decided to work on herself and her personal goals. In the end, I think the hero could have actually made much better choices at several points along the way (which would have meant a different book, I know), so I didn't especially care for him. In the end, he didn't grovel enough, and she forgave very easily and quickly. It felt a bit perfunctory. On the whole though, I enjoyed Samiah and her friends enough that I can overlook my personal issues with the hero. TLDR: loved the female characters, plot was 50/50.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Racism and Infertility
amberinpieces's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Car accident, Medical content, and Pregnancy
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This sweet romance adds some sizzling flair in the form of an undercover operation into money laundering in the tech industry. Daniel is our Treasury Dept agent investigating the crime, and Samiah is a star employee at the tech company with a lot going on in her personal life. Namely, she discovered via live tweet that her kind-of boyfriend stood her up to go on a date with another woman. When she shows up to confront him at the restaurant, videos of the incident go viral. She forms an unexpected but lasting bond with the not one but two other women who were dating this foolish man, but she must also navigate her unwanted insta fame.
I found this romance to be a very tender love story that unfurled at a slow but reasonable pace. One thing I appreciated was the way all the feelings came off as real and earnest rather than over-dramatized or unrealistically all-consuming. Both characters are level-headed, ambitious people, and you see that come across in the decisions they make in the story, even the romantic ones. I also like the emphasis on friendships, and the too relatable conversations around how hard it is to make adult friends, especially in a new city. There are other meaningful conversations around the extra work Samiah must put in to succeed as a Black woman in the tech industry, with all the extra hurdles and the pressure she feels to pave the way for those who would follow in her footsteps.
Although I enjoyed the book, I think the lack of tension holds me back from full enthusiasm. That covers a lot of categories. For example, the level-headed and sweet love story was almost a little too easygoing for my taste even as I respected that approach. Also, I was ready for more drama around the financial crimes and the scheming ex-boyfriend. However, both of these were treated more as character motivations than as full lines of plot in and of themselves. Finally, maybe this is my own workplace bitterness rising to the fore, but all the gushing about the company our two leads work at became a bit overdone for me.
I'm glad I read this and was introduced to this author. I look forward to returning to Austin in the sequels to see our other two fabulous ladies get their own happily ever afters.
I found this romance to be a very tender love story that unfurled at a slow but reasonable pace. One thing I appreciated was the way all the feelings came off as real and earnest rather than over-dramatized or unrealistically all-consuming. Both characters are level-headed, ambitious people, and you see that come across in the decisions they make in the story, even the romantic ones. I also like the emphasis on friendships, and the too relatable conversations around how hard it is to make adult friends, especially in a new city. There are other meaningful conversations around the extra work Samiah must put in to succeed as a Black woman in the tech industry, with all the extra hurdles and the pressure she feels to pave the way for those who would follow in her footsteps.
Although I enjoyed the book, I think the lack of tension holds me back from full enthusiasm. That covers a lot of categories. For example, the level-headed and sweet love story was almost a little too easygoing for my taste even as I respected that approach. Also, I was ready for more drama around the financial crimes and the scheming ex-boyfriend. However, both of these were treated more as character motivations than as full lines of plot in and of themselves. Finally, maybe this is my own workplace bitterness rising to the fore, but all the gushing about the company our two leads work at became a bit overdone for me.
I'm glad I read this and was introduced to this author. I look forward to returning to Austin in the sequels to see our other two fabulous ladies get their own happily ever afters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism
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