A review by triviareads
A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins

• 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

3.75

 This is a sexy, sapphic Black friends-lovers romance; Cyn is a Grammy-award winning music producer who's a stud and a bit of a player. She regularly collabs with Jucee, who's a dancer at a popular Houston strip club. Juleesa and Cyn have one of those friendships where eeeeveryone asks them if they're together and they're all "omg no why would you ever think that?" Which is obviously indicative of their chemistry, which is there right from the start (like come on, Jucee literally calls Cyn "Poppa" on the reg), and it's the kind that feels comfortable and worn-in but still pretty damn hot. 

As far as rep goes, there's so much about this book to appreciate: Chencia C. Higgins is a Texan and she wrote about the Houston music and club scene in a way that feels so loving and immersive in its details. She also wrote a story where Blackness and queerness is the norm and celebrated (including AAVE, something I rarely see used consistently in contemporaries, even ones with African-American MCs). And the fact that Jucee is a single mom co-parenting with her ex and his new wife? It's touched upon just the right amount, but otherwise it's no big deal. The book is also sex-positive but also portrays the reality of potential romantic partners judging Jucee for her career while still fetishizing her for it. 

In terms of the romance, I think this story does fall into that friends-to-lovers trap of the reader being unable to tell exactly what changed how they view one another, from friend to potential sexual/romantic partner. The catalyst is ostensibly a groupie who briefly hits on Cyn, but it feels too insignificant to really change their dynamic because both have acknowledged each other as sexy and attractive to other women without jealousy really getting in the way in the past. Ultimately, there's a period of hook-ups and lot of will-they-won't-they in terms of a real relationship (the messiest point being bi erasure on Cyn's part when it comes to Jucee which... yikes, BUT there is a grovel) until near the end. 

The sex:

Solid as far as contemporary romances go; I appreciate that sapphic romances have been bringing the heat of late and this book does not disappoint there, including a strip club lap dance that turns into a full strap-on moment. I also love how their bodies are written as sexy and desirable, curves, rolls and all, rather than simply being glossed over.

Overall:

This is my third review of a Harlequin Afterglow book and while the romance didn't hit the quite the same way the other two did, I appreciate the fact that it's a queer contemporary romance that brings the heat and the diversity in a way that feels reflective of our culture in a time when contemporary romances are feeling increasingly homogenous. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a light-hearted, queer friends-to-lovers romance. 

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

 Rating: 3.75/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Publication Date: May 28th