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A review by paigesonpages
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
challenging
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Three cheers for the first Indigenous romance from a major publisher! Thank you Berkley for sending a copy my way.
Read if you 🩷:
• 💻 Workplace Romances
• 🌳 Found Family and Community
• 💜 Native American Representation
• 🦎 Lucky (But Ugly) Lizards
Unlike Ember, I have to be honest and admit that I have mixed feelings about this one. Danuwoa is the ULTIMATE book boyfriend. He’s a cat parent, his younger sister’s caretaker, and he’s flirtatious to no end. Plus, the man has a spine when it comes to the major conflict of the story! All in all, he’s the total package, and I would never want to get on his bad side. 💕
What I didn’t love so much was Ember and her constant lying. It got to the point that all of her fibs gave me anxiety the entire time I was reading! I went in thinking the only lie would be that she wasn’t mentioning her Native heritage on her job applications, but without spoiling too much, it’s a lot more than just that omission. If you like tension and the fear of getting caught, these scenes will be more for you than for me, but my little nervous heart could barely take it! 😅
💜 What kept me going was Danica Nava’s down-to-earth and detailed writing style. It truly feels like being in Ember’s head the entire time! Even without the author’s note near the end, it’s clear she pulled from her own personal experiences.
The truth, according to this reader, is that even with destructive pathological lying, there’s a lot of love, community, and passion in Nava’s debut novel. I hope this is just the first of many more romance novels from major publishers featuring Indigenous leads! 🥰
Read if you 🩷:
• 💻 Workplace Romances
• 🌳 Found Family and Community
• 💜 Native American Representation
• 🦎 Lucky (But Ugly) Lizards
Unlike Ember, I have to be honest and admit that I have mixed feelings about this one. Danuwoa is the ULTIMATE book boyfriend. He’s a cat parent, his younger sister’s caretaker, and he’s flirtatious to no end. Plus, the man has a spine when it comes to the major conflict of the story! All in all, he’s the total package, and I would never want to get on his bad side. 💕
What I didn’t love so much was Ember and her constant lying. It got to the point that all of her fibs gave me anxiety the entire time I was reading! I went in thinking the only lie would be that she wasn’t mentioning her Native heritage on her job applications, but without spoiling too much, it’s a lot more than just that omission. If you like tension and the fear of getting caught, these scenes will be more for you than for me, but my little nervous heart could barely take it! 😅
💜 What kept me going was Danica Nava’s down-to-earth and detailed writing style. It truly feels like being in Ember’s head the entire time! Even without the author’s note near the end, it’s clear she pulled from her own personal experiences.
The truth, according to this reader, is that even with destructive pathological lying, there’s a lot of love, community, and passion in Nava’s debut novel. I hope this is just the first of many more romance novels from major publishers featuring Indigenous leads! 🥰
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol