andthatsonliterature's reviews
113 reviews

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen

funny lighthearted medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

“𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥.”

Talk about opening with a bang! Danielle Allen needed to be done with this story and I hate that I finished it already. I love an author that can give a complete story, no questions went unanswered, the characters had layers to them, the romance was great, the build up was amazing, I have no complaints. 

I loved the main female character Aaliyah, she was a woman after my own heart. Headstrong, stylish, knew what she wanted, and sought out the things that she desired. My girl didn’t take no mess, she never settled, and she was super funny. I loved the back and forth between her and Ahmad. He was a really good guy from jump and he matched Aaliyah’s funny. Everyone deserves someone in their corner like Ahmad because he was truly looking out and had her best interest at heart. 

I enjoyed the pacing of this book, the author did a great job of telling the story and moving it along nicely instead of filling it with unnecessary fluff.  There wasn’t a page or a word wasted! This truly checked all the boxes for me: great side characters, comedy, romance, resolve. Although I haven’t had a chance to deep dive into Danielle Allen’s catalog, this is not my first read  by this author and it surely won’t be my last.

From Come Over To Come Home by Jahquel J.

hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Sometimes instalove can go real wrong, BUT that is not the case when it comes to this book. I loved every second, minute, and hour of Wren Michelle and Dom. Every action in this book was very intentional from the moment these two met. 

I loved that they were open to the idea of love because a lot of times there can be this insufferable pushback from characters and it’s like “just be loved!” Now don’t get me wrong, there was a fair amount of apprehensions that I felt were just par for the course when it comes to involving matters of the heart and  your child. But outside of that love was definitely in the air and in abundance! I loved Wren’s friend circle and Dom’s dynamic with his family, especially his father because I feel like that played a major role in how he moved as a man and he was quite the man! They ended up being a bright spot for each other and I loved that for them! 

The book opened with an author’s note stating that I would get the happy ending I was looking for and as a reader I was not disappointed. This was my first introduction to this author, but it will not be my last read especially since there’s two more books in this series. 

The Good Ones are Taken by Taj McCoy

funny lighthearted fast-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? N/A

4.0

“𝓖𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓪 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓪 𝓵𝓸𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓰𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮, 𝓼𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓼𝓪𝔂…” 🐸👑

This was such an honest and refreshing take on the ups and downs of dating, especially in today’s world. Dating can be fun, but obviously the outcome is to eventually find your person, which can be tough. While  Maggie wasn’t originally open to the idea of dating, I’m glad she stuck her toe in the dating pool because it showed her the possibilities. Any time I think of someone going on a bunch of dates, the scene from Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls always pops up on my head. “Julia you know I’ll never make a fool of ya” 😂I wanted to rescue poor Maggie a few times, but she knew when to call it a night. 

Love showed up in so many ways via friendship, family, and all of the delicious food eaten throughout the story. I loved seeing the return of my favorite girl Savvy, Joanie, and Beth. They were a great support system to Maggie, they offered hugs when she needed comforting, but they didn’t shy away from the tough love. Garrett was a great addition, the chemistry between him and Maggie was such a delight to read. I love when authors don’t shy away from showing us why the friends have the potential to be lovers. I enjoyed seeing their bond, Garrett is that guy! 

If you’re looking for a funny romance that captures the realness of dating, highlights what having a great community is like, and features head strong characters that you can’t help but love,  look no further. 

Love on the Ninth Floor by Aries Skye

hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An unconventional love story. A great game of cat and mouse. I actually enjoyed the back and forth between the two main characters. Normally, I’m not a fan of miscommunication, but I felt it helped move the plot along. I might be the problem, but I found their indecisiveness relatable. All in all, it was a great read and I’m looking forward to book two.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

What a spellbinding read! At the core this was a love story, but for me the magical realism and historical fiction elements were the best part of the book. I found myself enjoying the flashbacks of Ezra’s time during the Harlem Renaissance as well as his contributions to music over the years and wished for more of his timeline. I loved that Ricki Wilde was unapologetically herself and the wild child of her family. There were some great lessons in here about taking leaps in life and love. 

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 & 𝗧𝗶𝗱𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀:

💙 Rashidaginarae are insufferable 

💙 Tuesday is my Shirley Temple, sarcasm toting sprite animal.

💙 The B2K reference made me squeal, literally one of my favorite boy bands. 

💙 Loved seeing her book worlds collide, she always manages to give us a quick update on previous book charries that we love.

💙 Everyone deserves a grandmother or grandmother like figure that can adorn them with important life lessons, funny stories, and comfort. 

This book served as a reminder as to why I love Tia Williams and her books. She’ll remain on my all reads, no skips list forever.

Holidaze by Bella Jay

funny lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

The mood reader in me kicked into overdrive this weekend and I ended up finishing this holiday read. I still haven’t figured out how authors manage to create such a complete story in under 200 pages, but Bella Jay knows the secret because this was too good. I fell in love with Bricks and Magnolia. They’re back and forth pettiness was cute. Bricks was a gentleman and caring while Magnolia was attentive and  compassionate. They balanced each other out well, which I really enjoyed because I love seeing couples that are opposites. There were so many sweet gestures between these two that kept me rooting for them until the end.

All in all, this was a great holiday romance and left me wanting more of these two. 

You're Breaking My Heart by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

adventurous emotional sad 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

3.5

Dealing with grief is not easy. I haven’t read too many books that dive into magical realism and I think this was an interesting introduction. Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich did a great job tackling grief from a young person’s perspective. When our loved ones cross to the other side, we’re stuck here sorting out our feelings. For some, pressing forward can be easy and for others it can be a bit difficult. When it comes to grief, there is no timeline or a rule book. No matter how you battle grief, losing a loved one is always going to change you in some fashion. My favorite thing about this read is that although Harriet was the main focus, we were able to get a glimpse of other people that were also affected by the death of her brother. 

Side note: I loved that the author chose the color blue for the cover. I’m sure the creative choice was mainly because the main character loved swimming/the water. However, through research I discovered that the color blue represents sorrow. But it can also represent calmness, serenity, and peace. I think this book was the perfect representation of the color blue because it captured every emotion of the color. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Stay with Me by Novah Kaine

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 all lovers 💕 this was such a sweet read. It was a reminder that love knows no time. Remember when Floetry was crooning about saying yes, they were talking about Primrose and Jude. Everything about their love story felt natural, there was a special comfort between the couple that I really enjoyed. There was romance, there was intimacy, there were intentions and I loved every single moment. This was a quick read, but it hit all of the romance marks for me.

The Accidental Crush by Mia Heintzelman

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

4.5

February is for lovers and the timing of this book makes it the perfect read Valentines Day. When “all work no play” Morgan meets alleged “playboy” Dante, sparks fly. While there’s an immediate attraction, they quickly discover that they both major work commitments. Morgan is a one woman show, working hard to keep her business consultant firm moving in the right direction while Dante has been challenged by his family to prove that their vineyard is worth keeping. 

While it’s a popular belief that business and pleasure don’t mix, Morgan and Dante work hard to dismantled this idea. It was refreshing to see things play out between these two because it began as an old school crush. The initial attraction, crossing that line, attempts to pull back, giving in to butterflies, blushing, swooning, and everything in between that’ll make you say “awww” out loud. This truly was a great romantic read for me.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝?

🍷 Gave me all the feels  

🍷 Hilarious moments 

🍷 Pretty Woman references 

🍷 Loveable characters 

🍷 Displayed great friendships 

🍷 Familial connections 

🍷 Left me with the sudden urge to book a trip to wine country 

If you love a good rom-com that’ll have you kicking your feet, then you’ll love this one 

Rudy Jones's New Year's Resolution by Aria Daze

hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a cute read to kick off the new year. If you’re a fan of second chance romance, look no further. I feel like spinning the block is okay if the reasons for the initial break up weren’t major and both parties are showing some type of change. I was a bit confused with Rudy and Noah because their past didn’t seem that detrimental to the point where divorce should’ve been the answer. To have been separated for six years, I was surprised the chemistry and love between them was still so strong. I really enjoyed the way Rudy and Noah interacted with one another. They shared this level of comfort that created some funny moments and great romance.