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tdotrenae's reviews
137 reviews
One in a Million by Beverley Kendall
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Firstly thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for getting me this advance reader copy!
I feel like the story started off so strong and alluring to me! The surprise baby trope with a unique twist was fun. Like the whole premise of like the fertility clinic mix up was everything! I was hooked from the first chapter. I actually really like Myles and Whitney too! I felt like they had good chemistry and were really selling the enemies to lovers story to me! The tension was chefs kiss!
And then… it kinda fell flat for me. I guess I just wanted more? Like the drama was alright at best and so was the plot twist but like I wasn’t floored and I also felt like the ending/epilogue was too much. Like everything just tied up neatly in a bow. Like I just felt like it was super random time hop and like would’ve liked to experienced a little more of Whitney and Myles before the HEA.
Something that did not work for me was how Whitney often just folded when she was very upset with Myles. I often felt frustrated because I take her as a very strong willed, independent, Black woman who’s highly successful and then at the slightest reasoning from Myles, she just was like “oh OK it’s fine.” And the same for Myles! Like I get being in love, but both of them needed to stand up. It’s giving unrealistic.
Overall it was good ish! I definitely enjoyed the first half more than the second but like maybe give it a try. 🤔
Love on the Rebound by Aries Skye
emotional
reflective
- 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
4.0
This book was stressful but like in the best way. This story follows Kinston and Angela who we met briefly in Love on the Ninth Floor. First of all, I am loving books where the characters are interconnected. This is the second book in the Richard sister's chronicles. I was impressed at how this felt different and familiar to the first all in one.
Kinston Jordan is ONE OF THE BEST book baes out there. He's got the good looks, the yearning, the intentionality, the pursuing without being creepy. Like Mr. Jordan, similar to his brother, got it going on.
Angela at some points, was a little annoying to me. She did have alot of past trauma from her previous relationship with Nigel, and so I tried to give her grace. But I feel like a good portion of the book was her figuring out how to be with Kinston and overcome the negative messaging from her ex. I also think that Angela was such a real character, and like really highlighted how hard it is sometimes to work on yourself.
This book had DRAMA - like up and down, and around the world! I honestly did not think they were going to get an HEA, especially as the last twist was a big one. Overall, I enjoyed the book and cannot wait to read the next one! I would recommend this book for someone who loves Black romances, with plenty of spice AND drama. I honestly feel like reading this was like recapping the craziest few weeks with a friend over facetime!
Kinston Jordan is ONE OF THE BEST book baes out there. He's got the good looks, the yearning, the intentionality, the pursuing without being creepy. Like Mr. Jordan, similar to his brother, got it going on.
Angela at some points, was a little annoying to me. She did have alot of past trauma from her previous relationship with Nigel, and so I tried to give her grace. But I feel like a good portion of the book was her figuring out how to be with Kinston and overcome the negative messaging from her ex. I also think that Angela was such a real character, and like really highlighted how hard it is sometimes to work on yourself.
This book had DRAMA - like up and down, and around the world! I honestly did not think they were going to get an HEA, especially as the last twist was a big one. Overall, I enjoyed the book and cannot wait to read the next one! I would recommend this book for someone who loves Black romances, with plenty of spice AND drama. I honestly feel like reading this was like recapping the craziest few weeks with a friend over facetime!
Token by Beverley Kendall
emotional
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 mean... I did pick up the book solely on the cover and the title. It was okay. It did take me like several chapters to decide if I was going to DNF it or not. I feel like it was just okay, good enough LOL.
What worked for me - I think that the tension between Kennedy and Nate was to die for! Like the sexual tension and the enemies to lovers factor really worked for them. I love the way that the author wrote and revealed their history. Kennedy and Nate's flirty banter and steamy spice scenes were to die for! I also really enjoyed all the side characters as well. Everyone was rich and interesting, including even the bad guys. I also even like that there was a subtle hint at the beginning about a "bad guy," that comes up later. I mean, if fmc is going to fall for a white man, at least he's rich and semi-"doing the work," and becoming increasingly racial conscious - although, I might be a biased because I study these things.
What didn't work for me - uhhh this Black woman being light skinned and blue/grey eyes just did not work for me. Especially when I feel like, the points she was trying to make as diversity champion would've felt more impactful, if it was a darker skinned Black woman. I feel like this book was trying to be deep, in a like "white gaze way." I also felt like some of the pacing of Kennedy's and Nate's relationship did not make sense - like for her to put up such a fight with them being together, it felt a little anti-climactic for me for them to just "oh now were dating." I also did not like how Kennedy's company was addressing DEI in these companies to fix it - it was such surface level work and like not at all how actual DEI companies run!
Also, like wtf does this even mean?? “I would do this for any best friend of mine whose brother needed a Black female beard."
and finally, I'm just going to address the fmc - Kennedy... Now, just because this white man has How to be Anti-racist and James Baldwin on his shelves, we should NOT be throwing our panties at him! LIKE BE SOOOO FOREAL. BE SERIOUS! You literally work for a DEI company and this makes you bend?!?! phew chile.
Now all that being said, i am going to give Beverley Kendall's next book a try too. So, like maybe I would recommend this book for like a surface level read, just don't think too much about everything.
What worked for me - I think that the tension between Kennedy and Nate was to die for! Like the sexual tension and the enemies to lovers factor really worked for them. I love the way that the author wrote and revealed their history. Kennedy and Nate's flirty banter and steamy spice scenes were to die for! I also really enjoyed all the side characters as well. Everyone was rich and interesting, including even the bad guys. I also even like that there was a subtle hint at the beginning about a "bad guy," that comes up later. I mean, if fmc is going to fall for a white man, at least he's rich and semi-"doing the work," and becoming increasingly racial conscious - although, I might be a biased because I study these things.
What didn't work for me - uhhh this Black woman being light skinned and blue/grey eyes just did not work for me. Especially when I feel like, the points she was trying to make as diversity champion would've felt more impactful, if it was a darker skinned Black woman. I feel like this book was trying to be deep, in a like "white gaze way."
Also, like wtf does this even mean?? “I would do this for any best friend of mine whose brother needed a Black female beard."
and finally, I'm just going to address the fmc - Kennedy... Now, just because this white man has How to be Anti-racist and James Baldwin on his shelves, we should NOT be throwing our panties at him! LIKE BE SOOOO FOREAL. BE SERIOUS! You literally work for a DEI company and this makes you bend?!?! phew chile.
Now all that being said, i am going to give Beverley Kendall's next book a try too. So, like maybe I would recommend this book for like a surface level read, just don't think too much about everything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
Frenemies with Benefits by Synithia Williams
challenging
inspiring
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? No
4.25
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this one! I am a huge fan of Synithia and the happenings of Peachtree Cove! I could not wait to get my hands on this one and get to know Tracey and Brian.
This was the perfect and most realistic slow burn enemies to lovers I've ever read. I really liked both of the main characters a lot. I also felt like the conflicts in the story made sense and were believable! I feel like the pacing worked well for me and getting to know their backstories helped tremendously - I am one of those nosy readers who want to know *ALL* the lore behind characters. I was not sure how I felt about Brian in the previous books, but babyyyy he definitely redeemed himself for me and was the perfect gentlemen and friend - inside and outside of the bedroom.
Honestly, I think what was the most meaningful take away from this book and story for me, is that it is never too late to start again and reinvent yourself. One thing that Tracey and I have in common is that we both kinda got stuck in one version of ourselves, and then one day, an inflection point changed everything. I also loved how realistic it was about how hard it is to beat old habits, especially habits of being one version of yourself for so long. I loved that Tracey had her friends supporting her along the way too. That was beautiful, we all need people in our lives to remind of us who we really are, not just who we are pretending to be.
My only qualm is that I wish Brian and Tracey got a little more story time to just be blissfully a couple, without all the drama that they were experiencing.
Overall, I would recommend this book to folks looking for small town, Black romance with a strong and vulnerable fmc and a mmc who is able to be firm and strong for her in all the best ways.
This was the perfect and most realistic slow burn enemies to lovers I've ever read. I really liked both of the main characters a lot. I also felt like the conflicts in the story made sense and were believable! I feel like the pacing worked well for me and getting to know their backstories helped tremendously - I am one of those nosy readers who want to know *ALL* the lore behind characters. I was not sure how I felt about Brian in the previous books, but babyyyy he definitely redeemed himself for me and was the perfect gentlemen and friend - inside and outside of the bedroom.
Honestly, I think what was the most meaningful take away from this book and story for me, is that it is never too late to start again and reinvent yourself. One thing that Tracey and I have in common is that we both kinda got stuck in one version of ourselves, and then one day, an inflection point changed everything. I also loved how realistic it was about how hard it is to beat old habits, especially habits of being one version of yourself for so long. I loved that Tracey had her friends supporting her along the way too. That was beautiful, we all need people in our lives to remind of us who we really are, not just who we are pretending to be.
My only qualm is that I wish Brian and Tracey got a little more story time to just be blissfully a couple, without all the drama that they were experiencing.
Overall, I would recommend this book to folks looking for small town, Black romance with a strong and vulnerable fmc and a mmc who is able to be firm and strong for her in all the best ways.
Isaac's Song by Daniel Black
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Wowowwowowow. What a beautiful story and book. I have been so excited about reading this since I read don’t cry for me last year by Dr. Daniel Black. Dr. Black is one of my favorite authors and I love nearly everything that he has written. I only say nearly because I haven’t read everything. lol
I don’t really have the most beautiful words to describe the story, but it is the perfect sequel to don’t cry for me. We get to understand and experience Isaac, after the passing of his father and the aftermath. I felt like this book did a good job of not leaning too much on the prequel while being its own entity in a book. I wish that Isaac’s therapist was my therapist because wow she really earned her money! So insightful. I feel like this is a book that I’m going to have to read every few years to get something else from it because I read for the first time and I feel like there’s so much more. I highlighted it so much and took so much from this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent
Out of Office by A.H. Cunningham
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
3.75
I really wanted to like this one more. It was just okay. I feel like everything in this book was just alright. The main characters, the story, the writing - everything was just like “eh okay.”
I did really like the overall premise and conflict within the main female character. As someone who has been going through the same internal struggle of having the career of a lifetime, and starting to pivot to have more of a life outside of my job has been interesting. I feel like that and Gen’s struggles with balancing wanting to expand her career and being a potential contributor to gentrification was interesting. I loved, loved, loved, the queer BIPOC representation in the book, and I liked most of the side characters.
I also liked some of the writing. Now, the author definitely can write some beautiful scenes, at the same time, I felt like there were parts of the story that were disjointed from other parts of the book. I wish it was consistently, the beautiful writing of the spicy scenes, IN some of the more mundane parts of the story. There are also just whole plot points that we just skim over, such as Adrian’s immigration story, and the resolution of the conflict between Gen and her mother. I feel like the book starts in the middle, when I would’ve loved to feel and experience some of the build-up between Adrian and Gen.
I feel like I might recommend this book to someone who is looking for a steamy, low angst, quick-moving, story that just works if you’re going off vibes ONLY. There are some larger themes at play that make the story interesting, but the point is really a steamy romance - just focus on that. LOL.
Content Warnings
Minor: Biphobia and Death
Game On by Seressia Glass
lighthearted
tense
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? No
4.25
Gahhhh! Why did it have to end ?! I loved this book! Like truly! It’s a light and fluffy-ish read about Samara, gamer, advocate, and DEI consultant and Aron, CEO, game developer and devoted family man!
Things that worked: the narrator was phenomenal! I feel like this book was meant to be an audiobook. There were SEVERAL parts that had me giggling and kicking my feet but Aron was so sweet and intentional with Samara. Samara as a character just worked too! Like such a strong advocate and gamer girlie. I loved the dual POVs and how each of their voices shown thru in their sections. I also even feel like the “big conflict” worked beautifully in this book and made a lot of sense.
Things that didn’t work for me: I just wished it was longer 😭 i literally paused the audio book around 83% because i was flying through this one!
I’d recommend this book for anyone looking for a light-ish fluffy read. There is some online racism & misogynoir discussed and a chunk of the plot, but I feel like it was pretty PG compared to the things I see online.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
Minor: Death
Situationship by E. M. Wilson
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As somebody who identifies heavily with Teagan, I really enjoyed this book! Teagan tries so hard to be perfect, keep everything together, be ambitious, and keep her friend group together all in the midst of planning a wedding for one friend, there’s just one problem Heath. Heath is devastatingly handsome and Teagan’s nemesis for reasons unknown until the end of the book! They start to hook up during the summer as stress relief for both of them!
I know it’s classified as erotica, but there’s definitely a romance story running at the same time! Think like equal parts erotica and romance - there is a lot of sex and spice, BUT ALL so well done. Heath and Teagan’s banter at first was kinda stale but got better throughout the story as they spent more time together. I also really liked how the story/plot was written. Like the big reveal of WHYYYYY Heath and Teagan were enemies was beautifully done and like what a plot twist! I was not expecting that at all!
The only things that didn’t work for me were at one point, I did get a HEAVY amount of second hand embarrassment at one point, but that’s might be a personal issue. I also felt like the issues with the friend group being homophobic and racist should’ve been resolved different with even more confrontation. I also felt like Teagan’s parents were too accepting of her blow up, I would’ve enjoyed a little more friction, but alas!
Overall, would recommend for a reader who is looking for ALOT of spice with like a good helping of romance, who enjoys enemies to lovers with a plot twist, lowkey annoying/unlikeable main character (Teagan) and good banter. Thank you so much NetGalley and the Publisher for this early ARC in exchange for a review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Abortion
Minor: Ableism
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow this was such a beautiful and heartbreaking story. Woodson is a powerful author and story teller and omg the narration by all of the voice actors was stunning! I would 100% recommend reading the audiobook because each characters voice needs to be felt. It’s pretty short but so impactful
The book travels back and forth between characters and time. The story is told from various perspectives, Melody, her parents and her grandparents, who are all each connected and disconnected with each other. A harrowing and emotional depiction of motherhood and fatherhood, generational trauma, emotional well being and trying to figure out who you are over a lifetime.
I will be purchasing this book to own as apart of my library but what a beautiful story. I will be thinking about this story forever.
The Kiss Bet Volume One: A Webtoon Unscrolled Graphic Novel by Ingrid Ochoa
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Oh my goodness! I saw the cover and I just knew I had to read it! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Webtoon Unscrolled for this e-ARC! All opinions are mine! 4.5/5, rounded up to 5 stars!
So the story starts off with Sara Lin who just turned 18 and is trying to accomplish having her first kiss! It is so adorable, definitely a younger young adult/high school book. Although to me, the characters feel more in middle school/early high school. That being said, I really enjoy all of the characters. I think they are so quirky and fun and adorable! I especially love Sara Lin’s dad, he’s a hoot just like my dad!
I’m really interested to see how the story continues! I feel like this book is a hodgepodge of different romance tropes for highschoolers, such as grumpyxsunshine, cute boy next-door, and the best friend!
Honestly, only thing I did not like leaving on a cliffhanger, but I recently learned that the story has continued well beyond where it’s at right now, so I’m excited to keep reading and getting to know Sara Lin and her friends ! also, I just kind of wish that there were a bit more diversity in the characters, but hopefully as a story continues and we meet more people it will be more diverse!
So the story starts off with Sara Lin who just turned 18 and is trying to accomplish having her first kiss! It is so adorable, definitely a younger young adult/high school book. Although to me, the characters feel more in middle school/early high school. That being said, I really enjoy all of the characters. I think they are so quirky and fun and adorable! I especially love Sara Lin’s dad, he’s a hoot just like my dad!
I’m really interested to see how the story continues! I feel like this book is a hodgepodge of different romance tropes for highschoolers, such as grumpyxsunshine, cute boy next-door, and the best friend!
Honestly, only thing I did not like leaving on a cliffhanger, but I recently learned that the story has continued well beyond where it’s at right now, so I’m excited to keep reading and getting to know Sara Lin and her friends ! also, I just kind of wish that there were a bit more diversity in the characters, but hopefully as a story continues and we meet more people it will be more diverse!