Ana Maria and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa

Welcome Back, Booklovers! We're starting to see more and more diverse historical romance popping up. And in a sub genre so dominated by images of European aristocracy it's a refreshing change. The cover alone sucked me in and I decided to borrow the audiobook from my local library.

Ana Maria is one of the daughters of a powerful political family. She and her sisters are secretly sent to London  during the French occupation of Mexico where she meets Gideon Fox, a mixed race member of Parliament determined to outlaw all that allows Britain to continue to profit off the slave trade.

This is a very slow burn romance which can be hit and miss for me and in this case it was a miss because we didn't always have enough one on one interaction between Gideon and Ana Maria for me to find their chemistry believable. There was so much talk of tension and pining but I didn't actually feel any sparks between them until their wedding night which was much later in the book that the synopsis implied. For a book marketed off the marriage of convivence it didn't happen until well after the halfway mark.

While I appreciated that Ana Maria was very outspoken about racism, slavery and women's rights I didn't like her approach. It was very in your face. Shortly after we meet her she's at a ball lecturing someone about it in a way that felt a little unrealistic and took me out of the scene. Every time this book handled issues it was just so over the top. A scene that comes to mind is how shocked and appalled Ana Maria and her sisters were when some woman suggested she whiten her skin. It was almost comical how that scene was played out.

To be quite honest I was bored until the conflict start picking up after the 70% mark. I spent most of the book wading through the repetitive dialogue and fact dropping while trying to connect with these characters. It had all the elements to make a good story but that got lost and it ended up feeling like yet another beautiful gowns regency romance.

Chapter Book Recommendations for the Reluctant Reader

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've been reading more chapter books lately in an effort to help my niece discover new books. She enjoys reading picture books but I'm trying to get her to expand her horizons a little bit and get her to read longer books. I've discovered some gems along the way and I thought with summer coming up it would be helpful to parents or guardians who are looking to add to their child's reading list.

Home for Meow

The Home for Meow series by Reese Eschmann is a cute and cuddly series taking place at a family run cat café. The First book in the series is The Purrfect Show

Kira Parker lives above The Purrfect Cup, the cat café that her family owns and runs. Every day is a new adventure with her cat friends! Except lately, The King County Dog Show seems to be the only thing the regulars can talk about!

Kira doesn’t get why everyone is so excited. After all, her cat friends are much smarter and more talented than those dogs. Then Kira has a GREAT IDEA -- she’s going to train the cats, and enter them in the competition. It’s sure to be her best plan yet!

Future Hero

This series is actually a collaborative effort. Remi Black wood consists of Chiemeka Nicely, Isaac Hamilton-McKenzie, and Jasmine Richards. I love that series starts in the UK in a Black British community. And the hero the fantasy world within the story is a Black boy. The first book in the series is Future Hero. 

Jarell has never quite known where he belongs. He’s ignored at home and teased at school for wanting to draw instead of playing sports with the other boys. The only place he’s ever felt truly at ease is his local barbershop where the owner hangs Jarell’s art up on the walls.

When Jarell discovers a hidden portal in the barbershop, he’s transported to a magical world that’s unlike anything he’s seen before. But it’s not just the powerful gods and dangerous creatures that makes this world different―it’s that everyone believes Jarell is the hero they’ve been waiting for.

Wednesday and Woof

This is a great series for reluctant readers and I liked that it included markers throughout to stop and give them praise for reading a certain wordcount or indicate how many pages are left in the story. Walia aka Wednesday has juvenile arthritis but she doesn't let it stop her from doing what she wants to do even if she has to make sure she doesn't over exert herself. The first book in the series is called Catastrophe. 

Can Wednesday and her service dog, Woof, sniff out Mrs. Winter’s missing cat before her big trip? This is the first book of a fun full-color early chapter book series about the best detectives in the Midwest!

Detective Tip #1 Try not to jump to conclusions. Wednesday and her service dog, Woof, are the best detectives in the whole world—or at least their neighborhood. But can they find Mrs. Winters’s missing cat before her big trip? Or will the case of the cat-napped kitty be their first unsolved mystery? 

Abby in Orbit

This series follows a young girl named Abby who has recently started living on the International Space Station with her family and is still getting adjusted to her new life. I like how this series includes science but in an approachable way without using too much jargon for young readers. The first book in the series is Blast Off. 

As Abby gets used to life in space, can she keep the things that are most important to her from drifting away?

It's the first day of third grade, and Abby Baxter is determined not to make any mistakes. It's a little trickier than it was last year, though, because Abby is starting school on the OASIS International Space Station, where her parents are scientists. Abby is so focused on getting used to microgravity, watching her little brother, Nico, and meeting her new classmates that she almost messes up Mami’s big experiment. Can she figure out how to make things right, or is she destined to be sent back to Earth?

Bo at the Buzz

This is a great series for the kids who just started reading on their own. It follows a little boy named Bo whose grandfather owns a barbershop called the Buzz. It's a very good introduction to chapter books with full color illustrations and a short length. There's also not enough books out there for little Black boys to relate to so this is a series they can see themselves in. You can start with Bo and the Basketball Game. 

Bo wants to be the star of his basketball team. But his friend plays better than him during practice. Follow Bo as he learns about being a team player and having fun playing the sport.

Bo’s life is always buzzing. And not just because he lives upstairs from The Buzz, a barbershop. Young readers will love following Bo’s daily life and adventures in these early chapter books.

Spooky Sleuths

This spooky chapter book series is based on ghost stories from Guyana. The Ghost Tree is the first book in this series. 

Asim's new town is freaking him out! There are weird noises at night, eerie lights, and now an evil tree that is growing way faster than it should. he's sure there's something supernatural going on.

His friend Rokshar believes that everything can be explained by science. But even she's worried when the tree takes control of their teacher! It's starting to look like an evil spirit straight out of Guyanese folklore is to blame. Can Asim and his friends save their teacher--and the town--from the ghost tree?

 

Isla of Adventure

This is a story set on a fictional Caribbean island with a little girl who has the power to talk to animals and explores the island having adventures. The adventures begin in Welcome to the Island.

Welcome to the adventurous island of Sol! For eight-year-old Isla Verde, Sol is the perfect place to live. The sun shines bright, the markets brim with delicious food and music, there are animal friends around every corner, and her best gecko buddy, Fitz, is up for almost every adventure!

Yes, Isla’s best friend is a gecko. In fact, that’s part of her big secret…she can speak to animals—and they speak right back! No one else knows about her special talent, not even Mama, Abuelo, or Abuela! But when new girl Tora moves in next door, Isla starts finding it harder to keep her secret under wraps.

Zara's Rules

A young Muslim girl named Zara is the self proclaimed Queen of the Neighborhood is always looking for ways to maximize fun with friends. The first book in the series is Zara's Rules for Record-Breaking Fun.

Meet Zara Saleem, the queen of the neighborhood.

Zara’s in charge of it all: she organizes the games, picks the teams, and makes sure everyone has a good time…and they always do.

When a new family moves in across the street, suddenly Zara’​s reign is threatened by Naomi, who has big ideas of her own about how the neighborhood kids can have fun. To get everyone to notice her again, Zara decides she’s going to break a Guinness World Record—if her little brother Zayd doesn’t mess things up.

But when she finds herself increasingly alone in her record-breaking quest, Zara starts to wonder if sharing the crown and making a new friend might end up being the best rule of all.

The God of Good Looks by Breanne Mc Ivor

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I always get excited when I hear about a book by a Trinidadian author. But I get extra excited when I hear the book is set in Trinidad. I don't think Caribbean Fashion Week is still a thing anymore but I remember at one point there was a big push to highlight people making moves in fashion in Trinidad and other islands. So I was intrigued by The God of Good Looks being set amongst the landscape of the Trinidadian fashion industry. I was ecstatic when I saw the audiobook was included as a May Influencer ALC as a part of Libro FM's Audiobook Listening Copies program.

Bianca Bridge is currently struggling for work as a model after her reputation is ruined when it's revealed she had an affair with the married Minster of Planning and Development. Bianca has dreams of becoming a writer and believes writing an embellished version of her mother's life will get her recognition on the literary scene. In the meantime she accepts a job from Obadiah Cortland, a ruthless makeup artist and entrepreneur who runs a local fashion magazine. 

Soon Bianca starts to become more confident and find her voice wanting to push the boundaries of what types of stories the magazine can tell. Obadiah's tough demeanor also starts to change when working with Bianca makes him realize that the persona he's build to survive in the competitive fashion industry is also hindering his ability to connect with the people around him.

First I would like to say that this audiobook was well cast with Varia Williams and Alexis Rodney. They actually got the accents right instead of some the Jamaican wannabe mixes that I've heard in some audiobooks. It added a lot to this story and made the characters come alive and hearing the measured cadence in their voices when it came to certain sections. 

Usually two widely different povs styles don't always work but they did here as we get Bianca's voice through diary entries while hearing Obadiah's real time account of events. These felt like real and very relatable people. I could see pieces of people I know in both characters and this novel does a great job painting a very real reality in Trinidadian society. These felt like the very real conversations about the various issues people don't necessarily want to bring out on a world stage. It wasn't sugar coated but it wasn't completely grim either. It's explored in a way that doesn't feel overly preachy.

I can see people have a problem with the romance between Bianca and Obadiah because he is very rude and nasty to her at first. But then when you hear more of his backstory and see the relationship with his sister you start to understand how he became the way he is. And you see how he does take steps to be a better communicator. 

There were parts of this book that made me laugh, cry, and made my jaw drop in disbelief at the audacity. 

Interview with Author Brittany N Williams

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Today I have another author interview and it's with Brittany N Williams, the author of The Self-Same Metal which is a young adult fantasy out now. It follows a Black girl with metal bending powers fighting a Fae uprising in Shakespearean London. And if that sounds cool, then keep reading!

What was the inspiration for That Self-Same Metal? And why did you choose a historical setting for this story rather than contemporary?

I was researching West African traditions and came across the Orisha, particularly Ogun who is the spirit of war, technology, and iron. That immediately had me wondering what would happen if someone blessed by Ogun with the power to control iron fought against the fae. Then my love of Shakespeare burst in and I knew I wanted it to be set during his lifetime and have an epic battle happen during a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

When writing a fantasy how do you keep the different plots straight?

For me, that level of detail work happens in revisions. With the first draft, I’m only trying to figure out the story. After that, I start charting things. I read through it to take notes and I’ll map out the plot using the Save the Cat method. I also got this really incredible outline spreadsheet from my friend Tracy Deonn that I love. If you’ve read Legendborn or Bloodmarked, then you know how brilliant she is at tracking plots and subplots.

Do you remember the first book you read that you saw yourself in?

When I was a kid, my aunts and grandmother bought us all the Fred Crump Jr. children’s books. They were all fairy tales illustrated with Black characters. Those and Her Stories by Virginia Hamilton—which I borrowed from the library constantly—definitely laid the foundation for me and what I imagined for myself.

How did you find your writing community?

I found my writing community through a random Twitter interaction. I was mutuals with Jordan Calhoun who was writing for the site Black Nerd Problems and he asked me to come film a parody video with them. After that, they reached out to have me write an article for the site and next thing you know they’re my internet family. That article also kickstarted my friendship with Daniel José Older—who is now my husband—and I’ve grown my writer community through folks he knows as well.

I understand you wrote a short story for Star Wars anthology From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back. Was that a dream project for you?

It was and especially because I got to write from the point of view of my first choice character! I still can’t believe that I wrote Han, Leia, Lando, and L3-37 and that there’s this little pocket of Star Wars canon that I created. Plus, so many other writers I love are in that anthology like Daniel and Tracy Deonn. It’s such an amazing feeling.

How does coming from a theater background inform your writing?

It’s really helped me with writing dialogue and fight scenes. Acting is all about developing a character from lines of dialogue, some actions, and a few descriptions. Writing for me is a kind of reverse of that process. I also have stage combat training which is essential for writing my fights. It made me think of battles in both practical and dramatic terms: stringing together moves that make sense, using fights to reveal and develop characters, showing the effects of injuries physically and mentally, and capturing the rhythm of the fight. It’s been really fun drawing on all those skills in a new way and as much as acting makes me a better writer, writing makes me a better actor too.

Do you have any interest in screenwriting?

I do! I’ve written short things like sketch comedy and full-length theater pieces but I have yet to go for a full screenplay. It feels like the natural next step for me.

What would your ultimate book launch event be like?

Oh! It would be at Shakespeare’s Globe in London or at the Folger Shakespeare Library in DC. It would open with a performance of the fight between Joan, Shakespeare, and Burbage. I’d get to wear a 17th Century gown and have a Q&A with another Shakespeare nerd in front of a packed house. Fingers crossed that’s how it goes with the sequel.

Outside of acting and writing are there any other hobbies you enjoy?

Of course I love reading and watching movies. I also enjoy knitting and I’ve taught myself to read tarot cards. I’d like to become better at sewing so that’s next on my list of hobbies to pick up.

Are there any projects you’re currently working on that you’re able to talk about?

Yes! So, I’m currently directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream for The NOLA Project here in New Orleans. I’m also about to start rehearsals for Twelfth Night with the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival—I’m playing Olivia. And I’m currently editing the sequel to That Self-Same Metal. I can’t say much about it yet but folks can expect more information later this year.

You can follow Brittany on Tik Tok @brittanyacts, Instagram @brittanyacts, and Twitter @brittanyacts

I'm Not Supposed to Be in the Dark by Riss M. Neilson

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I'm Not Supposed to Be In Dark's gorgeous cover is enough to grab any reader's attention. But promises of ghosts and horror elements pulled me in. I received a copy from Macmillan for review.

Aria has a daily tea ritual at the insistence of her mother and grandfather to keep away the spirits but she doesn't understand her full connection to the dead. One day she notices a rosebush burning across the street at her childhood friend Derek's home. That same night she experiences strange visions and has questions she can't answer. Though she and Derek had a falling out he suddenly starts talking to her again and she decides to stop drinking the tea as she tries to piece together forgotten memories. When she discovers he's possessed, she has to figure out how to send the ghost to it's finally resting place.

This was a little different than what I expected especially seeing the books this was comp to but there were many things that felt refreshing to me. As someone who is not a very visual reader I thought the imagery used in this book was well done. It was vibrant without feeling too flowery and made it very easy to imagine things like the wisteria trees or the way Aria sometimes saw the world in gray. And the haunting moments felt so real.

I wouldn't call this a paranormal romance because while there is a romantic relationship in this book it's not the focal point. Instead the focal point if Aria discovering her true self and coming into her identity and gifts and the situation with Derek and the ghost who has possessed him help her do that. Even when Aria and Derek's relationship does get attention it's more in regards to rebuilding their friendship which I thought was well done. And while the discussion of taking their relationship to the next level doesn't come in until closer to the end, I still enjoyed their connection to each other.

So often in YA stories the main character is left to fight on their own with no support system. That was not the case here however. In addition to support from her friend's Derek and Brianna, she also has her family. Despite her grandfather and mother both taking actions to hinder her abilities in an effort to protect her from people who want to use her, they still support her decisions. While her sister, Adelia is busy with college with her freshman year in college she also manages to reach out to her and aid her when she can. 

Aria is mixed race and it's mentioned but her identity is not made a big deal which was refreshing. There was no talk about being stuck between two identities. Her race wasn't a driver of conflict. There was no over explanation of her culture. 

Though a little slow and uneven paced at times, Riss M. Neilson's engaging writing style kept me reading and I'm interested in reading more of what she has to offer.

Books With Bosses

In honor of National Self-Employed Day I thought it would be cool to recommend books with some boss ass characters who work from themselves! 

Sweethand by N.G. Peltier

After a public meltdown over her breakup from her cheating musician boyfriend, Cherisse swore off guys in the music industry, and dating in general for a while, preferring to focus on growing her pastry chef business.

When Cherisse’s younger sister reveals she’s getting married in a few months, Cherisse hopes that will distract her mother enough to quit harassing her about finding a guy, settling down and having kids. But her mother’s matchmaking keeps intensifying.

Cherisse tries to humour her mother, hoping if she feigns interest in the eligible bachelors she keeps tossing her way, she’ll be off the hook, but things don’t quite go as planned. Turns out for the first time in ages, she and Keiran King, the most annoying man ever, are on the island at the same time. Avoiding him is impossible, especially when Keiran’s close friend is the one marrying her sister, and he’s the best man to her maid of honour.

Keiran doesn’t know what to make of Cherisse now. They’ve always butted heads. To him she’s always been a stuck-up brat who seeks attention, even while he secretly harbored a crush on her. Now with Cherisse’s sister marrying one of his good friends he can’t escape her as the wedding activities keep throwing them together.

When things turn heated after a rainy night of bedroom fun, they both have to figure out if they can survive the countdown to wedding day, without this turning into a recipe for disaster.

Foolish Hearts by Synithia Williams

It’s been three years since Ashiya Waters walked away from Russell—and made the biggest mistake of her life. She knows she shouldn’t dwell on the past. Love isn't meant to last…and nobody taught her that better than her own family. But when her grandmother unexpectedly dies, leaving Ashiya in charge of a multimillion-dollar company, Russell is the only one who can help her…and things get complicated fast.

Russell Gilchrist would do anything to be named COO of Robidoux Holdings—with all of the power and money that comes along with it. He’s been desperate to solve the disappearance of his brother, Roderick, for years, and the Robidoux influence could finally turn this cold case hot—and give his family some much-needed closure. The job is his…if he helps Ashiya manage her new business. He’ll just do his work and get out—that’s the plan. But being so close to the woman who broke his heart is dangerous. Seeing her smile and feeling her touch makes him want to forget the past. But will this second chance at love burn them both?

A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams

Maya Jackson has worked for a renowned New York City bridal gown brand for years and dreams of becoming Head Designer. She has the talent, she just needs a chance to showcase her unique style. Due to an illness, she’s always prioritized her career over her personal life until Maya’s father fractures his hip and she returns to Charleston, SC. While home for only a few months, she’s thrilled to find an opportunity at the local bridal gown boutique, never expecting sparks to fly with its owner...

A military veteran and widowed father, Derek Sullivan hopes to save Always a Bride from bankruptcy in order to preserve the legacy of his family. He also wants to reconnect with his estranged, twelve-year-old daughter, who is still recovering from the loss of her mother. The last thing he needs is a relationship with a beautiful, smart, complicated woman who will be leaving soon.

When Derek begins to fall for the lovely Maya, he knows there’s no future. But destiny has its own plans, and these two lonely people with big hearts discover that coming home to love is the best gift life can give.

Hooked On You

Mistywood Lane neighbors Preston Holmes and Zoe Rollins have been besties since the epitome of friendship meant sharing your Pokéman bubblegum cards.

Now Zoe is engaged to school teacher/up-and-coming assemblage artist Dante Gregory.

Bucking the norm has been her style, so of course, she sidesteps a traditional wedding party. Dante will have his best man while Zoe taps Preston as her all-purpose “best dude.”

Preston plans to suck it up and rise to the challenge. However, there’s a hitch. Her “brother from another mother” has caught feelings complicating the plan. He’s torn between his growing physical attraction to Zoe and the need to do what’s right — leaving his bestie to a man who promises to deliver her happily ever after.

Playa-Playa Preston is unwilling to torpedo a decades-long friendship to scratch a pesky itch.

He’s made a tough decision and aims to follow through, giving his opinions on cupcakes, flower arrangements, do-it-yourself invitations, and dollar store wedding gowns.

And where there’s smoke, there’s “Hellfire.”

Preston is determined to crush his tasks, but is he the best dude in more ways than one?

A lot Like Adios

Hi Mich. It’s Gabe.

After burning out in her corporate marketing career, Michelle Amato has built a thriving freelance business as a graphic designer. So what if her love life is nonexistent? She’s perfectly fine being the black sheep of her marriage-obsessed Puerto Rican-Italian family. Besides, the only guy who ever made her want happily-ever-after disappeared thirteen years ago.

It’s been a long time.

Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx at eighteen to escape his parents’ demanding expectations, but it also meant saying goodbye to Michelle, his best friend and longtime crush. Now, he’s the successful co-owner of LA’s hottest celebrity gym, with an investor who insists on opening a New York City location. It’s the last place Gabe wants to go, but when Michelle is unexpectedly brought on board to spearhead the new marketing campaign, everything Gabe’s been running from catches up with him.

I’ve missed you.

Michelle is torn between holding Gabe at arm’s length or picking up right where they left off—in her bed. As they work on the campaign, old feelings resurface, and their reunion takes a sexy turn. Facing mounting pressure from their families—who think they’re dating—and growing uncertainty about their futures, can they resolve their past mistakes, or is it only a matter of time before Gabe says adiós again?

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I own a couple of Farah Heron's books and I've heard great things about her. I just never found the time to tackle her backlist. So when I saw the arc being offered as Read Now on Netgalley I decided it was time especially since I like the idea of a romance with destination wedding backdrop. One thing I will note is that I did not realize this is a sequel where characters from the previous book play a big role. It's still readable without having read that one but go and read Kamila Knows Best first for more context.

Jana and Anil are both friends of Kamila and Roshan who are getting married and they've planned a fun filled two week getaway in their family's home country of Tanzania. When Jana agreed to be apart of the bridal party she didn't think Anil would actually take on being a groomsman with his job keeping him preoccupied. So she's shocked when she finds out she'll have to spend more time with him than she's spent in the last five years. All Jana has to do is pretend to get along with him for the sake of their daughter but it's not easy especially with her mother running around bragging about them having the ideal coparenting relationship.

Jana has mostly been communicating with Anil via a parenting app and a well mapped out custody agreement. She's still upset because when they were in a relationship he never told her that he was still legally married. As if finding out she was pregnant wasn't complicated enough, she also had to deal with his ex wife's family trying to sink her reputation and paint her as the other woman when the situation was a little bit more complicated than that.

I really enjoyed the wedding party particularly the bridal brigade. They really tried to help Jana come out of her shell while also acting as a sounding board when it came to her unresolved feelings for Anil. I liked reading about their exploration of Tanzania with the different safaris, delicious food and uncles and aunties. Although I feel like some of the hotel hopping could've been cut down to streamline this story since it did drag a little in the middle and there was so much to address.

I thought Jana and Anil had great physical chemistry together. I enjoyed the scenes with them and their daughter. I liked that Jana didn't hide the child from him so he actually had a very active and present relationship with his daughter. People who aren't a fan of children in romance will probably want to skip this one because little Imani is on page a lot. I think this is the most interactions I've read with a child during one of these second chance romances ever. Which was very realistic to me especially since they were on a family vacation.

At times the book got a bit repetitive when it came to Jana and her misplaced anger towards Anil. I understood she had unresolved trauma regarding the situation and then how her mother was trying to spin the story to make herself feel less embarrassed. But it got tiring to consistently hear Jana mention how Anil is such a good dad but she can't stand him because he wasn't completely honest about his situation surrounding his marriage. It took way to long for them to have a proper sit down conversation. So the end felt a little rushed in having Jana finally address both Anil and her relationship with her mother.

Overall I still enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading some of Farah Heron's other books.