Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

Welcome Back, Booklovers! It's been a minute and I'm playing catch up on writing reviews. I've read a few Jackie Lau books in that past and I have a few more on my shelf. Donut Fall in Love was gifted to me by Berkley a few years ago and I finally got around to reading it. So keep reading for my thoughts.

Actor Ryan Kwok is hot off a press run for a rom-com that's been flopping hard. Still reeling from the death of his mother a few months earlier, Ryan is hoping to spend some time with his family. With their mother having been the glue that binds them all together they feel like strangers. His sister just had a baby and he's unsure how to support her. His father recently joined Twitter and does a lot of making jokes at his expense but in person they struggle to say more than a few words to each other.

Lindsay is a baker and Ryan has her give him private baking lessons to help him prepare for a celebrity reality baking show. It's a show he and his mother enjoyed watching together and he wants to appear on it in her honor. But he also doesn't want to make a complete fool of himself so he decides a little experience will help. They start to become friends and bond during the experience and of course the bonding leads to a little romance. 

Lau does a great job building a slowburn relationship that deals with the realities of life. Death happens, grief is ever present and it isn't even however old you are. Lindsay is dealing with her mother dating for the first time after her father passed and even more surprisingly her mother is dating an Asian man while Lindsay's father was white. Something that would normally be skirted around as not to make anyone uncomfortable was addressed head on with real conversations about feeling disconnected from culture. 

The ending did feel a tad rushed with drama thrown in that wasn't present for the majority of the book. Suddenly Lindsay was self-conscious about dating a celebrity even though it didn't bother her before and Ryan isn't exactly a mega-star. 

Interview with Author Liselle Sambury

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I recently read A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury. Liselle has been serving up her own brand of Black Canadian fantasy and horror since 2021's Blood Like Magic. She's also been taking readers along for the journey through her Authortube channel. I asked Liselle about the inspiration for her new book, how she balances writing with content creation, and her new non bookish hobbies.

How would you describe your brand of writing?

I tend to describe my writing brand specifically in the YA age category as darker themes with edges of hope. Meaning that I will tackle topics that may be difficult such as generational trauma, abuse, etc. but like to leave readers with a feeling of hopefulness after the story is over. I also find that while I may have unsettling scenes, I balance those with ones that are heartfelt or funny. I enjoy straddling that line in my fiction.

Why is it important to you to set your books in Canada?

Being born and raised in Canada, it’s important to me to be able to share those experiences with readers unfamiliar with Canada but also to create those experiences for Canadian readers. I think there’s a unique excitement in reading a book where you can see your own environment reflected. A sort of pride, almost. To me, it’s another layer of representation like the race or orientation of a character, and because it’s representation of my experience, it’s important to me to include it in my novels.

What inspired A Mastery of Monsters?

One day, I was watching music videos from the group EXO, and they have a song called “Monster.” There was a scene in which all the members are sitting down at this long dining table, and I suddenly had this image of people at a table, and the idea that some of them were monsters. I imagined that the others at the table had control of these monsters and were keeping them chained, but there was also a girl at the scene, and she refused to participate. I fell in love with that idea and wanted to create that story.

I had already had a desire to write a dark academia novel, and so it felt like the right way to bring that concept to life. To create a secret society within a university that housed this organization that oversaw the control of monsters.

Why did you decide to set it at the real world university of Queen’s University vs a fictional university?

I always prefer writing stories that have a basis in the real world. For one, it helps me with visualization and gives me a foundation for the creation of a world which I prefer over creating something entirely fictional. I also appreciate the sense of magic that it brings to reality to set a fantasy in a real place. I’ve always enjoyed that feeling of walking around a city from a novel and seeing the magical places in a book reflected. As an additional bonus, it creates the challenge of weaving together real history with fictional backstory, which I think is a fun way to share local culture.

What was your process when mapping out the world in A Mastery of Monsters? How do you keep the characters and their attributes straight?

The process of coming up with the world for mastery was very extensive and by far the most complicated worldbuilding that I’ve ever had to do for a novel. I started by essentially writing out everything that I needed to know about the world. I wrote out a history of how the society was created as if I was writing a textbook, along with the rules regarding how monsters and partnerships work, and the names of the leaders throughout the years. I created both historical and modern timelines. I essentially wrote down as much as possible about how everything in the book worked, and that’s a resource that I update on a continuous basis. I also made a character database which has the names of all the characters, photo references, relationships to other characters, weapons they use, monster forms, etc.

Therefore, my process has really been to make note of as much as possible even if it’s only going to make it into the book as a single line. These resources are collectively over 10,000 words long and growing. I might actually be able to put together a textbook by the end!

Is there a scene that was in an early draft that you love but had to cut?

There isn’t! I’m the sort of author where if I cut something out of the book, it’s for a good reason. In the moment, I may feel sad about pulling it from the novel, but I quickly forget that it even existed. I honestly can’t think of a single scene that I took out that I wished had stayed in.

What made you decide to start an Authortube channel and how do you balance making content for your Youtube channel along with actively writing?

When I was still in the process of trying to find a literary agent, I watched a lot of authortube content both as inspiration and a source of information for understanding the traditional publishing industry. And so, when I signed with my agent, I started up a channel partially because I wanted to be able to document my own journey like the authortubers that I admired, but also because I wanted to be able to help people like me. I also felt it was important as a Black author to contribute my experience for other Black authors as there aren’t as many traditionally published BIPOC authors on YouTube. Thankfully, now there are many more which is exciting! I recommend checking out @esmietheauthor if you’re on the hunt for more Black authortubers in the trad pub space to follow.

In terms of balancing YouTube with writing, I feel like I don’t always succeed in doing this and am currently even taking my first unplanned break from creating content right now. I always remind myself that my priority is the writing and YouTube is a hobby. Which is why if I feel like my energy is strained, I will cut back on YouTube to devote that energy to my writing and come back to content creation when I’m more rested. I feel like this works best too because the quality of content is higher when I have energy to devote to it, and at least I always know that when I come back, I’ll have lots of writing updates to share. At the end of the day, YouTube is something that I do for fun, and so if it’s not fun, then I know to take a break.

What’s a career highlight you achieved but didn’t imagine?

I feel like there’s so many! But I think the biggest one was having my debut novel Blood Like Magic nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Awards. I never had that sort of accolade on my radar and so it was wonderful to have my debut honored in such a prestigious award. Especially because they only pick one YA novel to nominate among the hundreds of options available in that year. It made me feel really fortunate to have been chosen, and it gave me a lot more confidence as an author to see my work acknowledged.

Do you have any hobbies outside of writing and reading?

I’m a certified hobby collector and so I have quite a few that I rotate through on a regular basis. Currently, my most prominent hobby is creating custom press on nails for both fingers and toes, often themed to something. Right now, I’m working on an under-the-sea themed set. I’ve also recently been working on learning Japanese and Korean. I’ve spent a lot of time on and off with learning Japanese, and lately I’ve been wanting to make a more concentrated effort with it. I’ve also added on Korean since I’ve been consuming a lot of Korean content lately and so it seemed like it would be fun to add that to my learning. I’ve also been doing online dance classes. I’m honestly terrible at dancing, but I really want to get better. That’s my current hobby roster.

Where can readers follow you?

They can find me on Instagram and YouTube @lisellesambury! I’m taking a small YouTube break, but I have over 300 videos on there, so there’s a ton of backlog content.

The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann

Welcome Back, Booklovers! The Romantic Agenda is a romance I received awhile back from Berkley. It's an romance with an ace main character which itself is pretty rare for traditional publishing and it got a lot of attention when it first released. 

Joy is in love with her best friend Malcolm. They've been friends for ten years and work together. She's been there by his side through every heartbreak and is waiting for the day Malcolm declares his love for her. When he invites her on a vacation she thinks he will finally do that until he introduces her to his latest girlfriend, Summer. Joy has a history of getting between him and his girlfriends who feel like she undermines their relationships. Summer in turn has invited her friend and former boyfriend Fox. During the weekend getaway Summer and Fox learn more about asexuality and observe the relationship between Joy and Malcolm. While Joy and Malcolm finally have the hard conversations they've been avoiding about their feelings for each other. 

The Romantic Agenda tries to craft a triangle or more a quad of sorts. While Claire Kann does a great job explaining the nuance and misconceptions surrounding asexuality the romance here falls short. So much of the book is dedicated to Joy and Malcolm communicating their feelings towards each other. That relationship juxtaposed against her new forming one with Fox just made the romance fall flat. It's hard to believe she's built a connection with someone new over the course of a few days. Especially since she keeps mentioning it takes her a long time to build up trust. Summer is a very bubbly almost childlike woman who really feels like the third wheel in a relationship between two people with communication issues and a codependent relationship. One of their favorite things to do is retell the story of how they met which gets repetitive. The book tries to tell two different stories and there's only room for one to thrive. She tried to do something different here while incorporating beloved tropes and though messy and entertaining at points when it comes to the romance it didn't quite hit the mark. 

Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've been talking about reading Blood Slaves for months now. I often see people online say we have enough slave stories or don't recommend me any stories with slavery in them or back in the day the only Black books were slavery stories. But if we pause for a moment how many book titles can be name that we read that have been about slavery? I've spoken about it before but I too used to be one of those people who would see a mention of slavery and run in the opposite direction. Until I finally sat down and read some historical fiction and dealt with why. Blood Slaves takes that slave narrative and interjects some fantasy and horror answering the question, "What would the slaves do if they had the power to free themselves?" I received a copy for review from Kensington Books Publishing.

In 1710 Carolina the enslaved people are suffering on the Barrow plantation. Every day is like hell on earth with no end in sight. Though they try to steal moments of joy here and there, there's always someone waiting to snuff it out. After a failed escape, and brutal assaults on both him and his love Gertie, he finally reaches his breaking point. This is when he meets Rafazi, a survivor of the Ramanga tribe, an African vampire tribe. He convinces Willie to take back his power and together they build an army to rise against the plantation owner and his overseers.

Blood Slaves does not shy away from the true horrors of slavery which does make this a heavier read. The novel opens to every day life in slave village. There's gruesome violence against men, women, and children. The cinematic writing style helps paint a vivid image of the life of these people. While Willie is the main character readers also get outside povs from a variety of characters and seeing the male perspective contrasted against more than one woman's perspective allows for some interesting discussions. 

This book explores who gets to decide what is good and bad and how we make those decisions. Gertie for much of the book is against the idea of vampirism and taking revenge into their own hands believing it will make them the same as the monsters they're rising up against. She clings to the few happy moments she and Willie have had together having hope that one day their suffering will be over. While Irene is a mixed-race house slave that doesn't quite fit in anywhere, having the blood that makes her closer to the white people may elevate her over those in the field but there's horrors working in the house she must deal with. And when she and a few of the other women take vengeance into their own hands it is satisfying. 

Even-paced with a cinematic like writing style Blood Slaves will keep readers wanting more. The same way Sinners was more than a movie about vampires this is more than a book about vampires.

Bones at the Crossroads by LaDarrion Williams

Welcome Back, Booklovers! So Jan of 2024 I read Blood at the Root ahead of it's release. It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 promising a Black magic school. You can check out my review here. I received an arc from Random House which is how I started out reading the book and I ended up switching to the audiobook around the halfway mark so I could read on commute.

It's fall semester and Malik is doing his best to experience normal college life while still looking over his shoulder waiting for his mother or the Bokers to strike. Malik and his friends are instructed to keep the true events of the summer a secret. Malik is fast becoming friends with a girl named Dominique and together they are invited to join The Divine Elam, a secret society that Malik's mother was apart of before she went full on evil. 

William's expands on the world here introducing more information about some of the societies present at Caiman and delving further into the backstory of Malik's mother. There's more details about the magic and even an introduction to a well-known figure from African-American lore.

The sentiment of letting Black boys be children was strongly echoed in this book, being brought up in the narrative multiple times. Malik is reckoning with grief while struggling to connect with new families and feelings of abandonment. During a time when there's a push for YA characters to be seemingly perfect it's refreshing to see a messy one who still has some learning to do.

There are some uncomfortable conversations being had about how the Black community treats queer people. Further diving into the conversation it addresses what images of queer identity are most acceptable. The Homecoming celebration allows readers to get to know the side characters more and makes them feel more fully realized.

Evenly paced and action packed this is a fitting follow up to Blood at the Root building upon the foundation that was laid. 

As far as the audiobook experience Jalen Hall brings it again and the audiobook features different sound effects at certain points with aid in bringing the text to life. 

The Love Dare by Abiola Bello

Welcome Back, Booklovers! At this point I've read a few Abiola Bello books and The Love Dare was the one that intrigued me most with a mention of Notting Hill Carnival in the synopsis. And I'll say Ms. Bello has surprised me by improving every book so keep reading for my review of what I think is her best romance yet. 

Eva has been playing the flirtation game with Jayden for awhile now but he still hasn't made any real moves. During Notting Hill Carnival her friends get her to dance with a random guy and she meets Saint, a cute quiet comic book junkie. Later after a party ends with her father's car getting wrecked, her friend dares her to get Saint to fall in love with her and she'll give her the money for the car. 

This one had the right balance of teen drama sprinkled in with the budding romance. It was evenly paced, the teens felt like real people rather than tropes to fit the story.  Eva is quite confident and an extrovert which was refreshing in a sea of quiet bookish girl main characters. Then you have Saint who is a gamer and an avid comic reader. He's very laid back and comfortable in his own skin. Saint and Eva have great chemistry and there's a callback that Love in Winter Wonderland readers will enjoy. There's a distinct cast of characters from Eva's friends from school to her older brother to her Gran. 

The romance slowly developed outside of the initial Carnival premise and there was a good representation of Black British culture on display without over explaining to the audience. With Love in Winter Wonderland it felt like the Bello was trying too hard to appeal to the US YA market and not enough of the uniqueness of Black British teen life was on display which was something she remedied in Only for the Holidays. In The Love Dare it finally felt like she found the right voice and style in this easy flowing romance. I listened to the audiobook which had a narrator who captured the vibes perfectly. 

My Thoughts About Book Events

Since this has been a hot button discussion on social media this year with book events not delivering what they promised, newer events popping up, our worsening economy I've had a lot of discussions with author friends and reader friends alike.

I saw a discussion on Threads recently that I felt was misconstrued asking if some of these book festivals are just a money grab or if people are actually trying to curate experiences outside of author signings and panels. When it comes to my favorite authors I watch/listen to/read many of their interviews. And often they get asked the same questions over and over again. There's only so many times you can make the same answer sound fresh. And to my authors of color the questions they are asked usually center around diversity. So what are the people planning these events doing to constantly bring fresh discussions and perspectives to these spaces? Are the activities apart of the festival in any way connected to the books or are they just the activities that everyone else is doing at their festival?

Let's talk about the COSTS. It's important to note there's a difference between the free to attend book festivals that are filled with many locals vs the larger ticketed events. These book events are not cheap. If you don't live in a major city near an airport those costs increase even more. And these tickets are usually sold a year in advance and often sell out quickly. So attendees have to decide is this book festival that they want to attend giving them the most for their money. Are their enough activities that create a unique experience to justify day passes costs, transportation costs, food and drink costs, and miscellaneous purchases? Because those costs can easily run someone upwards of thousands of dollars.

As someone who prefers more personal experience, if I'm going to spend thousands of dollars on a book event I would rather spend it on a more intimate reading retreat where I have the chance to connect with other readers or writers. And it doesn't necessarily have to be people with people who read exactly like me either. I went on a reading retreat with people who came from different countries and backgrounds and sometimes we still send messages to each other to this day. Some of us have even been able to meet with each other after the retreat. 

I've spoken with authors who have said much of the traveling they've done to promote their book has been paid for themselves. Even those with a big publisher behind them have to opt out of events when they're publisher isn't willing to cover the costs. Which is why sometimes you'll only see your faves come to the bigger cities and more popular events.

Some festivals stagger releasing the names of the authors attending and what types of panels are being offered which also makes it hard to decide whether to buy tickets or not when the tickets for some events are in high demand and sell out immediately. 

Is the main focus of the festivals just panels and book signings? What should repeat attendees look forward to? What is it about this festival that separates it from the main others that also feature similar lineups? Is there any type of local presence/involvement? How are the festival planners including local authors and vendors in the mix? 

As we continue to see mass layoffs and a struggling job market it will be interesting to see if some of the events last. Especially with creators saying these events haven't generated a profit for them yet to balance off the spending. As someone who used to work in events I'd love to see people rewarded for their labor. If a ticketed event is not generating profit it's not going to be a long running event because eventually the costs to put on the event will be too much.

Ultimately it's up to the individual person to decide person to decide which events are worth their wild. A pro-tip I've been given is to find events close by and attend those first. Or to find events held in places you're interested in visiting and exploring. That way if the event sucks at least you have backup plans.

Love Spells Trouble by Nia Davenport

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I haven't been reading as much YA this year so It was very interesting to pick up a YA contemporary for the first time in awhile. I received Love Spells Trouble from Bloomsbury, keep reading for my review.

Cayden is a teen who lives a relatively normal life in Texas. She volunteers at an animal shelter and at her father's bakery. Lately business has been slow and other businesses in the area have been pushed out.  Cayden is also a witch but because her mother married a human they aren't attached to witch society which is fine by Caden. That is until one day she meets Khy Carter, who is basically royalty in Coven society. When being spotted together on a date leads to a flood of new patrons at her father's bakery, Cayden decides to fake date Khy to bring publicity to an event she and her cousin Mercedes are organizing.

The coven system is comparable to a magical version of sororities and fraternities that wield political power. Most of the conversation around them centers on classism. Magic is present but light here. Cayden is spunky and knows how to hold her own. Khy is a sweet guy and understanding guy who I would've loved to see a little more personality from but they do have an easy chemistry from the start. The magical aspect could've been explored more. While the witches are present readers are told little about their powers. The message about the importance of family and community is echoed throughout this book. A quick read, this is perfect for the fans of paranormal rom-coms rather than the fantasy romance crowd.

Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell by Taj McCoy

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Sometimes you preorder a book, are super excited to read it then it ends up on your shelf not being read for a few years. Such was the case with Savvy Sheldon Feels As Hell. But with the excitement surrounding the upcoming movie I decided to finally open my copy.

Savvanah "Savvy" Sheldon works a high-stress job and has a high-maintenance boyfriend. She also helps contribute to her grandmother's former home that her uncle currently lives in. While Savvy is trying to balance it all her boyfriend decides she's too fat for him and doesn't represent his perfect trophy wife. Her breaks up with her and it's the push she needs to finally make a change. She wants to show him much better off she is without him starting with achieving her revenge body by making some lifestyle changes. She starts taking tennis again, a sport she loved in her younger years. She cuts her hair off despite her mother's objections, gets a new wardrobe, and vows to eat healthier. 

While she's working on a new Savvy, her home is in need of some renovations and she discovers the cute guy she's seen around the neighborhood is actually a contractor. As Savvy starts to bond with Spencer she starts to see what a relationship looks like with a man who loves her "flaws" and all. Over time as she rebuilds her confidence she becomes less concerned with revenge bodies and getting back at her ex and more excepting of herself.

Savvy has a great set of girlfriends who are supportive and ready to kick someone's ass for her when necessary. Her love of food shines on page as she shares recipes and special meals with friends and family. It's one of many hobbies she spent less time on trying to achieve her career goals and decided to reembrace. 

Some of the more repetitive scenes could've been cut down like the play by plays of the fitness classes Savvy was taking. Initial scenes provided some comic relief but some scenes could've been condensed. The foodies will love that Savvy's love language is food and there's food mentions in here to rival a food magazine. 

At it's core this is a story about a woman's self-love journey with some romance splashed in. And it's a light read that will make for a breezy adaptation. 

Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

Welcome Back, Booklovers! The Primas of Power series has come to an end. I read You Had Me at Hola back when it first came out in 2020 which feels like forever ago but not long ago at the same time. Along Came Amor is the final book in the series and it's been a few years since the last release.

Ava Rodriguez, is a school teacher and a divorcee who comes from a big family that puts a lot of pressure on her. In her family's mind she's the responsible one and peacemaker. But this year she's decided to embrace the New Ava. New Ava is open to new experiences and a one night stand while away on a conference is a very new experience for her. When she meets Roman Vazquez, a CEO who recently acquired the hotel she's staying at, she decides to let loose for the first time since her divorce. And she does her best to keep a no strings attached situation going until she finds out Roman is friends with Ashton, her cousin's soon to be husband. With both of them in the same wedding party it's hard to keep what's between them under wraps especially since Ava isn't sure how to define it for herself.

As with the other books in this series there's plenty of interaction between the primas as they prepare for Jasmine's wedding. Ava's family is lot and she often finds herself feeling like the odd one out when it comes to her father and stepmother. Her recent divorce hit her extended family hard because her husband's family became intertwined with hers. So there's a lot of insecurity she's working through and readers see her learning to assert herself. 

Alexis Daria shines when it comes to very sensual scenes with a great blend of dirty talk and loving caresses. Roman has money and he likes to spend it on the people he cares about most so there's a few times he goes above and beyond for Ava including a fun trip to Puerto Rico. 

This time in the series there's not story within a story element like the last two books but you don't even realize it's missing because the book feels like its own story rather than a copy of the previous books. A little lengthy there were some repetitive chapters that could've been trimmed towards the end but this is a fitting conclusion to the series to wrap up the Prima's adventures.

The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery by Clarence A. Haynes

I have been patiently waiting for traditional publishing to have an urban fantasy resurgence and while we're nowhere near that every once in awhile they throw us a bone with a new release. The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery promised paranormal thrills and it's shorter length was very appealing to me.  I received a copy from Legacy Lit in exchange for review, keep reading to see my thoughts. 

The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery is a fast-paced urban fantasy told in the povs of Gwendolyn, a publicist working for New York's top Black owned firm and Fonsi, a psychic who runs a shop in the South Bronx. Gwendolyn finds herself literally being haunted by the ghosts of her past as terrible things start happening at her events in a clear message for her. Fonsi is having some bad luck of his own with a ghost he just can't shake when he realizes that the barrier between the human world and the spiritual world is weakening. While Gwendolyn would prefer to stay away from ghostly business she finds herself having to confront the past that she left behind. 

A little campy with a very real feeling cast of characters this book balances supernatural thrills with the every day woes of being a millennial in New York City. While Fonsi is good at spiritual guidance his own life is a hot mess as he attempts to shake off an open relationship with an ex boyfriend. Gwendolyn's life is together, she's got a new man, and she's been able to bury her childhood trauma. She keeps things so under wraps she doesn't even like people in her personal life to get too close to her. The magic system is steeped in Afro Latinx spirituality with both characters tapping into their ancestral powers to fight the dark forces after them.

Clarence's writing is vivid and flows in a way that feels like you've just tuned into your favorite tv show. Readers are immersed in the cast of characters that flit around La Playa, Fonsi's shop. The book ends with an epilogue leaves some room for the story to continue in another book. The audiobook narrators do a great job bringing the characters to life, especially the narrative for Fonsi's chapters.

Hooked on You Ada Barume

Do you ever feel like reading a romance that let's you escape to a new place during a time when you can't travel? Hooked on You  by Ada Barume is her second romance book and like the first one, Love Overboard it's out just in time to be your next beach read. I received an arc from Avon UK in exchange for an honest review so keep reading to hear my thoughts.

Ore, is a journalist who is trying to secure a job as an investigative journalist at the New Yorker. But before she can get the job she must spend two weeks on a yacht off the coast of Australia with an eccentric billionaire. Usually people go on these types of holidays to be discreet so it's odd that Ore is there to do a profile. The crew is mostly tight lipped and focused on their work but Ore quickly realizes things aren't what they seem. The previous captain Annie was abruptly replaced and ndas make it so the crew is unable to explain what happened to her. Daniel, the replacement captain is a small town Southern man with big dreams for his career as soon as this gig is over.

This is a slow burn romance but it keeps readers engaged throughout. Ore and Daniel have an easy chemistry together, there's some push and pull because they are in the workplace and a lot is on the line for both of them. Ore also is used to flings more than relationships and feels out of place in a world of wealthy white elites. The mystery aspect was intriguing and it gives readers something to hold their attention while Ore and Daniel hesitate to make a move. There's just enough suspense that will have you wondering what the billionaire is really hiding. As the book's villain he's just the right amount of creepy with his inappropriate fixation on Ore and Daniel. While the book lightly touches on some serious topics it remains lighthearted. Though the publisher advertises this as grumpy x sunshine it doesn't really fit into those archetypes which is fine.

If you're looking for a light summer read with a little bit of intrigue then check out Hooked on You.

Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer

Welcome, Back Booklovers! It's almost summer and it's still carnival season so I couldn't resist a carnival set romance. Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer was calling my name. And of course Netgalley came through with the audiobook.

Trinidad Velasquez is mother to teenage twin boys and balancing the stable parent they need, picking up the slack where their father falls short. That means her love life has been on the backburner the past couple of years while she tries to be super mom. She's been trying to have a safe relationship with a man named Milton who looks good on paper but doesn't ignite passion within her. On the other hand her son's mentor Orlando who is quite a bit younger than her sparks something. But she'd dare not cross that line. However when her sons trick her into a Carnival getaway in a small Floridian town and there's no room at the hotel she winds up at Orlando's doorstep.

Orlando is in town for Carnival but he's also on the hunt for his ex girlfriend who he recently found out has been keeping a child secret from him. Having been tipped off by her family but unsure of her exact address he's on a mission to find his little girl.

It's rare to see Carnival portrayed in a romance novel even though though Carnival has been the backdrop for many a real life romance. Cunningham manages to capture the energy of the fetes from the music to the good vibes and rum flowing.

The twins are mostly around to meddle in mom's love life and they already have an established relationship with Orlando which makes it easier for him to fit into Trinidad's life. His daughter however we only meet towards the end and she and her mother are instantly accepting of Trinidad. A part of me wished that dynamic and how Orlando handled being a new dad would've been more of a part of the plot. It just felt like a bit of an afterthought to add some additional drama. Throughout the book we get glimpses of his relationship with his mother and brothers and how he's always had to be the responsible one shouldering the burden after losing his father. 

Ms. V is fun for a quick beach read or a lazy holiday afternoon. 

The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I decided to finish out The Green Sisters series and read The Love Lyric. Shout out to my library for coming through with the audiobook very quickly.

The Love Lyric follows eldest sister Violet who is a single mother after her husband was killed unexpectedly in an accident. It's just been Violet and her daughter Cala for the last few years and she's finally starting to open herself up to the idea of finding love again. Violette had previously met Angel at a wedding prior to her sister working with him full time as a stylist and he tried to ask her out but she shut him down. Now it's a few years later, his R&B career has taken off and he's still trying to shoot his shot. He recently became the face of Save Face Beauty, a cosmetics company Violet works for. When Violet and Angel have to work together on a multi-city tour sparks fly. 

This book had the most depth of the books in the series. There was a lot of discussion surrounding grief and the way in which it affects someone even years later. The process of building a new relationship and being open to love again. Violet being the eldest sister and a single mother often takes on the role of being the strongest in the family and holds everyone down. Lately she's been concerned about her parents getting up there in age while their flower business is gaining more popularity. Angel, is a sweet southern charmer who comes from a very religious family. Through the novel he has a rough relationship with his mother who berates him for doing secular music. At the same time he wants to move away from the mainstream sound of his music. 

Readers looking for a safe, soft romance will really enjoy this one. It's relatively low angst and packed with popular tropes. I would've loved to see more of the larger than life aspects play out. Like really see Violet having to deal with being thrust into the spotlight dating a popular R&B singer, having to deal with tours and adoring fans, attending premieres. Because while it was something that came up towards the end we only got a small glimpse into that.

The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest

Welcome Back, Booklovers! The Partner Plot is the second book in the Greene sisters series by Kristina Forest and one that I was seeing splashed across my social media a lot in February so once my library hold came through for the audiobook I decided it was finally time to read. 

Violet Green is a celebrity stylist whose career is fast rising thanks to her largest client Caramel Kitty. However her personal life is a mess having dumped her fiancé months ago and he ran off with one of her clients. While in Vegas celebrating with Caramel Kitty, she runs into her high school sweetheart Xavier Wright, who is there with a friend. After club hopping, and several drinks later Violent and Xavier wake up in bed together. They quickly realize they didn't actually marry and instead signed up for the fake package and part ways. When Violet lands a big interview with a magazine, the interviewer starts asking questions about her love life and in an effort to redirect attention back to herself she what starts out as a small lie becomes more complicated. She and Xavier find themselves in each other's lives again and the old feelings that never died come to the surface.

The book starts off with a very YAish prologue recapping how they met, started dating, and broke up during high school before parting ways. I don't think hinging a second chance romance on a finnicky high school relationship worked in the book's favor. With both having been in relationships with other people there's little reason for them to still be holding onto each other as the one that got away. And adult Violet and Xavier have very little in common in both their personal and professional lives.

There was a lot of opportunity here with Violet having a career most people can only dream of to have a fish out of water story with Xavier having to adjust especially since he felt inadequate since she had her life more together than he did. But they end of spending the majority of their time together in the small town Violet ran away from.

It was also pretty long in length for a contemporary romance, particularly one that doesn't do anything new or exciting with the tropes it uses. There was a point where it felt like the book could've ended but instead kept going with minimal drama. The audiobook narrators were good and kept me reading managing to add some life into the story. There were attempts to add more depth to the characters by including Violet's drama with her mother and Xavier's career woes but more could've been done to beef those plots up.

Black Book Recs Inspired by Sinners

Like many people I saw Sinners this past week during opening weekend. I'm not one to go to the movie theaters but with everyone talking about it I wanted to be informed and be apart of the conversation. I was seeing a lot of book recs that had me scratching my head prior to watching the movie. And when I left the theater I was even more perplexed. Yes, there were vampires in the movie but I wouldn't say Black vampires were the main focus. This movie felt like a love letter to the Black community of the American South. It really drove home the message of preserving history and the importance of humanizing the people who have come before us. Despite how painful it could be at times Black people during the Jim Crow era were able to find pockets of joy amid pain. I've spoken a few times over the past couple of years how reading Black Historical Fiction really helped me see these people as more than just people from the past. Even prior to Sinners release I was seeing a lot of discussion on my timeline bout Black Southern storytelling. Sinners made me think a lot about Black Southern stories that weave the past with the present.  So keep reading for just a few books you should check out if you haven't already. 

Black Candle Women

Generations of Montrose women—Augusta, Victoria, Willow—have always lived together in their quaint California bungalow. They keep to themselves, never venture far from home, and their collection of tinctures and spells is an unspoken bond between them. But when young Nickie Montrose brings home a boy for the first time, their quiet lives are thrown into disarray.

For the family has withheld a crucial secret from Nickie all these years: any person a Montrose woman falls in love with will die. Their surprise guest forces each woman to reckon with her own past choices and mistakes. And as new truths about the curse emerge, they're set on a collision course dating back to 1950s New Orleans’s French Quarter—where a hidden story in a mysterious book may just hold the answers they seek in life and in love…

Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership

To understand the contemporary racial wealth gap, we must first unpack the historic attacks on Indigenous and Black land ownership. From the moment that colonizers set foot on Virginian soil, a centuries-long war was waged, resulting in an existential dilemma: Who owns what on stolen land? Who owns what with stolen labor? To answer these questions, we must confront one of this nation’s first sins: stealing, hoarding, and commodifying the land.

Research suggests that between 1910 and 1997, Black Americans lost about 90% of their farmland. Land theft widened the racial wealth gap, privatized natural resources, and created a permanent barrier to access that should be a birthright for Black and Indigenous communities. Rooted traces the experiences of Brea Baker’s family history of devastating land loss in Kentucky and North Carolina, identifying such violence as the root of persistent inequality in this country. Ultimately, her grandparents’ commitment to Black land ownership resulted in the Bakers Acres—a haven for the family where they are sustained by the land, surrounded by love, and wholly free.

A testament to the Black farmers who dreamed of feeding, housing, and tending to their communities, Rooted bears witness to their commitment to freedom and reciprocal care for the land. By returning equity to a dispossessed people, we can heal both the land and our nation’s soul.

The Thing About Home

Home is not a place—it’s a feeling. Casey Black needs an escape. When her picture-perfect vow renewal ceremony ends in her being left at the altar, the former model turned social media influencer has new fame—the kind she never wanted. An embarrassing viral video has cost her millions of followers, and her seven-year marriage is over. With her personal and business lives in shambles, Casey runs from New York City to South Carolina’s Lowcountry hoping to find long-lost family. Family who can give her more answers about her past than her controlling mom-slash-manager has ever been willing to share. What Casey doesn’t expect is a postcard-worthy property on a three-hundred-acre farm, history, culture, and a love of sweet tea. She spends her days caring for the land and her nights cooking much needed Southern comfort foods. She also meets Nigel, the handsome farm manager whose friendship has become everything she’s never had. And then there are the secrets her mother can no longer hide. Through the pages of her great-grandmother’s journals, Casey discovers her roots run deeper than the Lowcountry soil. She learns that she has people. A home. A legacy to uphold. And a great new love story—if only she is brave enough to leave her old life behind. 

Revival Season

Every summer, fifteen-year-old Miriam Horton and her family pack themselves tight in their old minivan and travel through small southern towns for revival season: the time when Miriam’s father—one of the South’s most famous preachers—holds massive healing services for people desperate to be cured of ailments and disease. This summer, the revival season doesn’t go as planned, and after one service in which Reverend Horton’s healing powers are tested like never before, Miriam witnesses a shocking act of violence that shakes her belief in her father—and in her faith.

When the Hortons return home, Miriam’s confusion only grows as she discovers she might have the power to heal—even though her father and the church have always made it clear that such power is denied to women. Over the course of the next year, Miriam must decide between her faith, her family, and her newfound power that might be able to save others, but, if discovered by her father, could destroy Miriam.

When the Reckoning Comes

More than a decade ago, Mira fled her small, segregated hometown in the south to forget. With every mile she traveled, she distanced herself from her past: from her best friend Celine, mocked by their town as the only white girl with black friends; from her old neighborhood; from the eerie Woodsman plantation rumored to be haunted by the spirits of slaves; from the terrifying memory of a ghost she saw that terrible day when a dare-gone-wrong almost got Jesse—the boy she secretly loved—arrested for murder.

But now Mira is back in Kipsen to attend Celine’s wedding at the plantation, which has been transformed into a lush vacation resort. Mira hopes to reconnect with her friends, and especially, Jesse, to finally tell him the truth about her feelings and the events of that devastating long-ago day.

But for all its fancy renovations, the Woodsman remains a monument to its oppressive racist history. The bar serves antebellum drinks, entertainment includes horrifying reenactments, and the service staff is nearly all black. Yet the darkest elements of the plantation’s past have been carefully erased—rumors that slaves were tortured mercilessly and that ghosts roam the lands, seeking vengeance on the descendants of those who tormented them, which includes most of the wedding guests. 

As the weekend unfolds, Mira, Jesse, and Celine are forced to acknowledge their history together, and to save themselves from what is to come.

The Ballad of Perilous Graves

Nola is a city full of wonders. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. To Perilous Graves, it’s simply home.

Perry knows Nola’s rhythm as intimately as his own heartbeat. So when the city’s Great Magician starts appearing in odd places and essential songs are forgotten, Perry knows trouble is afoot.

Nine songs of power have escaped from the piano that maintains the city’s beat, and without them, Nola will fail. Unwilling to watch his home be destroyed, Perry will sacrifice everything to save it. But a storm is brewing, and the Haint of All Haints is awake. Nola’s time might be coming to an end.

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton

Welcome Back, Booklovers! It's been a minute but I'm glad to be back and I'm switching gears with a horror novel. Devils Kill Devils was gifted to me by Macmillan Audio. I had read The Spite House by Johnny Compton and was curious to see how he followed it up. While I'm not a huge horror reader I do like to indulge every now and again. 

Sarita has had a guardian angel named Angelo watching over her since she was a child and he rescued her from almost death. He has since saved her life on multiple occasions. The book opens with Sarita's husband Frank being killed by Angelo on their wedding night. Sarita is confused by why her guardian angel would feel threatened by someone so close to her. moves from solely Sarita's perspective to also focus on her mother in law Harrah, and Cela, also know as the godmaker. 

While The Spite House kept me engaged from start to end even as it built upon the story and branched out into new perspectives, Devils got murkier and harder to follow. After a strong start the book lost momentum in the middle. There was definitely some interesting vampire lore mixed in as well as commentary on religion but the book start to meander and make the reader wonder if certain points are even important to the overall plot. It should've been more streamlined and kept the focus on Sarita. This book feels less like a horror and more like a dark fantasy and a lot could've been done with the demon and vampire lore. But the pacing was off here where it felt like a lot was happening but nothing was really happening. Harrah's chapters in particular felt more tell than show than tell.

Imani Jade Powers does a good job narrating but not much can be done to elevate the book during the slower, messier parts.

Black Horror and SFF

Welcome Back, Booklovers! So I heard people wanted more Black genre fiction and I'm definitely one of those people. But I wanted to share some that are already out and available for purchase because we need to support these authors so they can continue to get published. So i wanted to list some Black Horror and SFF that I feel is more underrated. Some of these I read, some are on my tbr, and some I'm in the process of reading. 

Curdle Creek by Yvonne Battle-Felton

Welcome to Curdle Creek, a place just dying to make you feel at home.

Osira, a forty-five-year-old widow, is an obedient follower of the strict conventions of the remote all-Black town that’s stuck in the past and governed by ominous rituals including a one in, one out population policy. Osira has always been considered blessed, but her luck changes when her grown children run off to parts unknown, escaping Curdle Creek’s harsh traditions, she comes in second to last in the Running of the Widows, and her father flees after his name is called in the annual Moving On ceremony.

Forced to jump into a well in a test of allegiance, Osira finds herself transported first back in time, and then into another realm where she must answer for crimes committed by Curdle Creek. Exile forces her to jump realms again, landing Osira even farther away from home, in rural England. Safe there as long as she sticks to the rules, she quickly learns there are consequences for every kindness. Each jump could lead Osira anywhere but will she ever find a place to call home?

The Fallen Fruit by Shawntelle Madison 

On a rainy day in May 1964, history professor Cecily Bridge-Davis begins to search for the sixty-five acres of land she inherited from her father’s family. The quest leads her to uncover a dark secret: In every generation, one offspring from each Bridge family unit vanishes—and is mysteriously whisked back in time. Rules have been established that must be followed to prevent dire consequences: Never interfere with past events. Always carry your free Negro papers. Search for the survival family packs in the orchard and surrounding forest. The ribbon on the pack designates the decade the pack was made to orient you in time. Do not speak to strangers unless absolutely necessary. With only a family Bible and a map marked with the locations of mysterious containers to aid her, Cecily heads to the library, hoping to discover the truth of how this curse began, and how it might be ended. As she moves through time, she encounters a circle of ancestors, including Sabrina Humbles, a free Black woman who must find the courage to seize an opportunity—or lose her heart; Luke Bridge, who traverses battlefields, slavery, and time itself to reunite with his family; Rebecca Bridge, a mother tested by an ominous threat; and Amelia Bridge, a young woman burdened with survivor's guilt who will face the challenge of a lifetime—and change Cecily's life forever. It is a race through time and against the clock to find the answers that will free her family forever.

Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh 

Bata, a young girl tormented by nightmares, wakes up one night to find herself standing sentinel before her cousin’s door. Her cousin is to get married the next morning, but only if she can escape the murderous attack of a ghost-bride, who used to be engaged to her groom.

A supernatural possession helps Bata battle and vanquish the vengeful ghost bride, and following a botched exorcism, she is transported to Ibaja-La, the realm of dead brides. There, she receives secret powers to fight malevolent ghost-brides before being sent back to the human realm, where she must learn to harness her new abilities as she strives to protect those whom she loves.

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton 

Sarita has been watched over by a guardian angel her entire life. She calls him Angelo, and keeps him a secret. But secrets can’t stay buried forever… When Angelo murders someone she loves, Sarita begins to see what's really been lurking in the shadows surrounding her. And she will have to embrace the evil within if she hopes to make it out alive.

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

We are a people who do not forget.

Survivors from a flooded kingdom struggle alone on an ark. Resources are scant, and ravenous beasts circle. Their fangs are sharp.

Among the refugees is Iraxi: ostracized, despised, and a commoner who refused a prince, she’s pregnant with a child that might be more than human. Her fate may be darker and more powerful than she can imagine.

The Improvisers by Nicole Glover

Velma Frye is many things. A pilot, a former bootlegger, a well-seasoned traveler, a jazz pianist…and a wielder of celestial magic. She’s also a member of the mystical Rhodes family as well as an investigator for arcane oddities for a magic rights organization, dealing with both simple and complicated cases. And when a pocket watch instigates a magical brawl after one of her flight shows, things become very complicated. In 1930s America, enchanted items are highly valuable, especially in the waning days of the magical Prohibition. As Velma digs deeper, she discovers the watch is part of a collection of dangerous artifacts manipulating people across the country—and in some cases, leading to their deaths. Something about all this is tickling Velma’s memories, and the more she discovers, the more these seemingly isolated incidents feel as if they’re building to something apocalyptic. Connecting the dots isn’t easy, though, and further complicating her work is journalist Dillon Harris. He hounds her steps, and while not actively sabotaging her investigation, he also clearly knows more than he lets on. Whether it’s his presence that she finds so vexing or his easygoing charm, that’s a mystery she isn’t interested in solving. Because someone is out there seeding cursed objects with the intent on wreaking havoc, and Velma will have to use every trick in her tool kit, including some well-placed magical improvisation, to win the day.

Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope

Jane Edwards hasn't spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she's found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.

Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river.

Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past.

This World Is Not Yours by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

After fleeing her controlling and murderous family with her fiancée Vinh, Amara embarks on a colonization project, New Belaforme, along with her childhood friend, Jesse.

The planet, beautiful and lethal, produces the Gray, a “self-cleaning” mechanism that New Belaforme’s scientists are certain only attacks invasive organisms, consuming them. Humans have been careful to do nothing to call attention to themselves until a rival colony wakes the Gray.

As Amara, Vinh, and Jesse work to carve out a new life together, each is haunted by past betrayals that surface, expounded by the need to survive the rival colony and the planet itself.

There’s more than one way to be eaten alive.

Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown

As acting captain of the starship Calypso, Jacklyn Albright is responsible for keeping the last of humanity alive as they limp back to Earth from their forebears’ failed colony on a distant planet.

Faced with constant threats of starvation and destruction in the treacherous minefield of interstellar space, Jacklyn's crew has reached their breaking point. As unrest begins to spread throughout the ship’s Wards, a new threat emerges, picking off crew members in grim, bloody fashion.

Jacklyn and her team must hunt down the ship’s unknown intruder if they have any hope of making it back to their solar system alive.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies by Jackie Lau

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Crawling out of a reading slump slowly and I decided to read a romance from my backlist. I own many Jackie Lau books all gifted by publishers or free e-book offerings  and I'm ashamed to say I haven't read most of them. This was the only one I had the audiobook for so it became my in the car read. And once I was a significant amount into it I decided to finish it outside of the car. I received a finished copy of Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

 

Emily Hung is an author who also works as a barista and is still barely making ends meet. She's in her early 30s and unsatisfied about her marital status, inability to afford a decent apartment on her own downtown, and her position as an author of color in the very racist publishing industry. In an effort to stop the pressure from family in regards to her love life she decided to fake date Mark Chen, a seemly perfect prospect hand selected by her mother.

The title truly makes no sense in the context of this book. I can probably count on one hand the number of times cherry pie was mentioned. It wasn't a significant food/dessert to the couple nor did it hold special meaning in the story. So I'm perplexed that it made it's way into the title. We get a couple mentions of a cherry pie milkshake but truly it was nothing special to the story. Nobody in this is a baker either. They never bonded over cherry pie!

Though I'm someone who is invested in publishing even I experienced fatigue when it came to the constantly info dumps about the publishing industry. Maybe some of the information might be fascinating to readers who have no idea about the inner workings of the publishing industry. If you've spent years on bookish social media around authors of color none of what was discussed here is new to you. At times it felt like Emily was an avatar for the author and her frustrations with publishing. The constant unprompted inner monologues about everything wrong with the publishing industry and how being an author who is traditionally published worked, detracted from the romance itself. The author also failed to highlight the positives when it came to Emily as a creative. I can't even remember what her books are normally about let alone what the current book she was writing is about. Every chapter she was trying to write but couldn't because she was in a writing slump.

Another weird choice was the switching from most of the book being Emily's pov to randomly including Mark's pov in the second half of the story. It didn't add any new insight and only seemed to lengthen a story that was droning on at a slow pace all book. Mark had a cute cat but was otherwise a very forgettable love interest that had little chemistry with Emily.

The themes of being in your thirties and not achieving everything you thought you would hits very close to home for so many people. There's so many aspects that are very relatable in this story that were bogged down by pacing and repetition.

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

Welcome Back, Booklovers! It had been awhile since I read a YA contemporary but Needy Little Things was gifted to me by Wednesday Books and I needed a book that was the opposite of my usual reads after falling into a slump.

Sariyah Lee Bryant is a teenage with clairvoyant type powers. While she doesn't get visions she can hear people's needs without them voicing them. In fact she hears them so loudly she walks around with varying items to gift people to silence the voices in her head. The loud voices make it hard to concentrate and as a result she's doing badly in school. The problem is this gift doesn't work on those she's closest with. While attending a music festival with her friends one of their friends disappears. For Sariyah and her friend Malcolm this hits too close to home as Malcolm's sister was kidnapped a few years before. Now Sariyah must try and use her gift to piece together her friend's disappearance. 

This book address a number of issues from dealing with a family member with chronic illness,  depression, family separation, money troubles, and ADHD. And that was in addition to the discussion surrounding the way missing Black girls are treated. While all very necessary topics to discussion at times it felt a little piled on to one character and left little page time for her to exist outside of those issues.

The book started to loose steam towards the end as we got closer to solving the mystery. I wasn't sure what the take away message was supposed to be from this book because I felt like some events at the end undermined the overall message. It felt as if the speculative element was just added to the story to make it stand out amongst a sea of thrillers. Her gift of clairvoyance is heavily discussed and coveted by some characters. But outside of being told it was passed down through from generations we don't get much on the origin and background. Her powers were more of a nuisance to her and the story could've still been told and played out almost the exact same way without them.

One of Chanelle Desamour's strengths is her dialogue. These characters sound like real people, like real teens. Her straightforward storytelling methods made this a very smooth and easy read. But in many ways it plays it safe and doesn't fully flesh out some things.