Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! This week I jumped into a historical mystery debut that's the start of a new series. I would like to preface this review by stating this is not a cozy mystery like I've seen people incorrectly assume just based off seeing the pretty cover. It's an amateur detective novel where the violence and sexuality are on page. So set your expectations accordingly. I received an advanced copy from Berkley in exchange for an honest review.

Dead Dead Girls is set in 1926 Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance era following Louise Lloyd. The story opens up with her being kidnapped as a teenager and fending off her capturers saving both herself and other girls who have also been taken.  She is dubbed Harlem's Hero her name becomes well known in the area.

Ten years later, Louise is coasting through life working in a café during the day while dancing and guzzling illegal alcohol by night. She's buried the trauma of her kidnapping for so long behind getting drunk until it's brought to the forefront again. Women are being murdered by a serial killer and she becomes involved when one of the bodies appears in front of her place of employment which also operates as a not so secretive speakeasy at night. After an altercation with the cops it's earlier help them out or face prison and worse. So Louise partners with them to get into spaces white cops wouldn't be able to while tracking down the, "Girl Killer". 

At first the formatting of the chapters is a little bit to get used to as the author employs this technique of using shorter chapters. They also often end in foreshadowing cliffhangers in a style reminiscent of radio dramas. This is mostly in the first half of the book as opposed to the second half of the book and I don't feel like it was needed. 

I can tell Nekesa Afia had fun with the 1920s slang, dances, and fashion. This is actually a story where I would've preferred some name dropping even if it's fictional names because while jazz music is spoken about and played in the clubs we don't hear Louise and friends mention any artists by name. Diving deeper into those details really makes a difference and I hope we get more into Black Urban identity and culture in Harlem. Because sometimes it gave a feeling it could be set anywhere and sometimes the story read a little contemporary.

The strongest elements of the story were definitely Louise's camaraderie with friends Rafael and Rosa Maria and the complicated relationships with both her family. I liked when it dove into her unresolved trauma and how she has had to cope. It really acknowledges how stumbling across these dead bodies starts to put a strain on her. 

While it is easy to romanticize the 1920s there were also people who were rebuilding their lives after The Great Migration. There were people scraping to get by and crime was rampant in some neighborhoods. There were Black innovators and entrepreneur establishing themselves. Dead Dead Girls did touch on some of this showing that life wasn't just a cakewalk. 

Louise holds her own and plays well opposite every character she comes across making for an entertaining read. This book was a solid start to a series that has a lot of potential and I only saw the writing improve the further into it we got.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've been hearing about this book for over a year now through it's yearlong publicity and marketing campaign. This was definitely one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 the way people raved about. So thank you to Atria Books for giving me the chance to read and review this early.

At it's core The Other Black Girl is a story set in a publishing office environment following Nella Rodgers who is a young editorial assistant at a major publisher with big dreams to becoming an editor. She's determined to be the next big Black editor following in the footsteps of Kendra Rae, an editor from the 80s who worked for the same company. While she's hopefully waiting for that promotion her work environment has also been getting to her. Her coworkers have been dismissive of the diversity town halls and her efforts to promote a more diverse work environment. Then one day she smells the strong scent of cocoa butter in the air and realizes there's another Black woman on the floor who isn't a visiting author. But is the new girl Hazel all she appears to be? And why is Nella's work life collapsing? 

Nella is so used to being surrounded by whiteness because she grew up in a mostly white town and she was in honors classes with the white kids. But at the same time she feels like an outsider among her white peers so she doesn't really have relationships with any of them. And then due to feeling like an outsider among the Black kids because they teased her and called her an Oreo as a child. She has a lot of insecurities about her Blackness that are amplified by her very white work environment. Her favorite book of all time was written by a Black author and edited by a Black author while being published by Wagner which is her sole motivation for working there.  And she's at that age where this is her first big job and she's still navigating where she wants to be in life.

Living in NYC she could very well go into the Black community and get involved versus trying to convince the white people in her workplace to do better. And that would probably balance out some of what she feels. But she and her friend Malaika would rather meet for drinks to complain about the overwhelmingly whiteness of their job and consuming activist media online. It was a little frustrating for me to read because that's all they talked about. And then with her partner Owen she can't fully talk to him about how she feels because he as a white man doesn't understand. I would've liked some more development on her relationships with both because we're told how she's changed so much to the point where work is all she talks about but that's all I ever saw her talk about.

Eventually Nella does in the second half of the book start to acknowledge her insecurities. Some of the threats she felt from Hazel were because she knew how to appease both Black and white people or code switch as she put it in a way. She's mad that the two other Black people she knows in her building like Hazel more but she's also never made a big effort to get to know them beyond a basic comradery as Black people. Hazel mentors Black girls, she knows how to do hair and tie head wraps, she has so many great connections around the city, she has a sexy Dominican boyfriend, she's the daughter and granddaughter of Civil Rights activists, all the coworkers love her, she even has Owen impressed. It's very easy for people to brush off Nella's rivalry as mostly in her head because the most nefarious thing she does for much of the book involves backing a racist portrayal in a book.

There are other POVs that are scattered throughout the novel but sometimes they distracted from the plot more than they added. I could see how she was trying to add to the foundation of the big twist but there was one I felt added nothing beyond their initial appearance. So I felt that part could've been either cut or expanded upon more.

Do I think this book is going to shake publishing up? Not really. Nothing in here was anything new from what people have been saying about the lack of diversity in publishing for years. The white powers that be are well aware of the power they hold against us. They have no qualms over pitting marginalized people against each other. And if you pay close attention even to the books you read you can see where they decide there can only be one even among authors they decide to elevate. I think people in publishing will enjoy this because it speaks to what they've been talking about for years. Plus they can relate to the all white environment and wishing their white coworkers could acknowledge them as Black people.

I see this story as a precautionary tale about how Black woman have to change themselves and go against their own to become leaders in a very white workplace as well as a precautionary tale to parents who think moving their kids to an all white environment is the best for them. This is an examination of how damaging it can be to grow up disconnected from your culture. To the point where you need to prove yourself to people who don't care and won't ever care. As the late great Toni Morrison said, “The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being." 

I actually do think Nella as a character could open up some interesting conversations about how we connect to the Black community and hold on to negative experiences. Her type is rare to see as a lead but I'm sure some of us have known women like her or been that woman. There are a lot of Black girls like her who don't feel like they fit in and will see themselves in her. And maybe it can open up some good discussions.

Careless Whispers by Synithia Williams

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Ever since reading Forbidden Promises I knew I needed Elaina's story next. She basically stole the show in that story as she and Grant went back and forth and we saw a glimpse into her relationship with Alex. While each book in the Jackson Falls series stands on it's own because it's a family saga the characters appear across books and you get pieces of their stories.

Elaina is a smart and savvy business woman with a reputation for being no nonsense and more than a little brash. The family business, Robidoux Holdings is her life and she's fighting her father, Grant for that CEO position. Alex, who works in Research and Development is her workplace nemesis. They've been struggling to get along in the workplace for months. After a misunderstand over a cancelled meeting and a very public outburst Elaina ends up fired and Alex is chosen as her temporary replacement. 

Elaina's ice queen persona isn't all there is to her. Underneath is a very vulnerable woman who has grown up under her parent's thumb. They drilled into her head business before all else and strong-armed her into a loveless marriage. Everyone in the family is so used to Elaina being the cold one they don't even try to see past it anymore. But she's had to be the strong and in charge one while her younger sister India was able to escape and run off and live away from the family. Granted some of her past blowups have played a role in that. And she hasn't had the best relationship with her India since she married Elaina's ex husband, Travis. Daddy Grant is still trying to pull the strings even after her firing by sabotaging her attempts to establish clients for her new business venture.

When the two meet up again neither can deny the chemistry between them. Exclusive hook ups sounds like a plan and Alex is eager for whatever Elaina offers him. And the more time that Elaina spends with Alex the more her guard comes down. 

Alex had a heart attack a few years prior so he's all about taking things slow now. Professionally he has no interest in being CEO and is not taking his new role well. Grant may be grooming him to be his replacement to get back at his daughter but he sees right through the games. Elaina is busy severing her ties to her father by moving off the family estate and establishing her own business alongside her sister-in-law Zoe. 

Family plays such a big role in this story not only on Elaina's side but also on Alex's as he and his father consider doing business with her. I liked that both had their family members so heavily involved in their daily life from siblings to parents. There's this really sweet scene in the story where she takes Alex to her private hideaway and she introduces him to her ancestors and asks them to bless their relationship. Alex's family has a less animus relationship than Zoe's so he's able to be her sounding board when it comes to reconciling everything she's learned about relationships. 

I loved Elaina! I didn't mind that's she's a bit of a bitch. She owns it and she gets things done. And I don't always need my romance heroines to be super saccharine. Alex was the sweet laid back one willing to take care of her and show her she's worthy of love. I can't wait to see what comes next in the Jackson Falls series. It's now a must read series for me.

A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! The weather is warm again, the flowers are in bloom, and there's so many new releases to fill your TBR for the summer. I was in the mood for some sweet romance and A Lowcountry Bride was the perfect Sunday read. 

Maya works as a junior designer for top bridal company Laura Whitcomb, Inc in New York City. Maya has big dreams of being able to showcase her own unique designs which reflect her Afro-Filipina heritage combining styles and techniques from both cultures. It was her late mother's long time dream to see her as a senior designer at Laura Whitcomb and Maya is so close to getting a promotion. She just has earn the approval of her boss who looks down at her designs as too ethnic.

Maya is also juggling balancing her own struggles with managing her sick cell anemia. When her father fractures his hip she decides to take some time off to go visit him in  South Carolina and help take care of him. She soon discovers she won't have to do too much heavy lifting as her girlfriend Ginger seems to have things covered. 

Derek is a single father who is still experiencing grief after loosing his wife to a tragic church shooting. He's trying and failing to raise his daughter Jamila and manage his late mother's bridal shop, Always a Bride. With the shop in debt and sales struggling he needs someone who can help turn things around. Luckily for him Maya could use a chance to sell some of her dresses while she's on leave with no pay. With her savvy about the wedding industry they're able to start turning things around for the shop. As they work together they start to catch feelings. But will Maya's illness and career aspirations keep them apart?

One of the things I enjoyed about this book was that it didn't dance around race. Early on when he boss is turning her nose up at the African-American museum is Charleston agreeing that it should be closed down, Maya challenges her holding her accountable to her off-color remarks. Many of us can relate when it comes to working in majority white environments what Maya is going through as she tries to excel at work and be true to herself. 

Culture is a major part of this story and Preslaysa doesn't miss a beat there. Derek stresses the importance of carrying on traditions to his daughter by introducing her to his grandmother's tradition of making sweetgrass baskets. The bridal shop is also an important part of their legacy as one of the first Black-owned businesses in downtown Charleston. The AME Church where he's been a long time member has played a pivotal role in the history of South Carolina and is a gathering place for the Black community. 

I did a blended read between the audiobook and physical arc and I think the narration by Carmen Jewel Jones enhanced this story even more. Sometimes when I'm listening to an audiobook where the characters are Southern the accent is really bad. This one was so natural. And she even did the narration good for Derek when I find it can often be tricky for women to do narration for men POVS and vice versa. She captured the characters perfectly and gave that little extra oomph that brought the dialogue to life. 

This romance is closed door but not devoid of passion. There were plenty of sweet and touching moments to keep you rooting for Derek and Maya's relationship. The story explores grief, faith, love, family and so much more. This releases June 1st, just in time for wedding season. Those of you who love to spend Sunday afternoons snuggled on the couch catching up on made for tv or streaming romance movies will enjoy this.

I listened to the audiobook via Libro FM courtesy of HarperCollins. Feel free to order it here. And thank you, Preslaysa Williams for the gifted arc copy. 

Revival Season by Monica West

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I interviewed Monica West earlier this month in anticipation for her debut release and I she kindly sent me a copy for review. And listening to her describe this story I knew this  wouldn't be one of those nice Christian stories of faith and hope but rather one that causes you to pause and examine your beliefs. 

The Horton family heads out on the road as they usually do for rival season with a number of church stops lined up. After an incident everyone is trying to forget last summer they're hoping this will be a summer of miracles. After all Reverend Horton specializes in miracles as he proclaims to heal people of their ailments. But things don't go as planned at one of their early stops and the family is forced to come back home after the Reverend is exposed for doing something very unbecoming of a preacher. After that church membership starts it's decent and tension continues to rise in the Horton household.

Miriam starts to recall incidents she pushed down here and there in regards to her father's temper and questions the strict rules he has for the house. While she's always bought into an idealized version of her parent's marriage she starts to talk to her mother more about her feelings and realizes it's not the pretty façade that's been presented. Her mother was a young woman trying to escape her less than stable or structured household and she found her father and God at the same time. She never knew one without the other and through herself into both. While her father may have once been a young and hopeful preacher with a gift he is now completely unrecognizable.

As Miriam's father's pride gets in his way and his downfall continues he inflicts his anger more on his family, specifically her and her mother. Monica West really writes these scenes as if you're standing in their house behind the closed doors bearing witness to their interactions. I felt the rage and the pain and squirmed in my seat while reading a few times. 

Miriam realizes her relationship with her younger brother has changed and they haven't been as close as they used to be since her father started grooming him to be a preacher. When she voices her concerns about her father's abusive ways her brother is hesitant to believe her at first. 

After reading this book I sat and reflected on my own complicated family relationships and it was a very emotional experience. Because sometimes you don't realize there's things you pushed down and forgotten about without fully addressing. Your family members don't fit the perfect picture of them that you have in your head. 

I've frequented a lot of churches but these strict Southern evangelical churches are something else. And behind closed doors is one thing but if my pastor openly displayed as wild behavior as Reverend Horton I would've been like those other people and fleeing too. Instead people are complacent in his behavior by standing by even though they suspect he's harming his family. And there's the idea that I've witnessed where women in the church play a large role keeping things together but aren't considered able to perform in certain positions. In this story Miriam is constantly told women can't be healers even though she sees signs she may just have the gift herself.  If you enjoyed books like The Secret Lives of Church Ladies I think you'll enjoy this slice of life story about a religious Southern Black family.