So obviously the theme for this month was not only romance but also all Black authors. I read a total of 15 books which truly shocked me because I was sooooo busy this month. There might be some spoilers so I do apologize for that!
Let's how it went:
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams is definitely one of my favorite reads ever now. wow. Wow. wow. This is a second-chance romance. When Eva & Shane first meet they are two kids that both live tough lives. They decide to spend time together and a connection grows through vulnerability, drugs, and their past. Then we see them reconnect and try to make things work with their newfound lives. My heart aches for young Genevieve & young Shane. But seeing how much they have grown. How they became healthy adults despite everything they went through. How their love hadn't changed after 15 years. Phenomenal book! So real. So raw. Please check the trigger warnings before going into this book. It is not a spicy book it is a book with real intense emotions. But it is so worth the tears. (Eva is a Scorpio sun and Aries moon and I felt her). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sunny Disposition and Team Players by Deanna Gray was WONDERFUL. I found myself smiling, giggling, and swooning over these fake men lol. These books are college hockey romances and I had no idea how much I loved hockey romances until now. Deanna Gray did what needed to be done. I love a grumpy/sunshine trope (Sunny Disposition). Plus this has an amnesia element which I thoroughly enjoyed. Two people who had an online relationship through streaming and were supposed to meet winded up with their paths crossing. In the second book, they were truly each other's perfect match. Two team captains with amazing energy decide to be friends with benefits and of course, emotions and feelings develop. I can't wait to learn more about the other characters and see their love stories*chefs kiss* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another amazing series for the win (can y'all tell how much I love a good series). Mafia Misfits by Asia Monique (total of 5 books so far). I needed some mafia romance in my life and this was just what I needed. And it's Black mafia. Come on now. And the women aren't helpless, lost puppies. They are all BADASS HEROINES. With a plot in each book that just sucks you in. I devoured each book within a day. Overall I give the series ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Books 4 & 5 were my absolute favs (with some new book boyfriends to add to the list).
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson only gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ simply because poetry is not my jam anymore. But wow this was DEEP. The effects of living in a racist society while trying to live and love as a Black person. Whew. This one was power and needed. The pain was palatable. The story is told through the love of two Black British artists who meet, and fall in love but can't seem to get it right. Right person, wrong time.
Miss Alaine in Dear Haiti, love Alaine was ANNOYING at times but overall I loved this book. Filled with so much knowledge of Haitian history. And if you don't know Haiti is the GOAT. This book explored family dynamics, tapping into your roots, and coming of age. I love YA for how it covers topics in a fun but serious way. A young woman whose mother is dealing with a life-changing illness essentially acts out and gets sent to Haiti to learn responsibility. The writing was so cohesive I forgot it was written by two sisters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So I liked the f**k buddies trope in Team Players. Colliding With Fate by A.E. Valdez just did not do it for me. But this right here. No. Two people with a mutual friend end up in the same city. They start off as friends with benefits but end up "connecting". There was absolutely no reason for her to fall in love with him. Like at all. He was not that great to her. An a** at times. It felt very forced and like he barely liked her as an actual person. And then the unplanned pregnancy. I HATE THAT. Please. Not everyone has to be pregnant. Let's stop. I am begging. ⭐️
Read Eloquent Rage by Brittney C. Cooper for one of my classes and of course ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I cried. I felt seen. I felt heard. I felt understood. I clapped. I snapped. This was amazing. And I hope my rage can help me build the world I want to see. So many quotes I will be using in life will come from this book. What it is like being a Black woman. Being a Southern Black woman. Being a religious Black woman. Definitely a must-read.
All I've Wanted All I've Needed by A.E. Valdez got ⭐️⭐️ from me. I didn't feel the depth. I hardly cared for either character. I liked that they developed a deep friendship and that it was shown in the book but other than that I didn't really care for their story. We are following the FMC as she starts her life over in a new city. She meets a new's friends brother and they become best friends that fall for one another.
I'll probably get a lot of hate for this one but Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan was not good TO ME. I'm gonna stress the to me part. The only person I cared about was Yasmen and her son. This book explores the loss of a child, the loss of a loved one, grief, relationships, and mental health. Two divorced adults navigating life. Mr. Man was rude and nasty and I don't care. I understand everyone processes differently and he had to get there but. There was no reason for them to get back together in my mind. I felt like it would have been good to see how they fell in love and what their life was like before. This gave me nothing to root for. It felt like the only connection they had was sex. Just a physical connection is not why two people should get together. And don't even get me started on that ending. Goodbye ⭐️⭐️
Anyways, that was February. if you read any of these or want to read them, let me know.
-Love Always,
VanessaClair
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