Category: black literature

black literature · Blog Tour · book review · books · diversity · mystery · reading

Chloe by Connie Briscoe{ Colored Pages Book Tour}

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Blurb:

A mansion haunted by the ghost of a cool, charismatic first wife. A second bride from a small Southern town who may be in over her head. A brooding billionaire who grows icier the more his new wife questions him about the past.

In Connie Briscoe’s propulsive and entertaining novel, the elements of one of the most famous Gothic novels of all time is reimagined in surprising, yet still suspenseful, ways.

Angel is a private chef for the Harrison’s, one of the most powerful Black families on Martha’s Vineyard. Impossibly supercilious Jillian Harrison often spends the entire summer on the island, while her husband Irvin and their twenty-nine-year-old daughter Norma commute from Washington, DC, on weekends. They always join Jillian for the month of August, when the family throws a lavish garden party on the expansive lawn that is attended by nearly one hundred guests. This year’s guests include Everette Bruce, an influential Black billionaire, still in mourning for his first wife, Chloe, who committed suicide.

To the imperious Jillian’s surprise, Bruce ignores her and instead becomes enchanted with Angel. Eager to get away from the controlling Mrs. Harrison, Angel accepts Everett’s invitation to become the private chef at Riverwild, his massive mansion along the Potomac River. Her meals and company provide comfort Everett, and soon he and Angel begin a whirlwind romance that culminates in marriage.

Though Angel is confident and strong, over time, she begins to feel the enigmatic Chloe’s ghost. The house’s staff, the head housekeeper Ida—a menacingly rigid thorn in Angel’s side—and even Everett, cannot seem to let the dead woman go, nor explain why the wealthy, stunning woman would kill herself. The more questions Angel asks, the more melancholic Everett becomes, revealing a far less charming side of himself. Just how well does Angel know Everett? Did she marry in haste?

Review:

Since there are not very many stories set on Martha’s Vineyard that feature prominent Black characters, I jumped at the opportunity to read Chloe. There is nothing better than reading about rich people’s problems.

We follow the story through Angel’s perspective. She is a talented chef who is hired yearly by the Harrison’s. While Angel is sweet and competent, her employer, Jillian Harrison treats her as if she is less than capable of handling herself. Mr. Harrison and their daughter Norma are as close to decent as Angel gets while working in their household.

While Jillian is on a very important mission of setting her daughter up with the widowed Everette Bruce, things are go in a different direction for him once he sets his sight on Angel. While they try to remain discreet, word gets back to Jillian about their comings and goings. She of course reacts as any other well to do mother who is looking out for the future of her child. While all of this is going on, Norma displays zero interest in Everette.

As summer romances go, the situation between Angel and Everette is near perfect but the reality of their social differences looms above them. To everyone’s surprise, Everette asks Angel to marry him just before she leaves to head back home to her regular life. She says yes but then things start to change.

Although Everette is a much nicer person than Jillian, you see that he is not above using his status to get what he wants. Angel is like a fish out of water once they arrive at their beautiful estate that Everette purchased with his first wife, Chloe.

Chloe passed away by suicide or at least that is what the police decided after a quick investigation. Whenever Angel asks about Chloe, Everette takes on what seems to be a different personality. Is it grief showing through or is he hiding something.

This is a very short and to the point story. Soon Angel discovers that everything that glitters isn’t gold. Once she learns the truth about what has gone on at the Riverwild Estate, her new home, she is burdened with the choice of what she should do.

Does money and wealth give one a free pass to do whatever to whomever, or should there always be consequences? How far is one willing to go to protect their assets?

Check out Chloe to find out.

Rating:

3 stars

Availability:

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on March 18th

Thank you, Colored Pages Book Tour and Amistad Books for having me along on this tour.

black literature · book review · books · diversity · Family · LGBTQ · Literary Fiction · love

Issac’s Song by Daniel Black {Review}

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Blurb:

The beloved author of Don’t Cry for Me and Perfect Peace returns with a poignant, emotionally exuberant novel about a young queer Black man finding his voice in 1980s Chicago—a novel of family, forgiveness and perseverance, for fans of The Great Believers and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

Isaac is at a crossroads in his young life. Growing up in Missouri, the son of a caustic, hard-driving father, he was conditioned to suppress his artistic pursuits and physical desires, notions that didn’t align with a traditional view of masculinity. But now, in late ’80s Chicago, Isaac has finally carved out a life of his own. He is sensitive and tenderhearted and has built up the courage to seek out a community. Yet just as he begins to embrace who he is, two social catalysts—the AIDS crisis and Rodney King’s attack—collectively extinguish his hard-earned joy.

At a therapist’s encouragement, Isaac begins to write down his story. In the process, he taps into a creative energy that will send him on a journey back to his family, his ancestral home in Arkansas and the inherited trauma of the nation’s dark past. But a surprise discovery will either unlock the truths he’s seeking or threaten to derail the life he’s fought so hard to claim.

Poignant, sweeping and luminously told, Isaac’s Song is a return to the beloved characters of Don’t Cry for Me and a high-water mark in the career of an award-winning author. 

Review:

This is the first book that I have read by Daniel Black and I am upset that I have been missing out on his talent. Now that I have read this one I do plan on reading Don’t Cry for Me very soon. I did not realize that there was a connection but it now explains the posts saying that you didn’t have to read it first but it would help.

The story opens with Issac receiving the news of his father’s passing. If you’ve never lost a parent there really isn’t a way to describe what feelings you go through especially depending on your relationship with them. I feel that Mr. Black paints this scene so well. This opening scene gives the reader a sense of the type of writing they will experience while reading this book.

When Issac goes to his therapy sessions, I felt as if I was getting something out of them. Especially in the first session when they are talking about forgiveness and apologies.

When Issac begins his assigned task of writing his story he begins a journey in which many people never go on when it comes to remembering their parents and their childhood.

Isaac’s story teaches us that we have to remember that our parents weren’t always just parents but that they are people too. The flaws we think that they have or the flaws that they do have but we block out. Sometimes the way we remember our parents or our childhoods is a form of protecting ourselves or the images that we have painted of our parents and ourselves. Realizing these things also makes us have to take a look within which Isaac has to do and he doesn’t always like what he sees.

Not only does this story talk about relationships with parents it also addresses the question of self identity and also self love. Because of Isaac’s lack of self love, he has endured a life where he has not always been happy or allowed himself to be happy and he has tolerated things that he may not have if he were in a better place with himself.

When Isaac begins writing his novel, you can feel his inner shift. I will be honest, I was getting anxious toward the end of the book because I was becoming so engrossed in Isaac’s fiction story that he was writing. Maybe we will see the fruits of his labor in a later book by Mr. Black.

As I stated at the beginning of this review, I cannot wait to read another book by Daniel Black. His lyrical style of writing and his storytelling ability has made me an instant fan.

Rating:

4 Golden Girls

Availability:

Available now in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

black literature · book review · books · diversity · Historical fiction · secrets

The Secret Keeper of Main Street by Trisha R. Thomas {Review}

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Blurb:

Acclaimed author Trisha R. Thomas delivers a masterful new tale of scandal and intuition. In 1950s oil-rich Oklahoma, Bailey Dowery, a dressmaker with the gift of “second sight,” reluctantly reveals the true loves and intentions of her socialite clients, making her a silent witness to a shocking crime.

1954: In the quaint town of Mendol, Oklahoma, Bailey Dowery is a Black dressmaker for the wives and daughters of local oil barons. She earns a good living fitting designer gowns and creating custom wedding dresses for the town’s elite. But beyond her needle and thread lies a deeper talent, one passed down from her the gift of insight. With just a fleeting touch or brush against the skin, Bailey has sudden flashes of intuition— witnessing the other person’s hopes, dreams, and nightmares, as well glimpses of their past and future. To protect herself, she wears gloves to keep from grazing the skin of her clients as she pins them into their gowns.

Brides have whispered that Bailey can see if their true love is faithful, or if their marriage will be a success. Her aunt Charlene has always warned her, “It’s safer to stay out of White folks’ business.” But Bailey will reluctantly provide a reading during a fitting, as long as the bride promises to be discreet.

Now Elsa Grimes, daughter of one of the richest oil men in Oklahoma, has come to the Regal Gown as the least joyful bride Bailey has ever seen. Elsa’s big society wedding is imminent and her gown is gorgeous, but what Bailey’s intuition uncovers when she touches Elsa’s hand horrifies her. Against her better judgment, she’s determined to help Elsa in whatever way she can. But when the son of a prominent family turns up dead on the eve of Elsa’s wedding, and the bride-to-be is arrested for his murder, Bailey is suddenly at the center of a firestorm that threatens to overtake her and everyone she loves.

Review:

I will start this review by admitting that the blurb on this book does not do it any justice and that is such a good thing. Honestly, I didn’t interpret much from it besides the fact that it was set in Oklahoma and there was a unique gift. This novel is only 289 pages but it packs a punch as if it were closer to 400 pages. That is not a feat easily done in historical fiction. There is a reason the woman on this cover is facing forward because you are hit with the story as soon as it starts, head on. Ms. Thomas does not warm you up for what is to come.

What I loved about Bailey is her confidence in her work. I also love how level headed she is when dealing with the customers and Miss Jackson. I wish she had that confidence in her gift instead of being ashamed about it. But there is always room for growth, right? But what do you do when you have a gift like that and you’re forced to hold a secret because it deals with one of the most prominent families in town?

Now I can’t leave out poor old Elsa. Usually I don’t have much sympathy for the rich, misunderstood white woman but Elsa is different. I will admit that I thought she was going to be like Skeeter from The Help but she proved to be more than that even if she was still a bit naive. Her mama though!!! Oh weeee!!!!!! Ms. Ingrid was a hot mess. The hypocrisy flowing through her veins and her soul.

From the start of the story I was so engaged because I just knew I was going to figure out the big secret. I had no idea what was in store for me. This book is not easy to review because I don’t want to give anything away. I want everyone to be as surprised and shocked as I was while reading it. Each time I thought something was going to wrap up, there was something else waiting around the corner.

If you are tired of the same basic storylines when it comes to historical fiction and you want something different, please pick up this book. There are secrets, there is drama. And when I say drama, I mean like MESS MESS MESS, in the 1950s Oklahoma!!!!!! Go ahead and pick this book up.

Rating:

3 Golden Girls and a slice of cheesecake

Availability:

Available now in hardcover, ebook, and audio.

abuse · black literature · book review · books · diversity · Family · own voices review · Racism · reading · secrets

Memphis by Tara Stringfellow {Book Review}

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Blurb:

In the summer of 1995, ten-year-old Joan, her mother, and her younger sister flee her father’s violence, seeking refuge at her mother’s ancestral home in Memphis. Half a century ago, Joan’s grandfather built this majestic house in the historic Black neighborhood of Douglass–only to be lynched days after becoming the first Black detective in Memphis. This wasn’t the first time violence altered the course of Joan’s family’s trajectory, and she knows it won’t be the last. Longing to become an artist, Joan pours her rage and grief into sketching portraits of the women of North Memphis–including their enigmatic neighbor Miss Dawn, who seems to know something about curses.

Unfolding over seventy years through a chorus of voices, Memphis weaves back and forth in time to show how the past and future are forever intertwined. It is only when Joan comes to see herself as a continuation of a long matrilineal tradition–and the women in her family as her guides to healing–that she understands that her life does not have to be defined by vengeance. That the sole weapon she needs is her paintbrush.

Inspired by the author’s own family history, Memphis–the Black fairy tale she always wanted to read–explores the complexity of what we pass down, not only in our families, but in our country: police brutality and justice, powerlessness and freedom, fate and forgiveness, doubt and faith, sacrifice and love.

Review:

What a punch this story packed in less than 300 pages. I could not put it down and when I was forced to put it down to participate in the real world, I couldn’t wait to get back to it.

Memphis follows the lives of the Joan, her mother, her sister, her aunt, and her grandmother. When Joan, her, and her sister flee from their father in the middle of the night, they end their journey in North Memphis. They return to the home Miriam grew up; The one her mother always said she could come home to.

The story is told from different points of view and throughout a timeline. Each of the women have their own demons to battle and they learn how to live with one another, especially with a dark cloud hovering over their lives. The strength and resilience that these women show during their lives keeps them going even when times seem as though everything is going to end.

I loved how the author blends the history of the family along with the history of Memphis.

Tara Stringfellow came into the publishing world swinging and I can’t wait to see what she does next. This story proves that women, especially black women, can overcome just about anything that is thrown at them. They find solace in things they love

𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕖 𝕀 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜, 𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕞𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕕𝕚𝕕𝕟’𝕥 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕟𝕖𝕘𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕖. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤𝕙. 𝕊𝕖𝕩𝕦𝕒𝕝 𝕒𝕓𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕤, 𝕡𝕙𝕪𝕤𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕒𝕓𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕤. 𝕀 𝕕𝕠 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕤 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕡𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜. 𝕎𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟. 𝕎𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕞𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕦𝕟 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕒 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪.

Rating:

1 Golden Girl, well basically at this point it’s Stan.

Content Warnings:

Sexual assault of a child and domestic abuse, and death of a parent.

black literature · book review · books · contemporary fiction · diversity · own voices review · Racism · reading · secrets · short story collection

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans {Review}

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Blurb:

Danielle Evans is widely acclaimed for her blisteringly smart voice and x-ray insights into complex human relationships. With The Office of Historical Corrections, Evans zooms in on particular moments and relationships in her characters’ lives in a way that allows them to speak to larger issues of race, culture, and history. She introduces us to Black and multiracial characters who are experiencing the universal confusions of lust and love, and getting walloped by grief—all while exploring how history haunts us, personally and collectively. Ultimately, she provokes us to think about the truths of American history—about who gets to tell them, and the cost of setting the record straight.

In “Boys Go to Jupiter,” a white college student tries to reinvent herself after a photo of her in a Confederate-flag bikini goes viral. In “Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain,” a photojournalist is forced to confront her own losses while attending an old friend’s unexpectedly dramatic wedding. And in the eye-opening title novella, a black scholar from Washington, DC, is drawn into a complex historical mystery that spans generations and puts her job, her love life, and her oldest friendship at risk.

Review:

Short story collections have been showing up and showing out(or maybe I’m just late to the game). This particular collection was no different. Each story draws the reader in making them think they are reading for pleasure but in reality they are ingesting gems that they didn’t know they needed.

Need a story about passing? Pick this collection up and make sure you pay close attention to the title sharing novella. Need a story showcasing white privilege at its finest? You’ll find that in this collection as well.

The thing that always made me veer from short stories is the feeling that you don’t get any closure at the end. I didn’t get this feeling when reading this collection. Danielle Evans does a great job with this. Her endings leave a little room for thought and speculation but not so much room that the meat of the story is lost.

I listened to the audiobook but I will be getting a physical copy because there are stories I want to visibly revisit.

This book was brought to my immediate attention from @gettbr. I signed up for their tailored book recommendation subscription and this was one of the first books I was recommended. Definitely check out this service. I just received my second set of recs and can’t wait to see what I’ll pick next.

This was the book to put a crack in my reading slump and I’m so glad for it!

After being informed that The Stacks podcast had two episodes about this book, I had to go listen to them. In episode 147, Traci discusses the book with Danielle without spoilers but it was a great insight into her writing. In episode 148, Traci and her guest Deesha Philyaw take a deeper dive into the book(spoilers for this episode). After listening, I know that I will be revisiting this collection once I get a physical copy.

Rating:

4 Golden Girls

addiction · black literature · book review · books · crime · diversity · legal thriller · own voices review

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams {ARC Review}

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Blurb:

Avery Keene, a brilliant young law clerk for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, is doing her best to hold her life together–excelling in an arduous job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family. When the shocking news breaks that Justice Wynn–the cantankerous swing vote on many current high-profile cases–has slipped into a coma, Avery’s life turns upside down. She is immediately notified that Justice Wynn has left instructions for her to serve as his legal guardian and power of attorney. Plunged into an explosive role she never anticipated, Avery finds that Justice Wynn had been secretly researching one of the most controversial cases before the court–a proposed merger between an American biotech company and an Indian genetics firm, which promises to unleash breathtaking results in the medical field. She also discovers that Wynn suspected a dangerously related conspiracy that infiltrates the highest power corridors of Washington.

As political wrangling ensues in Washington to potentially replace the ailing judge whose life and survival Avery controls, she begins to unravel a carefully constructed, chesslike sequence of clues left behind by Wynn. She comes to see that Wynn had a much more personal stake in the controversial case and realizes his complex puzzle will lead her directly into harm’s way in order to find the truth. While Justice Sleeps is a cunningly crafted, sophisticated novel, layered with myriad twists and a vibrant cast of characters. Drawing on her astute inside knowledge of the court and political landscape, Stacey Abrams shows herself to be not only a force for good in politics and voter fairness but also a major new talent in suspense fiction.

Review:

Woah, what a ride. I finished this book in the wee hours of the morning because I could not sleep and because I was so invested. I was excited to get an early copy of this book but I still went into it a little hesitant. I’m glad I did because it exceeded all that I could have thought it was going to be. The style of writing, the plot, and the characters were all I could have wanted and more in a legal thriller.

I don’t want to say too much about the story itself because I feel the reader needs to go in and experience this one on their own without having too many preconceived thoughts in mind.

This book was fast paced and very engaging. You are able to connect with the characters and follow the story even with the presence of legal and scientific jargon used.

It’s always fun to read a book in a genre that you like but it’s even better when that book is written by someone who looks like you. I hope that Ms. Abrams blesses us with another legal thriller in the future and I plan on checking out her previously published romance novels.

Rating:

4 Golden Girls

Availability:

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook on May 11, 2021

A special thank you to Double Day books for this gifted copy.

abuse · black literature · book review · books · crime · diversity · Family · Historical fiction · Literary Fiction · love · memoir · own voices review · Racism · reading

3 Minute Book Reviews featuring: Raceless, The Rib King and Just As I Am

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Raceless by Georgina Lawton

I enjoyed listening to this memoir on audio. Georgina narrates it herself. I couldn’t imagine being one race and being raised by another race and my parents not tell me what race I am or even try to incorporate aspects of that race into our daily lives. Ignoring race doesn’t make it go away. Georgina has to battle with self identity as a child and even more so as an adult. She uses her experience to help others that have been in her situation and to educate the masses who are familiar with and follow her work.

I received both a review copy and finished copy of this book from Harper Perennial in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:

4 Golden Girls

Availability:

Available now in paperback, hardcover in some places, ebook, and audiobook

The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard

This book was the type of historical fiction that I needed to take a break from my usual WW2 historical fiction. The story follows two black domestic workers, Sitwell and Jennie who work in the house of the Barclays. At first glance Sitwell appears docile and mild mannered. However, we find out later that is not the case. He is definitely the definition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Jennie appears to be young and naive but she is actually resourceful and strong willed.

I would say that their behavior at work is to be able to keep their job and their behavior outside of work is their true nature. Something these days we call code switching.

I like this book because of the timeframe it is written in and it is not only historical fiction, there is a bit of a mystery/thriller aspect thrown in. This was also a story that tests its characters humanity.

I received a gifted finished copy from Amistad Books

Rating:

3 Golden Girls

Availability:

Available now in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook

Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson

I would like to take a moment of silence to honor the late Cicely Tyson.

I knew the moment that this book came across my radar that I needed to have a copy and read it. I have the physical copy of this book but I felt I wanted to listen to the audiobook and I am glad that I did. Cicely narrates a small section at the beginning but does not narrate the entire book. Robin Miles does an excellent job of narrating Ms. Tyson’s story. I’ve heard her narrate another memoir that I enjoyed call Diamon Doris.

Anyway, Ms. Tyson’s story is one of greatness but not without some pain. She took life’s lemons and made them work. Her work ethic was like no other that I’ve ever heard about in Hollywood. I learned so much about her and about celebrities in this memoir. I knew of her relationship and marriage to Miles Davis but I had no idea that he was such a lost soul.

Ms. Tyson was a force to be reckoned with. She didn’t let anything stand in her way. I admire how she took life by the horns. Her story is inspiring and educational. I am grateful that she was able to get her story written down before passing. That way her story is fully hers.

Rating:

4 Golden Girls

Availability:

Available now in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook

black literature · black romance · book review · books · love · own voices review · reading wheelhouse · romance · secrets

Go Deep by Rilzy Adams

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Blurb:

It was all supposed to be so simple.

Navaya Howard is an erotic writer in a rut. Her readers are fed up of her stale plots and Navaya can’t blame them. She’s been celibate for over a year and a half since finding her now ex-boyfriend’s side chick’s positive pregnancy test on her bathroom counter. How can she write steamy romances if she can barely remember which body parts go into the other? 

Navaya enlists the help of her best friend, Xander, to revive the inspiration that used to have her sitting comfortably at the top of her game. What happens when the sex hits deeper than either of them expected and the tender emotions can no longer be denied? 

Navaya and Xander’s arrangement has gone far deeper than intended.
Will their friendship and their hearts survive the fall?

Review:

Now I have read my small share of black romance, but never have I come across a story like this one. There were definitely some shock factors thrown in but there were also parts that I was able to figure out on my own. That doesn’t take away from the story. Rilzy put some Easter eggs in this story that have me wanting to read more of this series. I have to say a huge thank you to Taima of shadesandpages. She recommended this book and loaned me her copy. She was right on point with this recommendation.

I think I would like to read another friends to lovers book. Even though I enjoyed this book and stepped out of my wheelhouse, I won’t read it all the time. But Rilzy Adams is an author who will be on my radar.

Rating:

3 Golden Girls

Availability:

Available now in ebook and paperback

abuse · black literature · book review · books · diversity · Historical fiction · middle grade · own voices review · Racism

Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle {ARC Review}

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Blurb:

Nobody free till everybody free. Moa is fourteen. The only life he has ever known is toiling on the Frontier sugar cane plantation for endless hot days, fearing the vicious whips of the overseers. Then one night he learns of an uprising, led by the charismatic Tacky. Moa is to be a cane warrior, and fight for the freedom of all the enslaved people in the nearby plantations. But before they can escape, Moa and his friend Keverton must face their first great task: to kill their overseer, Misser Donaldson. Time is ticking, and the day of the uprising approaches . . . Irresistible, gripping and unforgettable, Cane Warriors follows the true story of Tacky’s War in Jamaica, 1760.

Review:

I do not normally read middle grade novels but because this one is historical fiction and about a subject that I don’t normally see presented much(sugarcane plantations), I decided I wanted to give it a try.

The thing about slavery that we have to remember is that it was not just a thing in America. It was a thing in so many other countries that were “colonized” during that time frame. Especially in countries in the Caribbean. This particular story is set in Jamaica and is told from the perspective of a 14 year old boy. Now, we know that 14 doesn’t mean manhood but during slavery and even present day, a child of color is not seen as a child when they hit their teenage years. I thought that was something that was very thought provoking while reading this story.

This isn’t a very long book so I do not want to go into great detail about the story. One of the things that I found a bit difficult while reading this story was the switching of the dialect but after talking to a close friend, I have decided that it does not take away from the story. It adds to it.

The risks that this child and the men in this book take in order to gain their freedom is both admirable and heart breaking at the same time. The desire to just be able to live without fear and to be able to just enjoy the basic acts of life.

This is a middle grade book that I would recommend for younger audiences who want to know about the history of slavery that doesn’t take place in America and is also told from the perspective of someone their age.

Rating:

I would definitely read more work by this author. This book would get 2 Golden Girls from me.

Availability:

October 20, 2020 in hardcover, paperback and ebook

A special thank you to Akashic Books and their imprint Black Sheep for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

black literature · book review · crime · diversity · gentrification · gentrification thriller · own voices review · Racism · reading · secrets · Thriller

When No One Is Watching By Alyssa Cole {ARC Review}

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Blurb:

Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo.

But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.

When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear? 

Review:

Gentrification thriller. That is all it took for me to want to read this book. Me, a reader who doesn’t read a lot of thrillers. Not only is this a gentrification thriller, it’s by Alyssa Cole who I am only familiar with thru her romance novels which I haven’t read(don’t judge me) but have heard a lot of good things about. Anyway, back to the book at hand. I am so glad that I read this book. Alyssa takes a subject that is already frightening enough by itself in real life and turns it into a story that shows how bad it already is and worse it will get worse if nothing is done.

Gentrification is something that I, along with other black people are currently witnessing in towns and cities that we live in. Companies coming in and sweet talking or sometimes bullying residents of color out of areas that were once prominent but have deteriorated over the years due to the lack of non color residents not wanting to reside there until that area is seen as a potential money maker. Then this practice is justified in their minds because they are “beautifying” the area. When in reality if the area was afforded the same access to funding, they would never be in the worn down conditions that they end up in.

Cole takes this story and tells it from Sydney’s point of view, which I admit was a bit hard to follow at first because I was thinking she was just going to be an unreliable narrator. But she turns out to have more sense than what I thought. My heart was broken reading this story knowing how realistic it is. How there are so many people are out there experiencing this daily basis.

Now, the story is also told thru poor old Theo’s point of view. Poor, poor naive Theo. Lawd Sweet Baby Betty White. Bless Theo’s heart. I definitely had my reservations about him and rightfully so. That poor man was so damn clueless, as are most people of his background. And I am not talking about social background either. He is as clueless as they come, especially dealing with “Bodega Becky”(read the book and you’ll know exactly what I am talking about. Theo really possessed the “I mean well” and ” I am trying to understand” attitude that is continuously shown in racial situations.

The partnership of Sydney and Theo was one that was relatable when it comes to the racial climate that we are currently in. It is good to have counterparts on the other side who want to help, but them knowing how to help and having to recondition their beliefs is the real battle that is faced and Alyssa did a great job showcasing this.

In closing, one thing I that makes me dislike a thriller is the either the plot twist or the climax. I hate when I get to those parts and it’s like “pew” instead of “BAM”. This thriller was all the way “BAM”. Go pick it up.

Availability:

Available September 1, 2020 in paperback, ebook, and audiobook

Rating:

Knocked all four girls down!!!!

Thank you so much to William Morrow Books for this free copy in exchange for my honest review.