I loved We are Not Like Them, the first collab between these two writers, so I was thrilled to get a copy of this one from NetGalley. While the first novel featured a more hot-button topic (a white cop shooting a Black man), this one was a bit more subtle. A Black woman named Cinnamon finds the white baby on a park bench. The white mother, Daisy, has a bad family life, so she purposely left the baby there for Cinnamon to find and raise. But once the baby gets ill and Cinnamon's story becomes public (Cinnamon was also abandoned as a baby), she has to fight to keep the child.

This novel uses this topic to explore many nuances of race and motherhood. I really liked the main character, Cinnamon, who's as fragile as you'd expect considering her childhood, but still strong-willed at the moments where it's needed and absolutely grew by the end of the book. I love how fully fleshed out and real she was. Letters written by Daisy also help give her character a complete personality. It's a credit to Pride and Piazza that they're able to create two distinct characters through two different POV literary devices.

If you enjoyed their first collab and like books that explore societal issues and motherhood through compelling narratives, definitely give this one a try. I really enjoyed it. Also, major props to Laywan Kwan for the gorgeous cover photo. Some people complain because authors get a "brand" that makes their covers all look similar, but I love the treatment used for Pride/Piazza books. And I'm really looking forward to their next collab!