This was such a cute and heartwarming second chance romance. It was a friends to lovers, I’ve still been thinking about you after all these years, forced proximity, we’re both cursed but finding ourselves again kinda book. There are also mentions of La Llarona and cadejo with a little magical realism here and there.

One thing I can say is the author brought the spice. It’s the second book in the Milagro Street series. I wish I had read the first book before this but I think it can be read as a standalone. We follow Gillian on her journey through self-discovery after a divorce, regaining her magic, and finding love after fate reconnects her with a guy from her past.

Loved the relationship and chemistry Gillian had with Nicky it just leaps off the page. He was not only charming but very supportive even when dealing with his own struggles. Gillian’s ex-husband Thomas was trash and so toxic. He was one of those types that can’t let go until he makes your life miserable.

Overall, I thought the book was pretty decent. Loved the plot and small-town charm just wish we could’ve gotten more magic. The writing was also authentic and engaging. Great character development and it was well-paced. Special thanks to the author & @harlequinbooks for my gifted copy!!!

I love a good mystery/thriller‼️ Besides knowing the timeline of events this book didn’t really give historical or thriller. If anything it was a suspenseful murder mystery with a lot of twists and turns. There was also a lot of back and forth with who really committed the murder which kept me on edge. Just when you think you know who the killer is you’re wrong.

The author did well blending historical facts with fiction to perfectly capture the time period. We have a dual timeline set between 1930 and 1944 in Berkeley, California after WWII involving the death of two characters. While this wasn’t a ghost story I just knew when the death of Iris was mentioned and the doll was found in the hotel closet of Walter Wilkinson after he was murdered we’d get a haunted hotel type of vibe.

Instead we’re given backstories woven through both timelines explaining how everything and everyone is connected. The characters are well-drawn and the author masterfully uses her side characters to help build an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty around the plot. Isabella was definitely a manipulator but her grandmother was the slickest character of them all. The way she came off seemed shady and like she had something to hide.

Overall, this was pretty entertaining my only downside was the author constantly referring to the Japanese as Japs. I rolled my eyes every time she used the reference cause ma’am you’re overdoing it. But if you’re into detective style historical fiction you might enjoy this. Special thanks to the author & @minotaur_books for my gifted copy‼️

Rating: 3.5/5⭐️

I really enjoyed reading this book!!! It’s not like your typical historical fiction that involves slavery because these slave owners were on the verge of being poor. The cruelty and unjust treatment was still there I just liked the twist of it being about survival on all parts.

The Harlow’s thirst for financial gain resulted in the idea of forcefully breeding their slaves Junie, Patience, Lulu, Alice, and Serah with random stockmen. I kept thinking if y’all that damn poor let them people go. Can barely afford to keep your land let alone a slave. Gotta force them to breed with men in hopes of creating more workers cause y’all broke. But I love how the women didn’t just allow it to happen and conjured a plan of their own. With the help of Nan a cotton root was concocted that would hopefully prevent any of them from bearing a child. It even helped Mrs. Harlow at one point.

The most memorable characters were Serah and Monroe. Their forced marriage was toxic and abusive. Serah was in love with another man by the name of Noah so I can understand her distant behavior from Monroe. Once Monroe found out she was creeping he became angered and abusive. This man hit Serah over the head with a wooden plank that’s how serious things got.

The dialogue between the characters was amazing and immersive literally read the book in like 3 days. The structure was very different flipping back and forth between a first and third person narrative. Only two of the six main characters were richly developed while the others just helped the plot move along.

Overall, this is a book I’d definitely recommend. The author provides a different experience with her vivid portrayal of the challenges these women faced while trying to survive. Again it’s not like our normal historical narratives because we’re given a different perspective on bondage, solidarity, defiance, and survival.

When I first started reading the book I was so skeptical. The pacing was blah in the beginning and because I used audio while reading the narrator’s accent took awhile to get used to. I’m glad I pushed through because I ended up enjoying the story a lot more than I expected.

Gran Toya was by far the most remarkable character she created in the book. While the novel is based on the true stories of two women during the Haitian Revolution the author truly gave the characters life in her own way. The first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur, and Gran Toya, a West African-born warrior helped lead the rebellion that drove out the French and freed the enslaved people of Haiti. 

Gran Toya was my favorite character because of her bravery and defiance to master Duclos. Sis was a real warrior and didn’t hesitate to let that be known. I think Master Duclos was kind of scared of her lol. In modern times she’d be the definition of a true boss and a leader. Chosen by the King of Dahomey but later betrayed by an enemy who stood at the King’s side Toya was kidnapped and sold into slavery. But she didn’t go down by herself. Her dear sister friend Egosha and her enemy Nosakhere were also sold into bondage.

Gran Toya was brave, loyal, and fierce. She took care of Egosha’s son after she passed and he later grew up to become the revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines. We’ll call him lover boy cause if nothing more he loved women and had babies everywhere.

Even after marrying Marie-Claire who was already a free woman of color she wasn’t enough for him. For awhile she had the “that’s my man and I’m gone stick beside him” vibe until she found out he didn’t die and had other kids across the land. It wasn’t until the end that I finally understood why Marie-Claire’s mother wanted her to marry a white man and not Janjak. During that time being with a Blanc man as they called them provided protection something a colored man couldn’t do.

Overall, it was a decent story with a tremendous amount of history woven through out. Whether the book is 100% factual or not I think the author did well capturing the time period and what may or may not have happened between the characters. It’s not an easy book to get through I didn’t really find my flow until I was halfway in. I only recommend because I enjoyed it but be advised it’s not for everyone!!!

Rating: 3.75/5⭐️

I enjoyed this for the most part but since I was reading Sister, Mother, Warrior at the same time I think it overshadowed this one a bit. Vanessa Riley definitely knows her history and does a good job bringing her fictional story of a real person to life within the characters. I’ve never heard of Queen Marie-Louise Christophe, who escaped a coup in Haiti to set up her own royal court in Italy during the Regency era, where she became a popular member of royal European society.

Louise was the wife of King Henry who ruled the kingdom of Haiti after the Haitian revolution. Their kingdom was on the verge of collapse because of Henry’s mental illness, foolish mistakes, and debt yet Louise did her best to hold things together. Even after Henry passed and she was forced to leave Europe and live in exile with her children because it was no longer safe. She still found a way to maintain her wealth and social status.

Queen Louise took so many losses literally tragedy after tragedy. From her husband, sons, and then eventually her daughters. I was surprised to see her remain strong through it all. She even tried her hand at love again only to find herself falling for a man that was looking to marry a wealthy wife.

Overall, it was okay could’ve been a few chapters shorter but again filled with so much history. The pacing was very slow the entire time so if you’re looking for a quick read this definitely isn’t it.

Rating: 3.5/5⭐️

This was an okay book literally kept reading for the drama. The novel follows the friendship between three women struggling to redefine themselves and make decisions that could alter their livelihoods. I expected a little more from the mysterious stranger that caused an uproar within the friendship of Dara, Amaka, and Lillian. But Lani wasn’t really the main focus of their conversations. His role in everything was rather small in my opinion.

Dara was a lawyer and Lani was a new partner at the firm. With his arrival Dara immediately hates him and feels as though he’s a threat to her future position at the company.

Amaka was a banker with a shopping addiction and on the verge of going broke. Her addiction arose from the fact she grew up without a present father. According to her mother, “Chuckwu’s money must have been like his love: too slippery to be held down or counted on.” She was also secretly having sex with Lani behind Dara’s back knowing how she felt about him. Amaka tends to chase after unavailable men that remind her of her father. Could be why she went after Lani.

Lillian was a former pianist turned “trailing spouse” from the U.S. who moved to Singapore with her spouse hoping to start over fresh. Instead her marriage is in shambles and ends in divorce. Her husband moved on to another woman faster than P-Diddy did with Making the Band. Then she had this weird obsession with thinking Lani was her father reincarnated. I slick thought she was crazy but it all made sense in the end.
 
Overall, it was meh a little to drama-filled and never got to the core of the novel. We get a lot of backstory on the main characters and while they all had distinct personalities they still lacked depth. I’m not really sure where the author intended to go with the novel but I was entertained for the most part. Special thanks to @grandcentralpub for my finished copy & @librofm for my ALC!!!

Definition of a mfkin PAGE-TURNER!!! This book was crazzzzzy but in a good way cause I could barely put it down. Although it may come off a bit dark to some when it came to the suspense she gave it. The mystery GAVE IT. The thrill she GAAAVE IT. I’ve never read anything like this and the author really took it there with her topic of choice being motherhood. I can truly say she delivered with this one. The premise was masterfully executed to the point where I needed more hell I still want more because of the ending lol.

Blythe comes from a family of women who’ve all dealt with trauma as a result of their mother’s. Now that she’s about to have her first child Violet, she begins to question whether she’ll possess those same traits as her mother and grandmother. Soon Blythe realizes her baby girl isn’t like most children and the mother-child connection she hoped for isn’t there. Her husband Fox seems to think it’s all in her head I even thought for a moment maybe Blythe was tripping. But as the novel progresses you realize maybe Violet does have a little Chucky seed inside her and she knows when to play her role around others.

Blythe didn’t have the best mother and her mothers mom wasn’t any better. So, it’s easy to say Blythe was overreacting due to her traumatic childhood and then losing her son Sam only intensified the situation. I hated Fox for leaving her in such a terrible state not to mention he was cheating. Losing a child was hard on them both but the way he played the situation wasn’t cool. Even when Blythe was trying it wasn’t enough.

Overall, the book was top tier in my opinion but to each his own. The ending almost made me lose my shit

Perfect read for the Fall season it gave all the vibes you’d look for with the cozy weather setting, pumpkin patches, apple picking, and a Fall Festival. But the book title and beautiful cover is what really had me sold. The story was super cute and swoony with lots of diversity, representation, and important topics discussed throughout. We’re given a curvy main character Whitney Rivera who’s battling with PCOS, weight gain, and a multitude of other issues that come along with having the condition and being a teen. The side characters were memorable and well-developed. Loved the representation with her sister being autistic and the diversity within her friend circle.

The authors writing felt authentic and believable. Can’t say I’ve read a book where the MC was dealing with PCOS but I love how the author kept that as the main focus throughout the book and took us on a journey as Whit learned to accept it.

Whit and Zay’s relationship was the cutest and what caused them to become frenemies back in middle school was solely based off miscommunication. As soon as you see sparks fly you’ll be rooting for these two to get back together. I kinda like when characters are forced to work together and put aside their differences and rekindle. Zay was a better option for Whit anyway because Aiden wasn’t giving her the time of day anymore. Their long distance relationship was the first sign it wasn’t going to work. Then the one word text messages and blowing her off were all red flags of a cheater but once Aiden came clean Whit wasn’t tripping. At that point I was all for her and Zay getting back together.

Overall, loved the book the narrative was captured perfectly. There’s lots of culture and diversity within the characters and I think many would find Whit’s character to be very relatable. If you’re into YA novels I recommend you guys give this one a read. Special thanks to the author & @holidayhousebks for my gifted copy!!!

This book was pure PERFECTION!!! It’s my second book by the author and auntie Tan did not disappoint. You’re immediately pulled into the story and her writing was so vivid it was like watching a movie play out. So many intense, heart racing, gut-wrenching moments that’ll keep you on edge the entire time. We’re given a novel filled with ghosts, abuse, trauma, and horrific details that plagued the Jim Crow South. I don’t know what made the book more haunting the fact it was inspired by the Dozier School for Boys or how wild Due allowed her imagination to go.

It’s one of those books we need an adaptation for expeditiously!!! Due’s perspective on horror through a black lens is intriguing and this will bring out so many emotions. She thoroughly explores the depths of a sister-brother bond, self-sacrifice, their courage to reunite, the struggle to survive, injustice within the judicial system, and a town fueled by racism.

Overall, I loved the book and definitely recommend y’all give this one a read!!! There are so many memorable characters all well-developed and crafted in such a way that made each of them feel like a real person. The author’s storytelling was captivating and creative it truly elevated the setting and added a nice balance with the pacing of the book.

Not sure why it took me so long to pick this book up. But I wish I had done it sooner cause I was left speechless!!! Daniel Black is such an amazing storyteller I could barely put it down. I still can’t believe the way things unfolded.

Emma Jean experienced a lot of verbal and physical abuse during her childhood which could explain why she wanted a daughter so bad. All she wanted was for her mother to love her so maybe she felt she needed a daughter to rewrite her mothers wrongdoings. Either way nothing can truly explain Emma Jean’s choice for lying about Perfect’s gender. Not only was that selfish but it was bizarre asf. Her confession and apology to Perfect(Paul) on his eighth birthday was blunt, unacceptable, and in my opinion unforgivable.

I knew it was only a matter of time before the truth was revealed. Gus was on her ass when he found out. Made Emma sleep on the floor as he should have for what she did.

I like how the author continued to capture the personal stories of the Peace family. While the book was solely based on Paul we get a glimpse of the challenges his family faced.

I thought it was crazy Authorly and James Earl were both basically married to the same woman lol like how that work?

When Mister spoke his truth to Paul I was like wooooow who knew lol.

Eva Mae was one of my favorite characters that girl was just to grown for her own good. When she was playing house with Perfect and said “Don’t yo’ daddy slap yo’ momma when she get smart at the mouth?” Like brrruh what, where are the parents why does she think this is normal or even okay.

Overall, the author crafted a very engaging novel exploring themes surrounding gender, sexuality, hidden secrets, self-hate, settling, forgiveness, and identity. He also highlights the impact parental abuse and neglect can have on a child. There’s so much more I can say about this book but I’ll leave it at this one is a must read!!!