lylesgirl2020's Reviews (350)

DCU, the Underground, where the magic is melanated & the rules hit different!

“This the Underground. We don’t move like the rest of the world…”
And trust—they don’t.

A MAGICAL HBCU by Granger (yes, Desiree herself)? Oh, I’m locked in! If you know her pen, you already know she don’t write regular. She writes real-deal, creative, Black AF stories—and Drew Collins University is no exception.

Now lemme tell you—DCU is LITERALLY underground, right beneath ATL. That lil’ ATL Easter egg? Genius. If you know about “The Underground” back in the day, this hit different. Above ground: regular Black folks. But below? It’s a whole hidden world full of vamps, wolves, witches, sirens... and my man Quan (I love him fr).

What starts off as Maggie spilling tea from her grandma turns into a whole wild ride of magic, growth, and glow-ups. She ends up at DCU with her crew, tryna figure out who she is and where she belongs—and babyyyy, the journey is fire.

Granger snapped with this one. She built a whole universe, and if you peep the cameos from her other books? Chef’s kiss. We love a connected universe.

And the way she ended this? CLIFFHANGER had me ready to throw my Kindle. Then boom—she hit us with an author note that got me staring at the ceiling like… “Wait, WHO TF DID IT??”

First off, J.C. NEVER fails.

Even though she loves a CLIFFHANGER and had me out here stuck, I’m in love with her work. She keeps me coming back for more, every single time.

Jatoria C. really did that! Mason? Babyyyy, this man is unhinged to the max. He’s got that “obsessed” energy and I am here for it. The stuff this man does? Wild. Like, crazyyyy wild, and I’m ate it up. He’s the type of man that’ll have you shook, but also lowkey wanting more.

And Tylee? Sis acts like she doesn’t know what’s going on, but we all know she sees it and is fully accepting the madness. I needed this level of crazy to balance me out, for real. Their dynamic? Chef’s kiss.

The story flowed just right—kept the perfect amount of wildness going, just the way I like it. Not too much, not too little. Just pure, unfiltered chaos—and I’m here for all of it. EVERY. FREAKIN. TIME!

Dark. Twisted. Real.

Warning! This ain’t your typical love story. Nope—it’s short, intense, and full of raw drama. Straight to the point and pulls no punches. I do wish it was a little longer, just to dive deeper into Raven’s pain and her healing journey. I needed more of that!

But what really hit me? This book speaks on the kind of trauma we don’t always wanna talk about. The stuff that sits deep. It’s a reminder—you can let it break you or let it make you. Raven’s story? It’s survival at its core.

And can we talk about Erick for a sec? I loved him. He’s strong without being loud, present without being pushy. Quiet hero vibes and I was eating it UP. He didn’t need a cape—just brought peace and protection in the most subtle, solid way.

If you’re into short reads with depth, a little edge, and a whole lotta feels? This the one.

Capri thought loss was her rock bottom… then she was kidnapped. ATSS!

Just as she finds out her last living brother is gone, Capri gets snatched from her father’s compound—and in the wildest twist of fate? She falls for her captor, Enzo.

Whewwww, the drama. The secrets. The BETRAYAL.

This story pulled me in quick with all the chaos, mystery, and that slow-burn, toxic love we can’t help but eat up. Just when Capri thinks she’s safe, boom—she’s taken AGAIN. And Enzo? He’s not letting that slide. He vows to find her and destroy every single person involved. Yeah… it gets real.

Y'all, the story was layered, the tension was thick, and the plot twists were hitting. Capri’s journey had me flipping pages, and Enzo’s ride-or-die energy? Whew.

Shoutout to the author, she's a new one for me—she did her big one.
I recommend it for anyone who loves a dark, twisty love story with secrets, pain, and a man willing to burn it all down for the one he loves.

Omar & Keisha! They are so special to me! Whew… Please understand! These two!?! Yeah, they gon' put you through it!

This story was perfectly crafted—Omar really opened up and took us deep into his past, his pain, and everything that shaped him into the man he is now. And let me be clear: Omar is MY man. Anyone says different... LIES Period.

Now Keisha? That's my girl! Babygirl couldn’t catch a break if it was handed to her. Life dragged her, and she’s still standing. She’s got some healing to do, but she’s a fighter.

What had me swooning though? Omar’s patience. His willingness to try even with ALL he was battling! Chief's kiss! Loving someone who’s been broken ain’t easy, but he held her down through it all. That’s real love, not the Instagram kind.

Fingers crossed they make it…
I’m READY for part 2 because that ending has my throwin my kindle!

This book?! Straight dark, freaky, and fine as hell!

Robbin, Kanin & Nine? Babyyyy… they brought the pressure.

Robbin didn’t come to play—sis slid in bold and unapologetic. She wanted BOTH besties, and she said it with her chest. Nine was ready to risk it all, while Kanin tried to play hard to get… until he saw Robbin & Nine’s connection and got his mind (and body) right REAL quick.

Throuple goals? Absolutely.
The passion? Off the damn charts.
The tension? Thick enough to cut with a knife.
And let’s be real—one of them was definitely peepin' the other a lil too hard… the vibes were vibing, okay?

It wasn’t all sex and sweetness though—some outside drama hit hard and had them fighting for more than just their relationship.
And the biggest question of all… who’s the daddy?!
Sis, you gotta read to find out—but the tea is HOT.

This story was sexy, chaotic, and bold in all the right ways.
Messy love done RIGHT.
When you know who (and what) you want? You make it happen—no apologies.

12 years later & the love still hittin’? Oh we locked in!
When Zeek came back home after over a decade, P was right there waiting—and the minute they locked eyes? Old flames reignited, baby.

But P had questions—like why he ghosted her for prom (whew, the nerve!). They spent her birthday and Valentine’s Day together, walking down memory lane, and finally… the truth came out.

This was my first read by this author and I LOVED it. It’s giving "the heart wants what it wants"—and Zeek came back at the perfect time.

Zeek + P = a cute lil love story I didn’t know I needed.
Definitely looking forward to more from this pen!

Not gonna lie… I wanted to stay wrapped up with Prim & Jude forever!
Novah Kaine’s debut novella might’ve been short, but babyyy, it was PACKED with feels and vibes.
An easy, feel-good read that had me cheesin’ the whole time!

Prim? Saw her ancient ex for exactly who he was and stood on business—PERIOD.
Jude? Walked in with BDE and kept that same energy the entire time.

Two strangers. One fake moment. And yet, the chemistry? Kismet.
You’d never guess they were just pretending for a night!

Even in novella form, Novah Kaine made these characters jump off the page. I’m fully attached and already fiendin’ for more.

Prim & Jude got me hooked—and I’m READY for what’s next.

Amora is that girl in the courtroom—brains, beauty, and a rep that demands respect. But behind that bossed-up facade? She’s carrying a secret that could end her whole career. She’s breaking on the inside while trying to keep it all cute on the outside.

Then boom—enter Saint Valentine. Not just a name, but a whole experience. He’s dangerous, cold, unpredictable... and fine as hell. He runs his empire off fear, but the moment he sees Amora in the middle of his business, something shifts. He don’t do soft, but this woman got him feeling real unfamiliar.

Now let’s talk about the moment. Amora catches a scene she ain’t supposed to, and suddenly Saint has to decide—handle her or protect her. Spoiler: He chooses both.

Amora’s smart enough to run, but baby, she’s also intrigued. Saint pulls up with that slow-burn energy, full of BDE and blueberries—yes, blueberries, don’t play. He invades her space, her mind, and her heart without asking. And you’d think it’d be toxic (it kinda is), but the way he builds her up when she’s crumbling? Yeah... it hits.

Their chemistry? Off the charts. The push and pull, the silent moments, the tension—it’s giving dark, sexy, chaotic love, and I was all the way tapped in.

But listen, I needed more. The drama with her daddy pushing Nathan like he’s the last man on Earth? That was brushed past too fast. And that ending? Nah, that ain’t closure, that’s a setup. I’m definitely coming back for part two.

Four stars because Saint, Amora, and the blueberries did what needed to be done—but I’m not done with them yet.

Honey Boo Boo Chil’… Somebody send help because I AM the problem!

Let’s talk The Filthy Kings by Masterpiece. Whew. From the first chapter to the last page—just straight chaos, carnage, and chemistry. Baby, I’m already plotting on book two because… SON?! What was that?! It was crazy, scary, hilarious, nasty, and had me locked in the whole time.

Angel found out real quick that minding your business could’ve saved her, but nope—she crossed paths with a Detavio and her whole world got flipped. That man entered her life like a storm, and left her wondering what day it was. Absolutely unhinged.

Now let’s talk about my boo Natavi. She wasn’t even the target but got dragged in regardless. Collateral damage? Maybe. But Monster? He stepped all the way up. He was wild, possessive, and exactly what she didn’t know she needed. And don’t get me started on how they balanced each other—chaos and calm, pain and passion. It was giving everything.

The Decebal men? Chile. Unhinged, broken, fine, dangerous, and toxic in ways that had me questioning my morals. Their parents might’ve ruined them, but Angel and Natavi brought fire, healing, and a whole lotta smoke.

This book right here is what a dark romance is supposed to feel like. It had me clenching my pearls and reading like I was hiding state secrets. The filthy was filthin’. The drama was dramatic-ing. This the kind of book you don’t even post under your real name—just know it’s THAT good.