shanaepraystoo's Reviews (925)

Snowed In Love With You

Shvonne Latrice

4.25

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I have tried to read books from Shvonne Latrice before, specifically the Crenshaw Kings series, but with the series being so lengthy, I couldn't commit to it...I'm a mood reader. Don't judge me.

Anyway, I downloaded Snowed In Love with You during one of those Black romance book events a few months ago but I didn't get around to reading it. Now I'm mad that no one recommends this book because I could've read this really cute story a long time ago!

I really loved Thandie and Hezekiah! Snowed In Love with You is wayyyy too short. Yes. I said it. Typically I accept whatever authors give us with their books but not this time...I have to express my discontent lol. I wanted so much more from these two. The story is engaging right from the first page, the book is well-written, and the characters are very well developed -- everything I need to get sucked into a book. And boy oh boy did I get sucked into Snowed In Love with You. I highly recommend this to Black romance readers everywhere.

Content Warnings

Fortunate to Have a Billionaire's baby

: Nikqua

DID NOT FINISH: 6%

DNF'd @ 34% - I couldn't connect with the characters or the storyline. Remington wasn't believable to me as a threatening gangsta or as someone who'd be attracted to a woman with self-esteem as low as Enslei's. But I do like the character names a lot and think the book is for those who love urban fiction and FMCs whose relationships make them stronger (that's not my cup of tea).

A Matter of Principal

Troinetta Nichole

DID NOT FINISH: 54%

DNF'd at 54%. I am not a fan of the FMC and the story is losing me. Bailing before I end up in a reading slump.

Maids of Honor: Nurina

Connie Easton

3.0

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

In Connie Easton's Maids of Honor: Nurina readers are introduced to some of the staff at Maids of Honor, a provocative cleaning company that hires beautiful women to clean the houses of the rich and famous wearing little to nothing for a whole lot of money.

Maids of Honor: Nurina is very fast-paced and right away readers meet Nurina, one of Maids of Honor's most senior housecleaners and the company's newest client, retired baseball player Maverick. There's a lot of sexual tension between these two characters and they're quick to act on it, ultimately leading to HEA that I didn't expect in a book that's less than 90 pages.

Though the story is very engaging and a bit entertaining, Maids of Honor: Nurina missed the mark for me in many ways.

First, I think the book is gaining popularity because folks keep saying that it's spicy. I mean...I guess, but after you've read some truly spicy books, this story comes off as a bit tame. I mean the dialogue between the main characters is there, but that's about it. Second, I wasn't a fan of J or Krys. Third, Maverick wasn't presented the way I thought he would be as a retired baseball player and widowed single father. Fourth, there wasn't much character development and this really shows when the FMC flees the MMC because she's not prepared to handle her strong feelings for him. Fifth, the story is too fast paced for there to not be a timeline. I think that in addition to the dual POV, the author should've let readers know how long Nurina and Maverick were in contact, it would've given me as a reader more space to get invested in them and their relationship.

All in all, I recommend this book to any fans of Connie Easton; fans of erotica; and anyone looking for a quick read that they finish in one day.

Content Warnings

Titus

Charity Shane'

3.0

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Titus: Rodeo Season by Charity Shane' is a companion to Destry: Rodeo Season by K.C. Mills. We see some overlap in characters, but for the most part Titus's story is separate from Destry's. Readers get the chance to learn more about cowboying and cowboy culture with this series of books. They're short and sweet, get right to the point, but they advance so quickly that it's hard to build any connection with the characters. I recommend Titus to fans of Charity Shane's books and any fans of the country/cowboy trope in romance novels.

Content Warnings

Destry: Rodeo Season

K.C. Mills

3.0

lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Destry: Rodeo Season by K.C. Mills is a fast-paced Black romance with no angst or conflict. Maybe that's because of the length, the story is very short, but I would've appreciated a bit more character development and more conflict

beyond the MMC Destry's loss in a qualifying round - what was the point of mentioning characters Jace and Colt if not to explore that aspect of Destry's career?

to help develop Destry's character as a man who was finally caught my the feisty and independent FMC Savvy.

I recommend Destry to fans of K.C. Mills. If you're new to the author, don't start here - she's got way better stories in her catalog.

Content Warnings

Spousal Privilege

Charity Shane'

4.0

dark emotional funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Spousal Privilege by Charity Shane' is a medium paced second chance romance with a marriage of convenience mixed in. This makes for an engaging story with some really, really wild characters. There's drama, murder, betrayal, infidelity and more in Spousal Privilege - I didn't expect any of that! As usual, it is a well-written story from the talented Charity Shane', but this one's definitely for anyone who doesn't mind some dark and urban elements in their romance novels. I highly recommend Spousal Privilege.

Content Warnings

Beyond Measures

Kimberly Brown

3.75

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Beyond Measures by Kimberly Brown is another solid read from the talented writer. In the book, we meet two scorned individuals, Ari Ramirez, the FMC, and Simeon Cartwright, the MMC. Author Kimberly Brown takes readers on a really wild ride full of drama and violence as these two characters' love story unfolds.

If you're a fan of really emotionally charged, challenging urban romances with dark elements, then you'll definitely enjoy Beyond Measures, a very entertaining read.

Content Warnings

Unlucky You

K.C. Mills

4.5

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I don't know a lot about K.C. Mills' catalog, but after reading Christmas In Spite Of You last year, I knew I wanted to read more of her books. Then I found out that she released Unlucky You in January and I just knew I had to read it.

While I'm a huge fan of the billionaire romance and I appreciate the escapism offered by those books, it's always fun to read a romance novel with "regular" "everyday" people, like Grand and Saniya.

I had no expectations when I started Unlucky You, but I quickly learned that I was in for an emotional rollercoaster with Grand. K. C. Mills shares a complex story about a man overcoming a lot of emotional and physical struggles as he attempts to rebuild his life after a 5 year prison sentence.

If you enjoy books with challenging themes, like grief, confinement, and abandonment, then you'll get everything you need from Unlucky You. The book is engaging and well-written with well-developed characters that you'll want to root for.

Content Warnings

Sir

Ayelle Burke

4.5

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wow. Ayelle Burke really did a great job with Sir. Malik and Saylor's relationship had ups and downs that kept me engaged at every turn. Saylor's growth as a female character was well-written and just what I needed as a reader to get even more invested in the story. I just love Malik - he's the perfect book bae. And Sir belongs on my list of well witten spicy books from black authors. Though not interconnected, Ayelle Burke's KING and Sir have an overlap of characters and explore similar topics - Black love, BDSM, self-discovery, and being open to love. I highly recommend KING, which I literally devoured in about 2 days because it was so good. Somehow, Sir is even better! Must read material for anyone who enjoys books about Black women being loved properly, fans of women's self-discovery in romance books, and anyone who loves very spicy books.

I hope we get more about Shani. Though a complicated character, I think Ayelle Burke does a decent job of depicting the character because she's so complex in her pain. I'd love to learn that she somehow gets connected with the mysterious new member of Pleasure'z that we meet in chapter 26 of Sir. Fingers crossed.

Content Warnings

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