unsuccessfulbookclub's Reviews (916)

Super lighthearted and fun, but with some deep exploration of coming out to your family, standing by your person and accepting love when it is offered to you. Bursting with queer joy. 

Heavy on the insta-love for my taste but if that works for you this book will really sing. I super super loved both MCs journeys in this book and the scene when D’Vaughn came out to her mom had me WEEPING. 

You might think that you don’t need a single POV from the MMC, especially that of a gang member and ex-con living in the FMC’s garage but let me tell you - YOU NEED THIS.  It is so hard for me to encapsulate the way these books make me FEEL THINGS but trust that they do. The relationships are complex and intense, and the characters feel like actual people. I was INVESTED in Sal from page one. He’s funny and sweet and also living a really tough life. You can feel the way he feels about Vanessa from his POV and you end up falling in love with her too, seeing her as he does - tough, gorgeous, smart and loving.

Thirsty is the story of how Salvador “Ghost” Rosas goes from unhoused and living on his friend’s couch to getting out of a gang and starting a journey to becoming a successful brewery owner in East LA. Since it’s from his POV exclusively, as a reader, you get a deep view of his thoughts and feelings. Sal is one of those characters who seems so gritty and raw on the outside but in reality he’s just doing his best like the rest of us. He’s absolutely head over heels for Vanessa, our good-girl, strait-laced FMC who got pregnant at 17 and widowed the same year. I simply cannot overstate how real Sal feels, or how emotionally deep his character is while embodying a very tough, kind of scary dude. 

Is this book hella dramatic and exciting? YES. Is it also super hot? YES. Is the love story swoony? HELL YES.  I really don’t know what you’re waiting for. Go read this!!!

This is a romantic suspense set in North Carolina during the American Civil War (1863). I really really love this series for a couple of reasons: the characters are based on real people, and they tell stories about the Civil War focused on people who were working against the Confederacy from within the South. The stories are high stakes and also realistic. Each one has taken me like two sitting to read because the plots are intense and exciting.

Both couples so far have been interracial, and in both books, the Black FMC has had to wrestle with the reality of her situation, and essentially figure out how to be in love with a white man in the South while the white MMC has had to be patient but also pragmatic.

In a world where the dominant Civil War romance narrative is Gone with the Wind (gross), we need books like these to tell the whole story, and shine a light on the incredible people working for good during such a dark time in our history. 

⚠️Do mind the content!! These are not lighthearted and they do feature many dark realities from this time including racism, racist slurs, threats of r*pe, k!dnapping, assault, t0rture, slavery, violence and of course, war. 

👍🏻Recommended. If you are looking for a historical romance set in the US featuring diverse characters and fascinating bits of real history - these are for you!!

In Bet on It, Jodie Slaughter captures small-town life from two distinct points of view - people who run TO small towns and the people who run FROM them. Aja, the FMC, has moved from DC to Greenbelt, SC to escape the hustle and noise of city life while Walker, the MMC, left Greenbelt for the city as soon as he could get out. Walker mainly to escape the oppressive history of living near people who think they know him, and who have seen him at his absolute worst.

Both Aja and Walker are dealing with intense mental health issues throughout this book. Their first encounter is when Aja is having a panic attack at the Piggly Wiggly, and Walker later experiences multiple symptoms related to his CPTSD diagnosis. I liked how Slaughter wove these aspects through the story in a way that made sense. I also LOVED the opening line of this book (on the second slide).

I loved the arc of this story, with Walker and Aja remeeting through Walker’s grandmother, and the fact that Aja was a regular at the bingo hall. The spice is spicing in this book, and the ending was really satisfying. The third act breakup was MESSY and PAINFUL but it made absolute sense. All in all, if you like stories about millennial angst but want a widely diverse cast of characters? This is a great book!

🎧 I listened to a good chunk of this on audio and Angel Pean knocked this narration out of the park. She brought an extra layer of detail to these characters that was a true joy.

👍🏻Recommended! A well done contemporary romance that deals with some heavy topics and gives a good dose of spice along with a nuanced and diverse look at small town life and mental health. If you like Talia Hibbert’s Ravenswood series or Denise Williams Fastest Way to Fall or Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, you will like this.

Romance Details & Tropes

M/F romance

she’s Black, he’s white

She is plus-size

Contemporary

Emphasis on mental health and anxiety/PTSD

Small town

Sex pact/bargain

Banging “just to get this out of our systems”

Semi-public sex 

Open door, explicit

Blerg surprise billionaire. OTT hookups to the point of unbelievability (come on man not in your office while the janitor is there!!!!! Lol coming from me, a monster romance reader. 😂 Also like, she doesn’t know what the CEO of her company looks like? IDK.) but really good communication and kink rep. Instalove not my thing in general but again, I did appreciate the consent and safe word representation. 

An absolutely excellent debut! 

These characters and this story are unique and vibrant and so loveable. I was INVESTED in Cal and Xiomara from the first page, and I felt like I was WITH THEM through this whole story. I loved loved loved the emphasis on indigenous histories and community, and the archaeology storyline had me rapt.

The conflict and resolution in this book were so well done and believable. I could see why both characters made the choices they did and the grovel was perfection. As was Xiomara’s refusal to simply let Cal back into her life.

The descriptions and sense of place in this book are absolutely incredible, as is Trujillo’s ability to build a whole community of characters who you are immersed in, as a reader.

There are a couple of VERY minor things I would have loved to have in this, mainly more explicit talk about STI and pregnancy prevention (even just one sentence) - because I was STRESSING about a surprise baby for the *entire book*. 

There were a couple of continuity jumps that would have been easily improved with an additional final edit, but those are pricey and I know this was a labor of love for the author so I’m not letting that count against the incredible story.