Rosie Danan’s The Roommate: Firstly, The Roommate was sweet but moreover, so so sexy, I have never learned so much about the porn industry in book. I’ll admit my previous knowledge was more on Clara’s side of thing but Josh. I could really come to see Josh’s side of things that porn is not only helpful to jump starting the foreplay but is also a celebration of sex, and intimacy. It’s human. Moreover, I also enjoyed how you paralleled and contrasted Clara and Josh’s stories of expectations and need to make their own way, in how it created conflict for their relationship but also drew them together as a commanility in the end. Furthermore, the side characters of Naomi (Josh’s ex, soon business partner and co owner) and Clara’s aunt were great characters in their own rights and was always so fun to have their perspectives. Especially with how Clara’s aunt helps guide Clara to what she wants to do in her future and how she’d do it differently from her aunt. 4 stars.

Rosie Danan’s The Intimacy Experiment: But on the subject of Naomi, she was a breath of cynical, sarcastic air in The Roommate so it was fun to have her in the forefront of The Intimacy Experiment. Especially with the bruises and scars that have made her more tough but it also made it so hard to put it down as Ethan breaks those walls and Naomi wavers over the changes in her personality and what it means for her future. Also Ethan! Ethan’s side was great too. He cares so much, but also takes on so much. And even though I didn’t understand the scientific stuff he was saying, I think his attempts at wooing were incredibly sweet. Also it was so cool to have some Jew rep in a romance. The only Jew romance rep I’ve read so far are tragic WWII which is bittersweet most of the time so I loved this contemporary one. I’m more like Naomi in being lapsed most of the time so the explorations of the community, the evolution of it and how the Torah still stands through time were also thought provoking and I just enjoyed the added layer. 5 stars.

Additionally, I really I enjoyed the subversion of tropes readers will see in both these stories, it just made everyone so human and I loved the books so much. Finally, I just so so loved the sex positivity of these books but then again, that’s probably the point. They were fun yet informative. I almost wish Shameless, their sex positivity info website, was a real thing because as the books so eloquently put it in many ways sex should be shameless.

Jasmine Guillory’s While We Were Dating: Guillory’s book of a movie star dating a simple commercial pitcher and director made it work because of how down to earth she depicted both of these characters. From the beginning, the book isn’t about some common guy reminding the movie diva of her roots but simply two humans growing close and riding through the hard waves of life together. Mental health was a big aspect of the book as it was a big aspect to the MC, Anna’s life as she struggled with anxiety over the past year especially due to her career and the expectations that come with it as a black, plus sized woman. Ben had his own problems, but I’ll admit his weren’t as gripping as hers. But things do get interesting when they’re together as Ben is one of the first people outside of her immediate family that helps her out her career in perspective since he is in a similar field and also helps her find a way to make the future path for black actresses a bit smoother. There’s more to this book than what I’m describing but I don’t want to give it away so you’ll find out for yourself. 5 stars 

Jasmine Guillory’s Party of Two: A senator and a lawyer meet at a bar. I mean the premise alone makes you want to read it for the scandal but there isn’t much scandal until halfway through. Not that it isn’t enjoyable, the first half is mainly them sneaking around and provides some steam to tide one over. But then, the scandal breaks and I’ll admit it wasn’t as shocking as I thought it be. Yes, there’s immediate scrutiny, worse because of Olivia‘s blackness so a minor minor infraction in her record makes her a target for criticism. But I was just expecting more. That’s the main thing, while the book does admirably in navigating the trials of an interracial relationship in the spotlight especially as Max has a position and platform to change things and not use Olivia for diversity points, (another big issue) it felt a bit surface level too. Maybe it’s because I just reread The Hate U Give but I was expecting more of a treatise of systemic racism and white privilege in a book of political romance.  3 stars 

Thien Kim Lam’s Happy Endings: Another sex positive book but this time, the focus is on vibrators. Its odd, but I don’t think I even encounter vibrators that much in erotica now that I think about it. Anyway, I love how real both characters were even if Andre was a bit prudish at first. With how passionate Trixie was and how she explained it was just.. I can see how he was won over to try it. I also enjoyed the pop up with Mrs. Harris and the other grannies, they were feisty and hilarious and it was great because like it said, older women still have needs too. I also enjoyed how Andre and Trixie’s stories of familial expectations created conflict for their relationship but also drew them together as a commonality in the end. Moreover, I’m sensing the other boss bitches, which is what Trixie’s friend group dubbed themselves, will be getting their own books soon, I mean a boudair photographer, a lingerie maker, male strip club owner… Oh it sounds so fun. Basically the core of the book is about pleasure, especially female pleasure that has only been recently getting highlighted. 4 stars.

Talia Hibbert’s Get a life, Chloe Brown: This was my favorite out of the Brown Sister books because I thought the characters were unique in their own right as it deals with the chronically ill, Chloe Brown. After almost getting run over, Chloe decides that she has to live life to the fullest as her aches and pains had been keeping her from doing too much. Part of that get a life list is to have a fling and her hot apartment-landlord seems to be the perfect man to try out. Now, I won’t get into more but the man Redford, has his own complex past too regarding his artistic talent classism, and relationships, one of the first of only books I’ve read dealing with woman on male abuse. So all in all, an enjoyable read I thought. 4 stars

Talia Hibbert’s Take a hint, Dani Brown: The middle Brown sister, Dani is a wild child and with that wildness is a trail of somewhat bitter past relationships which she is “totally fine” with because she is happy being single. However, there is a deeper reason to her commitment insecurity but I won’t spoil it, besides the book does a much better look into it. Her love interest, Zafir, the hot #DrRugbae is the straight laced to Dani’s wild but when they get tigether woof oh mama! Loved the steamy and even kinky scenes between them and I loved him. Like with the previous book, it deals with somewhat marred pasts that plague their current relationship but they grow better from it. It especially highlights mental health in a non-pedantic way too. 4 stars

Talia Hibbet’s Act your age, Eve Brown: The youngest sister was.. okay. I think her issue was pretty standard for youngest sibling. Not feeling like she is treated like an adult because.. well she doesn’t act like an adult. So in a bid for independence and maturity she gets a job at a BnB. Owned by the staid and regulated Jacob Wayne. Wayne is on the spectrum though he hadn’t really come to the diagnosis especially since his world traveling parents left with his grandparents which sorta shamed him despite the fact autism cannot be fixed and there’s nothing wrong with that. So while the characters weren’t my cup of tea, if one is looking to complete the series and for some autistic representation, enjoy. 3 stars

Alexis Daria’s A lot like Adios: This brought the Miami heat in all the best ways. First off, I enjoyed the characters the most. I mean they bonded over fanfic writing what I think was a Firefly expy. Secondly, Michelle’s handle was chelle-block-tango. Anyone who acknowledges Chicago/Cellblock tango as the best is someone I respect. Furthermore, Gabe made me see why people care so much about physical health and owning a gym but with him, I understood. was sweet if a conflicted character which is always the way it is with male leads. But I understood his reasons even as it broke their hearts. Trying to break out of father’s expectations and do what you want when everyone seems to pushing you into a different mold, it’s hard, but there’s also the addition, that this is very Latinx focus so that pressure sometimes feel doubly fierce. At least culturally as the children of immigrants. Which is part of why I picked up this book. A specifically latinx centered romance, sign me up. And it did not disappoint! 5 stars.

Alexis Daria’s You had at me Hola: The first Primas of Power book that I read second because it was so popular that it took a while for me to get it. Again, I loved the characters the most. Daria has a way of really making them feel like 3 dimensional beings even if they are working in something as out there as a telenovela, and you know, being a romance novel. Neither felt too perfect of a couple which I enjoyed. Jasmine’s flaw of being too trusting was interesting as that trait is always used to make the girl so good and wonderful but Daria showed how it could hurt you when it comes to romance. And Ashton was such a sweetheart, I won’t say why because it relates to his big secret which in turn fuels his flaws but I enjoyed his growth as well. I also loved the whole telenovela aspect, it really makes me want to go binge watch Ugly Betty and Jane the Virgin again.

Uzma Jalaluddin’s Hana Khan Carries On: This was a fun romance somewhat inspired by You Got Mail in its various iterations. Here, Hana is a wannabe radio star, as of now, she owns a anonymous podcast where she soon enters a correspondence with a dedicated fan, again all anonymously. But besides that, she is helping out at her family’s struggling halal restaurant when a new halal restaurant comes to town with Aydin, a cocky jerk of an owner in Hanna’s view. Of course, she must take him down. Of course, he is not actually a cocky jerk once they both let go of their misguided competitiveness and of course, he’s Aydin. You can see where it’s all going, so it’s a bit frustrating to see their continued anonymous correspondence and she doesn’t connect the dots even at the end until he explains it to her. But besides that annoyance, the book is more than that. It’s about Hana’s family including her Machiavellian younger cousin, Rashid who is visiting from India, and her badass great aunt. It’s about islamaphobia and family history and micro aggressions. It’s about confronting flaws and fears as you set out to make new beginnings. It’s all those things and a compelling read so 4 stars.  

Alexis Hall’s Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

If you’re a fan of The Great British Bake off than you MUST read this book. I mean it is so like it that’s basically the bake off but with all the hosts and names changed. It was so charming and light, it made me want to rewatch the series. But that’s not all, I found the love triangle Rosaline finds herself in interesting if a bit predicatable. But I give credit to Hall in that I completely followed Rosaline in believing one was so charming and the other a mygisontic ass untilt eh story reveals their respective true colors. It also gets into the nuance of being a bisexual woman and how despite the strides of diveristy, it is still seen as “easy” and fetishized as Rosaline’s crappy (soon to be ex) love interest tries to exploit. But more than that, Rosaline is in various fixes due to her single mum status and her estrasngement with her rich parents that she feels belittle her life choices. Not to mention how the show producers want to exploit her single mom status for a story arc all while she just wants to make a good cake and get the prize. Lots of things going on but it all flows well in the story, being almost 400 pages and all, and full of wonderful side characters to boot. Very much enjoyed and can’t wait for the sequel. 5 stars.

If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberley and Austin Seigmund-Broka

Written by a husband-wife team of Shakespeare afieciandos, If I’m Being Honest takes on a modern retelling of taming of the Shrew. Brutally honest, Cameron Bright can be considered a mean girl, not that she cares since she believes honesty is the best policy even if it hurts. However, when her crush turns her down for her verbal cruelty, decides to make a change so she can win him back.

Not that it’s very easy when her former victims understandably are suspicious of her intentions. Especially video game geek, Brenden. This book is all about second chances as Cameron slowly climbs into the good graces of those she had once berated. But it is slow as she sometimes relapses into her own ways. But she has a good reason, cuased by her distant and similarly brutally honest father which had impacted her relationship with her mother whom she views as pathetically hung up on her Dad and weak.

All relationships get resolved and Cameron goes through solid character growth that is the best part of the story. I was less thrilled with the romance, it was well-done but I found it hard to see Brenden’s appeal to Cameron and just seemed to fit in the nerdy guy mean girl trope that has been done so many times. I also felt bad for Cameron’s former friends whom she quickly replaced once she decided to be a good person. She didn’t even try to explain her change of heart and I could understand why they thought she had a complete personality transplant and for a boy at that. 4 stars