*Book of the Day*

Today’s book is the latest release by @kennedyryan1.

Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.

It couldn’t save their marriage.

Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.

Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?

🔗https://amzn.to/3B0dsfA

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Book Review: You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

I’m trying to figure out where to begin with this one. Okay…here goes! After 5 years of mourning, and at the insistence of her best friend/roommate/?, Feyi decided to stay socializing. I don’t think anyone was prepared for that opening scene! Did anyone else catch that Milan was at the party with his girlfriend? Then, there’s his friend Nasir, who I think was genuinely catching feelings for her, but while she’s “figuring it out” and talking it slow, Feyi is now attracted to his father, of all people.

The main character, Feyi was depicted as Miss Loose Booty, and I’m not sure if she was using sex as a mask to cover up her Survivor’s Remorse or her actual mourning. And another thing…we never found out who was actually driving the car, which would somewhat explain why she never drove after the accident. Somehow, I felt like something was missing.

Once Nasir and Feyi get to the island, I was enthralled by the cuisine, which gave me a taste of my Caribbean roots. Alim, is a layered character, but this is where it gets interesting. I believe he is the most transparent character in this book. You take him or you leave him, which leads to another thing. Was it just me, or was everybody bi-sexual in this book?

In conclusion, this book lacked the developmental editing that it needed. The readers should not have been left many open-ended questions. I do recommend that you read it for yourself, because it definitely has potential.

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*Book of the Day*

Today’s book is a historical account, by Rita Roberts.

Amidst bloody battles and political maneuvering, thousands of African Americans spent the Civil War trying to hold their families together. This moving book illuminates that struggle through the letters they exchanged. Despite harsh laws against literacy and brutal practices that broke apart Black families, people found ways to write to each other against all odds. In these pages, readers will meet parents who are losing hope of ever seeing their children again and a husband who walks fifteen miles to visit his wife, enslaved on a different plantation.

The collection also includes tender courtship letters exchanged between Lewis Henry Douglass and Helen Amelia Loguen, both children of noted abolitionists, and letters sent home by the young women who traveled south to teach literacy to escaped slaves. Roberts’ expert curation allows readers to see the wider historical context. The transcriptions are accompanied by reproductions of selected original letters and photographs of the letter writers.

FRESH ANGLE ON HISTORY: Roberts reframes the Civil War era by telling the story of American slavery through letters. And by focusing on the strong bonds of love that these letters represent, she offers a deeply human and relatable version of history.

AUTHORITATIVE YET ACCESSIBLE: Throughout the book, Roberts provides expert context while weaving compelling stories about the individual letter writers. Readers can connect with history directly by reading actual words from the time and seeing photographs of both the letters and the writers.

NUANCED PERSPECTIVE: As Americans wake up to the complex legacy of race in this country, Roberts’ book challenges a notion of a monolithic Black experience during the Civil War.

BEAUTIFUL BOOK: This handsome hardcover provides an elegant presentation, complete with images throughout. While intense and often tragic, the stories carry inspiration for how to live and love through incredibly difficult times. This will make a truly meaningful addition to any book collection.

Perfect for:

• Readers of Black history, Civil War history, and American history

• History students

• Letter writers

• Fans of historical letters

Link: https://amzn.to/3gEkkbL

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Book Review: Hold You Down by Tracy Brown

Life for sisters Mercy and Lennox Howard, was definitely not easy. In search of a better life, they move to Staten Island. Things were going good, until a new drug named Crack reared its ugly head. Outside influences divided the sisters and eventually tragedy struck. Now, the second generation…Judah and Deon, are trying to maneuver through life, without getting caught up as well. Unfortunately, one bad decision leads them down a road that no one saw coming.

The storyline was good and the plot twist was great. My favorite character was Xavier. He was really a stand-up guy, who cares enough to be there beyond death. In contrast, my least favorite character was Gerald aka G. He was a user and a manipulator. I’m so glad, karma paid him a little visit. My only regret is that @tracybrownwrites gave the readers an open ending. I would’ve loved you see where the relationships were a year or two later.

Nonetheless, go get this book!

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*Book of the Day*

Today’s book is my current read by Akwaeke Emezi.

Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again.

It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.

She’s even started dating the perfect guy, but their new relationship might be sabotaged before it has a chance by the overwhelming desire Feyi feels every time she locks eyes with the one person in the house who is most definitely off-limits—his father.

This new life she asked for just got a lot more complicated, and Feyi must begin her search for real answers. Who is she ready to become? Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love? Akwaeke Emezi’s vivid and passionate writing takes us deep into a world of possibility and healing, and the constant bravery of choosing love against all odds.

🔗https://amzn.to/3ihlWbR

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Book Review: Seasons of Fidelity 2 by Takerra Allen

Childhood friends come together to mourn a family member and prove that everyone grieves in their own way. Instead of crying on the shoulders of their significant others, Ray and Regina seek comfort in each other. They’re now faced with determining if this is a temporary solution or a permanent fix. Justice and Dice are trying to figure out where they dropped the ball, which eats away at both of their psyches. They too, are faced with a blast from the past, and how they deal with it, can be detrimental to others around them. Aleeya and Yael hide their unhappiness in work, while trying to savor pleasant memories.

Several of the supporting characters proved why they would never hold the #1 spot…too thirsty. You cannot guilt or force someone to stay in a relationship if they aren’t happy. Secrets are revealed and the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head, while proving that the hearts wants what it wants and true love supercedes it all.

I can’t tell you how many times I screamed at this page-turner, and swore that Takerra and I were going to have a conversation about this one, because how dare you drag my emotions like this! Other times, I had to close my eyes, pause and re-read a passage, because I know I didn’t read what I think I did…the audacity of some of these characters. If you haven’t already, please go get this series.

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*Book of the Day*

Today’s book is the

latest release from @tracybrownwrites.

✨

New York City. Late 1980s to early 1990s.

Mercy and Lenox Howard have always only had each other. Growing up on the mean streets of Harlem with an absentee mother meant that they had to have each other’s backs. Now young, smart mothers they are determined to survive in New York City while raising their two sons, who have bright futures ahead of them.

Mercy is the quiet, straight laced hospital administrator, struggling to make ends meet. At night and on weekends, she pours her heart into her cooking and her dream of owning her own restaurant. Lenox is the diva, the wild child, looking for excitement and her big come up in life and love. Their boys, Deon and Judah, have been raised more like brothers than cousins, forging a bond that is unbreakable.

When Lenox heads down a path that she believes will bring success and power, it changes the entire course of her life and her family’s life forever. As a result of their mother’s choices, cousins Deon and Judah soon find themselves in uncharted territory.

🔗https://amzn.to/3Aw8wie

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Book Review: Behind Her Lives by Briana Cole

Early one morning, Deven receives disturbing news that her younger sister Kennedy has been found dead. Upon identifying the body, she firmly stayed that it’s not her sister. In order to prove the authorities wrong, she begins her own search, and what she finds, will not only leave her troubled, but also in danger.

From page three, this book takes you on an emotional roller coaster…one that you don’t want to get off, until you see it to the end! Packed full of secrets, scandal and drama, the touch on mental illness was pure genius. Just when you think you’ve seen and heard it all…here comes another piece to the puzzle. My favorite character was Paul. He was a genuine friend to Deven, even after discovering that was a pawn in the sick game, whereas my least favorite character was Justin. I was so happy to see him go, because I felt like he had a lot of buried secrets, as well.

This, by far, is the best psychological thriller that I’ve read this year. It will soon make an appearance on my Best Read of 2022, so stay tuned. Another stellar job by @bcoleauthor!

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