She Read He Said

All tagged POC

Aug 8

Aug 8 HOOK SHOT by Kennedy Ryan

You know those romance novels that affect you so deeply you still think of them months or years later?⁠ ⁠ Hook Shot is one of those for me. It was the first Kennedy Ryan book I ever read and a revelation in how a romance novel can tackle deep trauma but remain powerfully uplifting.⁠ ⁠

Its heroine, Lotus DuPree, is a larger than life goddess of a woman wrapped in a tiny, tattooed package. Fierce, funny & captivating, she's made a prominent place for herself in the design world and owns every room she walks into with the force of her charisma.⁠ ⁠

Jul 27

Jul 27 THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT by Farrah Rochon

She Read

I appreciate a romance novel that takes a broad view of happily ever after and attends to the personal and professional growth of its main characters in tandem with the developing romance. The Boyfriend Project does this well and offers an accessible entry point to readers who enjoy women's fiction but haven't been reading much romance.

It is very much Samiah's book, and the early pages focus solidly on the female relationships in her life: a close bond with her snarky/sweet sister and the birth of a great girl squad. The hilarious confrontation gone viral that brings the squad together rivals any romance meet cutes I've read.

Jul 10

Jul 10 A DUKE, THE LADY, AND A BABY by Vanessa Riley

She Read

I went in expecting Regency Three Men and a Baby meets First Wives Club and excited to read a historical about a West Indian heiress, but was surprised to find Gothic notes joining the anticipated lilting banter and levity. Presumptive ghosts, the creeping villainy of a greedy uncle, and a convoluted mystery are juxtaposed with the silliness of well-meaning but clueless caretaking from a military man turned guardian & the poignancy of a desperate mother's battle to reclaim her son.⁠

Jun 16

Jun 16 SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT by Meryl Wilsner

She Read

Set in a convincingly realistic Hollywood complete with glamorous awards shows and the sacrifices demanded of those who want to walk their red carpets, Something to Talk About manages to take on injustices pulled straight from today's headlines while still delivering an empowering and optimistic love story. ⁠ ⁠

Apr 2

Apr 2 I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST by Mason Deaver

She Read

Mason Deaver’s I Wish You All the Best was my favorite YA read of 2019 and the coming of age story I wish I’d had to give to my non-binary teen when they were in high school. The protagonist, Ben De Backer, is a queer, non-binary teen who’s finding their way after a gutting rejection by their parents in the book’s early pages. While I was in tears within the first few pages, ultimately, Ben’s story is one of resilience and hope.

Feb 1

Feb 1 WHITEOUT by Adriana Anders

She Read

This was a slumpbuster of a book that left me wondering why Romantic Suspense doesn’t feature more prominently in my reading. The first in a series, Whiteout is a high stakes survivor story that has our hero and heroine fleeing across hundreds of miles of frozen tundra following an attack on the research station in Antarctica where they‘ve each been nursing the wounds of past traumas.