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Tethered Love
Eliana Barlow has spent years longing to be a mother. With six miscarriages, she is finally blessed with a beautiful baby girl through the loss of her best friend Porchea. The loss of her husband in the line of duty only two years later proves to Eliana that life can be cruel. Dealing with heartbreak amid raising her daughter is no easy task, but Eliana manages to do it all with grace.
Malachi Devereaux has spent the bulk of his adult life longing for the one thing he’s never had, a child. Set to be married to the beautiful Ziva Shaw, he has hopes of finally fulfilling that dream. When a young girl shows up in his classroom claiming to be his daughter, Malachi’s entire world is changed in the blink of an eye.
The secrets of his former lover come to light the same time as revelations about his current fiancée. The realization that she will never accept his child forces Malachi to choose between two different kinds of love. The problem with Ziva is she isn’t willing to give him up so easily. The budding relationship with not only Malachi and his daughter but her mother pushes Ziva over an already fragile edge.
Find out what happens when getting everything you want collides with ugly truths and vengeful secrets.
Malachi Devereaux has spent the bulk of his adult life longing for the one thing he’s never had, a child. Set to be married to the beautiful Ziva Shaw, he has hopes of finally fulfilling that dream. When a young girl shows up in his classroom claiming to be his daughter, Malachi’s entire world is changed in the blink of an eye.
The secrets of his former lover come to light the same time as revelations about his current fiancée. The realization that she will never accept his child forces Malachi to choose between two different kinds of love. The problem with Ziva is she isn’t willing to give him up so easily. The budding relationship with not only Malachi and his daughter but her mother pushes Ziva over an already fragile edge.
Find out what happens when getting everything you want collides with ugly truths and vengeful secrets.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2023
559 people are currently reading
1071 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Brown
52 books1,876 followersKimberly Brown is a South Carolina born and raised author of contemporary/urban romance. She strives to create stories that readers can visualize in their heads as the pages turn. Writing has been a part of her journey since a young age but really became a focal point during her high school years. With the support of her classmates, she began sharing her love of words with others. In 2019 she took her first step towards becoming a serious writer with self-publishing. August of 2021, she made her BLP debut with “Pretty Caged Bird” and is continuing to grow her catalog. With a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a pending masters in Mental Health Counseling, Kimberly loves to incorporate mental health into her writings as she feels it is not talked about or address enough within the African American community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
April 22, 2023
Imagine being months away from marrying the alleged “love of your life” #PettyMoment and then BOOM a 13 year old kid shows up claiming to be the daughter you never knew existed! Chile dig a hole and toss me inside because that would’ve been me if I was Malachi! Him and his fiancé Ziva were 3 years into their relationship and right when they were getting ready to tie the knot, little miss Violet came into town like a category 5 hurricane! Violet was not your average 13 year old! She was smart, confident and clearly raised to be a real trailblazer!
For the past 11 years, Eliana raised Vi as a single parent. While her village was strong, the absence of that paternal presence eventually caught up with her and Violet. After suffering not 1, not 2 but 6 miscarriages, Eliana received the gift of Vi after her BFF lost her battle with heart disease. Elle struggled through loss after loss and unimaginable grief all while making a name for herself as a renowned plastic surgeon and mother to Vi. Now that Vi is older a family tree project is bringing up questions that she’s determined to get answers to, and her snooping and hacking skills eventually lead her right to Malachi’s door.
While Malachi immediately adapted to the thought of fatherhood, especially after longing to be one for so long, Ziva was not having it! And this is where her unstable mental health reared it’s ugly head!!! When I say Ziva was crazy 🗣️she was crazy! And the last 10% of the book had my mouth wide open with shock! I will say that Ziva’s story did SLIGHTY soften my heart to her behavior. Some folks just aren’t able to pull themselves from the darkness of past trauma. And she was an example of what happens when you don’t get the help you need! Through it all, Malachi was a real stand up dude and the way he stepped up for Easton was everything!
While we’re around here asking for their sexual history, we need to be asking for mental health history too because Ziva had that crazy tucked away tight 🥴…This was such a great read! The romance was romancing, the drama was drama’ing, the suspense was suspensing and there was even some comedic moments. We got a nice lil dose of the Cartwright’s 🥰(IYKYK)! And they are still in rare form! This book was yet another reason why KB still holds her spot as one of my top 3 favorite authors. Whatever she releases will always get an instant clock from me!
For the past 11 years, Eliana raised Vi as a single parent. While her village was strong, the absence of that paternal presence eventually caught up with her and Violet. After suffering not 1, not 2 but 6 miscarriages, Eliana received the gift of Vi after her BFF lost her battle with heart disease. Elle struggled through loss after loss and unimaginable grief all while making a name for herself as a renowned plastic surgeon and mother to Vi. Now that Vi is older a family tree project is bringing up questions that she’s determined to get answers to, and her snooping and hacking skills eventually lead her right to Malachi’s door.
While Malachi immediately adapted to the thought of fatherhood, especially after longing to be one for so long, Ziva was not having it! And this is where her unstable mental health reared it’s ugly head!!! When I say Ziva was crazy 🗣️she was crazy! And the last 10% of the book had my mouth wide open with shock! I will say that Ziva’s story did SLIGHTY soften my heart to her behavior. Some folks just aren’t able to pull themselves from the darkness of past trauma. And she was an example of what happens when you don’t get the help you need! Through it all, Malachi was a real stand up dude and the way he stepped up for Easton was everything!
While we’re around here asking for their sexual history, we need to be asking for mental health history too because Ziva had that crazy tucked away tight 🥴…This was such a great read! The romance was romancing, the drama was drama’ing, the suspense was suspensing and there was even some comedic moments. We got a nice lil dose of the Cartwright’s 🥰(IYKYK)! And they are still in rare form! This book was yet another reason why KB still holds her spot as one of my top 3 favorite authors. Whatever she releases will always get an instant clock from me!
April 19, 2023
Tethered Love was so damn good! This book played out like a movie. There was romance, drama, suspense, and humor. Eliana has lost the two loves of her life. First her best friend during childbirth then, her husband in the line of duty. But, through the losses, she gained a blessing when Porchea named her as guardian for Violet. The one thing Malachi wants most in this world is a baby. He has been longing for a little boy or little girl to carry on his legacy. Unfortunately, his fiancé doesn’t share his desire to become a parent. Ziva already has a 19 year old son so, the last thing she wants is another baby. Hell, she didn’t want the one she has. What Ziva really wants is to become Mrs. Devereaux and she’ll do anything to make that happen. Including lyin’ like a rug to Malachi’s face about giving him the baby he longs for. Violet loves her mama but, she feels like a part of her is missing by not knowing who her biological daddy is. When she accidentally stumbles upon his identity, she takes matters into her own hands to meet him. When Malachi finds out he has a whole 13 year old daughter, he is absolutely elated. He wastes no time stepping into the role of father and an immediate bond is formed between him and Violet. To say Ziva is unhappy with these turn of events would be an understatement. Her representative vacates the building and the real Ziva pulls up and shows her natural azz and her true colors. Her behavior and refusal to accept Violet forces Malachi to call off their wedding and the chain of events that follow are explosive. As much as I disliked Ziva, my heart really broke for her. Her parents were the catalyst to all of her trauma. Especially that damn daddy of hers. The judge failed Ziva in so many ways. Let me just say, he and Andre’s trash azz got exactly what they deserved. Y’all know I love cameos and KB did not disappoint. We got to catch up with the Cartwrights who, just so happen to be relatives of Eliana. Simeon, Richard, and Memphis are still fools and Ms. Celia is still giving everybody hell. Tethered Love was a phenomenal read. It was an amazing rollercoaster ride I didn't want to end. There’s not a single part of this book I didn’t love. You will fall in love with all of the characters. You’ll laugh at Violet’s sassy and feisty attitude, you’ll want to hug Eliana for the loss she's endured, and you’ll admire Malachi for navigating unconventional fatherhood and making it look easy as hell. If you have not read this book yet, stop what you’re doing and read it now!
June 23, 2023
Malachi & Eliana
I really enjoyed how Malachi & Eliana met! This really was a well written story inevitable love story.
Violet was definitely the entire story for me....she was more than just a smart mouth pre-teen...she was gifted and I loved that aspect of the story...she really had a lot to contribute. Despite how he came to be, Easton was a well rounded young man and I loved that for him and I loved how Malachi and his family continued to embrace him....You have to have your angst and/or villains in the story and Ziva and her storyline was it....I must say, I'm enjoying the Kimberly is developing her characters more and more, they're not one or simple dimensional characters...there's more of a background that to me, paints a better picture of the character and their ways. For me Mason was not a surprise, just another great aspect of the story that was also inevitable....I'm trying not to put any spoilers in this review....just go read the story, you won't regret it.
2nd Read was the newly released audiobooks….first time listening to Nola Vance narrate a story…not bad at all…very enjoyable
I really enjoyed how Malachi & Eliana met! This really was a well written story inevitable love story.
Violet was definitely the entire story for me....she was more than just a smart mouth pre-teen...she was gifted and I loved that aspect of the story...she really had a lot to contribute. Despite how he came to be, Easton was a well rounded young man and I loved that for him and I loved how Malachi and his family continued to embrace him....You have to have your angst and/or villains in the story and Ziva and her storyline was it....I must say, I'm enjoying the Kimberly is developing her characters more and more, they're not one or simple dimensional characters...there's more of a background that to me, paints a better picture of the character and their ways. For me Mason was not a surprise, just another great aspect of the story that was also inevitable....I'm trying not to put any spoilers in this review....just go read the story, you won't regret it.
2nd Read was the newly released audiobooks….first time listening to Nola Vance narrate a story…not bad at all…very enjoyable
April 18, 2023
Kimberly created a lovely story, Malachi had an ideal life, a great profession, was about to marry the woman he loves, he knows time is ticking and Malachi desires a child, but Malachi's life changes the minute his secret daughter Violet appears. Violet's appearance was a blessing in disguise since it allowed him to see his fiancée's real colors. Ziva was nasty and a hypocrite; if I were Eliana, I would have dragged her privileged a$$ about. Malachi was just destined to be a father, and his bond with Violet was beautiful to read about. Chile Ziva had problems, and I wanted to hate her, but the trauma she endured was the root cause for her behavior. I thought it was horrible that her father continued to work with the man who impacted her life.
July 3, 2023
Whew this book was stressful!
Malachi was engaged to be married when a 13 yr old girl named Violet walks into his classroom claiming to be his daughter. Now how said 13 yr old got to Malachi was also a trip because baby Violet is lowkey a genius and all her moves to find her dad show that. Ziva, the fiancé, finding out this news acted a complete ass! Like what?!? Eliaina, Violet's mom finding her daughter left to go find her father was gutted as any mother would be! Her showing up at Malachi’s house to check Ziva and retrieve her daughter was the start of the fast pace love story of father and daughter and baby father and baby mother!
Ziva really got the short end of the stick and I feel a little terrible for her and all those who wronged her BUT she still was dead ass wrong and got what was coming for her. Eliana and Malachi’s chemistry was 😮💨🔥 I loved them together on the pages!
I loved that the author wove comedic scenes in this book because there were a lot of heavy topics. So many secrets revealed some good and some for the worst! Overall I’m so glad we got to the HEA we deserved because I was nervous we wouldn’t at that 60% mark! I definitely recommend this book!
⚠️ SA of minor discussed, child neglect, manipulation, mental health issues, gun violence
Malachi was engaged to be married when a 13 yr old girl named Violet walks into his classroom claiming to be his daughter. Now how said 13 yr old got to Malachi was also a trip because baby Violet is lowkey a genius and all her moves to find her dad show that. Ziva, the fiancé, finding out this news acted a complete ass! Like what?!? Eliaina, Violet's mom finding her daughter left to go find her father was gutted as any mother would be! Her showing up at Malachi’s house to check Ziva and retrieve her daughter was the start of the fast pace love story of father and daughter and baby father and baby mother!
Ziva really got the short end of the stick and I feel a little terrible for her and all those who wronged her BUT she still was dead ass wrong and got what was coming for her. Eliana and Malachi’s chemistry was 😮💨🔥 I loved them together on the pages!
I loved that the author wove comedic scenes in this book because there were a lot of heavy topics. So many secrets revealed some good and some for the worst! Overall I’m so glad we got to the HEA we deserved because I was nervous we wouldn’t at that 60% mark! I definitely recommend this book!
⚠️ SA of minor discussed, child neglect, manipulation, mental health issues, gun violence
April 15, 2023
Malachi!!
It was the storyline, the character development, the dialogue and overall, a well written story. Tethered Love is such a cute read and I knew I was going to give it 5-stars before I even finished. Kimberly Nicole has a way with creating these fictional mens. (No typo); Gray, Simeon, Mitchell, Idris, Maverick, Thane and now Malachi. 😍 KB did an excellent job!
It was the storyline, the character development, the dialogue and overall, a well written story. Tethered Love is such a cute read and I knew I was going to give it 5-stars before I even finished. Kimberly Nicole has a way with creating these fictional mens. (No typo); Gray, Simeon, Mitchell, Idris, Maverick, Thane and now Malachi. 😍 KB did an excellent job!
May 2, 2023
Fated Love
This book started a little slow for me. I was like aww this is wholesome, but hell naw it was anything but...the drama was around the corner.
Malachi was such a sweet, calm, caring, and supportive man. He was a professor by day, but also a scientist that researched in his lab. I'm not sure how he got wrapped up in crazy Ziva, but he was getting older and eager to start a family. Ziva was a spoiled brat on the surface, she loved to be the center of attention and affection. Malachi had no problem with making her the center of his world. That was until an unexpected child threw a wrench in their plans. The evil, conniving, mean bi$#& that was bubbling below the surface reared her ugly head and Malachi was not here for it at all.
Malachi had always wanted to be a father and when a child from an old lover claims to be his, he can't help but go all in. He was so understanding when he had the right to be pissed. The way he handled missing years of his child Violet's life was honorable. He accepted her with open arms allowing her to gain a missing piece of her life. He vowed to protect her and that started with Ziva. After realizing she was not going to accept his child, he promptly moved on.
The unexpected love connection with Eliana, Violet's guardian was a bonus. This is where all of Malachi's BDE was put on display. He handled her with care, but he gave her the business in the bedroom. There relationship has its ups and downs as Ziva causes all types of drama. I was literally NOT ready for all the drama that ensued from Ziva's craziness. She was seriously off her rocker. If I'm honest it was a little much for me.
I was pleased with the sweet HEA ending for Malachi and Eliana and their sweet miracle.
This book started a little slow for me. I was like aww this is wholesome, but hell naw it was anything but...the drama was around the corner.
Malachi was such a sweet, calm, caring, and supportive man. He was a professor by day, but also a scientist that researched in his lab. I'm not sure how he got wrapped up in crazy Ziva, but he was getting older and eager to start a family. Ziva was a spoiled brat on the surface, she loved to be the center of attention and affection. Malachi had no problem with making her the center of his world. That was until an unexpected child threw a wrench in their plans. The evil, conniving, mean bi$#& that was bubbling below the surface reared her ugly head and Malachi was not here for it at all.
Malachi had always wanted to be a father and when a child from an old lover claims to be his, he can't help but go all in. He was so understanding when he had the right to be pissed. The way he handled missing years of his child Violet's life was honorable. He accepted her with open arms allowing her to gain a missing piece of her life. He vowed to protect her and that started with Ziva. After realizing she was not going to accept his child, he promptly moved on.
The unexpected love connection with Eliana, Violet's guardian was a bonus. This is where all of Malachi's BDE was put on display. He handled her with care, but he gave her the business in the bedroom. There relationship has its ups and downs as Ziva causes all types of drama. I was literally NOT ready for all the drama that ensued from Ziva's craziness. She was seriously off her rocker. If I'm honest it was a little much for me.
I was pleased with the sweet HEA ending for Malachi and Eliana and their sweet miracle.
April 17, 2023
Eliana x Malachi
This was such a good read. I've come to expect nothing less from KB. I've said this multiple times, but she is an amazing storyteller. Malachi was such a sweet, gentle soul. He loved hard and so fiercely. He's engaged to be married, he's thriving in his career, and everything is going great. But then, his past showed up in the form of a 13 yr old girl, Violet. And just like that, everything changes. Ziva, Malachi's fiancée, yea, her true colors started showing. She's a woman who's used to having things her way, and now, she's having a hard time accepting Violet in her fiance's life. Violet is a little firecracker little woman who cloned her mother's attitude. Life came hard at Eliana. From multiple miscarriages to becoming a widow to losing her best friend, to being a single parent to a feisty teenager, I don't know how she's so together.
Life brought her and Malachi together, but damn it, things got messy. In the most unimaginable way.
Ziva got done soo dirty. But, honestly, she didn't deserve none of what came at her. I just wanted to hug her. This was a really good read.
4.7⭐️
This was such a good read. I've come to expect nothing less from KB. I've said this multiple times, but she is an amazing storyteller. Malachi was such a sweet, gentle soul. He loved hard and so fiercely. He's engaged to be married, he's thriving in his career, and everything is going great. But then, his past showed up in the form of a 13 yr old girl, Violet. And just like that, everything changes. Ziva, Malachi's fiancée, yea, her true colors started showing. She's a woman who's used to having things her way, and now, she's having a hard time accepting Violet in her fiance's life. Violet is a little firecracker little woman who cloned her mother's attitude. Life came hard at Eliana. From multiple miscarriages to becoming a widow to losing her best friend, to being a single parent to a feisty teenager, I don't know how she's so together.
Life brought her and Malachi together, but damn it, things got messy. In the most unimaginable way.
Ziva got done soo dirty. But, honestly, she didn't deserve none of what came at her. I just wanted to hug her. This was a really good read.
4.7⭐️
January 23, 2024
What a stressful but equally entertaining book. The amount of time I would scream out loud, for the good parts and the not so good parts. It really needs to be turned into a movie expeditiously because whooowee chile, the drama, the comedic effect, it all played at my heart strings and Ms.Kimberly did exceptionally well with this. Read it immediately if you haven't yet even if you did, it's a good read.
August 27, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
I’m glad we got a HEA but I’m feeling horribly for Ziva. I did not expect that ending in regards to her. Everything went completely left.
I’m glad we got a HEA but I’m feeling horribly for Ziva. I did not expect that ending in regards to her. Everything went completely left.
May 1, 2023
This story was simply Beautiful.
August 24, 2023
Loved it!
February 14, 2024
Man.. this was a beautiful story. I think Kimberly Brown may find her way to one of my favorite romance authors this year.
A beautiful story about family, second chance at a new love, heartbreak, and more. The author had me feeling for every character, even the ex fiancée!
A beautiful story about family, second chance at a new love, heartbreak, and more. The author had me feeling for every character, even the ex fiancée!
April 23, 2023
a whirlwind
..of emotions. There’s so much to unpack from this story but I loved the first 20% of the story- it drew me in. Malachi was such an amazing man & father; he jumped in head first and took to Violet so easily. I was waiting for Eliana & Malachi to stop playing, the writing was on the wall that they would be more. Ziva was literally awful- I’m sorry, I know she had her issues but I didn’t like her at all. She was disrespectful from day one… I am glad the family, as a whole, got to their HEA. ❤️
..of emotions. There’s so much to unpack from this story but I loved the first 20% of the story- it drew me in. Malachi was such an amazing man & father; he jumped in head first and took to Violet so easily. I was waiting for Eliana & Malachi to stop playing, the writing was on the wall that they would be more. Ziva was literally awful- I’m sorry, I know she had her issues but I didn’t like her at all. She was disrespectful from day one… I am glad the family, as a whole, got to their HEA. ❤️
December 14, 2023
I loved this! This was written well and gave you what you needed. I was not thinking that Ziva was going to go out like that but I can see why. She was done wrong by her parents and that carried through her whole life. Just a mess with her. I love me some Eliana!! She me in another life! Lol You can not and will not play in her face! Malachi is a stand up raised correct man. He did what was needed and we all need a Malachi. I loved how this book didnt have him second guessing if he wanted to raise his child. He went in with his whole heart and both feet! When that love is right not even the devil can tell you it’s wrong.
August 18, 2025
Ziva is psycho and needed professional help. I’m sorry she was prayed on but the way she went about things with Malachi was disrespectful and disturbing.
Although Violet deserved the truth, she still deserved major discipline for going about how she did finding her father.
Malachi had his blinders on when it came to Ziva but once they were off he saw her true colors.
Eliana did her best to raise Violet while dealing with grief. She wasn’t looking for love but love found her.
Although Violet deserved the truth, she still deserved major discipline for going about how she did finding her father.
Malachi had his blinders on when it came to Ziva but once they were off he saw her true colors.
Eliana did her best to raise Violet while dealing with grief. She wasn’t looking for love but love found her.
April 28, 2023
very good read.
So happy everyone got the family they needed. The adults and kids overcame so much! I think this is the first time I didn’t want the angry ex to die. She just really needed help. Now the daddy and pedo needed to go
So happy everyone got the family they needed. The adults and kids overcame so much! I think this is the first time I didn’t want the angry ex to die. She just really needed help. Now the daddy and pedo needed to go
March 3, 2024
Whew there was so much to unpack with this story. One thing I can say is this author always takes me on a wild ride with her books
April 17, 2023
A good story
The cover was super dope and the story was too. I hoped Dr. Eliana would get a very happy ending, with all she endured. I love a smart kid or teen in a story, and Violet was top tier intelligent with a smart mouth too. I hoped with my fingers crossed that Eliana and Violet would find the love they both deserved with her father. The dramatic part Included Malachi and his loose cannon girlfriend Ziva. She was way out there. How did Malachi miss all of her antic? What I loved most were the moments with Violet and her dad. The added bonus included his family and her in-laws.
The cover was super dope and the story was too. I hoped Dr. Eliana would get a very happy ending, with all she endured. I love a smart kid or teen in a story, and Violet was top tier intelligent with a smart mouth too. I hoped with my fingers crossed that Eliana and Violet would find the love they both deserved with her father. The dramatic part Included Malachi and his loose cannon girlfriend Ziva. She was way out there. How did Malachi miss all of her antic? What I loved most were the moments with Violet and her dad. The added bonus included his family and her in-laws.
February 8, 2024
Someone shake me because WHAT THE FUCK😱
OMG i thought the trigger warnings prepared me for this shit but i can’t make this up I’m really impressed
Where do i start from?
This shit wasn’t written in first person POV and that’s my first red flag because it’s harder for me to connect with books like that but i didn’t mind it here… dare i say i even appreciated the 3 person writing?
Secondly, the concept of best friend ex is where i draw the line sometimes… for the life of me I’m not for that shit but I’m guessing you know i didn’t care at the end.
I love that the Author told us before hand that the story won’t be heavily focused on the romance.. it had a lot of elements from single parents to mental health to miscarriage to grief to gifted children and all the topics were handled so well.
IMPRESSIVE!
This is the first time I’m reading from the Author and i guess it’s safe to say I’ll be back.
OMG i thought the trigger warnings prepared me for this shit but i can’t make this up I’m really impressed
Where do i start from?
This shit wasn’t written in first person POV and that’s my first red flag because it’s harder for me to connect with books like that but i didn’t mind it here… dare i say i even appreciated the 3 person writing?
Secondly, the concept of best friend ex is where i draw the line sometimes… for the life of me I’m not for that shit but I’m guessing you know i didn’t care at the end.
I love that the Author told us before hand that the story won’t be heavily focused on the romance.. it had a lot of elements from single parents to mental health to miscarriage to grief to gifted children and all the topics were handled so well.
IMPRESSIVE!
This is the first time I’m reading from the Author and i guess it’s safe to say I’ll be back.
April 17, 2023
Drama!
This was so drama filled. Good and bad. But I enjoyed the ride this family went on for their journey to completion. Violet needed a lot more discipline, in my opinion. And between Malachi and Eliana, whew, they about wore me out. I never felt bad for Ziva, because there is no excuse to being a terrible person. She made a choice to be no better than her parents. This book took me through it. The families are amazing. Especially Elle's in laws. I adore them. I believe Easton is my favorite character in this book. I hope he has a good happy and healthy future and finds love outside of his Devereax family.
This was so drama filled. Good and bad. But I enjoyed the ride this family went on for their journey to completion. Violet needed a lot more discipline, in my opinion. And between Malachi and Eliana, whew, they about wore me out. I never felt bad for Ziva, because there is no excuse to being a terrible person. She made a choice to be no better than her parents. This book took me through it. The families are amazing. Especially Elle's in laws. I adore them. I believe Easton is my favorite character in this book. I hope he has a good happy and healthy future and finds love outside of his Devereax family.
May 1, 2023
Ties that tether
I need more and more and more of this family! Malachi & Eliana were the sweetest couple. Loved the slow burn.
I’ll keep it brief, yet as much as I was waiting on more from Ziva, I just couldn’t feel bad for her. I hate that her son Easton had to endure all he did. We definitely need more on him bc he seems like a solid young man.
I absolutely loved that even though Elianas husband passed, that she still kept a strong bond with his parents. The 3 families that Violet now has was such a beautiful thing to read about.
There were so many nuances to this story that I couldn’t get enough.
Highly recommend. KB doesn’t miss.
I need more and more and more of this family! Malachi & Eliana were the sweetest couple. Loved the slow burn.
I’ll keep it brief, yet as much as I was waiting on more from Ziva, I just couldn’t feel bad for her. I hate that her son Easton had to endure all he did. We definitely need more on him bc he seems like a solid young man.
I absolutely loved that even though Elianas husband passed, that she still kept a strong bond with his parents. The 3 families that Violet now has was such a beautiful thing to read about.
There were so many nuances to this story that I couldn’t get enough.
Highly recommend. KB doesn’t miss.
April 17, 2023
This book was so good OMG Ms. Brown did that. Now normally I wouldn’t read a book where all the characters POV is given, but this book was written so well everything flowed so smoothly. I loved the story line, character development, parenting styles and so much more. Malachi Malachi Malachi was such a sweet man omg I loved him so bad. Overall this was a great read 🫶🏾
September 15, 2024
I started this book late last night and finished it today. This story had me hooked from the first sentence. Wow, what a fantastic story about love. Although it's considered a romance story, this compelling story is so much more than romance. I loved Malachi, I loved Eliana and how they loved their daughter Violet. I loved their families and friends.
July 26, 2023
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this mind blowing and shocking roller coaster ride!
Eliana and her husband shared six miscarriages, and then he was killed in the line of duty. Next, her best friend died in childbirth. Yet in the middle of all of this death and sadness, Eliana became the mother to Violet, her deceased best friend's baby girl.
However, the story is just beginning. Violet is now 13 going on 30. That child has a mouth on her. lol!!!! She is a brilliant computer whiz who is determined to find her "real"father, and she does!
But she also finds that not everyone is happy to discover she even exists. Malachi is thrilled to meet his daughter. But Ziva, his intended wife, is not. What an evil and vile woman she is, BUT the reasons why, are heartbreaking!
Awesome Story!
Eliana and her husband shared six miscarriages, and then he was killed in the line of duty. Next, her best friend died in childbirth. Yet in the middle of all of this death and sadness, Eliana became the mother to Violet, her deceased best friend's baby girl.
However, the story is just beginning. Violet is now 13 going on 30. That child has a mouth on her. lol!!!! She is a brilliant computer whiz who is determined to find her "real"father, and she does!
But she also finds that not everyone is happy to discover she even exists. Malachi is thrilled to meet his daughter. But Ziva, his intended wife, is not. What an evil and vile woman she is, BUT the reasons why, are heartbreaking!
Awesome Story!
January 12, 2025
Eliana Barlow, a wife, and mother to Violet. Eliana has had 6 miscarriages, her best friend Porchea, passed away during Child Birth due to Heart Disease, she made Eliana promise that she would take care of her daughter Violet and take on the responsiblity of being her mother. 2 years later, Eliana's husband passes away, and she has to raise her daughter alone.
Fast forward, Violet is now a smart teenage girl who realizes that the most valuable piece to her puzzle is missing, her father, she hacks the computer, take off to another city to locate her dad, she shows up to his class and there he is, Mr.
Malachi Devereaux, her father. Malachi who is currently engaged to Ziva, but realizes she doesn't want any children and he realizes that Ziva isn't the person he wants to be with.
Malahi calls off the wedding and is determined to be the father he has dreamed of being to Violet, since he lost out on 13 years of her ife.
Not only is Ziva pissed about Malachi spending time with Violet, but she also has a dark past that only the Judge who is her daddy, Easton, her Therapist, and her Easton's dad.
Several people will come to the mercy of Ziva based on the trauma that eaten her alive since the birth of Easton.
The emotional trauma this lady went through, had me in my feelings for real. trauma is real and how it affects a person is not the same for everyone.
Coming from a background of Counseling and Clinical, l've seen a lot of patients with trauma.
This book has several triggers, so govern yourself accordingly:
Loss of Spouse, Pregnancy Loss, Heart Disease, Maternal Mortality, Sucide, Murder, Alcoholism, and Verbal Abuse
5/5
Great Plot Twist - I thought I had it figured out!
"You can't keep covering Bullet Holes with Band-Aids"
Fast forward, Violet is now a smart teenage girl who realizes that the most valuable piece to her puzzle is missing, her father, she hacks the computer, take off to another city to locate her dad, she shows up to his class and there he is, Mr.
Malachi Devereaux, her father. Malachi who is currently engaged to Ziva, but realizes she doesn't want any children and he realizes that Ziva isn't the person he wants to be with.
Malahi calls off the wedding and is determined to be the father he has dreamed of being to Violet, since he lost out on 13 years of her ife.
Not only is Ziva pissed about Malachi spending time with Violet, but she also has a dark past that only the Judge who is her daddy, Easton, her Therapist, and her Easton's dad.
Several people will come to the mercy of Ziva based on the trauma that eaten her alive since the birth of Easton.
The emotional trauma this lady went through, had me in my feelings for real. trauma is real and how it affects a person is not the same for everyone.
Coming from a background of Counseling and Clinical, l've seen a lot of patients with trauma.
This book has several triggers, so govern yourself accordingly:
Loss of Spouse, Pregnancy Loss, Heart Disease, Maternal Mortality, Sucide, Murder, Alcoholism, and Verbal Abuse
5/5
Great Plot Twist - I thought I had it figured out!
"You can't keep covering Bullet Holes with Band-Aids"
February 24, 2025
My bookish friend Toni posted this book a couple weeks ago and when I read her review, I had to read it!! And, yes, it was just as good as what she said! If we’re not giving/getting great book recs, what are we doing?!
Ok, so boom! To me, this is sort of a taboo/love triangle that blossom’s into something beautiful. Eliana and Malachi meet under some unexpected conditions. See, they have a bond between them that neither of them anticipated.
When they meet, the situation is haywire but quickly turns into the best possible scenario.
I’m trying not to go too much into detail as to not give the story away, but there is a lot of drama happening here!
All of the characters were well fleshed out and engaging! Each had their own unique style and background to make you want to know more. And when they’re thrust together? Even better! I loved how things worked out so well and organically and how much support they received from their extended family and friends.
But Eliana’s character was so good! I laughed every time she said “I like to fight”, because… periodT! 😂 She was ready for any and everybody who tried to undermine her with her child and play in her face. She was a great mother, and I’m so glad she didn’t hesitate to put Violet in her place whenever she crossed the line, which was often.
Even the cunning villain - Ziwa - had a story that made me want to know her more. I wish things had worked out differently!
Now, the thing that I had to give the side eye to was the ending. Unexpected, yes! Climatic? Yes! But it was just too much for my liking. The epilogue was oh so sweet!
This book was so good & juicy! It was everything I enjoy - romance, family, building relationships, and added drama to spice things up! The audiobook narration was really good too!
Ok, so boom! To me, this is sort of a taboo/love triangle that blossom’s into something beautiful. Eliana and Malachi meet under some unexpected conditions. See, they have a bond between them that neither of them anticipated.
When they meet, the situation is haywire but quickly turns into the best possible scenario.
I’m trying not to go too much into detail as to not give the story away, but there is a lot of drama happening here!
All of the characters were well fleshed out and engaging! Each had their own unique style and background to make you want to know more. And when they’re thrust together? Even better! I loved how things worked out so well and organically and how much support they received from their extended family and friends.
But Eliana’s character was so good! I laughed every time she said “I like to fight”, because… periodT! 😂 She was ready for any and everybody who tried to undermine her with her child and play in her face. She was a great mother, and I’m so glad she didn’t hesitate to put Violet in her place whenever she crossed the line, which was often.
Even the cunning villain - Ziwa - had a story that made me want to know her more. I wish things had worked out differently!
Now, the thing that I had to give the side eye to was the ending. Unexpected, yes! Climatic? Yes! But it was just too much for my liking. The epilogue was oh so sweet!
This book was so good & juicy! It was everything I enjoy - romance, family, building relationships, and added drama to spice things up! The audiobook narration was really good too!
Read
June 26, 2023DNF 3% in. I never DNF so fast. Very disappointing since I've read this author twice and both times were easy five stars.
Terrible beginning.
First Malachi talking about how raising a child that is not biological yours will never be the same.
Then this girl is basically saying she is lucky her best friend was able to conceive before she died and the baby is a gift to her because she is ''barren''.
2.5 lines later, another strike. So you guys are best friend and you dont tell her you've been battling an heart disease for ''a few years''. You didn't want to be a burden. You wait to be on your death bed, really?
There are multiple CW for this book. If they are all treated this poorly, I'd rater pass.
I read some reviews because I wanted to know if she miraculously got pregnant in the end and i didn't like what I found out.
Terrible beginning.
First Malachi talking about how raising a child that is not biological yours will never be the same.
Then this girl is basically saying she is lucky her best friend was able to conceive before she died and the baby is a gift to her because she is ''barren''.
2.5 lines later, another strike. So you guys are best friend and you dont tell her you've been battling an heart disease for ''a few years''. You didn't want to be a burden. You wait to be on your death bed, really?
There are multiple CW for this book. If they are all treated this poorly, I'd rater pass.
I read some reviews because I wanted to know if she miraculously got pregnant in the end and i didn't like what I found out.
April 23, 2023
man ol man, kimberly brown, you did it again girl
April 19, 2023
Tethered Love was basically a Lifetime drama movie that had so much happening. Eliana and her late husband took and raised her best friend’s newborn due to her friend dying in childbirth. Her friend never told her who the father was, and when Eliana’s husband died several years later, she was too buried in grief and raising Violet to track down any leads.
Meanwhile, several states away, Malachi is engaged to this crazy chick, Ziva. It’s obvious she’s in it for the wrong reasons, including pretending to want a child so he’ll marry her. Little does he know Ziva isn’t interested in anymore kids after having her son at 15.
Malachi is a professor/scientist at a university. Violet, the teenage hacker genius, somehow has tracked down her birth father using some of her mom’s old journals. Things start getting real good when she hops on a plane and shows up in his classroom, telling him he’s her father.
Y’all. This was a lot. I really loved Malachi and Violet’s relationship. You can tell that Violet just wanted to know where she came from, and it was mature that Eliana didn’t stand in the way of that.
Now Ziva? I needed someone to fight her one good time with the way she handled that entire situation. It’s easy to hate and sympathize with her character at the same time once you realize what she went through, but it didn’t give her the right to act up the way she did.
Now - this author has GOT TO GET AN EDITOR. I say this every time I review her books. At some points the heroine’s name was spelled wrong. Misspellings all over the place. Wrong word usage (example = saying “he loss it” when it should’ve been “he lost it”). And it didn’t help that the book was in 3rd POV. It’s disappointing because her stories have a lot of promise but if I can tally up the amount of mistakes I find, that lowkey ruins the story for me just a bit. Also, the cover didn’t really match the story.
Overall, the found family vibes were really sweet. Malachi and Eliana were perfect for each other, and always put Violet first. The epilogue was soooo cute, with them getting the HEA they deserved.
*note: the author states that this is not a traditional romance, but a dark romance since it doesn’t focus solely on the couple, but I can reassure you there is an HEA, and the only “dark” part about this was Ziva, how she acted, and what she went through in the past.
TROPES: black romance/OWN voices/BIPOC; romantic suspense-ish; found family; single mom; secret baby; doctor heroine; professor hero; full of drama; OW drama
TRIGGER WARNINGS (listed at beginning of book): miscarriage; death of a spouse; loss of life; on-page suicide (author lists the exact chapter); sexual manipulation of a minor (spoken about but does not happen on page)
Meanwhile, several states away, Malachi is engaged to this crazy chick, Ziva. It’s obvious she’s in it for the wrong reasons, including pretending to want a child so he’ll marry her. Little does he know Ziva isn’t interested in anymore kids after having her son at 15.
Malachi is a professor/scientist at a university. Violet, the teenage hacker genius, somehow has tracked down her birth father using some of her mom’s old journals. Things start getting real good when she hops on a plane and shows up in his classroom, telling him he’s her father.
Y’all. This was a lot. I really loved Malachi and Violet’s relationship. You can tell that Violet just wanted to know where she came from, and it was mature that Eliana didn’t stand in the way of that.
Now Ziva? I needed someone to fight her one good time with the way she handled that entire situation. It’s easy to hate and sympathize with her character at the same time once you realize what she went through, but it didn’t give her the right to act up the way she did.
Now - this author has GOT TO GET AN EDITOR. I say this every time I review her books. At some points the heroine’s name was spelled wrong. Misspellings all over the place. Wrong word usage (example = saying “he loss it” when it should’ve been “he lost it”). And it didn’t help that the book was in 3rd POV. It’s disappointing because her stories have a lot of promise but if I can tally up the amount of mistakes I find, that lowkey ruins the story for me just a bit. Also, the cover didn’t really match the story.
Overall, the found family vibes were really sweet. Malachi and Eliana were perfect for each other, and always put Violet first. The epilogue was soooo cute, with them getting the HEA they deserved.
*note: the author states that this is not a traditional romance, but a dark romance since it doesn’t focus solely on the couple, but I can reassure you there is an HEA, and the only “dark” part about this was Ziva, how she acted, and what she went through in the past.
TROPES: black romance/OWN voices/BIPOC; romantic suspense-ish; found family; single mom; secret baby; doctor heroine; professor hero; full of drama; OW drama
TRIGGER WARNINGS (listed at beginning of book): miscarriage; death of a spouse; loss of life; on-page suicide (author lists the exact chapter); sexual manipulation of a minor (spoken about but does not happen on page)
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