What do you think?
Rate this book
Sweet Sunsets: An African American Romance Standalone
Brandi loves the little library in town, but when a new librarian tells her she owes fines she knows she doesn’t owe, things get interesting.
Brandi never felt embarrassed before when checking out her romance novels because the kind, elderly librarian lady always made her feel at ease. But when the new, dreamy librarian, Chris, calls her out for owing overdue book fines, she realizes he can see everything she’s read. She tells him she’s sure she doesn’t owe anything, and when he double-checks the system, he sees she’s right. Feeling bad for him, she offers to help – after all, she’s such a bookworm that she knows the library like the back of her hand. He accepts her offer to volunteer, and she learns he’s in town filling in for the librarian, his sick grandmother. Sparks begin to fly, and Brandi wonders if he’s planning on sticking around or if he’s just passing through.
Chris just returned to Sweetgum after living in California for years, where he went to school and finished an intensive Ph.D. program. He’s glad to be home and unsure of what he wants to do next in life or if he even wants to stay in the small town. For now, he’s helping his grandmother run the library while she isn’t feeling well. But, when Brandi walks into the library and his life, it starts to feel like home. Will his wandering spirit calm enough for him to put down roots, or will he continue to look elsewhere for the fulfillment he seeks?
This is a sweet romance standalone set in the town of Sweetgum Meadows.
Brandi never felt embarrassed before when checking out her romance novels because the kind, elderly librarian lady always made her feel at ease. But when the new, dreamy librarian, Chris, calls her out for owing overdue book fines, she realizes he can see everything she’s read. She tells him she’s sure she doesn’t owe anything, and when he double-checks the system, he sees she’s right. Feeling bad for him, she offers to help – after all, she’s such a bookworm that she knows the library like the back of her hand. He accepts her offer to volunteer, and she learns he’s in town filling in for the librarian, his sick grandmother. Sparks begin to fly, and Brandi wonders if he’s planning on sticking around or if he’s just passing through.
Chris just returned to Sweetgum after living in California for years, where he went to school and finished an intensive Ph.D. program. He’s glad to be home and unsure of what he wants to do next in life or if he even wants to stay in the small town. For now, he’s helping his grandmother run the library while she isn’t feeling well. But, when Brandi walks into the library and his life, it starts to feel like home. Will his wandering spirit calm enough for him to put down roots, or will he continue to look elsewhere for the fulfillment he seeks?
This is a sweet romance standalone set in the town of Sweetgum Meadows.
- GenresRomance
168 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2025
27 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Imani Price
22 books11 followersClick the 'Follow' button to be notified of Imani's new releases! Imani Price has always loved to read exciting books filled with love, friendship, and excitement! Drawing from her own experiences as an African-American woman, Imani crafts powerful stories that resonate deeply. Growing up, she craved characters she could recognize and connect with. Now, she seeks to provide that very representation, populating her novels with characters of color who lead passionate and romantic lives.
When she's not immersed in creating tales of love and friendship, Imani can be spotted savoring the picturesque vibes of Georgia's mountainous landscapes with her husband and their steadfast German Shepherd, Bounty. An enthusiastic explorer of the great outdoors, the breathtaking vistas of the Georgia mountains fuel Imani's imagination and creativity. With each new book, she aspires to further diversify the romance genre, vividly encapsulating the emotions, triumphs, and challenges of black love.
Currently residing near the beautiful mountains of Georgia, Imani is always engrossed in crafting her next tale. She welcomes readers to delve into worlds where love's power, enduring friendships, and transformative personal journeys intertwine.
For those seeking a heartwarming story told through a familiar yet refreshing lens, journey into Imani's world.
When she's not immersed in creating tales of love and friendship, Imani can be spotted savoring the picturesque vibes of Georgia's mountainous landscapes with her husband and their steadfast German Shepherd, Bounty. An enthusiastic explorer of the great outdoors, the breathtaking vistas of the Georgia mountains fuel Imani's imagination and creativity. With each new book, she aspires to further diversify the romance genre, vividly encapsulating the emotions, triumphs, and challenges of black love.
Currently residing near the beautiful mountains of Georgia, Imani is always engrossed in crafting her next tale. She welcomes readers to delve into worlds where love's power, enduring friendships, and transformative personal journeys intertwine.
For those seeking a heartwarming story told through a familiar yet refreshing lens, journey into Imani's world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 30, 2023
A Sugary Sweet Story
I enjoyed this sexless love story immensely and it surprised me too. A small town librarian solicited her grandson to run the library in her absence. She was faking, it was a ploy to get him to stay. His grand was matchmaking. The match she chose was a day care owner with the cutest personality. I actually enjoyed this story, even without the intimate acts.
I enjoyed this sexless love story immensely and it surprised me too. A small town librarian solicited her grandson to run the library in her absence. She was faking, it was a ploy to get him to stay. His grand was matchmaking. The match she chose was a day care owner with the cutest personality. I actually enjoyed this story, even without the intimate acts.
May 8, 2025
★★★½ | Sweet, Cozy, and Perfect for a Relaxing Read.
Sweet Sunsets is a charming small-town romance with a bookish twist. Brandi and Chris's slow-burn connection, set against the cozy backdrop of Sweetgum Meadows, is endearing and heartfelt. While the pacing feels uneven at times, the warm atmosphere and sincere chemistry make it a delightful read for fans of light, feel-good romances.
Sweet Sunsets is a charming small-town romance with a bookish twist. Brandi and Chris's slow-burn connection, set against the cozy backdrop of Sweetgum Meadows, is endearing and heartfelt. While the pacing feels uneven at times, the warm atmosphere and sincere chemistry make it a delightful read for fans of light, feel-good romances.
March 22, 2023
Similar to Kim's bad date in Book 1 of the Sweetgum Meadows series, we immediately learn how Brandi (heroine) deals with conflict before she meets Chris (hero) because of a descriptive scene in which she must interact with a "domineering" mother of a new student at the daycare that she leads. While reading this book, I was also reading a self-help/psychology book titled "Don't Be So Defensive", so I could diagnose Brandi's confrontation style right away as "passively avoidant" with this parent. The Bible would call her style "gracious" (good!), but she needs to add some "salt" for seasoning (her assistants correctly called her "too nice")! So it wasn't surprising that this difficult mother took advantage of Brandi's kindness.
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. - Colossians 4:6 (New King James Version)
Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity. For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith. - Colossians 4:6 (The Passion Translation)
In my Early Child Development class, I learned that when dealing with parents, it's better to "err" on the side of grace because we can always add "salt" later. God would probably give Brandi an A- on how she initially handled this parent.
So I was totally caught off guard by how assertive - borderline aggressive! - she is with Chris during their first meeting, which involved correcting his mistake about her owing fines on her romance novels (a sweet-escape addiction for her). Not in her manner but in her ability to steer him in the direction that she wanted him to go - unlike with the "domineering" mother earlier in the day. It's a case of attraction at first sight on both sides! Both of them went a bit out of character with each other:
"Standing at the counter was a gorgeous woman he didn’t recognize. Her radiant brown skin was flawless, her eyes widening slightly as she caught sight of him and realized she was dealing with a stranger. She had the most intense brown eyes he’d ever seen. She gave a small smile as she lowered her gaze bashfully.
“H-hello,” she stuttered, biting her lip before her eyes darted around nervously. He was absolutely smitten.
“Hi, sorry to startle you, I’m Chris, Everly’s grandson.” He smiled, stretching out his hand. “She’s feeling under the weather, so I said I’d take over the library for a few days.”
“Oh, hi, Chris,” she said, extending her hand as he pushed the cart back behind the desk. He leaned over it, taking her hand firmly and shaking it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Brandi, your granny’s number one customer.”
“My role has been usurped,” he said, smiling at her.
“I’ve got some interlibrary loan holds to pick up,” she said, pulling out her library card and placing it on the desk. “They should be on the reserve shelf, in the back. Probably came in yesterday with the weekly delivery.”
“Number one customer, indeed.” He smirked, turning to the small room behind the desk and finding the shelf. “So, you a fellow librarian or a local enthusiast?”
“Both, in a way,” she said, watching him grab her books. “I love reading, always have. Been coming here since I was a child.”
“Same,” he said, turning to look at her again.
Chris nodded and glanced down at the screen after scanning her library card. Handing it back to her, he offered to bag up her books, but she refused, opening the bag hanging over her shoulder for him. After maneuvering all four in, he turned back to the screen, making sure everything was in order before he closed out the system. To his surprise, it said that Brandi owed some fines. At that moment, he was sorely tempted to wave them, allowing her to just have her current books without issue. However, he needed to be professional, realizing that he’d become entirely too enthralled by her charms. He needed to be fair to everyone who used the library and returned their books on time.
“Brandi, I’m sorry but the system says you have late fees,” he explains, pointing to the screen. “You can have your holds as soon as you pay for those.”
“What?” she asked her eyebrows rising in disbelief. “That’s impossible, I’ve never had a late return in my life. It must be a mistake.”
“It says you owe almost $ 15,” he insisted, pointing at the screen again. “It’s right here.”
“No, that’s impossible,” she reiterated, eyes narrowed as she glanced at the screen. “I come to the library several times a week, so there is no way I owe fines.”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” he said, becoming slightly frustrated at her stubbornness. “Look, it says you owe for all of these.”
“What? I was just here four days ago and took out new books. There is no way I owe. They are right there in the return bin!”
“Look, I’m only telling you what it says here on the screen,” he said tightly, unwilling to back down. “You owe for Rushing Waters Ranch, The Horseman’s Hat, Nights In Savannah, Terra’s Lover…”
Brandi’s face immediately flushed with embarrassment, the hot feeling there amplified by the sultry drawl of his Georgia accent as he read the titles. This handsome man wearing rectangular glasses that should have made him look nerdy, with his immaculate trimmed hair and his dark brown eyes, could see her reading history!
Of course, she’d noticed how handsome he was the second she walked in. Those dark eyes behind black frames accentuated the dark goatee and beard on his perfectly dark skin. He’d had a wide white smile and beautiful twinkling eyes. Brandi also noticed he was quite casually dressed, his tall wiry frame casting a shadow as he rubbed his hand across his very short, cropped hair. She had to concentrate on not fainting when he kept reading through her clearly romantic book selections.
“Wait, wait,” Brandi finally spoke, shaking her head as she came around the desk. She gently moved him to the side, anxious to get to the computer. She needed to get herself out of this embarrassing situation! His grandmother never judged her on her book choices and always made her feel at ease. She couldn’t believe that this stunning man was casually reading off her romance novel reading history.
“See,” she finally explained, pointing at the column of numbers. “This column is fines owed, this next one is the cost of the book itself, should it not be returned.”
“O-oh,” he said, his eyes wide at the screen behind his glasses. He squinted briefly before flushing with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything. This is only my first day using the system.”
“It’s all right, I’m very familiar with the system,” she said, trying to put him at ease. “I’ve spent weeks volunteering at the library over the years.”
“Then why does it show me that?” he groaned, shaking his head. “This system is a bit outdated, but I know granny would never be able to figure out the new system.”
___
After quickly getting on the same page about the error, these two are "joined together" in a mutual project - Mission: Upgrade Granny's Outdated Library System.
“She’s not a modern woman,” Brandi suggested, shrugging. “So, we’re just going to have to help her.”
“Oh?” he asked, looking surprised. “What do you mean by that?”
“You upgrade the systems and then you teach me how to run them,” she insisted, pointing at the computer. “I’ll take what you teach me and boil it down for granny in a way that will work for everyone.”
“You can do that?” he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
“I do it all the time for toddlers, I can do it for your granny,” she laughed, squeezing his arm. "How about this weekend you teach me, and I'll come up with a way to teach your granny?”
___
[Non-Spoiler Alert: early on, I began to suspect that Chris' Granny is much better at "organizing people" (matchmaking) than she is at organizing the local library's books on a computer...and so does Chris! 😉]
For me, "Sweet Sunsets" is more interesting than Book 1 of this series. As a library enthusiast/volunteer, former bookstore manager and person who has taken care of (way too many!) stubborn people's children (daycare volunteer, babysitter, summer camp counselor, Sunday school teacher, etc.), I can relate to Brandi's character a little bit too much...so Chris' initial reaction to her "stubbornness" was hitting too close for comfort (🤔😂), but I powered through and it's worth the effort because they both learn how to love (cooperate with!) each other.
The author's writing style reminds me of Beverly Jenkins because they both use an abundance of exposition to move the plot forward - in setting up scenes and in conversations between characters - and the character arcs make their love stories very realistic (which I prefer). So I would highly recommend Imani Price and this book to anyone who loves Beverly's books.
___
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. - Colossians 4:6 (New King James Version)
Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity. For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith. - Colossians 4:6 (The Passion Translation)
In my Early Child Development class, I learned that when dealing with parents, it's better to "err" on the side of grace because we can always add "salt" later. God would probably give Brandi an A- on how she initially handled this parent.
So I was totally caught off guard by how assertive - borderline aggressive! - she is with Chris during their first meeting, which involved correcting his mistake about her owing fines on her romance novels (a sweet-escape addiction for her). Not in her manner but in her ability to steer him in the direction that she wanted him to go - unlike with the "domineering" mother earlier in the day. It's a case of attraction at first sight on both sides! Both of them went a bit out of character with each other:
"Standing at the counter was a gorgeous woman he didn’t recognize. Her radiant brown skin was flawless, her eyes widening slightly as she caught sight of him and realized she was dealing with a stranger. She had the most intense brown eyes he’d ever seen. She gave a small smile as she lowered her gaze bashfully.
“H-hello,” she stuttered, biting her lip before her eyes darted around nervously. He was absolutely smitten.
“Hi, sorry to startle you, I’m Chris, Everly’s grandson.” He smiled, stretching out his hand. “She’s feeling under the weather, so I said I’d take over the library for a few days.”
“Oh, hi, Chris,” she said, extending her hand as he pushed the cart back behind the desk. He leaned over it, taking her hand firmly and shaking it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Brandi, your granny’s number one customer.”
“My role has been usurped,” he said, smiling at her.
“I’ve got some interlibrary loan holds to pick up,” she said, pulling out her library card and placing it on the desk. “They should be on the reserve shelf, in the back. Probably came in yesterday with the weekly delivery.”
“Number one customer, indeed.” He smirked, turning to the small room behind the desk and finding the shelf. “So, you a fellow librarian or a local enthusiast?”
“Both, in a way,” she said, watching him grab her books. “I love reading, always have. Been coming here since I was a child.”
“Same,” he said, turning to look at her again.
Chris nodded and glanced down at the screen after scanning her library card. Handing it back to her, he offered to bag up her books, but she refused, opening the bag hanging over her shoulder for him. After maneuvering all four in, he turned back to the screen, making sure everything was in order before he closed out the system. To his surprise, it said that Brandi owed some fines. At that moment, he was sorely tempted to wave them, allowing her to just have her current books without issue. However, he needed to be professional, realizing that he’d become entirely too enthralled by her charms. He needed to be fair to everyone who used the library and returned their books on time.
“Brandi, I’m sorry but the system says you have late fees,” he explains, pointing to the screen. “You can have your holds as soon as you pay for those.”
“What?” she asked her eyebrows rising in disbelief. “That’s impossible, I’ve never had a late return in my life. It must be a mistake.”
“It says you owe almost $ 15,” he insisted, pointing at the screen again. “It’s right here.”
“No, that’s impossible,” she reiterated, eyes narrowed as she glanced at the screen. “I come to the library several times a week, so there is no way I owe fines.”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” he said, becoming slightly frustrated at her stubbornness. “Look, it says you owe for all of these.”
“What? I was just here four days ago and took out new books. There is no way I owe. They are right there in the return bin!”
“Look, I’m only telling you what it says here on the screen,” he said tightly, unwilling to back down. “You owe for Rushing Waters Ranch, The Horseman’s Hat, Nights In Savannah, Terra’s Lover…”
Brandi’s face immediately flushed with embarrassment, the hot feeling there amplified by the sultry drawl of his Georgia accent as he read the titles. This handsome man wearing rectangular glasses that should have made him look nerdy, with his immaculate trimmed hair and his dark brown eyes, could see her reading history!
Of course, she’d noticed how handsome he was the second she walked in. Those dark eyes behind black frames accentuated the dark goatee and beard on his perfectly dark skin. He’d had a wide white smile and beautiful twinkling eyes. Brandi also noticed he was quite casually dressed, his tall wiry frame casting a shadow as he rubbed his hand across his very short, cropped hair. She had to concentrate on not fainting when he kept reading through her clearly romantic book selections.
“Wait, wait,” Brandi finally spoke, shaking her head as she came around the desk. She gently moved him to the side, anxious to get to the computer. She needed to get herself out of this embarrassing situation! His grandmother never judged her on her book choices and always made her feel at ease. She couldn’t believe that this stunning man was casually reading off her romance novel reading history.
“See,” she finally explained, pointing at the column of numbers. “This column is fines owed, this next one is the cost of the book itself, should it not be returned.”
“O-oh,” he said, his eyes wide at the screen behind his glasses. He squinted briefly before flushing with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything. This is only my first day using the system.”
“It’s all right, I’m very familiar with the system,” she said, trying to put him at ease. “I’ve spent weeks volunteering at the library over the years.”
“Then why does it show me that?” he groaned, shaking his head. “This system is a bit outdated, but I know granny would never be able to figure out the new system.”
___
After quickly getting on the same page about the error, these two are "joined together" in a mutual project - Mission: Upgrade Granny's Outdated Library System.
“She’s not a modern woman,” Brandi suggested, shrugging. “So, we’re just going to have to help her.”
“Oh?” he asked, looking surprised. “What do you mean by that?”
“You upgrade the systems and then you teach me how to run them,” she insisted, pointing at the computer. “I’ll take what you teach me and boil it down for granny in a way that will work for everyone.”
“You can do that?” he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
“I do it all the time for toddlers, I can do it for your granny,” she laughed, squeezing his arm. "How about this weekend you teach me, and I'll come up with a way to teach your granny?”
___
[Non-Spoiler Alert: early on, I began to suspect that Chris' Granny is much better at "organizing people" (matchmaking) than she is at organizing the local library's books on a computer...and so does Chris! 😉]
For me, "Sweet Sunsets" is more interesting than Book 1 of this series. As a library enthusiast/volunteer, former bookstore manager and person who has taken care of (way too many!) stubborn people's children (daycare volunteer, babysitter, summer camp counselor, Sunday school teacher, etc.), I can relate to Brandi's character a little bit too much...so Chris' initial reaction to her "stubbornness" was hitting too close for comfort (🤔😂), but I powered through and it's worth the effort because they both learn how to love (cooperate with!) each other.
The author's writing style reminds me of Beverly Jenkins because they both use an abundance of exposition to move the plot forward - in setting up scenes and in conversations between characters - and the character arcs make their love stories very realistic (which I prefer). So I would highly recommend Imani Price and this book to anyone who loves Beverly's books.
___
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 23, 2023
I received a copy of this book on Story Origin in exchange for an honest review.
I can relate to the heroine very well; I'm also living out my love life through the romance novels that I (sometimes) read. I loved this book. We need more books about wholesome African American love.
I can relate to the heroine very well; I'm also living out my love life through the romance novels that I (sometimes) read. I loved this book. We need more books about wholesome African American love.
March 6, 2023
sweet romance
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story follows Brandi and Chris. Brandi is a daycare teacher and Chris is home helping out at his Grandmother’s library. Brandi lives her love life through the romance books she reads excessively. She finds herself falling for Chris. This was a sweet romance with it being set up by Granny. The two couldn’t help but like each other because they were perfect for each other. I enjoyed the story and it was a quick read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story follows Brandi and Chris. Brandi is a daycare teacher and Chris is home helping out at his Grandmother’s library. Brandi lives her love life through the romance books she reads excessively. She finds herself falling for Chris. This was a sweet romance with it being set up by Granny. The two couldn’t help but like each other because they were perfect for each other. I enjoyed the story and it was a quick read.
March 5, 2023
Brandi and Chris - their love story is book worthy. They thought it started when they met at the library but they had someone on the inside trying to get them together. What a beautiful story of love – love of books, love of two young people and the love of family. This book is a good love story that I think anyone would enjoy.
January 28, 2024
Is there a romance category for geek or nerdy romances? If so Sweet Sunsets fits firmly in this category. This is the story of Brandi, a day care center director who in her spare is a romance novel addict/library enthusiast who falls for Chris, a newly minted Phd who is working temporarily as the town's librarian while his grandmother (who is the librarian) is out sick.
When I read the premise of the book, and saw that the meet-cute happens when Chris tells Brandi that she owes fines for overdue books. I snatched this book up thinking it was going to be a huge , funny argument. However, Brandi points out that Chris is wrong and doesn't know what he is doing. He then accepts her tutelage on how the outdated library system works. He rolled over quick. So I didn't get my big fight😔
This kept happening where Chris would have an idea and Brandi would say, no do it this way. He'd do it her way and be in awe of her. This was a problem I had with their dynamic. A Phd in History should not be out of his element in any kind of library/archival situation. He would know *way* more than an avid library user/volunteer which was the case with Brandi.
Thankfully, while I had an issue with Brandi always being right. I liked both of their characters and just the sweetness of the story overall. One night they notice it's snowing and run out to play🌨️🥰 They do alot of the Hallmark Channel romance wintertime things.
One thing about the story tho. I know this was a clean/sweet romance but they were in bed together a few times. I know the first time Chris said it would be a chaste cuddle thing, but when they were having the Dungeons and Dragons(again this is nerds falling in love😂) pillow talk I had the sense that they had been intimate, but I wasn't sure. As a romance reader, they don't have to have sex, but I *must* know if they did or didn't.
The main conflicts came from Chris's pending departure from the small town. He had recently earned his graduate degrees and his options would be better in a bigger city so there was the work vs love trope. Meanwhile Brandi was dealing with a problematic parent of one of her students.
Because she was always right LOL there was no conflict btw hero and heroine in this story. As the Vivian Green song goes....it was nothing but love.
Oh and this was a funny part of the book, Chris' grandma running around in her green track suit avoiding him--she had an agenda of course. That was a nice quirky touch to the story,
Overall this was a good book. I'm giving it 5 stars and I will definitely read the others in the series.
When I read the premise of the book, and saw that the meet-cute happens when Chris tells Brandi that she owes fines for overdue books. I snatched this book up thinking it was going to be a huge , funny argument. However, Brandi points out that Chris is wrong and doesn't know what he is doing. He then accepts her tutelage on how the outdated library system works. He rolled over quick. So I didn't get my big fight😔
This kept happening where Chris would have an idea and Brandi would say, no do it this way. He'd do it her way and be in awe of her. This was a problem I had with their dynamic. A Phd in History should not be out of his element in any kind of library/archival situation. He would know *way* more than an avid library user/volunteer which was the case with Brandi.
Thankfully, while I had an issue with Brandi always being right. I liked both of their characters and just the sweetness of the story overall. One night they notice it's snowing and run out to play🌨️🥰 They do alot of the Hallmark Channel romance wintertime things.
One thing about the story tho. I know this was a clean/sweet romance but they were in bed together a few times. I know the first time Chris said it would be a chaste cuddle thing, but when they were having the Dungeons and Dragons(again this is nerds falling in love😂) pillow talk I had the sense that they had been intimate, but I wasn't sure. As a romance reader, they don't have to have sex, but I *must* know if they did or didn't.
The main conflicts came from Chris's pending departure from the small town. He had recently earned his graduate degrees and his options would be better in a bigger city so there was the work vs love trope. Meanwhile Brandi was dealing with a problematic parent of one of her students.
Because she was always right LOL there was no conflict btw hero and heroine in this story. As the Vivian Green song goes....it was nothing but love.
Oh and this was a funny part of the book, Chris' grandma running around in her green track suit avoiding him--she had an agenda of course. That was a nice quirky touch to the story,
Overall this was a good book. I'm giving it 5 stars and I will definitely read the others in the series.
June 25, 2023
Slow and Easy
I have to admit that I really struggled with this slow and easy love story between Chris and Brandi. Their love for each other was slow and easy just like the town .
I found myself becoming very irritated with Brandi because of the way she dealt with little Grayson’s Mom. She was a real piece of work work and very overbearing 😡. I honestly felt like she took way to long to Address the issue which made her appear to be incompetent on her Job. As a retired teacher myself I was concerned that she felt like going to the woman home alone to talk about the problem was safe idea.
Chris came off as very young and inexperienced when it came to the things of romance, even though he had earned his P.H.D.
And spending time in California. I understood his reluctance to admit how he felt about Brandi because of thinking about eventually moving away from Sweetgum Meadows as soon as his grandmothers health improved. That was a story within itself 😂.
I really felt this book should have been 3.5 stars but it wasn’t so bad that it was a three so that why it received a 4. It’s my opinion that it wasn’t. As entertaining as book 1
I have to admit that I really struggled with this slow and easy love story between Chris and Brandi. Their love for each other was slow and easy just like the town .
I found myself becoming very irritated with Brandi because of the way she dealt with little Grayson’s Mom. She was a real piece of work work and very overbearing 😡. I honestly felt like she took way to long to Address the issue which made her appear to be incompetent on her Job. As a retired teacher myself I was concerned that she felt like going to the woman home alone to talk about the problem was safe idea.
Chris came off as very young and inexperienced when it came to the things of romance, even though he had earned his P.H.D.
And spending time in California. I understood his reluctance to admit how he felt about Brandi because of thinking about eventually moving away from Sweetgum Meadows as soon as his grandmothers health improved. That was a story within itself 😂.
I really felt this book should have been 3.5 stars but it wasn’t so bad that it was a three so that why it received a 4. It’s my opinion that it wasn’t. As entertaining as book 1
March 19, 2023
Imani Price has done it again with another sweet contemporary black love romance. And what better couple than a librarian and a bookworm/daycare teacher. This was such an enjoyable read. I loved these two characters together and how they interacted with each other. My favorite thing about the story was Brandy's growth. And of course you can't forget about the seniors in the story. They are a hot mess as well. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next book in the series.
I received a copy of the book via booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.
I received a copy of the book via booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.
March 16, 2023
This was a sweet and warm book. I loved all of the characters from beginning to the end. Without giving away any spoilers I do think the situation between Brandi and one of the parents at the Preschool that she works at was a little drawn out. I love that the main Chris and Brandi both found what they needed in each other in the end.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 25, 2025
I have just finished reading my second Imani Price's Sweetgum Meadows Romance books and can't wait to dive into the third book. So happy that I stumbled upon this Author. The sweet romance mixed with a little outside drama, makes these books the perfect reads.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews