*𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.75 (rounded to 4.0) ⭐
*𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 3.0 🌶️
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
🆀🆄🅸🅲🅺 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂
This was an overall good read.
I really really liked how the author touched on an issue that is a real problem in today’s American justice system. We see how, people, more times than not, black men, go to prison for crimes they did not commit. We often see these stories on tv, and we see the celebration of these men’s exoneration, but what happens after? Are these people ever able to transition back into society? How does the incarceration and the fight for freedom affect their family members. I loved that the author touched on all these points in this story. We see, through Roc, that though one may be physically free, they can still be mentally imprisoned and programs like Leah’s that help them in understanding and navigating the real world are so very important to help these men during their reintegration into society.
In addition, I found Roc and Leah to be quite likable. They meshed well and the beginning stage of their relationship, where they were just friends, was really fun. They had great banter and really encouraged each other (Leah reassuring Roc about his progress and encouraging him to be patient (I loved their scene in the park looking at the stars) and Roc making sure to lift up Leah, always telling her she is beautiful and doing a good job).
Overall, this was a good read and I would recommend it if you need a quick spicy romance (a little over 100 pages) that is fast-paced, with likeable main characters and an overall good plot.
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
⬇️ SOME SPOILERS MAY BE FOUND BELOW ⬇️
🅴🆇🆃🅴🅽🅳🅴🅳 🅳🅸🆂🅲🆄🆂🆂🅸🅾🅽/🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂
I do wish there was a bit more development of Roc and Leah’s relationship. Though their chemistry was believable and fiery, I just wish there was a bit more angst and/or yearning and more of a forbidden romance as it relates to the FMC and MMC. I say this because, when we think of it, the FMC is kind of in a place of authority (she is supposed to be his teacher and helping him in reintegrating into the outside world) so I wish both parties had a bit more internal dialogue about whether or not this relationship was what was best for them at the time. They moved pretty fast from the meeting each other phase to the love phase.
Also, I was a bit confused about why Roc didn’t really go try to have a relationship with his son sooner. At 62% into the story, we are still wondering why Roc hasn’t even contacted his son yet. This is a child you have not seen in 14 years. I understand making sure you are somewhat stable before going in fully, but there was no real conversation about the son…it was a little weird.
As it relates to the secondary plot points (re. April, Laron, Shonda, Leah’s relationship with her parents), there seemed to be the skeleton of a few storylines that promised to be really juicy, and drama filled but they never really paid off and were at times confusing. I wish there was more time spent on the development of Roc and Leah’s relationship instead.
🆆🅷🅰🆃 🆃🅾 🅴🆇🅿🅴🅲🆃
Workplace Romance
Black Love
Home From Prison x Reintegration
Meddling Parents
Curvy FMC
🅵🅰🆅🅾🆁🅸🆃🅴 🆀🆄🅾🆃🅴🆂/🆂🅰🆈🅸🅽🅶🆂
“When my lips met hers, something burst inside of my chest. I didn’t know if something was coming together or falling apart, but I didn’t care. I just knew I needed this.”
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* 𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝑳𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 5.0 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒆