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The Weight of Wanting You: A Contemporary African American Romance Novella
Some loves arrive slowly. Some loves arrive sacred. This one held her steady when everything else asked her to bend.
Sabine D’Arlais knows how to lead, how to polish, how to protect what she’s built. As a nonprofit executive in the heart of Chicago, she’s made a name for herself as strategic, composed, and always in control. But control is a lonely companion. And lately, it’s been harder to ignore the silence between wins.
Micah Arrington doesn’t ask for the spotlight. After walking away from the pulpit, he’s rebuilding his life through quiet work and quiet faith. His community center is steady. His peace is hard-won. But when Sabine steps into his world with guarded eyes and impossible grace, the steady begins to shift.
Their connection isn’t fast. It isn’t loud. But it’s immediate—and impossible to outrun. And when a public scandal tests everything Sabine thought she could keep separate, she must Is her image more sacred than the truth of who—and what—she wants?
The Weight of Wanting You is a deeply intimate, spiritually-rooted Black love story about choosing presence over performance, love over perception, and a slow-burning romance that feels more like healing than heat.
For fans of Kennedy Ryan, Tia Williams, Brit Bennett, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, this novel is perfect for readers who crave emotionally intelligent romance, nuanced character growth, and stories that feel like a long exhale.
If you’ve ever longed for a love that felt like home, this is the story you’ve been waiting for.
(This is a 10,000 word Romance Short Read)
______________________
Simone Monet writes soft, soulful Black love stories that are slow-burning, spiritually grounded, and rich with emotional truth—for women who know that love, when it's real, feels like coming home.
Sabine D’Arlais knows how to lead, how to polish, how to protect what she’s built. As a nonprofit executive in the heart of Chicago, she’s made a name for herself as strategic, composed, and always in control. But control is a lonely companion. And lately, it’s been harder to ignore the silence between wins.
Micah Arrington doesn’t ask for the spotlight. After walking away from the pulpit, he’s rebuilding his life through quiet work and quiet faith. His community center is steady. His peace is hard-won. But when Sabine steps into his world with guarded eyes and impossible grace, the steady begins to shift.
Their connection isn’t fast. It isn’t loud. But it’s immediate—and impossible to outrun. And when a public scandal tests everything Sabine thought she could keep separate, she must Is her image more sacred than the truth of who—and what—she wants?
The Weight of Wanting You is a deeply intimate, spiritually-rooted Black love story about choosing presence over performance, love over perception, and a slow-burning romance that feels more like healing than heat.
For fans of Kennedy Ryan, Tia Williams, Brit Bennett, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, this novel is perfect for readers who crave emotionally intelligent romance, nuanced character growth, and stories that feel like a long exhale.
If you’ve ever longed for a love that felt like home, this is the story you’ve been waiting for.
(This is a 10,000 word Romance Short Read)
______________________
Simone Monet writes soft, soulful Black love stories that are slow-burning, spiritually grounded, and rich with emotional truth—for women who know that love, when it's real, feels like coming home.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 30, 2025
10 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 18, 2025
If I may explain it, the weight of wanting you is written like a coded message and a lengthy poem. Very mysterious to me. Although there are no actual words said, it is implied that something is happening with the characters. Quite mature and unique from what I'm used to reading.
April 13, 2025
💕
There was something poetic and sensual about this story. There wasn’t a lot of words but the impact was felt. Like Sabine, we all deserve a love that is safe and secure.
There was something poetic and sensual about this story. There wasn’t a lot of words but the impact was felt. Like Sabine, we all deserve a love that is safe and secure.
September 13, 2025
Partnership
Accurate depiction of typical nonprofit bureaucracy ‼️However, what I appreciated most, the unspoken alliance between the two organizations managed by Sabine & Micah. The calculated approach of both characters Sabine & Micah’s & their response to internal scrutiny was absolutely brilliant‼️ “If this board would like to entertain the idea of asking for my resignation, I encourage you to do so. But be clear about what you’re actually asking. You’re not asking for propriety. You’re asking for control.”🤯…Sometimes, less is more‼️. Meanwhile, “The Weight of Wanting You…” was a fantastic read🤩. Equally prophetic, profound & prolific “The Weight of Wanting You: A Contemporary African American Romance Novella” was a classic representation of boardroom power struggles women executives endured within respective nonprofit & or corporate industries during professional careers 🥴‼️
“Then what are you here for?” …. “To be a witness. To stay when it’s not convenient. To love you in a way that doesn’t make you shrink.” 😍
“I used to think leadership meant speaking with certainty. Now I think it means listening with patience.”🧐
Accurate depiction of typical nonprofit bureaucracy ‼️However, what I appreciated most, the unspoken alliance between the two organizations managed by Sabine & Micah. The calculated approach of both characters Sabine & Micah’s & their response to internal scrutiny was absolutely brilliant‼️ “If this board would like to entertain the idea of asking for my resignation, I encourage you to do so. But be clear about what you’re actually asking. You’re not asking for propriety. You’re asking for control.”🤯…Sometimes, less is more‼️. Meanwhile, “The Weight of Wanting You…” was a fantastic read🤩. Equally prophetic, profound & prolific “The Weight of Wanting You: A Contemporary African American Romance Novella” was a classic representation of boardroom power struggles women executives endured within respective nonprofit & or corporate industries during professional careers 🥴‼️
“Then what are you here for?” …. “To be a witness. To stay when it’s not convenient. To love you in a way that doesn’t make you shrink.” 😍
“I used to think leadership meant speaking with certainty. Now I think it means listening with patience.”🧐
February 3, 2026
AI💔💔I bet £1000 this was written with AI. Seriously wtf. Once I picked up on the little AI giveaways, I realised how obvious it was.
Why I think it’s AI:
- The overuse of unnecessary em dashes
- AI often also uses a ‘Not this, but this’ sentence formula. And this book used that in basically every paragraph. FOR EXAMPLE:
‘They spent the evening in the quiet of Micah’s apartment.
No music. No Wine. No slow dancing under dim lights.
Just stillness.’
‘They didn't make an announcement.
There was no post, no email, no official update.
Sabine simply kept showing up—and so did Micah.’
‘Not to possess. Not to prove.
But to anchor them both in a truth that had taken its time—and now refused to be rushed.
It was not wild.
Not chaotic.
But it was full. And alive.
And it unfolded the way most holy things do.
Quietly.
Completely.
Without needing to be named.’
Such a shame.
Why I think it’s AI:
- The overuse of unnecessary em dashes
- AI often also uses a ‘Not this, but this’ sentence formula. And this book used that in basically every paragraph. FOR EXAMPLE:
‘They spent the evening in the quiet of Micah’s apartment.
No music. No Wine. No slow dancing under dim lights.
Just stillness.’
‘They didn't make an announcement.
There was no post, no email, no official update.
Sabine simply kept showing up—and so did Micah.’
‘Not to possess. Not to prove.
But to anchor them both in a truth that had taken its time—and now refused to be rushed.
It was not wild.
Not chaotic.
But it was full. And alive.
And it unfolded the way most holy things do.
Quietly.
Completely.
Without needing to be named.’
Such a shame.
January 8, 2026
E-book Review:
Tropes:
Slow Burn Romance
Spiritually Rooted Love
Emotional Healing
Faith & Identity
This story felt like a long, deep breath. The writing was subtle, poetic, and incredibly intentional—every word mattered. The romance unfolded gently, without spectacle, yet it carried so much emotional weight.
I was struck by how quiet this love was—and how powerful that quiet became. There was healing in the pauses, reverence in the restraint, and beauty in what wasn’t rushed. I’ve never read anything like this before, and it left a lasting impression. This may be my first Simone Monet book, but it certainly won’t be my last.
Tropes:
Slow Burn Romance
Spiritually Rooted Love
Emotional Healing
Faith & Identity
This story felt like a long, deep breath. The writing was subtle, poetic, and incredibly intentional—every word mattered. The romance unfolded gently, without spectacle, yet it carried so much emotional weight.
I was struck by how quiet this love was—and how powerful that quiet became. There was healing in the pauses, reverence in the restraint, and beauty in what wasn’t rushed. I’ve never read anything like this before, and it left a lasting impression. This may be my first Simone Monet book, but it certainly won’t be my last.
December 4, 2025
This was “Just”! Not great, just ok.
Not so inspiring, just boring as two deep ppl trying to navigate life.
Not so inspiring, just boring as two deep ppl trying to navigate life.
May 18, 2025
A very short and cute read, I do feel like it was a little too poetic and like we never really got a real idea or feel for our couple. Like yes I’m led to believe they were in love but idk we didn’t really get to experience the love in a way that was meaningful to me. Like even how the attraction is announced is just kinda like “There was something there” like uhh I need just a lil more. Will check out other books from the author because this wasn’t enough romance/ love for me lol I need my books a lil corny with more passion and connection. It felt like I was on the outside looking in but the glass is tinted and soundproof. Like I know something is happening but just not vividly enough for me.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews