"The chances of coming home for the summer and falling in love with your ex-stepbrother and his best friends are low, but they're never zero." When Harlow Westbrook arrived back on Onyx Cove for the summer, she knew exactly what she to spend her days on the water and her nights in someone’s bed. She even made a bedroom bucket list of everything she wanted to experience. What she didn’t expect were the three men who offered to help her check everything off the list.
Rico Donovan, Soul Calloway and Christian Hughes have been her best friends all her life. They had no reason to set a trap and try to make her fall in love with them. Right?
She believed that until they asked for one thing in a date for every item they checked off.
It sounded simple enough at first, but as more time went on, the less Harlow cared about that bucket list and the more she craved a connection she didn’t know was possible. Will this summer turn into forever?
Right Side of Paradise is a cozy standalone why choose with fast-burn steam and a slice of life, small town feel. The book ends with an HEA
Shon did it AGAIN !! Shon poly couples be FREAKED OUT 🥵.
I honestly didn’t believe that she would be able to write another “why choose” polyamorous book but here she goes got me eating up this book. It’s amazing how she’s able to write these new characters with a new plot in a different way and it’s still being unique. I just love how in every relationship there’s always a dominant alpha man and Rico did it for me every time. Rico turned them all out he’s a problem.
This woman never misses!!!🔥. Yes, some parts felt a little too convenient, like life just aligned perfectly when it needed to ,but guess what? I still ate it up. Because the storytelling? The characters? The emotions? Yeah, she did what needed to be done.
What I love most is how every character felt necessary. No one faded into the background, they were all so different, so flawed, so human, and somehow each one mattered to the story in their own quiet or chaotic way. You know when you start loving all of them for completely different reasons? That was me the entire book.
I’m obsessed and will be thinking about this for a while. 4.4🌺
It was good and I only have one real issue that kept it from being a 5. I felt like we never got to know any of them forreal like outside of their love and figuring it out I didn’t feel connected to any of them. I also felt like it’s too many mouths for them to have been having all the communication gaps they were having. Overall very sweet, sexy and fun read
"Another One," as DJ Khalid would say. Shon is so damn good at these why choose novels. This one was paced perfectly. There was enough angst in the beginning, but she didn't make us wait too long for the action. I was worried that it would be too similar to her other books, but it wasn't. This book was a friends to lovers story. This quad had been friends for most of their lives and Harlow made the choice to cross the line with all of them. Almost nine years later they find themselves at a cross road...back together and still loving each other. Each character was beautiful and truly held their own.
Soul was sweet, thoughtful, and patient but also fearful of Harlow choosing to leave. Christian with his fine azz was quiet, observant, and passionate. Rico was dominant and I believe he set the tone of their relationship. The alpha is the similarity between the other books, there is always one looking to take care of everyone with his money and his heart, that was Rico. Harlow was their baby. I appreciated the way they all cherished her, and that she reciprocated their love.
This was sexy af, but it was almost tender as well. You could truly feel the love between them all.
Shon does not miss at all. This is proof of that because I couldn’t think of anything else but these 4 all day. The yearning in this book is so delicious and the way everyone is down bad ughhh I loved it. Honestly feel like I coulda spent more time with these folks. I thought Christian would be my favorite but honestly I love Soul and Rico just as much. This is absolutely a book you should read.
Love, love, love!!! This was so good. I really enjoyed getting to know each character individually and seeing their histories with the FMC. This book was perfect, low angst, spicy, and so easy to devour. I can definitely see myself rereading it soon.
Looks like a cupcake…will put you through the mattress!
Don’t let the book cover fool you, because it’s a nasty good time going on in those pages! When Harlow goes back to her hometown for the summer, she never imagined the three men closest to her would be eager to help her work through her spicy bucket list. What starts as a carefree summer fling soon turns into something deeper than any of them expected.
Shon is the GOAT when it comes to writing poly/why-choose romances. Her characters are so well-crafted that you can’t help but fall for each of them. She goes beyond the heat, digging into their chemistry, dreams, and even their vulnerabilities.
If you’re after a feel-good, low-angst read that’s full of passion, spice, and genuine connection, this book is an absolute must-read.
marking this as read because i was able to get a copy of the bonus scenes for right side of paradise. 'slice of paradise' included a delicious scene where the roles were reversed between soul & harlow. 🤫 that's on my 'fuck it' list. it also included a particular steamy bit of phone sex between the 4 lovers, which i enjoyed very much! 4.5 stars along with the regular edition of the book! ⭐️
from bliss peak to onyx cove, shon has yet again written a queer, romantic & deliciously smutty small town romance.
rico, the pleaser & protector. soul, the gentle lover with godly hands (in all ways). christian, the provider of safety & stability.
they were all so perfect in their own little ways. this was peaceful, low angst, and most definitely not safe for work. the way shon manages to capture 4 different personalities that mesh so well with undeniably chemistry is, chef's kiss.
i managed to score the slice of life bonus scenes for $0, first 500 readers to use the code mentioned in the book get those scenes FREE!!
this was yet another reason for me to be confused about whether or not i should practice ethical non-monogamy & become part of my own polycule/quad. 🤭🫰🏽❤️
4.25 🌟 Shon is the GOAT of “Why Choose” multiple MMCs with one FMC / reverse harem Black romances!!! And I would even say Shon is the pioneer of cozy erotica because all the spice was done so tastefully (if you can believe that's even possible) ‘cause even with it being eXXXtra spicy, it was never raunchy imo. Plus I enjoy my erotica best when it's accompanied by an engaging plot, and Shon delivers that EVERY SINGLE TIME!
I liked all the MCs in this polycule / quad with Rico and Soul being my favorites because they both exuded BDE in their own unique ways; Rico more aggressive, Soul more gentle. Harlow's “F*ck-It” List was very eye-opening and dare I say, I learned a thing or three lol! And I never imagined someone losing their virginity the way Harlow did, but I ain't mad at it; tbh, I'm more jealous than anything because I wish I wasn't so sexually closed-minded growing up... But that's a convo for another day and another app haha.
All I need to say was a TIME was had, you hear me! This is the epitome of AND the blueprint for a Black woman being loved properly (× 3) and being extremely satisfied sexually, physically, emotionally, and mentally imo. Shon is creating fictional towns along the East Coast that I wish really existed, especially during my late teens and early twenties, because Onyx Cove or Bliss Peak would easily have been one of the places I chose to put down roots! 🙌🏾 IYKYK!!!
Shon just has this special way of writing the freakiest romance scenes you’ve ever read, while also including the sweetest most intimate moments between her characters. She’s def solidified herself in the mount Rushmore of why chose for me w this one. It was sooooo good ☺️💕
If you’re one of those people who think bisexuals are greedy you should stay far away from this book. Because thats exactly what this is, it’s a story about greedy self centering indulgence. These people are , insatiable. They have everything and aren’t afraid to ask for more. More protection , more support, more touch, more attention and more affirming soul deep love. I wanted to crawl inside this book and live in this world. I wanted to buy a physical copy and make an alter of the pages lol. And I’m ready a lot of stories like that lately and I love that for me. Which is the best kind of smut. This is a story for the Black romance why choose loving , polyamory seeking, sword crossing freaks. So basically it’s the bookish equivalent of catnap for me personally. The other thing I liked about this book is that I didn’t have a favorite MMC which always a highlight for me, cause like, it’s a why choose I don’t want to be able to do without one of the mains. And because I loved them all I want like updates about how they’re doing. That’s how I know I really love a character. I think Shon struck a better balance with this quad than her first one. It seems to me like she’s getting more comfortable and exploring more with her mm characters and sexy time. And she’s including more humor all of which are elevating already solid writing. The one thing that I didn’t see coming but should have because this book was basically fairytale level fiction was the mom and all good fairytales have mom’s who are doing the most for no reason.
One thing about Shon, she knows how to write a why choose romance and you ARE going to fall in love with each Character.. I love every second of them!!!! 😍😍👏🏽!!! Harlow , Christian , Rico & Soul!!! My my my!
It was enjoyable for sure. The author does a good job with bringing everyone together.
I just wish that she’d write “different” MMC & MFC’s from a previous poly books. They all seem to have the exact same personality.
There’s no distinction whatsoever between the books characters.
Now, the trigger warning says it’s erotica, so there’s not much story to the book. I was a little disappointed, but I knew what I was in for before reading it. Granted I preordered, so I didn’t know beforehand. If I hadn’t, I may not have read it.
There aren’t any true descriptions of anyone’s features at all. Your mind can conjure up whatever you want.
FYI - you have to pay for the extended epilogue. That was a first for me. I didn’t do it out of principle. Like, damn - I bought the book already and now you want half the price of the book for 30 pages? It’s a no for me.
4⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ FORBIDDEN romance😩 four POVs😌 FRIENDS to Lovers😊 Why choose/MMMF/Polycule✅ Interchangeable dominance✅ Interconnected soul ties/soulmates✅ Sexual awakening ✅ ***Please check your trigger warning before reading this book*** to me. This book was like a comfort read. I don’t know if it was because of the chemistry between all of the MC’s, but it was hard to stop reading this. I can’t say that I connected more with the MMCs than the FMC. Harlow really wasn’t my favorite. I like that the author wrote vulnerability and fluidity between the male characters because lots of times it’s overlooked in MM romance. All of these men are possessive as fuck. 💗 Soul (Leo) physical touch, love language for sure, levelheaded, he’s the peace and refuge for this friend group (helped Harlow take out her hair when she got an allergic reaction and was just honored that she chose him to help in her time of need😭) 🥺 Christian (Gemini) very quiet, introverted, and I would like to say curious problem solver (helped her at nine years old. Get rid of her fear of reading in front of the class by giving up his teddy bear that his parents gave him before they left out of town 🫠) codependent, need security 😘 Rico (Gemini) Dominate lover boy (freaky), rough around the edges, provider (he literally has her name tattooed on his face and a credit card just for her before they crossed the line and became intimate)
Harlow(Gemini)- shy, introverted, words of affirmation
Right Side of Paradise feels like the relief and peace of coming home. It reminds of when I’m on a plane and I can finally see my beautiful, little island, Jamaica, come into view. The novels feels like a warm summer’s day with an ocean breeze. It feels like adventure.
Harlow returns home for the summer looking to fulfill her “summer bucket list”. What she finds is more than she expected but everything she’s yearned for. We see Harlow explore connections she once thought were forbidden. We see her blossom and in turn we see everyone in her world bloom.
Right Side of Paradise is a touching novel packed with spice, intimacy, love and devotion. In true Shon fashion, this “why choose” novel makes you explore the complexities of love. This erotic, deeply nuanced story is 5 ⭐️read for anyone who enjoys the following tropes:
Forbidden romance Small town love Hometown love HEA Childhood friends to lovers MMMF Bucket List/Challenge Forced proximity Why Choose?
Just when you think, Shon can't possibly write another poly book and make it unique... She proves you wrong. Harlow, Rico, Soul and Christian give it their all in this book. You get friends to lovers, forbidden romance, you get their vulnerabilities, insecurities, and you get acceptance as well as an unexpected hater. I loved that you got everyone's POV, I liked the awakening that Christian finds and doesn't question too much, and I absolutely loved that all of them were so focused on the other's happiness and making sure each other were good. There's humor, love, friendship, and spice that hits you with the unexpectedness of a scotch bonnet. Happy Reading Y'all!💋
One thing about Ms. Shon is that she can write the hell out of a Why Chose book! My goodness I ate this book UP!!! I loved how the guys loved HARLEY DOWN!!! I couldn't stand her mom, like damn just because things didn't work out for you, didn't mean you had to down your child. (Plus, what she said to Harley, would made me forget she was my damn mama.) Other than that, I had to make sure I was in my room reading this, but my goodness the sex scenes, SPICY!!! I think my favorite out of all of them has to be Rico. Besides Harley, he was for sure the glue. I would love to read more about them.
Right Side of Paradise had me in a chokehold from page one. Harlow thought she was coming back to Onyx Cove for a hot girl summer and a bucket list, but baby… Rico, Soul, and Christian had other plans.
They were supposed to be the safe, childhood friends. Instead, the chemistry was so loud I was side-eyeing my Kindle like girl, you better not fall… oh wait too late. It was messy, magnetic, and way too tempting to look away.
And listen, this book wasn’t just giving spice it was giving connection, trust, and that “what if” kind of love that sneaks up on you. They didn’t just check off her list, they straight up rewrote it.
It was bold, swoony, chaotic, tender… and had me questioning if maybe I could handle a poly relationship after all.
girl you did it again! Shon is for sure my go to for why choose. these 4 🥹 their love story evolving over the length of a full summer was so beautiful to watch. i love how your MMCs can be so masculine and sexy while still so sensitive and aware of themselves and how deep their love goes. each individual character’s growth made their collect love story that much sweeter. 5⭐️!
5 ⭐️ & 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5. OMG, Shon can do no wrong in my book (see what I did there? Lol) I thought I was in love with Bliss Peak and then ‘BAM’ here comes Onyx Cove. This RH (Reverse Harem for the uninitiated, welcome to the dark side) follows four childhood friends who finally decides to stop pretending and start feeling. And whew, do they feel. I couldn’t put this book down. And when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it.
If you love a spicy, swoony, small-town romance with all the feels and all the heat, this is your next read. Shon once again **chef kiss 💋 **
Also, I absolutely LOVED the epilogue. So many times I’m left to wonder what happens and it was nice to get the closure.
this popped up on my KU suggestions, so i figured why not! and it was pretty good! i just wish there had been more depth to the characters outside of the relationship itself. you don’t really get to know them as individuals, just within their relationship which makes the character development feel a little flat! but still entertaining!
Okay Author Shon I see you 👀….. I wasn’t disappointed but I sure was caught up in this novel lawwwd they was not playing 😂. Yall won’t be sad at all about this book enjoy it because I know I was highly entertained 🫢
Absolutely adored this book! Harlow, Rico, Soul & Christian loving each other in the most wholesome way. Christian is my favorite of them all. His character development was amazing. I’m sucker for a cinnamon roll mmc. 🧸
really enjoyed the romance BUT the fmc was hard to grasp for me as a character. i couldn't tell you more than two character traits 😭 and the ending felt rushed as well, unfortunately. nonetheless, SHON writes poly-romances very well and i had fun reading this!