Concrete & Cadence

by C.M. Barnes, Kenya Joyner (Editor)

Cadence Samuels has always believed in numbers, formulas, and solid foundations; after all, she's a Geotechnical Engineer who builds dams, not dreams. After too many dating disasters and lukewarm talking phases, she's officially done gambling with her heart. She's a pretty, nerdy, plus-sized woman who adores what she sees in the mirror, even if she's convinced love isn't in her calculations.

Enter Khalil "Concrete" Reed, the millionaire, playboy, and an award-winning rapper whose charisma and charm are as legendary as his chart-topping hits. He's vowed never to face hardship again after losing his mother tragically young, and now he has it money, fame, and an endless line of admirers. But when Cadence's best friend Nova drags her to Atlanta for Concrete's concert, the superstar is instantly captivated by the smart, sassy beauty in a vintage OutKast tee who's as quick with her wit as she is with her curves.

Concrete is determined to build something real with Cadence, but she's convinced their worlds are too far apart—a romance between them could only end in a catastrophic collision. Will Concrete's relentless pursuit and undeniable charm break down the carefully constructed dam around Cadence's heart, or will she calculate that love with him is just too great a risk?

A hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedy about love, vulnerability, and finding out that sometimes the best things in life aren't calculated, they just happen.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, African American Romance, Fiction, Music, Musicians, African American

295 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2025

Reviews

[Brittany]

Don’t be fooled by the cute ass cover lol. KC and CADENCE. This was toooo cute and KC was applying pressure. The yearning was there. The banter was there, the humor was there. The emotional maturity was there. This was goooood

[Cardi Blue]

I loved it!!! There’s 🌶️🌶️🌶️. Cadence deserved happiness. Concrete was a lil professional crash out. I need more!!! I can’t wait for the friend group stories.

[Keith Book Korner]

Awesome story

C.M. Has done it again.. It’s a very well told story with parts that will pull on your heart strings.. It has ups and downs and the funny moments that keep you locked in…

Keith Book Korner

[Lady]

Whew.

It's over.

Let me start off by saying this is a solid 3-star read. However, this story was a bit too long, and I mean long as in it FELT long because the story dragged.

I liked Cadence and Concrete but these two thirty-somethings were boring. I'm talking 'sit on the front porch swing all day and drink sweet tea while watching the cars drive by' boring. This couple literally had nothing going on 'TOGETHER'. Cadence is a geotechnical engineer. Concrete is an award-winning (per the synopsis, it was never stated in the story) rapper. Both are great at what they do, but TOGETHER? Yeah, it's a no for me dawg.

Cadence and Concrete jumped into a relationship and from there it seemed the main goal was for Cadence to have a baby. There was no getting-to-know-you stage. Yeah, he was patient, but they didn't do anything together except have sex, and that got boring after a while too. Didn't get one date night and barely got an "I love you" from either of them (near the end of the book), but they quickly became the social media 'It' couple. I feel the author got stuck in that zone and had them moving like a married couple that had been together for over forty years. The social media postings were cute at first then it got weird when the author started name-dropping celebrities near the end. Viola Davis? LOL stop playing with me. 🤣🤣🤣

The beginning of the epilogue was unnecessary (and overall, just too long). Why back track to a dream that was mentioned in the previous chapter? If it was important to the storyline, why not discuss it when it was first brought up? Honey, it's the epilogue. We're ready to land the plane, not circle the skies. We don't care about the dream at that point (or at all honestly 🤷🏾‍♀️). That added a good ten minutes to the end of the book for no reason.

[JBucky]

Concrete & Cadence ❤️ 💕 💗

3.5 ⭐️ This book was really cute 🥰! I loved Concrete & Cadence’s relationship, once it got there.

Although, the beginning of the book had me on the fence about continuing, I finished the book & wanted more on the back end about Concrete & Cadence!!

Either way, a book that makes me drop a tear is alright with me!!

“You are coming into a world that won’t always be easy. But you are also coming into a love that will never waver. We are not perfect, but we are present. We are healing in real time. We are building a legacy of softness, strength, laughter, and truth, and you are already part of it.”

[Monique]

I absolutely loved both Cadence & K.C. He almost fumbled her early on & she stood on business and demanded changed behavior before giving him a chance and he did that 10 fold. He was intentional in his pursuit of her. After that one little blip they just had the sweetest love story. It was warm & healing for the both of them. Also Ms Cadence was quick to tell somebody not to play in her face. And I loved that for her. I also enjoyed their friend group and look forward to reading more of their stories. I do wish we had some little update on Cadence’s family after the fall out and how her very public relationship with KC affected her career if at all. And there were a lot of moments that were told but not necessarily shown. However, even without this it was still a great book

[reading mom]

i wasn’t feeling this one at first but I am glad I gave it a shot! It turned out so good! Omg yes and yes!

[Ashanti Burton]

I really liked this. I loved that she was nerdy and he wanted to be apart of her world as her as her apart of his. Plus size fmc in STEM. Rapper mmc. They had minimal problems and a great bond. Their love was intentional. I couldn’t stand her parents. They had a lot of nerve. I will say certain things were missing for me personally but I still would recommend reading tho. It was a good time.

[Reader]

This book is one of the few books I DNF. It was boring. The entire storyline is how much concrete loves candence. That’s it. Nothing less and nothing more. So boring. And the spicy scenes were not good at all. I couldn’t finish it. I’m surprised how many 5 stars ratings this book has.

[Princess Queen]

I wanted more vengeance towards the mom.
That wasn’t enough.

I ‘m glad Cadence got her HEA.
The situation with Donovan was sooo random. like ??

Idk if I would read the rest of the series.

[Shameka Erby]

Khalil and Cadence

[Shawn M.]

This book is now one of my favorite books of all times. The way it took me through the entire emotion wheel. I cried at least 2 times and I’m not even mad about it.

Concrete was this sweet thug! Lmao he was smitten from first joke lol and he was adamant about not coming up off Miss Cadance. And I don’t blame him! My girl was a spit fire and wasn’t playing with nobody.

The way she read his Ex for filth! How she told her mama off finally!! Lord my girl was out here letting me everybody have it lol even Concrete.

This was a beautiful story truly and I’m so in love with it. From the beginning to end every words was amazing!!! I love it! Everyone go read it lol

[Julia Johnson]

😍

Khalil and Cadence were cute! I enjoyed seeing Cadence continue to grow in her confidence.


Spoilers!! 🚨🚨

The book has some parts that seemed misplaced. Like Khalil’s post on IG before Cadence made it to St.Barts. Also, it seemed Cadence’s dream with Monica should’ve be been before they visited her at the cemetery. There were also places where it switched from third person to first.

[Jacquie]

4.5⭐️

This book was sexy AF.. a vibe from the first chapter! The beginning felt a little confusing, like I jumped in at a point where Concrete & Cadence already knew each other but they actually didn’t, but it wasn’t a major ick for me. Overall I loved the story. Concrete looooved his Cadence and their chemistry was bomb! She was a boss 🐝 in her own right with a bomb career which got major points from me because I just know that lady is brilliant and we love to see it. I enjoyed all the dates that probably weren’t really dates but built on the love.

I always love a found family trope, strong friend group. There was good banter, fun quips, stuff that had me gigging and blushing from everybody. The setup for the follow up stories was really good.. I’m definitely intrigued and will be reading!

[Diane Rembert]

What can I say about Cadence and Concrete? She’s a Geotechnical Engineer who’s had her share of ups and downs in the love area. Her focus is her job and the non-profit organization that she established for future tech engineers. What she didn’t expect was catching the eye of Khalil aka Concrete aka K.C., the millionaire rapper/ playboy, after a concert one night. From day one, Khalil did not play about Cadence, and he didn’t care who knew it. When I say this man stepped ten toes behind her, thats exactly what I mean.

This is my first read by @thewritebarnes, but it definitely won’t be my last. The storyline flowed and the characters were relatable. My favorite is Khalil and the least favorite is Kye. She was so thirsty that it was embarrassing. Overall, I highly recommend this book.

[Shaniece]

🌶️🌶️🌶️ This was a sweet story. Cadence a smart, beautiful, plus sized woman who has worked hard to overcome the self doubt she has. Coming from a family that didn’t take her feelings into consideration. K.C. is a man still struggling with loss and trying to find some peace in his crazy life. Cadence didn’t have any issues knowing her worth and making others earn her time. I liked that about her. But K.C. didn’t have any issues knowing issue applying pressure and going after what he wanted. I liked how they appreciated each other and didn’t trying to change the other. Their friend group is a trip. This was a cute quick read.

[perfectlyamberb]

Loved!

This was a really good read. I enjoyed both Cadence and Khalil as characters. I loved that Khalil knew that he wanted her from the moment he laid eyes on her, and even though he faulted a bit, he owned it and dedicated himself to making it right. I also loved that Cadence didn't let Khalil play with her just because he was a superstar. I think C.M. Barnes did a great job of showcasing how you can know your worth and still have insecurities. The audiobook for this book was excellent.

[Readingizmytherapy]

Beautiful

It is always an emotional ride when reading a C.M. Barnes book. She will have you laughing crying and wanting to rub something out at the same darn time. Emotional intelligence always prevails in her storytelling. Healing is always at the base and love is wrapped up nicely.

[ShicaSheek]

I know I'm late, but better late than never! I loved everything about this story! Concrete & Cadence delivers all the heat, heart, and top-tier banter of a romantic comedy, while giving Black love the soft and secure spotlight it deserves.

And the narrators, both new to me, left no crumbs! Don't walk, run to pick up Book 1 of the Welcome to Stonebridge series!

[Shatanishia Battiste]

Fire

I have had this book in my library for over a month. Now that I finally read it I'm mad at myself for now reading it sooner. The banter in this book was EVERYTHING!!! The love story itself (especially as a "More to love diva") had me swooning. I mid-read I send a few screenshots and the title of the book to my sister with one word "Biiiiiih" she replied "Added" because she already knew. 🤣🤣

['The Book Queen']

Too sexy for me.

[Shayla Lewis]

This was a sweet quick read! Concrete did NOT play about Cadence and I loved that for her 🥹 I loved how they were exactly what the other needed

[Kenya]

Very cute, low stakes romance. Looking forward to book 2.

[Stephanie H.]

Very cute! I love it. The perfect blend of romance, spice and grief ! Go read it!

[Tiffany M]

Cute read! It was a good read and I love the main characters.

[Latrice Maria]

4.5 ⭐️ I love when he man knows what he wants and stand 10 toes down in it! This was so good. SPICY AF, a lot of romance, funny banter, besties being real and even made me teary eyed. If you liked the Curvy Girl Summer series you will love this one.

🌶️ Spice Level: 4
🤑 Billionaire/Celebrity Romance
💪🏾 Alpha Hero
💅🏾 Strong Female Lead

[Denisha]

Started off good

This book started off good but towards the middle got a little wordy. I wish I had more backstory on everyone it felt like I started reading the book in the middle or like there was a book before this I should have read. I think that’s the reason I didn’t really connect with any of the characters.

[BarbieTheeReader🎀🫦]

4.5 stars
"I feel good, safe, like I'm not a joke to him."
"Stop walking like you owe this world an apology for existing, you belong in every room you step in to. And any man that wants you to shrink doesn't deserve to breathe your air."

WOW!!! I listened to the audio and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed this story so much and loved how easily the flow of story went as well. Cadence is a plus size, curvy, thick girl and truly the smartest person and sweetest person ever. I love her character and she is so relatable and vulnerable with her journey of learning to love her curves and stepping into her femininity as well. I love that Cadence works in STEM as a geotechnical engineer which I thought was AMAZING, I love reading about Black women in STEM and making a difference in their communities and lifting others up in the process. Cadence is such a sweetheart and I LOVE that Concrete truly met Cadence where she was mentally and emotionally and moved at her pace. Concrete tough exterior and dominant personality was so beautiful to read as he truly welcomed her and spoke love and life into Cadence. Their connection & banter was so good and they had me smiling from ear to ear. I love that Concrete truly was a man of his word and backed up all his words with actions and intention as well, Cadence's hesitancy with how well their connection was going was believable and I love that no matter how hesitant or how much she over thought, Concrete came in with the quickness and reassured her in a way that she could understood. I really enjoyed this and I enjoyed their connection so much. Whew and those spicy scenes, chileee put me in the book NOW!! Both Concrete and Cadence experienced familial tension and familial strained relationships, and reading about their individual journeys was bitter sweet and they both grew and learned so much from those experiences. It humanized and made me love their characters even more. I can't wait for book 2!!!

[Shay Colbert]

Cae & KC

This book was everything!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 All the feels and the laughs, it hit on all cylinders 🥰 Khalil Concrete Reed aka Concrete aka KC was a successful rapper, raised by his grandma Vivian after his mother, Monica, died when he was 14.. his father had been in and out of jail the majority of his life and when his mom passed and he went to inform his father behind bars, he criticized his mother’s weight as a factor in her death which pissed off Concrete and probably assisted in how he would view plus size women.. Nova, Lane and Cadence were best friends that always showed up and supported one another.. Nova was attempting to make a name for herself in the industry singing and had gotten the opportunity to go to a concert for Concrete which happened to be Cadence’s favorite rapper, and meet him backstage afterwards.. as soon as he saw her he was smitten and attracted.. however her mother was very harsh and cruel with her size growing up making her doubt that she was still beautiful at any size.. Cadence was smart and an engineer that was a plus sized beauty.. when KC came on strong he applied pressure but she never thought someone of his status would be interested in a nerd like her.. she seemed to dim her own light because of how brutal her mothers words had been.. but Khalil saw her beauty brains and witt and was very much intrigued.. he became her favorite eater and she ghosted him at first, but then he found her and came on strong. He loved her robotics and stem initiative and loved that she didn’t want anything from him besides him.. the banter was so funny especially with the friends, Nova, Lane, Tariq and Lennox.. the baby reveals both times was epic.. this was a great read.. can’t wait to see what Lane and Lennox will bring

[Dana Smithers]

It was almost a 5 star read but there was an error and a few holes that made me give this 4 stars. I did immersive reading and really enjoyed the audio and the book. I love that the book included visuals, I love the playlist, I loved the playlist, the banter between them, I loved all his nicknames and I loved the side characters. Although we didn’t get a clear timeline of the progression of the relationship until later, I will say it felt gradual. I hate when they go from meeting each other to falling in love in 5 business days. By the time KC showed up at the job, we know that they’ve been chatting/texting/facetiming for weeks and building a bond. I would have loved to see him build Legos with her tho…. The holes, I don’t recall how the friendship between Nova and Cae came about being mentioned, with Nova being a singer and model, I’m assuming her and Cae have been friends since childhood? Not sure it was never mentioned also Lane, there were parts where it seemed like Lane was their friend forever but then it seems like Lane is their friend due to managing Nova… the error that made this a 4 star review was the scene where KC says he was gonna cook her then later that evening it’s a whole different story and no mention of the cooking again also when did he get her tatted on him? I felt like that was very much glossed over... Those kind of details will have me a little stuck because I hate inconsistency/potholes in the story… overall I really enjoyed this, this is more my vibe than Enigma was. The spice was spicy enough and the writing was sometimes poetic and very hilarious.