Concrete & Cadence

by C.M. Barnes

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, African American, Contemporary

295 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2025

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Whitney · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

Tropes: Strangers to lovers
Women in Stem
MMC in the music industry
Family Drama
Friend group

2.5 stars

I picked this book up cause I heard it was funny, it had a few funny moments. While I really wanted to love this one because the premise had so much potential, there were a few things that kept taking me out of the story.

The dialogue could be really cringy at times, and the constant metaphors just didn’t feel natural to me. There were so many of them that they became distracting.

I also got increasingly irritated by how much Cadence’s weight was discussed. Can we please let plus-sized FMCs just be regular women who fall in love? Why does being plus sized always have to come with self loathing, insecurity, or people making them feel terrible about themselves? Some people are fat. That’s it. Let her be fat and live her life.

And then there was the STEM/STEAM thing. Cadence is an engineer, so seeing her field repeatedly referred to as STEAM instead of STEM was genuinely annoying.

I almost DNF’d this one a few times, but there was always something that kept me around. So while it wasn’t a favorite, I also couldn’t completely walk away from it.

[Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[JazzReads · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

I like this book overall. I listened to the audiobook version of this and I like a good rapper romance book. I do want to say that I like this couple however I am more invested in the brother story. The FMC in this book standing her ground with that thirst ass woman was a good part in the book but I really want to get to the other stories in this series,

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[JBucky · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

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.”

[reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Ebony Essence · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - Listened on hoopla. Gillian Reynolds and Lawrence Baldwin did a good job.

I do love this couple together. The way KC came in hot letting Cadence know he likes what he sees and wants her time and time again. Him reassuring her every time was beautiful and her comforting/listening to him was sweet. Other things i enjoyed was their careers, spice, positive vibes from social media, her best friend and his family.

However, I wish I could read a book about a plus size fmc without someone in the family, friend, or whatever bringing up their weight. Now we have a sad/disappointed fmc instead of them being confident. Also wish there was more development of their relationship shown because we got more sex than anything. Yes that is a plus and the book had a great setup with good characters. Seeing more of her being an engineer and him in the studio would have been awesome.

The ending was good with how both MCs handled their parents. The banter and tension with the other characters has me excited for book 2.

Favs:
-Cadence telling ol girl off was EVERYTHING!!! 
-Cadence talking with his mom in her dreams. 
-The bathroom scene. 
-The grave scene. 

[Princess Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Lychee · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5

[Shameka Erby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Khalil and Cadence

[Shawn M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

😍

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.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book! Cadence is this passionate nerdy slightly goofy engineer who's never been loved properly by her parents or by a man. Concrete is a famous rapper who crosses paths with Cadence backstage after one of his shows. Immediately he's enraptured with her. He almost fumbled her but had enough sense to get it together. This story is about the growth of two people's love for one another and shows that everyone's story doesn't have to be filled with drama and toxicity.

[Denisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Quaterria Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW. I really enjoyed the romance between Concrete and Cadence in this authentic love story. They were truly meant to be together.

Their relationship exemplifies the premise that love does not always have to be khaotic; it can be peaceful.

[DaphaBelle Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Format: Audiobook 🎧 & Book 📖
3.75 ⭐️& 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5. Looking for a book where he falls first and they both fall hard and fast? Yeah…this is the book for you. Cadence (FMC) is just your average girl who goes to a Concrete (MMC) concert with her BFF and somehow ends up meeting the man of her dreams. Concrete and Cadence both had traumatic childhoods and were hurt by the very people who were supposed to love them unconditionally. So while this is definitely a romance, I also loved seeing them learn how to heal, grow, and give each other the love and support they had been missing for so long.
And honestly, there’s just something about a man who knows what he wants and falls hard for his woman that gets me every time (even though I had to side eye him 😒).

This book was funny, spicy, and had me a little teary-eyed at times. I really enjoyed watching these two navigate their relationship because they both came into it carrying some serious emotional baggage.

If you love he-falls-first, fast-burn romance, spice, humor, emotional depth, and watching two people become exactly what the other person needed, definitely add this one to your TBR.

[Jacquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌶️🌶️🌶️ 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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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