Rah: A Street Lit, Urban Romance Standalone

by Jessica N. Watkins

Solae loved a man who never existed but found one who made her forget her heart was ever broken. For years, she built a life around Rah’s promises and was blind to the darkness he kept hidden behind charm. But when one secret shatters the illusion, she discovers the real Rah is ruthless, calculating, and capable of anything. When the truth finally surfaces, things become malicious and life-threatening. Left shattered, Solae isn’t just heartbroken; she’s fighting to hold on to her children, freedom, and sanity. And that’s when Priest steps in. Priest becomes what Rah pretended to be and
claims her in a way Rah tried to claim her pain.Aaliyah thought she was Rah’s everything, but she was just a part of his performance. She loved him loudly, but she didn’t know she was never the only one. When the truth comes out, the heartbreak shatters her, but that’s when Fabe steps in. He stops protecting Rah’s image and starts protecting her. In Fabe, she finds something she never had with the right to be chosen.

Before the world knew his name, Moses was already Kahlani’s hero. He chased his dreams with one hand and held his family down with the other. His talents were in the streets, but Rah pushed his real talents behind the mic. Rah was supposed to be his trusted cousin and manager. Instead, Rah pushed him from music to mayhem. One violent night reveals the monster Rah has always been, and Moses walks away from the mic. But fate has a way of calling back those born with fire.

They all thought they escaped Rah’s chaos, but monsters don’t disappear; they bide their time.

Rah is an urban romantic suspense about deception, survival, and the kind of love that doesn’t just hold you … it heals you.

Please This is a re-release of N.A.S, released in 2014. Both parts of the series have been combined into one standalone. I made a lot of changes to the storyline, so, if you read it previously, it won't be a waste of time to read it again. :-)

Genres: Romance, Drama

584 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2025

About the author

Author of Urban Chick Lit, Erotica, and Contemporary Urban Fiction... Jessica N. Watkins was born April 1st in Chicago, Illinois. She obtained a Bachelors of Arts with Focus in Psychology from DePaul University and Masters of Applied Professional Studies with focus in Business Administration from the like institution. Working in Hospital Administration for the majority of her career, Watkins has also been an author of fiction literature since the young age of nine. Eventually she used writing as an outlet during her freshmen year of high school as a single parent: “In the third grade I entered a short story contest with a fiction tale of an apple tree that refused to grow despite the efforts of the darling main character. My writing evolved from apple trees to my seventh and eighth grade classmates paying me to read novels I had written about kids our age living the lives our parents wouldn’t dare let us”. At the age of twenty-eight, Watkins’ chronicles have matured into steamy, humorous, and realistic tales of women's literature. She hopes that The Epitome of Femistry series will successfully emulate ideal femininity while tackling stereotypes, familiar heartache, and relatable distress in a humorous, sophisticated, and erotic fashion.

Jessica N. Watkins is available for talks, workshops or book signings. Email her for more information at Jessica@femistrypress.net.

Additional information can be found at www.jessica-n-watkins.com.

Follow Jessica on Twitter - @authorjwatkins.

Follow Jessica on Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/authorjwatkins

Reviews

[Angela Ridle · Rating 5 out of 5]

RAH!!!!

I cracked this book open thinking Rah was gonna be my new book bae… nope! I cannot stand this man! I didn’t think Jessica could pen a chocolate Adonis that I’d want to homicide but she did! This book is soooo good though! Send Priest and Moses my way 🥰

[Lizzy Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book right here🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

This is my ARC review:

Whew Chil! I have never in all my years of reading, hated a MMC the way I hate that bih azz phuck 🥷 Rah🤬🤬🤬! That Motherfudgesicklestix gave being a narcissist a whole new meaning. He was like a cancer wrecking havoc on everybody he came in contact with. He deserved all the karma that he got and then some for all havoc he caused.

At first I couldn't stand Aaliyah, but I soon realized that Lil baby was dic*notized in the worst way. I was so proud when she left and took the one thing he loved the most. What she did for Solae and herself had me so proud of her. She most definitely deserved all the love Fabe gave her ❤️.

I freakin loved me some Moses and the way he loved and protected Kahlani😍. I loved how no matter what came their way, it was always them against the world. That man loved what he did, but he refused to allow it to eff up his home life. My heart broke for him when he realized his own cousin was using TF out him😔🤬. I was proud when he told Rah where to stick it and walked away from him and his bs. All his hard work and sacrifices paid off🙌🏾

Solae irked my nerves with her constant questioning and doubting Priest when he was showing her from the moment he met her that he was all about her. Yet, she never questioned Rah bih azz🙄. My heart broke for all the havoc that bih wrecked on her life, especially that ish he pulled on Christmas💔. I felt she went easy on Rah, cause he most definitely deserved the Lorena Bobbitt effect🤷🏾‍♀️.

I had no empathy or sympathy for Felicia, karma is a bih and she comes in different forms of get back🤷🏾‍♀️.

I love me some Fabe and Priest😍🥰.

I would've loved to have experience Solae finally realizing that she deserved the same love, loyalty, care, etc that she pours into all her family and friends. That man Priest played no games about her and I loved the way he loved her and her babies unconditionally 🫶🏽.

Kudos to Queen Jessica Watkins for this amazing read🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Dannelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew!! This book is an emotional roller coaster that you can't get off and snatches your breath at every turn. 623 pages flew by. My favorite quote from the book: "You don't owe pain no loyalty!" I'm happy that everyone got their lick back... IYKYK

[Jasmin Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a fictional character can make you hate him, to the point you forget he is not real, the author has successfully done their job!

Baby this book was so good! I hated Rah so much, he is a delusional psychopath who truly suffers from clinical narcissistic personality disorder.

This man lives by the motto, if it aint about me, then it must go. I mean self centered, dont care about nobody. His whole purpose is to ruin everybody's life so he can be and feel successful.

This story was wild! It will leave you with a headache, that will make you need a drink, but its so good!

[Nile Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

632 pages in 2 days! Is that page count correct?? Either way, I saw an alternate cover for this book (or maybe it was AI image) in a reading group and could not resist. I’ve been burned by super sexy, melanated male covers before so I was fully prepared for the worst, but this was well written and edited! The story was a page turner, the characters (and their children) had names I could take seriously, the story was gritty without being ghetto, the twists and turns kept the story moving (I had some issues there) and the struggle and desire to make it real were realistic. No corner boys flossing with private jets here, my friends! The women, though they didn’t always make the best decisions, were relatable. They were in love, and at times naive, but not stupid. And they were strong. I liked most of the male characters. Priest was my favorite, followed by Moses and Fabe. That leaves Rah.

Some people seemed to be highly upset by Rah’s character or lack thereof, but I never really felt anything for him at all, and it was because of the way he was written. Because other characters (like Priest and Fabe) saw him as a goofy, it took away from me feeling that he was really hardcore and I mentally dismissed him. Make no mistake he was vindictive and ruthless, but I never really felt strongly about him or any of his actions. It was like reading about something from afar, without actually being invested in the story. The other thing was, chapter endings like ‘Little did we know how this would change our lives’. I don’t really love when stories are told like this.

I also think the main thing that didn’t allow me to fully immerse myself in the story is the plot points that didn’t make logical sense to me. While the rest of the book is engaging, and fun, and sexy, these few things mar the experience.


1) Sonae getting fired the way she did. They fired her on a hunch, no HR investigation, no proof, nothing. She didn’t even attempt to fight for her job? How? Lawsuits are a thing. Then I remembered/researched and found that Illinois is an at will state, meaning that employers can fire someone for any reason or no reason at all, without legal consequences. Here’s the thing. Not everyone knows that, so it might have helped for the author to at least mention it? Sonae worked at a Fortune 500 bank, not a mom and pop store. I think people would expect some kind of process.

2) The kids being taken away on Christmas Eve made zero sense. Are we really saying that CPS removed two perfectly healthy, obviously well loved children, who were literally crying to leave their mother solely because of a broken arm? Elijah is of age to say how it happened. Essence is a daggone teenager. She can speak. Sonae had nothing from the school medical dept or the hospital documenting what happened? She doesn’t have a cell number of a teacher? I don’t care that it’s Christmas Eve. CPS is there to take my kids, I’m calling every number I have till someone answers. CPS didn’t even do an inspection of the home. They looked at kids that were obviously well cared for and said you have to come with us? The whole thing was ridiculous.

3) Essence getting sexually assaulted, with zero follow up other than to get STD and pregnancy tests, was crazy. Maybe if Sonae had actually pressed charges on the boy, it would have helped her case. Instead she just tried to convince Essence she was still a virgin?? Mother of the year right there.

4) Aaliyah telling Fabe that she flushed $300,000 is believable in which plumbing system?? Try to flush $1000 down a toilet and let me know how that goes for you. Again, given what we later know, it would have helped for Fabe to at least suspect that she was lying….because he has a functioning brain.

5) Rah not selling Moses out is absolutely unbelievable. He thought he would turn on him how?? He was doing 40 years regardless. Rah was soulless, and Moses literally put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The odds of Moses finally starting to blow up and get money and fame, and Rah not doing everything to dead that because he wasn’t a part of it are ZERO.

Still, there was so much about this story that I enjoyed and you can clearly tell it was a labor of love. An offering of this size is an absolute gift to readers in this genre, and it is absolutely refreshing to read an urban romance that is well edited, that doesn’t contain the word ‘orbs’ (Ha!), and where the author actually knows the meanings of the words and phrases she uses. If I have to read one more book…! I digress. The writing flowed well, and I was happy with the ending. Though Priest was my favorite male character, and I was happy for him and Sonae, Kahlani and Moses are couple goals and, though I usually cringe at public spectacles, Kahlani deserved every bit of love and adoration that Moses showered on her at the end. I LOVED them. Fabe and Aaliyah were super cute too and I loved the big, happy, family feel at the end.

Well done. 4 stars.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 4.25

Rah was a HOT MESS! He reminds me of a wanna be. Trying to force respect and find people to stroke his weak ego. He was a LOSER, that didn't value what it means to be a true boss. A straight hater and begging for attention. Anyways, he was full of crap and hurt everyone that loved him just to get on top, WEAK! He was unhinged, dont get me wrong, but I thought the book was gonna give a little more based on the uproar. I lowkey thought I was gonna have to close the book at times, but nah, I flew through this book. It kept me captivated nonstop. My heart went out to all the women and his children. Whew, he didn't deserve to have children. Poor Essense.

I was satisfied at the end.

I enjoyed the woman narrator.

[RaeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rah…. Baby i wanted him unalived in the first few chapters.


So the book starts out with sweet little Solae, a bank teller. She’s a 27 year old mom of 2 with a longtime boyfriend, Rah. Solar feels like they are finally comfortable in life. Until, her bank gets robbed at gunpoint. From that point forward her life begins to crumble and there is one culprit… Rah. They say a man will make you lose everything… and baby Solar learned the hard way.

Baby this book was straight chaos. I wanted Rah’s head the entire book. He was an ideal candidate for NPD. What i loved though was the love connection between Moses and Kahlani. Omg that man loved her down, I really hope they get a lil spin off. Same with Fab and Aaliyah. The book is fast paced and entertaining. I really couldn’t stop listening. Jessica you wrote the hell outta this book. Do you hear me? Ommmggggg

Now here’s where we have a problem. What in yall right mind made yall select that male narrator? It gave creepy serial killer. There are a bunch of black narrators yall could’ve chose and yall chose him? I’m so confused. Perfect for a Bratva Series, or A Thriller, Not an Urban Fiction book. Somebody call Winston or Jakobi for the sequel. ( is there a sequel? It needs one or at least a romance spin off?) Thank god the story line was so good, it really carried. The Book was Good, do you hear me? Goodt with a t.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the Advance Listener Copy. All opinions are my own!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t event day anything bad about this book!!! Rah will piss you off the entire book!!!! Everything he did and said had me cussing!!!! Outside of him the story flowed well. Definitely enjoyed this one. But the male narrator sucked

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this book was semi all over the place, way too many characters POV too many moving parts to keep up with.

[Shobdia Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rah was a walking Red Flag

Jessica Watkins has once again demonstrated her skill with Rah, a character who defied my expectations from the very beginning. The cover art, beautifully designed, hinted at a storybook romance, but Rah's true nature was far more complex. His actions were often appalling, and his lack of consideration for others was staggering. As I continued reading, I was struck by the importance of recognizing red flags and questioning the intentions of those who impact our lives. Rah's behavior was a stark reminder of the dangers of ignoring such warning signs. This book is a compelling read that will undoubtedly elicit strong emotions.

[Bri The Shameless Romance Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhhhh I think I expected more from this than what got. Rah was a full on narcissistic sociopath. He basically got away with a lot because he love bombed Solae & Aaliyah, promised fame to Moses and also had blind family loyalty from Fabe and Moses. TBH it felt like a lot of his wrath could have been stopped earlier. He wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box. Most of his crimes felt sloppy and impulsive.

If I’m honest I kept reading because I thought it was going to be some major lick back at the end of this and I was underwhelmed by the ending. I’m not going to spoil it, however it left me feeling disappointed.

[Erin Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is officially my first 5-star read of the year, and WOW… I have never—and I mean NEVER—hated a character the way I hated Rah.

When I say this man made the devil look good, I am not exaggerating.

Rah was living a double life in the most disgusting way possible—juggling two full families like it was nothing. Aaliyah, at home with a newborn, and Solae, raising two preteens while pregnant… and somehow he was managing both? It was disturbing, manipulative, and honestly exhausting to witness.

But the cheating? That wasn’t even the worst part.

This man was pure evil.

He manipulated his way into robbing Solae’s workplace, didn’t even have the courage to do the crime himself, and instead dragged other people into his mess with nothing but his mouth and lies. Watching how many lives he destroyed had me constantly asking, “Why is he still alive??”

And when he called DCF on Solae just because she confronted him about cheating?? I was DONE.

Then the abuse toward Aaliyah… the lack of remorse… the escalation every single time you thought he couldn’t possibly go lower—Rah said, “Watch this.”

I was yelling at this book. YELLING.

Jessica Watkins did an incredible job writing a character so vile, so real, and so infuriating that I couldn’t put the book down. The multiple POVs were done perfectly and added depth instead of confusion. Every character’s journey mattered, and despite all the chaos Rah caused, I loved that everyone still got their version of a happy ending.

And I’m not even going to lie—when Rah finally died?

RELIEF.

Not just for the characters, but for me as a reader too.

That’s how powerful this story was.

I’m officially locked in to read more from Jessica Watkins, because if she can evoke this level of emotion out of me, she’s doing something very right

[Keeping.Volumes.Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big shoutout to Jessica N. Watkins 👏🏾🔥 this was a WILD ride from start to finish. The chaos, the emotions, the twists—had me stressed, mad, and glued the whole time 😤😳😮‍💨
Characters were messy in the best way and the story stayed intense all the way through. I was yelling at my phone but couldn’t stop listening 😂📱
High praises for a job VERY well done 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾✨

[Kimberly Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urban thriller that will have you ready to fight everybody. With over six different POVs, this cast of characters will have you cussing at the pages. No one is making good life choices, and they’re all being terrorized by a narcissistic abuser. I fear you must check your triggers. This one had me ready to grab a shovel, and take him out myself.

Overall a fun read. If you’re looking for something to cleanse the palate, and pull you out of your normal groove this is the one.

[Kendra Broomfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whewwww Rah should’ve got done in by everybody he messed over. He did not die soon enough with his unhinged ass

[Donnesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rah…did not care!

Rah is the definition of a narcissist this man did not care about nothing and no one besides himself and anyone in the way could get it! Overall good book, lots of drama. I would say I wish we could have gotten more of Priest and Solae relationship like we did with Moses. But overall solid book.

[ToniReads_1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rah

Rah was just one person how can so many people not like you. A narcissist through and through. You couldn't help but to not like Rah. He played everyone in this book even down to his parents.

[Mallory Dapice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this a damn biography? I swear, I know Rah.

Everyone knows a Rah, dated a Rah, or had a friend who dated one. He's every wannabe bad boy we've wanted our friends to leave alone. I spent every minute hoping he got what he deserved. He played everyone; friends, women, family. There was no end to his bullshit.

I loved watching his life unravel. He thought he was so hard and untouchable. He had amazing women stand by him and love him and he didn't care. I wanted the see the girls win. I wanted them to rise up and do better than Rah ever could.
I'm so happy Solae and Aaliyah and Kahlani got their happy endings. They deserved every second of it.

Priest tho? Priest is Dadddddddyyyyy. He is the one. The way he loves and worships Solae, Yes.

Jessica N. Watins did an amazing job of writing a character I genuinely hated, and characters I wanted to win. I couldn't stop listening I needed to know what happened next. I was so invested.

As for the audio, Pierre Manhattan's voice had me weak in the knees. I gasped when I first heard him speak. Pierre Manhattan and Eboni Majesti brought the story to life. Every character and interaction was so well done, I was in the story with them.

Great story. Great audiobook.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Jessica N. Watkins for allowing me to listen to and review this ALC.


Bye bye Rah.

[Tifani Dyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you hate a main character? Yes!

This was a mess 🤭 When I tell you Rah is one of the most hated characters I’ve ever encountered…and rightfully so! This story follows three couples, and their paths to each other all while trying to overcome the plague that is Rah.

This books kept me entertained, mad, irritated, and finally brought me to some hard fought peace. The spice was cute, not overwhelming with the three couples but still a lil nasty, but that’s a minor point in this story. The focus is what it takes to overcome and the mistakes you make along the way.

I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend.

[Danielle (Sippincokeflippinpages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lot of point of views, I was a little confused at times but it all came together. Rah is a menace and it took him way too long to get his! Not a flaw in writing at all. I feel like Jessica did a great job of making me want this man gone 😂 I just wanted it to happen sooner

[Chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rah is a menace… truly

I ain’t everrrrrr met a character I hated as much as Rah. When I thought it wouldn’t get any worse… it did. I thought the multiple POV would be confusing but it all made sense. Jessica wrote the hell out of this character… my only downfall is the audio… it was brought to my attention that the narrator was not black and that put me at some discomfort for obvious reasons… not sure what that is about but outside of that I enjoyed the book.

[Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn

Kept me engaged until I couldn't put it down. A must read and it's worth every minute you spend doing it

[Jessica S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. It ended abruptly. I was hoping to get more on Solae and Priest at the end. But Jessica sis you did that. 👌🏽👌🏽

[Dominiqua Fritts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! multiple POV, Villain MMC, second chance at love, and messy love stories ❤️

[Sistaharlem · Rating 5 out of 5]

RAHhhhhhh

I didn't think there was a MMC that I would truly dislike until I met RAH. Truly a narcissistic person who needed to be unalived multiple times. Read the book to find out why & if it actually happens.

[Tiffany Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooooo Rah pissed me off !! I’m so glad he finally died in the end. I’ve never hated a male character so bad !!

[Danielle Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

This MF here pissed me off so damn bad!!! They needed to ring him by his damn nuts!!! lol This was such a great read though and I’m glad everything worked out the way it did despite all the bs everyone went through!!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10. No notes!

Whew! This story was HEAVY ASF! TW: Narcissistic personality disorder representation. Rah was an agent of the worst kind of chaos! I never hated a villain so much in my life. Jessica wrote a banger of a story! The chaos he created brought so much pain to others and she did an excellent job of creating the perfect narcissistic villain! Hands down, this is one of the best books I’ve read in 2025!

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew chile 3.5 🌟

This book was something else and I must say that Rah is the epitome of self serving. In this day and age where people throw the label narcissist around this man really exemplified that because he really cared for no one or their needs but his own. Also his manipulation tactics were top notch and he didn't care if it was man or woman he was using he was gonna come out on top. Thought this book was gonna take a couple days because of its length but ran through it in less than 24 hours 😅 🤦🏾‍♀️

[TaKenya Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rah: The Song of Moses by Danielle N. Watkins is a raw, gritty urban love story woven from street dreams, rap dreams, and murder. At its center is Rah, a man whose manipulation masks nothing because he is exactly what he appears to be, and Moses, a counterbalance of everything Rah isn’t. This book is intense, dramatic, and uncomfortable in the best and worst ways. Buckle up.

I have never, in all my reading, disliked a main character more than I disliked this man. He is the textbook definition of a narcissist, and in the audiobook? He even sounded like a villain. Manipulative, calculating, and absolutely exhausting. Everyone whose life he entered, he wrecked havoc on. And what made it worse was watching everyone around him, especially the men, protect him over and over again. Every pass they gave him made him more emboldened, and I was HEATED.

Moses, though. MOSES.
He was the heart of this book for me. His relationship with Kelahni was everything. He loved her down and played absolutely no games about her. No back and forth, no wavering. He knew what he wanted and he showed up for her. We love to see it.

I knew from early on that Priest was going to be integral to this story. Something about the way he was set up told me he was going to come through in a major way, and when he did? He did NOT disappoint.

And Jackie, Fab’s girl? I knew exactly what she was going to do. Called it from a mile away. And I was still pissed when it happened.

Solae gave Rah so much of her life, and he repaid her by using their kids as pawns. THEIR KIDS. That was a whole new level of low that had me staring at the ceiling. She should have killed him, full stop. But she did deliver that uno reverse in court, and I was here for every second of it.

The baby situation with Aaliyah had me on pins and needles the entire time. I hated the outcome. But I can see how it worked in the larger story, so I’ll give it a pass, even if it still stings.

I have to be honest about the narrators because it almost made me quit in the first couple of chapters. The delivery was rough early on and took me completely out of the story. Speeding it up made a significant difference, and I’d recommend doing that from the jump if you listen to this one. Once I adjusted, I was able to settle in, but the narration was definitely a weak point in this production.

This book is gritty, layered, and full of characters who will stay with you, whether you want them to or not. Rah himself is masterfully written in the most infuriating way possible. Moses and Kelahni are the love story you come for. And the women in this book? They carried it.

4 out of 5 stars. Already have thoughts about that sequel.