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Rough Goods
Kymari ‘Rough’ Leary been out the mix for a minute. Quiet, heavy, and built like he carry too much of yesterday on his back. He don’t talk much, don’t party, and damn sure don’t trust easy. Life taught him silence keep you safe and softness get you smoked.
November ‘Nov’ Merritt is the opposite. Flashy, mouth slick, always in motion. Runs a thriving barbershop on Good Hope Road in southeast D.C. Known for his laugh, his hustle, and the way he makes everybody feel seen. But the man behind that grin got a heart full of unspoken stuff he’ll never admit out loud.
They grew up side by side. They were on the same block, same grind, same code. Years later, life got them on different sides of calm. When Kymari drifts back into the city, a familiar pull drags them together. What starts as catching up turns into long looks, quiet tension, and a chemistry that hit harder than either expected.
Ain’t no labels here. Ain’t no fairytale. Just two men trying to make sense of a feeling that don’t fit the world they come from.
Rough Goods is a raw, masculine love story about friendship that turns into fire, walls that crumble slow, and what happens when loyalty start looking a lot like love.
November ‘Nov’ Merritt is the opposite. Flashy, mouth slick, always in motion. Runs a thriving barbershop on Good Hope Road in southeast D.C. Known for his laugh, his hustle, and the way he makes everybody feel seen. But the man behind that grin got a heart full of unspoken stuff he’ll never admit out loud.
They grew up side by side. They were on the same block, same grind, same code. Years later, life got them on different sides of calm. When Kymari drifts back into the city, a familiar pull drags them together. What starts as catching up turns into long looks, quiet tension, and a chemistry that hit harder than either expected.
Ain’t no labels here. Ain’t no fairytale. Just two men trying to make sense of a feeling that don’t fit the world they come from.
Rough Goods is a raw, masculine love story about friendship that turns into fire, walls that crumble slow, and what happens when loyalty start looking a lot like love.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 18, 2025
18 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 20, 2025
Beautiful Story!!
This was a beautiful story of two men on a road to self acceptance, while fighting for the right to be who they truly are. Their story already had pain and when Kymari returned it brought all that pain to the forefront along with new scars. But they finally accept themselves and in turn survive the world together. Five Stars Mr. Lore!!🥰
This was a beautiful story of two men on a road to self acceptance, while fighting for the right to be who they truly are. Their story already had pain and when Kymari returned it brought all that pain to the forefront along with new scars. But they finally accept themselves and in turn survive the world together. Five Stars Mr. Lore!!🥰
November 21, 2025
Wasn’t for me
I did finish. But the dialect and riddles had me confused most of the book. This isn’t a love story. I think it’s a mixture of being different in a small backwards town and hidden agendas. I thought the story would be different. I don’t know.
I did finish. But the dialect and riddles had me confused most of the book. This isn’t a love story. I think it’s a mixture of being different in a small backwards town and hidden agendas. I thought the story would be different. I don’t know.
January 24, 2026
A Rough, but Good read.
A very good read about the black gay experience. Solid characters and a great storyline of survival in the black urban world. Thoroughly enjoyable and real.
Thank you , Lore
A very good read about the black gay experience. Solid characters and a great storyline of survival in the black urban world. Thoroughly enjoyable and real.
Thank you , Lore
December 24, 2025
Solid 3.9 ⭐️ A few inconsistencies with the timeline and details but I still loved Mari and Nov’s story.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews