Three minutes. That’s all it took for the lives of Janiyah and Arsel Smith to take a turn. Janiyah wanted nothing more than to have a child, but Arsel’s career was more important to him.
When an accident forces them into instant parenthood, Arsel is forced to balance work life and a happy wife. Their friends’ last dying wish was for the Smiths to care for their only goddaughter. With tragedy and grief invading their lives, they must find a way to stay true to themselves as well as being everything this baby needs.
Will Janiyah’s greatest desire make her husband happy, or will that exact desire push Arsel further into career mode?
This was sweet and sad at the same time. Work and life keeps us busy, but it's important to find a happy balance. I loved how Jayniyah stepped away to take time for herself. And I love how Arsel didn't give up. I really felt like he was going to continue to put work before his wife. They found a way to make a forced situation work and it turned out beautifully. I love stories where adults COMMUNICATE and don't keep saying " I was going to wait.... I thought he knew .. I needed to keep this secret" . I understand this part of the story but that s*** annoys me. But this was sweet. This is my second book by this author. ❤️❤️
Most stories start off with newfound or second chance romance couples dating but not married. It was refreshing to see a story with an already established relationship navigating a big bump in the road that could break or make their marriage. Feeling rushed into a very life altering decision Arsel wasn’t ready for, pushed Janiyah over the edge. She made a tough choice and it caused a rift between them but GOD fixed it so they had to go through it together and they had to become intentional with their actions, feelings, and words with one another to survive it all. It was a great read.
Three Minutes by Soleil is an amazing and deeply realistic love story about two people who truly love each other but find themselves at different places in life, especially when it comes to what they want for their future. Their relationship is tested by difficult decisions and unexpected circumstances, particularly surrounding the question of children, and the unthinkable event that forces them to reevaluate everything.
What makes this story so compelling is how the characters continue to choose each other despite the challenges they face. Their journey moves through different moments in time, allowing them to grow, reflect, and ultimately realize what truly matters. Watching their personal growth and emotional development adds depth to the story and makes their love feel authentic.
Even though this is a novella, the pacing never feels rushed. Soleil does a wonderful job of building the characters and their relationship in a way that feels complete and satisfying. Overall, Three Minutes is a heartfelt read about love, resilience, and the power of continuing to fight for each other no matter what.
What a beautiful second-chance love story for Janiyah and Arsel. ❤️ I loved that Janiyah finally took a stand for what she truly wanted. Even through their separation, Arsel never gave up on their marriage or gave in to Janiyah’s want. His determination to fight for their love though was admirable. 💍
Things quickly took a turn when they were granted sole custody of their two-year-old goddaughter. 👶🏽 That unexpected responsibility placed them right back on the path of working on their marriage. As they navigated becoming parents so suddenly, they both came to understand each other’s perspectives and fears.
I really enjoyed seeing how deeply they loved and supported one another. Watching them recommit to their marriage, promise to never be apart again, and continue growing their family was truly heartwarming. 🥰✨
Don't let the blurb fool you. Janiyah had the desire for motherhood but she left due to lack of consideration. Arsel, knew her desires but his fear was within as well. They each got too comfortable in what worked and the next steps until decision made them communicate.
I am happy they each had wise elders to turn too because the stubbornness was strong. Funny thing is, their true love for each other was stronger. Janiyah soon found out that maybe Arsel stand on things had merit.
Soleil did not miss on how effective communication can go a long way when it comes to wants and needs in a relationship.
True Love Deserves A Second Chance. I love how Soleil wrote this story . I loved how Janiyah knew what she wanted and what they agreed on and wasn’t willing to sacrifice. Soleli really showed how important and powerful great communication is.
3 minutes is what it took to turn this couples like upside down. While Janiyah didn’t hesitate to step up , Arsel just didn’t know what to do…. Having them elders that will comfort and listen to your worries but also give you that wisdom you need to step up and get your ish together is amazing!
I love how they had a village behind them when raising baby girl !
I wasn’t expecting this second chance romance to be set the way it was but I’m glad that it was cause it showed real life marriage and how to deal with some of the issues.
Janiyah and Arsel loved each other deeply but just couldn’t agree on one thing and it cause them to take a break but not really because even though he gave her a break/space he really didn’t and neither did her grandma. Then life happened and they became instant parents and to see them go through all the ups and down of becoming parents, made this book come to life for me.
If you have already read this book, go ahead and add it to your TBR you won’t be disappointed!!
So, I think there is probably only ONE book that I haven't read in her catalogue at this point. I really do love her style of writing romance.
This one did not disappoint. Initially, I thought Arsel was cheating or something wild was going on. Only to discover it was just his fears about not being able to be all that Janiyah needed him to be as a husband.
While the circumstances were tragic, Mikaylah coming into their lives was such a blessing. It allowed Arsel to see what was truly important in this life and also allowed Janiyah to see things from his perspective.
I fully enjoyed this one and I'm glad they found their happily ever after.
This was a good second chance love story showing a couple intentionally choosing each other and working on their marriage after a tragedy that caused them both to fully see the others’ perspective. Arsel loved his wife and would do anything for her. Janiyah loved her husband and would do anything for him. But they couldn’t agree on when to have kids and that drove a wedge between them. I loved that they were able to work things out and became stronger individually and together.
At first I didn't understand what the title meant, but after Arsel's unsuccessful attempt to revive his friend, I knew.
This was a beautiful second chance book. The disagreement to have kids or not have kids caused a rift in Arsel and Janiyah's relationship. But Arsel was determined to get his wife back. Also, being thrust into parenthood after disagreeing was a learning curve.
But, all in all, everything worked out. Communication and being present in the moment was key.
A second chance can give you just what you are looking for in a book. I love how Arsel had to almost lose Janiyah to value his marriage. Along with losing their friends and gaining a child to move forward in their marriage. Many people dont value their partner. Communication and being open to things can help you look at things differently. I understand both points of view. I am glad they were able to come back together and raise their friends child. Then, move on to have children of their own. I would recommend the book
This was some good faithful marriage drama. No outsiders, lying or cheating. I love how they were forced to grow closer together. Though through unfortunate events, it projected their marriage into something even more beautiful than it was before. Healthier, more communicative, open mindedness. Oh and their village….A1!!
This was a good read although I understood Janiyah’s reason of leaving I felt like she was pressuring him into having a family she k ew his job was demanding f and could take him away from home at any moment Now Arsel needed balance how long did her expect her to wait to start a family but she gave him something to think about and he got it together real quick….
What a beautifully written story. I don’t want to give anything away but I will say that I felt for Jamiyah and Arsel. I’m sure they were broken hearted and losing their friends was extremely painful.
This was such a sweet story. I loved how they loved each other and that the love was always there. They had to work through some things but overall they loved each and valued each other. Great read.
All Janiyah wanted was to start her family with her husband, Arsel. But he felt his job, as a trauma surgeon, was too time consuming. So he kept telling Janiyah to wait. However, she decided enough was enough and she left!
They soon realize that tomorrow is not promised to any of us. A fatal car accident forces them into immediate parenthood with a 3 year old girl that really needs them. Now what?
Arsel and Janiyah had to work through their differences especially when it came to supporting and caring for Mikayla after that tragic accident. The birthday party scene was really sweet and touching. Liked how Arsel really worked through his thoughts and hesitations.
This was a second chance romance done right! Janiyah and Arsel were a couple that were happy in love except for one issue. Janiyah was ready to start a family and 10 years later Arsel still wasn't. Having enough Janiyah decided to leave and months later they still hadn't reconciled until the death of their college friends left them with custody of a beautiful 3 year old girl. Arsel was scared of parenthood but had nothing to fear because he was an amazing husband and father. I'm so glad these two were able to get it right!