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Black coffee Whiskey neat: Stop always being the sensible one
422 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 19, 2026
Sometimes the biggest reading surprises are the books you almost never pick up.
Despite its breathtaking cover and the countless times Instagram placed it in front of me, I kept scrolling past Black Coffee, Whiskey Neat. The title simply did not resonate with me, and I could not imagine the story behind it.
Looking back, that was a mistake.
What unfolds is not merely Lara's story, but the story of her personal transformation. Caught between Kian and Nolan, she is ultimately forced to choose between two fundamentally different ways of living. Safety or uncertainty. Comfort or passion. Black coffee or whiskey neat. Rarely has a title reflected the emotional architecture of a novel so perfectly.
As both an author and a psychologist, I found myself particularly impressed by the narrative craftsmanship. The novel repeatedly communicates emotions through symbolism rather than direct exposition. Characters speak about objects while actually speaking about one another. Kian's lingering glances and Nolan's coffee become recurring motifs that quietly accompany the reader throughout the story, creating a remarkable sense of unity and emotional resonance.
Although I usually avoid romances in which children play a central role, fifteen-year-old Sienna is integrated with extraordinary sensitivity. Her presence never overshadows the romance. Instead, she subtly raises the emotional stakes and gives Lara's decisions an additional layer of meaning.
The writing style is elegant, immersive, and emotionally intelligent. It carries the reader effortlessly through the pages while allowing every relationship to unfold naturally.
The ending itself is not particularly unexpected. Yet this is one of those rare occasions where predictability becomes a strength rather than a weakness. By the final chapters, I wanted Lara to make exactly that choice. Any other ending would simply have broken my heart.
A beautifully crafted novel that combines emotional depth, literary subtlety, and unforgettable characters. One of those stories that quietly settles into your heart and stays there.
Despite its breathtaking cover and the countless times Instagram placed it in front of me, I kept scrolling past Black Coffee, Whiskey Neat. The title simply did not resonate with me, and I could not imagine the story behind it.
Looking back, that was a mistake.
What unfolds is not merely Lara's story, but the story of her personal transformation. Caught between Kian and Nolan, she is ultimately forced to choose between two fundamentally different ways of living. Safety or uncertainty. Comfort or passion. Black coffee or whiskey neat. Rarely has a title reflected the emotional architecture of a novel so perfectly.
As both an author and a psychologist, I found myself particularly impressed by the narrative craftsmanship. The novel repeatedly communicates emotions through symbolism rather than direct exposition. Characters speak about objects while actually speaking about one another. Kian's lingering glances and Nolan's coffee become recurring motifs that quietly accompany the reader throughout the story, creating a remarkable sense of unity and emotional resonance.
Although I usually avoid romances in which children play a central role, fifteen-year-old Sienna is integrated with extraordinary sensitivity. Her presence never overshadows the romance. Instead, she subtly raises the emotional stakes and gives Lara's decisions an additional layer of meaning.
The writing style is elegant, immersive, and emotionally intelligent. It carries the reader effortlessly through the pages while allowing every relationship to unfold naturally.
The ending itself is not particularly unexpected. Yet this is one of those rare occasions where predictability becomes a strength rather than a weakness. By the final chapters, I wanted Lara to make exactly that choice. Any other ending would simply have broken my heart.
A beautifully crafted novel that combines emotional depth, literary subtlety, and unforgettable characters. One of those stories that quietly settles into your heart and stays there.
August 9, 2026
𝑨 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.
𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒏. 𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒔.
I had the pleasure to talk directly to Katharina Taubert - Kaddah, a new up and coming author, however not new to the bookstagram community. She is a self-employed photographer with her own studio in Germany, having spent her hole life creating, her content on Instagram has been a proof of her talent and passion – which we now can see in her writing as well, especially the passion. 🥵
Before I convince you why you should read her first ever published book, I want to make one thing very clear – even though she is an user of AI tools for her photo/video content – I guarantee the book was not written with the assistance of any sort of gen AI apps. But, it definitely was her own adaptation of the story that made me read the book – very good promotional materials and approach.
If I should describe this book in one word, that would be TENSION. The story takes you through the emotional struggle of a single mom at the crossroads of two different lives and loves. So this is not a “why choose”, but more of a “which to choose” – safety or risky. The plot itself was not what kept me going, neither the choice which was predictable, but what I did enjoy was the sexual tension, the emotional journey of all 3 main characters and how it shows that sometimes you just have to take the risk.
I am extremely happy that this is a series and we are getting more from Kaddah - so don't forget to follow her, as the next book is in the works.
𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒏. 𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒔.
I had the pleasure to talk directly to Katharina Taubert - Kaddah, a new up and coming author, however not new to the bookstagram community. She is a self-employed photographer with her own studio in Germany, having spent her hole life creating, her content on Instagram has been a proof of her talent and passion – which we now can see in her writing as well, especially the passion. 🥵
Before I convince you why you should read her first ever published book, I want to make one thing very clear – even though she is an user of AI tools for her photo/video content – I guarantee the book was not written with the assistance of any sort of gen AI apps. But, it definitely was her own adaptation of the story that made me read the book – very good promotional materials and approach.
If I should describe this book in one word, that would be TENSION. The story takes you through the emotional struggle of a single mom at the crossroads of two different lives and loves. So this is not a “why choose”, but more of a “which to choose” – safety or risky. The plot itself was not what kept me going, neither the choice which was predictable, but what I did enjoy was the sexual tension, the emotional journey of all 3 main characters and how it shows that sometimes you just have to take the risk.
I am extremely happy that this is a series and we are getting more from Kaddah - so don't forget to follow her, as the next book is in the works.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews