Homies, Lovers & Friends: A Brooklyn Love Story

by Jahquel J.

Michelle and Kelsie have never had it easy, but the one thing that has remained consistent in each of their lives are each other.

Both in their early twenties and with the stress of the world on their shoulders, they both manage to still be there for each other through it all. Michelle's dream is to be a top stylist, well her dream was a reality until she was fired from Naomi's shop because of her boyfriend. Tasheem is all Michelle knows, and that's being physically and mentally abused by the man she has loved since she was younger.

When Tasheem takes things a bit too far, will Michelle realize that it's time to put her life first and stop dealing with Tasheem? Or will a sexy ruthless thug by the name of Thor come in and sweep Michelle off her feet literally?

Thor has lived through the worst situations and managed to come out on top. Supplying New York to Philly with guns with his two right hands, Mello and Milli, he has enough money to sit back and retire if he wanted. Except, with his mother's expensive habit he can't sit back and chill. Thor hides anything that has to do with his mother. The only people that know are the people that are close to him. When Michelle enters his life, he feels she couldn't have come at a better time.

Getting so caught up into Michelle, he realizes that once you're close with someone you have to start sharing bits and pieces about your life, but is Thor ready to reveal his reality to Michelle?

Kelsie works a dead-end job at the parks department to try and afford better health insurance for her daughter. Having a daughter with cerebral palsy and a baby father who constantly denies her is hard on Kelsie, all she wants is to have her baby father help her raise her daughter. Living in Gowanus projects in Brooklyn, she struggles day by day to keep both she and her daughter above water. One night at the club while in an altercation with her baby father, she meets Milli and things take a change. While Kelsie doesn't want a relationship because she's the type to throw herself fully in, Milli is cool with dating, plus seeing other people.

Will Kelsie be able to deal with Milli's nonchalant attitude toward their relationship or lack of relationship? If one man wasn't enough, Miracle's new doctor is a thug in a white lab coat, who wants a chance to show Kelsie how she should be treated, but will she allow that? Or is she stuck on trying to make something work with Milli? Will Kelsie and Michelle end up being homies, lovers or friends?

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction, African American Romance, Abuse, Urban

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 16, 2017

Reviews

[Kameel · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/s Stars…..a cliffhanger 🤦🏽‍♀️

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Slump Over

After hitting a reading slump, I decided to dive into more of Jahquel’s catalog, and this did not disappoint! Two cousins trying to navigate life while dealing with trifling men, only to meet two friends who completely shift their paths? Yeah, I was locked in.

It was packed with drama and, of course, left me on another cliffhanger. This dropped in 2017, so clearly, Jahquel been leaving the girls stuck for years 🤣. I can’t wait to jump into Part 2!

[Symone · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ Well Jahquel J. knows how to get you to read the next book dont she?? 😭 I love the fact that there's two love stories going on with both of the best friends 🧡 For them to be going through some of their hardships, being there for each other, and getting to know the men made it more interesting and heartfelt.

[Shekie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its on now

Tasheem, hmm is all I can say about him. Just a trifling dude who hits on women. How you wanna go do your thing then wanna come home and abuse your girl!! I admire Michelle strength though. She walked away from what was causing her harm. Hold tight girl Thor is on his way. Overall I enjoyed this read, waiting on part 2.

[Rēē · Rating 3 out of 5]

TRIGGER WARNING: Explicit details of domestic violence and gun violence on a child.
I typically STOP reading once I realize there’s domestic violence in a book but it hugged it out this time.

I just hate a book with a weak insecure female! The frustration and want to fight while reading, I’m pissed off! I just will never understand letting a man whoop on you…
It needs with a cliffhanger. If you want to read go ahead and get ALL the books at once!

[Antoinette (_literaryaura_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Sheronda H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was going to DNF at a our 20% but I kept going. It did get better but I did not care for the ending. I’m hoping book 2 is better.

[Linda Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well dang....that went left..let me get started on the 2nd one

[Taees_Cozy_Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s always a week as* Man wanting to put his hands on a woman and fuck up her self esteem!! I loooooove how Thor was patience and kind with Michelle. She needed someone to make her feel human again. He was beautiful and intentional and strong!!! I loved how he didn’t have a care in the world about her old abusive ass boyfriend. And even tries to show her she was a queen even though she was being mistreated.

I have mixed feelings about Milli because I thought he was a good guy, and I’m not saying he’s not but it started acting real fuck boyish towards the end. I somewhat want him with Kelsie but she deserves to be happy and if he’s not gone so it I want him to step off. At this point I’m curious to see her with the good Doctor cause we don’t got time to figure out confusing men.

Kelsie Marcus baby daddy deserves to be stomped out because how do you disown your child because she has a disability!?? Really!!! Then you go run off and get with the next bumble head ass hoe who talks shit about ur kid and don’t even know the beautiful girl. You’re a sad sack of shit because even if you don’t claim her , don’t talk shit with the next hoe about her.


The ending though!!!! Took me out!!! I need to run to book 2 to make sure everyone is okay!!! Why is Jahquel trying to stress me out!!! 🥹🥹🥹

[Narrha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew !!! This first book was insane !!! The ending had my mouth on the floor !!

Sighhhh Michelle 😖 you were doing so well. It just was hard to see her story unfold. I really liked Kelsie !! Generally I don’t like a book with a ton of POVs but this book flowed well together. Interested to see what part 2 is going to be like 4/5 ⭐️

[Payton McKenzie]

I don’t want to rate this book bc it’s not bad at all, just not necessarily my taste… yet I’m 100% gonna start the next one asap bc the cliffhanger was insane. Brb guys.

Edit: I am definitely not a fan of the mmcs in this series. Only bc I can’t deal with a man that cusses or raises his voice.

[Jaszmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely did not expect to like this book once I realized we were following 4 different POVs but I had to just let Jahquel cook. and I ATE this book up. That ending!! Omg! I was invested in all 4 of the characters equally. I want them all to win lol. Ms. J did her thing with this

[Kris Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

This was a good story. I loved Thor and despised Taheem! Kelsie is a good mother and I hope Marcus gets what he deserves

[Tea Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great novella. Lots of characters, character development and plot twists and turns.

We are left with a huge cliffhanger.

[Fadeless Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting the ending or the cliffhanger 😔...... on to book 2 because I need some slow singing and flower bringing for that weak punk that calls himself a man😤.

[Chanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miracle noooooo😭😭😭

[Adrienne Adrimano · Rating 3 out of 5]

1st installment in a soap opera, basically. It was ok-- the characters deal with real issues that were illustrated well, including a child with disabilities, abuse, single parenthood, etc. But I don't think I'll continue the series over my TBR.

[Tierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was indeed a page turner. You have 2 woman dealings with major struggles who find peace in new situations or so they think. Both stories are so relatable and that's what makes this book so interesting. Kelsie deals with the struggle of raising a child alone, the father is a complete loser. Michelle situation is toxic and and almost deadly. They both come across someone special. The past however is still existing for one while the other is looking for a future. The story is well balance in love and entertainment. I like that Thor is very open and upfront, he's very passionate. Milli still has some work to do. The drama is good, then ending was a complete drop dropping cliffhanger. I don't know if I can handle part 2, if either was taken out.

[Electra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't it.

[Carla Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was a really good read full of drama! I wish Michelle would let Thor handle Tasheem. She needs to let that trauma bond go. Abuse is never ok regardless of how many years invested. Michelle & Thor need to make it official so she can move in with him in Philly, far away from Tasheem. Hopefully Miracle was not caught up in their bs. Poor Thor is between a rock in a hard place. Does he stay & make sure his mom is ok or does he race back to make sure Michelle is ok? I need Milli & Kelsie to decide if they’re are going to be together or keep playing this cat & mouse game.

[BEAUTIFUL MEEKA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what you call a story

The well developed characters, the plot, the drama, and the cliffhangers. Jahquel is giving me life with this series I can't wait to see how it all plays out. The best part is that it's totally relatable and you can't feel the emotions as you read it. It's not forced it flows and keeps you wanting more

[BigFinePretty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this book was gone be good!!!

TaSheem & Marcus are really sorry human beings. I glad Michelle finally started thinking about herself for a change. Kelsie ass mean as fuck lol. I'm looking forward to reading about Pasty & Mello. Every book I have read by you has been a banga!!! Keep it up.

[Niecie Doolin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish

Normally I feel for the character that's being abused and want to see them overcome, but I didn't feel bad for her. I did not want her to overcome, so stopped reading this book.

[Chamar brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

chile do you not get the red lines when you type?

So many typos, spelling errors,punctuation errors, grammatical errors and plot holes. Interesting read but my face was scrunched up the whole time because it’s wattpad at best.

[Eliza Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author: Jahquel J.

Genres: Romance/Urban Fiction/AA Romance/AA Fiction

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Summary: Michelle and Kelsie have always leaned on each other, navigating the chaos of life, love, and survival in Brooklyn. Michelle, an aspiring stylist, finds herself entangled in an abusive relationship with Tasheem—until a dangerous yet alluring man named Thor steps into her life, forcing her to choose between her pain and a possible fresh start. Meanwhile, Kelsie juggles a dead-end job and raising a daughter with cerebral palsy while caught between two men: the emotionally unavailable Milli and a mysterious new doctor who might finally offer her the love and stability she deserves.

Tropes and Themes: breaking cycles of pain, domestic violence, resilience, domestic violence survivor.

Character: Thor didn't come to play. I love how he was a protector from the beginning, which made this even more enjoyable.

Thoughts: If you are in a reading slump, this is a must read. When I say I want to read something entertaining, this is what I mean. I felt as if I was watching (but reading) an episode of General Hospital but with a little bit more drama and spice. I love the way the author brings awareness to domestic violence and how it is and can be difficult for them to overcome this event in their lives. I love how Michelle found the courage to leave with the encouraging support from her friends and family. Moreover, I knew from the start that Thor would be Michelle's night and shining armor. I loved the relationship they started to form in this book. In the same way, the author does a great job as not only recognizing the struggles of single-parent homes but demonstrating how difficult it is to be a single parent with a special needs child, whose father doesn't want to be in their life. I admire Kelsie's strength and resilience. In short, I really love the storyline, and the ending left you with a cliffhanger so of course, I had to get book 2.

[lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

whew… this one was a LOT. and before anything else: please check your trigger warnings. jahquel did not play — there’s domestic violence, assault, and an on-page child shooting. the audiobook was great though, and at a little over 3 hours it had me glued. i literally started book two while i was still typing my thoughts because the drama wasn’t done with me yet.
michelle and thor? i liked them together, but baby… the lack of situational awareness had me stressed OUT 😭 everyone knew tasheem was unpredictable, unstable, and violent. the fact that nobody thought to put michelle up somewhere safe, especially when miracle was in the mix, was insane. and michelle girl… WHERE was your “lay a 🥷🏽 out” tool?! because i kept waiting for you to pull something from the purse, the kitchen drawer, the couch cushion — something.
thor was giving protector energy but even he dropped the ball a few times. like sir, you know this man won't try anything when you're there, but what about when you are not?! HELLO?
kelsie’s storyline hit a different nerve. she’s out here working herself to the bone to take care of miracle while marcus — her trifling baby daddy — is being the worst version of himself. and then the part where his mama LAUGHED about the disgusting mess he said?? nah. i would’ve pushed her right over that couch and walked away. don’t play in my face about my child. milli? too nonchalant for me. he’s cute or whatever but he’s giving “i like you but not enough to show it” and kelsie deserves better. doctor bae, come on down, because he seemed ready to apply pressure with benefits 😭
overall, it’s messy, triggering, dramatic, emotional.

[Jite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much happens but it’s a page-turner…

I found this author through her Delgato series so I’m already familiar with her style of drawing a multi-protagonist story out over several books but doing it in such an engaging way that you don’t mind.

With this series, we’re introduced to cousins, Michelle and Kelsie. Michelle is in a brutally-abusive (on page, so trigger warning) relationship while Kelsie is navigating life as a single mother to a daughter who has cerebral palsy and whose father denies her as a result. They meet Thor and Melli through their friend Patsy (Melli’s younger brother Mello’s partner) and their lives change. In this book though, there’s no HEA and there’s still a lot of complexity in what the relationships between Michelle and Thor, and between Kelsie and Melli actually are as they straddle homies, lovers and friends.

This is dramatic and emotional and messy in the manner of reality tv but there’s also a lot of embedded social commentary about domestic violence, ableism, addiction and navigating those things both as one who’s experienced these things and as a loved one. I really enjoyed book one and it never felt like it was dragging even though, it didn’t actually need to straddle multiple books, there’s lots of space for resolutions here.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Oh shit!” is the best way I can quickly summarize this book. That’s all I kept saying while reading it.

Normally when I read a book with multiple couples, I become more attached to one couple than the others. However, that’s not the case with “Homies, Lovers & Friends”. I care about Thor & Michelle and Milli & Kelsie equally. I also care about little Miracle. (F*ck Marcus btw.)

I liked that Michelle started to find her voice again by the end of the book. I also liked that Kelsie did/does what she has to do for Miracle, but is also trying to remember she’s only 25 and is trying to create a life outside of her baby. Thor and Milli seem like really sweet, nice men who don’t play about the people they rock with.

Tasheem is all kinds of looney, and I hope he gets handled. The amount of violence Tasheem dished out throughout this book didn’t prepare me for the ending. I’m happy I’m late to the series, so I can start book two asap.

This is a five-star read, but I docked a star because there’s a lot of misused and/or missing words. I had to reread a few sentences a few times to get the gist of what the author was trying to convey. There’s also quite a bit of repetition of sentences.

[Plus Size Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured books 1-3 back to back within 24 hours. I apologize if my review for each book blends into the next.

First let me say that I saw this audio book on Hoopla and ASSumed that this was a standalone only to find out this is an entire 6 book series! This is an entire drama series with a lot of moving pieces and characters.

Michelle is getting her ass beat by her man. Thor wants Michelle but has the mental and emotional capacity to understand that she needs to be the one to make the decision to change her situation and heal before anything between the two of them can be successful. Thor also has a hoochie mama ex who believes he still loves her. She acts like those thirsty bitches in those pay to watch mini movies! lol

Kelsie is Michelle's cousin, and she has a chip on her shoulder because her ex-Marcus is denying their daughter Miracle who has cerebral palsy. You will both love and hate Kelsie. She is a trip. She is her own worst enemy. Her baby girl Miracle is an absolute sweetheart. Very strong and sassy. She goes through it in this series though.

Milli catches feelings for Kelsie after watching her beat a bitch ass at the bar. With that said he wants to play the field. He stays trying to add her to his roster but get mad when she dismisses him. They are toxic for each other.

Last we have Melo and Patsy. They don't really show up much in the first book other than being the people who connect the above couples. But trust their storyline is premium chisme.

As a reader I was instantly drawn in and invested in everyone's story. This book is very raw, read the trigger warnings.

[Arlisia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jahquel J is the queen of the cliffhanger—and this series is no different. From page one, I was hooked. The struggles in this story are raw and relatable: a single mother raising a child with disabilities, doing whatever it takes to provide the care she deserves. A relationship that’s long past its expiration date, yet somehow still holds you captive.

This first installment lays the emotional groundwork for what’s to come. Sometimes, rock bottom is the only place you find the strength you didn’t know you had.

Michelle finally finds the courage to leave Tyshein. She reclaims her voice, her independence—and maybe even discovers love along the way. But nothing is ever simple.

Kelsie just wanted a good time after being abandoned by her child’s father, who couldn’t handle the reality of parenthood. Her story is one of disappointment, resilience, and unexpected connections.

And just when you think things are settling, the one who nearly ended it all comes back—with unfinished business. Will an innocent soul pay the ultimate price?

The only way to find out is to crack open Book 2. Trust me—you’ll want to.