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For Keeps #2

The Sweetest Love

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Malik Thompson had it all. He was at the height of his basketball career, had every endorsement he sought after, and women vying for his love. Even with all the good in his life, the one thing he was missing and wanted more than anything was the woman he’d loved since childhood - his best friend, Selimah.

Selimah Wilkerson was a force to be reckoned with in the modeling industry. When she wasn’t storming the runway modeling the finest in couture designs, she was working with non-profits to help underprivileged girls. She, too, was at the height of her career and had no plans on slowing or settling down. That was until she surrendered to her ever-growing feelings for her best friend, Malik.

Since the tender age of five, they’d been the best of friends. Back then, the loved they shared was sweet and innocent, as they were unaware of how complex and complicated love could be. Now older, and well versed in relationships, they decide now was the time to give their love a chance. Their road to love would be anything but easy as they navigate through skeletons, rumors, and unrelenting exes.

Can Selimah and Malik put their pride aside and fight for love? Or will they continue to allow fear to keep them apart…

The Sweetest Love is book two in the For Keeps series and can be read as a standalone.

223 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2019

126 people are currently reading
83 people want to read

About the author

D. Rose

35 books215 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for ♥Milica♥.
1,913 reviews748 followers
March 11, 2023
Best friends to friends with benefits to lovers. It was a bit of a rocky journey for Malik and Selimah to get there, with Malik's ex popping up here and there, and someone else setting their sights on Selimah, but they worked it out at the end.

I keep getting amazed at how good D. Rose's books are, like at this point I don't think she can write a bad book.

But the angstttttt oh my God. I WAS EXPECTING THIS TO BE SUPER CUTE, and while it was cute, I kept wanting to yell at Selimah to stop exploring her other options and just listen to Malik, while also yelling at Malik that he should just text her the truth about the baby if she won't listen to him, and then go from there.

The moments when they were together though were very sweet, and I wish they'd gotten together sooner in the book so we could have more of them.

Now I'm looking forward to Puma and Gwen's story. No doubts it'll be fun as well.

4.5
Profile Image for Mika Verrett.
233 reviews47 followers
February 16, 2025
✨Book Review✨

“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.” JAMES BALDWIN

For Malik Thompson and Selimah Wilkerson, this truth is their reality! Both are soaring at the pinnacle of their careers—Malik has turned his childhood basketball dreams into a stunning success, landing every endorsement he could ever imagine. With a swarm of admirers clamoring for his attention, he seems to have it all. Yet, despite his victories, a nagging emptiness lingers—what he truly longs for is to openly declare his love for his best friend, Selimah.

On the flip side, Selimah shines as a top-tier high fashion model and an inspiring philanthropist devoted to empowering underprivileged girls. She’s on a meteoric rise and has zero plans to hit the brakes for love—especially not for the guy she can’t quite have. Having nurtured feelings for Malik since they were just five years old, Selimah grapples with the fear of jeopardizing their cherished friendship. But how long can she suppress her feelings in the face of undeniable yearning?

I was completely captivated by Malik and Selimah! Their lives are a whirlwind, especially Malik’s tumultuous past with his ex, Giselle, and the family drama with his parents and Ant. Talk about chaos! I was practically cheering when Selimah had her moment of clarity, standing firm and cutting through the drama.

The way Malik and Sel had to navigate through the complexities of their feelings was nothing short of thrilling! Their journey was fraught with challenges, heartache, and a whole lot of growth, but their unwavering belief that their love was worth the fight kept me glued to every page. In the end, witnessing them rally and get their lives together was pure bliss!

I would definitely recommend.

Book: The Sweetest Love
Author: D.Rose
Genre: Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🥵🥵🥵
Profile Image for DeNae Sheree.
1,108 reviews21 followers
February 3, 2021
Friends to lovers

I loved this story. Malik was the man! Selimah was playing too much with Malik. I was screaming at her to quit playing games and get her man. But I love that they finally put all their cards on the table and got their happily ever after with each other.
Profile Image for J..
Author 16 books103 followers
September 12, 2019
Malimah made me so mad lol LORDT
Sel would run from Malik when she THOUGHT ish was about to go wrong; to protect herself; which would in turn hurt Malik. Malik would give her that space hoping she would return and instead of waiting around he entertained that gremlin lol
I did enjoy watching them go from hot and cold to 'the sweetest love' mannnneee Malik ain't play no games when he got on his grown man tip.

ALSO his parents were WRONG! Alice was WRONG! The three of them were out of order lol

I loved Ant tho! That baby needed a hug the whole book! LORDT I wanted to fight Papa Tim! I wanted all the SMOKE with him! Alice too for how she treated Malik! Mane just line the parents up for me real quick lol Glad they could get it together though because they were stressin my bae Malik out which stressed my boo Sel out and I wasn't feeling that.

Can a sista get an Ant story?
422 reviews2 followers
August 23, 2019
Worth the Wait!

Whew, chile, Malik and Selimah took me through! 😩 With their history and potent chemistry, it's hard to believe their road to happiness was so rocky and full of twists. But they still made me root for them along the way. Glad Malik and Salimah matured and opened their eyes to their issues and put in the work to address them and move forward. I liked them and their circle of friends. Great Story!
Profile Image for Meek.
198 reviews
August 28, 2019
Malik and Sel forevaaaaa

After reading this twice within maybe five days, I cant get enough of these two. D, you never cease to amaze me with your love stories. They get better and better and this was crafted to perfection. The push and pull of Sel and Malik’s relationship made me want to fall in love but not with my male best friend since we were 5. Lmao! I’m ready for the next book. Would love to see if you pair Puma and Gwen together. Keep it up boo!
Profile Image for Malaika.
870 reviews4 followers
March 27, 2022
A sweet love indeed!

Sel and Malik went through a lot! I thought Nina and Mecca made my head hurt, they had nothing on these two. Their bond was always super cute and it was the glue they needed to get through the tough times.
Profile Image for 'The Book Queen'.
6,017 reviews112 followers
August 27, 2019
Love is Sweet

Best friends to lover's paradise is always a top priority read for me. I think I like watching the characters navigating the same doubts and having them reach a conclusion together. It's fun to see their struggles as much as the chase to get there.
Profile Image for RedEnigma94.
772 reviews17 followers
June 17, 2020
Listen, I'm a big fan of D. Rose's books, but I have to admit that the heroines in this For Keeps Series have been testing my patience. Book 2 is entitled The Sweetest Love, but it was more like The Most Torturous Love.😂 If Nina had me reading Book 1 with my heart in my throat, what do you think Selimah did to me?! That girl was all over the place! She and Malik have been best friends for years, but finally took their relationship past platonic. Then she decided she couldn't handle crazy accusations from Malik's triflin ex--Giselle--and decides to pull back and push Malik away. Now that pissed me off, but I also wished Malik hadn't used that time to go back and entertain Giselle's kooky arse. It only further propelled Selimah's misguided notions that she couldn't compete with Malik's ex.🙄

Much like Nina's boo Mecca, Malik tried on many occasions to get Sel to open up to him, but she never wanted to discuss things or sort anything out regarding their feelings, or how past relationships were causing disruptions/interference. Sometimes, I wish Malik had pushed or forced Selimah to engage in open and honest dialogue, but he didn't. They would just let things go as they were. That was some frustrating stuff to read.

Selimah didn't seem to know what she really wanted. She spent a lot of time making assumptions about what she believed Malik, as well as others, were thinking, or doing, and what decisions they would be making. A mind reader she was not! And I was also confused about that whole thing with JW because it looked like for a minute there, he had the keys to her kingdom. With the way she was all giddy and feelin' him, it looked like she was actually falling in love with someone else besides Malik. All this stuff was starting to feel like I had been transported to one of those crazy soap opera episodes!🙄

Both Malik and Selimah had a bit of growing up to do. I hated that Selimah would always shut down and never wanted to talk about their issues until everything had blown up, and they would go so long without speaking. I hated that Malik let her get away with it, too.

What I did love the most about this story was Malik's relationship with his half-brother, Ant. I loved that Malik was on the battlefield for Ant because all their parents were triflin' as hell. Using children to control someone will never fly in my book. The people who always get hurt the most are the children.
Profile Image for *Ebony I*.
1,415 reviews155 followers
January 10, 2022
It was always you!

Whew Selimah and Malik were going through it. They had been friends since childhood and even their parents had a special bond. It was unspoken that they would always be there for one another. The other unspoken issue was both were clearly in love with one another, but did a poor job acting on those feelings. They were so comfortable with this very close friendship that they overlooked the chemistry between them. It seemed that each time they blurred the lines of friendship they were not quite ready to commit to it, both being scared of the outcome.

When they finally decide to make the leap, drama ensues and it triggers all types of insecurities in Selimah. So much that she basically tries to move on. Malik....he was not the swoon worthy hero. It was clear that he wanted to be with Selimah, but he had trouble articulating it with his words and showing it with his actions. Selimah was no better because she kept running, which in turn made Malik shut down and I was worried they were never going to figure it out.

The messiness with Giselle was wild. It seemed like she dragged that on as long as she could to cause strife between Selimah and Malik. Don't even get me started on the coward that was Devonte. At a point Malik wondered why Giselle chose not to have his baby and to me it was very clear because he never belonged to her. It was always Selimah for Malik even before they acknowledged it.

Once Sel and Mal got out of their own way, Malik finally started leading them down a path of love. After all the back and forth, the ups and downs they were finally able to experience the sweetest love.

I look forward to seeing their growth in future books.
Profile Image for Nina.
Author 8 books6 followers
April 10, 2021
Malik and Selimah, are so beautiful. Childhood friends, a friendship that has been through their growth as teens, and early careers and still holding strong as they found their footing.
Malik's family is full on but his strength to be his younger brother's keeper and navigating the treacherous world of coming into realisation of his parents decisions decades ago, the hurt, the pain, the lost parent support.

I just loved how this story flowed, I'm mad that it toook me nearly a year to read it after sitting in my kindle.
Profile Image for tayara tate.
931 reviews2 followers
March 30, 2020
Good read

Loved selimah and malik story of best friend becoming lovers. So much went into their day that it was a surprise they even had time to pursue a relationship with the type of careers they lead. A baller and a model were very busy but the friendship they shared never died and that what kept them afloat with the b.s.they went thru.Great series.
Profile Image for Ondria  Bacon.
554 reviews3 followers
May 10, 2024
2nd chances

Ok. Sal was obnoxious and Mal was in LOVE. Sal got on all my nerves but I am ok now. This was a real 2nd chance at love thing. They both were so deeply in love with each other that trying out other partners was a bust. This is a good story. Sort of rushed towards the end but it all still fell in place. Great read.


Happy Reading‼️
262 reviews4 followers
October 30, 2024
Immature

Both characters was rather annoying and immature but Selimah took the cake, she was worse than Nina smh. They couldn't communicate like normal folks to save their life, she mad but won't say why, he held back on telling her that girl wasn't pregnant by him when he should have led with that. Worked my nerves.
231 reviews1 follower
September 14, 2020
Another banger

I loved this series and I loved this couple. They were frustrating at times but still worth the story. A true friends to lovers story with a twist I hadn’t seen before. Definitely check this out!!
Profile Image for Stacy P.
98 reviews8 followers
January 3, 2021
Love

Ok so Selimah worked my nerves and Malik did also
Honey the parents is what really did it for me🙄
Overall I loved the book it all came together but just know I was cussing up a storm ready to fight unkay 😂😂😂😂😂
104 reviews4 followers
August 24, 2021
Sweet sweet love.

I was nice to read about a relationship with out a lot of unnecessary drama. Malik and Selimah had issues but they handled them with love. I enjoyed following them as they found everlasting love.
506 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2022
Good Read

This is definitely a story about how poor communication can cause you to miss out on what’s right in front of you. It’s also about growing so that you can be better before being with someone.
Profile Image for Marcia.
667 reviews4 followers
September 24, 2022
A good read.

This book was a rollercoaster ride. It kept u on your toes, she did a wonderful job with u thinking one thing and something else happens. Best friend to lovers at its finest
Profile Image for Robbie Burnett.
752 reviews6 followers
May 14, 2023
The Moms

The moms in thus book was a mess, but they gave this book additional drama. I thought book 1 characters would have a bugger role in this book. I love the childhood love story.
605 reviews
August 17, 2023
What a man wants😏

I’m not sure what I think about this storyline. I think it was realistic and that’s why I wish Sal was a stronger character. Malik always seemed to get everything and was too selfish.

Profile Image for Lisa.
1,957 reviews13 followers
February 16, 2024
This was a very good read! Selimah and Malik got on my nerves not bein intentional. I felt bad for Jermaine, I think he really like Sel! Giselle and Davonte were wrong too! Papa Tim was wrong for how he treated Ant but in the end it all worked out!
Profile Image for Jerrica (Mrsmar10Reads) Martin .
1,664 reviews10 followers
August 4, 2024
Great read

Selimah and Malik, friends since the tender age of 5 had been doing life together for 20 years, but somewhere along the way their love changed. Navigating this new reality was no where what they thought it would be, but worth it all the way!
Profile Image for Olubunmi Akinadewo.
537 reviews2 followers
April 25, 2020
A great read

I have heard of this author but have never read her book, this is my first book by her and I am very impressed, totally love this story
1,029 reviews1 follower
April 25, 2021
Young love eternal love

Malik and Selimah were friends from kindergarten and that friendship grew to love.Great story, so glad things were settled in Malik's family.
Profile Image for Shannon.
1,540 reviews2 followers
December 5, 2019
The Sweetest Love

Selimah was in love with Malik but was scared of being hurt. I'm glad Malik stepped up and showed her he was in it for the long run.
1,415 reviews13 followers
November 25, 2019
Disappointed

The overall mood of the book was somber at best. Sel turned out to be just as depressing as Nina was in the previous book. I love D. Roses’s writing however the book just was not entertaining. I felt like Sel was depressed and she just was overly dramatic for her age to be 28. She really didn’t know what she wanted, she was just all over the place. It was hard to see why the two of them would even be in love with each other after all of that drama. I did not start to enjoy the book until the last 20% of the book. I wish D0had of gotten the couple together before the end of the book. They spent the entire book at odds on with each other.
Profile Image for readandtellwithshantel.
220 reviews5 followers
March 9, 2025
Foot Keeps Book 2:

The Sweetest Love
D. Rose

It’s taken me a month or so to ruminate on this novel. Malik and Selimah friends to lovers to situationship was a complete mess. Their communication skills really flew out the window when it came to matters of their hearts.

Truly their back and forth pissed me off lol. Malik’s past consistently causing interferences with whatever him and Selimah discussed. Every time they’re back on track here comes something else. Egos got in the way because how easily the baby situation could have been handled.

Now, Selimah did have a moment of reprieve when she met Jermaine. He was kind and didn’t carry the baggage that Malik brought with him.

But, what can I say? She couldn’t resist what she had with Malik.

It was cute that when things got rocky they were there for each other. It was time to stop the marry go round.

#readandtellshantel #blackromance #forkeepsseries #Drose #friendstolovers #secondchance
Profile Image for Tina Jackson.
615 reviews11 followers
August 27, 2019
Emotional Rollercoaster

I have been looking forward to Selimah and Malik's story and D. Rose did not disappoint. This story started off full of emotion and it carried throughout the book. Even though he did not always do a great job of communicating it Malik's love for Selimah was so intense it seemed to leap off the pages. Sel(Lola) & Mal's friendship and love was so intense and deep that when the lover part of the relationship struggled it would effect their friendship, but seeing as they loved each as friends first and foremost they always found their way back to the friendship. Their story was so AMAZING. Totally in love with this couple and this story. 5 star plus Ms.Rose 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👍✊👌❤❤
Profile Image for Sassha Reads❤️❤️.
2,053 reviews20 followers
September 12, 2019
Tested and Tried Love

I'm so glad that Malik and Selimah finally got everything straightened out and on the same page to grow their relationship. Selimah should've listened to Malik instead of rushing him off the phone when he was trying to let her know Giselle was pregnant by Davonte and not him. My hat goes off to Malik for continuing to bond with Anthony despite what was going on with Tim, Tiff, && Alice. Tim and Tiff should've had a sit down with Alice years ago to get an understanding and set up ground rules rather than him being an absent father in Anthony's life. It's good that Nina and Mecca are still doing good together. I can't wait to see what's up with Puma and Gwen.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

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