Maybe Next Time

Vegas Nights #1

by Christina C. Jones

For better or worse…

That was the promise Denver and Kensa made, but it’s a sentiment they’ve somehow lost along the way. What started as a passionate wildfire has diminished to a flicker, all but snuffed out by unspoken fears, perceived betrayal, and a complete breakdown in communication.

Can either of them tuck their ego away long enough to rekindle their flame?

Genres: Romance, Novella, Second Chance, African American Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 28, 2021

Reviews

[mina reads™️]

Is it romantic to kidnap your wife and force her to work on y’all’s relationship while on vacation? I havent decided yet

[Jessica]

TW for miscarriage

This book is a marriage in trouble romance between Kensa and Denver. We are dropped in the story after a big fight when Kensa has divorce papers delivered to Denver. This is a short and very steamy novella about two people trying to communicate and understand each other. I'm not sure how I feel about Denver literally kidnapping Kensa and whisking her off on vacation to force her to talk to him, but I did appreciate the growth he made as a person throughout only 94 pages. If you want a short, emotional romance about a marriage in trouble, I would recommend this one!

[Warda]

Can read about married couples getting their shit together for days.

Trigger warnings for miscarriage.

[Brittany]

This immersive read was fire. The production is absolutely great. And this was a cute little rekindle story. I meannnn getting kidnapped by your husband sounds pretty fun lol

[Jess Owens]

CW: miscarriage

The aggressiveness of Denver ? I liked that. I want more. I want to know about his businesses 👀

[hea booktubes]

Reread. All time favorite. I read this book last year and it has continued to live in my head. Marriage in trouble. Content warning for miscarriage. This was so well done. Under a hundred pages, but it had humor, emotional pull, and steam. I adored it.

[Annette Williams]

Maybe Next Time was as good as I expected it to be. You can always count of CCJ for an emotional throat clogging storyline. Whew chile! Kensa and Denver took me through it! Kensa suffered a miscarriage the previous year which, caused a serious fracture to their marriage. Kensa's way of dealing with the miscarriage was to dive into work and just not talk about it. Denver followed suit and he, too, started working long hours to avoid going home. By this time, the communication between them had completely evaporated. When Kensa finally decides she wants to have a conversation, Denver has shut down just like she had and refuses to hear her. So, Kensa decided to play her irrational female card and file for divorce to get Denver's attention. He raises her irrational female card and trumps it by kidnapping Kensa to a private island to force her to talk to him. Lawd, the drama was real with these two. Not to veer off subject but, can we just take a moment to talk about how sexy an angry Denver is?!!! Whew chile! The term BDE was coined for just for him. Umph! Okay, back to the review. After having a conversation with Kingston (yes ladies these two chocolate Gods are related), Denver realizes his strong handed tactics are not working and he needs to just listen to his wife. So, after 24 hours of sniping and hot sex, Kensa and Denver finally get it together and have a long overdue conversation. Won't he do it?!!! I loved this couple. After seven years, they hit a rough patch and didn't know how to handle it. But, they battled through their emotional demons and came out on the other side with a stronger marriage. Of course, our Black Vegas Royalty crew (King, Asha, Zora, Trei, Nashira, Lincoln, and Braxton) made a brief appearance. We even got to catch up with Desiree Byers. If you read A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement, you know who she is. Maybe Next Time was a phenomenal read. CCJ never disappoints. I can't wait to dive into the rest of this series. I'm looking forward to reading Nessa, Blue, Des, and Trace's stories.

[Izzy]

CW: Miscarriage, Grief

Should this premise be as hot as it is? Maybe not, but I loved it so much. As always CCJ delivers smut with humor and an unputdownable book.

[Rashawnda]

Maybe Next Time……they’ll get it right! And they did!

Kensa and Denver vowed for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for as long as they both lived. Unfortunately the worse came and that led to poor communication, hurt feelings and misunderstandings that had Kensa ready to end it all by way of a divorce. Well Denver said she had him fkd up because he wasn’t signing 💩!

With the help of their friends and family, and a successful husbandly kidnapping 🤭 Denver and Kensa were forced to put all of their hurt and anger and perceived betrayal on the line. Tough conversations were had but ultimately they came out on the other side stronger because of it!

I really enjoyed the first installment of the Vegas Nights series and am looking forward to the other two books!

[Mia.Mi.Jou (on hiatus)]

short novella, but so well done! it was emotional and steamy, about marriage in trouble and how to cope with miscarriage. you could see the growth of the MC's so perfectly and I really liked the writing.

[Bookishrealm]

Check out my full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZzNj...

[Milina’s library]

I don’t read marriage in trouble full length novels because they make me anxious but this novella about this couple working through miscarriage grief and re committing to one another was really touching. I could feel the intense passion and love between them, and it made me ver emo. I loved it

[aarya]

2023 Spring Bingo (#SpringIntoLoveBingo🌷): Black Love

Okay, but this is why you read reviews because I extrapolated “marriage in trouble” from the blurb and not “kidnapping.” 💀 Needed more grovel considering that man truly puts her through it.

[Wind]

When people say the seven year itch in a marriage can make or break I guess this is what they are talking about. The lack of communication after a loss definitely did its number on Denver and Kensa but thankfully they had a village behind them that was able to talk some sense into them and therapy does work!

[Kameel]

The Power Of Communication

What a beautiful story....sometimes it’s hard to convey your thoughts and feelings even to the person/ people you’re closest to. Denver & Kensa just had to find that place where they could come together and rebuild...lI’m so glad After speaking with his cousin Kingston, Denver decided to get his head on right to win his wife back. Also, Kensa had to put her pride aside to hear her husband and learn to open up and share her feelings....Excellent Read!

[ReadnliftwithShar]

the energy..

4.5✨Maybe Next Time is a marriage in distress story where communication and matching each other’s energy is the theme. Denver & Kensa have been married but after a rough patch happens they start to dwindle apart. I felt bad for Denver, he clearly didn’t want to divorce and he also didn’t know what he did wrong. Kensa wore me ouuut! Whew, I get her hurt and pain but I kept thinking, please say something to him!!! Lol! Let me just say, if my husband don’t kidnap me to apologize and right his wrongs- I’m not accepting the apology 🤣. Good read for me.

[The Love Librarian]

Reread (audio) in January 2024 - this book still hits! I'm loving these full cast audio experiences.

The first novella in the Vegas Nights collection was hot and GOOD. Denver and Kensa haven’t been on the same page in their marriage since the miscarriage of their little one. Kensa finally serves Denver with divorce papers, and he is NOT having it.

So what happens when your husband kidnaps you and flies you to a private island? Guess they don’t have a choice but to talk (and sex) it out!

Loved it!

[trina (kenan ross’ wife)]

If my husband doesn’t kidnap me and take me on vacation to work out our problems, then I don’t want him.

[Talia Smith]

One thing Christina knows, is how to write a good novella!

[Tina]

Reread Audio 5 ✨😍😘

[Antonella]

10/10 for this cover

[Beeg Panda]

Free amazon 28 November 2022

[Shades]

When the cover of this story dropped, I knew that I had to read this book. The model blew me way with just his SIDE PROFILE, so I knew he was going to be bae. Im never wrong. Denver and Kensa’s 7 year married is in turmoil. Tired of being ignored and overlooked, she files for a divorce stating love just wasn’t enough. Unfortunately, hubby doesn’t feel the same way. Denver Benoit was NOT here for the shits okay? I side eyed his arrogance and recklessness, but as I continued to read, I rooted for him to fight for his wife. This book captivated me from the beginning and refuse to release me. Can we say juicy? This is a short and quick read, yet the author was able to effectively take me on an emotional journey that reveals how lack of communication, grief and loss can break a marriage. It’s hard to tell this is Christina’s first marriage in distress story because she knocked it out the park. It is real, vulnerable and sexy. I l am here for all of that. In the end, I am pleased that Denver and Kensa both threw out their pride and ego to save their marriage. The ending, although swift, was sweet and I can’t wait for the other siblings stories.

CW- infant loss

[Rose]

The h was too bitter for my taste. I like angst but not bitterness, she was hellbent on punishing the H. I think had we gotten to live some of what was happening in their marriage in real time instead of it just being told to us then I would have connected to her plight more.

[nick (the infinite limits of love)]

I'm a sucker for a marriage-in-trouble story and this was good. Kensa was fantastic but Denver ... I could have punched that man in the nuts for not realising how much pain he was putting his wife through. The man thought he could solve all their issues by abducting his wife and sexing her up. The dumbass! He works for it though and that was what Kensa deserved. There was mention of marriage counseling but I wish we could have seen those sessions in action.

Content warning: mention of guns, miscarriage

[KarynReads]

I am OK with Denver standing on BUSINESS to get his wife back ok!!!! Lol A little kidnapping not gon hurt nobody!! Lol Kensa will be aight! 😋 This was very well performed. The narrators had you thinking this was a movie. You could hear the pain in their voices when performing certain scenes. Definitely recommend.

[Sheronda]

Kensa and Denver were going through it. She filed for divorce but Denver wasn’t having it. They finally were able to open up and have a much needed conversations that got them back on the right track. They realized communication was lacking in their marriage.

[Lindaisa]

I was SO apprehensive about reading this book right now because I wasn't in a "novella" mood. But I knew all I needed to do was read through the first few pages and i'd be set. Because Christina always delivers. And this time was no different. It still amazes me how much depth and grit she can fit into these books that are less than 100 pages. How after only an hour or so with these characters, I already loved them dearly, am rooting for them, and want them to win.

There was a bit of a different dynamic Maybe Next Time since the characters are already together and married. There was none of the "will they won't they" chase going on but we're introduced to Denver and Kense (LOVE THOSE NAMES) at a time in their relationship where things aren't roses and butterflies. And its was oh so entertaining getting to see them weather the storm of grief and dissent that they were in and come back together stronger and more in love than ever.

But of course...I have to say, even with this story feeling full and complete, I WANT MORE! I want to know more about Denvers background - I want to know how their future plays out - hell I want to know what, if anything, is going to happen between Kensa's sister and Mr. Biker Man Blue.

All in all - another solid piece of work by CCJ. She's my favorite indie romance author for a reason!

[Shameka Erby]

Kensa and Denver are married. But not for long... or so Kensa thinks. The story opens with Kensa walking into her home, surprised to find her husband there, who's furious because she had him served with divorce papers. He doesn't want a divorce, but she says it's not up to him. How can he get his wife to see she's all he needs?

Okay, so the heat between them burned up my Kindle. Wow. They are so hot and their frustration and anger making them hotter was so very relatable and written perfectly. I do love me some forced proximity, and a little kidnapping goes a long way, lol. The beauty of CCJ is that you can see the layers in what she puts on the page. Because I knew from the beginning that besides being a mark of their incredible passion, that all of that anger was hiding some pain. And whoa it sure was. It broke my heart, and I almost teared up myself. Kensa and Denver getting swept away by grief and feeling guilty for drifting, and then piling anger on to cover it was a complete journey in such a short time and I felt every bit of it. The writing was so great. Their reconciliation including therapy was beautiful. And the vow renewal was special.

Plus, I connected a dot! Lol. Having read the Predator's series, I recognize Nessa. Reading how her and Blue got together should be fun.

CW: Miscarriage

[Lette Reads]

I love Denver Benoit. That is all. That is it.