All her life, make-up artist Simone Bailey, used laughter as a defense mechanism to keep from crying. She lives her life loudly, unapologetically, and free until a devastating betrayal rocks her world. Deciding she is off men for the foreseeable future, she puts her focus on her career and building her brand instead. That is until she shares a kiss with a handsome stranger that makes her want to risk it all. Model turned actor Zion Masters is intrigued by the gorgeous woman that kissed him then ghosted him. Unable to get her off his mind he vows to make her his if they ever cross paths again. Fate lends a helping hand when a close friend calls in a favor that he reluctantly agrees to. Will he be able to convince her to take a chance on him or will the heatstrokes he gives her be too much for her to handle?
Kema B. is an eighties baby, wife, and mother to the most special boy in the whole world. She is a lover of music and an avid reader of many genres from fantasy to urban fiction and of course romance. A hopeless romantic at heart, she began writing her own love stories as a young girl and continued through adulthood. Creating black love that checks every box, she makes it her mission as an indie author to give her readers spicy contemporary romance with a pinch of reality, a dash of sass and an ounce of filth with every book. A forever Brooklynite, she currently resides in South Florida where her personal motto is: Read. Write. Live. Repeat!
Heatstrokes was everything from start to finish! It definitely earned every one of those 5-stars. I adored Zion and Simone. They were the epitome of young black love. Both of them had their ish together with their burgeoning careers. My heart just broke for Simone. I don’t know who I wanted to fight more; trashy azz Alton, backstabbin’ azz Alicia, or her traitorous azz mama. Between the three of them (along with her past relationships), they definitely dealt her self-esteem with a two piece and a biscuit. But, my guy Zion came through and showed Simone how a real man treats a woman. I love when previous characters have cameos. It was great being able to catch up with Stacia and Drew. Stacia was hilarious as ever. I love the witty banter between her and Simone. They had me hollering throughout this book. Kema B showed out with Heatstokes. It was phenomenal!
This is my first read from Kema B but it won’t be my last. Simone just made my heartache. Just the thought of someone having that type trauma experienced over and over and still have the ability to smile, laugh and joke is a testament of Simone. The comedic relief from Simone had me laughing out loud. She was able to rediscover that she is “THAT CHICK.” Outside of a relationship and I loved to see it. Zion is my new book bae cause shawty got that grown man!! 🍆He just ozoned BDE and I soaked it all up. But it was beyond the sexual tension that Zion was clear in what he wanted and went after it. This was not just a steamy read but it had fully realized characters outside of the sexy pieces. It reminds the reader to remove toxicity out of lives and love on our selves even while fate is working. 5 stars ✨ #currentreading #blackromance #blackfiction
Author Kema B has done it again! I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. Simone Bailey is left heartbroken and scorned after a devastating betrayal. However, she doesn’t drown in her sorrows. Instead, she left her ex, Alton, and never looked back. Simone quickly buried her feelings and put all of her focus into her thriving career. Then, out of the blue, she runs into Zion Masters!!! Huntyyy, he stopped at nothing to get what he wanted! The moment he laid eyes on his “chipmunk,” he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. I loved every second of reading their chemistry. This story was short, sexy, and super sweet. Did I mention the hilarious moments? The “Girl, you need to stop reading them hood ass books. He’s not some retired kingpin with access to a security team that can find any and everybody with a push of a button.” part took me out!😂😂😂 Nothing like a great book with humor! My second read by this author, and I have yet to be disappointed.
Simone had been going through it. Her trash cousin was THEE biggest hater and really needed the brakes beat off of her. Whew and her so called family, had some nerve to actually side with the jezebel. I really understood her hesitancy when Zion's fine self showed up. Good lawd the way Kema B described him immediately put him into bookbae status. On top of that he was just genuine...sweet and wanted very much to take care of Simone. Even though she wasn't initially ready to embrace it, I loved that for her. Zion exuded BDE by being very clear on what he wanted and standing on it. He was patient with Simone and loved her flaws and all.
I also loved Simone's crazy friend Stacia that was unwaveringly supportive. She really helped her get her mojo back.
Ok Queen Kema! She came through with this cute novella and I really enjoyed. Simone definitely deserved to be loved, cherished, honored, desired but most importantly respected. Her whole damn family needed they a** kicked for the way the degraded and taunted her throughout her life, especially her parents. That cousin belongs to the streets, the end period. I loved her friend, glad to pushed her to give Zion a try cause that man new from jump she was his forever and had no problem showing her how serious he was. Cute, short and sweet.
I hate that it took me so long to finally get to this story! 😫 however, I loved it from the very beginning. Chipmunk was so relatable to me. As women, we tend to internalize a lot and sometimes explode on the wrong people. Her story was so touching. But when Jersey came along, I was rooting so hard for them. He was perfect. The epitome of book baes! Great job!
I started reading this book slowly so that it could last a little longer. Zion is bae! I love a grown man that isn’t about games and make it known what he wants. He was right on time giving Simone what she needed after she’d been betrayed in the worst way. One of my favorite couples now.
Author Kema is back and as funny as ever. Loved this story between Simone and Zion. This book was a hard lesson on self love and realizing who tf you are. Loved that Simone was able to let her past go and heal.
This was a good book, and I’m happy I got to read more about Stacia crazy self😂. I really enjoyed Simone’s journey to accepting genuine love. Zion’s patience was beautiful. I hope this is not the end.
I loved Simone and Zion's story! Life is definitely too short so live life to the fullest. I hated what Simone had endured on the count of some family dysfunction. That cousin Alicia and them set of parents whew 🙄😒! I could feel her pain. Her friend Stacia was the mind of friend we all need. I was so happy that her healing was progressing. It was and is journey but having that Zion was truly a blessing. My first read from this author and I'm already looking for more to read from her. Her writing is so realistic with excellent characters and storylines. A positive outlook was provided and I absolutely loved it. The playlist was awesome!
Poor Simone was done dirty by life, but she was a fighter! She was courageous and had great strength to deal with trash ass parents, f@@k boy exes, and that hatin' ass cousin! (Wanted to borrow hot sauce and batter up) 😂 Although she had her breakdowns (rightfully so), so brushed herself off and was on her boss woman ish! She made it from the mud without help from anyone. I loved her sass, sense of humor and overall personality. She could have been bitter, mean and hateful, with all that she endured growing up; but she was fun loving and and sweet. Zion was on his grown man ish from the beginning! He saw Simone, and was like game on! He was kind, really listened to her, and put himself out there right away, letting her know where he stood. It took a minute for Simone to get some act right, with all she had been through. I'm so glad that she did, because they were fire together! Happy to see Stacia make an appearance, with her crazy self. Enjoyed this very much, and can't wait for your next one! 👍👍👍
Many lessons learned throughout this love story!! So good!!
Simone is the epitome of loads of women walking around hiding behind a smile or over the top personality without facing their issues. I loved how she felt no shame with removing her toxic family away from her life. Her momma and daddy are truly piss poor for how they did her. Her cousin deserved a true beating. Like why would you enjoy sleeping with everyone of your cousin's men?? Something is mentally wrong with her evil a**. Zion was everything Simone needed and deserved but I'm glad that he was patient with her while also putting g his foot down with her. Those sex scenes will have anyone squirming though. There were definitely lessons learned throughout this story when it comes to self love, self care, removing toxic folks, knowing your self worth and loving yourself but also knowing when to allow the right person in.
This author has the gift to give you a genuine love story with so many components. She keeps it relevant...giving us our culture whether through music, movies, or television shows. She keeps it authentically funny giving us that needed comic relief. Then she gives us our female protagonist whose only flaw is that others missed out on how beautiful and amazing she is. I love Simone through and through. I am so glad she stood up for herself and shined as the Boss lady she is! Her mother irked my soul but that is a reality in so many dysfunctional families. Let me just jump in on Zion...he is all the way, sho nuff bae! His vibe of course included BDE but in him was so much more! This author has won me over as I own all of her releases and looking forward to reading more of her works. Keep them coming!!!
Simone seems like a great girl, but whew, life has handed her some tough blows. She's persevered though and is thriving despite it all. Her family is trash and so is her boyfriend so I do understand why she was so hesitant to take a chance on Zion. But clearly fate wanted this to happen. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at that calendar shoot!🤤🔥 Zion was bae and I loved that he wasted no time settling within himself who Simone was to him and I'm glad he was patient with her getting on the same page. These two had some smoking hot chemistry and above that, they just clicked. This was a wonderful story! 5 ⭐️ Stars!
Kema B, Babbbbyyyy...I congratulate you on your work getting better and better AND for this 5-star heat you served up on a gold platter. I'm trying to find the right words to describe the cosmic connection that Zion/Jersey and Simone/Chipmunk had from night one. I'm not even going to describe how their bodies responded to each other at Venus's photo shoot. I was rooting for Simone to put her big-girl underwear on and go get her man because harping on Alton and Alicia was going to make her miss out on her good thing in Zion who always let his intentions be known off the top. I absolutely love how all of characters are intertwined with previous books and we got a glimpse of Drew and Stacia since Stacia and Simone are best friends. I can't wait to see who's up next.
Now y'all know I love me some fat girls falling in love. Kema really gave me everything I needed here. The ties to her family, but that backup of her self-confidence that pushed her through. Standing up against your abuser is tough and I love that she did that. And she fought back against internalizing what other people thought of her. Simone was successful, beautiful, talented, and free.
Now, I believe in love at first sight, so Zion knowing she was the future captured my heart and put me right where I need to be. The two of them had chemistry off the charts! And y'all know I love a good nickname. Chipmunk??? So very cute. They were very cute. I enjoyed myself.
Heatstrokes: A Summer Fling Novella by Kima B is a interesting and amazing story. This is my first time reading from this author. Kima B does a good job. She brings the heat from those characters.
I love the way how the friendship/sisterhood connection from Simone and Stacia. Stacia shows her respect, loyalty and down earth to Simone. She’s definitely opposite than Alicia. Alicia and Simone’s family are something else. Zion doesn’t want anyone but he wants a woman who fills his heart. Simone is the one for him. He’s definitely a book bae.
I wish there will be part two of this series because I want to read more from Simone and Zion.
Good read : Heatstrokes: A Summer Fling Novella Book nerd 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
This was another dope read from the author. I loved Simone and it was sad that she had to endure all that mess from her family. Real life situations were addressed and the way Simone built herself back up was everything. Now let’s get into Zion...whew baby where can I find mine. Zion exuded BDE and was able to back up everything he said. This author ended the summer with a bang.
Wow!! This story was absolutely amazing!! I loved the full details, the raw emotions and the brutal honesty displayed with this book. Simone was highly relatable yet beautiful inside and out. Thanks Kema B for minding us curvy girls that we aren't lacking in anything. This book served to show that anyone that fails to appreciate the totality of a women is the one that truly loses in the end
Simone and Zion ❤❤ They were written perfectly and a match made in heaven from the first time they met! I'm so glad this wasn't another story about a BBW who hated herself and had terrible self esteem. Her story was more relatable and I hated they way her parents treated her. We're not even going to talk about that triflin' cousin of hers smh... I'm so happy her story ended happy! This book was perfectly short, I enjoyed every page of it!
I can’t imagine the hurt and pain Simone endured her whole life from her own family. I was sooo happy that she met someone to giver her that “more” she was looking for. One of the things that stood out to me was said the by author in her closing “limiting access to your kindness is a form of a self-care..” that was a word do you hear me!!
This was my first read from the author and I loved itZ I actually wanted more of their story, I feel like I could’ve used a bit more about their backgrounds. Other than that I thought it was a wonderful story with fully developed characters. This is real art imitating life. There were so many themes in this book that will make you look into yourself and want to be better for you. Thank you for this!!
Simone and Zion. A hiatus from love and a chance meeting. Simone had her share of bad luck with the male Species and swore off love. But when she least expected it she met someone seemingly different. Too afraid to take a chance she ran and thought she was free, but fate stepped in and her talent wound up placing her and the stranger back in each other's faces. Zion was all Man indeed and proved that when fate gives you a second chance you take it.
This was soooo good. I was enjoying reading it so much that I was sad when it ended. Simone was HILARIOUS and had me literally lol from page 1. It was also nice to catch up with Stacia and Drew. The only people I couldn’t stand in this book were Mo’s ignorant family.... highly recommend this one. Kema did her thang.
I loved everything about this book! With a name like Simone you knew she was going to be a dope chick😆. Zion aka Jersey was just what she needed. Her mother and that cousin of hers needed to get beat down! I felt the story was relatable. I’m anxiously waiting for whatever you give us next.
This was soooooo good! Heatstrokes was my second read by Kema and let me tell you that I am new fan. I was laughing out loud at Simone's crazy behind and I loved Zion's assuredness. I love the way Kema writes. It's so familiar and relatable. I need this in paperback because I'll definitely be rereading.
This is my first read by this author and hands down, she killed it! While she made sure it had all the sizzle between Simone and Zion, she definitely dug down deep to show us Simone’s scars. Zion gunned for his spot anyway and he did not disappoint! Kema, my baby, thank you for giving us a splash of your creative world. #
You name it this book had it!!!! All the “Fire & Desire” in my Teena Marie voice. This one took me through stages of emotions varying from: oh no he didn’t, finish her to please let her heal, and blow her life up.