The Prodigy

Family Ties #1

by Shae Sanders

"First day back home and already in some mess."

Jakari Windermere hasn't been home to Midling in eight years. He's been laying low in Atlanta, and nobody knows why. But it doesn't matter now, because a tragedy draws him back to the town he grew up in...the town his family basically owns. But this won't be a pleasant homecoming, and he finds that out the moment he sets foot back in Midling.

Responsible Malika Andrews has never left Midling, boring as it is, so when rich, fine Jakari walks into her job, she has to hide her excitement. Finally, something interesting is happening in her life.

She has no idea.

A shocking act of violence and betrayal binds Jakari and Malika together, and they both find themselves married to a complete stranger. Jakari's goal? Keeping the family business intact so he can go back to his life in Atlanta. Malika's goal? To stay alive. As the newest member of the Windermere family, she's in a den of vipers, and it's eat or be eaten.

***The Prodigy is book one in the Family Ties series. Be advised, this story ends on a cliffhanger.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, African American, African American Romance, Urban

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2022

About the author

Just a girl who loves black love. Reading it, writing it, and living it.

Reviews

[Warda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story just clicked as soon as I started reading it.

I barely had any idea as to what it was about. I love the stories this author writes though, so that was good enough for me.

I loved that this was a kidnapping story!! The heroine stumbles upon something that she shouldn’t have seen and the hero proceeds to kidnap and marry her, so she doesn’t rat him out. He has things that he has to protect.

At first glance, these two don’t make a lick of sense. They’re on opposite personality/life ends, but as the story unravels, you see how well they compliment each other.

This quiet, unassuming woman, who calls herself a nobody, who prefers blending into the background than standing out, had this mountain of a man, wrapped around her finger.

They always say it’s the quiet ones. I mean, she doesn’t stay quiet for long. She has a mouth on her and I fuckin’ adored her!

Jakari became an absolute babe too. He’s rough around the edges for a reason and it was interesting to find those things out.

I’m onto the next book right away, because that cliffhanger was beautifully done! 😍

[Annette Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

**SOME SPOILERS**

Clutches my invisible pearls! Clutches all the invisible pearls because, chiiiiiiiiile, that ending has me SHOOK!!!! The Prodigy came out of the gate swangin’ with drama. After the death of his father, Jakari has been called home to take his place as the new leader of the Windermere family. This is the call he’s been dreading for 8 years because, taking over the family business is the last thing Jakari wants to do. The expectations for him are extremely high. He has to protect the family, keep the family together, make sure the family is provided for, and watch out for the snakes in and out of the family. Needless to say, he has a lot on his shoulders. Jakari has barely been back in town 30 minutes before someone is gunnin’ for him. It’s kill or be killed and, well, y’all know how that goes. Unfortunately for Jakari, there’s a witness. Poor Malika. That day just wasn’t her day. She was just trying to do a good deed and walked right into the middle of a murder. To keep her silent, Jakari kidnaps Malika and forces her to marry him. Honestly, this couple was doomed from the start but, fate said don’t count them out. She has plans for them. This is just the beginning of the fantastical tale this book is. There are so many layers to this storyline, and nothing is as it seems. It’s full of lies, secrets, betrayal, and tons of drama. Finding out who’s trying to kill Jakari and who’s behind it is nothing compared to the bomb Gab dropped on Jakari. Even I needed a drink after that. Speaking of Gab, somebody give that heffa an Oscar because, this woman gave an award-winning performance as the villain of this story. Gab is the mama none of us want. She was giving me shady vibes from the very beginning, and she proved to be exactly who I thought she was. Gab reveled in all of the drama and chaos she caused while putting her son in an impossible position. I will say this though, I’m not saying what Gab did was right but, I understand. If you’re bold enough to disrespect me by bringing your side bytch in my house, you’re bold enough to accept these consequences. The Prodigy was so good! It was full of salacious page turning goodness. I’m just glad I waited until the series was complete before I started reading it. Had I not, that cliffhanger would’ve definitely taken me out. I may very well have stalked the author for book two because, ma’am, there’s no way you expected me to wait 30 days. You tried it!

[WellReadRuby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updating to a 5 because this was really that good!

I should’ve waited because this cliff hanger?!?? Omg!! I don’t like the momma and I feel like you can’t trust no one in this family! Also who is after Jakari?! And Malika’s history?! Mannnnnnnn I knew that old man knew her! Something was up!! There’s wayyyy too many loose ends and I feel like that puppy may not be the only new young surprise for Malika and Jakari but I will stay quiet on that! The writing was amazing and I was captured immediately. I read this book straight through! Shae you did it again 😩! When is book 2 coming?!? I need it!

[Toya Davis-Stokley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shae gurl! You did the damn thang honey! 😂 I purposely waited to start this series, because I knew of the cliffhanger. Thank God I did, because if I had to wait on this right here, I woulda been ready to fight! 😂 I knew it was some weird ish going down, right from the beginning! Why send Jakari away if he is the next in line? That whole Windermere family got a shady vibe to them, just can't put my finger on it yet! Momma Windermere is just doing too much with Jakari and for him, what is the deal with that? Miss Jaz is more than meets the eye! I can tell that she is going to be the wild card here, and blow that family out of the water! Jakari dreads going back home, as he knows that the drama, memories and trauma await him! But, he does what he needs to for the family. As soon as he gets into town, ish jumps off, and Malika is pulled into his web! Malika, has been crushing on this man since she was a teen, and to now be all up in his space like this is jarring! But, they easily get into a groove and become the one person the other can trust! Jakari knows something is up, and he has learned that Malika is his ride or die, so he needs her to be his eyes and ears. He never thought he would fall for her, but he is, and she is becoming his everything! Malika is all in, and ready to do and be all the Jakari needs her to! NOW, that ending....... lawd revive me, cause I was so not ready! I knew it was a woman that was at the root of the issues with Jakari's parents, but damn it was HER! That damn Gab is a mess, and I bet she got some more ish up her sleeve too! What will Jakari do to salvage this relationship that he is building? Whew....... damn that was good! On to the next one! 👍👍👍

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 👰😋🔪🔥

I really enjoyed this story; I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Check: Content warnings

Trope: Black Love, forced marriage, criminal enterprise, family secrets

Enjoyment: 4 ⭐

Character development: 3.5 ⭐

Emotional: 3 ⭐

Sweet: 2.5 ⭐

Romance: 2 ⭐

Intrigue: 4 ⭐

Action: 1 ⭐

Violence: 3 ⭐

Story\plot: 3.5⭐

World Building: 2.5 ⭐

Enjoy!!!

[Mrs. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was extra deep. I enjoyed it a whole lot. The street justice side was different in this read. Gab is the weirdest mom; she acts too attached to her son. The creepy vibe and all is almost too alarming. But Malika gave Jakari his rider, even when she did not have the whole picture. I suspect Jaz is not as naive as everyone thinks. The story was good...

[Savoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew it!

[Jahari Dowdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! THAT ENDING WAS DEFINITELY A CLIFFHANGER. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. I REALLY ENJOYED SEEING THIS COUPLES JOURNEY.

[dovesnook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jakari had me annoyed for a lil too long but this was hella entertaining

[Msstiletto · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok for me.

[jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-read Thoughts: Ok this guy looks hot I’m down

During Read Thoughts: OK THIS IS HOT and SCARY

Post Read Thoughts: Need more immediately

I will be the first to admit that usually when the cover is an actual photo of someone versus art or a depiction, I usually scroll past the cover. However, this guy looked GOOD. Most of the romance covers I see are of shirtless dudes with a ton of abs which is the standard of beauty I think, but I’ve always disliked that image massively. Seeing a guy with a comfy sweater in looking at me like he wants to ask me on a date?! THATS SO MUCH HOTTER.

I didn’t expect much spice from this book since I was actually searching for thrillers and romance when I found this one. I was given a TREAT. There is so much build up throughout the book, but it’s not a tease to you as the reader as much as it is a tease for the characters too.

Then you have the actual plot, which is nail-biting and intense. There’s a family business and the MC’s father has passed, leaving him to take on this massive undertaking. I LOVED the character development for the MC. he is so hot. Anyways sorry, so he is having to deal with this insane amount of stress and he needs to take care of his family.

His family members are a different level of rich, and the MC’s partner struggles heavily with this transition. There were so many layers to this that I won’t be able to stop thinking about it for some time now.
I have also very much realized this is the PERFECT length for a book for me.

Everything about this read was amazing, I finished it in like a day, at 11 pm, eating my snacks, and immediately needed to open the next one in the series. Yes I am already 6% in to The Prodigy 2: Rise of a Queen and it’s GOOD.


Full review is here on my blog!

[jakeyvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

y'all know i always write my reviews immediately after i'm done reading the book and this is why. my jaw is hanging. HANGING! when i first started this book, i had an idea of where it might go. by the middle of the book, i just knew how it was going to end. it was easy, predictable. until it wasn't. i can honestly say i didn't see that coming and i will be starting the next book immediately.

i didn't know how to feel about jakari and malika at first. jakari was a player type who was bred from money and not nearly as family-oriented as he wanted everyone to believe. malika...malika was a little bit of a loser if i'm honest. they needed each other (real bad) and their character progression throughout the book proved that. they went from being "prisoner" and "jailor" to being a unit and it's one of the best things about the book.

shae has always done well with making side characters unimportantly important. she doesn't make them overplay their role, but they always help move the story along. jaz, gab, eris, nay, and everyone else work superbly as plot movers and i can't wait to see how shae uses them in the next book. ESPECIALLY gab.

i rate this book 4.4 ⭐️s! it was entertaining, fast, and the cliffhanger was a true gag. if you're looking for a hot-ish, drama-filled, marriage of necessity, i definitely recommend.

[Lisette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa!!!!

This story started off full steam ahead right out the gate! Pulled me right in and had me on my toes. A little towards the middle it kind of fell off and I was wondering where the story was going and why. I didn't necessarily feel the chemistry between Maliah and Jakori, so I was wondering how their situation would play out. And then their interaction went up in flames. Scorching hot. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next installment, Rise of a Queen and I'm wondering if the Queen will be Malika or Jaz. All I know is the sh*t will hit the fan.
Great job, Shae! This read like a murder mystery/romance/erotica.

[Youneek_reads (Shaneeka F.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started this book I didn’t know what the hell to think. I was like “Where we going with this Shae” lol. I’m glad I seen it through because babyyyyyyyy what does this family have going on. So many secrets and betrayals. I really hope Malika and Jakari can get through this storm that’s about to come their way. Just when I thought they were smooth sailing here comes Gab with her jealous ass!! That’s a character that I can’t stand! Ready to see what happens in the second book.

[Kimberley (pennedbykdb) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shae Sanders can do no wrong 😭😭

My good sis Shae keeps me well fed! Lawks Jakari and Mal did not have the conventional start, but love can be found in any situation…even in the midst of some hood shit!

Marriage of convenience meets dark romance, meets urban romance, meets family drama and a whole bunch of secrets and lies.

The Prodigy gave all that it promised and then some!

[Nay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending 😳😳😭😭

[KiKi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I knew it was a “hood novel” but I didn’t expect it to be so poorly written. Using “female” as a noun grinds my gears. A man referring to his wife as “his bitch” and thinking it’s a term of endearment. The same man tells his wife she can’t have male friends nor can she cheat on him …but he’s allowed to have a “side piece”.
Terrible filth.

[Whit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Just Wow!

Awesome story overflowing with family drama; jealousy; deceit; gangsters; and betrayal!

Malika is such a sweetheart and I'm afraid that Jakari and his back-stabbing family are going to ruin her!

[Lindaisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.75 — This review is spoiler free.

When going into this book, I was a little apprehensive to start it because of the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger and the second book isn't set to come out until a little over a week from now. But I needed something fresh to read, the story seemed interesting based on the synopsis, and Shae Sanders had yet to let me down...which remains to be true. And that cliffhanger? Now THAT'S a cliffhanger I can live with for a week. And also the perfect one to make sure I'll be picking up book two on the 3oth.

The Prodigy is written in typical Shae Sanders fashion. Well at least in the fashion I think she has based on the few books I've read. We jump right into the story and into Jakaria and Malika with very little preamble which I love. You get JUST the right amount of context, JUST the right amount of introduction of the characters, and JUST the right amount of action and drama to pull you in, without it being so crazy that you think too much is going on too quickly. On some real Goldilocks and the Three Bears type shit.

But not only that, the story is written in a way that keeps you guessing and wondering how the story is going to evolve into the one you bought into when you picked up the book. Malika and Jakari meet, but their first interaction isn't one that makes you think, "oh they're going to hook up." But then things quickly progress, in a way that has you sold on how they end up in each other's universe, but still wondering how they're going to get to a point where there isn't tension, fear, and mistrust between them. Then things progress further, and you start to wonder and even anticipate and HOPE that things will work themselves out between the two because you start rooting for them even before they realize...or rather ADMIT that there's anything between them. Which for me was a PERFECT strategy from Shae Sanders in terms of story, character, and relationship progression in this book. I'm a tough cookie to crack. I don't just fall for the okie doke. Things have to be presented to me in a way that is both authentic and believable. Actions, feelings, and decisions from characters have to make sense in both a logical and emotional sense for me to buy-in. And I was ALL the way bought in and invested, long before the Malika and Jakari were.

The ONLY gripe and sideeye I have towards this book, and the reason for my 4.75 rating as opposed to a full 5, is that after Malika and Jakari DID accept their roles in each other's lives, and admit to each other and to themselves that their situation was more than what their original circumstance dictated, that they were actually feeling one another...they started doing and saying some weird shit (lol) — Not to the point that I felt like the believability or authenticity was being lost...but to the point where I was worried that there was POTENTIAL for that to happen. Things like Malika telling Jakari it was okay for him to call her things... things that, I don't understand why ANY woman would be okay with their man calling them. And i'm not one to yuck anyone's yum. You do whatever you want to do in the privacy of your home and bedroom. But she didn't even SPECIFY that what she was telling him was okay to call her...was only for the bedroom. And also...WHY WOULD YOU WANT HIM CALLING YOU THAT!?! There was also a conversation they had that was clearly a set up for the next book, (considering the next installment is going to focus on Malika) but in the context of the timing and their situation, just felt a tad bit rushed and contrived. If I wanted to be nice, I could chalk it up to them being in a delayed honeymoon stage of their relationship...but I don't feel like being nice today.

Besides that...SOLID read, one that I finished in less than 24 hours which I haven't done in quite a while, not on a full-length novel. And as I said previously, that cliffhanger definitely did its job of making sure I'll be picking up the second book as SOON as it's released. I also want to mention, that it was a cliffhanger I wasn't expecting, which I have to give Shae Sanders kudos for. Based on the world Malika and Jakari are in, and the lifestyle Jakari has, I was expecting your run-of-the-mill, PREDICTABLE cliffhanger. But the one we get instead?? Earthshattering. Lifechanging. Potententionally Catastrophic, for both Malika and Jakari. And I can't WAIT to see how things are going to play out.

[Shades N Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really played myself knowing good and well that cliffhangers aren’t my thing. I’m gonna blame it on the book featuring a Black organized crime family. Add in the forced marriage and I was like a kid in the candy store. So I will say it again, I PLAYED MYSELF because I have to wait until June 30th and I am not okay. Jakari has been laying low outside of Midling and its been a big secret in the family. Finally back to his hometown, his welcome back isn't exactly what he was expecting and it leads to him meeting Malika and forcing her into a marriage. You know what happens when you're in the proximity of the man you crushed on in school. Sparks fly and Malika can’t help but give in to Jakari. The couple getting to know each other wasn't as fleshed out and developed as I would've wanted but the parts that were on page showed that Jakari protected her and had her best interests at heart. The Windermere’s run the town but within their tight knit circle, it’s complete chaos. There are so many layers to this family and to this story. The lies, the secrets and the betrayal are running rampant in this and I frantically waited for the unraveling. When it finally happened , I was shooketh!!! What happens when your loyalty to your family is the same reason that the relationship you built is at risk of crumbling? Whew! I am on pins and needles waiting for the second book. If you like drama, mystery secrets, pick this up! I definitely recommend

[THEVIBE_BRARIAN (Britny) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah! Let’s address the ending first! I pieced it together right before it unravels, but even reading it I was shocked! I mean I know what Jakari should do, but I don’t want him to do that!

I am so curious to see where this series goes next.

Now that we got that out of the way I did not originally love this piece of work. I read the authors note so I knew Shae would be trying a different writing style and I didn’t like it in the beginning. There was a bit of redundancy, both in words and phrases, that wouldn’t let me connect with the book.

After the main characters got past the stranger phase the book picked up and I was able to connect from that point forward.

I’m developing a soft spot for Malika and I just want to see her win in the end.

Gabrielle Windermere is something else! From the very beginning I kept my eye on her lmao

I’m glad I continued reading. I really enjoyed it.

[*Ebony I* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unforeseen love

Listen I was unsure about Jakari's bae status at first, but he grew on me. Kari was the heir to his father's businesses...legal and otherwise even though he was the middle son. Kari spent the last several years running from his birthright, but when his father passed he knew he had to man up.

He inadvertently ran into Malika, who would become his wife. Mal had a crush on Kari in high school, but didn't really know much about him and his family. Initially she was scared, but as time passed they seemed to have both a connection and chemistry.

There was so much drama happening around them though. I felt that situation with her mom turning.... His mother and her protective ways also seems to have something else going on.

I'm in it, off to the next book.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

wild messy ride

This was definitely messy and just like Shae promised, different from her other books. I wasn’t feeling Jakari at all in the beginning, but as he opened up he drew me in. Maliki definitely got caught up. The twist at the end, I didn’t see coming. I knew something was up with his mama, but I didn’t think it was that. This just goes to show you that what’s done in the dark, really does come to light AND parents really do ruin their kids smh.

[Monteeeee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. The storyline itself is good but it didn't flow as well as other books I've read. I'll probably read the others though for the sake of finishing

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

😯 just 😯

Great start to this family drama. Malika and Jakari has very interesting road ahead of them. On to Book 2.

[Katie O’Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg this book was dynamiteeeee

“I don’t feel like your prisoner anymore. I feel like your wife.”

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good novel!

Wow so much was unpacked in this book! Jakari and Mal got together to keep a secret. Now they are in deep but what will happen when Gab's secret is revealed? So many secrets, I'm sure they will eventually spill out of the closet! They always do. This family has a lot going on! Can't wait until the next one drops! Some grammatical errors were present but overall a great read!

[Taylor Browne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would you marry a stranger if it came down to a matter of life or death? Personally, I wouldn’t think twice about it, especially if the stranger was anything like Jakari Windermere, the main male character in this story. Rich, handsome, great in bed, and from a powerful family, sounds like a win to me…at least on the surface.

This is book one of the Family Ties series, there are four books in total, and it did not disappoint. The author warns us that this book ends in a cliffhanger and clearly I did not take heed because my jaw still hit the floor when I reached the end and I have been trying to take my time with book two. When it comes to a good romance, I need that build up. The author doesn’t have to drag on and on, but I need to see the feelings as they’re developing or at least be able to pinpoint what moment caused said feelings.

With this story featuring a marriage of convenience, I wasn’t sure what the love journey would look like or what could be expected. And Shae Sanders was pretty much like “Don’t worry, I got you” and allowed us to bear witness to the evolution of this relationship. I loved every second of it. This book had me smiling from ear to ear as the main couple, Jakari and Malika, grew closer. This might mark my first fictional boyfriend because Jakari is everything, I’m ready to go to war behind him at this point. One of my favorite things about this book was definitely Jamari’s inner thoughts in regards to Malika.

Romance aside, I also thoroughly enjoyed the back story happening with the Windermere family and their “business” and ties to the streets. I know as the series goes on the focus shifts to some of the other family members and their love lives and daily happenings, so I am excited to explore those point of views. If you’re looking to get into a series, check this one out.

[Milan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5⭐️3/5🌶
- As you can tell from my rating this book was very mid. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great it was just ok. I was honestly gonna dnf but I held out hope lol.

- Jakari is the only reason I finished it honestly. He deserves all the praise. He is well idk what his occupation was damn😂😂. Anyway that doesn't matter because he gets shit done for the fam, he moves from ATL back home to help continue his daddy business even though he didn't want to. Hes a great son and brother. I really enjoyed his character. As you can see I only highlighted his parts and I didn't realize until I made the review. Then its Malika shes a bartender who never made it out her home town because she put her sister first. She was an ok fmc wasn't nothing too special about her to me.

- It started off good like it was such an dramatic opening then it got boring. I was 70% in like bro im bored maybe it was the story line or the writing im not sure something about it just didn't give to me. Mhm actually no the storyline had hella twist but they were predictable maybe thats what it is. I enjoyed the dynamic though between Jakari and Malika though.

- Honestly I wouldn't recommend this one. But everyone has their own opinions just bc it was a miss for me doesn't mean you won't love it.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay you got me with this one 😬

Shae Sanders, I just don’t know what to say. I thought I wasn’t
Going to like this book. However, as much as I wanted to dislike Jakari, I found myself giving in to this character who in an odd kind of way is forced to leave Atlanta and come home to run the family business. Only ending up marrying a bartender by the name of Malika, who accidentally observed him shooting someone , to keep her from being able to testify against him ( she didn’t realize that it was a matter of self defense ) On his very fist night of arriving in town. 🤦🏽‍♀️

This dawg gone book sucked me in so tough it was a struggle to put it down at 2:30 a.m. only to pick it back up at 8:00 a.m. refusing to put it down until I was finished 💕. The ending left me with my mouth hanging open and gasping. Not because it ended in a cliff hanger ( which usually irritates me😂😂) but because although I had suspected certain things about his mom I had no clue as to how treacherous she was 😳

It’s a gritty read with a lot going on with an interesting twist
To an urban romance ❤️😳