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Love, Lies, and Catfish #1
To Catch a Catfish
After a failed engagement, London Lewis is back in her childhood home living with her father and his new evil cat. She's working at her cousin's company, a firm devoted to investigating online mates and weeding out the catfish, and has just been promoted to a position where she will deal directly with clients. Her first client, Donovan Willis, is convinced his grandmother's new love is a catfish out to scam her.
Donovan Willis knows his grandmother has a secret new love. Who is this man that has her checking her phone all the time and what does he want from her? Determined to get to the truth, he hires Expose and meets London. She intrigues him but she also exposes family secrets that are better left buried.
They are instantly attracted to each other but shouldn't cross that investigator/client line, should they?
Donovan Willis knows his grandmother has a secret new love. Who is this man that has her checking her phone all the time and what does he want from her? Determined to get to the truth, he hires Expose and meets London. She intrigues him but she also exposes family secrets that are better left buried.
They are instantly attracted to each other but shouldn't cross that investigator/client line, should they?
- GenresRomanceContemporary
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2022
120 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 2, 2023
Cute
I'll start by saying I got this for free on stuff your kindle day. I expected it to be drama filled like the show (it wasnt) but the story is definitely cute and had its shares of twists and turns with slight spice
I'll start by saying I got this for free on stuff your kindle day. I expected it to be drama filled like the show (it wasnt) but the story is definitely cute and had its shares of twists and turns with slight spice
November 13, 2022
This book is outside of my usual genre. I wanted to read a book by a black author and wanted to see what a 300 page about "catfishing" would be about. I found a pleasant story with believable characters. The level of angst a little too much for me. A good twist at the end.
September 21, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. The title of this book really caught my attention. I haven’t read a book about being catfished so I was interested right away. I liked how the book had different point of views. There were some twists and turns I was not expecting in this book. I would definitely read another book by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only
July 5, 2023
Favorite Pickup Line:
He smiled, studying her. “You could be a unicorn,” he said after a few minutes.
Post Date Recap:
This book date was a whole mixed bag, but at the end of the day, I gave it a four star. There were moments while reading that I had all those mushy, warm, “awwww” feels where I wanted to give this something more than five stars. Then there were other points in the read where… I was thinking three stars would be generous.
Let’s start with the cover. I have a love/hate relationship with illustrated covers. Some are STUNNING, some make me feel like I’m reading a cartoon, and some just make me cringe. On that scale this one was so much better, however I will say I expected a more… celebrity component because it looks like a “red” carpet in the center (I know it’s blue, but you know what I mean) and spotlights at the back. However I love the authenticity in the characters. London is a curvy girl and Donovan has locs (we will get into my feelings on that later), exactly as they are shown.
This premise is adorable. I’ll admit I’m probably the target audience because I watch MTV’s Catfish on repeat. Love that whole damn show. I loved that London was the one in charge and not the “victim”. We stan a boss woman in this corner of the world. Donovan isn’t actually a victim either, he’s concerned his grandmother is. She’s the most important woman in his life and he is very protective of her.
But O.M.G. that woman is a capital B bitch. I hated her and trust me, you’re meant to. From the very first moment you actually meet Emmaline you go from dislike to hatred to loathing. Her last little stunt FOR ME (and I won’t get into exactly what that was because…spoilers) was unforgivable. Truly made the character past the point of redemption for me, but for those that are more forgiving, you may be able to, but not this girl.
Donovan was, for the most part, just the best. He is such an amazing leading man and, listen, when the man noticed she was wearing EARRINGS???? I swooned so hard core. Working in his favor is the fact that in many ways (and the locs were a big one) Donovan reminded me of my absolute favorite leading man from any book I’ve read, and my strongly claimed book husband, Malcolm from Not Broken by Meka James. Obligatory link because he’s worth it.
London has been through some shit and is trying to find her way back to normalcy after a horrific breakup shortly before her wedding. I love her journey (for the most part, we are getting there) and all her little character quirks.
Now… let’s circle back to the grandmother because she was my biggest problem. Not the character herself because while I stand by my hatred, that’s (I believe) exactly the emotion the author was trying to evoke with that character. So mission accomplished there.
But her storyline is what actually created my issues with this story. It all felt like too much. The grandmother was doing a lot on the down low while putting on an air of a righteous, pious woman. Which… fair. I’ll give you that. It’s a great nuance to have for a character you’re intended to dislike. But, more than that, her storyline and the truth behind the Mr. Miami profile that Donovan thought was a Catfish was just too much.
This book was, overall, a sweet (but don’t misunderstand that word because the sexual chemistry is HIGH and their on page hotel romp is hot), easy-to-love story that gave me so many feel good moments, but would have been a stellar book date for me if the Mr. Miami storyline had been handled a bit differently. And if Donovan had been a bit harsher after his grandmother pulled her shit on London at the Halloween party. If you know, you know.
He smiled, studying her. “You could be a unicorn,” he said after a few minutes.
Post Date Recap:
This book date was a whole mixed bag, but at the end of the day, I gave it a four star. There were moments while reading that I had all those mushy, warm, “awwww” feels where I wanted to give this something more than five stars. Then there were other points in the read where… I was thinking three stars would be generous.
Let’s start with the cover. I have a love/hate relationship with illustrated covers. Some are STUNNING, some make me feel like I’m reading a cartoon, and some just make me cringe. On that scale this one was so much better, however I will say I expected a more… celebrity component because it looks like a “red” carpet in the center (I know it’s blue, but you know what I mean) and spotlights at the back. However I love the authenticity in the characters. London is a curvy girl and Donovan has locs (we will get into my feelings on that later), exactly as they are shown.
This premise is adorable. I’ll admit I’m probably the target audience because I watch MTV’s Catfish on repeat. Love that whole damn show. I loved that London was the one in charge and not the “victim”. We stan a boss woman in this corner of the world. Donovan isn’t actually a victim either, he’s concerned his grandmother is. She’s the most important woman in his life and he is very protective of her.
But O.M.G. that woman is a capital B bitch. I hated her and trust me, you’re meant to. From the very first moment you actually meet Emmaline you go from dislike to hatred to loathing. Her last little stunt FOR ME (and I won’t get into exactly what that was because…spoilers) was unforgivable. Truly made the character past the point of redemption for me, but for those that are more forgiving, you may be able to, but not this girl.
Donovan was, for the most part, just the best. He is such an amazing leading man and, listen, when the man noticed she was wearing EARRINGS???? I swooned so hard core. Working in his favor is the fact that in many ways (and the locs were a big one) Donovan reminded me of my absolute favorite leading man from any book I’ve read, and my strongly claimed book husband, Malcolm from Not Broken by Meka James. Obligatory link because he’s worth it.
London has been through some shit and is trying to find her way back to normalcy after a horrific breakup shortly before her wedding. I love her journey (for the most part, we are getting there) and all her little character quirks.
Now… let’s circle back to the grandmother because she was my biggest problem. Not the character herself because while I stand by my hatred, that’s (I believe) exactly the emotion the author was trying to evoke with that character. So mission accomplished there.
But her storyline is what actually created my issues with this story. It all felt like too much. The grandmother was doing a lot on the down low while putting on an air of a righteous, pious woman. Which… fair. I’ll give you that. It’s a great nuance to have for a character you’re intended to dislike. But, more than that, her storyline and the truth behind the Mr. Miami profile that Donovan thought was a Catfish was just too much.
This book was, overall, a sweet (but don’t misunderstand that word because the sexual chemistry is HIGH and their on page hotel romp is hot), easy-to-love story that gave me so many feel good moments, but would have been a stellar book date for me if the Mr. Miami storyline had been handled a bit differently. And if Donovan had been a bit harsher after his grandmother pulled her shit on London at the Halloween party. If you know, you know.
January 10, 2024
This book angered me
I forced myself to finish because of a rule I have to not rate a book unless I finished it. Well that caused me to be tortured by this story
The storyline was all over the place. There was too much emphasis on the grandmother and other arbitrary relationships. I felt like the sudden resolution of London's years long estranged relationship with her co-worker and cousin made no sense. The interaction with her ex-boyfriend gave off bipolar vibes. There was no real resolution on any of the relationships that was highlighted in this story.
If I have known someone for a week and the first chance they get they are throwing a sore subject that I confided in them about in my face there is absolutely no way we will ever be friends or lovers. Then getting into arguments when we aren't even in a relationship is just crazy to me.
Despite all that, they ended up being intimate. The author managed to make sexy time feel awkward and uncomfortable. Taking all that into consideration there were one or 2 haha moments and I felt this story could have been so much greater had the author just organized her thoughts better and emphasized on building the love story and letting everything else be a support instead of a forefront focus of this book.
I forced myself to finish because of a rule I have to not rate a book unless I finished it. Well that caused me to be tortured by this story
The storyline was all over the place. There was too much emphasis on the grandmother and other arbitrary relationships. I felt like the sudden resolution of London's years long estranged relationship with her co-worker and cousin made no sense. The interaction with her ex-boyfriend gave off bipolar vibes. There was no real resolution on any of the relationships that was highlighted in this story.
If I have known someone for a week and the first chance they get they are throwing a sore subject that I confided in them about in my face there is absolutely no way we will ever be friends or lovers. Then getting into arguments when we aren't even in a relationship is just crazy to me.
Despite all that, they ended up being intimate. The author managed to make sexy time feel awkward and uncomfortable. Taking all that into consideration there were one or 2 haha moments and I felt this story could have been so much greater had the author just organized her thoughts better and emphasized on building the love story and letting everything else be a support instead of a forefront focus of this book.
October 17, 2022
Donovan meets London when he hires the company she works for to check if his grandmother is being catfished. Sparks ignite between these two pretty quickly, even though the romance itself is a slow-burn. There is very little steam and it’s told in third person, which I know is a problem for some readers. I don’t have an issue with it so my reading experience was an enjoyable one. Donovan’s grandma Emmaline was a piece of work. Be aware if you have triggers about body size or skin colour both are mentioned on page. All characters are black so it is not a racial issue, more a tonal one.
Lastly I really liked London, but there were times when Donovan reminded me of a moody teenager with some of his reactions. I liked him, it’s just those moments were noticeable because they seemed out of character.
I received a free copy from the author via Voracious readers.
Lastly I really liked London, but there were times when Donovan reminded me of a moody teenager with some of his reactions. I liked him, it’s just those moments were noticeable because they seemed out of character.
I received a free copy from the author via Voracious readers.
October 30, 2022
Such a unique idea for romance! I love taking a modern dating flaw and work it into a love story, even if it's not main characters. In the beginning, I loved Mrs Emmaline at first and then prayed she wasn't going to get in the couple's way. Mentally gave her the benefit of the doubt, and then want to smack her feisty old lady butt.
Thankfully, London kept strong enough to deal with the old lady's prejudices. As an overly curvy person, I felt how her judgement could have taken her self-esteem down. At times, I thought she should have made Donovan grovel a little harder but their chemistry was beautiful. 2 damaged souls finding each other. I love the slow burn, but could have definitely enjoyed more Donovan naughtiness :)
I'm so happy they got their happily ever after and put each other ahead of the people trying to tear them apart and stand in their way. I can't wait to read more, especially Lavender & the cousin's story
Thankfully, London kept strong enough to deal with the old lady's prejudices. As an overly curvy person, I felt how her judgement could have taken her self-esteem down. At times, I thought she should have made Donovan grovel a little harder but their chemistry was beautiful. 2 damaged souls finding each other. I love the slow burn, but could have definitely enjoyed more Donovan naughtiness :)
I'm so happy they got their happily ever after and put each other ahead of the people trying to tear them apart and stand in their way. I can't wait to read more, especially Lavender & the cousin's story
October 8, 2022
This was a pretty good read!
I really liked London’s character and I thought she had some solid chemistry with Donovan – some of my favorite parts were the two of them geeking out over the nerdy things they have in common. I have to admit I wasn’t completely wowed by Donovan though. He was a good character, and I loved the love he has for his grandmother, but for some reason, I didn’t feel the same depth with him as I did with London. Still, I thought it was a fun read and I very much appreciated the unexpected twists and turns in the plot. Definitely a sweet romance!
Thank you Voracious Readers and Joi Jackson for my copy! I received a copy of To Catch A Catfish in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really liked London’s character and I thought she had some solid chemistry with Donovan – some of my favorite parts were the two of them geeking out over the nerdy things they have in common. I have to admit I wasn’t completely wowed by Donovan though. He was a good character, and I loved the love he has for his grandmother, but for some reason, I didn’t feel the same depth with him as I did with London. Still, I thought it was a fun read and I very much appreciated the unexpected twists and turns in the plot. Definitely a sweet romance!
Thank you Voracious Readers and Joi Jackson for my copy! I received a copy of To Catch A Catfish in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 4, 2024
London is trying to catch her breath after her breakup, and is now back at home with her father & his evil cat. She works at a company trying to uncover catfish schemes. This is where she meets Donavan, who is certain his mother is being scammed. They have a connection, but seeing as they are working together on this case, they should stay away from each other, “should” being the operative word...
This was an interesting book to read. It was generally well written (at times, errors with quotation marks when one character spoke more than one paragraph at a time), with well developed characters. Donavan’s grandmother was something else, my goodness!
I received this free ARC through an email promtion, and this is my honest review.
This was an interesting book to read. It was generally well written (at times, errors with quotation marks when one character spoke more than one paragraph at a time), with well developed characters. Donavan’s grandmother was something else, my goodness!
I received this free ARC through an email promtion, and this is my honest review.
February 9, 2024
3.5 Stars
Donovan and London have instant chemistry when they begin to work together too find out if his grandmother is being catfished.
Donovan is a man dedicated to his grandmother and not interested in love.
London is a woman recently hurt by her ex fiance and forced to go back home to Atlanta. She is dependent on her job working for her cousin Aja.
The possible victim of the catfish is actually an antagonist. She is the controlling, judgy hypoctrical woman.
The basic story was good. There was a final answer to the catfishing. There was some heat and lightness. It would have been better if it did not get lost in irrelevant thought and stray topics.
Donovan and London have instant chemistry when they begin to work together too find out if his grandmother is being catfished.
Donovan is a man dedicated to his grandmother and not interested in love.
London is a woman recently hurt by her ex fiance and forced to go back home to Atlanta. She is dependent on her job working for her cousin Aja.
The possible victim of the catfish is actually an antagonist. She is the controlling, judgy hypoctrical woman.
The basic story was good. There was a final answer to the catfishing. There was some heat and lightness. It would have been better if it did not get lost in irrelevant thought and stray topics.
October 2, 2022
I knew from the blurb I was going to love this book and I was right. Finished it in one day! It was so well written, captivating, had me rooting for the characters especially London. I enjoyed reading the book especially from a big girls point of you, its always nice to envision someone that looks like you as the desired love interest in a book or film. Donovan is the man that every big black girl wants, this author knows what she was doing!! I would 100% recommend and would love to read more from this author.
November 23, 2023
Full of Surprises
This was not the predictable rom-com, just when you think you have it figured out there is a new angle to figure out.
London is filled with talent, intelligence, beauty and self-doubt. Donovan appears to be self-aware, confident, and secure in his ability to find the good in all he loves. Oh, but as the story unfolds, we begin to see self-doubt, mistrust, and insecurity in both of the leads. Keep reading to see how they both come to understand who they truly are and that what they want is worth fighting for.
This was not the predictable rom-com, just when you think you have it figured out there is a new angle to figure out.
London is filled with talent, intelligence, beauty and self-doubt. Donovan appears to be self-aware, confident, and secure in his ability to find the good in all he loves. Oh, but as the story unfolds, we begin to see self-doubt, mistrust, and insecurity in both of the leads. Keep reading to see how they both come to understand who they truly are and that what they want is worth fighting for.
Read
February 3, 2024If you're looking for a clever and engaging read, look no further than "To Catch a Catfish" by Joi Jackson. This story follows two individuals who find romance while trying to protect a loved one from a catfish. For those who may not know, a catfish is a person who uses other people's photos and images to create a false identity. London, the protagonist, is an intelligent, capable woman with ups and downs in past relationships. Her dad is adorable. The book is enjoyable from start to finish, and along the way, it serves up a few surprises for readers.
October 30, 2022
Heartwarming STEM romance
I really enjoyed this romance between a tech-savvy private investigator and a game developer who thinks his grandmother is being catfished. It begins as a forbidden employee-client relationship, but then Joi Jackson layers on the family drama and a bit of a mystery. The tension and suspense kept me reading, and Donovan was dreamy - who doesn’t love a man who adores his grandma? But this grandma’s been keeping secrets…
I really enjoyed this romance between a tech-savvy private investigator and a game developer who thinks his grandmother is being catfished. It begins as a forbidden employee-client relationship, but then Joi Jackson layers on the family drama and a bit of a mystery. The tension and suspense kept me reading, and Donovan was dreamy - who doesn’t love a man who adores his grandma? But this grandma’s been keeping secrets…
November 2, 2022
Love, Lies and DRAMA!
Loved this story line and the main characters. London isn't your typical young woman - preferring museums to clubs. Donovan is definitely a Grandmama's boy. When they meet, their worlds shift and it's a pleasure to watch how they grow within themselves in order to open up their hearts. Many serious themes are also introduced positively - body image, betrayal, parental loss and self-esteem issues. A humorous page turner full of mystery, intrigue and love.
Loved this story line and the main characters. London isn't your typical young woman - preferring museums to clubs. Donovan is definitely a Grandmama's boy. When they meet, their worlds shift and it's a pleasure to watch how they grow within themselves in order to open up their hearts. Many serious themes are also introduced positively - body image, betrayal, parental loss and self-esteem issues. A humorous page turner full of mystery, intrigue and love.
June 8, 2023
Cute Story but Almost a DNF
The plot was good if not a little convoluted. I always like to read a plus-size story. The grandmother was really heinous so a good antagonist. Some of the supporting characters were a little...much but, all in all the story was cute, the romance was there with understated sexy, and it ended well. Took a long time to read and I almost didn't finish it but I'm glad I did.
The plot was good if not a little convoluted. I always like to read a plus-size story. The grandmother was really heinous so a good antagonist. Some of the supporting characters were a little...much but, all in all the story was cute, the romance was there with understated sexy, and it ended well. Took a long time to read and I almost didn't finish it but I'm glad I did.
December 12, 2023
I absolutely loved this modern-day romance between a Grandmama's boy and a techie, big Beautiful black woman. There is laugh-out-loud humor as well as touching romantic scenes. The author truly lets readers experience the awkwardness of starting new relationships and the difficulty of balancing family ties with new romantic partners they may not necessarily approve of. Highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the author's next work!
October 27, 2022
LOVE THIS!!
I love reading this story; I’m not into real romance novel, but this story change that! I love London and couldn’t stand her at times, my favorite kind of character to read about. This book has so many twist and turns, and pulled a lot of emotions out of me!! Can’t wait for Asia’s story!! Love it!!
I love reading this story; I’m not into real romance novel, but this story change that! I love London and couldn’t stand her at times, my favorite kind of character to read about. This book has so many twist and turns, and pulled a lot of emotions out of me!! Can’t wait for Asia’s story!! Love it!!
January 7, 2023
I really wanted to love this book and on paper it had all the right elements; a steamy romance, a fresh plot, a meddlesome grandmother and some detective work but it didn’t quite come together for me. Characters lacked depth, the cat-fishing storyline wasn’t prominent enough and the twist wasn’t twisty enough. This was a fun, easy read, but not one I loved.
April 19, 2023
Not Bad
It was slow at first, then it picked up. At first I wasn’t into the catfishing thing. But then I wanted to find who it was. I liked Donavan and London. I can’t believe an elderly woman would do what she did. This is my first read by this author, I will definitely read something else by her again.
It was slow at first, then it picked up. At first I wasn’t into the catfishing thing. But then I wanted to find who it was. I liked Donavan and London. I can’t believe an elderly woman would do what she did. This is my first read by this author, I will definitely read something else by her again.
May 5, 2024
This was so cute and some parts realistic as hell. Like the colorism, fatphobia, and love triangles. London was just tryin to do her job and Donavon was trying to make her his job 😜 but was so too worried and focused on his damn granny that he kept messing stuff up. The major character developments though were *chefs kiss*, I'm not sure whose I was more proud of: London, Gram, or Donnie.
February 4, 2025
It’s black love month and this was a good start!! A little bit of spice but a whole lot of love!! The two main characters are cute, loving, and smart!! The drama with the grandmother was wild…some of the things she said were just cruel. But the way London handled her was so classy!! A delightful start to my February reading!!
October 5, 2022
This was a good read. I loved the characters and the storyline. I wasn’t expecting what London uncovered. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
October 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, it had just enough unexpected twists to keep it interesting all the way to the end. Donovan and London are very likeable and hope to see them again in the next book of the series!
January 14, 2023
Entertaining
Catfishing is a common problem with social media and dating sites. The basis of this story involves a woman texting and talking to a man who might be catfishing. There are adventures and misadventures to keep the reader interested.
Catfishing is a common problem with social media and dating sites. The basis of this story involves a woman texting and talking to a man who might be catfishing. There are adventures and misadventures to keep the reader interested.
January 26, 2023
Too all over the place, many things happening at one time. Really not a strong story about catfishing in my opinion. Things happened that really didn't need to be apart of it and just seemed a bit unbelievable or a bit drastic even.
January 9, 2024
One of the few books I picked up in the last Stuff Your Kindle that I didn't DNF - I know, I know...
This was an enjoyable read with a plus size heroine (TW for some fat shaming by the villain), with a very dramatic middle section/third act breakup, and very well written.
This was an enjoyable read with a plus size heroine (TW for some fat shaming by the villain), with a very dramatic middle section/third act breakup, and very well written.
June 16, 2023
Love this book! I great break from the drama filled books I normally read but this was light hearted and perfect ❤️
September 8, 2024
A fun read.
July 7, 2023
So, who is trying to catfish whom??? London and Donovan DO bring the snow though, don't they??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews