Genevieve

First off, I want to say the Haitian representation in this book was really good. It felt intentional, present, and naturally woven into the story, which I genuinely appreciated.

However, the cheating trope did put me off just a little. I know it works for the drama and the tension, but it’s one of those tropes I’m personally not the biggest fan of, so that part was a bit uncomfortable for me. That being said, the emotions still pulled me in, and the story definitely kept me engaged.

Soul Ties is a messy, forbidden love romance about bad timing, temptation, and catching feelings you really shouldn’t. The story is told through three POVs Sienna, Jahad, and Leighton.

We follow Sienna, who looks like she has her life together but is quietly questioning whether her four-year relationship is truly what she wants. After learning some things, she ends up walking away from her engagement.

Then there’s Jahad and Leighton, a married couple navigating pregnancy and a strained relationship. Leighton, on bed rest and feeling disconnected, makes a controversial decision that sets a lot of things in motion. Leighton decides to give her husband a “hall pass” because she sees how miserable he is and she can’t or won’t give him what he wants.

For months, Jahad refused, saying his loyalty was to his wife and he didn’t want to risk their marriage.

Sienna receives a golden invitation to Pandoras annual New Year’s Eve masquerade ball she decided it’s worth a shot and attends in hopes of unlocking her secret desires.

Jahad also gets an invite to this ball and decides to go and just when he’s about to leave he bumps into Sienna. They have this intense connection that can only happen for this one night. The kind of connection that feels instant, magnetic, and impossible to ignore.

They try to move on, knowing they can never be together… until fate throws them back into each other’s lives in the most unexpected way. Sienna walks into Jahad’s home the new doula his wife hires.

This is not a light or fluffy romance. It’s dramatic, emotionally messy, and full of complicated feelings. The characters definitely frustrated me at times, but the writing itself was strong enough to keep me going.

I listened to the audiobook, and honestly, I was disappointed with how the Haitian accent and Creole words were handled. The pronunciation made me cringe, and I wish they had either cast a Haitian narrator or skipped the accent altogether.

I enjoyed the book It is part of a series, so I might continue just to see where it goes.

I really love historical fiction, and this book is a perfect example of why. The Attic Child is beautifully written, deeply moving, and unafraid to confront dark truths. Lola Jaye put together a story that is heartbreaking, powerful, and unforgettable.

We begin with Dikembe, a young boy from the Congo in the early 1900s who is sold to Englishmen and taken to England. We’re also introduced to Lowra in 1974. Though separated by decades, their lives are connected by a haunting secret. The dual POV allows us to experience both of their journeys in a way that feels intimate and devastating.

This book had me on the verge of tears more than once. The characters felt so real, and the cruelty they lived through was difficult to read at times, yet handled with such care, respect, and love. Knowing the story was partially inspired by a real photograph of a 12-year-old boy found in a museum made it even more heartbreaking.

I was completely pulled in Dikembe’s story and honestly wanted more. More about his mother, his siblings, and the life taken from him. His journey was tragic but also deeply inspiring, and it’s everything I look for in historical fiction.

On the other side, Lowra’s story carries its own pain and trauma. Watching both storylines come together was done beautifully. The ending was perfectly executed, emotional, meaningful, and incredibly impactful.

This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. I know it’s early, but this may already be one of my top reads of the year. Highly recommend.

This was my first book by Brendan Slocumb, and I really enjoyed it! The mix of mystery and classical music was such a great surprise, and it pulled me in right from the beginning.

We follow Curtis as he falls in love with and becomes obsessed with the cello, Zippy, Curtis’s father and a man of the streets, who’s trying to do right by his son, and Larissa, his stepmother also from the streets, who has her own crew and will do anything to make sure Curtis talent isn’t overlooked.

The characters are what really made this story amazing. Everyone has their own struggles, and one wrong move can mess up everything. They felt human, not just like book characters. Larissa is hands down my favorite, and I was rooting for her the whole time. She’s loving, smart, and tough, and I loved that about her.

This gave me serious S.A. Cosby vibes, the writing style and action were on point. The pacing started fast and pulled me in, and although it slowed down a bit toward the end, it didn’t take away from the story or the plot for me. Great read and I can’t wait to read some more from his collection.

3.5⭐️

This was a fast paced, easy read with engaging characters that kept me turning the pages. The plot had a few twists that definitely caught me off guard, and overall it was an entertaining read.

It’s one of those books you pick up “for a few chapters” and suddenly you’re halfway through. It did exactly what a Freida McFadden thriller is supposed to do: keep me hooked and wanting to know what happens next.

Definitely a good pick if you want something fast, and easy to fly through.