An entertaining erotic novel with punchy prose that gets at the emotion underneath the raunch.
Members of Alabama’s Black upper crust pursue sexual intrigues in this frisky romance.
Johnson’s story charts love lives amongst Birmingham’s financially successful Black bourgeoisie. The players include Dana, a call-center manager and poet who gives readings at fashionable nightspot Lucky’s Lounge; she’s having an affair with the venue’s owner, Token, a wealthy architect. Though she is raptly attentive to Token’s sexual demands—his nickname for her is M.B., which stands for “My Bitch”—Dana’s anger at him for refusing to divorce his wife Tiara is not appeased by gifts of jewelry or even an Audi R8 with a giant red bow on top. Then there’s Giselle, also known as DJ Jazzy G at radio station V99.4, who’s getting over a heartrending breakup when her pal Amber sends her a luscious nude photo of attractive car salesman Monty Jones; her flirty direct-message exchanges with Monty quickly escalate to phone sex. Giselle is momentarily put off when she learns that Monty is also a “sexual development companion” who had been hired by Amber to help her get her groove back, but she shrugs it off and signs up for Monty’s hands-on development services. Amber treats herself when she goes on a cruise with her boring bank-owner husband Gene and meets handsome private eye Leo on the Lido deck. After drugging Gene with a sedative, Amber repairs to Leo’s cabin for an assignation in which the illicit couple is joined by Leo’s cousin Ethan. The only one not seeing any action is poor Tiara, whose 20-year marriage to Token has frayed since she was waylaid by major depression and gained 60 pounds—her 8,000 square foot mansion feels like a “prison.” When Tiara and Dana both show up at Lucky’s 10th anniversary bash, the stage is set for tense confrontations that culminate in passion and fire.
Johnson’s yarn is cheerfully lubricious, with much parading of lingerie and lots of explicit sex. The characters are energetic and sharply drawn, if a bit two-dimensional—the two dimensions being lust and greed. (Contemplating marriage to Token, Dana “imagined getting her own black card and shopping limitlessly….getting to leave the workforce to be a stay-at-home housewife….it made her climax harder than she ever had before.”) There’s plenty of tawdry atmosphere, conveyed in evocative prose that sneaks some intelligent reflection beneath the characters’ impulsiveness. (“It took all I had not to burst out of there and beat her ass. But what would that do, huh? Get me banned from the club and lose out on my dream, that’s what.”) While the story is awash in sex, Johnson can also deftly evoke the plangent feelings that accompany a dying relationship: “When Token does make it home for dinner,” Tiara muses, “the conversation is scarce. We sit on opposite ends of our long, rectangular table, barely making eye contact.” The result is a fun, erotic romp that has a heart as well as a healthy libido.
An entertaining erotic novel with punchy prose that gets at the emotion underneath the raunch.Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2021
ISBN: 9798752074394
Page Count: 147
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.
Two people with bad luck in relationships find each other through a popular Reddit thread.
Emma Grant and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses, working at hospitals for three-month stints while they see the country. Just a few weeks before they’re set to move to Hawaii, Emma reads a popular “Am I the Asshole” Reddit thread from a Minnesota man who thinks he’s cursed—women he dates find their soulmates after breaking up with him, and the latest one found true love with his best friend! Emma has had a similar experience, which inspires her to DM the man and commiserate. She’s delighted by her witty, lively interactions with software engineer Justin Dahl, and is intrigued when he suggests that if they date each other, maybe they’ll each find their soulmate afterward. Emma upends the Hawaii plan and convinces Maddy to move to Minneapolis for the summer so she can meet Justin in person. The overly complex setup brings Emma and Justin together and the two hit it off, with Justin immediately falling head over heels for Emma. Jimenez then pivots to creating romantic roadblocks and melodramatic subplots centering on each character’s family of origin. Justin’s mother is about to serve six years in prison for embezzlement, which means Justin must move back home to care for his three much younger siblings. Emma was traumatized by her own mother for much of her childhood, left to fend for herself and eventually abandoned in the foster system. When her mother shows up in Minnesota, Emma must face her traumatic childhood and admit that she has prioritized her mother’s well-being over her own. There is little time devoted to Emma’s painful efforts to heal herself enough to accept Justin’s love, which leaves the novel feeling unsatisfying.
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781538704431
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.
A reluctant princess is thrust into deadly political intrigue in Perry’s sweeping, high-stakes romantasy.
Odessa is the overlooked and underestimated princess of Quentis, whose life takes an unexpected turn when a deal is struck between her father and the formidable Turan warriors force her into an arranged marriage with their enigmatic prince, Zavier Wolfe. Intended as a mere formality to secure trade routes and military alliances, the betrothal spirals into something far more dangerous when ancient magic, a ruthless Guardian, and a looming war threaten to upend everything she knows. Finally emerging from the shadow of her seemingly perfect half sister, Mae, Odessa must navigate court politics, monstrous creatures, and her own uncertain place in a world where survival often depends on strategy rather than strength. As tensions rise, she finds herself entangled with the dangerous, enigmatic Guardian—a man whose silver eyes hold secrets of their own. Perry’s worldbuilding is lush and immersive, crafting a kingdom rife with old magic, deadly beasts, and political machinations that add depth. The pacing is relentless, carrying Odessa from one life-altering event to another as she grapples with duty, defiance, and a destiny she never chose. Her internal conflict is compelling, torn between the expectations placed upon her and the fierce independence that threatens to make her an outcast in her own kingdom. Romance simmers as Odessa struggles to reconcile her obligations with her growing attraction to the Guardian, whose past is as shadowed as his reputation. Mae is introduced as Odessa’s political foil, and although her presence drives much of Odessa’s internal drama—being constantly overshadowed or underestimated—she’s mostly seen through Odessa’s perspective. Her motivations, ambitions, and political maneuverings might have benefited from deeper exploration to give more nuance to the power dynamics. However, Perry’s evocative prose and intricate plotting make for a gripping tale. Readers looking for a slow-burn romantasy with rich political intrigue and a protagonist forced to create her own fate will find much to enjoy.
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378514
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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