LOSIN' CONTROL

A grieving woman and a successful rapper discover an unexpected and passionate connection in Nesha’s contemporary urban romance.

Marley’s world was shattered the day a gunman ambushed her and her boyfriend, Benny, killing Benny and their unborn child—a daughter she named Billie. Three years after the tragedy, Marley lives in a Chevrolet van that Benny had hoped to renovate and runs a tea business called Sippin’ Tea with her sister, Harper. Meanwhile, Czar is a phenomenally successful Detroit rapper who bears the scars of a deeply traumatic childhood. His father, Cain, was a pimp who abused him and his mother, Ada. Although Ada found happiness and stability after marrying Cain’s brother, Slim, the family fears what might happen once Cain is released from prison. Although Marley is unimpressed by Czar when they meet at a health fair, her nonchalant attitude interests him, and they strike up a friendship. As their relationship grows romantic, Czar finds himself in love for the first time and considers leaving behind his hedonistic lifestyle. Their future looks bright; however, when Cain threatens Czar’s family and Marley discovers a shocking truth about the day Benny and their daughter died, Czar and Marley wonder if their newfound love can survive. Nesha’s torrid romance is briskly paced and replete with well-developed characters and bold narrative swings. Marley and Czar are compelling protagonists who find a way to connect despite their difficult pasts and the pressures of Czar’s fame. What begins as an opposites-attract romance quickly becomes a suspenseful thriller as Marley’s and Czar’s pasts catch up with them. While the story is—to quote Harper—a “General Hospital soap opera,” Nesha’s narrative deftly navigates the twists and turns with aplomb and poignancy. (“Everyone kept telling her to give it time, but Marley lived in a world where time didn’t exist. Time hadn’t healed the hole in her heart, and it hadn’t made her forget.”)

A wild, unpredictable ride anchored by a nuanced and deeply emotional love story.