Heat Factor: We’ve got some dildo action!
Character Chemistry: It’s pretty insta.
Plot: Summer is trying to stop gentrification; Aiko works for a developer. Even though they’re on opposite sides of a proposed building project, they can’t help wanting to date.
Overall: This book made me irrationally angry.
Heat Factor: The first kiss happened around halfway, and then I called it quits.
Character Chemistry: Textbook definition of a toxic relationship.
Plot: Hudson bribes Kian into doing a fake relationship with him by promising an introduction to a guy who can get Kian his dream job.
Overall: DNF at the halfway point.
Heat Factor: I mean, it was nice and steamy.
Character Chemistry: I could see the chemistry but there were so many aspects that didn’t seem to get worked out, that I didn’t necessarily buy in all the way.
Plot: Kian agrees to pretend to be Hudson’s boyfriend again despite his better judgment so that Hudson can get Kian a job that is supposed to launch his journalism career.
Overall: I ended up with very mixed feelings about this one.
Heat Factor: They have very playful sex.
Character Chemistry: Horny, not healthy.
Plot: Hudson inexplicably dumped Kian three months ago, but now he’s back asking Kian to fake being his boyfriend again because he never got around to telling his parents they broke up.
Overall: This should have been a 300 page grovel and IT WAS NOT.
Follow the Money, Book #1
Heat Factor: Somehow the second time is more explicit and elaborate than the first time? (What?) But not by much – it’s very much a “just the highlights” situation
Character Chemistry: Did not work for me
Plot: Ben discovers a quarter million accounting error at his company, tells his boss, and then his boss gets murdered
Overall: The characterizations were so muddy I eventually got a headache
Decades: A Journey of African American Romance, Book #3
Heat Factor: Some cursory details.
Character Chemistry: They seem to have a chemical attraction that supersedes all of Miles’ bad behavior.
Plot: Miles woos Leigh, plus they write a song together.
Overall: The music details were fun, but that’s the only nice thing I can say.
Heat Factor: Nothing too involved – it’s kinda lavender
Character Chemistry: Ugh
Plot: Miles abandons Leigh then changes his mind 3 years later and that’s just supposed to be fine
Overall: DNF at 45%
Heat Factor: They have a lot of sex. And it’s good sex.
Character Chemistry: Really awesome friends to lovers energy.
Plot: Closeted baseball player kisses his widowed best friend, kicking off a series of events that leads to Max’s bi-awakening and Jack’s outing.
Overall: This had a great skeleton (see above). I’m really sad that it apparently didn’t also have a sensitivity read because it also had a lot of problematic content.
The Smut Report 