Representation – at least one protagonist is a person of color
Southern Gentlemen, Book #1
Heat Factor: Steamy enough
Character Chemistry: “Let me put you on this pedestal.”
Plot: “I’m not the same girl I was ten years ago.”
Overall: There were bits that were really great, but the hero put me into a paroxysm of rage
Heat Factor: This game of “truth or dare” got p-r-e-t-t-y daring
Character Chemistry: More told than shown, at least until they start with the sexytimes
Plot: Longtime friends meet up at wedding and play a game of “truth or dare” that changes everything
Overall: There’s a lot of expository text, but the games they played were enough to keep me turning pages
Modern Love, Book 3
Heat Factor: A little at the end, but nothing too spicy
Character Chemistry: They are pretty cute together
Plot: Catfishing leads to friendship leads to fake engagement
Overall: I enjoyed this one
Holidays with the Wongs, Book #3
Review of Holidays with the Wongs, Book #1
Heat Factor: Oops! We kissed in the ice skating forest, so now we should probably also have all the sex…just to get it out of our system, of course
Character Chemistry: Apparently I’m a sucker for the best friends-but-one’s-secretly-in-love trope
Plot: Zach and Jo bonded over beers and broken engagements four years ago and have been friends ever since. After Zach’s family set up him and his siblings on dates at Thanksgiving, he won’t put it past them to do something wild at Chinese New Year, so he asks Jo to be his fake girlfriend.
Overall: It’s like a warm hug
The Family, Book #2
Heat Factor: I think sex on a public train car might be a first…
Character Chemistry: “I can trust a man who wants to protect me so he can fuck me. Your motives are clear.”
Plot: It looks like a mafia book, but it’s actually more like a road trip/heist book
Overall: This book is so unbelievably fun.
