shanaepraystoo's reviews
895 reviews

Product Of The Street: Union City by E. Bowser

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
I don’t like or understand the author’s writing style. She introduces characters without explaining who they are, there’s no character development or background introducing characters so we know what to expect from them. A really strange story. I can’t believe it comes so highly recommended. 
Under the Influence by Kimberly Brown

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emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Under the Influence is another great book from the talented Kimberly Brown. As usual, Brown writes relatable and dynamic characters. She is a great storyteller and you can easily get engrossed in her books. Under the Influence is no different. This friends to lovers to enemies to lovers second chance sports romances has everything you want in a contemporary romance novel - jokes, interesting characters, funny banter, a little drama, and a happy ending. I recommend this book to all fans of romance, you’ll definitely enjoy this engaging quick read.
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The Christmas Catch by Toni Shiloh

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Christmas Catch by Toni Shiloh is a fun, engaging and thought-provoking novella about second chances, forgiveness, and taking risks. I really enjoyed reading about Bebe and Jahleel's past, but I wish a bit more had been put into exploring their future together as I feel the pacing with the story was a bit off at that point. However, I think the author made up for it with the exploration of Jahleel's relationship with his father, Reverend Walker, which I found to be helpful in advancing the story. However, this is a novella, so there's only so much that could be explored in the relatively short story. I honestly would've appreciated a full length novel with these characters because I liked them all so much!

I see that the novella received quite a few lower ratings because the story includes lots of Christian references. I think that is more of a criticism of the reader than the story, as it is pretty clear that this is a Christian romance...it's written by a Christian author and it is our responsibility as readers to do that research before we even pick up a book - know what you're reading and know the author.

As a Christian, I really liked the messaging in The Christmas Catch, it was theologically sound, practical, and inspiring to me. I highly recommend The Christmas Catch to anyone who likes cozy romances with low drama, positive messaging, and second chance or sports romances. 

I listened to the audiobook and Jasmin Walker does a great job narrating. I highly recommend the audio of <i>The Christmas Catch</i>.

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Man of the Year by Connie Easton

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Average book with average writing and storytelling. The characters are stereotypical and not very well developed. Man of the Year  would have benefited tremendously from more character development, which would have made it at least 200 pages longer - exploring the FMC Zara’s relationship with her mother and brother; exploring Quik’s strained relationship with his mother and how they repaired it; expanding on the MMC Xander’s work in the streets and at the hospital, seeing conflict between him, his staff and other women in the workplace he had relationships with; expanding on Zara and Rocky’s relationship as friends plus their relationships with cousins Pyro and Veda; and fully developing the toxic relationship between the main characters, Xander and Zara. The story could have been fuller and overall more interesting through this work. Unfortunately , I don’t recommend Man of the Year to anyone seeking a thorough story. If you’re a fan of fast paced, lightweight stereotypical characters with more drama than engaging storylines, then maybe this book is for you. 
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A Charming Proposition by Mya

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funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Book 3 of May’s Love Infusion series titled A Charming Proposition is just as good as the other books in the series. I found the book engaging, entertaining and funny. I recommend this book to any Mya fans, those who like short series, and cozy romances. 
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B+J: The Teachers of Hardwood High by Nina High

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funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I really enjoyed B+J: The Teachers of Hardwood High and I think Nina High is getting better with every book release. I love the MMC Ben and the way he worked to earn the FMC Janae’s affection. These characters felt real and their interactions were genuine and relatable. The characters are diverse, the chemistry jumps off the page, and the ending was perfect. I can’t wait to see what’s next from Nina High, she’s one of my favorite new writers. l recommend B+J: The Teachers of Hardwood High to anyone looking for a quick, cozy read with funny characters.
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Krash & Bern by Mya

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Made it to 30% with no investment in the characters. Marking as DNF to avoid a reading slump. 
Beautiful Harmonies by Monica Walters

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fast-paced

2.5

Average with stereotypical, underdeveloped characters. I didn’t feel any connection between the FMC or the MMC. I hated the sister’s name and the secondary characters. There’s this unnecessary situation where the FMC’s bodyguard is actually a weirdo predator who is connected to the MMC’s absentee father. Why didn’t the author do more character development here? The MMC is an immature sex-obsessed 20-something year old? How when he had to grow up fast and care for his teenage sister after his mother died? The author could have given us a dynamic character but instead relied on old anti-Black stereotypes, while the FMC is stuck somewhere between being a virgin boss babe baddie. 

The author reiterates her note about realistic characters at the end of the book as if that’s some explanation for this story that just isn’t well written in my opinion. 

And the worst part is the way the author deals with the issue of sexual assault — there’s victim blaming from both main characters, there’s one line about the victim going to therapy, and the dialogue about the sexual assault is bookended, multiple times, by the MMC’s sexual interest in the FMC. 

I do not recommend this book.
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X+E: The Teachers of Hardwood High by Nina High

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Cozy, drama free, and well-written, X + E: The Teachers of Hardwood High (Book 1) is a reminder of why I enjoy Nina High’s books. Her characters are well written, funny, and relatable. Plus there’s the right amount of spice. I loved this “later-in-life” romance story. It gave me all the good feels and I was happy with the ending. I cannot wait to read book 2. 
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Losin' Control by Ladii Nesha

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Losin Control is my second read from the author Ladii Nesha and I honestly cannot believe how amazing this book is. Ladii Nesha is a phenomenal writer and an amazing storyteller. She knows how to write complex characters in such a relatable way. The FMC Marley and the MMC Czar are two dynamic characters battling serious issues, but the secondary characters, like Marley's sister Harper and Czar's mother Ada, are so intriguing that I completely forgot that Losin Control is a slow burn!

Pros:
  1. The sibling relationships between Marley and her sister Harper as well as the one between Czar, Romeo, and Nova are loving and caring - this is what I want to see more of in urban literature, especially.
  2. Czar's troubled childhood is handled with supreme care and his method of coping is natural and expect for a man like him, even if it is somewhat unhealthy. 
  3. The secondary characters in the book are all well developed and interesting
  4. The twists and turns come out of nowhere, keeping you on your toes. Though I read a lot of books, I definitely thought Losin Control was going in one direction, but Ladii Nesha does a good job at making unexpected twists. 
  5. I loved the ending. 

Cons:
  1.  The author's choice
    to not reveal that Pam had spoken with Benny
  2. The fact that Benny
    wasn't really dead
  3. The way
    Czar played Marley in front of thousands of people at his concert
    , or
  4. I liked how strong Marley was presented in the beginning and middle of the book, though she had endured serious trauma, but when I saw how weak she was in relationships, it really disappointed me,
    especially considering her attitude towards her mother.
     
  5. I thought the ending was rushed. 

All in all, Losin Control is one of my favorite reads of the year and I'll definitely be recommending it to everyone. If you're a fan of slow burns, can appreciate a thought provoking story with character growth over a period of natural ups and downs, and appreciate a book that will take you on a rollercoaster over emotions, then you HAVE to read Losin Control. 

Spice Rating: 3 stars - there are few spicy scenes, but the ones that are in the book are vivid. 
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