After That, Read This…

Sistah Girls, these past few weeks have been tough, no joke, school work, chasing money and some other micro-aggressive issues that want to steal my thunder, but for where (nah)!

“Can’t nobody take my pride, can’t nobody hold me down, oh no I got to keep on movin,” yep, Mase and Diddy’s “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” to the rescue, I cannot come and kee (kill) myself.

So, I did what anybody avid reader would do– I went scrolling on the internet for romance novels that could lift my mood. And boy oh boy, was I pleasantly surprised, Talia Hibbert had me singing like Rihanna, “Where have you been all my life?”

The Roommate Risk

The-Roommate-Risk-by-Talia-Hibbert

The first novel I tried was Wanna Bet, which is also titled by some publishers as The Roommate Risk. If I could pick a song to go with it, it would definitely be Tamia’s “So into You.” I enjoyed this novel wella (very well), so much so that I went hunting for her other novels!

It was giving me the vibes, and that I was not introduced to yet another tired trope of the dark-brooding handsome in desperate need of loving and saving male love interest was a much appreciated welcome change.

Rahul is the man abeg (please)! So in tune with what Jasmine needs. If you want a friends-to-lovers romance that is atypical please press play on this stereo, don’t dull (don’t slack) and you’ll be glad you did. In fact, in a turn about, it is Jasmine who needs the saving.

Rahul is the sensitive, sweet, goody-two-shoes, and relationship-minded one of the pair, while Jasmine is the life of the party, lives in the moment kinda girl, who is equally sensitive but doesn’t strike you as the relationship type of girl. This novel is a must-read.

Untouchable: A Small Town Romance (Ravenswood Book 2)

My next guilty pleasure as supplied by Talia was Untouchable. The song for it has got to be Toni Braxton’s “You’re Makin’ Me High.” I hope you are already gingered (excited) from the song to know that the sex scenes are steamy.

Please, I need someone to holler at Talia for me and give her the accolades she deserves for the men she writes into her novels. Sa sa (anyways), let’s get into the particulars, I love the impossible-to-fight attraction between Hannah and Nate.

Also, I noticed very quickly that Talia’s works focus on something that touches on the emotional and mental, love to see it. What’s more, I could understand Hannah’s fight for survival financially and her insecurities. I equally applaud that she journeyed into the power dynamics of an employer and employee sexual relationship.

The Princess Trap

After I read Untouchable, I still couldn’t stop oh! Talia herself is the definition of a page-turner. The next novel I read was The Princess Trap, and I’ll say, Heavy D and The Boyz ft. Aaron Hall’s “Now That We Found Love” is the song.

The whole secret prince trope I like! So, it turns out that the one time Cherry Nieta allows herself a casual hook up it implodes in her face. Turns out her one-night stand is royalty and they may have found something worth keeping, how delicious!.

Prince Ruben of Helgmøre is genuinely down-to-earth and caring in a way that shows that he is interested in making other people besides himself happy. And he takes responsibility for his mistakes–what more could I ask for?

While reading this novel, I realized that Talia consistently writes plus-sized Black women with the night scarf into her stories, which we don’t see often enough, and I love that!

Get a Life, Chloe Brown: A Novel (The Brown Sisters Book 1)

Next up was Get a Life, Chloe Brown, it’s the first installment in the Brown Sisters series, the song that came to mind for this tale was Brian McKnight’s “Back at One.”

Chloe is trying to learn to live a little, creating a bucket list of things she needs to do and who better to help her than Redford. Red has been burned badly before, but hey, there are no guarantees with love.

I absolutely love that they both get to live a little through Chloe’s list. Did I forget to mention that Red is a painter–picture perfect for me. I’m beginning to think that Talia may have a thing for artistic guys.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown: A Novel (The Brown Sisters Book 3)

After that, I read Act Your Age, Eve Brown, yeah, I didn’t read the series in the order in which they were released, kinda just randomly selected.

My playlist for this particular one would be Rihanna and Neyo’s “Hate that I Love You.” Eve’s a delight, her free spirit is the perfect match to Jacob’s uptightness; it is a fast-paced romance that you would love. More than that, I dig stories about self-discovery, it’s something I can relate to.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown: A Novel (The Brown Sisters Book 2)

I followed Eve’s story with Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Of course, the song it absolutely pairs with is The Spinners’ “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” yep! In fact, let me just say it now, Zaf is an absolute darling; he loves reading romance novels and does not try to change Dani–loves her for who she is.

I must say, I enjoyed Dani’s feminist ideas and her belief in the river goddess, Osun. Plus, her prayers to Osun at the start of the story is a little comical. I think one of my highlights of this novel is when Dani does the romantic setup for Zaf to beg his forgiveness.

That Kind of Guy (Ravenswood Book 3)

The last on the catalog of Talia’s novels I indulged in was That Kind of Guy. The song I’ll pair this with is without a doubt Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be.”

Don’t ask me why, all I know is I live for a younger man older woman romance, besides I enjoyed that it was not the usual plot. It also does not hurt that both Zach and Rae are at similar points of piecing their lives together. Well, theirs is a slow-burn romance but it’s intriguing and intense nonetheless.

Sistah Girls, I hope you’ll give the novels a try, and when you do, please let me know the songs you thought paired better with the novels.

Also, the statement, “I cannot come and kee myself” is a Nigerian colloquial that means to take life easy as it comes and not take things too much to heart.

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