February was a great month of reading for me. I finished nine books. Three of those were five star reads and four were four stars. I met some new authors this month and revisited an old favorite. All, but two of my books were written by authors of color.
Now for the good stuff, the reviews!! Click on any title to read my entire review of the book and you can on the book covers below to order the books for yourself.
Claude is your typical high school kid, trying to figure out what he is going to do for the rest of his life. He lives on the South Side of Chicago, where life is not always the greatest. Surviving his parents leaving him, rioting and violence in his hometown. When he meets Janice, he think he may have found the one person to make the journey a little better, but Janice has plans of her own that may or may not include Claude. Together or apart, will Claude be able to make it through this tumultuous life, or will he fall victim to his circumstances.
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thea and Gavin have only been married for a few short years, so it's a shock to him when she asked for a divorce. Gavin is a professional baseball player, married to Thea and they have twin daughters. He is crushed when she asks for the divorce and drowns his sorrows in a bottle of alcohol. His friends and teammates come to his rescue as they had been down that road and know they can help. Their methods are quite unconventional, reading romance novels, but it can't hurt right?
Let Me Hold You by Alexandria House ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Leland McClain is a basketball player who just got traded from Miami to St. Louis. When he first moves to St. Louis he decides to volunteer at a youth center with his teammates and help some of the kids during the basketball camp. He is shocked to see who the director is. He knows her from his time in Miami. Kim Hampton's son plays for Miami. She herself has just moved to St. Louis to run the youth center that her son recently invested in. She has a holiday for every day to help and bring joy into her life. She isn't looking for love when Leland come into her life, but he is different than every other man in her life, so how could she not fall for him. Leland isn't looking for love either and Kim isn't typically the woman he would go for, but there is just something about her that he can't resist. Can they both get through this season without falling in love?
A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I stayed up way past my bedtime to devour this book.
Rook is looking forward to this Alaska trip with his brother. They go every summer when hockey season is over. The break is much needed. When his brother lets him know he won't be able to make it, Rook decides to go anyway and enjoy the peace and quiet. Lainey is headed to Alaska for a few weeks this summer to study the mating patterns of dolphins and whales for her thesis. This is her third masters and she may finally be done with school. When she literally falls into Rook's lap, she doesn't know how that will change her summer plans.
Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Natalie Sobol has just become the temporary Vice President of Human Resources at the Hansol Company, a fashion company run by the Song family. She would really like to make this her permanent position as it will help her to secure the future of her niece who she is trying to adopt. One of her first duties of the job is to have the soon-to-be CEO, Garrett Song to sign his transfer paperwork. Even though they have communicated with each other via email and over the phone, they have never met each other in person and she is not disappointed when she does. The feeling is mutual on Garrett's side as well. When Garrett finds that marrying through an arranged marriage is a condition of him becoming CEO, he tells his grandmother that he has already found a wife. Marrying Natalie could help them both, but will they be able to just pretend to be married, or will it lead to something more?
John Woman by Walter Mosley ⭐⭐⭐
Cornelius Jones was born to a white Italian mother and an uneducated black man from Mississippi. His mother was an excellent cook and his father was the most intelligent person he knew. When his mother abandoned him and his father fell ill, Cornelius took it upon himself to take care of the family. When he loses his father, there is no one left, so he must take care of himself. He reinvents himself as John Woman and becomes an admired University professor. Though his life comes with trials and tribulations, he finds a way to make it through.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rashad was just stopping by the corner store to pick up some chips before hanging out with his friends. A lady trips over his bag and the chips fly out of his hands, and the next thing you know he is accused of stealing and beaten by the police.
Quinn is about to walk into the same corner store to find someone to buy him and his friends beer. As he rounds the corner, he sees Rashad getting beat up by the cop. A cop he knows. The entire town is split about who and what to believe.
Told from the perspective of both boys, we hear how one incident can affect so many people in different ways.
Jubilee by Margaret Walker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vyry was born a slave. She was born to a mother who was a slave and a father who was the Marster. When her mother died, Vyry was brought to the big house to work. She was only seven years old. She helped the cook in the kitchen and helped with her half-sister, Lillian. Jubilee follows Vyry's life and the life of those around her from the time she walks into that kitchen until she has her own family. From the Civil War to Emancipation. This book is long, but you will immediately be drawn into the story and will want more even when the story is over.
Casting the First Stone by Kimberla Lawson Roby ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reverend Curtis Black is the minister to a faithful congregation in Chicago. He and his wife Tonya are upstanding members of the church and community. But when rumors of Curtis start to spread around the church that he has been unfaithful to his wife with other church members, Tonya's not sure what to do. Whenever she questions Curtis, his first instinct is to lie to her and she knows it. How will Tonya find out what is really going on? And what lengths will she go through to do so?
So there we have it. These are the titles I finished in February. Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts? What were some of your favorite reads of February?
