NOTE: This review contains spoilers for Book 1 of the Love in Rhythm & Blues series which you can purchase here!
This author’s writing usually keeps me up all night, so before I start, I make sure I’ve had enough sleep, water, and a porta-potty nearby. Each one of the stories this author writes entrenches readers with so many emotions; it isn’t unusual for her readers to take a few days to recover.
In book one, readers met Wynter and Ragee, Mike, Myisha, Heather, his Grandmother, and the other cast of characters who made this story a full-fledged drama-filled love story for the ages. And then there was the Ezra sighting for all of Love’s band of book baes. The story opened with a recap about why Ragee was so mixed up about his heart and the ability to love a woman without feeling used by her. Readers got a reminder about his Aunts complicity in his beliefs about his sexuality. You may recall that Ragee’s manager Mike finagled Wynter into a fake relationship with Ragee to quell some rumors. She went along with the ruse to have the money to pay for her Uncle Donovan’s lawyers and to get him out of his predicament.
Then there was the disconnection between Ragee and Wynter caused by Myisha’s act of betrayal to get rid of Wynter once and for all so that her life with Ragee could return to normal. Now. The part of the story caused me to question whether Myisha wanted to be Ragee’s kissing cousin. It was noticeable. Myisha embodied a much too happy demeanor when Wynter left Ragee’s home after seeing his old girlfriend Heather half naked. Myisha needed to feel some hands for her act of jealousy and cousin lust. Other’s might look at her actions differently, but this reviewer saw what she saw, and is sticking to her opinion.
Young Lord and Kennedi made an appearance in the story. When Ragee sent Wynter away to the writer’s/music camp in Arizona, I had no clue how that would play out. It took a while for the story to grow into all the intricate parts of Ragee’s life and the mix and match messed up family Wynter was burdened. The writing/music camp portion of the story was where past characters graced the storyline. Another singer at the camp tried to engross himself with Wynter, and for a brief moment of angst, I worried about old dude getting in the way. Before the split, and once Ragee started beating down Wynter’s shield of armor around her heart, they had a truly loving relationship. And once Ragee made the decision, he could no longer live without Wynter in his life; he had to admit the sexual sensations and connections were real. She was no longer his Fake Wife; she became his partner in love and his heart. Their love scenes were on fire hot.
The story embodied a detailed accounting of the relationship between Ragee, Wynter and the backstory with their families. A few questions were left unanswered, but overall, the story was superb. 5- stars.