Okay, we all love a good book boyfriend...but these men?

They're the cream of the crop. 😌

Archer from Archer's Voice

Archer is adorable.

What I love about him is that he doesn't have the toxic masculinity you sometimes see in romance heroes. He grew up isolated and was basically ostracized from society, but that never stopped him from being kind, generous, and gentle.

He's sweet, patient, and such a good listener.

My heart broke learning what he had been through because he truly felt like my baby. 🥹

But what I also loved is that Archer was still able to bring the spice. Those scenes were HOT, even as he was learning and experiencing things for the first time.

Von from Church Girl

I said it once, and I'll say it again.

Von?

Baby...

That's a MANNNN.

Every time my girl tried to dismiss her own feelings or minimize herself, he validated her.

Even when they weren't together, he didn't tolerate people disrespecting her. He listened to her, uplifted her, and made her feel safe being vulnerable.

He didn't try to change her. He just loved her.

He gave me Nipsey Hustle vibes. 😂

Noah from The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

I know some people think this book series is basic...

But I loved Noah.

If you've ever watched Zoey 101, this relationship gave me Logan Reese and Quinn Pensky vibes. The quirky, introverted girl with the outgoing guy who brings a little more fun into her life.

But what I loved most was that he never tried to dim who she was.

He admired her exactly as she was.

And she was just shocked that someone she admired could love her back.

I love when two characters don't realize how deeply the other person loves them. When they both feel lucky to be chosen by someone they adore.

Xaden from Fourth Wing

I couldn't make this list without talking about Xaden.

"My house. My chair. My woman."

Need I say more?!?!

He's a shadow daddy in every way, but what makes him stand out is that he isn't threatened by her strength.

Her opinions, thoughts, and ideas matter.

He sees her as his equal, and honestly, most of the time, her better.

He's not competing with her. He's supporting her.

Like ughhhhh.

We all need a morally gray man who would tear the world apart for us but also loves to cuddle and listen. 😂

Malachi from Our Vicious Oaths

Babyyyyyyy...

A Fae who wears grills?!

Sign me up, honey!!!

This man is literally sex personified.

He knows what he wants, he likes control, but he also recognizes when he's met his match.

He's stubborn, strong-willed, and sometimes absolutely unbearable.

But he's also caring, thoughtful, and loyal to the people he loves.

He's just trying to do his best with the tools he has.

It was such a good example of she falls first, but he falls HARDER.

And I loved Kadeesha and Malachi's dynamic. The banter, the court politics, the culture.

UGH. They had everything.

Johnny from Binding 13

This feels a little illegal to say because of their age in this book...

But Johnny was so patient.

And patience is a quality that goes very far with me.

If you've read the book, you know Shannon has been through so much at home. Her father is...not it.

And Shannon doesn't see herself the way she should.

But Johnny does.

He's patient as he helps her come out of her shell, and he loves her before she fully knows how to love herself.

OMGGG. I love their story.

Looking back at this list, I realized every single one of these men has one thing in common:

They make their women feel safe.

They don't just want them. They see them. And I think that's what most women want.

To feel seen, validated, respected, and loved for exactly who they are.

Who are your book boyfriends, and do they also fit that pattern?

Okay, have y'all read Kennedy Ryan's novella The Close Up?

Because it was SO good!

It was around 200 pages, so I was able to finish it quickly, and the best part? It's free on Audible!

At first, I was confused because I was like...wait, do I know these people? Iris? Why does she feel familiar?

And then I realized...Kennedy Ryan brought back characters from across her universe.

We get appearances from Iris and August, Lotus and her husband from Reel & Block Shot, other characters from the Hoops series, and even characters from the Grip series.

It honestly felt like a little reunion.

All of these characters come together for a two-week cruise celebrating Keanan's 40th birthday, and as someone who has read some of Kennedy Ryan's other books, it was so much fun seeing these characters again.

Reading about Iris again felt nostalgic, and it honestly made me want to go back and finish more of Kennedy Ryan's catalog because clearly...I have been missing out.

This is a second chance romance and our FMC is sexually confident and knows what she wants, while our MMC is a man who knows exactly what he wants and isn't afraid to pursue her.

Together? These two are explosive.

And let me tell you...

Mrs. Ryannnnn.

The spice.

The spice was SPICY. 😂

There are multiple kinks explored, and at times I will admit the spice almost overshadowed the plot because whew...Kennedy came to play.

But overall, this was such a fun, quick read. It was entertaining, nostalgic, and a great addition to Kennedy Ryan's interconnected universe.

Highly recommend!

Have y'all read The Close Up? Or do you have a favorite Kennedy Ryan book?

Tropes are the currency of books nowadays.

In today's publishing and BookTok landscape, it feels like books are expected to be packaged around 1-3 major tropes before readers even pick them up.

And honestly?

I hate it.

Why can't we just let a book exist without immediately labeling every single thing about it?

I remember reading the back of a book and getting excited because it said the main characters hated each other and were eventually going to fall in love. It was exciting because I didn't know exactly how it would happen.

But now, sometimes I feel like knowing the trope before reading takes away some of the mystery.

Instead of a synopsis, we get a list of tropes.

Enemies to lovers.
Found family.
Grumpy/sunshine.
Forced proximity.

And while those things can be fun, sometimes I think they make us focus more on the ingredients than the actual meal.

I also think some of the best books are the ones where the author isn't trying to hit a checklist. They're just writing characters who feel real.

Like...what happened to themes?! I feel like tropes have flattened the way we talk about books. It used to be about more than just "enemies to lovers." It was about the way an author could take a character who was nothing more than ink on a page and make you feel like they were a real person with fears, flaws, dreams, and a heartbeat.

I think that's what makes books by authors like Kennedy Ryan and Abby Jimenez so special. Their books transcend the tropes.

They don't just have an enemies-to-lovers storyline. They have characters with trauma, friendships, fears, dreams, and entire lives who just happen to fall into that dynamic.

The trope is there, but it's not the point.

And I think we've lost a little bit of that in the way we talk about books now.

But...this is coming from someone who absolutely searches "enemies to lovers fantasy recs" on TikTok when I'm looking for my next read. 😂

So maybe tropes aren't the problem.

Maybe it's when the trope becomes the entire identity of the book.

What do you think? Have tropes helped readers find books they love, or have they changed the reading experience?

Okay, so I did NOT realize this book was going to be this wild!!

We have our main protagonist, who became deaf after getting sick when she was young. One thing I think this book does incredibly well is explore how Black communities sometimes navigate disability without making the story feel like a lecture or an obvious critique.

Our MFC's parents never learned sign language. Instead, they got her hearing aids when she started school and taught her that the world wasn't going to make accommodations for her disability, so she needed to learn how to navigate it.

And honestly...as a Black woman, I understand the complexity of that. It's already hard navigating the world as a Black person, but being Black and disabled adds another layer entirely. Sometimes it feels like there is no room to be vulnerable.

But also...they should have done better. They should have taken the time to support their child and learn ASL instead of placing the responsibility solely on her to be "strong" and adapt.

And I think that's a difficult conversation we sometimes have to have in the Black community. Sometimes the survival skills that helped previous generations navigate the world can unintentionally become the same things that prevent us from giving our children the support and softness they deserve.

What I love is that the author doesn't force the reader to view this through one specific lens. She just tells this character's story, and the commentary is there if you're willing to sit with it. Which I did lol 

Currently, our MFC is engaged to a man who is not treating her the way he should be. And his parents?! HORRIBLE. This book will have you wanting to jump into the pages and wring someone's neck.

What I was NOT expecting was our MMC.

Because this man is...a lot. 😂

He is confident, unapologetic, sexually liberated (this man is spicy friends), he's friends with illegal drag racers, and a successful business owner who truly does not care what people think of him.

And when I first found out about his lifestyle, I was genuinely shocked because the contrast between him and our MFC is so interesting.

We have this bubbly, sensitive Black woman who has spent so much of her life allowing people to overstep her boundaries.

And then we have this man who says exactly what he thinks, knows exactly who he is, and refuses to apologize for it.

This book has been the BEST surprise, and I'm so happy my Instagram audience picked it for me to read.

I'm about 50% through the audiobook, and I am addicted.

At first, the pacing was really fast, but then the author slowed things down and gave us time to truly understand both the MFC and MMC. That slower section was needed because now that we know these characters, the story is about to pick back up with some new information coming to light.

Anywho...what are y'all currently reading?

I want to talk about a complicated issue without people assuming I mean the worst version of what I'm actually trying to say.

I've talked about this on TikTok before, but I'm revisiting it because I don't think I articulated my thoughts clearly.

And I want to be clear: I'm speaking specifically about being Black in the Black BookTok space, not about white readers or their experiences.

I've seen comments on Black BookTokkers' accounts where people say they will unfollow creators who they feel aren't reading or recommending enough Black books. (And that's fair; people are allowed to follow creators who align with their values.)

I've even had someone comment on one of my own videos asking, "What's the point of being on Black BookTok if you aren't making videos on Black authors?"

But I've also seen posts like, "Me when I see a Black BookTokker who only reads Kennedy Ryan," or people saying they check a Black BookTokker's shelves to make sure they have Black authors.

And I saw one black book content creator say that black booktokkers are mean.

And it made me sit with a bigger question:

How do we advocate for better representation without turning advocacy into a purity test that pushes people away?

Because I want to be clear: reading diversely matters.

Black authors continue to face systemic barriers within publishing that impact visibility, marketing, and opportunities. When someone has a platform, especially within the Black community, I do think there is power in using that platform to uplift Black voices and share these stories.

But I also think we have to acknowledge that online, we only see a small piece of someone's life.

We don't know their full lived experiences, what books they read privately, or what stories have impacted them outside of what they post.

And sometimes I worry that we've lost some of that nuance. That we can reduce an entire person down to whether or not we see them reading or recommending certain books.

At what point does encouragement become a test? Who decides when someone has read "enough" Black books to be considered someone who belongs?

Because sometimes it feels like the conversation shifts from "let's encourage people to read diversely" to "are you reading enough of the right books to prove you belong?"

And as someone who does read a lot of Black romance, I find myself conflicted.

Because why do we keep creating these tests where if someone doesn't pass, they're pushed out?

I understand the frustration. I understand the exhaustion of constantly having to explain why representation matters.

But I also wonder if shame is the best way to create change.

There are systemic reasons these books aren't always placed directly in front of readers. Sometimes finding new authors and stories requires intentional effort, and that work is valuable. But it can also be unfamiliar, especially when mainstream publishing has historically done a lot of the organizing and recommending for readers.

So how do we create a space where people are encouraged to learn instead of afraid to participate?

Because at the end of the day, I think we'd all benefit from focusing less on proving who is doing it "right" and more on continuing to uplift amazing authors and stories.

I'm curious, what do you think?

Babyyyyyyyy...let me tell you about Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan.

I am about 80% through, and when I tell you this book is taking me THROUGH THEREEEEE.

First, content warning: this book covers domestic violence, sexual assault, and trauma in very detailed ways.

We follow Iris, who is a young woman navigating love, ambition, and the choices we make when we want to believe the best in someone.

Iris is a beautiful, light-skinned Black woman, and colorism plays a major role in this story. She finds herself drawn to a man who, deep down, she senses has a darkness within him, but she ignores those instincts. As time goes on, their relationship takes a much darker turn as his controlling behavior becomes increasingly abusive.

Meanwhile, our other main character is watching from the sidelines, hoping that eventually he will choose her.

This book explores so many conversations that I honestly don't think we have enough of, and Kennedy Ryan doesn't give us easy answers. Instead, she guides us through the pain and lets the reader sit with the complexity.

Conversations around colorism and privilege.

Conversations around domestic violence and why leaving isn't always as simple as people think.

Conversations around spirituality, family, motherhood, and the generational impact of trauma.

Conversations around Hurricane Katrina and how deeply it impacted Black communities in Louisiana.

Conversations around femininity and the ways women navigate using their beauty, relationships, and femininity to survive and create opportunities for themselves.

And she weaves all of it together in a way that makes the story feel incredibly lived in.

This book is HEAVY.

The depiction of abuse is extremely detailed, and Kennedy does not shy away from showing the psychological and emotional impact of trauma. We are placed inside Iris' mind as she experiences these moments, and honestly...it was a lot.

I wanted to throw up. I was shocked. I was not expecting Kennedy Ryan to go there.

I had to take a break.

But that's also what makes this book so powerful. It tackles topics that are often ignored or simplified, while allowing the reader space to wrestle with their own thoughts and feelings.

This isn't an easy book, but it's an important one.

Have you read Long Shot? What were your thoughts?