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January was a great month for reading, and I can’t wait to share all the books I picked up! Whether you’re looking for your next great read or just curious about what I loved (or didn’t love), this post has all the details. My goal for 2025 was to read one book a month, and so far, I’ve read 5! I’ll be sharing a brief summary, my personal thoughts, and a rating for each book. Plus, I’ll highlight my top recommendation at the end!
Book List Overview (with links to buy)
- Fake it Till You Bake it – Jamie Wesley
- A Legend in the Baking – Jamie Wesley
- Before I Let Go – Kennedy Ryan
- This Could be Us – Kennedy Ryan
- Rhythm’s Blues – Kimberly Brown
📖 Fake it Till You Bake it – Jamie Wesley
- Genre: Contemporary Romance/Black Romance
- Synopsis: After a brief stint on reality television, Jada Townsend-Matthews returns home to heal and finds herself working at Sugar Blitz, a cupcake shop owned by NFL player Donovan Dell. When a reporter mistakenly thinks Jada and Donovan are an item, they decide to use the publicity to promote the cupcake shop and help recover Jada’s image. But if it’s just for show, why do they both feel such electricity every time they touch…?
- My Thoughts: This book is such a cute romance and a very easy read! It has some humor, some culture, and my favorite trope–fake dating. It’s a dual POV romance novel where both of the main characters are so relatable. There’s a little spice, but not too much.
- Favorite Quote: “I’ve found that anger is usually a manifestation of hurt”.
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes – if you love romance and are looking for a cute, easy read, you’ll love it!
📖 A Legend in the Baking – Jamie Wesley
- Genre: Contemporary Romance/Black Romance
- Synopsis: Even though he is an NFL star and part owner of a cupcake shop, August Hodges prefers to stay behind the scenes. This all changes when he goes viral on social media. And who better to help recover his image than Sloane Dell, co-owner Donovan’s little sister? There’s just one thing…they have a past, but they vow to keep it in the past…
- My Thoughts: This book is the cutest little love story! It comes as a part 2 to Fake it Till You Bake it, but the story could stand alone. Both of the characters are so relatable, and it has the humor and culture I love about Black romance. The plot is very intriguing, and I love a good slow burn! There’s a little bit of spice as well, but overall, a very easy-to-read novel!
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes – if you love romance and are looking for a cute, easy read, you’ll love it!
📖 Before I Let Go – Kennedy Ryan
- Genre: Contemporary Romance/Black Romance
- Synopsis: Josiah and Yasmen Wade are divorced business owners navigating co-parenting. Their marriage couldn’t withstand all the trauma they endured, but there new arrangement works…as long as they don’t stare until each other’s eyes for too long…or kiss again…
- My Thoughts: This is one of the best books I’ve ever read! If I could give it 6 stars, I would! It is COMPLETELY worth all of the hype! The plot is intense and intriguing, and I just could not put it down! There’s definitely some spice if you’re into that, and there is a TW for miscarriage/stillbirth.
- Favorite Quote: “Finding someone you can laugh with when everything hurts–was the stuff happily ever afters were made of”.
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes – no further explanation needed!
📖 This Could Be Us – Kennedy Ryan
- Genre: Contemporary Romance/Black Romance
- Synopsis: Soledad Barnes is a stay-at-home mother and housewife that has it all together…until disaster strikes, threatening to tear her family apart. She doesn’t even have time to grieve her old life because she is determined to take care of her 3 daughters and learn to love herself in the process. If she’s so fine on her own, why can’t she stop thinking about sexy accountant Judah Cross and all the ways she wants him?
- My Thoughts: This is one of the best books I’ve ever read in my life! If I could give it 6 stars, I would. It’s like a coming of age story for a woman in her 30s-50s who needs to learn how to really love herself. The plot is full of twists and turns, and I could not put this book down! It’s romantic, emotional, spicy, and everything I love!
- Favorite Quote: “The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love–whether we call it friendship or family or romance–is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other’s light”.
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes – no further explanation needed!
📖 Rhythm’s Blues – Kimberly Brown
- Genre: Urban Romance/Black Romance
- Synopsis: Rhythm Baker is a successful occupational therapist who moved across the country to support her boyfriend Raheem and his budding rap career. When he is unwilling to do right, Rhythm falls into the arms of Channing Watson. He’s sexy, charming, strong, amazing in bed, and…Raheem’s new producer! Although their entanglement is messy, Rhythm and Channing can’t get away from each other. And why should they?
- My Thoughts: At first, I thought I would not like this book because it is vulgar and very spicy, but the messiness of the plot kept me going. Channing is the perfect leading man, and reading about how he takes care of Rhythm pulled at my lover girl heartstrings! It has the humor, the culture, and the romance I love in a novel.
- Favorite Quote: “Love, for me, is caring about someone more than you care for yourself. It’s going the extra mile to make them happy or ensure their safety. It’s showing up for them the same way they show up for you.”
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes – if you like Urban Romance, messy storylines, and spicy reads, this book is for you!
My Top Pick of the Month Is…
This Could be Us by Kennedy Ryan! This story impacted me in so many ways, and I felt every single emotion at some point throughout reading it. As a woman in her 30s navigating self-love, romance, and my career, the main character Soledad was so relatable. This Could Be Us is perfect for any young adult learning what love really is. Kennedy Ryan does an amazing job capturing the experience of Black women, no matter where you are in life. There is a third book in this series being released in the Spring of 2025, and I can’t wait!
What’s TBR for February?
The goal for February is 4 books since it’s a shorter month, and here’s what’s on my list so far:
- The Kiss Countdown – Etta Easton
- Only for the Week – Natasha Bishop
- The Love Lyric – Kristina Forest
That concludes my January reading wrap-up! I’m so excited that I’ve read 5 books so far, and I can’t wait to see what’s next! What did you read in January? Do you have any recommendations for me? Let’s chat in the comments!
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