Luster by Raven Leilani: Edie is a Black, twenty something living in a shitty apartment and working a not so great job. She is making all sorts of risky sexual choices and is haunted by her dead mother. She meets Eric, a married man and starts an affair with him. Eric and his wife are in an open relationship. After losing her job, she ends up in Eric’s house and meets his wife and young adopted Black daughter, Akila. Edie sort of becomes a role model for Akila, teaching her how to care for her hair and more. I really enjoyed this book and it’s a great reminder how reading is a great way to enter different worlds. This was such a compelling story. 4/5 Stars

Always, in December: Josie lost her parents on Christmas eve when she was 9, that event of course marked her for life. Now in her late 20s she’s having another terrible holiday season, her boyfriend cheated on her with a coworker. One of her traditions is to writes her dead parents a letter every year for Christmas, on her way to deliver this year’s letter she gets in a minor accident and meets Max. Max missed his flight to the US and they end up spending Christmas with Josie and they have a fling. Josie thinks they had a special connection but the day after Christmas, Max disappears on her leaving a simple message on a post it. Over the next year Max and Josie keeps running into each other and there’s definitely deeper feelings there. I thought this was going to be a cute uplifting Christmas romance but the end crushed me. I loved it nonetheless. 4/5 Stars

Thanks for reading, please do share if you’ve read anything amazing recently.

xoxo Rachelle