Here you'll meet amazing authors who write romantic series. These excellent story-tellers will pull you into new world with characters who will make your hearts ache and plots that will keep your minds spinning. I'm thrilled to hopefully introduce you to writers you haven't met who you'll want to read over and over and over.
The reviews appear in reverse order with the most recent book at the top, so if you missed my review of a previous book in the series, simply scroll down on this same page to find it. If I highlight this same author again, that series will appear on a separate page, but all books in each series will always be posted together so you'll never have to hunt for them. I hope you'll like this spot and comment on ways to make it better.
(This is the third book in the series)
Book Blurb:
Jamal Turner is near the top of his game. Widely-known as the trusted right-hand man to music mogul Chris Scaife, he’s poised to become chief operating officer of his friend and mentor’s international recording conglomerate. But while his career prospects have never been better, Jamal is still plagued by the memories of his humble beginnings, threatening to pull him back down just as he’s on the come up.
Makayla Hughes knows who she is and where she comes from, and she flat out refuses to allow working in the high-powered recording industry to change her or her most closely-held friendships. But when she’s thrown into close quarters, working on a project with the notorious Jamal Turner, she begins to wonder whether her determination to ‘keep it real’ is also keeping her world very, very small.
Jamal is drawn to Makayla, but he can’t let the man he used to be stand in the way of the man he’s becoming. There’s no doubt she fits into the life Jamal used to have, but what’s not as clear is whether she belongs in the life he wants.
Here's What I Thought of the Book . . .
The
Come Up is another very complex and amazing love story that is about so much
more. Yes, the focus is relationships, but we see how people tap dance around
what they really need for all the reasons that sound good in their heads, to
their friends, and based on past experiences. That old saying, “The heart wants
what it wants,” is never more true than in this novel as we see Jamal Turner
stumble through trying to figure out what his love life and career ought to
look like at this stage of his life. That very real attraction he has for
Makayla Hughes, a much younger employee he hired to keep a talented musician in
line because she’s the only friend Devin Parks will listen to, is a challenge he's never encountered because she is supposed to be off-limits per his boss. Jamal’s lust for her is off the charts, which
comes across as hot-and-cold treatment that confuses both of them at times. He can’t
quite figure out whether she could fit into his life that is usually very
well-planned, especially when there is already a very accomplished, mature,
ready-to-settle-down, woman of his own age, income level, and social status
pushing to be on his arm as his career is taking the next big turn. Madison
Palmer—polished, assertive, and a good friend of Chris Scaife’s wife. Jamal has
a reputation to look out for and Makayla just isn’t ready . . . but his body
and his heart aren’t quite on board with that message.
Too bad Jamal didn’t get
some clear-headedness before he started being contradictory in the ways he was
treating the young woman who was supposed to be his protégée, the “handler” of
the musical talent his boss Chris Scaife is determined to develop, and his
unplanned budding romance interest while they were on a road trip. Oh, he sent
her the wrong messages, all right. The problem is, he sent the wrong messages
to himself, too, and turned what could have been a wonderful new relationship
into a chaotic misunderstanding of hurt feeling, disappointments, and
confusion. I honestly believe that at a crucial point, the very young Makayla
was much more mature and honest than Jamal. While she may not have had as many
previous experiences, Jamal had no concept of dealing with difficult situations
and simply standing up for the hard choice—Makayla versus Madison.
I loved Makayla’s
character. Her innocence and loyalty were never so naïve as to be unbelievable,
yet the way she fell for Jamal was so typical I-refuse-to-admit-that-I’m-fan-girl-crushing
while it turned into full-blown love anyway that it was cute in its honesty.
There is always room in our cynical world for the traditional girl-falls-for-her-hero
types of romances, especially when those heroes are also tarnished and a little
bit damaged. I absolutely enjoy the way that Nia Forrester crafts personalities
that draw us into their worlds like they live down the street from us, went to
the same high school, or sit in a cubicle on our row at work. We know these
people! We feel their ambition and ambivalence and anxiety. What is the right
balance between love and professionalism? What risks are worth taking and when
do you walk away? For Makayla, nothing was stronger than loyalty. She was Devin’s
friend from the beginning to the end, fighting for the one thing that was his
salvation in this world—his musical talent—even if that meant sacrificing the
chance for Jamal to understand and accept her. Ironically, loyalty is the same asset
Jamal should have understood was the most valuable gift any woman could have
given . . . but like I said, he had some growing to do. I’m just happy this
couple was able to find a happy ending and that Jamal came to the conclusion
that who he needed was the woman who truly saw HIM at his basic nature—the determined
street kid from Brooklyn instead of the suave talent scout, the cut-from-the-same-cloth
man who made her heart beat crazily instead of the well-groomed executive who
mentored her.
The Afterwards Series is
definitely about discovering the complexities of falling in love and growing as
the emotions transform each character. Of the books in the series, this one is
my favorite. Not only is Makayla incredibly strong and loyal, Jamal is
refreshing in the way he had much more depth than what I’d expected. We met him
in the other books and liked him as a dependable friend with more character and
integrity than people gave him credit for. But in his own story, we get a
chance to see that he is also deep and struggling with how to be a successful
and decent person. What does that look like for someone with his family
background? Nia nails this dilemma. I love this character’s flaws, strengths,
style, and the way he continually processes where he is and where he wants to
be in life. Makayla does the same. She makes sacrifices accordingly, but she
takes risks, accordingly, too. And that’s why this book is damn near perfect!
I’m telling you that
THIS book has it all and if you read it, you will fall in love with all of the
characters. Madison was desperate but completely understandable, and I
certainly wanted her to end up with her happy ending. Devin is troubled, and
deserves a book of his own because I want that boy to find love desperately—but
I’m not sure this author wants to write that genre. (Perhaps she’ll loan the
character in the near future to an author that will be writing something where
Devin might fit comfortably. Comment below and let us know AFTER you read the book.) This series makes an excellent present or would be a great way to spend the money you receive as a gift this holiday season! Keep scrolling for my reviews of the rest of the books.
My
rating of The Come Up is:
(This is the second book in the series)
Book Blurb: The sequel, and conclusion to 'Afterwards'.
Chris Scaife is not the man Robyn Crandall thought he was.
Now that she’s shown him the possibility of a new life, she knows that Chris wants it. And he’s used to getting what he wants. But Robyn is seeing some possibilities of her own, as a highly-valued member of the legal team at Chris’ multimillion dollar corporation.
Just as he’s given her the confidence to soar, will Chris try to clip her wings?
Once an unapologetic bachelor and distant father, Chris Scaife is now a different man. Engaged to Robyn Crandall, a woman whose love he never thought he could have—or deserve—Chris wants a wedding to happen, and happen soon. But Robyn’s plans are somewhat different from that.
Here's What I Thought of the Book . . .
Afterburn
continues the story of Chris and Robyn from Afterwards and is the wonderful
examination of what really happens when two people begin to bond. I love that
the author takes the concept of marriage—becoming one—and shows that it really
has to happen long before people ever get to the altar. Even though Chris had
been in two relationships that gave him children, one where he lived with the woman
for a few years, he hadn’t committed himself to either of those women in the
way a person does when they are truly blending lives. And, although Robyn had
been married and tried to merge her life with her husband, the effort wasn’t
reciprocated because the respect, openness, and integrity weren’t mutual. While
Chris and Robyn are now in a relationship with each other where they’re more “equally
yoked,” life as an engaged-to-be-married couple doesn’t come easily and that
makes for a beautifully complex and entertaining novel.
Throughout the
engagement, Chris is terrified of the way he needs Robyn. Having a brilliant
and independent fiancée means that he knows other men want his woman—and he’s possessive,
territorial, and vindictive. He doesn’t share or even play nice with others. He
doesn’t want his business colleagues in meetings with her to get distracted by lustful
ideas the same as he does. Of course, since his gorgeous and talented fiancée is
a star attorney in his recording empire, he can’t shove her into a closet to
keep her out of view and totally to himself. There is no way he’s going to clip
her wings or expect her to live in his shadow—like she did with her ex-husband.
Yes, it causes problems that the couple has to work through professionally because
this is definitely uncharted territory. Boundaries are definitely crossed as
they struggle to define what will and will not work. And that’s only in the
office. We won’t even get started on “baby mama drama” except to say there is
more than enough of that to go around with two exes and their three children.
Robyn has her
own issues to unravel. The concept of “two people becoming one” never sunk in
despite her being married previously. She was her ex-husband’s crutch and
shrank in his shadow. Now, she’s involved with a very dominant personality who
loves her enough to push her into growing into the fullness of her own purpose
in spite of her insecurities, but Chris also needs her in a way that creates a
bond she’s never had. Robyn is only unsure of herself because she doesn’t
immediately recognize the depth of her interdependence on Chris, and doesn’t
see the beauty in having the support that both frees and binds her. As they maneuver
around the complexity of balancing their romance, raising their infant
daughter, opening the Paris recording office—that Robyn is doing while Chris
remains in America—everything she believes about her own strengths and
relationships is tested. He’s got her back, and while she isn’t used to his
interference and doesn’t appreciate his protectionism, she can’t doubt his
devotion. Still, she’s an independent and stubborn career woman whose ego causes problems.
When we consider
Robyn’s full family dynamics and her understanding of love, we can compare it
to Chris’ experiences and know without a doubt that they are perfect for each
other. We’re cheering for them to figure love’s mysteries out and stop being
confused about what’s really so simple. But, isn’t that how the experience of
falling in love and growing in a relationship is? Step by step while you’re in
it doesn't feel easy or simple. It’s painful and confusing and scary—and completely
discombobulating. Yeah, they both make very stupid mistakes that make you want
to step into the book and slap them in the head! Instead, you heave a sigh and
hang on for that happy ending that you know has to be coming for this couple.
They’ve been through too much not to make it.
This series is
about what happen when we fall in love quickly and then our heads have to get
out of the way. Nia Forrester accurately captures what happens when two hearts
are determined to blend and the minds get dragged along a step or two later. The
interdependence is mutual. One beautiful irony is that Chris had wrapped his
priorities around Robyn’s view of him and relied on her strength to transform
him into a calmer man and a better father. Nia wrote this so skillfully that
the characters don’t seem aware that this is what he’s doing. In fact, it’s Robyn’s
nurturing nature at the beginning of Afterwards that brought them together as more than two
people who had mutual friends, that had her help him in a personal way to open
the door to this amazing love that is exactly what both of them need, and that
transformed his business and his family life. This author wrote an amazingly well-crafted
and complex story about blending that is seductive on many levels, and I know
that you are going to love it.
While this book
concludes Robyn and Chris’ love story, it’s not the end of the series. The
Come Up is next, and in it we get to live
a little with Jamal Turner. Talk about sexy!
My
rating of Afterburn is:
I'm very pleased to offer you something extra special with this second review. Our author has graciously agreed to give a little insight into her thoughts about the book, so here are a few words from her and a couple of images of our star characters. Enjoy!
Introducing:
Afterburn
A word from the author:
This is a book I never meant to write. No one was more surprised than I was at the success of ‘Afterwards’. But something about the man unaccustomed to emotions learning to get in touch with them through the irrepressible spirit of a women who thought she had lost her spirit, seemed to resonate with people in a way I could never have anticipated. And because of that, the ending of ‘Afterwards’ raised a lot of questions for readers.
Personally, I’m fine with ending a book with questions, but readers wanted to know what happened with Chris and Robyn, and I—being a sucker for giving people what they want—wondered the same. So ‘Afterburn’ was born, exploring the relationship between a man who is used to controlling things and a woman who refuses to be controlled. I was especially intrigued by the fact that though they were both strong individuals, their weakness was each other. But as the book evolved, it also became about parents and their children—Robyn’s relationship with her mother, Chris’ with his children. It’s a book close to my heart because I think it explored ‘love’ and not just romance. I hope you enjoy it.
N.
(This is the first book in the series)
Book Blurb:
Every single milestone Chris Scaife set, he's reached and surpassed. The one place he feels out of his depth is being a father to his three kids--all them practical strangers--and dealing with their mothers who view him as a never-ending source of income. Between that, and managing his music empire he doesn't have time for distractions, but one shows up anyway. Robyn is a woman who deserves the kind of life he doesn't feel equipped to give her, but walking away might not be that easy.
Here's What I Thought of the Book . . .
After the sex,
what else is there? Chris hadn’t found much until he found Robyn. You’ve got to
read this book! Afterwards is the book that makes you question when do people
really fall in love. Is there love at first sight and we’re really just too
dense to realize it? Is love a tiny seed that is planted by destiny because
people like Chris Shaife would run like hell if he ever suspected cupid’s arrow
was anywhere close to his heart? I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and
watching the way love crept up on this couple. There is something magical about
the way the author unravels the details of this romance, the way the love
actually builds and insecurities peek through, and the way people find out
little details about themselves that make them better mates for the other
person.
Chris actually
claimed Robyn for himself from the beginning of the story; he just didn’t know
it. When she soothed away his headache and took care of him, he was hooked.
From that point on, we see him orchestrating her life as smoothly as he successfully
manipulates the rest of the music industry even though he doesn’t think that’s
what he’s doing when he suggests her for a job and arranges private weekly lessons
with a motorcycle champion so that he can have her close by. With his lousy
track record with women, Chris is too afraid to drag Robyn into his life, but
he’s not willing to totally step away, either. The problem is, as the physical
attraction becomes obvious, Robyn doesn’t do yo-yo love. The mixed messages and
double standards don’t work for her.
Robyn is
fascinating. She’s strong enough to be a
daredevil, secure enough to handle the ego of a alpha man who makes her feel
completely vulnerable when they’re alone, and brave enough to face the heartache
of his reaction when life throws their relationship a curveball. Nia Forrester
manages to create a truly amazing story about the complexity of an independent,
ambitious, career-driven woman who faces life and love with so much courage and
grace that the reader can only sigh, cheer her on, and plot Chris’ untimely
demise when he turns out to be a jerk. Robyn is devastated, but she’s too
strong to be defeated—and that makes Chris realize that he loves her. Yeah, the
light bulb finally clicks on.
The author makes
us examine what strong-willed people need from their significant others and
turns on its head the notion of a dominant man needing a subservient, adoring,
fan to stroke his ego and fetch his slippers. Additionally, the independent and
self-sufficient female can still have a hero every now and then. Nia Forrester eventually
restores our faith in men and delivers a plausible happy ending, but she does
it by clearly showing that relationships have to be worth fighting for. This
couple learns to fight for each other, change a few priorities, and to protect
what they have.
Harmony is the underlying
theme of this series set around finding love within the music industry. Will
every couple find it? Obviously not. But this one certainly does, and you’ll
want to keep reading the next books in this series! Afterburn and The Come Up
won’t disappoint you. I’ll be reviewing them soon.
My
rating of Afterwards is:
Just a reminder . . .
A Special Spot for Serial Seduction highlights series and you'll be able to find this entire series on one page. You'll always be able to link to the previous series that I've reviewed. My goal is to help you to find wonderful romance authors.
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