black romances are always the best and nobody can't tell me otherwise. men who are obssesed with their woman always hit too because they are just hot an amazing I need them to find one ? where?

“Can't Let Her Go” by Kianna Alexander is a charming romance that dives into the classic theme of friends becoming lovers. While I found the story enjoyable, I did have some mixed feelings about it.

Peaches and Jamie's relationship felt rushed, as they transitioned from friends to serious partners in just a few weeks. This quick shift left their emotional connection feeling somewhat shallow, and I was hoping for more growth from both characters and the plot as the story unfolded. It would have been nice to see how their friendship developed into a deeper bond over time.

The family dynamics often took center stage and were, at times, more interesting than the romance itself. The narrative delves into Peaches' responsibilities at home and Jamie's struggles to fit in with her family, which added valuable depth to the story. However, I wished for a better balance between these family issues and the romantic elements.

Additionally, some unresolved plot points and unnecessary details occasionally slowed the pacing, making it challenging to stay fully engaged. There were enjoyable moments sprinkled throughout the book, but I found myself craving more excitement and depth to truly connect with the characters and their journey.

Overall, “Can't Let Her Go” was a decent read. With a bit more focus on character development and plot clarity, it could have been an even more engaging and memorable experience. If you enjoy lighthearted romances with a touch of family drama, this book might still be worth a look!

A huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

I enjoyed the story however I think the way it flowed was a little choppy and I really didn't see any chemistry between the two. It seemed like they both just jumped into the relationship out of nowhere.

I love a cute sapphic romance. And this book was certainly a joy to read. I will be looking forward to what else this author brings out!

This was quite possibly one of the worst lesbian romance novels I ever read. Loved the setting of Texas and the Black community, culture, music, food and queer friendships shown in the book. Hated everything else.
Structurally, it is unsound at best. Not much plot; the meat of the novel doesn't happen until halfway through– and the rest of it is just filler. Endless descriptions of every outfit worn by EVERY character, (main or side) down to the sleeve detail and exact color of shoes. Ridiculously detailed mentions of food and drink, which don't come across as necessary, when the focus of the scene is on the conversation. The dialogue is unnatural, preachy and exposition-heavy. It feels like a Netflix drama trying to sound diverse and progressive.
And as for the romance, god. There are unlikeable women, and then, there are red flags. The femme MC, aka Jamie, is a textbook villain. Manipulative, immature, gaslighting and terribly insensitive. She throws a fit whenever Peaches (the stud) establishes sexual or romantic boundaries, including in one scene, getting mad at not receiving sexual gratification when children are in the house. She is the WORST.
Also, as a butch reader, this is a textbook case of bad faith butch/stud/masculine lesbian representation. Butches don't exist to open doors, pay bills and sexually gratify you. They are humans, and they need reciprocal love, support and respect. Do not carry stereotypical fantasies over into everyday life, so you start mystifying us as these cool, put-together sexual vessels, and not human women. The way Jamie treats Peaches in this book is not just bad, but downright abusive and manipulative. But generally, the way studs and masculine lesbians are described is horrendous. Apparently, they are all jealous, sexually aggressive, competitive and vying in rivalry over femmes. And apparently butch4butch isn't a thing because you cannot have a partner who is "too similar". This is what happens when you take queer online stereotypes and use them as ground realities.
I really disliked this book, I am sorry to say, in terms of both writing and representation. This pair shall break up, post-canon manifesting.

Good book. I would Buy another book by this author. I connected with the characters and plot. Highly recommend.

A moving and sweet sapphic friends-to-lovers romance book that doesn’t shy away from complex life can be but how worth it the journey to love can be.

I loved this book. The characters were easy to root for, and the plot moved forward at a perfect pace.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit that I was super excited to read this book. Friends-to-lovers is my absolute favourite genre. However, at the time that I received the ARC, I feel that the slow pace of the work was not for me. I do think that Kiana outlined the way relationships that stem from friendships have many aspects to consider that romance novels tend to brush over.

That being said, it's because of the slow pacing that I attempted to read the book thrice and eventually DNF'd it. In order to not affect the book rating, I'm giving the book the average rating at the time of my posting this review.

THIS WAS SO CUTE!! I loved this book and I definitely would read more from this author!! The romance was adorable and the sapphic representation was amazing.

I thought that I was getting more from this romance story. Instead, I was stuck with messy characters. I truly thought that they both deserve better, not with each other. Separate. Not every friend are meant to be more. Sometimes, it's better not to explore more with friends.

i was so excited to read the book, especially because i love female protagonists and bipoc characters at that? amazing. but the book felt too flat. the dialogues were forced and i couldn't relate to any of their reactions. it wasn't engaging enough for me and the character development felt very slow, almost non existent. i wondered if it was just me but many other reviewers feel the ending wasn't appropriate and i think it could've gone better.

I love me a friends to lover and this one didn’t disappoint either! It was a sweet and enjoyable romance. The chemistry was *chefs kiss* and so easy between the two that it felt great to read!

I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that this was a sapphic romance set in my home state of Texas, but the actual execution of the story wasn't my favorite. There were sweet moments, but overall, I struggled with the dialogue feeling unnatural. The friend group was my favorite part and I'd love to read more about everybody else.

This was a sweet and enjoyable romance. The characters had great chemistry and it held a light-hearted and fun premise.

This is friends to lovers!
I wasn’t the biggest fan tho, the characters felt fake. There wasn’t a real plot or character development in my opinion. Which is usually needed even in rom-com. This was just romance which is ok, but not my favourite.

I’ll preface this entire review with saying that I don’t come from the character’s background so I won’t be speaking about the cultural moments (though I do appreciate the slang peppered throughout). I thought this book was just alright. I’m focusing mainly on the romance piece and with that I thought the romance between Peaches and Jamie felt off. Their sexy scenes were well written but I feel like the author wrote tension between them just to have tension. Their fights didn’t really make sense with their characters and I felt like Peaches forgave Jamie a little too quickly so the ending of them getting back together didn’t feel authentic.

I thought the writing over all was decent but the constant remarks about what everyone was wearing and what everyone was doing every single moment had me skimming some pages trying to get back to the main plot. It was alright, but wasn’t spectacular

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

Kiana Alexander is quickly becoming a favorites. This book was amazing and I loved every minute of it. The characters were relatable. And I’ll definitely be reading this author again.

I enjoyed it but whew I’ve never encountered two characters that needed to speed walk to therapy. It was a good read but not specifically my favorite. Waaaaay too messy.