Prose & Cons | 5.26.25
We took a short intermission, but we're back! Here is every Book I Gave ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in the last few weeks!
This week’s lineup is packed with top-tier tension, delicious drama, and romance that hits just right. We’ve got a small age-gap connection heating things up, a madam finally meeting her match, and a childhood situationship diving into one final, high-stakes game. Plus, an unlikely love story that'll tug your heartstrings, and little Lunar’s love story. This post contains affiliate links. Now, grab your snacks and settle in.
Kenya, the oldest Armani sister, is notorious for being anti-love, anti-men, and having a hard-body demeanor that no one dares to challenge. After experiencing the ultimate betrayal, she swears off love entirely, embracing the WORST kind of attitude and keeping everyone outside her tight-knit circle at arm’s length. That is, until Sanchez rolls up fresh out the pen, laser-focused on building power, legacy, and a love that'll shake the earth beneath them. He steps right into her life making demands starting with: “I don’t share, so whatever you got goin’ on outside of me, kill that. Don’t make me show you another side.”
Their chemistry is so real it’s almost tangible, but Kenya's guarding her heart like her life depends on it. She's been burned before (like 3rd degree kinda burned) and isn't looking for a repeat or to be that vulnerable again. Sanchez, though? He’s steady, stubborn, and completely unfazed by her rules. He pushes back, peeling away her layers one by one, but he's careful not to get lost in her and the process while doing it. He's a man who takes charge, not orders, and there's no way he's letting Kenya dodge what's happening between them.
Sanchez was a MAN, honey (definitely securing a spot on the book boyfriends roster). Young, yes, but he moved like a certified GROWN man. I loved how self-assured he was, completely focused on building a legacy. Fresh outta prison and immediately handling business? That's my kind of energy. And nothing beats a man who knows exactly what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it, bonus points when he’s good at giving direction, if you know what I mean. Sanchez was that, hands down. He was on Kenya like white on rice from the jump.
Now Kenya? Sis stressed me out in books one and two. I’m not even gonna lie. But deep down, I knew there had to be a reason for her walls and why she held men at such a distance. Turns out, her reasons ran deeper than I ever imagined, and honestly, her feelings were 100% justified. Kenya was layered, complicated, and beautifully real. Watching her relearn herself and let her guard down genuinely resonated with me. Her hyper-independence, her attitude, the refusal to fold for a man, I felt all of that. And while I haven't faced the kind of betrayal she has, seeing the ice princess melt and finally find real love gave me a little hope. Maybe there’s still a chance for me out here…ha!
This isn’t your typical love story—it’s power, sensuality, and vengeance served in stilettos. Our leading lady, Roulette, isn’t some background character in a man’s world— she’s not a dancer, a bartender, or a plaything. She owns the room, the rules, and the building. She’s the Madam. And in Clarke, her house is the house. Where the city’s wealthiest come to lose themselves in pleasure, power, and secrets that never leave the walls.
She’s tall, sharp, untouchable, and absolutely that woman. Monogamy? Optional. Liberation? Essential. Her freedom doesn’t just live in her body…it’s in her mind, her movement, her choices. She refuses to compromise herself and her rules for anyone. And when a former lover breaks the rules? Let’s just say she doesn’t fold. She gets even. Dirtier. Bolder. And she does it all while being courted by a man her ex once looked up to.
This is a story about control, desire, and reclaiming your throne even when people would rather see you on your knees. She doesn't just survive, she leads. And while the world calls her The Madam, there’s one man who dares to call her Princess.
Roulette, Roulette, Roulette… Y’all. This book is every bit worth the hype…and then some. There’s just something about a woman who’s so sure of herself, so clear on what she wants, and completely unwilling to let anything stand in her way. It’s chef’s kiss perfection. I’ve never wanted to be a character before, but I want to embody Roulette. She’s the perfect mix of soft and savage, feminine with big-dawg energy.
And Israel? BABY. That man is a MAN. Big boss energy, BDE on 1000. From the moment he stepped into that hotel room, I knew it was game over. He met Roulette exactly where she was—in power, in passion, in purpose. He didn’t shrink or try to outshine her. He matched her. Loved her. Lifted her. The way they poured into each other? Whew. They were so in sync, when one needed support, the other was already there. That kind of love? Rare.
Grey Huffington’s pen is magic. Her writing pulls you in and wraps itself around you like silk—vivid, lush, and cinematic. Even if you’re not someone who usually “sees” a story in your mind, you will with this one. Her worldbuilding is that rich. I’m always gonna recommend Grey, but Roulette? It’s top-tier, top-shelf, top of the list. Just a heads up, it’s part of a series, so I highly recommend starting from the beginning to feel the full impact.
Desmond, better known as Mo, hasn’t exactly been walking the straight and narrow. But sometimes, survival means doing what you know in your gut isn’t right. And eventually, those choices catch up to him. After a near-death experience rocks his world, Mo is left spiraling, mentally drowning, and just barely holding on. He’s stuck on autopilot… until his childhood neighbor reappears and sends his carefully controlled chaos into a whole new tailspin.
Enter Logan, aka Bunny, the wild card. The girl who once ran the streets with him, made his heart stutter, and gave his world color. She’s back, post-college and freshly engaged. The problem? She still wants to play their games… and let’s just say, they’re not the kind of games an engaged woman should be entertaining.
Bunny is a beautifully raw exploration of how some childhood bonds never fade, how unhealed trauma follows us into adulthood, and how easy it is to settle when you don’t believe you’re worthy of more. It’s about the ache of loving someone who feels just out of reach, the damage of playing too long, and the courage it takes to grow up when no one gave you the blueprint.
More than just a second chance romance, Bunny is a story of survival, self-worth, and learning to believe you deserve the kind of love that doesn’t hurt.
I enjoy a slow burn, but they don’t usually top my favorites list. That said, I LOVED this story. It was a slow burn in the most emotionally layered, complicated way. Rae Lyse masterfully unraveled these characters, giving us pieces of them little by little, so when their full truths hit, they hit hard.
At first? I thought Logan was buggin’, and I was not a fan of Desmond based on the last book. But once I got to really see him, my whole perspective shifted. Total 180. Their dynamic is messy, tender, and full of unspoken tension. Were they too grown to still be playing those games? Absolutely. But I completely understood why they clung to them. The games were their comfort zone. It was the one place they had control, where the rules made sense. Life didn’t offer them that.
I know what it’s like to love someone so deeply, even when the timing is off. To know it’s probably not right, but if life gave you the chance, you’d run it back one more time for the possibility of something real. That’s what Bunny gave me.
Yes, the themes are heavy (please check the trigger warnings before diving in), but there were also moments that had me giggling, kicking my feet, and fully wrapped up in Dezzy and Bunny’s world. They were perfectly imperfect for each other, and I loved every second of watching them figure that out. Start to finish, this one hit.
After being granted clemency thanks to a controversial criminal justice reform bill, Andre “Dre,” best friend to Josiah (from book two in the series), is released into a world that feels unfamiliar, overwhelming, and full of temptations he’s not sure he’s strong enough to resist. Most people question whether he deserves a second chance, and honestly, so does he. That is, until he walks into his welcome home party and locks eyes with Natasha “Tash.”
Tash is the definition of free-spirited, much to her family’s dismay. She moves through life on her own terms, even if it means being misunderstood. She’s still carrying the weight of a past she hasn’t quite escaped, and the last thing she’s looking for is more baggage. But when Josiah works his matchmaking magic, she agrees to be what Dre needs most post-incarceration: a friend. One who sees him for who he is now, not who he used to be.
What starts as a simple favor quickly turns into something deeper. Because Dre doesn’t just shake up her world, he makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself, her past, and the people she once trusted. And in return, Natasha opens Dre’s eyes to something he’s never truly believed: that he’s more than just his family’s keeper, more than his past mistakes, and worthy of the second chance he’s been given. With her, he begins to see that he can rewrite his story…and this time, he gets to choose how it ends.
Rae Lyse did it again with Thirty. At first glance, Dre and Tash might’ve seemed like an unlikely match based on what we learned about them in previous books, but whew, they were twin flames through and through.
Dre’s mindset around women? Flawed as hell. His dad kept him at a distance but still managed to hand down the worst kind of "rules":
Take care of your b—, and they’ll always take care of you.
Flex your mouthpiece. Do it right, she’ll do whatever you want.
Break ’em. After that, they always belong to me.
Straight-up pimp 101. And as toxic as those teachings were, Dre was still soft. He treated Tash with care from the beginning, but it’s clear those warped beliefs played a role in all of his relations with women and eventually the downfall of his relationship with his child’s mother. That, and the prison sentence.
Tash had me from the moment she appeared in book two. Even with just a few lines, she jumped off the page. So I completely understood why Dre was captivated when he finally met her. What broke my heart, though, was how often she felt like she had to shrink herself, whether it was with her family, her friends, or the people she thought she liked (because our girl didn’t truly love). She was battling so much beneath the surface, and watching her unravel was painful but powerful.
What I loved most about this book was the growth. Yes, they were grown, but they really grew up within these pages. They learned they weren’t defined by their mistakes. They learned what it meant to be seen, truly seen, for maybe the first time in their lives. And let’s be real: they both got schooled by a kid (we LOVE Dri over here). Some of the wisest words came from her little mouth, and they landed every time.
This was more than a romance, it was about healing, self-discovery, and finally learning to lean on someone without fear or conditions. A true second chance in every sense of the word.
Standing In The Sun by Evelyn Latrice
Little Lunar isn’t so little anymore. He’s grown now. He’s a rapper on the rise, making money, surrounded by an incredible family, and living out his dreams. On the surface, it looks like he has everything anyone could want. But beneath it all, he’s facing grown man battles, namely, the biggest one of all: figuring out who he is. He’s spiraling, hard. And the one person who could’ve helped guide him out of the tailspin? His father, Lunar, and he’s no longer here.
He’s carrying this deep, aching need to know something about the man who gave him his name. To hear his thoughts. To feel his pride. To get just a sliver of direction as he tries to chase his dreams. Everyone around him has memories, moments with Big Lunar to hold onto, but those secondhand stories can’t replace firsthand experience. And it’s that absence, that disconnect, that weighs the heaviest.
Then, in the middle of his darkest spiral yet, he gets a message from a stranger claiming they might hold a missing piece to his puzzle. Enter Ahvi.
She’s a single mom just trying to survive. With the recent loss of her own father, she’s stuck in the thick of it, doing everything she can to keep herself and her son above water. Fun and frivolity have no space in her world right now. But then she crosses paths with Lunar in the most unexpected way. And sometimes, the people you least expect help you fill the voids, heal the wounds, and find the parts of yourself you didn’t know were missing.
I’ve been waiting on Little Lunar’s story since the moment we got a glimpse of him as a teen earlier in the series, and in true Evelyn Latrice fashion, it did not disappoint. Watching Lunar navigate the weight of his pain shattered my heart. I can only imagine what it must feel like to grow up hearing stories about your dad. How he helped your mom, your aunts, and uncles chase their dreams, how he poured into them with wisdom well beyond his years, and yet never got to experience any of that firsthand. You’re left with secondhand memories and a last name to live up to, all while trying to find your own identity. Lunar was at that crossroads, the place where you either lose yourself to functional depression or fight like hell to become the man everyone around you knows you can be. What was crazy to me, though, was that he was the Lunar to the younger generation in this series. You can see it in other books briefly, but throughout this entire story, you can feel that he is carrying his father’s legacy. Lunar just didn’t see it yet.
And then there’s Ahvi. I loved her. Her story as a young mom was so real and raw. She was doing whatever it took to keep herself and Kamari afloat, stuck in survival mode, and independent to a fault. But the beauty of it? Lunar wasn’t having it. He wasn’t about to let her go it alone. The journey of watching her learn to let love in and lean on someone was heartwarming.
These two balanced each other so well—each becoming the soft place the other didn’t even realize they needed. Ahvi was the sun. Lunar was the moon. And together? They were everything.
And that's all I got for this week, y’all! Catch you next week, same time, more feels ✨
xo,
Taylor