Special thanks to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the e-Advanced Reader's Copy. Receiving this e-ARC did not affect my rating or review.

The Great: Alexa Martin did a fantastic job addressing the realities of grief and the loss of a parent. I related so well to Elliot's story, her emotions and some of her decisions. I cried at least three times in just the first half. Also, I enjoyed the friendship/found family trope written throughout the series but especially in this book. It's always great to see/interact with known and beloved characters. But to create characters that seamlessly blend into an already established friend group is priceless.

The Good: Most of the side characters and their development are enjoyable and engaging. Two side characters who stood out the most to me were; Vonnie and Donny. We meet Donny in Intercepted and underneath his loud foul mouth antics, he has a lot of love and care for his clients. We meet mom of three, lawyer, and wife to Denver Mustangs player Vonnie Lamar in Fumbled and her storyline progressed through Blitzed into Snapped. However in Snapped, we get to see a different side of Vonnie. Not just the badass mom, lawyer, and wife. And I enjoyed every minute of it.

I also enjoyed the slow burn aspect of the romance. It made for a steadier pace for the book.

The Bad: I didn't love the enemies-to-lovers aspect of the romance. To be quite frank, I didn't enjoy Quinton's character in the beginning of the book which made the tension fall flat for me.

You know I love a book when I really wish I could be BFF's with the author! Something about Alexa Martin's writing style-snappy and real-appeals to me so very much. This book is so important right now-dealing with issues that many readers might not know about. I appreciate her forward for the insight it gives, and I appreciate how frank this book is when showing how easy it is to turn a blind eye towards racism and sexism, especially when it's happening inside something you love or have really wanted to be part of. Q's character took me awhile to get into-but I loved Elliot from the very first page. I really hope there are more in the series-but I look forward to whatever world Alexa Martin chooses to write about next!

My review for this book is based strictly on the fact that it is marketed as a romance. Unfortunately this book missed the mark as a romance for me. I understand having the racial story line, but feel like it was the main thing in the book and at the last minute a romance was thrown in there to have it out in the romance genre.

I have been such a fan of Alexa Martin’s other books in this series but this just didn’t work for me. I didn’t find the relationship believable, especially when our female lead alluded to our male lead being a spoiled football player for over half the book and then they just resolved their issues instantly. I also just didn’t feel the chemistry between them.

I hate that I didn’t enjoy this book, but based solely on the fact that I was expecting a romance novel like the others in her series this just wasn’t it.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for this author, and I have had a lot of fun reading this series. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me. I blame 2020. I blame my own fractured mental health. Right now, I am reading to escape the world, and this felt very real.

I'm hoping the author will take this as a compliment. And I am also hoping that sometime in the future when life and the world and my mental health settles down: I'll be able to circle back and read this book and enjoy it (or experience it, at least) in the way that it was intended to be experienced and enjoyed.

Unfortunately for me - a DNF at this time.

I'm a big fan of the Playbook series, and I particularly liked this entry. Elliot (Elle) is the new strategic communications director for the Denver Mustangs, and right after she lands that dream job, new quarterback Quinton causes a stir with the media by blacking out the league logo on his jersey and kneeling during the National Anthem. Elliot's (racist) boss, the owner of the Mustangs, assigns her to Quinton to get him back on track and less controversial. Elliot is mixed but was raised by a widowed white dad, and she has a complicated relationship with racism and racial justice as a result. As she and Quinton get closer, the friction between them turns into attraction as they both try to figure out where they fit. There was a lot of genuine struggle and emotion in this (Elliot has recently lost her father, Quinton's father is deteriorating cognitively from his own time in the NFL, and there's a very familiar sounding presidential candidate who is using his platform to speak out against Quinton on the regular), and issues of social and racial justice are handled gracefully.

<b>Summary</b>
Elliot Reed is trying to live her best life. She has the job of her dreams and owes it to her father's memory to be happy. But when the new quarterback becomes the first Mustang's player to kneel during the anthem, her job becomes much more difficult.
Now she has to has to work with Quinton to smooth things back out. But their initial meeting is rocky and tensions are high. Quinton refuses to let this opportunity to make real change pass him by while Elliot doesn't want to ruffle any feathers.

<b>Overview</b>
➸ POV: 1st Person, Elle's POV

➸ Elliot Reed: 31, Biracial Black woman, Strategic Communications Manager for the Denver Mustangs, Recently lost her father to cancer, Struggling with grief and coping

➸ Quinton Howard Jr: 7th season NFL Quarterback and new Quarterback for the Denver Mustangs, Father was a NFL lineman, Private

➸ Content Warnings: Cancer, Grief, Death of a Parent, Racism, Microaggressions, CTE/Brain Injuries, Anxiety

<b>My Thoughts</b>
This book is very different from the rest of the series so it won't be everyone's cup of tea. However this book held so many important discussions all while maintaining a really adorable romance. And I personally adored it.

Let's start with the characters -

Elle is one of those characters that will be difficult for a lot of readers to love. She's difficult, and stubborn, and an all around hot mess. But I personally connected with her immediately. Elle is very driven and is doing the best she can to cope. Her priorities are often poorly directed and she's quick to judge and react. Her coping mechanisms are without a doubt flawed, but I think everyone can relate to brushing things off, burying their feelings, or laughing off offenses. Elle's character isn't "unrealistic" she's just not your typical "strong" female character. She's flawed and struggling and often times leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable.

Quinton is similar - although readers seem much quicker to forgive his transgressions. He's quick to judge (admit it, he was a bit of a jerk those first few pages) and puts up walls to protect himself. But behind those defenses, he's kind and caring and desperately wants be heard.

I think one of my favorite things about this story was the discussions on coping. This story really explores all the facets of coping. From anger to sadness to ignoring the problem entirely. Both Elle and Quinton are struggling with both familial and work place pressures. And Elle has many internalized and deeply unhealthy coping mechanisms that often lead her to self-sabotage.

And like in every other Alexa Martin book - the chemistry was great, the side characters are everything, and discussions of football's impact on players lives is fantastically handled.

I will say the ending wasn't my absolute favorite. I thought the grand gesture was a <i>little</i> much and worked out a little too cleanly and perfectly. And I also wish we had gotten chapters from Quinton's POV! This is just a personal preference though - I love dual POV romances!

NOTE: Read the authors note. This book is very personal to the author's own experiences and I've seen a lot of reviews about the validity of story. Remember - just because a book doesn't represent your own experiences doesn't mean it's "unrealistic".

Overall, I adore this series and adored this addition to it. I really, really hope we get Vonnie's story!! She's probably my favorite side character ever and she deserves her own HEA!

This Romance story had it all. Elliott is grieving her dads death when she lands her dream job as the Strategic Communications Manager for The Denver Nuggets, her favorite professional football team. Enter Quinton, the star quarterback and of course he is gorgeous. Quinton becomes the first pro football player to “take a knee” on the field and becomes Elliotts first PR assignment. They are able to work together but their personal relationship is rocky from the start. Each of them have their own stories and challenges to get past. It is a great enemies to lovers romance story that also addresses serious issues of racism and the traumatic injuries that plaque players later in life. This is my first Alexa Martian novel and I can’t wait to read her previous books.

I really enjoyed this book!

A huge thank you to Alexa Martin, Berkley Pub and NetGalley for my advanced copy!

I love Alexa Martin. I have enjoyed this entire series and strongly encourage you to give it a try if you haven't already.

I read in the author's note that The Playbook Series was originally supposed to be three books and I am really glad that Alexa was able to write a fourth. Not only is the story entertaining but the deeper messages in this book are important.

Things I loved-

The Main Character- Elliot. She wasn't a perfect character but there were aspects of her that I really related to. Especially when it came to the love she had for her father. They bonded through sports and I do the same with my dad.

The Writing- Alexa Martin can really write a book. Although The Playbook Series may be over I really look forward to anything this lovely lady publishes next.

The Romance- Finally a romance I can really get behind. I cared whether Elle and Quinton were together in the end.

The Feels- Please don't laugh at me but... I cried. This book deals with grief and I really felt what Elliott was going through.

Overall- highly recommend. You don't necessarily have to read these books in order. They're written in a companion novel style but I encourage you to start from the beginning and read them all.

Snapped is the fourth book in Alexa Martin’s Playbook series. I actually haven’t read the first three books in the series, but I’m thrilled to say I was able to jump right in without any issues. The series follows the Denver Mustangs football team and their significant others and the focus in Snapped is starting quarterback Quinton Howard, Jr., and Mustangs PR rep Elliott (Elle) Reid.

Snapped opens with a bang. It’s the season opener and as Quinton takes the field, he covers the league logo on his jersey with black tape and then proceeds to take a knee as the national anthem is played. The owner of the Mustangs is outraged by Quinton’s actions and sends Elliott Reid to get to the bottom of it and find a way to make Quinton stop what he’s doing. Quinton explains his reasons for protesting to Elliott. It’s all about racial injustice with two specific focuses: 1) He wants to lend his support to Black Lives Matter, and 2) He wants to call out the football league for mistreating and neglecting retired players of color. He then tells her he wants to start a charitable foundation and Elle decides that’s her ‘in’ and vows to help Quinton get that up and running.

I absolutely adored Quinton’s character. He’s intelligent and sensitive and just so passionate about this cause. It’s impossible not to root for him and I just loved listening to him speak his truth. I really liked Elle too, although I did find her to be somewhat naïve at times. Elle is bi-racial but was raised almost entirely by her white parent. She says that she was raised in an environment that taught her not to see color. What this has led to is Elle tending to explain away actions that are clearly racist as not racist. As she and Quinton start to work together, he calls her out on this and starts to open her eyes to the truth about racial injustice and, in particular, how pervasive it really is.

I thought Snapped was a fantastic read overall and that the author struck a perfect balance between the romance and social justice storylines. I loved watching Quinton and Elle grow closer as they worked together and I especially loved how Quinton helped Elle grow as a person. I also adored the whole Mustangs family, especially the significant others. Such a fun group!

If you’re into romance, and especially if you’re into football, be sure to check out the Playbook series. I’m really looking forward to going back and reading the earlier books in the series.

Alexa Martin burst into the romance scene with Intercepted, a frothy pop-culture fueled heroine-centric romance about a biracial woman finding her way. I inhaled it. But each of the subsequent books in this series wowed me less and less. In this one Martin takes on racism and player pensions which feels out of step given her lighter writing style.

Our hero, 26-year-old quarterback Quinton Howard, has begun kneeling and blacking out his team’s logo in protest of how CTE is handled and because players who retired before pensions were instituted have been left destitue. 31-year-old Elliot Reed, the Mustang’s strategic communications manager, has been sent in to wrangle in Quinton’s protest.

This book didn’t work for me at all. It never felt grounded in the world of the series. I mean why isn’t TK from Fumbled, who (spoiler alert) left the team because he had early signs of CTE not shown support for Quinton or speak on the topic? The issues presented in this book are big and never reckoned with–I wish we’d focused more on the fact that Quinton’s dad is one of the players who was left destitute.

In a letter to the reader Martin (who is biracial and raised by the white side of her family like Elliot) talks about coming into her own Blackness when she married her Black husband and how via the heroine she put some of her struggles in this book,

This is is the second Berkley book that I’ve read (The other is Not The Girl You Marry) that had an author’s note before the book explaining the author’s #ownvoices experience being biracial and raised by a white family. I haven’t seen these author’s notes in other Berkley books. Does Berkley not think these books can speak for themselves on these topics?

I tried to come into this with an open mind but was just not interested or invested in this romance. I’m not sure what Quinton would see in Elliot and the handling of the issues felt clumsy. I try not to look at books for what I wanted them to be but Elliot really should have been a journalist uncovering the corruption in the league It would have also given Quinton more of a reason to share his life with her.

Sidenote

Nitpick: The ARC has this whole thing where Elliot’s white friend says she should wear her natural curls for once and Elliot’s narration goes into this detailed description about how she flat irons her hair because relaxers are damaging and evil. I recently went natural myself and don’t love relaxers but what is with the relaxer slander? It’s not any worse than heat damage and going natural is hard. The only traditionally published book I’ve read where a character explicitly has relaxed hair that doesn’t make a big deal about it is Get A Life, Chloe Brown.

Also, lol did no one check the name Elliot Reed for a woman ?

ARC received for review from NetGalley

Elliott Reed has found her dream job as the Strategic Communications Manager for the Denver Mustangs when their brand new star quarterback Quinton Howard Jr. slaps a piece of black tape on the football logo on his jersey and kneels during the national anthem of their opening football game. When Elliott is given the task of “handling” him she finds herself battling her feelings of respect for the cause he’s fighting and her need to keep her new job. The job that she feels her dead father would have loved for his daughter.

Alexa Martin’s forward states that this is very loosely based upon her own experiences as the wife of a player in the NFL but is also influenced by Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling for the national anthem that started that protesting movement, but that the relationship story is all fiction. I thought she did a GREAT job relaying the story and describing the feelings that her characters, and people of color feel at being treated in the way they were treated in this book. I could never put myself in their shoes, but I felt the hurt, confusion, and anger these characters felt at their treatment and that goes a long way towards helping me understand. I appreciated and welcomed that lesson even if it was just in a fictional romance novel.

Elliott’s mother was black and died when she was a baby. She was raised by her white father and so had conflicted feelings about race, how she should feel and react in certain situations. She has always hidden her feelings and just tried to fit in so when Quinton’s stance made her face her own tendencies to brush things under the rug, it was eye opening and upsetting for her. The fact that she so admired him for what he was doing and was even helping him set up his foundation while at the same time feeling uncomfortable at bringing her feelings out into the open was, I thought, very realistic for how a lot of people may be feeling towards the Black Matter movement and protesting that is ongoing today. It made the point this author was making more relevant and real for me to have her main character so conflicted in the beginning.

With such a serious subject at the center of the love story as a reader you can’t help but feel that the romance took a back seat to the stance on racial inequality and how football players from before 1993 are being mistreated with a lack of benefits and healthcare. You know what? I didn’t miss the romance at all. I still felt the sizzling attraction and the pain of difficult conversations that helped move the relationship forward. The story had a more serious tone than the previous novels but with the help of her friends also brought touches of light and funny. At the end I felt totally satisfied and when I looked back on the book realized how much I enjoyed the story and their romance.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and it was honest.

Snapped is the fourth book in the Playbook series and I was so excited to get my hands on a copy since I’ve enjoyed the others in the series. A lot of characters from previous books make appearances here (seriously how many babies will TK and Poppy have?!). The acknowledgments make clear that this book wasn’t originally planned as part of the series and it shows - this reads way more like women’s fiction than romance.

Elliot is biracial and still reeling from the loss of her (white) dad when she gets a job in PR for the Denver Mustangs. Her first season, she’s assigned to work exclusively with Quinton Howard Jr after he takes a knee and covers up the NFL logo on his jersey to protest both the league’s mistreatment of retired players and systemic racism and police brutality. I have to say that the confounding of those issues felt a little jarring at times. Most of the character’s interaction is around the treatment of retired players, but then the last 15% of the book is about Elliot figuring out her identity and understanding the role racism has played in her upbringing.

I would give this 3.5 stars that I’m comfortable rounding up to 4 because I give the author a lot of credit for writing about these topics in a way that is broadly appealing and accessible to a mostly female audience. Thanks to Berkeley and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review

The heroine of Snapped is Elliot Reed and I could not get Elliot Reed from Scrubs out of my head!! But, that aside, the book is awesome. Topical, emotional, and sporty! If you have enjoyed this series, I think you will continue to enjoy it with the addition of Snapped!

I was so excited to read another book in this series. The author, Alexa Martin, is married to a former NFL player so I love the inside look to the wives and girlfriends of the players. I enjoyed Snapped and the topics it discussed. The romance was a slooooow burn (compared to the other 3). I love this series and if you haven’t read it yet, put it on your list!

I am going to DNF this book. I’m really disappointed - I loved Intercepted and Fumbled. I couldn’t get past the opening scene in Blitzed. For Snapped - I was quickly feeling some things were off and came to read reviews. I’m glad I did and won’t be finishing.

I’m all for romance taking on bigger issues. I’m not for women’s fiction that is marketed as romance. I also read about the ending - I don’t think something as big as protesting systemic racism can be wrapped up in a neat bow at the end of the book with the whole stadium understanding and taking a knee based on an email from our heroine.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the free review copy.

I absolutely loved this book. It was timely, given the circumstances with Kaepernick, and as a football fan, it was engrossing. A lot of it was laugh out loud funny, the perfect continuation of her series. I also appreciate Alexa Martin's own acknowledgement that detailed her own struggles with racial identity and her impetus for writing the book. It was such an accurate and candid dramatization on the struggles of protest in sports. Brilliantly done!

Another interesting addition to Alexa Martin's world; however, similarly with the other books in the series, the complicated story-lines take too convenient results to solve them.

Snapped is the fourth novel in the Playbook series, a saga which focuses on the love lives of the Denver Mustangs football team. Written by a former NFL wife, these fun, flirty, stories sing with authenticity and humor. You don’t have to read the first few books to enjoy this one but you definitely should. Not only does it give you a deeper introduction to some of the secondary characters, they’re such wonderful reads you simply won’t want to miss them.

Elliot Reed has never had a job with perks before but her new position as the Strategic Communications Manager for the Mustangs comes with a doozy – discounted and regularly available game tickets. The daughter of a football fanatic who was raised to love the sport too, she owes it to her dad’s memory to use this benefit as much as possible – which is why she is cheerfully munching nachos, drinking beer and otherwise enjoying her great seats as the Mustangs take the field. But her smile quickly fades when quarterback Quin (Quinton) Howard Jr. enters the arena, blacks out the League’s emblem with tape and then takes a knee during the national anthem. She knows she is going to spend the whole day tomorrow trying to clean up this public relations fiasco, especially if the media gets a hold of it.

Which of course they do. It’s the lead story on every ESPN broadcast for weeks. The fire is fueled when a politician decides to soapbox about the issue and use Quin’s supposed disrespect for the troops, the league and the country to stoke his career. The Mustangs are doing their best to put a positive spin on Quin’s actions – and their best means dropping the whole steaming mess into Elliot’s lap and telling her to deal with him.

As the son of a former player, Quin knows all there is to know about the NFL. He’s spent his entire life working hard to become the Championship winning player he is now but he also knows a lot of other men worked equally hard to be on that field, men who retired without the pension and healthcare benefits he has. Men whom the league treats with contempt, unconcerned about how the game impacted their health, leaving them with mangled, crippled bodies and equally crippling medical debts. Quin finds the racial disparity in management equally disturbing: seventy percent of the players are black but only nine percent of managers and zero percent of owners are. He finally has a position that gives him a platform for addressing the problems he sees in the league and race relations in America in general and he intends to use it.

Quin and Eliot’s working relationship doesn’t get off to a great start. Elliot agrees to meet Quin at HERS, the sports bar owned by Mustang wife Brynn Sterling, but when she approaches his table to introduce herself he delivers a withering set-down. Convinced she’s a groupie, he tells her in no uncertain terms she’s not his type and isn’t good looking enough for him to sleep with her.

Elliot, a total professional, handles the situation with grace, and the two do move beyond this horrifically rude moment to form a fragile working partnership. But will their combined efforts be enough to save their careers as Quin continues to push the Mustangs – and the rest of the NFL and the country- for change?

I hate enemies-to-lovers stories and heroes that spend the first quarter of the book putting their foot in their mouth, aka insulting the heroine either unintentionally or intentionally, and yet somehow I loved Snapped in spite of it having both those elements. This is undoubtedly in part because of how much I loved, loved, loved Elliot. She claims she’s a hot mess, endlessly in therapy to deal with her issues – including her beloved father’s recent death – but that just isn’t true. Elliot is smart, skilled, gracious, kind, loving, tenacious, a good listener, the best kind of friend – my list could go on and on. She does have a tendency to give ill-behaved folks the benefit of the doubt, even when they don’t deserve it. This can be a great trait; it enables her to welcome new people into her life wholeheartedly, especially when it comes to Quin, who ladles out a few heavy insults at the start of their relationship. It works against her, though, when it keeps her from seeing the evil in some of the folks around her.

Quin is a passionate, heroic character. He is willing to put all he has worked for on the line for others, and through his foundation, he gives not just of his time but big chunks of his money to help bring about real change. While he gets off to a rather poor start with Elliot, I appreciated that it had the benefit of most likely being realistic; it’s easy to believe that m en in his position are used to being approached by people who want to take advantage of their fame or exploit them. Lifelike as his rudeness was however, I wouldn’t have forgiven it if he hadn’t changed into a warm, caring, thoughtful lover by the end of the book. The HEA is lovely and believable because by the halfway mark he is doing a lot of wonderful, attentive acts to let Elliot know just how much he cares.

The author does something pretty amazing with their romance. Even though they don’t exchange more than a single, extremely awkward kiss for the first seventy percent of the story, she still manages to create a sense of anticipation, desire and unity without resorting to insta-lust. You can tell from the start these two are going to be terrific together and that’s because, quietly and slowly, as they spend time with each other, the author moves them towards an emotionally deep, rich relationship.

This is a romance which discusses some heavy subjects but the author’s tremendous skill is put to good use, since in spite of the weighty issues of racism and income disparity which are laced throughout the text, Snapped is light hearted, fun and romantic. I absolutely loved it, found it to be a quick, delightful read and never once felt like the story was lost to the causes being promoted. Ms. Martin does just an absolutely fantastic job of showing how these problems impact her characters in their everyday reality, and are therefore a natural part of Elliot and Quin’s romance.

Most books contain flaws and this one has a few minor issues. It seemed a tad unrealistic that Brynn and the other Mustang wives would embrace Elliot and her friends so quickly. The ending contains a snag that involves Elliot making a sacrifice that Quin is not also called to make. It just felt a bit unbalanced to me, especially since he would likely be in a better position to make said sacrifice.

Those are quibbles, though, in an otherwise stellar novel. Snapped broke through my La Vida Covid romance reading fugue and helped me remember what I love about this genre. I strongly recommend it to contemporary romance fans, especially those who like their romances sweet but meaningful.

[ARC REVIEW] Folks, Alexa Martin has not only done it again, she’s knocked it out of the park.
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The Playbook series continues with a new 4th installment, which focuses on newcomer Quinton and Elliot, who is new to the Mustangs PR team. But this isn’t just any romance novel. Martin is known for taking on some of the lesser-known issues in organized football and Snapped is no different: at the start of the novel, Quinton kneels on the field during the national anthem.
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Martin opens the book with a succinct author’s note that got me excited for the story and lent a fresh clarity to her goals with this plotline. I won’t re-hash it for you here but know that it’s definitely not skippable.
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Snapped is powerful, relevant, and everything I never knew I needed in a romance novel. If you’re a fan of the Playbook series, by now you know that while you dive into the series for the romance, you stay for the strong female friendships. They are my absolute favorite part of this series, and they are on full display in Snapped. Of course, Snapped is also chock-full of classic Alexa Martin humor. I full on teared up from laughter and heartfelt joy during the Halloween scene! The satisfying HEA is warm, fuzzy, and extremely moving.
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I absolutely loved Elliot and Quinton. Elliot is a biracial woman struggling with her identity and her role in Quinton’s protest, while Quinton is sure of himself but in need of support. These characters are so real and vulnerable, yet fun and playful, that they strike a perfect balance. As I mentioned before, I absolutely love the Lady Mustangs crew too! I hope we get to see more of Poppy, Elliot, and especially Vonnie in future installments! Snapped is definitely a five star read for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Snapped will be available on October 20th! Thank you to @berkleyromance for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. You can purchase your copy of Snapped on bookshop.org through the link in my bio!
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CW: death of a parent, grief

The fourth book in Alexa Martin's Playbook series did not disappoint. The main character Elliot struggles with her own Blackness, anti-Blackness, and internalized racism throughout the book. Meanwhile, her love interest Quinton is fully confident in his Blackness. So much so that he decides to take a knee during the national anthem before football games. Now, Quinton's confidence in his Blackness might give readers the impression that Elliot's struggles in this book are not valid but that's just not true. She is a Black woman in America and every single Black woman in America has had to come to terms with their Blackness at some point in their lives. Once this awakening occurs they are able to see the racism and microagressions they might have experienced in a different light. This doesn't happens at the same time for every Black woman and we get to see Eliot experience this. More than just a romance, it is a wonderful representation of what it's like to be a Black women in America coming to terms with who you are as the world tries to knock you down. I would highly recommend this book if you want to empathize with the reckoning, with their selves and with society, that Black women go through.