This book is also heartwarming and complex, but also made me laugh out loud a bunch of times. Skye is a mess, scared of relationships and closeness, and should be an unlikeable character but was in a charming kind of way. After the childhood she had, its no wonder that she refuses to get close to anyone. She travels the world instead, forming relationships that she knows will only be temporary. When a teenage girl says Skye is her egg donor mother, life flips upside down for Skye and she has to confront everything about her life and lifestyle. The book has a bit of a dark sense of humor, but I was all about it. This is also a woman / woman romance but its not the primary part of the story, the primary plotlines are about family and community. There is also a great sense of place in West Philadelphia. I am going to be pressing this book into the hands of everyone I know, it was just delightful.

I really loved this book. it was super funny and as a person who is also from Philly hearing all of the Philly references made me really happy

I love character-driven novels and Mia McKenzie did an amazing job of creating a protagonist who was both lovable and deeply flawed. I rooted for Skye throughout the whole novel and loved watching her learn and grow.

I can tell you that I immediately fell in love with Skye. Think: hilarious, self-deprecating, independent, queer Black woman in her late 30s who’s life is changed by one conversation with 12 year old girl Vicky, who happens to know Skye because of an egg donation many many years ago.

What I loved about this one is that it very much resembles a “coming of age” story for Skye who is very much an adult. I love that the author added in things like friendship & loyalty & family @ a sense of home for Skye and showing how important these things are at any age. Skye had a hurtful and complicated upbringing which turned into her keeping everyone at a distance. Once she lets Vicky in she starts to realize not everyone is all bad (or ‘mala todo’ as her friend, Viva says).

Speaking of Viva, the other non-main characters of this one are so wonderful too. Viva passes all of Skye’s tests and is her one lasting friendship. Faye, Vicky’s aunt, plays such a wonderful role in Skye’s life.

This one also has a lot of relevant themes and issues in it including systemic racism, intersectional feminism, gentrification, police brutality and trans rep.

“Newsflash: it’s not a Black woman’s job to smile at you so you can feel comfortable about your life choices.”

Basically: read this book. It’s LOL funny but deals with such complex and heavy details perfectly

The book has an interesting concept - a young girl (Vicky) who is the result of an egg donation finds her egg donor (Skye). Skye is pretty much incapable of having any kind of relationship whether it be with friends, family, or a romantic partner due to past experiences she never worked through. However, as the book went on it was really nice to see how Skye was able to work through her past and start to form a relationship with Vicky and some of the other characters like Vicky's Aunt Faye.

The story is told through Skye's internal monologue which adds a unique layer to the story. I found her to be hilarious at times but at other times I found her to be kind of annoying and a little immature for almost 40 years old. I did get kind of bored at certain points but other than that it was a quick read with tons of underlying themes like gentrification and sexuality (specifically within the Black community). The representation with the characters in the book is great as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a delight of a book. We follow Black, Queer, emotionally closed off and almost 40 year old, Skye Ellison as she returns for a brief stay in her hometown of Philadelphia — only to be confronted by a 12-year-old girl who is the result of an egg donation from her 20s.

Just off that brief description alone, I was hooked. Mia McKenzie’s descriptions and physical comedy around the start of the story jumped off the page and really hooked me into the story.

Honestly, there is just so much to love about this book. I loved how Skye was kind of a messy character who had been avoiding her trauma and insecurities. I loved how the queer characters were defined but not trapped in a typical archetype. I loved how west Philadelphia, a place I’ve never been, was such a prominent character of the story. I mean the descriptions of the feeling of summer in the city, in the neighborhood you grew up was so well done I could feel it and sense it. That combined with the deep pain of how places change, especially with the lens of gentrification. I loved seeing how much Skye grew and opened herself up throughout the story, but also appreciate how the resolution of the story wasn’t dependent on her being better or different.

This story has such an authentic voice and it celebrates Black, Queer joy, pain, emotion, and everything in between. Absolutely stunning, read this please and then come talk to me about it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the e-arc. This book is out on 6/22.

DNF. I just couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t like the writing style and slang. I didn’t like the characters, especially Skye. I’m sure others will enjoy it, just not me.

I think the premise of this book is interesting and I liked the writing but for whatever reason, it fell flat. I don't know if it's because I can't relate to Skye or what.

I’m torn on how to review this one. On the one hand, I enjoyed the storyline and the authors writing. On the other. I really hated the main character…like a lot, all through the book.

Skye Falling is a very entertaining read. Light and breezy with heavy topics throughout. Funny and enjoyable.

Can you like a book when you kind of hate the main character? It's really hard for me.  Skye is the worst. She's selfish, and yes she kind of changes but I was so irritated with her a lot of the time. It was hard to connect with any characters. No one was very likeable. On top of that, I got bored in the middle of this story. Really, I should have stopped reading, but since I had this bother from Book of the Month and Netgalley I wanted to finish. ⭐⭐💫  I wouldn't recommend

Quite a few things appealed to me when selecting this book.

First off, the cover is amazing. The plot resonated with me as well. I love books that follow solo folks who are struggling to find their place in the world, and wind up finding it in the strangest of places. In Skye’s case, it came in the form of a kid showing up years later. It felt to me like a right place, right time situation.

Initially, I was a bit thrown off by the writing style. Only really the first few pages and then I kind of got used to it, I thought to myself “oh that’s just Skye!” I realized it was just a different style than I’m used to and grew to like it since it made for an easier, more digestible read. I don’t think it would sit well with an older audience who maybe won’t get the TBH’s and other acronyms that are mentioned throughout. But the story itself might be enough to win them over. I found it quite lovely.

I started to really like Skye, despite her seeming immature and selfish at times. I came to realize that at the root of all that is just her avoidance and running from the bigger, scarier, things in life. Even she says “I suck as family and, really, at relationships of all varieties.” I related to that for sure.

Her style of humour won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I appreciated it in the moment and it brought me a lot of laughs along the way. I also had this constant image of Skye constructed in my head, I don’t know why but I kept thinking Tiffany Haddish!

I really loved the diversity of the characters in Skye Falling. There is great representation of black women in power (Skye’s successful business) and LGBTQ+ characters. And it seemed to me to be portrayed accurately.

It was also really nice to see how Skye changed when she was with Vicky. Not outwardly in how she spoke, but with herself internally. I saw how this kid was changing her for the better. I looked forward to the scenes with Skye and Vicky in the book and it was pretty charming to think of them getting to know each other as the story progressed.

I also adored the character of Viva, what a spark! Mia’s descriptive prose really brought Viva to life for me. I think we all have, or need, someone like Viva in our lives. Whenever I found myself doubting the book, Viva would show up and I’d be sucked back in again.

All in all, I recommend giving this one a go. You might not like it initially, as some of the reviews are saying, but it’s totally worth sticking around for because before you know it, you’ll have sailed through the book with a smile on your face. At least I did. It’s a really easy, and lighthearted read.

Grateful for the ARC!

Skye enjoys her life of travel, not having to make lasting connections and having fun along the way. When she finds out she has a daughter from selling her friend her eggs twelve years ago, her lifestyle may have to change.

The best thing about this book was definitely the characters, especially Skye. I loved her and wish she was real. I love
characters with substance, wit, and humor. I was laughing out loud many times while I read. The author was also able to bring the city of Philadelphia to life. I’ve been there a few times but of course that’s nothing compared to experience of growing up in the city culture. This book tackled a lot of important subjects: gentrification, police brutality, non-traditional families, and it tackled them with sensitivity AND humor. This was a book that highly entertained me, but that I was also able to learn from.

“Manual labor? Absolutely not, ma’am. Has she not noticed that I’m practically a comic-strip rendering of a bookish girl, with my thick-framed glasses and skinny arms? My whole persona screams DONT ASK ME TO HELP YOU MOVE and that’s not by accident. I don’t even like to sweat during sex and that is fun.

Skye Falling comes out 6/22.

Skye Falling is about so many things. I loved the central idea of the novel of reconciling your past in order to move on for the future. Skye is an almost 39 year old woman who lives in Philly when she isn't traveling. She had a rough past, and is not to big on the idea of having any close relationships. She has up these walls around her stemming from her childhood, adolescence, and twenties. She is quick to run away when it gets too tough, and does not trust others easily. When she finds out that there is someone out there who she really can't run from will she give up her independent lifestyle and put down roots? I loved Skye as the narrator, she's funny, blunt, stubborn, and fierce. Mia McKenzie writes with laugh out loud humor, and created this world that took on so many current societal issues. I loved the setting of West Philly, the cast of characters and Skye's voice telling the story. Thanks Netgalley and Random House for the advance e-copy!

I am the age of the main character and I did feel like she seemed a little young. Not having kids does that to you though! I don't mind a prickly unsympathetic character but I didn't quite connect with her. I'm not sure what it was exactly but the book seemed a little forced. Maybe they tightened it up after this? I also wasn't expecting a romance novel which I think this was. Nothing in the description here signaled that to me.

Love this black queer romance - not enough books with representation like this! Fell in love with the characters and their lives! So happy to see this as a BOTM option - I hope everyone reads it and loves it!

Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Skye, our protagonist, is not set up to be a sympathetic character. She avoids responsibility, shuns family and friends, and is aggressively unapologetic for this behavior. Thankfully, this is just where she starts. When the result of a donated egg tracks her down, Skye is forced to look back at the life she has created and the walls that she has built. And, as the book progresses, her walls start coming down and we find a much healthier and improved Skye at the end. (That isn't really a spoiler, right?) During the story there are plenty of pitfalls that are both humorous and heartbreaking, Skye, and many of the characters in the book, are very multi-dimensional. Likewise, subplots like social justice, sex/gender, and abuse make for a well rounded story and all add to a book worth reading!

I really wanted to like this novel but I just could not get onboard with the writing style. The slang and turns of phrase feel forced and prevent the character interactions from having depth. Skye is pitched as a bit of an immature 4o year old in the summary, but her actions come off as rude and self-centered. As a 44 year old reader I thought I'd connect more with Skye and her newfound "mother" hood but I think this character may be more relatable to a young twenty something.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a review copy of this book.

I read another review that said the reviewer was too white to give an accurate review of this book. And I feel that. It's definitely a window book into another culture for me, and I am glad for that. We need those windows. This window is into black neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

Our protagonist is Skye, a late 30s world traveler home for a few weeks. "Home" is a word she uses lightly though; after a traumatic childhood, she avoids her parents and brother at all costs and crashes at her friend's bed and breakfast. Skye's life is set off course when a girl approaches her and simply says, "I'm your egg."

In her 20s, Skye donated her eggs to a friend, and now 12-year-old Vicky storms into her life. Skye wrestles with her urge to run as she forms a relationship with Vicky and her family.

I had a little bit of difficulty reading this, as I felt that Skye was SO unlikeable and had no self-awareness, almost to a ridiculous point. It did seem like she changed her trajectory, but still seemed a little flaky even at the end of the novel. I will say, though, she's a hilarious character and I laughed out loud many times at her crazy antics.

For me, this was a solid 3.5 star book; I just would have liked to see Skye grow a little more, especially in her relationship with her mother. But it's certainly a fun romp, full of love for Philly, and a great #ownvoices story of a queer, Black woman.

Skye is a runner: from her family, from love and from her problems. She runs a successful travel group and comes home to West Philadelphia 2-3 times a year, which is just enough for her. However, when she discovers an egg donation for an old camp friend has rendered an actual child, and that child finds her, Skye finds herself wondering what it would be like to stay rooted and have a permanent person in her life for once. But she gets more than she bargained for, and in turn finds herself questioning who she was and who she wants to be.