3 Stars, rounded up to a 3.5. At the beginning of the story, Tabby is pregnant!!! And she’s a senior reporter!! It seems like she’s about to have it all. But of course things are never that easy. This story is shorter and follows Tabby’s pregnancy, all the ups and downs that come with being a black pregnant woman while still trying to make moves in her career. I was a bit let down by this one—mostly because Tabby was such a FORCE in the first book and she felt like a pretty flat character.

“Stories aren’t written about women who follow the rules, Tabby. Stories are written about women who break them and show us all what’s on the other side. Don’t let anybody limit you with what they can’t handle.”

cw // birth, racism, microaggressions

rep // Black MC & cast

Black Girls Must be Magic follows Tabby as she deals with being a "Single mother by choice" when she chooses to get her eggs fertilized by a sperm donor. But after finding out a night of passion with Marc has made his sperm fertilize her rather than the donor's, she's thrown back into her on and off again ex's life. Not to mention ever since she started wearing her hair natural, she's been getting negative complaints from the viewers. With the entire world flying around her it's a good thing she has best friends Layla and Alexis and her grandma's best friend, Ms.Gretchen to get her through this!

After reading the first book over a weekend, I knew I would be reading this one in a single seating (and I did!). I have to say unfortunately I did not love this one as much as the other one. I felt like there was little focus on her friends and their arc's from the precious books - including the suicide attempt, a miscarriage and a cheating husband. With all these carryover stories, I felt like their stories were pushed aside for Tabby's on and off again relationship madness with Marc.

That's not to say this book is wrapped up without any solid arcs either. I wish desperately that this book didn't feel like a filler bridge to book 3, but sadly it let me down. While there were lots of important topics, such as marriage for the right reasons, co parenting, natural birthing, workplace microaggressions, I felt like the story was too narrow on Tabby.

Black Girls Must Be Magic, the sequel to Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, takes you on the journey of how Tabitha is experiencing life as a pregnant woman becoming a “single mother by choice” but also figuring out how to truly be herself and stand up for herself. I loved the first book in this series, which I read as a bookclub pick and now I enjoyed another glimpse at how Tabitha is balancing life, career, relationship, and friendship as she attempts to figure out who she truly is. I love how very realistic and real her character but also the cast of characters who surround her seem. The already familiar characters of Alexis, Laila, and Ms. Gretchen as well as Tabby’s family add witty and fun conversation as well as perspective and allow us to experience some of their very own character development. My only issue with this book is Tabby's off and on again relationship with Marc. He's so very clearly inconsistent and toxic and it becomes annoying to see Tabby falling back into old habits with him and for him - nut unrealistic, of course, but annoying. Overall, it was a fun and exciting read.

It was so good to return to Tabitha's world and see how her story continues. It was great to see how she made boss moves throughout with her job, her fertility journey, her love life and what was going on in her friend's lives. I'm really looking forward to the 3rd book to see how Tabitha's story continues as well as how her relationships continue to manifest and evolve!

I'm an OG fan of this series so I'm glad I was able to read a revised version of part 2. One thing I admired about Tabitha in this story is her progression into having and wanting the things that would best serve not only herself but also her child. I'm glad that she didn't settle into Mark because it felt like the right thing to do. Also I loved how she stood up for herself at work. The journey to becoming comfortable with yourself in all ways can be a struggle but I think Tabby is on her way. Special mention to Ms. Gretchen for always coming through at the right time! I miss grandma Tab but I also love that Tabby kept up with Ms. Gretchen and that she's filled that presence for her. Can't wait to read the last installment of this series!

This the sequel to Black Girls Must Die Exhausted and I was slightly disappointed in this one. It dragged A LOT and without spoiling it made sense as to why it dragged but there should have been some extra razzle dazzle of drama. My main issue I have with this book is I really wish that this book or the series altogether follows not only Tabitha but her best friends Laila and Lexi as well. I really wish we can get in their heads.

I felt like the plot lines in this book were too wrapped up in a bow. It was too convenient for Tabitha and Marc to be this "perfect family" when Marc barely wanted Tabitha. When it comes to being a family he just acted disgusted and then suddenly he has this change of heart? He was too flaky for me. Other things I didn't like is how everyone (mainly Tab's boss and her mom) was having an opinion on how she wore her hair. I really do not like how Black women are criticized for how we wear our hair. Whether that locs, braids, natural, whatever it shouldn't affect work or school.

I am excited though to see how the trilogy wraps up. Ms. Gretchen remains my favorite character and she must be protected at all costs.

I loved this so much. I loved catching up with the characters and really seeing them grow. I don’t think it’s as good as the first book but it does stand up on its own very Well. I think Tabitha’s character wasn’t as well developed as it was in the first book. It felt very 2 dimensional while in the first one she felt a lot more like a real person.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for a review.

Tabby is back, pregnant and dealing with the realities of how to balance a career with impending motherhood. It doesn't help that there are coworkers that are not so great. Meanwhile, she tries to deal with her relationship with her ex Marcus as things start to get complicated.

I loved Black girls must be exhausted and this one was not a disappointment.. This was an excellent second installment to the trilogy and I can't wait for the third book. I loved the characters and the very realistic situations. This was a quick read!

A continuation of Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, the sequel follows Tabitha Walker, as she enters a new phase into her life and encounters new challenges.

I love how Jayne Allen not only writes relatable characters but aspirational ones. I was somewhat able to relate to Tabitha's work conflict with her hair. Pre-pandemic, I would wake up at 5:30 AM every weekday, to wash and style my hair to make it corporate curly acceptable. Whenever people complimented my hair, I would silently wonder if they would feel the same way if I didn't have a ton of gel and hairspray holding it in place. And I was inspired by her courage to bring up race at work and not live the life society imposes on us. A few notes I will take into account when encountering certain incidents at work, as one of the few women of color.

Lastly, I was able to relate with the wariness she sometimes views her well-meaning non-PoC coworker. I also tend to view people who lay on the allyship thick (especially on booksta), with cynicism and skepticism.

The ending left me wanting more and I cannot wait for the trilogy's final installment to be released.

Tabby’s story continues, but this time, she has taken matters into her own hands. After going through the process to freeze embryos, the Doctor tells her there is only one viable embryo and their best chance is to use it now. So Tabby is now pregnant and doing it all without a man. When some unexpected news is delivered, suddenly Marc is back in her life.

I loved catching up with with Tabby, Laila, Alexis and of course Ms. Gretchen! Ms. Gretchen is the woman you always need on your side. In swear I felt like these characters were my friends. I did feel like there were a lot of clilffhangers at the end, which I wish we got an answer on, but I still really enjoyed this book!

Black Girls Must Be Magic review
Tabby Walker was back and she was pregnant. When she told Marc, her on and off boyfriend, he was upset. She tried to explain that she had used a donor for the in vitro fertilization process. However he stormed out of the restaurant after telling her that he was not interested in marrying her or anyone else.
During a routine doctor visit Tabby learned that the growing fetus was not the implanted embryo but rather the result of a later coupling with Marc. Marc changed his mind and was willing to marry Tabby but she was not so sure she wanted to be married to him.
Tabby, an on screen TV reporter, had always worn a wig to cover her curly black hair. So when she decided to ditch the wig and go natural, some viewers expressed their displeasure at the new look. Chris, her boss, warned that low ratings in her job as senior reporter might have an adverse effect on her further advancement at the TV station.
Tabby also engaged an eccentric doula, Andouele, to help her navigate the birth process as well as her early days with the infant.
Grandmother Tabby had died in the first book but the pregnant woman had been adopted by her grandmother’s dear friend, Ms Gretchen. Both of Tabby’s close friends, Leila and Lexi were having challenges of their own. However they all come together to form a village and help Tabby with motherhood.
This is the second book in a trilogy about a 30 something independent black woman in Los Angeles and all the challenges that she must face.
I received this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in. Exchange for an honest review.

This is a gorgeous follow-up to Black Girls Must Die Exhausted that maintains the pace we got to know. We follow Tabby through her sudden pregnancy, discrimination based on her hair, and complicated family dynamics and it all just flies by. Add on her complicated friendship dynamics - like seriously Lexi... Leave Laila alone - and you have a contemporary novel that feels like real life. Jayne Allen leaves us with her near-patented cliffhanger, so I'm desperate for the third installment.

*Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

In this continuation of Tabitha's story, we get to see how her pregnancy pans out and all the dramas surrounding her pregnancy. Although Marc is back in her life, she is unsure how that will affect her decision that she made to be a single mother.

Although I enjoyed this book, I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one. It lacked the depth that I really enjoyed in the first book. It was an entertaining read, with lots of realistic dialogue, but I kept thinking that I wanted a little more from the story.

The major takeaway for me was that women should ban together to fight the patriarchy and to support one another. A lot of the storyline in this book revolves around Tabitha's hair and her journey in finding the confidence to wear it naturally even though she is being scrutinized by others for her choice. I had never heard of the CROWN Act before and this book brought some awareness to that cause for me and I appreciated that.

⚠️: racism, microaggressions

Black Girls Must Be Magic brought back all of the characters we love and all of the characters we hated (I’m looking at you, Marc) and took us through the story of Tabby’s pregnancy. I truly appreciated how Tabby and her friends discovered themselves throughout the book. Even in your 30’s, you’re still finding yourself, and it was nice to see what working on yourself can do for your mental health. Since this book is a sequel to a book about black women being exhausted and also deals with pregnancy, I wish it had discussed the issues surrounding how the medical industry looks at pregnant black women. This book focused a lot on natural hair and the racist consequences that black women have to deal with related to that, but I would have loved to have taken a better look at medical biases and other issues black women encounter during their pregnancies. Overall I really enjoyed this book. The ending was extremely abrupt, but it just made me more excited for the last book!

I was not the biggest fan of Black Girls Must Die Exhausted—for me, it was the epitome of “good, not great”—and I was really hoping I’d enjoy Black Girls Must Be Magic more…but I just didn’t. I just can’t get invested in Tabitha’s story, it’s hard for me to sympathize with her as a character, and I feel like there’s too much and not enough happening at the same time in these books. The book is not bad at all, the writing is pretty good, I just feel like it’s a little shallow. Maybe I’m not the target audience so it’s just not resonating, but this ultimately just kind of fell flat for me. I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoyed the first book and I know plenty of people will love this book, I’m just not one of them.

It felt like an early Christmas surprise when I discovered that there was a sequel to “Black Girls Must Die Exhausted,” which was a delightful novel by Jayne Allen. Not only was there a sequel, but there is a projected third book in the series, and I got to read an advanced copy of “Black Girls Must be Magic.”

“Black Girls Must be Magic” picks up right where “Black Girls Must Die Exhausted” ends. Tabby is still mourning the loss of her paternal grandmother (Tabitha) while adjusting to her new position as senior reporter at a local news station. She is also pregnant, thanks to a sperm donor, to the shock of her on again/off again boyfriend, Marc. BFF Alexis (Lexy) is still finding her way after a separation with cheating Rob and Tabby continues to visit her grandma’s close friend, Gretchen (who is so delightful she needs her own stand alone novel).

Unlike other novels that are part of a series, you really need to read the first book to appreciate what happens to the characters in the second book. I did not enjoy this novel quite as much as the previous novel, but that might be because in the first novel, the characters were so brand-new and part of the joy was discovering them. If you were a fan of the first book, you are sure to enjoy this one. My biggest complaint is the novel left things hanging a little too much, moreso to set up things for the third novel (which is one of my biggest pet peeves). There are also a few holes from the first novel that are not completely addressed.

Three and a half stars.

Thank you the Jayne Allen, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.

A satisfying second installment of the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted series. This one came shortly on the heels of the first and takes up where the first ends (so this is one you really do need to read in order). Looking forward to the third and final book.