This is a sexy, sapphic Black friends-lovers romance; Cyn is a Grammy-award winning music producer who's a stud and a bit of a player. She regularly collabs with Jucee, who's a dancer at a popular Houston strip club. Juleesa and Cyn have one of those friendships where eeeeveryone asks them if they're together and they're all "omg no why would you ever think that?" Which is obviously indicative of their chemistry, which is there right from the start (like come on, Jucee literally calls Cyn "Poppa" on the reg), and it's the kind that feels comfortable and worn-in but still pretty damn hot.

As far as rep goes, there's so much about this book to appreciate: Chencia C. Higgins is a Texan and she wrote about the Houston music and club scene in a way that feels so loving and immersive in its details. She also wrote a story where Blackness and queerness is the norm and celebrated (including AAVE, something I rarely see used consistently in contemporaries, even ones with African-American MCs). And the fact that Jucee is a single mom co-parenting with her ex and his new wife? It's touched upon just the right amount, but otherwise it's no big deal. The book is also sex-positive but also portrays the reality of potential romantic partners judging Jucee for her career while still fetishizing her for it.

In terms of the romance, I think this story does fall into that friends-to-lovers trap of the reader being unable to tell exactly what changed how they view one another, from friend to potential sexual/romantic partner. The catalyst is ostensibly a groupie who briefly hits on Cyn, but it feels too insignificant to really change their dynamic because both have acknowledged each other as sexy and attractive to other women without jealousy really getting in the way in the past. Ultimately, there's a period of hook-ups and lot of will-they-won't-they in terms of a real relationship (the messiest point being bi erasure on Cyn's part when it comes to Jucee which... yikes, BUT there is a grovel) until near the end.

The sex:

Solid as far as contemporary romances go; I appreciate that sapphic romances have been bringing the heat of late and this book does not disappoint there, including a strip club lap dance that turns into a full strap-on moment. I also love how their bodies are written as sexy and desirable, curves, rolls and all, rather than simply being glossed over.

Overall:

This is my third review of a Harlequin Afterglow book and while the romance didn't hit the quite the same way the other two did, I appreciate the fact that it's a queer contemporary romance that brings the heat and the diversity in a way that feels reflective of our culture in a time when contemporary romances are feeling increasingly homogenous. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a light-hearted, queer friends-to-lovers romance.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.75/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Publication Date: May 28th

2.5, rounded to 3/5

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

okay i struggle with this author a lot ....

first with what i enjoyed- i love seeing two black characters finding joy and love with one another! also let's go stud representation!!!!!!! I also love seeing sex work depicted in a positive light by all of the characters, that was really refreshing. it did feel like an easy read, but i just struggled with it a lot.

i gave this book a shot— i didn't love the authors last book and i really wanted to, i thought it might have to do with the insta-love aspect, so i was really excited to see a friends to lovers story coming out (no pun intended). but. but but but. i dislike how quickly we go from friends to lovers? it feels like they groundwork for friendship and that relationship wasn't established enough for them to go from bffs one second to "oh wow i want to fuck her ....? 🤨" ???? i felt like there needed to be some more dialogue and scenes between jucee and cyn for their mutual attraction to each other to make sense, because at first it was very strictly "no that's just my friend". there didn't feel like there was the gradual transition from that into realizing the attraction. i also felt that there were So Many Characters it was hard to keep track. i wish that had instead been focused on building up cyn and jucee's relationship :/ it just felt very rushed and honestly if i was jucee i would've never forgiven cyn :/

i would recommend this if you want a quick romance with not a lot of plot. it was cute but not something I’d go back to.

Now THIS is a friends to lovers!! Chencia Higgins is the greatest at writing characters that you fall in love with and root for the entire time. Even her side characters are lovable and have you wishing for their own books! I really enjoyed Cyn and Juleesa’s friendship and their slightly rocky journey to becoming more. I loved that this was very character driven with low stakes it was just such a sweet read! It did take me a little bit to get into the book bc the beginning kind of took off before I got my bearings with who was who and what was happening. This is such a perfect summer romance read!

Cyn and Juleesa are just friends, no matter what everyone else thinks. Yeah they touch and spend all their time together, but what's a little kissing between friends? This sapphic friends to lovers story would be a simple slam dunk if they could just get on the same page. The banter in this is top notch, and ther were multiple times that I actually laughed out loud. The references to the H and the relateable slange were a nice touch, and I loved all the queer rep and sex positivity. The pacing was a bit off, and I think this book needed to be longer or shorter. It's in a weird middle ground where there was some fluff and descriptions could have been left out, or the story expanded to do more showing instead of telling. That said, I had a good time reading this and I will keep picking up Chencia's work.

Omg where do I start 🫠 first of all I’m a sucker for a friend to lover trope 🤗 ! Poppa what’s really good cause jucee was all about you and you was playing in my girl face 🙄 anyway I thoroughly enjoyed this book , I couldn’t put it down and Ms. Jucccccceeeeeeeee oweeeeeee 😈 Iykyk sis wasn’t playing and wasn’t ashamed to express herself 🤭 jucee ,She deserves some genuine love ! You have to read it !

This book was an absolutely fun read, romantic and funny. I loved it from beginning to end plus who doesn’t want worked for happily ever after. Absolutely adore the characters, plot and love …this author really wrote an amazing book.

Thank you to netgalley and Harlequin - Romance | Carina Adores for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the book and the characters. I loved the body positivity of the book and the characters.

4.5 Stars :)

Cyn Tha Starr is no stranger to beautiful women as a successful music producer. And with her career taking up most of her time she’s elected to keep her circle small. Who needs a relationship when you have your dream job and an endless rotation of groupies? But when a night out with her best friend Jucee takes a flirtatious turn she realizes her feelings may be more than platonic. Does Cyn have what it takes to commit, or will she sabotage her first chance at real love?

Juleesa Jones is one of the top dancers in Houston with a fiery personality and a body to match. Not to mention she’s just as confident off the stage as she supports her son and friends with enough unconditional love to fill the city. But when she makes a move on her best friend Cyn she’s stuck reeling. Is what they have enough to make it romantically? Or will Jucee be left picking up the pieces of her heart? Commitment issues and community have met their match in, A Little Kissing Between Friends.

I binged this in a day it was so fun. A vibes fueled friends to lovers featuring themes of family, trust, communication, sex, and body positivity. With a Black mid-size femme bisexual single mother and a Black fat masc lesbian as main characters. Talk about underrepresented characters in queer, contemporary romance. Truly another win for the sapphics by Chencia C. Higgins. And spice!!!!! If you are a person who loves masc x femme spice then you will be so happy.

Cyn is one of the most authentic masc characters I have ever read. I expected her to be well-written since Kris from D’vaughn and Kris Plan A Wedding was such a solid character but Chencia has truly outdone herself. She was masculine in her style and mannerisms but didn’t overcompensate with toxic masculinity. She was a genuine butch lesbian which is hard to find in the media since they operate so explicitly outside the male gaze that they are excluded and written off. So to read a character like Cyn who is largely respected and well known in the music industry is refreshing. Not to mention her being a switch!! I don’t want to spoil the spicy scenes but if you’re a sucker for butches bottoming (me) then you’ll enjoy yourself. Cyn is also sober which is amazing because I never see sober characters in romances.

Jucee was such a complex and fun character to read as well. She is one of the best representations of femme bisexuals I’ve ever read and the most sex-positive character. Her confidence in her sexuality and work is a highlight of the story. No one batted an eye at her career and encouraged her to excel. It was never used as a diss or drag, especially towards her as a mother. She was just shown as a working parent who provided handsomely for her child and was supported by her community. Plus her relationship with Cyn’s family made me tear up at multiple points. It was a genuine and heartfelt connection that anchored the whole story together. Honestly, that family deserves the entire world.

Now if you are the type of reader that needs high stakes and a rigidly structured plot you may not be the biggest fan. This book is 1000000% character-driven. The entire time Cyn and Jucee are just trying to get their ish together and figure out what they want from themselves and each other. Which I love because it feels so authentic. Real-life love stories aren’t out here with a seven-point plot outline. They are messy and full of back and forth. However, I am not normally a fan of the miscommunication trope, which is a key point in the story. I’ll admit it is why I didn’t give this book 5 stars because it was exasperating at times. But overall it did make sense for these characters and their love story. So, although it was a bit much at times it was done well and didn’t take me out of the book.

All in all this heartwarming, spicy, and family-centered romance is a must-read! From the sexy club scenes to the hunger-inducing BBQs you’ll go from sad tears to frustrated tears back to happy tears. All while your stomach growls from how mouth-watering all the food sounds. Not to mention mad you can’t stream Cyn’s latest hit on Spotify. If you like romances that are vibes-driven with uniquely diverse characters and enough sexual tension to fill a room then you’re in the right place. Happy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For more sapphic reviews follow @the.lebian.library on Instagram, Goodreads, and Tiktok

Starting this review off by saying I loved and I mean LOVED D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding - another story written by this author. And I mean LOVED. I literally reread it at LEAST once a year. A Little Kissing Between Friends for me, however, just didn't fill me with the same joy. We're introduced to Cyn and Jucee, and the story follows a friends to lovers storyline. I felt like we missed a lot of their background/connection and didn't see enough of the foundation for me to be invested in them as a couple. There was a lot of miscommunication and internal dialogue that I wish had just been done a bit differently. I did appreciate the representation, however, and will absolutely read more by Chencia Higgins in the future.

I love that this is a sapphic romance between two plus sized black women.
I also love how one of them is a sex worker and how we support sex work.

I could see the characters and their personalities.

A Little Kissing Between Friends is a fun Black Queer friends-to-lovers romance that explores evolving relationships, chosen family, and community. I loved so much about this book: healthy co-parenting, sex worker representation, casual non-sexual Intimacy, and a loving family. The characters were loveable and I was locked into the story the whole book. I really appreciated that trauma wasn't a focus.

A Little Kissing Between Friends follows top music producer, Cyn, and a popular dancer at an inclusive strip club, Jucee. Cyn and Jucee are best friends with an undeniable attraction for one another. When the two cross the line into more than friend’s they must then navigate the murky waters of figuring out how to redefine their relationship and what they want for their future.

This story is perfect for fans of low/no plot books that are instead more about vibes and spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a copy of this eARC in exchange for this honest review.

This is a binge read!!! I read it all in under 4 hours it was so fantastic! I am bringing this one up at my book club when it releases! And I’ve already put in a request at my library for this book! Everyone needs to read it!

Can you remain best friends after that one kiss?

Music producer Cyn the Starr and exotic dancer Jucee have been best friends for the past 3 yrs. They are very in sync with each other that anticipating on another's needs is second nature.

As a rising star, Cyn is not really a player because she's grinding in the studio. However, one night something changes and they end up sleeping together.

A friends-to-lovers romance, this book was full of emotions and just enough spice to keep our girls in a should I or shouldn't I move to the more than friends, friends with benefits, or just friends zone?!?

If they aren’t careful, this could crash and burn…but isn’t real love worth it?

I enjoyed this e-arc and am becoming a fan of Ms. Higgins. I don't think there is enough Black lesbian stories out there and I'm excited for this author to add her voice in the mix!

Chencia C. Higgins did it again. This was an absolutely delectable, tender, and fun queer romance to swoon over. I have been waiting for another sapphic romance to sweep me off my feet, and this one did that. I am not always a best friends to lovers girlie, but this one got me!

There was a lot I really appreciated about this book. It was great getting to see a romance between two Black women, especially with one of them being a stud. That isn’t something that I’ve personally encountered a lot of in books. I also thought Cyn being a music producer and Jucee being a dancer at a strip club added a lot of interesting atmosphere to the story. There was also excellent chemistry in the steamy scenes. I enjoyed how Cyn and Jucee had one of those friendships where everyone around them assumed that they were already together or already in love.

Where the book lost me a tiny bit was that I didn’t feel like I totally understood where Cyn and Jucee were starting off in regards to their friendship. I think I just wanted to know a bit more about their background and how things started out before getting into them having sexual and romantic feelings for one another. I also got a bit overwhelmed with how many side characters there were. The book is pretty low plot, it’s mostly just them going back and forth between being friends, hooking up, having miscommunications, and repeat. I generally like there to be a bit more going on in the romance books that I read outside of the relationship itself.

But even though I have some complaints, I still had a nice time reading this book. I think people who really enjoy low plot sapphic romances should give this one a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f contemporary romance
-friends to lovers
-one night stand
-denial

This was a great steamy read. It really conveyed the absolute messiness of becoming more than friends, and battling that out and also not ruining your friendship but things are changing. These were two fiercely independedent characters coming together. Incredible chemistry, and when that strap on got pulled out for some public sex, I will never forget.

I enjoyed this book! The characters sung and the plot flowed well. I love how this author incorporates humor into everything she writes. I think I'll pick up anything she publishes at this point!

I loved DAKPAW, but unfortunately this fell short for me -- I struggle to find a friends-to-lovers story compelling, and an already slow pace was bogged down in detail. I'll keep trying Chencia!

I am so happy I was able to read this ARC! I have been waiting on a follow up from Chencia since D'Vaughn and Kris plan a wedding. Have Black Queer, specifically wlw romance is SOOOOO important to me.

A Little Kissing Between Friends is a big change of pace from D'Vaughn and Kris Plan A Wedding, in some ways better and in some ways ... just different. I still finished them both in one night though lol. The one thing i can say i appreciated deeply was leveling up the spice babyyyyy. It was my literal ONE grip with DaKPaW, like those characters had so much chemistry and i do believe we should have got to experience that chemistry spilling over on the page more. So I was super happy that Jucee and Cyn were on the page multiple times having very good spicy scenes lol. I loved the supporting characters and I *do* believe that Cyn and Jucee love each other and could figure it out ... but ... their miscommunication felt a little ... odd to me. like it never curled quite over. when they were having an honest conversation about it i said "huh?" because i didn't exactly read that in their behavior. Like Chenica really had to TELL it to me because i didn't see it. All in all, i thought it was fun all though Cyn got on my nerves deeply in how she handled a conflict with a different character! Will for sure read again and i'm praying that i win a paperback because this cover is STUNNINGGGGGG