First of all, what a gorgeous cover! That's what drew my eye in first, and the blurb was intriguing. I always love a good single dad, and this hero was so sweet with his little girl. I also liked that the heroine had a bit of bite to her, even if she seemed innocent and naive at first glance, and acted that way on occasion. This is definitely more lust-focused than romantic, and some of the thoughts going on in the hero's head were kind of off-putting. I don't think the relationship development was particularly good, though I loved the instant sparks. With a longer length, this could've been a lot stronger, but it ultimately felt very surface level to me.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was cute and i loved the contrast between the sweet church girl and the rough around the edges tattoo shop owner. I love the growth from Aaliyah and Von as well as the relationship between Aaliyah and her cousin Tamara (I’m excited for her story).

I wanted Chelle to fight Sheree because she absolutely would have deserved the butt whopping 😂. And of course little Gia was so adorable and i loved her relationship with her dad as well as with Aaliyah.

Overall i really enjoyed this story and would 100% recommend it.

🌶️🌶️🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a new author for me but I’ve enjoyed this taste of her voice. Characters are solid, could use more originality or depth. Plot was promising and intriguing, could be refined a bit more. Romance was a balance of emotional and realistic!

I really enjoyed this release from Naima Simone! Good girl meets bad boy, but he's not really a bad boy when you dig deeper. Definitely a slow burn and the story's build up is slow, but it's satisfying. I like Von!

This was such a satisfying romance. These 2 characters ended up with so much chemistry and I loved the angst of the perceived good girl, nanny, runaway bride tropes. The inner monologues of these 2 are highly objectifying of the other but it works for me because it's so mutual. Like seriously no eyes except for each other in a world against them. The spice also HITS.

Thank you to Harlequin for the eARC!

I grew up in the church, so when I saw the title and blurb, I felt this to my core. I was so excited that i was approved for an arc, I was just blown away, and this book personally did not disappoint. Not only could I relate a lot to the FMC (my father was a preacher and I experienced some of what she dealt with), I especially loved how her character was written and how she acted and grew as a character and a person. And to be honest, I could see how Von reacted to her the way he did, but I appreciated his growth and eventual understanding. I absolutely loved this story and can't wait for the next book from this author.

I was a little worried about this since I’m not the biggest fan of religious themed books, but this one wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Her parents are heavy in the church, but she barely escaped in a way that I can admit never crossed my mind lol (Make sure you read the synopsis y’all smh lol)

Ok so the romance in this was SO REAL. Von was down BAD since he saw her, but the part that made it real was his inner monologue about her. He kept saying he couldn’t think about her but his thoughts always wondered. And as someone who has done this before, I know for a fact that this is something real people do lol The whole thing with the truck tho? He was doing too much lol But like I said, he was down bad from the beginning and I loved it. Now Aaliyah had some stuff to work through, so I could understand why she wasn’t with it right away. She had a lot of deconstructing to do, but I applauded her because that in itself is a lot. And the way she handled that AND her feelings for him was a boss move. Let’s not forget that she also felt some type of way about his daughter too! She was a bad b and I loved that about her. And if you’re wondering if the smex is weird, since this was titled Church Girl, but it wasn’t at all lol

Von had some shit going on tho. And I was glad she gave it some more depth. Like the way he felt about what his ex had done to their marriage. But I do wish she had done the same with his daughter. I wish we got more information about how they fixed things and how he basically made that damn lady simmer down about going to court. I know that that wasn’t exactly a huge part of the plot, but the way he talked about his daughter and how she meant everything, I just wanted to see more of him as a dad I think.

I’m also very happy to see that she will be writing another book for the cousin because she was a major key in this story. I need to know why she was shunned but still the bad ass she was. And to still accept her cousin after she was also one that did that to her? Yeah I liked her character a lot and I still have so many questions. I can’t wait to see them get answered.

This was such a good read! Finally I see what Afterglow is tryin to do. Very different than her usual Harlequin stuff but in a good way. I love that they talked like real people. That they were allowed to sit in their cultural identity. I also loved how sensual this was.

Church Girl by Naima Simone is one of the many reasons why I will always adore Harlequin Romance novels. The story are the perfect balance of sweet love story and commentary on the inner strength of women. In the Instance of Church Girl Ms. Simone is able to tell a story on how familial obligations can cause you to lose yourself. In the instance of our FMC Liyah, the inciting incident of this novel is her realizing she is about to make the biggest mistake of her life. Liyah ends up opening the novel as a runaway bride, crushed under her parents’ expectations for her as the daughter of the local bishops she flees into the arms of her cousin Tamera, running away from home to attend the University of Chicago. It is after her arrival when she applies for a position as a nanny that this novel takes off. I am a sucker for a bad boy who’s a good man. That is the only way to describe this novel’s MMC. Von is a single dad running a prosperous tattoo studio who is trying to do the best that he can for his daughter Gia.

Without giving away the plot of this super sweet, but slightly spicy, novel Liyah, Von and Gia made every moment of reading this novel worthwhile. I will absolutely be reading again, especially since I was able to finish it in two and a half sittings.

Church Girl is a beautiful and well-written love story between an unlikely pair: Aaliyah (small-town daughter of a preacher) and Von (big-city celebrity tattoo artist). Well paced (less than 300 pages), this can be read quickly, and is just heavy enough to make you think - but not heavy enough to take away from the weight of the story. Both Aaliyah and Von are well developed, funny, deep and emotional characters - with their relationship developing nicely and feasibly throughout the story. The external conflicts and elements didn't take away from the story development, but added enough conflict to force the characters to trust themselves and each other.

Many thanks to Naima Simone, NetGalley and Afterglow Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Church Girl is the first book I've read by Naima Simone, but it definitely won't be the last! Aaliyah is a runaway bride determined to escape her small town and the weight of her family's dictations on her life. She stumbles on Von, a tattoo artist with serious baggage who only wants to give the best life to his young daughter and is desperately looking for a nanny.

I absolutely loved everything about this! The writing was captivating and realistic. I really felt like I knew all of the characters in this story. The focus on breaking away from familial pressures, being vulnerable, and trusting in yourself was encouraging.

Thank you to NetGalley and Afterglow Books (Harlequin Romance) for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will be the first to admit, that I often judge a book by its cover, and this one pulled me in with no questions asked. Naima Simone’s Church Girl masterfully weaves desire, self-discovery, and the tension between tradition and liberation. The story follows runaway bride Aaliyah, a preacher’s daughter who has always lived by the rules. But she decides to let go of the life that was planned for her and walk into the life she wants. Only one problem she needs a job, that works for her. Von is a tattoo artist and single dad in need of a nanny. What makes Church Girl so compelling is Simone’s fearless exploration of how faith and sexuality intersect for Black women. Samara’s journey feels deeply personal and familiar—a dance between the expectations placed on her as a "good girl" and her yearning to claim her full self, flaws and passions included. Simone’s writing is lush and intimate, pulling readers into every stolen glance and whispered confession. At its heart, Church Girl is about reclaiming agency and redefining what it means to be true to yourself. If you’re looking for a steamy, emotionally resonant read that honours the complexity of Black womanhood, this is a must-read. Keep a fan nearby—this one’s as hot as it is heartfelt!

She's a church going girl, sure... but y'all are the ones who need Jesus.

The way this book is funny, hot and so well adjusted is amazing. I had such a great time. I apprecaited that there was a lot of crow eaten in this, and I also appreciated some family drama that needed to be aired out.

Aaliyah and Von were just so well adjusted and it was so nice, that even though they messed up here and there, they took there time and really thought about how it affected others. So mentally healthy (in the long run). Also the daughter wasn't a tiny adult, they were age appropriately written.

It had me laughing, and I was really rooting for Aaliyah.

Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for an e-copy.

I do always enjoy Naima Simone’s books! I was quite a bit taken aback with this one, though… as a Gen-X (yes, among the youngest, but not a Millennial), there was so much Gen-Z slang, which was awfully annoying. I don’t know what any of that junk means, and I sure hope that isn’t a trend coming into books! (“Bet” is just one example that kept being repeated. You’re my age, hunny… please don’t do it! The characters aren’t that age, Gen-Z, and surely wouldn’t speak this in reality!)

I liked the storyline of this one, but the slang being thrown in so frequently made it frustrating. I loved the characters, even though I’m the furthest person from relating to religion (character’s a preacher’s daughter, so it was mentioned more than I would normally like), but everything else was wonderful. Simone is a great author who really shines through with her care about the world in her plots and relationships and all of the side stories.

The way that Von knew from the moment he laid eyes on Aaliyah that he wouldn’t be able to hire her as the nanny because he already wanted her? Brilliant. The preacher’s daughter running from her arranged marriage, and escaping to a new city and life to be her own person, and falling for the incredibly hot, older, single dad with the amazing daughter? Bravo! The twist at the end was perfection. Now I can’t wait for cousin Tamara’s story… but it’s so long until release!

I definitely recommend this beautiful book to all, but just be prepared for the incomprehensible, nonsense, teenage slang!

Thank you NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the advance copy. This is my honest opinion.

Aaliyah Montgomery is a runaway bride, but she isn't just running from her fiance, but also her life in small town Alabama as a daughter to a very influential pastor. She is finally to live her life for her, and pursue the dreams she has. She escapes with her cousin who lives in Chicago, and enrolls in college in the art program she has been dreaming of attending. Now all she needs is a job, luckily for her local tattoo artist and single father Von Howard needs a nanny for his daughter. He isn't super keen on her and her credentials at first but Aaliyah proves that she knows how to take care of his child. They both have baggage they have to work through, and their growing attraction of one another may become to hard to ignore.

This novel felt very rushed to me. The chemistry between the characters and their growth did not feel natural or believable to me. The actions and motivations of the characters were not there. The sex scenes used words and phrases that really took me out of the story. I am willing to try another book by the author as this one may have just not been for me, but this one felt like a big miss.

She might’ve come in here dressed like a nun, but that body….shit, it’s all sinner.”

When a runaway bride bounds into the tattooed arms of a solid force, there’s bound to be a huge impact? That's exactly what happened when Aaliyah and Von were connected through a local nanny service. Aaliyah has been always been the dutiful daughter, following the path her pastoral father has placed…until it leads to the wedding alter. Von is in desperate need of a sitter for his sweet girl Gia and can’t rely on his ex-wife to be more than a menace. When he puts in a request with a local nanny service he expects someone to care for his daughter. Not the next woman he and his daughter would care for.

This book was written in Naima's true laugh out loud nature... I loved the special touch she created by foreshadowing what was to come in that chapter by character quote chapter titles. I had such a good time reading, I was a little disappointed that it ended so abruptly. I can't believe I have to wait until 2026 for Tamara's story.

I loved EVERYTHING about this book!

OMG, Von has got it going on! What a bossy, arrogant, dreamy, dirty-talking book boyfriend! And Aaliyah is all kinds of innocent pastor's daughter mixed with an extra dose of new-found sass and self-determination. I adored the banter between these two, and the way they tried to maintain professional boundaries despite the overwhelming chemistry between them.

Von's daughter, Gia, is appropriately adorable and easy to love. Von's a wonderful father from the start, which means so much more when we learn the full story behind his failed marriage. Aaliyah coming in as the nanny felt so natural, not the usual nanny/boss dynamic. He's so honest it hurts, and the way he both confronts and accepts Aaliyah was truly romantic. Aaliyah's relationship with the faith of her childhood was neither glorified nor diminished, rather it was accepted as a part of her intrinsic makeup and a foundational element of who she was.

I could not have loved this book more, and recommend it highly for anyone who loves contemporary romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

4.25 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the whole concept of the story and I thought it was executed so well. I really like the way their relationship built and how strong of a relation Aaliyah built with Gia. I thought some of the drama was a bit over the top which is why this wasn’t a full 5 for me. But there are so many good conversations in this book and it is told in such a beautiful way!

4.5/5 stars

Church Girl by Naima Simone is a romance between Aaliyah Montgomery, 24 year old runaway bride, and Von Howard, 34 year old single dad/recent divorcé. Aaliyah is the daughter of the bishop, and she has spent every waking moment trying to achieve her father’s strict definition of perfect (in which only Jesus can be perfect). She convinces her black-sheep-of-the-family cousin, Tamara, to take Aaliyah with her from small town deeply religious Parsons, Alabama, to Chicago, Illinois, where she becomes nanny to acclaimed tattoo artist Von Howard’s seven year old daughter, Gia. From bad first impressions from Von’s reckless mouth, Von and Aaliyah’s romance is one with grumpy/sunshine vibes as they navigate drama with exes and Aaliyah’s journey to freedom in finding herself independent from her strict, religious family.

One of my favorite things about Naima Simone is that she *knows* how to write angsty lust and steam. Aaliyah but most especially Von’s reluctant lust for each other was *chef’s kiss.* I had so much fun reading them find their way to each other. I loved how, once he got over his initial impression, Von saw the true core of Aaliyah and her strength. While Aaliyah didn’t necessarily *need* Von— for she has truly grown into her own independent woman— I loved that Von helped her see that for herself (for even though her cousin tried telling her the same, it’s true to life that sometimes hearing things like that have to come from outside of those closest to us).

Another thing I loved was reading Aaliyah’s relationship with Tamara grow from emotionally distant cousins to best friends as Tamara truly stepped into unconditionally supporting Aaliyah despite Aaliyah’s father forbidding her to get close to Tamara throughout their lives. And in the times when Aaliyah didn’t have to further explain why she is the way she is— Tamara simply because they come from the same family— there is something so beautiful in sharing that same deeply rooted understanding.

Similarly, I appreciate the complexity in Aaliyah’s mother. No— she absolutely was *not* perfect, especially since her silence had in fact failed her daughter. But I love that readers still got to see a glimpse of hope for their relationship in her small act of support at the end.

<spoiler>
A couple more things that I loved in this story was Gia’s relationship with Aaliyah and how dedicated Von was in going to bat for his daughter. The scene in which Gia confides her feelings to Aaliyah says so much about how much trust and faith that little girl has in this adult, especially when she feels that she must be responsible for her own parents’ emotions. And the way Von reacts when Aaliyah tells him, so he won’t feel blindsided, his understanding that Gia’s only job is to be a kid, his fierce protection of his daughter and making her feel safe in the best way he can, despite making mistakes along the way, despite what we find out about them— that unwavering devotion is exactly the best of reading single parents that I know exists on and off the page.
</spoiler>

I am a loyal Naima Simone reader, and I’m so looking forward to everything she writes, especially Tamara’s story (although I’m gutted that we’ll have to wait until 2026 for it, yet I will be happily sat when it’s here). Thank you, Netgalley and Harlequin Romance | Afterglow Books by Harlequin, for the ARC!

📖: Church Girl-a standalone

✍️ By: Naima Simone-new to me author

📃 Page Count: 288 eBook

🗓️ Publication Date: 11-26-24 | Read 11-25-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Books by Harlequin, and Naima Simone for this ARC 🤎! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

🌎Setting: Chicago

Genre: AA Interests, Contemporary Romance

Tropes: opposites attract, nanny, single parent, divorce, cover lover, age gap

☝🏾POV: dual

⚠️TW: bullying, virgin heroine, toxic parents, panic attack-h

💭Summary: Aaliyah escapes her small-town Alabama family and fiancé to fulfill her dream of going to college. Von is the primary caretaker for his daughter and owns a tattoo shop King Tattoos. He's in need of a nanny and in desperation, hires Aaliyah.

🚺Heroine: Aaliyah Montgomery-24

🚹Hero: Von Howard-34

🎭Side cast:

• Gia- Von's 7-year-old daughter

• Sheree- ex-wife, married to Von for 5 years

• Michelle-Von's BFF, tattoo artist

• Tamara-Aaliyah's cousin, a stripper estranged from her family

• Bishop Timothy Montgomery-Aaliyah's father of Greater Faith Christian Ministries

• Gregory Riley -Aailyah's fiancé


🤔My Thoughts: I requested this because of the beautiful AA rep cover and title. I figured it would feature a good girl meets bad boy. Aaliyah was not so much the good girl, just naive. She was stifled by her father and the gossiping town she's from. I didn't care for Von because of his language and disrespect. As an introvert I avoid people like him. He doesn't care what anyone thinks, and he says what he wants. He was too much for me, but Aailyah holds her own with him. His relationship with Gia and later Aaliyah were his saving grace. Gia brought out his mature side filled with love and protection for his little girl. He encouraged Aaliyah's creative side and trusted her with Gia.


Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 4/5
😭: Emotion 4/5
❤️: Couple 4/5
⭐️: Rating 3.5/5