Church Girl is a nice switch up from what I usually read. I love a good black romance with a to-die-for MC, but the MC in this novel is different from the MCs I'm used to. Von is straight Chicago, and it honestly took me a while to warm up to him. I'm from NYC (the Bronx), so I'm used to secure yet aggressive men, however, to see it in a book took me by shock. By the end of the book, I actually loved Von & his fine protective self! Aaliyah, on the other hand, is a good girl and a preacher's daughter with not a single bad bone in her body so I was intrigued and invested in seeing how she'd vibe with Von, her compete opposite. I loved them together, especially in their times of vulnerability. They were both what each other needed and I loved every bit of it. The spice level was definitely there, but in a mature way, which I appreciated. Aaliyah's growth was phenomenal, and I really wish there was a sequel because I'd love to see where Aaliyah and Von go after this ending.
Thank you NetGalley, Naima Simone, and Harlequin Romance for this ARC.

CHURCH GIRL -Naima Simone

Von & Aaliyah make the perfect team !!! 🤎🤎🤎🔥🔥🔥
Nanny/ single dad romance
Runaway Bride
Close proximity
Tattoo shop owner


Chicago Tattoo shop owner and Small town Runaway bride come together for the sake of his little girl. Aaliyah makes the choice to go against everything she's know and search out her dreams .... which puts her in close proximity with Fine Von Howard..... The love is have for this book!!! This has to be one of my favorite MMC Naima has written!!! Emotional, hilarious, hits close to the heart.... THIS BOOKS MAKES YOU FEEL ALL OF THE THINGS . 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Naima knows how to write romance that shows how people become better and heal through love and affirming.

I particularly enjoyed how she did this with two characters from different backgrounds, while tackling issues such as co-parenting, divorce and purity culture. I won't lie- Von was irritating me at first but he definitely grew on me in the end especially when we saw his own reflection and growth making him realise and atone for his mistake. As for Aaliyah, I appreciated that the reader was able to see her choosing and standing up for herself even before she realised that she had been doing that all along.

This story makes for a quick and enjoyable read but with depth and heart.

Looking forward to Tamara's story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing the eARC of this book.

thank you thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC! It was sooo good! I read this in a day! This short and spicy book is about Von Howard and Aaliyah Montgomery! Von is a successful tattoo artist and single father to the most precious little girl Gia, in desperate need of a nanny and in the thick of beef with his ex wife. And that’s where Aaliyah comes in! After leaving her fiancé at the alter, and escaping her parents’ rule over her life, she find herself living in Chicago!

I really loved the characters in this book, even the side ones! I felt like they were so real. There’s alot of character development with both of our main characters with them being vulnerable and open to changing. I loved the grumpy-ish x sunshine trope and the reasonable age gap troupe - where both were done in a way that wasn’t cringey. I loved the dual povs and how much tension was between Aaliyah and Von. And the spicy scenes were beautifully done and well written.

Not to be dramatic, but this book really healed a part of me that I didn’t know was hurting. Similar to Aaliyah, I feel like in the last year I’ve been really freeing myself from others expectations and obligations and phew the growing pains associated with finding yourself. Only thing I wanted was it to be a little longer with Von and Aaliyah’s relationship once everything resolved or like an epilogue or something! I just wanted to stay with them longer lol.

Naima can definitely write a book with all the feels and all the steam. I liked Von and his daughter, but I really enjoyed reading Aaliyah's journey throughout the book, and watching her grow and find her strength. If you like single dad, nanny romances (with a tatooed hero), this is for you!

Aaliyah is technically a runaway bride - she left her fiancée at the alter and fled to Chicago with her cousin, Tamara. She definitely doesn't want her overbearing mother and father knowing where she is and that she's attending art school, so she's dodging their calls. She desperately needs a job, so when Von hires her despite *her* reservations about his attitude and *his* reservations about her inexperience, she has to take it. Luckily, Von's daughter Gia loves Aaliyah and Aaliyah is willing to go to the mat for Gia - that's all Von needs to see to fall for her, but her appearance doesn't hurt, either.

I really enjoyed Church Girl - as someone who has a complicated relationship with religion, I really appreciated Aaliyah's journey. I love a good single (divorced) dad trope, and the angst of Von's divorce and Aaliyah's relationship with her parents kept things exciting and engaging. While the book ended pretty abruptly and I felt like Sharee's change of heart come on suddenly, it did otherwise have good pacing and was a quick read. I'd never heard of Naima Simone before, so I'm excited to see what other books she has.

My library has already purchased a copy of Church Girl.

I read the entire book in one afternoon, party because it wasn't unnecessarily long and partly because I couldn't put it down. As a former PK (pastor's kid) in a very conservative faith, books based on characters like that appeal to me. This one was remarkably nuanced and accurate to some of the hang ups of leaving the faith as an adult. Aaliyah's journey is incredibly satisfying to read as she becomes the human she was always meant to be. The spice is well-written and steamy in all the right moments. As a girl who grew up with the idea that holding hands was a big deal and marriage was the ultimate goal, Aaliyah's inner thoughts and reactions throughout the book rang true.
I hadn't read a Naima Simone book before, and I don't think this will be my last!

3.5/5 stars - If you love black romance stories, I recommend reading this book! This was a fast paced read that had a lot of emotional depth. I enjoyed reading Aaliyah’s POV and her journey of perusing her own dreams, despite the expectations from her family. Aaliyah’s faith played a major role in the story, however Naima Simone did a great job of incorporating Christianity without it being too preachy. Von’s POV was….a lot at times. But he definitely served as a source of support for Aaliyah.

There was mention of a serious subject matter around the 50% mark that was a bit glossed over and the ending was a little rushed as well. Overall, this book had a lot of drama, tension, and was very entertaining!

The cover and description is what interests me... but I stayed for the smut. This is a cute fast read that's pretty hot.

Incredibly sexy, inclusive, and smart. One thing I truly loved about this book is how specific it is to where it’s set which is the black community in Chicago. It doesn’t try to be accessible to people and that’s to its credit. It feels so lived in and authentic and highlights the importance of own voices

4.5 stars rounded up. This was a quick read packed full of emotional depth and some incredible tension between Aaliyah and Von.

Both Aaliyah and Von have unbelievably complicated pasts with layers that continued to be peeled back throughout the entire story. This book is less than 300 pages, but I never felt like I was shorted any of what I needed to become completely invested in what each of them had been through in their pasts and how that was shaping their present.

Aaliyah was routinely underestimated by people around her and there was nothing I enjoyed more than seeing her show her backbone and strength to shut that down every single time. I was cheering her on from my side of the screen. I think Von was exactly the kind of man she needed in her life too. He was someone who course-corrected real quick after his initial surface level assumptions and saw straight to the heart of who Aaliyah was. He also didn’t handle her like a glass doll. He didn’t hold back from telling her what she needed to hear and he had her back against everyone, including herself, without suppressing her own voice. And when it came to the steam, the man knew how to deliver there and deliver he did. The two of them were explosive together.

The ending felt a bit abrupt and I would’ve loved a little bit more after the point where it did end, but it didn’t leave me feeling unsatisfied at all. I’m fully confident Aaliyah and Von are living out their happily ever after with Gia right there with them keeping them on their toes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley and Naima Simone. It’s ok to stop here and GO READ THIS BOOK! 🔥 Aaliyah is a preacher’s daughter who has always been done what she’s told. But she had other plans for herself that didn’t include the say of her parents. On the move of her journey she finds romance. Some parts literally really caused me to LOL don’t walk but run to this book. 😆😂 This was a WONDERFUL READ!!!

I like that the runaway bride trope was mixed in with the preacher’s daughter one. It shakes things up a little bit. Plus, the nanny one too creates an entertaining plot point. Aaliyah is such a sweet girl, yet I love how she isn’t afraid to go up to bat for the people she loves. She has her religion and I respect the way that she follows it but isn’t too rigid with it. Von is a great father and it’s clear how much he cares about Gia. However, I didn’t love his dialogue. It felt like he was either an older guy trying to be cool by using the slang he heard his teenage nephew use or that he was a teenage boy talking to a girl. I also didn’t really feel that spark between Aaliyah and Von, even though I like them both separately as characters. Finally, the plot felt a little slow.

This review will be posted sometime after the book is released.

This book was about Aaliyah a preachers daughter and. In Howard a single dad who was a grump lol
I liked how Aaliyah’s character was built up to becoming an independent woman away from her family. This was definitely an insta love. Would recommend

Aaliyah Montgomery never expected when she ran away from a wedding she did not want, to find not only her true self, but in addition love. Aaliyah had plans for school but not to encounter the sexy tattoo artist Von Howard. The attraction is apparent and Von is leery of hiring Aaliyah as his nanny. He has been through a bitter divorce and still having to deal with his ex because they share custody, adding the beautiful nanny into the equation makes for an interesting and explosive journey.

I enjoyed Church Girl my Ms. Simone and it was a well-crafted story. Ms. Simone crafted the characters where readers see how Aaliyah has been raised to stifle her true self and just agree to go along with everything her parents said do. Once she finally gets the courage to flee, she chooses her wedding date to make the statement. As she learns more about herself while living with her cousin in Chicago, the real Aaliyah takes flight. When pushed she comes out swinging but in a reserved manner. Adding Von to the equation with his rugged and no-filter responses, Von helps Aaliyah to overcome her fears and stand up for herself. Von’s little girl Gia, and the Malcolm, Chelle and Tamara are great secondary characters and add flavor to the story. Overall a good read and I can’t wait for Tamara’s story.

Star Rating: 4/5
Spicy Factor: 3.5/5

Aliyah Montgomery has reached her breaking point. She is minutes from walking down the aisle when she decides that she can no longer be the dutiful preacher’s daughter. She leaves town with her cousin, Tamera, without telling anyone to live her own life and pursue her dreams. Shortly after arriving in Chicago, she interviews for a nanny job with Von Howard, a very attractive, successful tattoo artist. He is in desperate need of a nanny for his daughter. The spark and attraction is almost immediate.

Initally, I found Von very condescending. I wanted Aliyah to find her voice and it seemed like she was moving from a controlling father to a controlling Von. I appreciated when we were able to see a more vulnerable side of him. I loved the chemistry between them.

🌟ARC REVIEW🌟

Tattooed single dad? say less🫦

Aaliyah Montgomery is your typical good church going girl. After finding herself practically shoved up the aisle and seeing her freedom slipping away she does what feels right and runs away.

Von Howard is so fineee. He's a single father whose looking for a full time nanny. He's picky, he's grumpy and he owns a tattoo shop.

Aaliyah is ready to reinvent herself and not conform to small town minds of what she can or can't do. Von desperately needs a nanny so even if he's instantly attracted to Aaliyah he hires her and pushes any feelings he could develop for her away. However it becomes difficult when he sees how much Aaliyah truly cares for his daughter.

I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. Aaliyah's character growth was my favorite part of the book. Moving in with her cousin shows her how truly sheltered and limited she was. I also loved how the kinship between Aaliyah and her cousin-whom she was warned against- grew into a sisterhood. Von was such a rock to her when she needed him to be. He put her feelings first when her own parents never did. The sexual tension between them was hawt. The ending however felt a bit clumsy for me. There was a lot going on lol. Other than that I truly enjoyed this book.

🌞tropes🌞
⛅ Single dad x nanny
⛅ grumpy x sunshine
⛅ age gap
⛅ miscommunication...
⛅runaway bride


Thank you, Netgalley, and Harlequin for the eBook in exchange for my honest review

Who doesn't love a run-away bride story! I loved the chemistry between the two MC'S and the dynamic conversations this book subtly has about religious trauma, coming into adulthood, and unconventional love is amazing! I love the gorgeous cover art and I am excited for more romance books from Naima Simone!
Final Rating
3.75

I love reading black romance stories. I start out reading books expecting to enjoy the story. However, there are times that I have been disappointed. Not with this book; I absolutely loved it. This was book of characters, especially Aaliyah, that I can relate to. The family issues & relations was that which I was able to identify with; this identification caused me to recall past situations and relations with family. I look forward to readings books by this author.

Absolutely amazing. Finished it in one day!
This book was so good. Like I can’t even explain or describe the way I’m feeling about Church Girl.
This was a perfect paced storyline. It is short but long enough. I wish it was an epilogue to know more about Aaliyah and Von story. Of course Gia too. She was too adorable. I love the strong black father that Von portray in this book! I love the cousin Tamera, she had me cracking up in the beginning. Can’t wait for her story (2026)

* runaway bride
* Preachers daughter
* Grumpy MMC
* Southern Sunshine MFC
* Tattoo shop( my weakness)
* Second chance at love ❤️
* Down to earth cousin (can’t wait for her story)
* Chicago based
* Spicy scenes 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you NetGalley for the arc for my honest opinion.!