5⭐ 0🌶️

I’ve been dying to read this since Kennedy Ryan announced she’d be contributing and after seeing the full lineup of incredible authors, I was champing at the bit to get my hands on it. I’m so happy to report that after reading it, not only was I not disappointed, but I was blown away by how much I adored each and every story. The story lengths were perfect–giving us just enough to satisfy while still making space for other stories. This anthology is packed full of knockout writers and rich love stories that I'll be thinking about for a while to come.

Despite all of these stories taking place at HBCUs, we still got so much diversity throughout this anthology and each story was unique yet moving. We had different time periods, completely unique writing styles (“Romantic Studies” was so damn cool and creative!), LGBTQ+ couples, age gaps, HEAs, and stories left happy for now with an open ending that provided room for the couples to grow in their love.

I’ve only read a handful of these authors before but I found myself adding so many new ones to my TBR and browsing their backlogs. Ebony LaDelle not only gave us an incredible story of her own, along with a deeply moving introduction, but she truly brought together an abundance of special minds for this one and I’m so grateful I got the chance to read it.

The cover and the title immediately captivated me and I knew I needed the ARC.
As a Black person that who attended and graduated from an HBCU, this was a fun read.

The writing style, the stories, the Blackness.. I felt seen from cover to cover.
Each story was captivating and engaging. It was relatable and authentic.
All of my siblings attended HBCUs too.
Speaking with them about their experiences, elevated my love for this novel.

This is a book to take your time with. I sat with each story and reflected on my own experiences.
I would recommend this, reread it and gift it to my HBCU alums.
This was so special.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC! This review contains my personal thoughts and opinions.

I was really excited to dive into this one — an anthology framed as a collection of HBCU love stories? Say less! As someone who hasn’t read many anthologies, I was curious to see how the different authors would bring these stories to life.

I found that You’ve Got a Place Here, Too leans more heavily into the HBCU experience itself rather than the romance. As someone who reads a lot of romance books, I was expecting more and felt a bit underwhelmed. I was really hoping to see black love blossom within these stories, but most of them really only touched on the beginning of relationships.

That said, the collection does a beautiful job of highlighting what makes HBCUs so special: the community, the culture, the pride. It felt like a love letter to those institutions and the people who pass through them. Overall, I feel that this anthology is worth a read.

My favorite stories were:
- Whatever Gods May Be by Kai Harris
- Brave the Skies by Kennedy Ryan
- A Flying Lesson by Elizabeth Acevedo
- Second Line, First Dance by Farrah Rochon
- Romantic Studies by Nicola Yoon
- Sunset Sips by Jasmine Bell
- The Black Mecca by Ebony LaDelle

First off, major shoutout to NetGalley for the eARC. This anthology? Man, it felt like home. Like being dropped in the middle of a cookout on the quad, music bumping, folks laughing, and stories spilling over red cups. You’ve Got a Place Here Too is more than just a collection of love stories it’s a full-on celebration of Blackness in all its forms. Romance, identity, culture, grief, joy and it’s all packed in here.

What I loved most was how different every voice felt. Each story had its own flavor, some sweet, some messy, some had me grinning like a fool, others had me sitting in my feelings for a sec. The settings ranged from classic HBCU dorm vibes to deep-rooted Southern traditions, and the diversity of Black experiences made the whole thing feel real and lived-in.

Every story was better than the last. As a proud Southern University graduate it took me back to my day's on the yard. Falling in love, but the community and experience. Everyone's story was rich with love, history and more. Jordyn and Kendrick story was my favorite, and I loved how it built up quickly but you saw how much it all meant to him.

Ebony LaDelle has compiled a variety of incredible works. Each love story was told with so much care and consideration and I wished so many of the short stories were full length novels. There is a little something in here for all lovers and everyone should pick this up to read at their leisure.

A few of my favorites:

Sunset Sips by Jasmine Bell- This coffee shop romance had all the feels. From a bad date to sunset views on the roof. Love is always in the details.

Second Line, First Dance by Farrah Rochon- I loved how this one transported us to NOLA for an enemies to lovers romance.

Brave the Skies by Kennedy Ryan- Kennedy Ryan can do no wrong. A forbidden romance between a student and her professor. Two writers in love. This was a continuation of characters from Coming Home.

The Highest of Seven Hills by Dawnie Walton- A second chance romance with a couple who reconnected 20 something years after graduation.

Omg omg omg did I love this book. This anthology is like a hug. A love letter to the HBCU alums and students alike. I devoured this book and was so happy when Netgally approved me for it. What were my favorites? First of all, “The Highest of Seven Hills” got me all in my feels. So many memories came back from freshman year and being on FAMU’s campus (I come from a line of proud Rattlers)and experiencing my first love (btw this is a book of love stories centered around HBCUs). Had a little smile on my face the whole time. Other stories I enjoyed, “One Little Lie…” was awesome and featured a black cowboy. That was my second favorite. Of course there’s the stories by Elizabeth Acevedo, “A Flying Lesson” (about a Afro-Dominican flight student), Nicola Yoon with “Romantic Studies” and one a story about a student who had to learn about Mardi Gras and its traditions. This is a book for all ages. If you want a book that feels like coming home, this anthology is for you!

it's so hard for me to rate this one - it's an anthology, so there's always going to be a wide variety of voices and stories, and like most anthologies i've read, there are some hits and some misses. since there are so many romance authors involved + given the title, i was expecting more common romance short stories, but many of these felt more like fiction focused on the characters' experiences at hbcu's with some romance tied into it.

even more than some other short stories i've read in anthologies, it also felt like a lot of these weren't self-contained, and were rather a snippet in time, so many of them felt frustrating at the end since i was waiting for more.

This book was so good. I love the spotlight on so many HBCUs. I do wish that Southern University (my alma mater) was in there haha. I loved the different dynamics of each story and there were no flops in the bunch. I was not expecting one to have some horror vibes so that was a little spooky but I liked the fun formatting. I also loved the formatting of Romantic Studies. I've never read a story like that and it was really fun.

I thought this was a cute ode to HBCUs. I would give it a 3.5 stars but rounded it up to 4.

I loved Whatever Gods May Be, Brave The Skies and, Second Line, First Dance, Who Teaches Black Boys How to Love and Sunset Sips.

Those were the ones who gave me the feels

This was a beautiful collection! Each author brought not only a unique setting and story to the anthology, but it’s their unique writing styles are what really kept me invested. Each story was the beginning of something great. Trust me, you’ll find a story to fall in love with, too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, and Delacorte Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rounded up to 5 stars

I love an anthology, and the themes of this one caught my eye immediately, along with the fact that some of my favorite authors are in this lineup.
You've Got a Place Here, Too features 12 stories set at HBCUs that center Black Romance in a multitude of ways and through several decades. Each of these stories come together to highlight how important it is to find places and people to belong to. The magic and beauty of HBCUs shine through these pages, especially those by authors who are HBCU alumni themselves.


My personal favorites from this anthology are:

Brave the Skies by Kennedy Ryan - I loved being back at Finley College, and that Touré’s daughter, Celine, who I loved in Coming Home, got her own story! The chemistry between her and Zekiah was everything, and I would read more about them.

A Flying Lesson by Elizabeth Acevedo - Elizabeth Acevedo is one of my favorite authors and this story is everything you have come to expect from Acevedo.

Romantic Studies by Nicola Yoon - The format of this story was by far my favorite of the anthology! It was unique and worked so well for Danica and Sterling’s love story!! I loved everything about this.

The Black Mecca by Ebony LaDelle - Lynetta and Assad have my entire heart, and I want a full novel for these two!!

This was a beautiful collection of romance stories set at HBCUs. It was a moving collection to see how joy and love can be explored and experienced in different ways. The author list is stacked, and they did not disappoint in any of the stories. My personal favorites were "Brave the Skies" by Kennedy Ryan and "Romantic Studies" by Nicola Yoon. This is absolutely an anthology that should be read if you're a fan of romance, stories about finding your place, and of course, black love and joy. I loved reading this book and can't wait for others to be able to experience it for themselves!

I was unsure about this book when I first read the description but omg I loved it!!! Every single story was amazing. I would read one and say this is my favorite then read the next one and say wait no this is my favorite. Even the ones I wasn’t sure where it was going came together and I ended up loving them. After finishing all the stories I think “Romantic Studies” by Nicola Yoon is my favorite, but “Second Line, First Dance” by Farrah Rochon is a very close second. I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait to check out other works by the authors I was introduced to.

This was a great collection. My only beef: The authors who wrote the stories should be HBCU grads. HBCUS arent this catch a ll for Black college stories. This isnt Grown-ish. Just because youre a black author doesnt mean you have the knowledge to write an HBCU story. You need the experience.

this book is something special. i knew it would be from the cover and the title alone, right away i connected. each story is unique, engaging, powerful, and joyous. there were different types of love but the basis was that, it was definitely love. you could feel it, you could see it. this was gold.

I DONT HAVE WORDS!🥺

I always love me a good anthology and this one did NOT disappoint!!!! First off are you guys seeing the line up for this book 😩 Ebony LaDelle, Kennedy Ryan, Elizabeth Acevedo, Nicola Yoon, ACA- excuse me???!!!?!? I loved even more that this novel exposed me to some new favorites and some authors I have been hearing about for such a long time😍

What I loved the most about this book was the different types of love it showcased, queer love in the 70s, forbidden love, ANGST PRO MAX, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers GOSH the friendship to romance in this book is so God tier cause as a college student myself, all these stories showcased just how quick friendship can blossom into something stronger...🥺

Each story was so unique in the love they were telling, I remember so clearly there was a particular story that was formatted asa COURSE SCHEDULE 😩 like huhhhhh and like each requirement for the course was a mini short story about the same couple URGH I CAN'T EVEN THIS IS GOLDDD

There is even a sort of thriller in here too that high key got me so spooked out in the end, I loved it so much!!!😍

Reading about people like me, working hard to reach their goals, and falling in love in the middle of it was so so inspirational. These relationships showcased black love like none other and i am so happy to have read this book as I am about to face probably the most stressful but most rewarding final year of college 🫶🏾

Thank you so much to everyone that had a hand into making this masterpiece, your stories have touched and will touch all that read it!💕

Thank you to Ballantine and Delacorte Press for the advance reader copy of You’ve Got a Place Here, Too!

I was immediately drawn into this anthology! A beautiful collection of Black love stories by an incredible group of authors! I enjoyed that each story was set at HBCUs. I’m excited to experience this collection of stories on audiobook.

This was very thing and more. I loved how even though we got love stories, the HBCU was always at the center of it. It was nothing short of amazing.

Truly 10s across the board 👏🏽 Every author brought their own beauty to the page. The way they told stories of Black love in all its forms—set at HBCUs, whether they were real universities or fictional—chef’s kiss. I loved how each story took us somewhere new, with different styles, time periods, and vibes.

I knew this was going to be a read! The first story, “Whatever Gods May Be,” had me HOOKED. I said, okayyy, this bout to be goodt! Had me looking up Fisk so I can send my oldest and get her in Jubilee, okay! 😂

“The Musty” had me thinking about Us the movie—totally unexpected but soooo good!

“Romantic Studies”Absolutely amazing. I loved how the story was told through a syllabus and text messages. So creative, so fresh.

And whew—“Who Teaches Black Boys How to Love” was such a beautiful story. Tender, powerful, and necessary. That one really stuck with me.

Whether the love ended sweet or a little bittersweet, they all left me feeling warm, full, and smiling. I was giggling, swooning, and soaking up every moment🖤

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! Truly enjoyed it