Month: August 2024

Whenever I see a Native author with a mainstream published book, I go out of my way to read it. The fact that this time it’s a Rom Com?! My favorite genre?! Score. I’m so lucky that I could read an early copy of Nava’s debut novel. The book was funny, hit all the romance beats nicely, and even though it was a tad predictable, was a very enjoyable read.

Ember wants to be an accountant and to bring herself out of poverty, so she tells a few lies to get a well-paying job. At her new job, she meets sexy IT Guy Danuwoa. The two instantly hit it off, but Ember can’t seem to stop telling little white lies. As their romance blooms, and she advances at her job, Ember has to juggle the lies she told with the truth she wants to live.

The romance in this book was top-notch. You could feel the chemistry between Danuwoa and Ember immediately. Rooting for them was easy. The tension at Ember’s work as she navigated the lies she told in order to get the job was uncomfortable, and I think it was meant that way. The side characters were great, and I actually wish we got to see a few of them more than we did. I would have liked more interactions between Joanna and Ember and even between Sage and Ember. Native culture was prominent and Nava really could give social commentary almost subtly. I loved the way she wove in the racism and misogyny into the storyline.

The book has a lot of miscommunication between Danuwoa and Ember, which is my least favorite romance trope, which is the reason my rating was brought down a little. Plus, I was able to call out some of the book’s end game fairly early on. But really, if you don’t mind the miscommunication trope, this book was nearly perfect. This was a spectacular debut novel. I look forward to reading more from Nava in the future.