3.75 ⭐️ Review
It’s not that I didn’t like the story, because the plot itself kept me reading and I wanted to see how everything would play out. My biggest issue was that I genuinely didn’t care for any of the characters, and that made it hard to fully connect to what was happening.
Quan frustrated me the most. He claims he loves Charlie, but says he can’t be with her because he doesn’t have the self-control to stop cheating… then turns right around, gets back with her, and cheats anyway. It just made him come off careless and immature. Charlie wasn’t much better. She talks about how women who constantly forgive men are weak, yet she ends up forgiving Quan after everything. Even if he was drugged, he still went to Chantel’s house with the intention to cheat, so it was hard to feel sympathy in that situation.
Then there’s Monay, who is both Quan’s sister and Charlie’s best friend, secretly messing with Quan’s best friend/manager. On top of that, she’s sneaking around at her mama’s house, knowing her brother could pop up at any moment. The secrecy and risk just felt messy for no real reason.
Dre and Toya’s storyline didn’t land for me either. I really don’t like insta-love in realistic urban stories, and their connection felt rushed. And Toya’s attitude toward Dre? I didn’t understand the hostility at all. It just felt unnecessary.
Chantel was another character I couldn’t stand. Wanting to trap Quan by getting pregnant and going as far as drugging him was wild. And Tracy hating Quan over something as small as not listening to his mixtape, then trying to go after Charlie out of spite, just felt petty and over the top.
Honestly, the only character I truly liked was China. She was the most genuine and innocent presence in the whole story, and every scene involving her felt more real than the rest.
Overall, the drama, mess, and tension kept me engaged, but the lack of likable or relatable characters made it hard to fully invest emotionally. Still a solid read, just not one I connected to the way I hoped I would.