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Can't Resist Her
Two very determined women—in love, at odds, and risking a lot on a second chance.
After years away from home, Summer Graves is back in Austin, Texas, to accept a new teaching position. Of all the changes to the old neighborhood, the most dispiriting one is the slated demolition of the high school her grandmother founded. There’s no way she can let developers destroy her memories and her family legacy. But the challenge stirs memories of another kind.
On the architectural team revitalizing the neighborhood, hometown girl Aiko Holt is all about progress. Then she sees Summer again. Some things never change.
Neither can forget the kiss they shared at their senior-year dance. Neither can back down from her unwavering beliefs about what’s right for the neighborhood.
For now, the only thing Summer and Aiko are willing to give in to is a heat that still burns. But can two women with so much passion—for what once was and what could be—agree to disagree long enough to fall in love?
After years away from home, Summer Graves is back in Austin, Texas, to accept a new teaching position. Of all the changes to the old neighborhood, the most dispiriting one is the slated demolition of the high school her grandmother founded. There’s no way she can let developers destroy her memories and her family legacy. But the challenge stirs memories of another kind.
On the architectural team revitalizing the neighborhood, hometown girl Aiko Holt is all about progress. Then she sees Summer again. Some things never change.
Neither can forget the kiss they shared at their senior-year dance. Neither can back down from her unwavering beliefs about what’s right for the neighborhood.
For now, the only thing Summer and Aiko are willing to give in to is a heat that still burns. But can two women with so much passion—for what once was and what could be—agree to disagree long enough to fall in love?
375 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2022
About the author
Kianna Alexander
100 books510 followersI've always loved the written word. For as long as I can remember, I read as much as I could, as often as I could. Cereal boxes, newspapers, product packaging. Ebony, Essence, and Jet Magazine. Billboards. I loved it all. I read the entire Fear Street series, as well as the Sweet Valley Books, from Twins and Friends through Sweet Valley High. Each week I'd bring 15 or 20 books home from the library, and read them all before the due date.
Now, my mother owned a pristine, barely touched collection of Harlequin romance novels, and I was not to touch them under any circumstances. Well, as a teenager, you know what that meant. I read some of them, and got my first introduction to romance.
When I was sixteen, I picked up my stepmother's copy of Night Song, by Beverly Jenkins. The cover showed an obviously historical image of a black couple, against a beautiful backdrop, locked in a passionate embrace. With my love of history, I had to crack this book. What I read inside literally blew my mind. I was exposed to a wonderful, touching love story involving people who looked like me! What a thrill. To this day Night Song remains my favorite book, and I credit it with planting the seed of desire to write romance. I didn't get serious until many years later, but that's where it all began.
Now, my mother owned a pristine, barely touched collection of Harlequin romance novels, and I was not to touch them under any circumstances. Well, as a teenager, you know what that meant. I read some of them, and got my first introduction to romance.
When I was sixteen, I picked up my stepmother's copy of Night Song, by Beverly Jenkins. The cover showed an obviously historical image of a black couple, against a beautiful backdrop, locked in a passionate embrace. With my love of history, I had to crack this book. What I read inside literally blew my mind. I was exposed to a wonderful, touching love story involving people who looked like me! What a thrill. To this day Night Song remains my favorite book, and I credit it with planting the seed of desire to write romance. I didn't get serious until many years later, but that's where it all began.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
February 6, 2022
Thank you netgalley for an arc, here is my honest review.
Dnf 50%
I was so excited to find another book about two black queer women, but sadly everything about this fell flat for me.
One of my main cons with this book is the dialogue and how bad it was. The characters are one-dimensional and I didn’t feel any chemistry between them, which made the romance the worst part of the book.
This could have been an amazing book, but from the writing and how the characters are written, I was disappointed.
Dnf 50%
I was so excited to find another book about two black queer women, but sadly everything about this fell flat for me.
One of my main cons with this book is the dialogue and how bad it was. The characters are one-dimensional and I didn’t feel any chemistry between them, which made the romance the worst part of the book.
This could have been an amazing book, but from the writing and how the characters are written, I was disappointed.
May 1, 2022
Can’t Resist Her is a cute romance with conversations around gentrification and growth at its heart. It follows two women hung up on a kiss they shared at their final school dance as girls as they reconnect and discover they are on opposing sides of a new development project happening in their hometown – Summer wants to save the school her grandmother founded from being demolished and stop the gentrification of her neighbourhood while Aiko is an architect on the project who sees the site’s possibilities.
This book is told from a dual point of view and I enjoyed reading from both perspectives. Though I would have liked for each perspective to have its own chapter, rather than switching POV mid chapter. I liked both characters and felt like we really got to understand them and their motivations, especially concerning the new development project. This meant that I wasn’t just rooting for one person and increased the tension in the book. I liked their relationship too, though I think at times it relied too much on Summer’s past crush and their kiss as girls, rather than developing their romance in the present. It was equal parts cute and sexy and fun to read!
Both characters were Black (Aiko is also part Japanese), as is much of their community and friends. This was such an intrinsic part of the book and their characters, from mentions of hairstyles, to salon trips to the language used (particularly between Aiko and her best friend) and really fun to read. I also appreciated that this book didn’t contain any racism, instead focusing on the romance, careers and familial relationships of these two women. I also enjoyed the discussions on gentrification and new developments in their neighbourhood, as well as the focus on supporting local businesses, particularly those that are Black and women owned. They each saw the changes in their community differently and it made for a fun conflict.
However, I really struggled with this book’s writing and that in turn hindered me from connecting with the characters and their relationship. The dialogue in particular was just awkwardly written. Conversations were stilted, often overly formal (their dates sounded like a job interview!) or had the characters discuss something they would all logically know. It sounded like rehashing old conversations for the reader's benefit, rather than just slotting the information more naturally into the prose. The descriptions themselves were clear and concise and easier to read. The issues with the writing did get better as the book progressed, but it made the first half of the book difficult to enjoy.
Overall, Can’t Resist Her is a fun, sexy romance novel. It’s not one to go into expecting perfection, but still worth a read!
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*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
This book is told from a dual point of view and I enjoyed reading from both perspectives. Though I would have liked for each perspective to have its own chapter, rather than switching POV mid chapter. I liked both characters and felt like we really got to understand them and their motivations, especially concerning the new development project. This meant that I wasn’t just rooting for one person and increased the tension in the book. I liked their relationship too, though I think at times it relied too much on Summer’s past crush and their kiss as girls, rather than developing their romance in the present. It was equal parts cute and sexy and fun to read!
Both characters were Black (Aiko is also part Japanese), as is much of their community and friends. This was such an intrinsic part of the book and their characters, from mentions of hairstyles, to salon trips to the language used (particularly between Aiko and her best friend) and really fun to read. I also appreciated that this book didn’t contain any racism, instead focusing on the romance, careers and familial relationships of these two women. I also enjoyed the discussions on gentrification and new developments in their neighbourhood, as well as the focus on supporting local businesses, particularly those that are Black and women owned. They each saw the changes in their community differently and it made for a fun conflict.
However, I really struggled with this book’s writing and that in turn hindered me from connecting with the characters and their relationship. The dialogue in particular was just awkwardly written. Conversations were stilted, often overly formal (their dates sounded like a job interview!) or had the characters discuss something they would all logically know. It sounded like rehashing old conversations for the reader's benefit, rather than just slotting the information more naturally into the prose. The descriptions themselves were clear and concise and easier to read. The issues with the writing did get better as the book progressed, but it made the first half of the book difficult to enjoy.
Overall, Can’t Resist Her is a fun, sexy romance novel. It’s not one to go into expecting perfection, but still worth a read!
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
October 31, 2022
rep: Black lesbian mc, biracial (Black, Japanese) lesbian mc, Black sapphic side characters, Black side characters
ARC provided by the publisher.
Can't Resist Her is not a bad book, per se. It’s just an unpolished one.
It reads very much like a first draft, and a rough one at that. The characters don’t so much have personalities, as a one single characteristic afforded them by the author, which guides all their actions. They don’t talk like real life people - instead it feels like they read from some coaching textbook on how not to hurt someone else’s feelings.
There���s no meat behind any of it, there are only the bones, the bare structure. The author had an idea for this book, they outlined it with a lot of details, but they forgot to put some life into it.
This of course means that reading Can't Resist Her is a bit like a chore. The book is boring, because there is no one to connect with and no one to root for. There are only ideas.
I do appreciate the basically all-Black cast, the conversations about legacy and gentrification, and love for one’s community. I just wish all of that had some real meaning, that it weren’t just empty words.
ARC provided by the publisher.
Can't Resist Her is not a bad book, per se. It’s just an unpolished one.
It reads very much like a first draft, and a rough one at that. The characters don’t so much have personalities, as a one single characteristic afforded them by the author, which guides all their actions. They don’t talk like real life people - instead it feels like they read from some coaching textbook on how not to hurt someone else’s feelings.
There���s no meat behind any of it, there are only the bones, the bare structure. The author had an idea for this book, they outlined it with a lot of details, but they forgot to put some life into it.
This of course means that reading Can't Resist Her is a bit like a chore. The book is boring, because there is no one to connect with and no one to root for. There are only ideas.
I do appreciate the basically all-Black cast, the conversations about legacy and gentrification, and love for one’s community. I just wish all of that had some real meaning, that it weren’t just empty words.
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 6, 2022DNF 37%
Quite dull, unfortunately. The writing felt too step by step? 'I did this, then I did that, then I did this and that" repeat. I feel little connection between the main characters and I'm bored. So moving on.
Quite dull, unfortunately. The writing felt too step by step? 'I did this, then I did that, then I did this and that" repeat. I feel little connection between the main characters and I'm bored. So moving on.
January 17, 2023
DNF @ 13%
This book has the most unnatural dialogue I’ve ever read and from reading other reviews, I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. The way the characters talk to each other in this is not how people talk in real life. Super clunky and unrealistic.
This book has the most unnatural dialogue I’ve ever read and from reading other reviews, I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. The way the characters talk to each other in this is not how people talk in real life. Super clunky and unrealistic.
Shelved as 'd-n-f'
September 18, 2022 ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating or review.
dnf @ 36%
i just couldn't get into this, though i did appreciate the conversation about gentrification, and the queer-ness. i might go back to it one day, but right now i'm just not in the mood. ah well!
dnf @ 36%
i just couldn't get into this, though i did appreciate the conversation about gentrification, and the queer-ness. i might go back to it one day, but right now i'm just not in the mood. ah well!
May 22, 2022
There’s something to be said about readers often and rightly complaining about the lack of stories featuring Black characters that don’t revolve around racism, but not supporting tales that actually centre Black love and their families, heritage, and inner conflicts.
Can’t Resist Her
quickly unravels a second-chance romance with excellent steamy scenes, great potential for characterisation, an important exploration of gentrification, and a fairly good storyline but doesn’t leave anyone wanting more or with something worth coming back to. Sure, this review might seem like a hypocritical response after the controversial opinion stated above but to be clear: this queer love story featuring Black lesbians does deserve your attention but might not deliver as per expectations.
Summer (Black) and Aiko (Black, Japanese) once kissed at a school dance and have not stopped thinking about each other since. Now, fifteen years later, Summer returns to Austin, Texas and isn’t impressed by the changing community—especially seeing her old high school, which was founded by her grandmother, being demolished for an affordable housing development. Aiko is managing this project and is all for revamping Austin for the betterment of the society. This particular facet of conflicting views, opinions, and visions for the future rises as the major tension between the two—which unfortunately also turns too difficult to get through as both stand too strong on their paths. The flat dialogues and uneven writing add to the list of downsides. Still, individual personalities get reflected well enough and the later half of the book does justice to the sapphic romance.
17.05.2022 sadly, the story doesn't live up to the cover but the sapphic romance and the themes explored are good enough to give this a try. rtc.
Summer (Black) and Aiko (Black, Japanese) once kissed at a school dance and have not stopped thinking about each other since. Now, fifteen years later, Summer returns to Austin, Texas and isn’t impressed by the changing community—especially seeing her old high school, which was founded by her grandmother, being demolished for an affordable housing development. Aiko is managing this project and is all for revamping Austin for the betterment of the society. This particular facet of conflicting views, opinions, and visions for the future rises as the major tension between the two—which unfortunately also turns too difficult to get through as both stand too strong on their paths. The flat dialogues and uneven writing add to the list of downsides. Still, individual personalities get reflected well enough and the later half of the book does justice to the sapphic romance.
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17.05.2022 sadly, the story doesn't live up to the cover but the sapphic romance and the themes explored are good enough to give this a try. rtc.
June 17, 2023
2.5 stars
I don't read a lot of sapphic romances and I want that to change, especially those with characters of color. This was a freebie on Amazon and I was excited to try it especially bc I love the cover. Yeah no. The pieces for this to be a great book were all there but none of them could be realized because of the uninspired writing. This has 2 Black FMCs and lots of Black characters, a second chance/"met at a high school" storyline, fairly nuanced conversations about gentrification and community outreach, and a good amount of steam. That's where the positives end. The writing was so tedious to read. Describing every single outfit characters were wearing, super dry and bland dialogue, lots of details about each MC's work day, no sort of flow between sentences, clumsy and unconvincing language used to show sexual/romantic chemistry ....I would've DNF'd if not for the characters themselves and the gentrification plotline, both of which I liked well enough. Disappointing experience overall
Alexander has another book with side characters from this story coming out next week, and I'm willing to give that a shot to see if the writing has improved. But if she doesn't end up being an author for me, there are other diverse sapphic romances/narratives I'm excited to try
I don't read a lot of sapphic romances and I want that to change, especially those with characters of color. This was a freebie on Amazon and I was excited to try it especially bc I love the cover. Yeah no. The pieces for this to be a great book were all there but none of them could be realized because of the uninspired writing. This has 2 Black FMCs and lots of Black characters, a second chance/"met at a high school" storyline, fairly nuanced conversations about gentrification and community outreach, and a good amount of steam. That's where the positives end. The writing was so tedious to read. Describing every single outfit characters were wearing, super dry and bland dialogue, lots of details about each MC's work day, no sort of flow between sentences, clumsy and unconvincing language used to show sexual/romantic chemistry ....I would've DNF'd if not for the characters themselves and the gentrification plotline, both of which I liked well enough. Disappointing experience overall
Alexander has another book with side characters from this story coming out next week, and I'm willing to give that a shot to see if the writing has improved. But if she doesn't end up being an author for me, there are other diverse sapphic romances/narratives I'm excited to try
February 4, 2022
I really liked the premise for Can't Resist Her but well, it fell short. I didn't feel the connection or the romance between the characters. I am certain other readers will enjoy this but it wasn't for me, and that's okay!
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2023
I found CAN'T RESIST HER by Kianna Alexander on KU when I was looking for some fun Pride books.
I think the concept, in which a gentrification activist and a commercial contractor/builder in conflict over the same building fall in love and overcome their political differences in order to make it work, is preposterous. Eye rolling aside, the romance is sweet and sexy and the spicy scenes are gorgeous. Unfortunately, the spicy scenes are the only ones where Aiko and Summer have any chemistry because Alexander's writing otherwise, especially dialog, is hesitant and clumsy.
All in all, not a book I recommend, which makes me sad, because Sapphic love stories are awesome 💜
I think the concept, in which a gentrification activist and a commercial contractor/builder in conflict over the same building fall in love and overcome their political differences in order to make it work, is preposterous. Eye rolling aside, the romance is sweet and sexy and the spicy scenes are gorgeous. Unfortunately, the spicy scenes are the only ones where Aiko and Summer have any chemistry because Alexander's writing otherwise, especially dialog, is hesitant and clumsy.
All in all, not a book I recommend, which makes me sad, because Sapphic love stories are awesome 💜
July 21, 2022
This was a STEAMY second chance at love sapphic romance and whew did this one get HOT y'all!!
Set in Austin, Texas, the story revolves around former high school sweet hearts who are reunited when Summer moves back home. When she learns that her old high school building - the one her grandmother helped build - is being torn down, she makes it her crusade to save. What she wasn't expecting was to run into Aiko, who is the architect heading up the revitalization project in the neighborhood. While these two are on opposing sides in life, when it comes to love they can't keep their hands off one another. It was fun seeing how they resolved their differences and I really enjoyed this on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This was my first book by Kianna Alexander and definitely not my last! Recommended for fans of The romance recipe, No rings attached or Written in the stars.
Set in Austin, Texas, the story revolves around former high school sweet hearts who are reunited when Summer moves back home. When she learns that her old high school building - the one her grandmother helped build - is being torn down, she makes it her crusade to save. What she wasn't expecting was to run into Aiko, who is the architect heading up the revitalization project in the neighborhood. While these two are on opposing sides in life, when it comes to love they can't keep their hands off one another. It was fun seeing how they resolved their differences and I really enjoyed this on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This was my first book by Kianna Alexander and definitely not my last! Recommended for fans of The romance recipe, No rings attached or Written in the stars.
December 26, 2022
•the dialogue is very clunky and doesn’t really sound like how real people talk
•the writing itself is very sparse and sometimes that can be a good thing but it makes this book feel as though it has no personality of its own. the prose is very dull and the writing style leans more on the side of yelling rather than showing.
•on the plus side, however, i read this whole thing a lot quicker than i usually read any book. it was very easy to get through.
•the characters themselves fell very flat and one-dimensional. the mc’s and the side characters all had their own backstories and motivations but in execution they didn’t feel very believable. if i had to pick a favorite out of all of them it would be aiko, i think she was the most well-written and even though she’s a capitalist and is pro gentrification, she’s sexy. i also adore the two married lesbians that run that little bakery that we meet in the very first chapter, they brought me so much joy.
•I really enjoyed how the author portrayed aiko as a more masculine leaning lesbian. it’s obviously not my place to speak on the representation of black lesbians seeing as i, myself, am not black, but i can say that she very accurately portrayed the tenderness that masc lesbians bring into a relationship. even if the relationship wasn’t my favorite thing in this book…
•speaking of favorite things in this book, i really like the whole gentrification plotline and how it’s portrayed. i’ve grown up in neighborhoods that were radically gentrified and as a result of the changing economic climate, schools close or are shut down. the rich people doing the gentrifying always portray it as a good thing, a positive development for the community, until the locals and people who have been living and working there for over twenty years can no longer afford to and are displaced. and when schools are shut down in areas like this, it never benefits the students that live there. often times they’re forced to go to schools out of their district and aren’t given the treatment and the education they deserve because of it.
•this is why i really liked summer’s outlook on her job as an educator and how she treated the children she was working with.
•i do think that the book could’ve been written a lot better, the prose could be filled out more instead of being so rudimentary and the characters could’ve been developed a lot better, but i also think the main conflict of the story is genuinely interesting. the romance definitely fell short for me personally, however, and considering this is a contemporary romance novel that doesn’t really bode well. i am interested to see how all of this is improved upon more edits and publication.
•regarding the romance, i was kind of bored with it tbh. the main plotline was a lot more interesting to me and because the characters weren’t as fleshed-out as i would have preferred i just wasn’t very invested in the relationship.
•overall, i think the main plotline was 100% more interesting than everything else that happened in the book and that the characters, prose, and dialogue need a lot of work. nevertheless, it was a quick read and i did enjoy it. definitely going to read it again upon publication.
𝗿𝗲𝗽: black lesbian main character, biracial lesbian main character (black and japanese), black sapphic side characters, black side characters
•the writing itself is very sparse and sometimes that can be a good thing but it makes this book feel as though it has no personality of its own. the prose is very dull and the writing style leans more on the side of yelling rather than showing.
•on the plus side, however, i read this whole thing a lot quicker than i usually read any book. it was very easy to get through.
•the characters themselves fell very flat and one-dimensional. the mc’s and the side characters all had their own backstories and motivations but in execution they didn’t feel very believable. if i had to pick a favorite out of all of them it would be aiko, i think she was the most well-written and even though she’s a capitalist and is pro gentrification, she’s sexy. i also adore the two married lesbians that run that little bakery that we meet in the very first chapter, they brought me so much joy.
•I really enjoyed how the author portrayed aiko as a more masculine leaning lesbian. it’s obviously not my place to speak on the representation of black lesbians seeing as i, myself, am not black, but i can say that she very accurately portrayed the tenderness that masc lesbians bring into a relationship. even if the relationship wasn’t my favorite thing in this book…
•speaking of favorite things in this book, i really like the whole gentrification plotline and how it’s portrayed. i’ve grown up in neighborhoods that were radically gentrified and as a result of the changing economic climate, schools close or are shut down. the rich people doing the gentrifying always portray it as a good thing, a positive development for the community, until the locals and people who have been living and working there for over twenty years can no longer afford to and are displaced. and when schools are shut down in areas like this, it never benefits the students that live there. often times they’re forced to go to schools out of their district and aren’t given the treatment and the education they deserve because of it.
•this is why i really liked summer’s outlook on her job as an educator and how she treated the children she was working with.
•i do think that the book could’ve been written a lot better, the prose could be filled out more instead of being so rudimentary and the characters could’ve been developed a lot better, but i also think the main conflict of the story is genuinely interesting. the romance definitely fell short for me personally, however, and considering this is a contemporary romance novel that doesn’t really bode well. i am interested to see how all of this is improved upon more edits and publication.
•regarding the romance, i was kind of bored with it tbh. the main plotline was a lot more interesting to me and because the characters weren’t as fleshed-out as i would have preferred i just wasn’t very invested in the relationship.
•overall, i think the main plotline was 100% more interesting than everything else that happened in the book and that the characters, prose, and dialogue need a lot of work. nevertheless, it was a quick read and i did enjoy it. definitely going to read it again upon publication.
𝗿𝗲𝗽: black lesbian main character, biracial lesbian main character (black and japanese), black sapphic side characters, black side characters
February 25, 2022
A lesbian romance that explores issues of gentrification and community, this one was a little bit hit-and-miss for me.
I liked Aiko & Summer as separate characters. Their reasonings and motives was clear and as a reader you understand how they ended up on different sides of the issue on what should happen to their old school building. The book does a good job of exploring some of the issues and complications present in regards to gentrification.
The book also does a good job of exploring the complicated family dynamics both characters have, particularly Summer's fraught relationship with her mother (who didn't react well to her coming out). There's a scene between them that hit me right in the feels.
However, sometimes the dialogue throughout the book came across as quite forced/ stilted. This wasn't always the case, in some places it flowed easy and there was some fun banter or an interesting discussion, but then at other times it felt a little off-kilter or almost robotic, and pulled me out of the story. It was like a character needed to express x opinion here, so they did, even if it didn't fit naturally into the conversation. Often the opinion was interesting/ valid, but not organically inserted into the story.
On a similar note, some of the intercalised internal monologue might have worked better as a part of the narrative, as it didn't really read like a person's thoughts. (Or it should have at least all been done in present tense. The internal monologue in present tense worked a lot better than when it was in past tense imo.)
I also found it hard to root for their romance, when there's such an obvious division of opinion dividing them. There's a point in the 3rd act where both of them are told by their respective closest friends it won't work, and I found myself agreeing. Now this may be because their determination to see each other despite their differences is, to begin with, rooted in their sexual attraction to each other, a concept my little ace self just does not get, so this point may very much be a me thing, rather than an issue with the writing.
All in all, this still had some good moments, and if you enjoy lesbian romances, you might still enjoy this, but it didn't quite hit the mark completely for me.
I got a free copy from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
I liked Aiko & Summer as separate characters. Their reasonings and motives was clear and as a reader you understand how they ended up on different sides of the issue on what should happen to their old school building. The book does a good job of exploring some of the issues and complications present in regards to gentrification.
The book also does a good job of exploring the complicated family dynamics both characters have, particularly Summer's fraught relationship with her mother (who didn't react well to her coming out). There's a scene between them that hit me right in the feels.
However, sometimes the dialogue throughout the book came across as quite forced/ stilted. This wasn't always the case, in some places it flowed easy and there was some fun banter or an interesting discussion, but then at other times it felt a little off-kilter or almost robotic, and pulled me out of the story. It was like a character needed to express x opinion here, so they did, even if it didn't fit naturally into the conversation. Often the opinion was interesting/ valid, but not organically inserted into the story.
On a similar note, some of the intercalised internal monologue might have worked better as a part of the narrative, as it didn't really read like a person's thoughts. (Or it should have at least all been done in present tense. The internal monologue in present tense worked a lot better than when it was in past tense imo.)
I also found it hard to root for their romance, when there's such an obvious division of opinion dividing them. There's a point in the 3rd act where both of them are told by their respective closest friends it won't work, and I found myself agreeing. Now this may be because their determination to see each other despite their differences is, to begin with, rooted in their sexual attraction to each other, a concept my little ace self just does not get, so this point may very much be a me thing, rather than an issue with the writing.
All in all, this still had some good moments, and if you enjoy lesbian romances, you might still enjoy this, but it didn't quite hit the mark completely for me.
I got a free copy from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
February 28, 2022
This just wasn't my favorite. It had some important things to say but could have done more with the characters.
Can't Resist Her follows Summer Graves and Aiko Holt. Summer recently moved back to her home of Austin Texas, but is surprised when everything around her seems to be nothing like she remembers it, despite geographically being the same place, and she's particularly angry about the charter school her grandmother founded being next up for destruction and replacement. Aiko on the other hand is the force behind modernizing all of the area and making it new and fresh. But Aiko and Summer have some history too
As I mentioned this book has interesting things to say about several important topics, particularly gentrification as it's a major factor in the book. And I think it handled it pretty well showing the nuances of the issue but also the negative effect on a large number of people. The book also discusses community and identity frequently and I enjoyed seeing those discussions.
But above all this book is a romance novel- it's literally called Can't Resist Her. And I just wasn't really into the romance at all. The dialogue between the two characters was often clunky and just really hard to get into for me. It didn't feel like they had a lot of chemistry together.
Additionally their ideological differences were a major point of contention and it seems to me that this isn't something they would have been able to put aside in the real world. Even several characters in the book mention that to the main characters.
And finally it was weird for me to side with either one of these characters ultimately, because my personal politics definitely lean towards Summers' perspective, yet I think the hill she chooses to die on being a charter school (albeit one her grandmother started and she attended) is a weird point because charter schools are very iffy themselves. I get the emotional connection with the school, but I just couldn't fully get behind either position.
This was an ok book. It did have interesting things to say about big issues, but the romance falls far short. 2.5/5
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Can't Resist Her follows Summer Graves and Aiko Holt. Summer recently moved back to her home of Austin Texas, but is surprised when everything around her seems to be nothing like she remembers it, despite geographically being the same place, and she's particularly angry about the charter school her grandmother founded being next up for destruction and replacement. Aiko on the other hand is the force behind modernizing all of the area and making it new and fresh. But Aiko and Summer have some history too
As I mentioned this book has interesting things to say about several important topics, particularly gentrification as it's a major factor in the book. And I think it handled it pretty well showing the nuances of the issue but also the negative effect on a large number of people. The book also discusses community and identity frequently and I enjoyed seeing those discussions.
But above all this book is a romance novel- it's literally called Can't Resist Her. And I just wasn't really into the romance at all. The dialogue between the two characters was often clunky and just really hard to get into for me. It didn't feel like they had a lot of chemistry together.
Additionally their ideological differences were a major point of contention and it seems to me that this isn't something they would have been able to put aside in the real world. Even several characters in the book mention that to the main characters.
And finally it was weird for me to side with either one of these characters ultimately, because my personal politics definitely lean towards Summers' perspective, yet I think the hill she chooses to die on being a charter school (albeit one her grandmother started and she attended) is a weird point because charter schools are very iffy themselves. I get the emotional connection with the school, but I just couldn't fully get behind either position.
This was an ok book. It did have interesting things to say about big issues, but the romance falls far short. 2.5/5
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
February 6, 2022
I usually don't decide to read a book exclusively based on the cover, but I just had to here, this cover is AMAZING, and the book was "read now" so I decided to download it and give it a shot.
Ultimately, the book doesn't quite live up to its cover for me, if I'm being very honest. But on the other hand, I am glad to have read it, because it had its cute moments.
I really liked the romance, especially because they already met once 15 years ago and kissed, and neither of them had ever forgotten that. It wasn't quite a second chance romance, because they never dated, but it was still really nice to see them reconnect.
I just didn't feel quite as invested as i would have liked, which I think is mostly due to the writing. I actually really liked the descriptions, because they were very clear and very vivid and really worked to set the scene. But the dialogue fell really flat for me, because it felt really forced and unnatural. Dialogue is super important for me to enjoy a romance, so this kind of took me out of it.
Ultimately, the book doesn't quite live up to its cover for me, if I'm being very honest. But on the other hand, I am glad to have read it, because it had its cute moments.
I really liked the romance, especially because they already met once 15 years ago and kissed, and neither of them had ever forgotten that. It wasn't quite a second chance romance, because they never dated, but it was still really nice to see them reconnect.
I just didn't feel quite as invested as i would have liked, which I think is mostly due to the writing. I actually really liked the descriptions, because they were very clear and very vivid and really worked to set the scene. But the dialogue fell really flat for me, because it felt really forced and unnatural. Dialogue is super important for me to enjoy a romance, so this kind of took me out of it.
July 2, 2024
actual rating: 3.5 ⭐️
there’s so much going thru my head when thinking ab this book. this book was a second chance romance, but i honestly felt like they shouldn’t have ended up together. like there was so much division between the two, and the only thing that they didn’t fight ab was sex fr (imo).
i just hated how the author had summer apologizing in the end when aiko was also pretty hurtful w summer, but i digress, i guess… i really didn’t like that they ended up together at the end either bc i just really didn’t like them together.
this book just kinda fell a little flat for me in a sense which sucks :/
spice level (imo) 🌶️: 3.5/5 pretty spicy but only a few scenes so it’s not too much
there’s so much going thru my head when thinking ab this book. this book was a second chance romance, but i honestly felt like they shouldn’t have ended up together. like there was so much division between the two, and the only thing that they didn’t fight ab was sex fr (imo).
i just hated how the author had summer apologizing in the end when aiko was also pretty hurtful w summer, but i digress, i guess… i really didn’t like that they ended up together at the end either bc i just really didn’t like them together.
this book just kinda fell a little flat for me in a sense which sucks :/
spice level (imo) 🌶️: 3.5/5 pretty spicy but only a few scenes so it’s not too much
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 8, 2024The lesson: don’t fall for the gentrifier and expect them to change cause you bang, learn to compromise. 🤡
January 20, 2024
What a disappointment! Everything about the book seemed like something right up my alley, but I ended up forcing myself to finish it. I love the premise. I really liked the characters (at least in the abstract). But my god, the dialogue! It was so cringy and false. None of the characters ended up feeling real. The various scenarios the characters found themselves in felt weird and unnatural.
December 31, 2022
There is joy in the work. And love only makes that joy more complete.
2.5 stars. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. This was cute and it did have a lot of promise and some parts of it made me smile so much. But this, unfortunately, has to be one of the most awkwardly written books I've ever read. Especially when it comes to structure and dialogue. It's sort of a second chance romance between two women who shared an anonymous kiss in the last days of high school. Summer has just come back to town and is devastated to hear that her old high school, founded by her grandmother, is going to be torn down. Aiko, the woman she had a connection with, is now a planner working for the team in charge of the new development. That's the major source of conflict, and it's a cute (if standard) premise for a romance. And a lot of it was pretty okay?
But the dialogue was not good. I don't want to say that no one talks like that, because I'm sure that there are people who do. But it was so awkward to read in a book. Nothing seemed to flow naturally. There was no easy progression, no getting to know each other organically. One character would say, "Tell me about your life," or "Tell me about this memory," or "Tell me about your dreams," and then a completely mechanical sounding conversation would follow. This would happen both between the main characters and between side characters. It was agonising to read. The thing is, not all of the conversations sounded like that. I really enjoyed Aiko and Peaches' friendship, and they were probably the only people who didn't sound like robots when they were talking to one another. This is where my love of seeing AAVE in books comes into play. I'm thankful to them for giving me that. But otherwise, everything sounded so awkward, like every conversation was just a means to tick a box and get a certain hurdle out of the way to further the plot. This needed some serious doctoring.
But otherwise, I mean, it was really sexy and cute and I did enjoy the premise, so I'm not too mad about it. I'm just disappointed, because I do think that if better written, this could have been a real winner for me.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Mooreghan Martin, and it was okay. I like the way she read the dialogue, but a lot of the pacing and intonation sounded a bit off to me. This wasn't bad at all, and the gorgeous cover doesn't hurt either. I look forward to reading any other sapphic romances this author releases. I just hope I'll like the writing more in her newer works.
June 28, 2022
Stopped reading at 10%.
Whatever merits Can't Resist Her may have, they'll be difficult to appreciate considering how poorly written this book is. The action, dialogue, and characterization is inauthentic and heavy-handed. Alexander delivers information to readers in a manner that prioritizes expediency over art. For instance, she introduces the topic of a school closing down by having two characters exhaustively detail everything they've done to keep it open—information that both speakers would already be aware of and wouldn't need to rehash. Similarly, one character meets someone new and says "tell yourself about me," and said stranger proceeds to info-dump their entire backstory into the conversation. People do not talk like that!
The narrative style is also very awkward. Every action a character takes is minutely describe in a dull, monotonous fashion. First Summer takes a shower, then she dresses in a white t-shirt and pants, then she gets in her car and drives down a specific street, then she passes by this restaurant, etc. None of this provides any value to the narrative, and is really demonstrative of the author's lack of professional polish.
I can't say much about the romance itself. I stopped reading the second Alexander geared up for a clumsy, middle-schooler-writing-fanfic style flashback of the time the two leads first met. You can have the best love story ever, but if you have no talent for storytelling, it won't matter.
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Whatever merits Can't Resist Her may have, they'll be difficult to appreciate considering how poorly written this book is. The action, dialogue, and characterization is inauthentic and heavy-handed. Alexander delivers information to readers in a manner that prioritizes expediency over art. For instance, she introduces the topic of a school closing down by having two characters exhaustively detail everything they've done to keep it open—information that both speakers would already be aware of and wouldn't need to rehash. Similarly, one character meets someone new and says "tell yourself about me," and said stranger proceeds to info-dump their entire backstory into the conversation. People do not talk like that!
The narrative style is also very awkward. Every action a character takes is minutely describe in a dull, monotonous fashion. First Summer takes a shower, then she dresses in a white t-shirt and pants, then she gets in her car and drives down a specific street, then she passes by this restaurant, etc. None of this provides any value to the narrative, and is really demonstrative of the author's lack of professional polish.
I can't say much about the romance itself. I stopped reading the second Alexander geared up for a clumsy, middle-schooler-writing-fanfic style flashback of the time the two leads first met. You can have the best love story ever, but if you have no talent for storytelling, it won't matter.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
April 12, 2022
3.5 ish, but man, it's so rare for me to find an adult romance book that I actually vibe with so we're rounding up.
The writing style was so... pleasant? and it was just so easy to get immersed into the story and the characters. I found myself rooting for both of the main characters separately, as well as for their relationship. The backstories of both of the characters and their relationships with the side characters also felt very fleshed out without feeling like there was too much going on. Also loved that the classic third act conflict was actually reasonable and made perfect sense with the way the plot was set up. The characters also were pretty great and communicating given their circumstances which made for an enjoyable reading experience.
The themes of gentrification that are at the center of the plot of this book were also explored very well. The two characters are at odds for pretty much the entire story, but the author brings a lot of nuance into the discussion and manages to show that both sides' arguments have merit. The plot to romance balance in this book was also quite perfect.
Overall a very solid book. While I didn't necessarily fall head over heels in love with any aspect of the book, there was literally nothing I didn't enjoy about it. Also, there's something about seeing high school crushes get together that just butters my bread.
eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thanks!
The writing style was so... pleasant? and it was just so easy to get immersed into the story and the characters. I found myself rooting for both of the main characters separately, as well as for their relationship. The backstories of both of the characters and their relationships with the side characters also felt very fleshed out without feeling like there was too much going on. Also loved that the classic third act conflict was actually reasonable and made perfect sense with the way the plot was set up. The characters also were pretty great and communicating given their circumstances which made for an enjoyable reading experience.
The themes of gentrification that are at the center of the plot of this book were also explored very well. The two characters are at odds for pretty much the entire story, but the author brings a lot of nuance into the discussion and manages to show that both sides' arguments have merit. The plot to romance balance in this book was also quite perfect.
Overall a very solid book. While I didn't necessarily fall head over heels in love with any aspect of the book, there was literally nothing I didn't enjoy about it. Also, there's something about seeing high school crushes get together that just butters my bread.
eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thanks!
September 16, 2022
I love to read about black love. I've never read a lesbian black couple and I am here for it. I am unsure if I've been living under a rock or if this is an underdeveloped genre. I loved the both characters Summer and Aiko, they were so genuine. Although they were clearly on two different sides of an issue they still tried to go for it. These types of books so easily turn into enemies to lovers. But the fact that the relationship was able to move forward despite showing depth to me, of course, didn't end there. All around a cute romance with some awesome spicy scenes.
March 7, 2022
3.5 stars! Super spicy, cute and sapphic!
This book was a rollercoaster read. The spice in the second half if absolutely everything (can we talk about the glow in the dark you know what?)
We’ve got a power top (swooning) who is working against summer, being on the renovation team that plans to redesign the school building she loves.
Summer is strong minded and wishes to protect those who are often forced out by renovation and rebuild teams, protesting for a place that’s inclusive and there for all of the children, not just paving the way for richer people to gain space in the area.
This has a hefty side of enemies to lovers which I’m absolutely weak for, as well as multiple strap spice moments that killed me in the best way.
The reason I marked it down slightly was purely because the story around the spice didn’t draw me in as much. I felt summer was a bit of a hypocrite protesting for a shared space when she herself has a job in a private school.
The first half was definitely very slowly paced but the second half picked up massively and became spice central which I’m always here for. I also found myself loving their friends especially that one (gift bag) scene.
It’s also incredibly hard finding black MC rep in sapphic spice novels so I was really happy to see this come out. We need far more diversity in lgbt+ books but especially in the spicy romance department.
All in all an enjoyable spice read, but slow paced in the first half.
This book was a rollercoaster read. The spice in the second half if absolutely everything (can we talk about the glow in the dark you know what?)
We’ve got a power top (swooning) who is working against summer, being on the renovation team that plans to redesign the school building she loves.
Summer is strong minded and wishes to protect those who are often forced out by renovation and rebuild teams, protesting for a place that’s inclusive and there for all of the children, not just paving the way for richer people to gain space in the area.
This has a hefty side of enemies to lovers which I’m absolutely weak for, as well as multiple strap spice moments that killed me in the best way.
The reason I marked it down slightly was purely because the story around the spice didn’t draw me in as much. I felt summer was a bit of a hypocrite protesting for a shared space when she herself has a job in a private school.
The first half was definitely very slowly paced but the second half picked up massively and became spice central which I’m always here for. I also found myself loving their friends especially that one (gift bag) scene.
It’s also incredibly hard finding black MC rep in sapphic spice novels so I was really happy to see this come out. We need far more diversity in lgbt+ books but especially in the spicy romance department.
All in all an enjoyable spice read, but slow paced in the first half.
December 24, 2022
Every now and then I think "hmm, I'm 20. Surely I'm ready to enjoy non-YA romance" and then I'm immediately proven wrong. I can only read romance if there's magic, a ton of angst, or magic and a ton of angst.
February 12, 2022
This cover is gorgeous, but unfortunately, the cover is the best thing about it. I just didn't love it. The writing felt stilted and I just didn't buy the romance. I didn't feel the tension and didn't track the logic. This could have been great, but unfortunately I just don't think it works on any level.
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC.
CW: coming out, homophobic parent redemption, strained parent relationships
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC.
CW: coming out, homophobic parent redemption, strained parent relationships
March 31, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley for letting me have an arc. I was really disappointed with this read and I didn’t have the best experience. As a Black woman who is queer, I was especially excited to read a book about two queer women of color falling at love but this book felt quite short. For me, it lies deeply in the lack of chemistry. There was something off about it and it wasn’t organic.
September 30, 2022
I mean it was cute, I loved the Cinderella thing and you know the end was cute. I loved the flirtation between the characters. Some of the gentrification convo had me like *hand motions* but I mean it was cute. I enjoyed it
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 26, 2022DNF @Chapter 8
I like the main characters individually, but as a couple I’m not feeling the chemistry and the dialogue is cringe.
I like the main characters individually, but as a couple I’m not feeling the chemistry and the dialogue is cringe.
February 16, 2022
When Summer meets her high school crush years later, everything seems to go perfect for them. If it weren’t for the small detail that Aiko Holt is part of the firm that’s planning to tear down Summer’s grandma’s school - her legacy.
Not quite forgotten high-school-sweethearts, not quite rivals, but definitely lovers now and the chemistry is undeniable. Both women are incredibly attractive, they know what they want and they know how to fight for it. But as you can imagine, their goals are quite different.
Just alone for the spice I give it a five star rating, incredibly well-written and the author is not afraid to write about the use of toys (and spoiler alert: ✂️). In terms of steamy scenes it’s by far one of the best books I‘ve read.
What I especially like about Summer and Aiko‘s relationship is, that despite their different views on the development project, they still try to focus on each other and they’re respectful. Of course, each has their bias and wants to convince the other, but there’s no foul play, no guilt trips.
The only thing I truly didn’t like was the ˋthird act breakup´ as I’ve heard it being called. It’s a necessary evil in most romance books, so I‘ll let it slide here of course (the make up sex definitely contributed to me excusing the breakup).
All in all I really enjoyed the book and I‘ll definitely buy a paperback copy when it comes out (almost on my birthday!).
I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
Not quite forgotten high-school-sweethearts, not quite rivals, but definitely lovers now and the chemistry is undeniable. Both women are incredibly attractive, they know what they want and they know how to fight for it. But as you can imagine, their goals are quite different.
Just alone for the spice I give it a five star rating, incredibly well-written and the author is not afraid to write about the use of toys (and spoiler alert: ✂️). In terms of steamy scenes it’s by far one of the best books I‘ve read.
What I especially like about Summer and Aiko‘s relationship is, that despite their different views on the development project, they still try to focus on each other and they’re respectful. Of course, each has their bias and wants to convince the other, but there’s no foul play, no guilt trips.
The only thing I truly didn’t like was the ˋthird act breakup´ as I’ve heard it being called. It’s a necessary evil in most romance books, so I‘ll let it slide here of course (the make up sex definitely contributed to me excusing the breakup).
All in all I really enjoyed the book and I‘ll definitely buy a paperback copy when it comes out (almost on my birthday!).
I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
June 2, 2022
I struggled to write this review because I'm still upset about this book.
I honestly felt so excited when I saw it on netgalley and happy when I received the ARC... Racial representation, sapphic romance, adults MCs (and the cover? so cute!). But it wasn't... good.
The plot was great and the discussions about gentrification as well. My biggests issues were the romance and the dialogue.
The dialogue was too formal and robotic, it didn't sound natural at all. And the romance lacked chemistry between the MCs. Maybe if it was a slow burn it would be better, it felt too rushed and i don't know, they didn't felt compatible.
But, anyways, thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange of a honest review.
I honestly felt so excited when I saw it on netgalley and happy when I received the ARC... Racial representation, sapphic romance, adults MCs (and the cover? so cute!). But it wasn't... good.
The plot was great and the discussions about gentrification as well. My biggests issues were the romance and the dialogue.
The dialogue was too formal and robotic, it didn't sound natural at all. And the romance lacked chemistry between the MCs. Maybe if it was a slow burn it would be better, it felt too rushed and i don't know, they didn't felt compatible.
But, anyways, thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange of a honest review.
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