Maybe you need a book recommendation or you just want to get a glimpse into the things we like to read at Fontaine Publications. Either way, we thought it would be fun to kick off the beginning of June with a recap of all the books that our CEO, Kae Nicole, read this year. If there's a book on this list that you read, loved, hated or just want to learn more about, make sure to leave a comment below.
CURRENT READS + RATINGS
The Many Dates Of Indigo by Amber D. Samuel
Rating: 3/5
Page Count: 352
Review: Overall, the writing and world-building was solid! It really felt like you were immersed in Indigo's (MC - main character) life. The plot was solid too, even if it was a little predictable at times. Some of the male love interests were bland...they lacked a level of depth that I needed in order to connect with them fully. Some of the plot points seemed to be solved too quickly or too easily, which made it a little unfulfilling at times. Not a favorite BUT it's still a good, easy and fluffy read if you're into romance and need something quick.
Open Water by Caleb Nelson
Rating: 3.8-4/5
Page Count: 160
Review: I wrestled for a bit about the rating for this book because I feel like it's more appropriate for a niche audience, specifically those who are into more character based stories/purple prose. I personally loved it and there was something incredibly poignant about it's overall theme. It's less of a story and more of a deep dive/confession about what it means to be black, toxic masculinity, police brutality and how tough it is to navigate all of that when you don't even know who you are. It's technically marketed as a romance, but I feel like it focuses less on that part. The only thing I would've loved to see is more characterization for the female. Now, warning if you decide to pick this up for yourself: it's written in second person and none of the characters have actual names!
However, I will say that I'm excited to pick up his second book and any future works that he puts out.
Twisted Hate by Ana Huang
Rating: 4/5
Page Count: 520
Review: This book was pretty entertaining for the most part! If you're into enemies to lovers and STEAMY sex scenes, then this may be a good option for you. Their relationship felt pretty authentic and I found myself rooting for them, especially Jules (female character). However, the writing at times got a little cringe/Wattpad-ish and I wasn't a huge fan of the curveballs the author decided to introduce in order to spice up the conflict. A lot of them didn't feel threatening or were solved too easily. OR could have been solved easily if they would've just communicated with each other. I know the whole point is that they lack communication, which is why we're having conflict, but personally I feel like there was a better way to go about it. I still enjoyed the book though and I would still recommend it.
Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss
Rating: 4/5
Page Count: 227
Review: I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit! Very quick read. I feel like this is one of those books that you have to re-read/highlight in because there's a lot of gems you can pull from this. My only thing is that I wish he would have cited more of his sources/had an option for us to listen to the audio recordings from the session he's speaking of. But I would say that if you're into spirituality or want to learn more about past life regressions then it's a good read.
Genevieve by Eric Jerome Dickey
Rating: 3/5
Page Count: 320
Review: I love Eric Jerome Dickey (rest in peace) and I went through a phase earlier this year where I wanted to read all of his work. I loved the writing AND the plot twist at the end, but my main complaints center around the conflict he chose and how it ended. There was supposed to be a cheating scandal in this story and even though we got it, it only happened once. And the story is centered around said scandal so you would think that we would see more of that, especially as the both of them try to hide it from the MC's wife, Genevieve, and the aftermath of discovering long held family secrets. I still think it's a great read, but those are things to consider if you decide to pick it up for yourself.
Seven Days In June by Tia Williams
Rating: 5/5
Page Count: 336
Review: This actually became one of my favorite books of 2023! I loved the characterization, the writing and the premise. From start to finish, it had me on the edge of my seat. My only small complaint is that she has ALOT of pop culture references in her writing, but that's more of a personal pet peeve. Aside from that though, I recommend this book to anyone who's an avid fan of romance.
The Perfect Find by Tia Williams
Rating: 4/5
Page Count: 364
Review: I liked this one a lot! I thought the characterization, the premise and the world-building was incredibly strong. It was a little slow in the beginning since there was a lot of exposition to read all at once. I also wasn't a huge fan of the dialogue at times, but aside from that it's a strong piece! Also the sex scenes are IMMACULATE.
Also, fun fact, this is being turned into a movie on Netflix! It comes out June 14th so I'll definitely be watching it.
Feeding The Soul by Tabitha Brown
Rating: 3.5/5
Page Count: 288
Review: I love Tabitha Brown. Her energy is so infectious and you can really feel that as you read. I actually suggest listening to this via audiobook because it just makes the experience ten times better. She had a lot of beautiful nuggets about life, following your dreams, mental health, and trying to navigate who you are in a noisy world. I respect her more after reading/listening to her book. My only thing is that at times it got a little redundant, but it's kind of hard to avoid that in self-help books. Still a great read though!
That's the end of the list! Which ones are you interested in reading? Which ones have you read? Make sure to let us know and share this list with any other book lovers.