A Girl Like Me

A GIRL LIKE ME

By J. Nichole

Good love stories in romance novels get me every time, be they male/male, male/female, or female/female. It’s even better when the two main characters represent Black Love; there can never be enough representation in this genre. That being said, this week’s Pride Month review is for J. Nichole’s A Girl Like Me.

Skylar Wilson is one of the token Black women at an established advertising agency. Though she has the skills and the talent, she is not getting the opportunities to fully shine as an ad exec. Constantly overthinking, Skylar is torn between wanting to rock the boat and go after opportunities for herself and the stifling security of a steady paycheck to keep her head down. In her personal life, boyfriends and potential men have come and gone, from the boring to the creepy. None of them have given her the butterflies-in-the-stomach feels, like her first crush in high school did. Despite her single status, Skylar has a group of friends unofficially called The Art Crew, who from time to time have arranged dates for her, in particular her BFF Brooklyn.

Lauren (Lo) Taylor is an out-and-proud freelance journalist sistah who believes in going after what she wants, be that professionally or personally. She stands out wherever she goes. Her motto: “Don’t let anyone or anything ever dim your light.” Step by step, Lo draws Skylar out of her shell, and Skylar discovers those high-school feels once again—only this time, it’s for a woman. However, Lo has been burned before by a woman who used her as an experiment and then left her for a man.

With pressure from work and her parents, will Skylar step out of the box and claim the authentic love standing in front of her? Will she branch out on her own professionally?

From Skylar’s first-person point of view, the story chronicles her journey of discovery, from her unsatisfying work life and dating life, to her first meeting with Lo, to her reluctance to reveal she’s dating a woman, family issues, and ultimately her happily-ever-after with Lo. It has all the elements of a slow-burn romance that keeps the reader turning the pages (yes, I read the book in less than two hours). I liked the contrast Nichole brings between Skylar’s urban relationships and those from her small hometown of Bentonville; only three hours away but worlds apart.

In her words, Nichole “enjoys creating lively characters that are realistic, and demonstrate Black culture—the good, the bad, and the fabulous. Characters even with all their dramatics still find their way to a happy ending.”

A Girl Like Me is available through Amazon.

Thank you, J., for a great read and a satisfying happily-ever-after. Black Love wins!