Zora Books Her Own Happily Ever After by Taj McCoy

Zora Books Her Own Happily Ever After by Taj McCoy

Published by MIRA ISBN 9780778333524

Trade paperback, $18.99, 320 pages

Set a novel in a bookstore and give me interesting characters to root for, and good writing and I am all in. Taj McCoy's Zora Books Her Own Happily Ever After has that and so much more.

Zora bought a local bookstore in her Washington DC neighborhood with money left to her by her father. She lives with her sassy Granny Marion and her best friend Emma, who both work at Zora's bookstore called Opus Northeast. 

Zora works hard to make Opus Northeast a true community gathering place, hosting events for adults and children. She loves her bookstore but it takes up most of her time, ordering books, working with publishers, waiting on customers, keeping up with the ever-demanding social media platforms, and it leaves little time for an active social life.

When a bestselling local author whom Zora has a crush on agrees to an event at her store, Zora is ecstatic. Lawrence Michaels writes a series of popular mystery thriller series and Zora knows he will be a hit. Emma and Granny Marion encourage Zora to go for it with Lawrence, but Zora thinks he is out of her league, and she is too busy anyway.

Lawrence's event at Opus is a hit, drawing a big crowd, including Lawrence's best friend from college and social media director Reid. Reid doesn't make a great first impression on Zora, he seems like he has a chip on his shoulder.

Much to Granny Marion and Emma's delight, Lawrence asks Zora to his apartment for dinner, and she accepts. The evening goes well, and there seems to be good chemistry between Zora and Lawrence.

Reid is a high school English teacher and he invites Zora to speak to his class about a city-wide writing contest that Zora is sponsoring at her store. Zora and Reid begin spending time together, and Zora discovers that she has feelings for Reid. When it rains, it pours, and Zora doesn't want to hurt either man. What to do? 

There was so much I liked about this book. Zora is a confident Black woman, a hardworking business owner, and she cares about her community. She's also a proud bibliophile, a foodie, and she cares about other people's feelings. The little touches that reveal character, like Zora saying grace before every meal, elevate this terrific novel.

As somone with a bookstore connection, I enjoyed reading all about Zora's experiences as a bookstore owner. You get a true feeling for what that involves on a day-to-day basis. 

There is an interesting twist about Lawrence and Reid's relationship that impacts Zora, one that a careful reader may be able to guess. 

Zora Books Her Own Happily Ever After is a delightful romance about a realistic woman who finds herself with a choice to make. Does she make the right one? I think so, and I hope we get to read more about Zora and her family and friends in subsequent books.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on Taj McCoy's tour.

Token by Beverley Kendall

Token by Beverley Kendall

Published by Graydon House ISBN 9781525899973 

Trade paperback, $17.99, 368 pages

I truly enjoy a novel that does a deep dive into a person's career and Beverley Kendall's Token does that extremely well.

As the story opens, Kennedy is working a temp job as a receptionist for a fashion company. She is bored just sitting there day after day until the day she is summoned to the boss' office. The head of HR informs her that they have a very important client coming in that day, Sahara, an iconic singer/actress (think Beyonce or Whitney Houston) who is getting into the fashion business, and the company would like Kennedy to be at the meeting.

The reason they want Kennedy at the meeting is to show Sahara that they are a diverse company. (They are not- Kennedy says "the company is about as diverse as the US Olympic equestrian team.") The company is willing to give Kennedy $10,000 today and hire her permanently. She negotiates a big sign-on bonus and a huge raise, enough to pay off her student loans. 

Sahara likes Kennedy immediately, and the company gets Sahara's account. Kennedy's best friend Aurora is thrilled for her, and together they come up with an idea to start their own company named Token, one that provides other companies with programs to address diversity issues. They also help high-profile people clear up any PR messes they find themselves in. 

The company is an immediate success, and Kennedy is thrilled to be working hard at a job she enjoys. When Aurora's brother (and Kennedy's first boyfriend) Nate unexpectantly finds himself in need of Token's services, Kennedy makes a PR blunder that puts her in a difficult position.

Token drew me in from page one. The scenes of Kennedy in the HR director's office where she realizes she has the upper hand start this terrific novel off with a bang. The characters are well-drawn, and I found the setting of the story in a PR firm that deals with diversity unique and timely.  

 While Nate hopes that their pretend romance for the media will stir up old feelings, Kennedy wants their relationship to be all business. Will Nate convince a relationship-wary Kennedy that he is the man for her? You'll have to read for youself- and I recommend you do.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Winter 2023 Rom-Com Blog Tour.