Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
I selected Curl Around My Heart for Diverse Books Week in our Reading Challenge Month because it features MCs of color. I was intrigued by a male salon owner who let his fabulous flag fly often.
Tate Robinson is an out-and-proud black man running his own hair salon, and kicking it for realz in his high heels. Heâs queen of the shop and not afraid to dish out tough loveâŠwhen asked. One night, when his pumps are about to quit, a sexy young father arrives with his football-playing daughter, needing a comb out before picture day.
Turns out that the father and daughter, Reece and LJ, have moved into the apartment above Tateâs. And, when Tate gets irate about their noise, well, he gets harangued into doing young LJ’s hair. Tate is growing a tender spot for little LJ (his Ladybug!) and sheâs not too shy to out her father as bisexual. LJ would be thrilled if Tate would date her father, but Reece is barely making ends meet and he suffers a shortage of confidence. His relationship with LJâs mother went bad from the start, and though heâs gainfully employed, there isnât room in their budget for the weekly hair maintenance his daughter needs. What does he have to offer a successful, sexy man like Tate? Instead, Reece strikes a bargain with Tate: home-cooked meals and general household repairs in exchange for comb outs and conditioning treatments. And this does turn into date nights.
LJâs thrilled to have Tate in her life, but her mother, who is struggling to overcome heroin addiction, isnâtâand neither are her conservative grandparents. They want nothing to do with Reece, and want to raise Lettie Jean on their own. With Tate a regular fixture, they seem ready to take legal action.
This is a sweet and occasionally sexy story. Both Reece and Tate have trouble in their families. Tateâs father hasnât disowned him, but heâs outwardly cold, and regularly shuts down any talk of Tateâs success, or sex life, at his family dinner table. Meanwhile, Reeceâs mother talks down to him, treating him as if heâs still the high school screw-up who knocked up his girlfriend and dropped out of school. He canât get her to see that heâs a responsible, grown man taking good care of his daughterâand taking night school to finish his degree. I really liked how Reece and Tate complement each otherâthey see the man before them, not the shadows their families perpetuate. Reese is wild about Tateâs outre look, and does his darnedest to show it, while Tateâs deeply touched by how loving Reece is to LJ. Still, Tate is certain Reece will want him to âtone it downâ at some point, and heâs a bit hypersensitive due to bad experiences with other men. And Reeceâs insecurity over his lack of success is a hotbed of struggle that he needs to overcome, and Tateâs constant support helps him do that.
Naturally, the world creeps in. This, I thought, was the weakest part of the story. Reece has shown himself to be a fit parent, yet the legal battle to retain full custody of LJ takes a turn that didnât feel natural, not in present-day California where the story was set, anyway. It causes strife for Tate and Reece, but they overcome it at exactly the right moment. And, they mend fences with their families during that crisis, too.
I loved the exploration of black family life, and the language grounded this story firmly in middle-class California culture. Little LJ fair steals the scene on occasion, and her boundless love for Tate was awesome to experience. In the end, itâs a touching and sweet story with some excellent cultural and beauty-shop context. Expect some teary moments and a love to last the ages. The review copy I read had some distracting typo issues, but was otherwise a breeze to read.
This review is part of our Reading Challenge Month for Diverse Books Week! Leave a relevant comment below and you will be entered to win one of our amazing diverse books prize packs. Commenters will also be entered to win our amazing grand prize sponsored by Dreamspinner Press (a Kindle Fire filled with Dreamspun Desires/Beyond books, plus a 3-month subscription!). You can get more information on our Challenge Month here, and more details on Diverse Books Week here, including a list of all the books in this week’s prize.Â
This book is on my KU TBR. I like books with fabulous MCs that aren’t afraid to be themselves.
I need this, went ahead and bought it. Thank you Jay, you made my day a little bit brighter.
Yay, hope you enjoy! I thought it sounded good too!
Jay, thank you for your reply. Veronica, my apologies, thank you for your review.
No worries! I hope you love it. ð
Sweet and occasionally sexy sounds good! Thanks for the review
This sounds like a lovely story. Thanks for your review, Veronica.
What a nice review. This author is new to me but I really look forward to giving her a try. ð
I believe this is her first book. A good effort!
New-to-me author, I’m curious now!
Thank you for the review. I’ve seen other reviews for this that were quite good. Definitely a book I’m willing to give a read.
Thank you for the review, Verónica. This sounds like a really cute story, with the biterracial family and the interracial relationship. I like the fact that one of the characters is bi as well. It seems to cover all the main points!
This sounds like a lovely story. Thanks for the review!
Thank you for your review. I already had this book on my wishlist but i wasn’t sure if i should buy it since this is a new to me author but after reading your thoughts i’m convinced.
I hope you enjoy it!
This sounds cute. Children in books can go either way, but when done right, that can add a lot of heart to a story.
Absolutely agree! I honestly can’t read a book with a kid unless I read a review first. It can just wreck a good story when the kid feels unrealistic or is just a prop.
Yep, super picky about kid in my books here too
I have occasionally not liked the kiddos, but I think LJ was really well-written and totally sympathetic.
Thanks for the review. I’m putting it on my TBR
I haven’t heard of this book or author, but I really like the sound of it thanks to your review, Veronica. Added to my list!
This sounds super interesting. I love domestic stories, especially when there are kids. Adding to my TBR!
This is one of the new authors I discovered this year, I really enjoy her books.
This sounds very sweet!