The 7th book is Charming as a Verb by Ben Phillipe

About the Author

Elise Bryant was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from California State with a B.A. in Africana studies. She also has a Masters in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to her writing career, she was a special education teacher. Happily Ever Afters is her debut novel and her follow up One True Loves has also been published (our next read!).

Book Look

Sam and Felicia discuss how this book cover is bright and creative just as the main character Lenore. It showcases her vibrant art and readiness to go on vacation. We also love another natural hair style being showcased with Lenore’s beautiful locs.

Bookmark

• “But maybe caring for ourselves is the ultimate celebration of how they’ve raised us. Having options you know? Not just surviving in this world..but living.” p. 134

POV

This time around Felicia and Sam had the same favorite character Etta. Etta was the youngest child but her personality shined bright. As a child genius, Etta had some funny lines and was a great advocate for her older sister Lenore. On the other hand, Lenore’s parents in the novel were two characters who ended up putting too much pressure on their kids. Even though the parents embodied Black excellence we got to see the consequences of taking the demands of Black excellence too far.

Deep Dive

There were many topics discussed in this week’s deep dive from Black excellence, heartbreak, to college decisions. Sam and Felica both agreed that they could relate to Lenore’s struggle to meet the Black Excellence expectations from parental influence and society. They further discuss how heartbreak impacts a young girl and the difficulty with moving forward. Lenore’s journey is quick but Sam and Felicia still understand how hard it is to decide what to do with your future. Overall, Sam and Felicia  are looking forward to the next novel by Elise Bryant.