Nobody Can Love You Like Them Roughnecks Do by Shvonne LatriceMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Entertainment and Education
The entertainment-
Cortez aka Belly is cocky, confident and very straightforward. Okay, he was rude as hell and kept a regular"hoe-tation" of 5 or so women that remained loyal to him. Women were constantly trying to get recruited to be on the team. Blaise is pretty, sexy, smart and trying to forge her own career. All while trying to be a good single mom with only financial help from the father. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but when I did, I was all in. The story had an interesting group of supporting characters. The supporting characters were as much a mess as Belly's harem of harlots. His "crew" consisted of his brother and 3 friends. One of whom will betray him in the most unbelievable way. Blaise and her circle of friends were all trying to make a name for themselves in the entertainment world and provide for their families. Along the way, there is a bit of partner swapping, fake news, beatings, stalking, passion, lust, and an STD. Even the parents in the story were completely deplorable with Belly's and Blaise's parents leading the pack. The story moved swiftly, held my interest ( I read all 4 in 2 days) and delivered a fitting end to the characters presented. It had good character development, a strong storyline and was well- executed.
The education-
This story touched on so many elements. One of the most interesting was the addiction to prostitution for one of the male characters. Instead of the usual drugs, alcohol, and gambling, the character was addicted to "working girls". Which leads to the mental health element. You see a black man visiting a therapist. Something that unfortunately has been frowned upon in the Black community. Thankfully, a real push to has taken place culturally to take the stigma away from this form of self-care. I appreciated this being in the book. The Author also touched on parental neglect and promiscuity and its generational effects on families. It was also great that she showed what breaking that negative cycle looks like. You also see the effects of low self-esteem and how it colors your steps in adulthood by allowing you to accept coming in second best or in some cases fifth. You are being entertained so well through the world she creates with her talented pen that you have no idea you are also learning that you shouldn't allow a person to make you feel less than the magnificent being you were born to be. Or that investing in yourself when no one, not even your parents, can lead to success. She shows that being strong and confident doesn't mean you're a bitch or angry. Belly's character, as well as Blaise's, demonstrates this perfectly. Neither had parental support or anyone else in the corner. They believed. The worked. They hustled.
If you know nothing about this Author you can see the love she has for home. The respect she pays to the artists, the culture, the hustle. This was a very entertaining series. The drama had you shaking your head. the passion kept you glued to the pages. I loved that the HEAs came together for the couples or did it?
Sidenote: I'll never look at fudge pops the same again.
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