Review: He Is Who A Friend by Love Belvin
He Is Who A Friend by Love Belvin Published by MKT Publishing on December 11, 2018
Genres: African American, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Format: eBook
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Sadik Ellis blew into my rather insipid world at breakneck speed and with gripping force. He held all the features: striking feline eyes, golden russet skin, incredible sex appeal, wealth exuding like the enticing scent of cologne, and mind-blowing determination.
He was also trouble from the other side of the tracks, something I’d sensed. Sadik was an Ellis man with a solid education, his own thriving businesses, and self-obtained wealth. However, the Ellis family was known for their long underbelly ruling of the state of New Jersey. When Sadik assured his life was separate of his father’s, I believed him each time.
I fell completely and dangerously head over heels for him. And, my God, all the red flags were there. Yet I ignored them all, throwing caution to the winds of naivety just to add a little spice to my mundane world.
A world that will never be the same because I allowed it to be infiltrated by an Ellis.
Publisher’s Note: “He Who Is a Friend” is book ONE of a THREE book series. It ends on a suspenseful CLIFFHANGER. This book contains angst, violence, profanity, sexual explicit content, and gory material. If any of these elements is not what you prefer between the pages of a novel, this is not the venture for you.
The way my nerves are set up, I don’t read a lot of books where I know there’s going to be massive cliffhangers beforehand. I usually wait until the series is complete to dive in so that way I’m not throwing my Kindle across the room.
For this reason, I told myself that I wouldn’t read Love Belvin’s He Is Who A Friend until the series was complete. I knew the writing would be great, and I knew the suspense and drama would have me begging for more so I wanted to save myself the wait.
Guess who didn’t listen and read the book anyway? ME!
And I regret nothing!
Good news: I was okay with the cliffhanger. Bad news: realizing I have to wait a few months for the next installment because I’m too hardheaded. LOL
Bilan and Sadik are from two different worlds. She’s trying to finish school, figure out what’s next and make sure all of her bills are paid. He is the youngest son of an infamous Jersey kingpin. Sadik’s power and wealth are known from the very beginning. Readers are never disillusioned about who this man is and the power he yields, even though he stays away from his father’s business for the most part.
There is an attraction when these two first meet but Sadik has a situation. One that Bilan believe she correctly interprets but readers know that there is more than what meets the eye. These two begin a courtship that though the feelings are very real, the foundation on which it was built is very shaky. Sadik has a secret, well actually he has many secrets, as it pertains to Bilan and the relationship they now have. He didn’t expect for things to turn out the way they have but he will not turn his back on a love he has never experienced, and he dares anyone to tell him that he has to.
Sadik introduces Bilan to a lifestyle that she is unaccustomed to but soon finds herself wrapped up in. He is an alpha male to his core and while he is at times too demanding, it comes from a good place. A place of love.
While Bilan is appreciative of all of the material things he gives her, that’s not her end goal. In the end, she really wants a sense of family and once Sadik is able to peel back some of her layers and find that out, he is intent on giving it to her; even if that means disregarding her own timeline.
While Bilan and Sadik have a lot of learning and growing to do together, and a lot of secrets have yet to be revealed to both parties I liked them as a couple. I am eager to learn more about the origin of a certain tendency Bilan has, which I will not reveal here. How Sadik navigates the next steps of their relationship also intrigues me.
He Is Who A Friend is intense, and filled with drama and suspense amidst the budding love of the two main characters. We are introduced to a lot of characters in a short amount of time, many of whom are suspicious and untrustworthy but make for great secondary characters. This is to lay the foundation for the second novel, I assume.
After all, Bilan has seen, can Sadik become her friend once again so that they may move forward? I’ll be waiting patiently for that answer and more in book 2!
Images via LoveBelvin.com
Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.
You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.
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