Review: Making it Real by Synithia Williams
Making It Real by Synithia Williams Published by Crimson Romance on June 1st 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 276
Format: eBook
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After five years in prison, Kareem Henderson is starting his life over. Though business is good at his barbershop, his goal is to open a high-end gentlemen's salon. But the road back is rough, and he needs connections in the society he once snubbed to make his dream a reality. He just never expected his second chance to come from the sexy female barber he hired last year.Patrice "Neecie" Baldwin escaped the pressure of being the perfect daughter in one of North Carolina's most prestigious families to live life on her own. When family responsibilities call her home, she fears going back will expose her to the pressures that nearly ruined her. Neecie needs a shield, and tall, handsome, bad boy Kareem seems impenetrable. So she offers him a deal: If he'll pretend to be her fiance, she'll introduce him to all of her well-connected relatives.But the more time they spend together, the more the irresistible attraction between them builds. They're from such different worlds, but can this fake relationship make the cut and become something very real?Sensuality Level: Sensual
Prime Reading has made its review and as a result, I am finding more books to read. Prime membership does indeed have its perks. 🙂
Prior to this, I had only read one book from Synithia Williams. I liked it so I was interested in reading another one.
Making it Real is a part of The Henderson family series and follows middle brother, Kareem; a man who spent time in prison for a few reckless decisions when he was younger. Five years removed and he is on his way to making a name for himself aside from his family’s wealth and connections. He wants to open a high-end gentlemen’s salon but is having a hard time securing the needed funds and his pride prohibits him from going to his family. This is where Patrice Baldwin comes in. She’s a female barber in his current barbershop who’s keeping a few secrets of her own. She needs to convince her family that she’s doing okay and Kareem needs connections and a bank loan. These two come to an agreement and pretend to be engaged. She’s also from a wealthy family and has her own reasons for staying away from them.
I’ll be the first admit; this storyline was a stretch for me to believe. While Patrice aka Neecie did know the right people to help Kareem, this plan they agreed to on the fly was not necessary, and honestly didn’t last very long at all. A pretend relationship quickly ( I mean within a few days) turned into something more and they both had to contend with prying eyes, distant and overbearing family, and trust issues on both sides.
Neecie’s family was a bit MUCH. Who has their daughter followed under the pretense of making sure she’s okay? They worked on my damn nerves the whole book. I like a little family drama but their stance on Neecie’s decision for her life was completely uncalled for. They were rude for no damn reason. The only redeeming character was her sister, Beth.
Kareem’s family was much more likable and willing to help, however, Kareem refused to ask. The guilt he had from his past actions prevented him from asking for anything because he didn’t want to let them down any more than he felt he already did.
Kareem and Neecie both come from wealthy families and had a number of secrets and fears they’d rather keep hidden. Kareem was very unpolished with women in a way that caught me off guard. His earlier experiences shaped him in more ways than one. There was also more to Neecie than met the eye. Beneath the flowy skirts and curls was a woman who was still on the road to becoming the person she truly wanted to be. The two of them were ultimately on a path to self-discovery and while I didn’t necessarily feel a lot of chemistry between the two, Making it Real was a nice and quick read.
This book can be read as a standalone, however, I think I’ll check out the other two books in this series.
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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