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Loose Ends #1
Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny
All Dr. Sloan Copeland needed was someone to watch her kids. What she found was the man of her dreams…
After a nasty divorce and a thousand mile move, Dr. Sloan Copeland and her twin daughters are finally getting the hang of their new life in Los Angeles. When their live-in nanny bails with no warning, Sloan is left scrambling to find a competent caretaker to wrangle her smart, sensitive girls. Nothing less will do.
Enter Rafe Whitcomb. He's all of those things, not to mention good-natured and one heck of a whiz in the kitchen. He's also tall, and handsome, and bearded, and ripped, and tatted, wrist to neck.
It doesn't take long for the Copelands to invite Rafe into their home. Just as quickly, both Sloan and Rafe find themselves succumbing to a heady mutual attraction, neither of them wants to deny. With every minute they spend under the same roof, this working mom can't help but wonder if Rafe can handle all her needs...
After a nasty divorce and a thousand mile move, Dr. Sloan Copeland and her twin daughters are finally getting the hang of their new life in Los Angeles. When their live-in nanny bails with no warning, Sloan is left scrambling to find a competent caretaker to wrangle her smart, sensitive girls. Nothing less will do.
Enter Rafe Whitcomb. He's all of those things, not to mention good-natured and one heck of a whiz in the kitchen. He's also tall, and handsome, and bearded, and ripped, and tatted, wrist to neck.
It doesn't take long for the Copelands to invite Rafe into their home. Just as quickly, both Sloan and Rafe find themselves succumbing to a heady mutual attraction, neither of them wants to deny. With every minute they spend under the same roof, this working mom can't help but wonder if Rafe can handle all her needs...
239 pages, ebook
First published September 26, 2018
About the author
Rebekah Weatherspoon
31 books2,797 followersAfter years of meddling in her friends’ love lives, Rebekah Weatherspoon turned to writing romance to get her fix. Raised in Southern New Hampshire, Rebekah Weatherspoon now lives in Southern California where she will remain forever because she hates moving.
Her BDSM romance At Her Feet won the Golden Crown Literary Award for erotic lesbian fiction. Her novella FIT (#1 in the FIT Trilogy) won the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Erotica Novella, SATED (#3 in the FIT Trilogy) was nominated for the the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Digital Erotic Romance and most recently SOUL TO KEEP VSS#3 won the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Erotica.
Her 2018 romantic comedy RAFE: A Buff Male Nanny received praise from both Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. You can look for her most recent romantic comedy XENI : A Marriage of Inconvenience now, and a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, A COWBOY TO REMEMBER, late February 2020 from Kensington Books. In the meant time, you can find Rebekah and her books on twitter at @rdotspoon and her website www.rebekahweatherspoon.com,
Her BDSM romance At Her Feet won the Golden Crown Literary Award for erotic lesbian fiction. Her novella FIT (#1 in the FIT Trilogy) won the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Erotica Novella, SATED (#3 in the FIT Trilogy) was nominated for the the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Digital Erotic Romance and most recently SOUL TO KEEP VSS#3 won the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Erotica.
Her 2018 romantic comedy RAFE: A Buff Male Nanny received praise from both Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. You can look for her most recent romantic comedy XENI : A Marriage of Inconvenience now, and a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, A COWBOY TO REMEMBER, late February 2020 from Kensington Books. In the meant time, you can find Rebekah and her books on twitter at @rdotspoon and her website www.rebekahweatherspoon.com,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,089 reviews
October 11, 2021
This was some good shit right here. Even better that it became better with a reread.
————————————
I think I’ve found a new favourite romance author.
I love that this story highlighted healthy relationships, the importance of having good people around you and showed how healthy families can be created after some tough times.
It’s also a nice little fuck you toxic masculinity.
I happily could’ve read on and on about Rafe and Sloan.
I can’t wait to read more books from this author.
Read for #Smutathon.
————————————
I think I’ve found a new favourite romance author.
I love that this story highlighted healthy relationships, the importance of having good people around you and showed how healthy families can be created after some tough times.
It’s also a nice little fuck you toxic masculinity.
I happily could’ve read on and on about Rafe and Sloan.
I can’t wait to read more books from this author.
Read for #Smutathon.
June 6, 2019
This was SO STEAMY?????? Holy heck
September 24, 2018
I really really enjoyed this.
Rafe is probably one of the best male love interests I have read. He is super masculine but without the toxic masculinity.
Sloan was a really great character as well. Being one of the youngest black female surgeons and single mom to twin girls, she had a lot on her plate. But she was such a great mom and I loved her relationship with her daughters.
I really liked that the conflict in this book never came from lack of communication. These characters actually talked to each other and didn't let problems slip by unnoticed. bless.
I am definitely gonna have to go back and read some more of Rebekah Weatherspoon's books asap!
Rafe is probably one of the best male love interests I have read. He is super masculine but without the toxic masculinity.
Sloan was a really great character as well. Being one of the youngest black female surgeons and single mom to twin girls, she had a lot on her plate. But she was such a great mom and I loved her relationship with her daughters.
I really liked that the conflict in this book never came from lack of communication. These characters actually talked to each other and didn't let problems slip by unnoticed. bless.
I am definitely gonna have to go back and read some more of Rebekah Weatherspoon's books asap!
February 13, 2020
Sigh. Don't get me wrong. 3 stars is not a bad rating. It's just that this book was one of my most anticipated reads and I was so convinced that I would adore everything about it, and instead, it fell short in so many ways.
the good:
• Rafe is super sweet, gentle, and 100% anti-toxic masculinity
• Sloan is a brilliant, hilarious, badass surgeon & mother
• the kids are cute AF
• Xeni & Monica are 10/10
the bad:
• too much pointless dialogue, not enough happening
• a lot of really awkward phrasing that doesn't make sense (I'm not referring to word choices and slang, I'm referring to words missing from sentences, etc.)
• a tremendously rushed ending
• forced tension between Sloan & Rafe (there's one scene where they act like they've had some sort of fight, but it was really just... nothing?? there's literally no tension present on-page WHATSOEVER, but they make a big deal out of it and it feels so forced)
• lots of minor annoying, unrealistic incidents
• most of the side characters are incredibly flat and one-dimensional
🤷♀️ I wanted to adore this, but sadly, I couldn't. I'll probably give the author another chance, but I won't be rushing to do so. I'm disappointed to say that I feel "meh" enough about this that, even though I loved Xeni, I... don't even really care about reading her book in this series? :(
Buddy read with Ellyn! 💖
the good:
• Rafe is super sweet, gentle, and 100% anti-toxic masculinity
• Sloan is a brilliant, hilarious, badass surgeon & mother
• the kids are cute AF
• Xeni & Monica are 10/10
the bad:
• too much pointless dialogue, not enough happening
• a lot of really awkward phrasing that doesn't make sense (I'm not referring to word choices and slang, I'm referring to words missing from sentences, etc.)
• a tremendously rushed ending
• forced tension between Sloan & Rafe (there's one scene where they act like they've had some sort of fight, but it was really just... nothing?? there's literally no tension present on-page WHATSOEVER, but they make a big deal out of it and it feels so forced)
• lots of minor annoying, unrealistic incidents
• most of the side characters are incredibly flat and one-dimensional
🤷♀️ I wanted to adore this, but sadly, I couldn't. I'll probably give the author another chance, but I won't be rushing to do so. I'm disappointed to say that I feel "meh" enough about this that, even though I loved Xeni, I... don't even really care about reading her book in this series? :(
Buddy read with Ellyn! 💖
December 23, 2020
4.5 Stars
YES BUFF MALE NANNY. I thought this was a super sweet (and steamy) romance between Rafe and Sloan. I was surprised how early their discussion of their attraction came out and how Rafe just put it out there that he was attracted to her. But that also means that there was amazing communication between Rafe and Sloan and I was so here for that. I did like how Sloan was a successful single mom and could stand on her own. Her romance with Rafe was life-changing and she had a lot to think about before diving into a relationship with him. I loved Sloan's twin girls and how great Rafe was with them. This was just a fun, shorter romance that I would definitely recommend!
YES BUFF MALE NANNY. I thought this was a super sweet (and steamy) romance between Rafe and Sloan. I was surprised how early their discussion of their attraction came out and how Rafe just put it out there that he was attracted to her. But that also means that there was amazing communication between Rafe and Sloan and I was so here for that. I did like how Sloan was a successful single mom and could stand on her own. Her romance with Rafe was life-changing and she had a lot to think about before diving into a relationship with him. I loved Sloan's twin girls and how great Rafe was with them. This was just a fun, shorter romance that I would definitely recommend!
August 28, 2020
4 stars
Rafe is the first book in Rebekah Weatherspoon's 'Loose Ends' series, and even though I liked Xeni a bit more, I still liked this one a lot. I probably should have read them in order, but they can be read as stand-alones so all is good.
Sloan is a successful surgeon and has twin girls getting ready to start kindergarten. She doesn't live near her ex-husband or family so she has a lot on her plate. When her nanny walks out on her one day, she's left in a really bad spot. Until Rafe steps in.
Rafe has been a nanny for quite some time, but after his last family left the country for a job opportunity and he declined to join them. When he hears of Sloan's predicament, he decides to help her out for a while. When these two meet, sparks fly. Even though being together would be complicated, they can't seem to stay away from each other.
I loved Rafe and Sloan together. I loved that Rafe was the nanny and was so amazing with the kids and Sloan was the professional working woman. They made such a great couple and the kids were adorable. Overall, this was a quick listen that was sweet, sexy, and fun!
Rafe is the first book in Rebekah Weatherspoon's 'Loose Ends' series, and even though I liked Xeni a bit more, I still liked this one a lot. I probably should have read them in order, but they can be read as stand-alones so all is good.
Sloan is a successful surgeon and has twin girls getting ready to start kindergarten. She doesn't live near her ex-husband or family so she has a lot on her plate. When her nanny walks out on her one day, she's left in a really bad spot. Until Rafe steps in.
Rafe has been a nanny for quite some time, but after his last family left the country for a job opportunity and he declined to join them. When he hears of Sloan's predicament, he decides to help her out for a while. When these two meet, sparks fly. Even though being together would be complicated, they can't seem to stay away from each other.
“This isn’t a part of your job,”
“It’s a part of the other job I might want to interview for.”
“What job is that?”
“The man in your life.”
I loved Rafe and Sloan together. I loved that Rafe was the nanny and was so amazing with the kids and Sloan was the professional working woman. They made such a great couple and the kids were adorable. Overall, this was a quick listen that was sweet, sexy, and fun!
June 8, 2023
We've all been there. Stuck in slump for the better part of a year, loving the books we're stuck in but for whatever reason, it's just really hard to focus. I have been reading The Little Friend since November last year. It's a book by my favourite author, suffers from an identity crisis, has characters who are as unsavoury as a Daily Wire lineup but the book is good. So good but for whatever reason, I just struggle to concentrate. You know the tiktok song, am I too tired, am I just lazy, do I have ADHD (I actually do), is it just burnout, what the fuck is wrong with me? A lot. And we're not going to address it but I hate that it's robbed me of my ability to wade into a book and drown in it. I didn't finish reading anything in June and it's embarrassing so my friends suggested picking something easy to read that can help recalibrate my brain or something. This novel rang suitable. It's about a male nanny covered in tats with a large ginger beard. I thought I would be reading about a misunderstood giant of a man who is actually a very soft teddy bear. Preferably a himbo. That's not what I got.
Instead, what I got was a mashup of everything I hate in contemporary romance novels. Only this time, this book committed the cardinal sin: it bored me.
We meet Sloan, she gets home to her garage door half open and her nanny missing. Her six year old "precocious" twins are alive and well but her nanny has run off. I thought this would be some excellent drama. Perhaps the nanny stole out the safe and did a runner. Or she was secretly a spy for North Koreans and the NSA had closed in on her (watch The Flight Attendant). I was hoping for something good. Imagine me, eyebrows raised, snuggling further into my chair, raising the ebook closer to my eyes, "This is going to be good..." My dear reader, it wasn't. Tess had just resigned unprofessionally because, Childcare is not for me.
To be fair, the post-it breakup has a long history in pop culture and can be full of drama but this book just couldn't be arsed to give me something. Anything. Go on girl, give us nothing.
So then, in true rom com, chick lit fashion, I expected Sloan to meet the male nanny under ridiculous, contrived or rather meet cute circumstances. Perhaps they bump into each other at the club. Sloan has given the twins away to a friend or someone and been taken out dancing by her friends. While there she meets the redheaded answer to Dwayne Johnson where she proceeds to have a passionate torrid one-night-stand with him. The best orgasm she's ever had since she left her husband. After her whirlwind night out, her temporary nanny has an emergency and she has to be called in to work for extended nights. She doesn't have as much time to properly source and interview nannies, so one of her friends recommends the unconventional nanny who is usually in high demand but has become unattached recently. Lo and behold it's her one night stand, drama ensues. But no. This book has a series of recommendations happen, they google each other, meet, decide they find each other hot, work together and live happily ever after. Seriously.
I love seeing black girls being safe, happy and nerdy. I love seeing them being loved as they deserve. But I don't want to be bored reading it. And this book just couldn't put any effort into giving me any story. The only conflict arose from Sloan's ex whose unpleasant personality had to be inorganically amped up to 11 for a very anticlimactic showdown at an airport.
It made me miss the old style romances where something big and crazy would happen like a kidnapping or being taken hostage during a bank robbery. I was so bored out of my mind when the book ended I didn't even realise it. Everything is written in this mundane delivery and is told to you in the most unimaginative way possible. And there was so much to mine from, Rafe's past, Sloan being a black 28 yo wunderkind who is probably not well adjusted socially... There was also this lack of finesse or something.
God, his voice was sex on a biscuit. I would imagine that is very uncomfortable.
“Yeah, okay. I’m from Rhode Island. Providence.” Sloan needed to chill. Her voice was doing that high floating thing it did when she was nervous. There are literally words that describe this. Shrill, screeching, piercing. That quote could've just ended with, Sloan's voice was borderline shrill. I wanted to take this book and point it to better books and show it what its friends were doing.
I often wanted to check out but the book is only 250 pages and was a gift from a secret santa. Everything this book promised didn't deliver. There was no flavour, no soul food. And most egregiously, I was bored. But hey, I've finished a book.
Instead, what I got was a mashup of everything I hate in contemporary romance novels. Only this time, this book committed the cardinal sin: it bored me.
We meet Sloan, she gets home to her garage door half open and her nanny missing. Her six year old "precocious" twins are alive and well but her nanny has run off. I thought this would be some excellent drama. Perhaps the nanny stole out the safe and did a runner. Or she was secretly a spy for North Koreans and the NSA had closed in on her (watch The Flight Attendant). I was hoping for something good. Imagine me, eyebrows raised, snuggling further into my chair, raising the ebook closer to my eyes, "This is going to be good..." My dear reader, it wasn't. Tess had just resigned unprofessionally because, Childcare is not for me.
To be fair, the post-it breakup has a long history in pop culture and can be full of drama but this book just couldn't be arsed to give me something. Anything. Go on girl, give us nothing.
So then, in true rom com, chick lit fashion, I expected Sloan to meet the male nanny under ridiculous, contrived or rather meet cute circumstances. Perhaps they bump into each other at the club. Sloan has given the twins away to a friend or someone and been taken out dancing by her friends. While there she meets the redheaded answer to Dwayne Johnson where she proceeds to have a passionate torrid one-night-stand with him. The best orgasm she's ever had since she left her husband. After her whirlwind night out, her temporary nanny has an emergency and she has to be called in to work for extended nights. She doesn't have as much time to properly source and interview nannies, so one of her friends recommends the unconventional nanny who is usually in high demand but has become unattached recently. Lo and behold it's her one night stand, drama ensues. But no. This book has a series of recommendations happen, they google each other, meet, decide they find each other hot, work together and live happily ever after. Seriously.
I love seeing black girls being safe, happy and nerdy. I love seeing them being loved as they deserve. But I don't want to be bored reading it. And this book just couldn't put any effort into giving me any story. The only conflict arose from Sloan's ex whose unpleasant personality had to be inorganically amped up to 11 for a very anticlimactic showdown at an airport.
It made me miss the old style romances where something big and crazy would happen like a kidnapping or being taken hostage during a bank robbery. I was so bored out of my mind when the book ended I didn't even realise it. Everything is written in this mundane delivery and is told to you in the most unimaginative way possible. And there was so much to mine from, Rafe's past, Sloan being a black 28 yo wunderkind who is probably not well adjusted socially... There was also this lack of finesse or something.
God, his voice was sex on a biscuit. I would imagine that is very uncomfortable.
“Yeah, okay. I’m from Rhode Island. Providence.” Sloan needed to chill. Her voice was doing that high floating thing it did when she was nervous. There are literally words that describe this. Shrill, screeching, piercing. That quote could've just ended with, Sloan's voice was borderline shrill. I wanted to take this book and point it to better books and show it what its friends were doing.
I often wanted to check out but the book is only 250 pages and was a gift from a secret santa. Everything this book promised didn't deliver. There was no flavour, no soul food. And most egregiously, I was bored. But hey, I've finished a book.
March 23, 2024
Yea...this book was....not good.
It started off alright but then kept going downhill until finally it fell off a cliff into a fiery pit. Just overall it felt like the author had no plan for this...NO PLAN. Maybe she started this with a good idea, you know, do a reverse nanny trope, but then proceeded to not put any other effort into making this a good story. This book had so many things wrong with it, so much to dislike, but overall its biggest sin was that it was just plain BORING. NOTHING HAPPENED IN IT. This book basically read like my normal Monday, except my husband doesn’t have tattoos and I’m not a black doctor. Lots of detail about getting kids ready for school, driving kids to school, arguing with kids about screen time, getting kids ready for bath time, putting kids to bed....oh my gawd, one whole chapter was dedicated to him doing a puzzle and getting her car detailed 😴. I don’t need to read about this, this is my life.
That being said I will take some time to get in to all the other problems with this book....
1. Sloan was a perfect pretty brilliant princess doctor heroine who did everything right and was a phenom superhero. I’m surprised the author didn’t make her cure cancer and end world hunger and become the ambassador for the UN at age 15. A less believable character I have yet to read. A 28 year old single mother of twins, a top cardio-thoracic surgeon who went to Harvard, started high school at 10, or 8 or 7 (it kept changing), and her marriage broke up because her husband was jealous of her 22 year old surgeon ass and cheated on her.... so at 22 she was a full fledged cardio surgeon... She was also the perfect mother, perfect friend and breathtakingly model beautiful but also so innocent of men...like ok sure. How can we like a character like this? Yuk.
2. This book was FILLED with typos, grammatical mistakes and terrible terrible writing. I tripped over them every few pages, it was annoying. Who edited this garbage?
3. Rafe was a bad attempt at a woke man. So he’s a nanny, but instead of making him a nanny because he loved kids and was devoted to being a nurturer, the author made him a nanny because he didn’t finish high school and the only option for him after GETTING OUT OF JUVIE was to care for his little half sisters. From there he just kept getting nanny jobs and was happy to be paid for hanging out with kids...SERIOUSLY? You have the opportunity to confront some stereotypes, to flip a trope on its head and then you cop out in a spectacular fashion! So a woman can be a nanny because she loves kids, but a man is one because he had no other options in life? Frankly, FUCK THAT SHIT!
Ok regardless of that bullshit, why did the author keep having to double down on Rafe’s badassery? He rides a motorcycle, is covered in sleeves of tatts, was in juvie for GTA, has a band of ex-cons he rides around on his bike with. She couldn’t even make her ‘sensitive hero’ actually BE sensitive but still has the nerve to try to use him as a platform to lecture us on toxic masculinity? Sorry lady, I would have given you this platform had you not made Rafe such a fucking stereotype!! Arg.
4. Dialogue....who speaks like this? This brilliant surgeon used words like ‘whack’ and says ‘Imma gonna’ I thought I was in an episode of the original Fresh Prince from 1992.
5. The smut was bad. It was clinical and awkward and at the same time, super gross. Words like juices and drool were used A LOT. There was one scene where she squirted in descriptive detail multiple times and the nice nanny that he is, he washed her sheets for her and made her bed because they’d FLOODED it the night before... 🤮 🤮 🤮 too graphic... just blech.
6. The ex husband....what in the fuck? He went from an annoying douche to a crazy jealous psycho in 0-60 seconds. Like I said before, this book had no plan, NONE, I know this because right at the end the author decides that she wants to free this woman of any obligation to an ex so she can make Rafe the sole daddy to these kids. So she has the ex husband lose his mind and attack Rafe in a jealous rage and verbally abuse the twins for no good sensible reason with no history of violence mentioned before...um what? And why? Why can’t the ex husband just be ok? There was no need for this drama. Except maybe to justify the ending, which I will get to *spoilers ahead*.
7. The ending....why? It came out of nowhere first of all...probably because NOTHING HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK, but all of a sudden there is an epilogue of three years later, when NOTHING HAPPENED to make us think the story was over. And the choice the author made for Rafe? Again why? He spoke of wanting to DO something with his life. Maybe be a mechanic and work on motorcycles....instead he quits his job and becomes her FREE NANNY. Or stay at home dad...but when he goes from paid nanny to stay at home dad to STEP CHILDREN he is basically slave labour. The only good thing about this is that I always have a problem with nanny tropes because the woman ends up being free childcare to the rich hero, and this one did the reverse so I guess it’s only fair. But honestly it sucked as much when it happened to Rafe as it does when it’s the woman in this scenario...gah! Let the hero have his dream too Weatherspoon!
8. Did I mention this book had no plot and NOTHING HAPPENS in it? Well it’s true... just a bunch of nothing, then more nothing...some awkward, fluid-rich sex and more nothing, nonsensical ex drama, then BAM epilogue three years later. There was no conflict in their relationship, no conflict between the children and Rafe, no angst over dating the nanny - she lets him finger her to orgasm HIS FIRST NIGHT IN THE HOUSE days after meeting him, while her kids are sleeping - and no character development. They just banged and braided the kids’ hair a lot.
So this was a highly recommended book. It was on my public library’s list of recommendations, O Magazine mentioned it as a must read and that leads me to wonder....did those people actually read this book? Or was the trope reversal, the title and the cover the only thing anyone looked at?
So then I read some reviews on goodreads and I felt validated. This WAS a terrible book...*nods head* it was. Avoid this one. It’s not the light hearted cinnamon roll read it says it is... it a boring stale cracker of a read. 👎🏿
It started off alright but then kept going downhill until finally it fell off a cliff into a fiery pit. Just overall it felt like the author had no plan for this...NO PLAN. Maybe she started this with a good idea, you know, do a reverse nanny trope, but then proceeded to not put any other effort into making this a good story. This book had so many things wrong with it, so much to dislike, but overall its biggest sin was that it was just plain BORING. NOTHING HAPPENED IN IT. This book basically read like my normal Monday, except my husband doesn’t have tattoos and I’m not a black doctor. Lots of detail about getting kids ready for school, driving kids to school, arguing with kids about screen time, getting kids ready for bath time, putting kids to bed....oh my gawd, one whole chapter was dedicated to him doing a puzzle and getting her car detailed 😴. I don’t need to read about this, this is my life.
That being said I will take some time to get in to all the other problems with this book....
1. Sloan was a perfect pretty brilliant princess doctor heroine who did everything right and was a phenom superhero. I’m surprised the author didn’t make her cure cancer and end world hunger and become the ambassador for the UN at age 15. A less believable character I have yet to read. A 28 year old single mother of twins, a top cardio-thoracic surgeon who went to Harvard, started high school at 10, or 8 or 7 (it kept changing), and her marriage broke up because her husband was jealous of her 22 year old surgeon ass and cheated on her.... so at 22 she was a full fledged cardio surgeon... She was also the perfect mother, perfect friend and breathtakingly model beautiful but also so innocent of men...like ok sure. How can we like a character like this? Yuk.
2. This book was FILLED with typos, grammatical mistakes and terrible terrible writing. I tripped over them every few pages, it was annoying. Who edited this garbage?
3. Rafe was a bad attempt at a woke man. So he’s a nanny, but instead of making him a nanny because he loved kids and was devoted to being a nurturer, the author made him a nanny because he didn’t finish high school and the only option for him after GETTING OUT OF JUVIE was to care for his little half sisters. From there he just kept getting nanny jobs and was happy to be paid for hanging out with kids...SERIOUSLY? You have the opportunity to confront some stereotypes, to flip a trope on its head and then you cop out in a spectacular fashion! So a woman can be a nanny because she loves kids, but a man is one because he had no other options in life? Frankly, FUCK THAT SHIT!
Ok regardless of that bullshit, why did the author keep having to double down on Rafe’s badassery? He rides a motorcycle, is covered in sleeves of tatts, was in juvie for GTA, has a band of ex-cons he rides around on his bike with. She couldn’t even make her ‘sensitive hero’ actually BE sensitive but still has the nerve to try to use him as a platform to lecture us on toxic masculinity? Sorry lady, I would have given you this platform had you not made Rafe such a fucking stereotype!! Arg.
4. Dialogue....who speaks like this? This brilliant surgeon used words like ‘whack’ and says ‘Imma gonna’ I thought I was in an episode of the original Fresh Prince from 1992.
5. The smut was bad. It was clinical and awkward and at the same time, super gross. Words like juices and drool were used A LOT. There was one scene where she squirted in descriptive detail multiple times and the nice nanny that he is, he washed her sheets for her and made her bed because they’d FLOODED it the night before... 🤮 🤮 🤮 too graphic... just blech.
6. The ex husband....what in the fuck? He went from an annoying douche to a crazy jealous psycho in 0-60 seconds. Like I said before, this book had no plan, NONE, I know this because right at the end the author decides that she wants to free this woman of any obligation to an ex so she can make Rafe the sole daddy to these kids. So she has the ex husband lose his mind and attack Rafe in a jealous rage and verbally abuse the twins for no good sensible reason with no history of violence mentioned before...um what? And why? Why can’t the ex husband just be ok? There was no need for this drama. Except maybe to justify the ending, which I will get to *spoilers ahead*.
7. The ending....why? It came out of nowhere first of all...probably because NOTHING HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK, but all of a sudden there is an epilogue of three years later, when NOTHING HAPPENED to make us think the story was over. And the choice the author made for Rafe? Again why? He spoke of wanting to DO something with his life. Maybe be a mechanic and work on motorcycles....instead he quits his job and becomes her FREE NANNY. Or stay at home dad...but when he goes from paid nanny to stay at home dad to STEP CHILDREN he is basically slave labour. The only good thing about this is that I always have a problem with nanny tropes because the woman ends up being free childcare to the rich hero, and this one did the reverse so I guess it’s only fair. But honestly it sucked as much when it happened to Rafe as it does when it’s the woman in this scenario...gah! Let the hero have his dream too Weatherspoon!
8. Did I mention this book had no plot and NOTHING HAPPENS in it? Well it’s true... just a bunch of nothing, then more nothing...some awkward, fluid-rich sex and more nothing, nonsensical ex drama, then BAM epilogue three years later. There was no conflict in their relationship, no conflict between the children and Rafe, no angst over dating the nanny - she lets him finger her to orgasm HIS FIRST NIGHT IN THE HOUSE days after meeting him, while her kids are sleeping - and no character development. They just banged and braided the kids’ hair a lot.
So this was a highly recommended book. It was on my public library’s list of recommendations, O Magazine mentioned it as a must read and that leads me to wonder....did those people actually read this book? Or was the trope reversal, the title and the cover the only thing anyone looked at?
So then I read some reviews on goodreads and I felt validated. This WAS a terrible book...*nods head* it was. Avoid this one. It’s not the light hearted cinnamon roll read it says it is... it a boring stale cracker of a read. 👎🏿
February 16, 2019
Okay so, this one requires some explanation. "Hannah," you may be thinking, "you are an award-winning literary author with a master's degree from a prestigious, nationally ranked institution." (note: I don't usually refer to myself as such, but it's true). "Why," you may ask, "would you be giving four stars to a romance novel titled Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny, when you just gave the exact same amount of stars to a highly regarded literary memoir?"
Well, never fear, because I have fired up the old laptop to tell you JUST THAT.
First off, humans of GoodReads, I am an avid romance reader.
It has taken me literal decades to admit this in public, but ever since, I don't know, 2016, when certain U.S. political events took place, I (a) found my reading for pleasure taking a more escapist turn and (b) found that I didn't feel like I had to be embarrassed about that any more. People have a lot worse things to be embarrassed about. People also denigrate romance regularly without knowing much about the genre, and I can say having read in it pretty extensively, there is a lot out there that's crappy but a lot of gems as well. Much like any genre. Including poetry, or experimental literary fiction.
Many times I feel there's not a lot of literary art out there that joyously affirms women's desire and sexuality, but you know what? In the romance world there is. So think on that for a moment. Do you think desire and sexuality are good, and deserve celebration? Then maybe, just maybe you should value romance, too. And maybe not be ashamed about it.
Does that mean unquestioningly celebrating every romance is good? In my opinion, no. Good writing is still a requirement, as is treating human beings with respect. If a romance is poorly written, or sexist/ableist/racist, I'll stop reading! Life is too short, and romance reading is supposed to be fun. (Note again, to literary writing in general ... it's OKAY to be fun. I like literary writing that recognizes this, too.)
So now that I'm off my general "romance is good" soapbox, that brings me to Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny. Which, I might add, has ALSO been reviewed by THE NEW YORK TIMES, if you need more credibility. The title, which takes the "Snakes on a Plane" approach to content, did not lead me to expect that it would be a well-written romance. I have to admit, I started out expecting to love it sort of ironically.
But. BUT.
The fact that this author could take a somewhat cliche premise, that's pure wish fulfillment, and turn it into something that's emotionally compelling, was utterly impressive to me. It was a dazzling performance. I now have so much belief in this author's talent, I believe she could probably take any two cliched romance characters (a cowboy of few words and a impetuous princess or whatever) and create genuine sparks.
Sloan is an ambitious woman who loves her kids, and desperately needs a childcare provider she can trust. Yep, I can relate. Meanwhile, she wants to somehow make time for the fact that she's a human being with feelings and desires, not just a superhuman credentialbot powering through every single aspect of life. RELATABLE AS WELL. And when a Hemsworth-looking man with gentle, capable hands shows up filling the nanny role ... well, of course she's interested.
Meanwhile Rafe, the titular buff male nanny (do people still use the word buff?) genuinely enjoys being around kids, is genuinely into Sloan from the minute he sees her, and like ... goes with the open and honest communication approach. Is there anything sexier than open and honest communication? Maybe a strong man being really gentle with small children. ALSO sexy. Or maybe a guy seeing you in your yoga pants and being like ... oh hey. That. is. also. sexy.
Yeah, this book is very racy, so if that's not your thing, take that into consideration. But in any case, I've laid it all out there. This romance may not be for you. But even if you've never tried romance, you just might like it. And you should at least consider giving some romance a try.
Happy Valentine's Day, Goodreads.
Well, never fear, because I have fired up the old laptop to tell you JUST THAT.
First off, humans of GoodReads, I am an avid romance reader.
It has taken me literal decades to admit this in public, but ever since, I don't know, 2016, when certain U.S. political events took place, I (a) found my reading for pleasure taking a more escapist turn and (b) found that I didn't feel like I had to be embarrassed about that any more. People have a lot worse things to be embarrassed about. People also denigrate romance regularly without knowing much about the genre, and I can say having read in it pretty extensively, there is a lot out there that's crappy but a lot of gems as well. Much like any genre. Including poetry, or experimental literary fiction.
Many times I feel there's not a lot of literary art out there that joyously affirms women's desire and sexuality, but you know what? In the romance world there is. So think on that for a moment. Do you think desire and sexuality are good, and deserve celebration? Then maybe, just maybe you should value romance, too. And maybe not be ashamed about it.
Does that mean unquestioningly celebrating every romance is good? In my opinion, no. Good writing is still a requirement, as is treating human beings with respect. If a romance is poorly written, or sexist/ableist/racist, I'll stop reading! Life is too short, and romance reading is supposed to be fun. (Note again, to literary writing in general ... it's OKAY to be fun. I like literary writing that recognizes this, too.)
So now that I'm off my general "romance is good" soapbox, that brings me to Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny. Which, I might add, has ALSO been reviewed by THE NEW YORK TIMES, if you need more credibility. The title, which takes the "Snakes on a Plane" approach to content, did not lead me to expect that it would be a well-written romance. I have to admit, I started out expecting to love it sort of ironically.
But. BUT.
The fact that this author could take a somewhat cliche premise, that's pure wish fulfillment, and turn it into something that's emotionally compelling, was utterly impressive to me. It was a dazzling performance. I now have so much belief in this author's talent, I believe she could probably take any two cliched romance characters (a cowboy of few words and a impetuous princess or whatever) and create genuine sparks.
Sloan is an ambitious woman who loves her kids, and desperately needs a childcare provider she can trust. Yep, I can relate. Meanwhile, she wants to somehow make time for the fact that she's a human being with feelings and desires, not just a superhuman credentialbot powering through every single aspect of life. RELATABLE AS WELL. And when a Hemsworth-looking man with gentle, capable hands shows up filling the nanny role ... well, of course she's interested.
Meanwhile Rafe, the titular buff male nanny (do people still use the word buff?) genuinely enjoys being around kids, is genuinely into Sloan from the minute he sees her, and like ... goes with the open and honest communication approach. Is there anything sexier than open and honest communication? Maybe a strong man being really gentle with small children. ALSO sexy. Or maybe a guy seeing you in your yoga pants and being like ... oh hey. That. is. also. sexy.
Yeah, this book is very racy, so if that's not your thing, take that into consideration. But in any case, I've laid it all out there. This romance may not be for you. But even if you've never tried romance, you just might like it. And you should at least consider giving some romance a try.
Happy Valentine's Day, Goodreads.
June 23, 2023
okay yes it's 1:30 AM and i just spent the entire night reading this because i couldn't put it down but rebekah weatherspoon continues to never disappoint!!!
this book was laugh out loud funny, i adored the main character and her friendships. but also rafe is such a sweet guy who was so gentle but fun and my only complaint about this book is i wish it was longer because i adored the couple!!! definitely looking forward to continuing this series :)
this book was laugh out loud funny, i adored the main character and her friendships. but also rafe is such a sweet guy who was so gentle but fun and my only complaint about this book is i wish it was longer because i adored the couple!!! definitely looking forward to continuing this series :)
June 6, 2020
Reread with the audio june 2020!
July 29, 2021
yuhhhh get into it! The main character Sloan literally woke up, went to work and saved lives like Christina mf Yang, and then came home to a hot nanny that d****d her down so well. I was so happy for Sloan. She really won the lottery. And she was a great mom too!! Her kids were so well-behaved and she treated them with such respect.
My favorite part was that there was no weird "race conversation" that is standard in a lot of BWWM romances. Thanks to Rafe's upbringing /family (his step-mom and little sisters are Black) homeboy already knew how to move. It was so refreshing!!! HE CO-WASHED THE KIDS HAIR WITHOUT HAVING TO BE TOLD!!! NAurrrr he's built differently. Other unedited google docs should take notes.
My favorite part was that there was no weird "race conversation" that is standard in a lot of BWWM romances. Thanks to Rafe's upbringing /family (his step-mom and little sisters are Black) homeboy already knew how to move. It was so refreshing!!! HE CO-WASHED THE KIDS HAIR WITHOUT HAVING TO BE TOLD!!! NAurrrr he's built differently. Other unedited google docs should take notes.
January 13, 2021
2.5 It started so good but the pace of the relationship felt off to me considering the complications of children being involved and the importance of Rafe’s role to them. Not saying that it had to be slow burn, just that it could have more anticipation, more time to develop, more build-up tension, more holding back before they crossed that line. I enjoyed the idea of it but not the execution as much as I could have.
October 16, 2020
Audio: 4 STARS!
Story: 3.5 STARS!
This is perfect if you're looking for something that's extremely light and fluffy. There was almost no conflict, but the author has a great sense of humor and she writes some decent sexy times. Plus the kids were cute a/f!! Ergo, I'm rounding up.
Story: 3.5 STARS!
This is perfect if you're looking for something that's extremely light and fluffy. There was almost no conflict, but the author has a great sense of humor and she writes some decent sexy times. Plus the kids were cute a/f!! Ergo, I'm rounding up.
July 8, 2021
3.5 stars
Sometimes I just need a good, low angsty romance, ya know? This one was particularly suited to my mood because the main characters were excellent at communicating and much of the conflict was from external sources.
This was a great combination of steamy and soft. Some of the descriptions in the sex scenes were questionable, but overall, it was easy to read and entertaining. I enjoyed Rafe as a character. I'm a sucker for big mountain men with a soft inside so this fit the bill.
June 15, 2022
LOVEDDDDDD
July 22, 2020
I’m in love!
Rafe, the buff male nanny has my heart! Omg, THIS BOOK! I legit have stars in my eyes.
“I’ve never worked for a single mother I was this attracted to before. I am very attracted to you.”
From the get go that chemistry between Sloan & Rafe, you could cut with a knife. I absolutely adore interracial romances, I mean hello, it is my life. But this story is so special. A male nanny? I definitely haven’t read this trope before. I fell in love with every aspect of this story, but especially Rafe, and how good he was with Sloan’s twins, and how he respected Sloan. Talk about sexyyy. Red headed, tattooed up, bearded and 6’5”?! Come to Mama!
I love how he wanted to get the girls lines right with their braids. I loved how much I could relate to this story, and I could kick myself for it taking two years to read it.
The steam level, let me tell you was H-O-T. Smokin hot! The way Rafe talked to Sloan was squirmy in your seat kind of hot. The way he hit his knees in one particular scene, getting down to business was lawd-a-mercy some kind of sexy. I literally wobbled on the treadmill.
“There was a physical weight that came with adding new people to his life. If they sucked, it felt like being crushed with a brick, but if they were right, he carried the thought of that person around like something warm and perfectly balanced. And when it was gone, he missed it.”
These two are so special to me. I will love this book forever.
Rafe, the buff male nanny has my heart! Omg, THIS BOOK! I legit have stars in my eyes.
“I’ve never worked for a single mother I was this attracted to before. I am very attracted to you.”
From the get go that chemistry between Sloan & Rafe, you could cut with a knife. I absolutely adore interracial romances, I mean hello, it is my life. But this story is so special. A male nanny? I definitely haven’t read this trope before. I fell in love with every aspect of this story, but especially Rafe, and how good he was with Sloan’s twins, and how he respected Sloan. Talk about sexyyy. Red headed, tattooed up, bearded and 6’5”?! Come to Mama!
I love how he wanted to get the girls lines right with their braids. I loved how much I could relate to this story, and I could kick myself for it taking two years to read it.
The steam level, let me tell you was H-O-T. Smokin hot! The way Rafe talked to Sloan was squirmy in your seat kind of hot. The way he hit his knees in one particular scene, getting down to business was lawd-a-mercy some kind of sexy. I literally wobbled on the treadmill.
“There was a physical weight that came with adding new people to his life. If they sucked, it felt like being crushed with a brick, but if they were right, he carried the thought of that person around like something warm and perfectly balanced. And when it was gone, he missed it.”
These two are so special to me. I will love this book forever.
June 23, 2020
This was so great!! I've never read any Weatherspoon before but I'm so in love with RAFE and how comforting this story is. It's such a perfect blend of sweet and sexy, with a hefty dose of healthy relationship dynamics I looove.
Sloan and her daughters were so cute, and seeing Rafe and Sloan navigate their relationship healthily was just so heartwarming. Would highly recommend to adult romance lovers.
Sloan and her daughters were so cute, and seeing Rafe and Sloan navigate their relationship healthily was just so heartwarming. Would highly recommend to adult romance lovers.
January 30, 2024
3/5 ⭐️
- This authors writing style is really easy to read! This was a fun story and I found myself wishing it were longer because I wanted more! This would be a great book for someone to read if they love spice because this definitely had a lot more spice than I thought it would. Would have rated this story higher if there had been less spice or a longer story to balance out the spice.
- Really loved how the mmc was a mixture between a strong powerful character and a passionate character too. It’s hard to find the perfect balance in books and the author did such a great job writing his character.
- I really loved the family dynamic in this story and how the fmc was a strong woman that could hold her own. This was a fun read!
- This authors writing style is really easy to read! This was a fun story and I found myself wishing it were longer because I wanted more! This would be a great book for someone to read if they love spice because this definitely had a lot more spice than I thought it would. Would have rated this story higher if there had been less spice or a longer story to balance out the spice.
- Really loved how the mmc was a mixture between a strong powerful character and a passionate character too. It’s hard to find the perfect balance in books and the author did such a great job writing his character.
- I really loved the family dynamic in this story and how the fmc was a strong woman that could hold her own. This was a fun read!
June 9, 2020
this is Rafe in my mind and you can't convince me otherwise...
3,5 stars
3,5 stars
January 10, 2020
Fans self. Seriously. This book was ridiculously hot. I loved Rafe and I loved Sloan. I am so going to track down the books in the rest of this series. Thank you for hot male nannies with tatoos who also can comb little girls hair.
"Rafe" I thought was really good, there are some odds and ends that I would usually ding a book for, but the love scenes more than made up for it. I loved that the main character was a black woman, top of her field (heart surgeon) dealing with two 6 year old twin girls. Sloan has already let herself be ruled by a man before (her ex) so when she interviews Rafe as a nanny, she's thrown when he admits he is attracted to her and she admits she is attracted to him.
I loved the character of Sloan and her phone conversations and texts with her bestie. I was cracking up. I will agree with other reviewers though that Sloan and Rafe are not that deep. They just want to have sex with each other. I didn't really get a sense of character/relationship development. I think it's because this was on the shorter side and Weatherspoon just didn't have time to work that in. I did think that on their own the characters were developed very well. I hope that makes sense. For example, I got what made both of them tick, I loved their families, I also felt for them when you realize what went on in both of their lives before. I just wish that I got more intimacy outside of a bedroom with them.
The setting of the book is mostly Sloan's home and Rafe's parents home. We don't get a sense of Los Angeles. I read something the other day that most movies and tv shows get LA wrong and just show the usual crap. I do think that some books are able to capture LA like the Bosch series written by Michael Connelly. I wish more writers would incorporate the city the book is in more. I think if it's not New York, most don't worry about it.
The ending was a surprise (a time jump) and things are left on an unusual note, but seems a set-up for the next book in the series.
"Rafe" I thought was really good, there are some odds and ends that I would usually ding a book for, but the love scenes more than made up for it. I loved that the main character was a black woman, top of her field (heart surgeon) dealing with two 6 year old twin girls. Sloan has already let herself be ruled by a man before (her ex) so when she interviews Rafe as a nanny, she's thrown when he admits he is attracted to her and she admits she is attracted to him.
I loved the character of Sloan and her phone conversations and texts with her bestie. I was cracking up. I will agree with other reviewers though that Sloan and Rafe are not that deep. They just want to have sex with each other. I didn't really get a sense of character/relationship development. I think it's because this was on the shorter side and Weatherspoon just didn't have time to work that in. I did think that on their own the characters were developed very well. I hope that makes sense. For example, I got what made both of them tick, I loved their families, I also felt for them when you realize what went on in both of their lives before. I just wish that I got more intimacy outside of a bedroom with them.
The setting of the book is mostly Sloan's home and Rafe's parents home. We don't get a sense of Los Angeles. I read something the other day that most movies and tv shows get LA wrong and just show the usual crap. I do think that some books are able to capture LA like the Bosch series written by Michael Connelly. I wish more writers would incorporate the city the book is in more. I think if it's not New York, most don't worry about it.
The ending was a surprise (a time jump) and things are left on an unusual note, but seems a set-up for the next book in the series.
February 8, 2021
This book was highly recommended to me and the author described as the queen of romance, and I am honestly baffled as to why.
Not one situation, plot development or any of the characters appear genuine. It is all so mechanic, trite and inconceivable. There is no depth, no conflict, no story.
Should have listened to my gut regarding the cheesy title and stirred clear of this one.
Not one situation, plot development or any of the characters appear genuine. It is all so mechanic, trite and inconceivable. There is no depth, no conflict, no story.
Should have listened to my gut regarding the cheesy title and stirred clear of this one.
December 12, 2022
reread 12/11/22
i needed a book that i know i love and boy could this book never disappoint.
when i say i don’t like cinnamon rolls never am i ever talking about rafe
why do i put off books that i know i’ll love?
i needed a book that i know i love and boy could this book never disappoint.
when i say i don’t like cinnamon rolls never am i ever talking about rafe
why do i put off books that i know i’ll love?
July 10, 2021
3.5 stars! I enjoyed the story because our hero is the biggest teddy bear ever. He's a cinnamon roll despite his tattoos and beard and i enjoyed them getting to know each other before they 'fell in love' though tbh this was instalove.
May 24, 2019
***3.5 Stars***
I really enjoyed this!
What are you gonna get? Tatted, bearded, muscled, biker ginger + successful heart surgeon and single mom to two twin girls + no angst, feel good story with enough spice to satisfy your taste buds!
This was an easy read. It had me smiling from start to finish. There’s heart, steam, and plenty of humor.
Rafe may look like a guy with a tough exterior, but he was all ooey, gooey soft goodness on the inside. He was genuinely, straight up a nice guy. A teddy bear.
And I loved Sloan. She was a woman who goes for what she wants. A child genius, who in her late twenties, is a successful cardiothoracic surgeon that’s regarded as one of the best in the U.S. in her field. She married young, had twin daughters, got divorced from a husband who was jealous of her success, and moved to another state to follow her dreams.
This book is an honest look at two adults getting to know each other and starting a relationship. It really does come down to something as simple as that.
I guess my big disappointment IS the simplicity of the story. Rafe basically tells Sloan on his first day that he’s attracted to her and by the following day, after having thought about how this would work since she’s his employer (and having a hilarious conversation with her best friend Xeni – who is AMAZING!), she tells him she feels the same. Ta da. Off they go. There was no sexual tension between Sloan and Rafe. No buildup. Nothing.
There’s also no real conflict or angst. Yes, there’s your eyeroll-worthy evil ex in the picture, but that issue flares up and is resolved within a single chapter…which I think is supposed to serve as the book’s big dramatic moment.
So, long story short, heed the note at the bottom of the blurb where the author says this book is fluff. I underestimated this book’s fluffiness. Lesson learned.
Fluffiness aside, my other minor quibble is a personal pet peeve. While I don’t mind books with children in them, I’m not really a fan of kids being little adults. Sloan’s twins were 6 years old, and besides needing to be bathed and fed, they acted and spoke like adults.
But even with my issues, I’d still highly recommend this book. I was addicted to the story and glued to the pages.
And holy hell the set up for the next book!! Xeni stole the show any time she was on page, and I can’t wait for her story!!
**I do have to mention that this book has some editing issues. I only mention this when it affects my reading, and here it did. There's a lot of instances where there are missing or extra words in sentences.
October 2, 2018
Una mujer divorciada con dos gemelas de 6 años y su nanny, un tío de dos metros lleno de tatuajes y con barba. Es difícil no sentirse atraída por el blurb...
En el prólogo la autora cuenta cómo su intención es escribir un libro fluffy, y realmente eso es lo que es. Un libro mono, dulce, encantador, con una pareja mona, dulce y encantadora, donde todos los posibles escollos se van saltando sin mucho problema. Sin duda proporciona un rato agradable, pero la historia de amor es muy precipitada y la resolución de conflictos absolutamente nada creíble. Esas primeras conversaciones sobre su atracción mutua a mí me sonaron a ciencia ficción, igual que el comienzo de su relación, tanto laboral como sentimental. No busquéis ningún desarrollo o análisis de los personajes.
Una historia de amor interracial agradable, poco más.
En el prólogo la autora cuenta cómo su intención es escribir un libro fluffy, y realmente eso es lo que es. Un libro mono, dulce, encantador, con una pareja mona, dulce y encantadora, donde todos los posibles escollos se van saltando sin mucho problema. Sin duda proporciona un rato agradable, pero la historia de amor es muy precipitada y la resolución de conflictos absolutamente nada creíble. Esas primeras conversaciones sobre su atracción mutua a mí me sonaron a ciencia ficción, igual que el comienzo de su relación, tanto laboral como sentimental. No busquéis ningún desarrollo o análisis de los personajes.
Una historia de amor interracial agradable, poco más.
Read
December 1, 2018Do I know why I checked this out on OD? Nope. Do I know why I actually followed through to read it? Also nope. Did I like it? Some of it. Did I hate it? Far from it. I am in no-lady's land right now.
If you like successful, smart, career-focused ladies, and soft, not-remotely toxic pseudo-alphas who make their living being a homemaker slash nanny, and, as a bonus, want to diversify your romance with an interracial couple where little to nothing has to do with race? You will probably love RAFE.
It's a quick, sexy, read, with some ex drama and a whole lot of communication between leads. Also some precocious six year old twins. And some lady besties. And a fairly predictable, linear, plot that somehow manages to not be boring.
The more I explain what this book is about the more I think I should be slapping it with a glowing star rating but personally this was just.. fine. Okay. Good. But like. Who even knows.
This is my second read by this author and I remember my main complaint about HAVEN (beyond some of the outlandish plot) was not being able to connect with the writing and I think, for all I like the concept and characters in this story, it's that same bit of disconnect. So it's probably me. So there you have it. Yet another rambling review where I try to make up my own mind and, in conclusion, can't.
If you like successful, smart, career-focused ladies, and soft, not-remotely toxic pseudo-alphas who make their living being a homemaker slash nanny, and, as a bonus, want to diversify your romance with an interracial couple where little to nothing has to do with race? You will probably love RAFE.
It's a quick, sexy, read, with some ex drama and a whole lot of communication between leads. Also some precocious six year old twins. And some lady besties. And a fairly predictable, linear, plot that somehow manages to not be boring.
The more I explain what this book is about the more I think I should be slapping it with a glowing star rating but personally this was just.. fine. Okay. Good. But like. Who even knows.
This is my second read by this author and I remember my main complaint about HAVEN (beyond some of the outlandish plot) was not being able to connect with the writing and I think, for all I like the concept and characters in this story, it's that same bit of disconnect. So it's probably me. So there you have it. Yet another rambling review where I try to make up my own mind and, in conclusion, can't.
February 4, 2021
Don't let the book cover fool you into thinking that this is just a crappy, toxic fantasy, stereotypically pigeonholed by the views of society as targeted solely for women.
NO! Scrap that. This book is so adorable, cute, funny, and full of heart. Although the relationship started on a strong, lusty attraction, I didn't feel that it was the sole driving force of their romance. I really liked the sexual tension and dynamics between Sloan and Rafe. Sloan is a strong-willed, caring, passionate, and successful woman but she also has insecurities about relationships, which makes her vulnerable and careful. Rafe, on the other hand, is probably one of the most masculine but also one of the most considerate and gentle male love interest I've ever read. He's really sensitive towards other people's feelings, and he makes sure that people (especially Sloan) don't get uncomfortable. He's amazing with Sloan's twins, and he does his job so well. Being an alpha male on appearance, he's protective but he's not possessive. There's a good balance in his personality, which makes him a very appealing character.
Also, this book didn't use the miscommunication trope to drive conflict between the leads (which I LOATHE if not used well). They sit together and talk the issues like reasonable adults. They're both open for each other's suggestions, and despite the difference on their socio-economical statuses, I didn't feel the presence of unbalanced power between them. They fill up each other's imperfections and their personalities really blend so well, that they complement each other.
Which gets me to my next point: I feel like these characters are written intentionally just for readers to like them and not consider their flaws. They really are so likable that sometimes I think they're not real people (like really, you're this good??). Anyway, that's just a small observation.
Oh, before I forget, the sex scenes in this book were AMAZING!! Rebekah Weatherspoon knows how to write SUPER steamy sex scenes without being repetitive and bland. She knows how to put into words the characters' feelings in a particular sex scene aside from describing the details of the sex organs.
If this were longer, I would've probably rated it 4 stars, but I think it's a cute story, and I liked it.
NO! Scrap that. This book is so adorable, cute, funny, and full of heart. Although the relationship started on a strong, lusty attraction, I didn't feel that it was the sole driving force of their romance. I really liked the sexual tension and dynamics between Sloan and Rafe. Sloan is a strong-willed, caring, passionate, and successful woman but she also has insecurities about relationships, which makes her vulnerable and careful. Rafe, on the other hand, is probably one of the most masculine but also one of the most considerate and gentle male love interest I've ever read. He's really sensitive towards other people's feelings, and he makes sure that people (especially Sloan) don't get uncomfortable. He's amazing with Sloan's twins, and he does his job so well. Being an alpha male on appearance, he's protective but he's not possessive. There's a good balance in his personality, which makes him a very appealing character.
Also, this book didn't use the miscommunication trope to drive conflict between the leads (which I LOATHE if not used well). They sit together and talk the issues like reasonable adults. They're both open for each other's suggestions, and despite the difference on their socio-economical statuses, I didn't feel the presence of unbalanced power between them. They fill up each other's imperfections and their personalities really blend so well, that they complement each other.
Which gets me to my next point: I feel like these characters are written intentionally just for readers to like them and not consider their flaws. They really are so likable that sometimes I think they're not real people (like really, you're this good??). Anyway, that's just a small observation.
Oh, before I forget, the sex scenes in this book were AMAZING!! Rebekah Weatherspoon knows how to write SUPER steamy sex scenes without being repetitive and bland. She knows how to put into words the characters' feelings in a particular sex scene aside from describing the details of the sex organs.
If this were longer, I would've probably rated it 4 stars, but I think it's a cute story, and I liked it.
October 6, 2021
AAAAAAAAAH a romance story where the central conflict is external to the romance itself!! where the two main characters communicate with each other! I love to see it!
- Follows Dr. Sloane Copeland, a Black doctor who, after a nasty divorce, moves across the country with her two twin daughters. When their live-in nanny suddenly leaves, Sloane scrambles to find a nanny to look after her daughters. Enter Rafe - tall, tattooed, buff, bearded, and great with kids.
- This was so sexy and cosy and comforting. This book feels so safe and it was what I needed.
- The two characters communicate!! They have such a healthy relationship where they talk through miscommunication, respect boundaries, and look after each other.
- Perfect if you want something entertaining and fun and light-hearted.
- Follows Dr. Sloane Copeland, a Black doctor who, after a nasty divorce, moves across the country with her two twin daughters. When their live-in nanny suddenly leaves, Sloane scrambles to find a nanny to look after her daughters. Enter Rafe - tall, tattooed, buff, bearded, and great with kids.
- This was so sexy and cosy and comforting. This book feels so safe and it was what I needed.
- The two characters communicate!! They have such a healthy relationship where they talk through miscommunication, respect boundaries, and look after each other.
- Perfect if you want something entertaining and fun and light-hearted.
August 25, 2022
A reread on audio. Hot & comforting.
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