Starred review from December 1, 2023
DEBUT Ariel's debut is a swoon-inducing second-chance romance featuring college sweethearts who never really got over each other. Kaliya Wilson is a perpetually overlooked receptionist at a Hollywood movie studio. Her film degree and extensive knowledge of Hollywood are not enough to help her break into a hierarchical industry that runs on personal connections and is filled with nepo babies. She's conflicted when her possible big break in the film industry is offered to her by Danny Prescott, the man who broke her heart. Danny, a Hollywood scion who accomplished a great deal during his time away from Kaliya, has never forgotten her. Their past successful collaboration makes him confident that she would be an asset to the film he's making about his parents' interracial love story. Secondary characters' ulterior motives complicate Danny and Kaliya's work, as well as their journey back to each other. Ariel explores the dynamics that underpin the entertainment industry and society in general and covers difficult topics, including grief and trauma, with a deft touch. VERDICT At turns humorous and heart-wrenching, with a smoldering sensuality that underlies even the most fraught of the protagonists' encounters, this novel is highly recommended for all library collections.--Nicole Williams
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 29, 2024
Ariel’s sensitive debut explores the experiences of people of color in Hollywood. Kaliya Wilson’s big dream of becoming a film producer brought her to Los Angeles—where she got stuck in a dead-end receptionist job. A chance to kick start her career finally comes but from the last person she expected: Danny Prescott, a rising hot-shot director and Kaliya’s college ex. Danny offers Kaliya a chance to work on his next production, and despite the heartbreak she’s still healing from, she seizes the opportunity. Their reunion brings back memories of film school and reignites Kaliya’s passion for cinema—along with her old feelings for Danny. Working together fosters their attraction, but faced with the hard truths of the film industry’s overwhelming whiteness—along with an on-set scandal that threatens to divert production—Kaliya must figure out whether staying in Hollywood—and with Danny—is right for her. Danny and Kaliya rediscover their old rhythms at a believable clip, making it easy to see why their relationship works, and Kaliya proves a wonderful heroine whose strength and passion in the face of adversity will have readers cheering. Ariel is an exciting new voice in romance. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds.
February 15, 2024
A short-lived college romance is rekindled years later when exes reunite to make a movie. Kaliya Wilson has always wanted to be a filmmaker, but after years of facing racist and sexist gatekeeping as a Black woman, she has almost given up on that dream. So when her first boyfriend, Danny Prescott, walks into the studio where she's a receptionist and offers her a job on his new movie, she can't resist taking him up on it. The talented young director comes from a storied Hollywood lineage and is making a movie based on his parents' interracial relationship, which began in the Jim Crow South, and their happy marriage. Kaliya is moved by the project, and not only that--she's attracted to Danny again, and he seems to reciprocate her feelings. But his previous abandonment, his current personal life, and professional complications including their boss-employee relationship make her doubt they can have a happily-ever-after. The novel shines in its depiction of Danny's parents' story and in the scenes where the author weaves in Black joy and art, such as a call-and-response double Dutch jump-rope episode and the work of quilter and portraitist Bisa Butler. The flashbacks to the romance between Kaliya and Danny during their college years in New York effectively evoke the thrill of first love. The couple's present-day relationship is weaker, however, because misunderstandings, separation, and obstacles both internal and external (including a clich�d female rival) abound, evoking old-school romance sagas. The third-act breakup and the fast-forward to a year later are meant to cement Kaliya's newfound independence, but it feels like happiness deferred one time too many. An enjoyable but uneven Hollywood-set love story that calls out racism in the film industry.
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March 15, 2024
Danny is a movie director, a legacy talent who inherited his famous father's storytelling skills. When he walks into the lobby of the production company where Kaliya works, she can't help but compare how far their paths have diverged since they worked together on his college film and briefly dated. But when he offers to pull her out of her dead-end job and get her career back on track, Kaliya isn't sure the opportunity is worth the heartache it will cause her to be around Danny and his gorgeous girlfriend. Though this well-written tale features engaging characters learning to heal from their past, readers may find it hard to believe that Danny is worthy of Kaliya's love and attention. Nonetheless, fans of Hollywood romances and second-chance scenarios will enjoy Ariel's debut romance novel, a thoughtful story of love and self-discovery.
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