whitneydaniell

Summary

Kendra has spent the past two years traveling the world, curating flavors and ideas for a speakeasy-style bar with a hidden supper club.

After being let go from her tech startup in Silicon Valley, Kendra didn’t want to jump back into the rat race. Instead, she opted for a slower pace of travel—staying with family, apprenticing under chefs, and taking on odd jobs to help restaurant owners collect and interpret customer data. Along the way, it became clear what her true passion and goal was. And as soon as she returned to the States, she was determined to make it happen.

Back home in D.C. for her brother’s restaurant opening, Kendra becomes even more inspired after seeing what he’s created. But what she didn’t expect? Her brother’s best friend has grown up in her absence—and is now a bonafide “chocolate drop,” handsome as ever, and clearly can’t take his eyes off her.

Lust hangs in the air every time Kendra and Ben are together, but she has a mission and can’t afford to get distracted by this beautiful man. While they work together to find her a commercial space for her speakeasy, the time they spend together allows them to explore repressed feelings—I mean, he is her brother’s best friend, and there’s a boundary Ben doesn’t want to cross. Kendra’s not a fan of that boundary—and she’s willing to risk it all.

As her business plan flounders in front of potential investors, Kendra is forced to pivot. In D.C., she has her family and support system, and she was banking on word-of-mouth from her brother’s restaurant to help get her bar off the ground. But when the cost becomes too high, she decides to lessen the risk and try things out in a new town. But where does that leave her and Ben?

Kendra is an independent woman with her eyes on the prize—but does she want to go at it alone? Or will Ben defy the odds as a Black, single man in D.C. and actually communicate his feelings? As sparks fly, will they or won’t they?

Character Summary

Kendra Porter—or Keke to her family and Kenny to Ben—is proud of her mixed heritage. Her father, Filipino and Thai from Los Angeles, and her mother, New Orleans Creole, gave Kendra and her brother Logan a beautiful cultural blend. Her heritage is also where she draws inspiration for her supper club menu. Hidden behind the speakeasy, Kendra wants to use her space to pay homage to the Prohibition era, which also coincided with the Roaring Twenties and the Harlem Renaissance.

As the baby of the family, Kendra is ready to step out of her big brother’s shadow. Logan, the golden child who seemingly had everything handed to him, has always been the star. But now it’s his turn to watch his little sister shine. Alongside his wife Shonda, the two left their high-level tech jobs to open a restaurant in D.C., and with help from their family—Kendra, their cousin Lani, and Ben—they’re building something special.

Ben and Logan have grown from childhood friends to chosen family. Ben has been around for years and considers the Porters his own. That’s why he’s hesitant about pursuing anything with Kenny—he doesn’t want to risk losing his chosen family if things don’t work out. Fair enough. Ben is on sabbatical from work, focusing on independent research in heritage preservation, and spends most of his free time helping out at Logan’s restaurant behind the bar.

My Thoughts

Typical miscommunication romance trope with some family drama mixed in. I didn’t expect much else.

I was disappointed that the beauty of Washington, D.C. wasn’t more of a focal point in the story. Sure, the cherry blossoms get a mention—yes, for like two weeks in March, they’re stunning—but there’s so much rich history and incredible architecture in D.C. that was a missed opportunity. For instance, Ben works at an unnamed D.C. university—why not name one? American? Georgetown? George Washington? Howard, even! Another example: Kendra is staying in an English basement in her brother’s row home. The neighborhoods where that house would be? Gorgeous! Describe that! I want to see it.

The writing was just… meh. Not bad, but nothing to write home about.

There’s a TikTok going around on #BookTok with a creator saying authors are “writing to us like we’re stupid”—and that’s my sentiment for most books I’ve read this year, not just this one. It feels like authors no longer want the reader to infer, use context clues, or assume. Everything is written so… elementary.

Back to this book. There’s a heavy reliance on dialogue to develop characters, showcase personalities, and move the plot forward. There are also a few pages of text messages, which I’m starting to hate in books. It feels like a cheap, shortcut cop-out to avoid writing deeper inner monologues or layered conversations. I get it—people text a lot nowadays—but I’m tired of seeing so much of it in fiction. Sue me.

As for the romance? Miscommunication is the name of the game. All their conflict could’ve been worked out through mature conversations, but instead, we get a lot of half-convos and misunderstanding. My granny always said, “A man who knows what he wants will never bring you confusion.” If you have to ask that man what are we?—sister girl, y’all are both children of God. Nothing more, nothing less. Move on.

Last thing—I’ve said this before (Jasmine Guillory is guilty of it too)—the timeline and pacing in these romance novels is too quick for me. What do you mean it’s only been a few weeks and you’re falling for him? A few weeks isn’t enough time for me to know if you wash behind your ears or clean the base of your toilet—let alone if I’m “falling” for you. Stop it.

Final Verdict

’Twas a cute story and a quick read. Kendra is slightly annoying about her business. Why couldn’t she just lease a space first? Why did she need to buy? She acted like a petulant child for most of the book—but she pulled it together eventually.

Ben is your typical handsome, well-built, smart Black man that most of these romances feature. He pretends to have emotional intelligence, but falls short when it’s time to be emotional and intelligent. He couldn’t articulate what he wanted or where he was in life—but hey, he’s fine, and he has good D.

Got a trip coming up? Need an airport read? Sure, grab it. Are you in a book club full of horny women? This’ll do. Just need a cute, feel-good read in between your bloodlust and gore-filled thrillers? This one isn’t bad.

Acknowledgment

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced reader copy of The Dating Prohibition by Taj McCoy in exchange for an honest review.