This book is definitely one of my favorites of 2021. It’s a coming of age story about modern womanhood. I absolutely adored Tabitha Walker and I was cheering her on with every chapter!

Tabitha is a 33 year old black woman with a checklist for the life of her dreams. Those dreams are questioned when she must choose between her career, a home, or a family of her own.

“ I see you. I love you. I acknowledge your struggle. I think you’re beautiful..”

The above quote left a lasting impression on me. Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is a story that tells the highs and lows of a young black woman trying to find her way in life. It actually features three black women but the story is told from the perspective of one. Tabitha has it all going for her, she’s educated, attractive, and successful in her career. But she experiences many things that I believe a lot of woman experience, infertility, being looked over by their male counterparts at work, relationship woes, and parenting issues. There’s an underlying message in this book though, especially when Tabitha is pulled over by the cop and when she gets her first reporting break at work. Our stories are often overlooked or not told in it’s entirety and I feel like this book touches on that. This is actually my second time reading this book. I read the original book and then I read this newer copy. I didn’t notice any changes and I’m not sure if there was supposed to be an addition to the original story... And while I don’t typically reread books, the story was just as admirable as I remember. I loved Tabitha’s strength and the way that she cared for her friends and family and how she beat the odds at her job. The author really does a great job with the story and character development in this book. The epilogue is bittersweet but I wraps the story up well.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book certainly had its moments, and I'm glad to see that many others are enjoying it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me, and I won't be reading the next books in the series. I did read all the way through, and I became more engaged in the story later in the book, but I never felt completely immersed.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for an eARC.

This was a funny and absorbing read about three adult Black women that hits hard in a lot of places. Tabby is in her 30s and is feeling good about the direction her life is taking (and which she worked extremely hard for) until she receives some life-altering medical news that throws her off her feet. With the help of her two best friends, Laila and Alexis, Tabby tries to navigate a new and frustrating world.
While this took me a hot minutes to get into, by then end I was championing hard for Tabby and her support circle. This is the first in a trilogy and I will most definitely be watching for the next book!

An interesting and fun novel that I will keep thinking about for a long time. Thank you for this arc.

This book is one that I’ll never forget. It has tugged at my heartstrings, and has helped me gain a new perspective in life. I rarely say that about a book, especially a fiction novel.

Black Women Must Die Exhausted is about Tabitha Walker a 30’s something TV news reporter. She feels like she’s got everything in her life planned out, she’s got a list and checked off each detail. But, a huge bombshell is dropped on her, she’s got a new and potentially life altering medical crisis dropped in her life, and she doesn’t have much time if she wants the future she’s planned for, worked so hard for.

She works hard, extremely hard. Hard in her job, having to fight hard for a promotion. Hard in her personal relationships, where is her long time boyfriend going with her on this journey. Hard with her family relationships. Hard just to stay safe, encountering police officers is absolutely terrifying and she knows that the wrong move, the wrong officer could be potentially deadly. Hard to keep her appearance up to a standard set by her job, she longs to be able to have her own style. Hard to get a career changing story. So hard all the time.

Her one true constant is her beloved grandmother, who is her namesake. She’s very close to her grandmother and is able to be more of herself around her.

You’ll follow her journey and see how her growth as a person. This really is one of those life changing novels and you will definitely be glad you’ve read it.


I would like to thank Jayne Allen, Harper Perennial, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
by Jayne Allen
Publish date: Sept.28, 2021

The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted. (Blurb from book)

I am not in love with this book. I found it lacking and I wanted something "more."
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC. This was not a hit for me.

3 star

”I originally wrote Black Girls Must Die Exhausted to show that—when you strip away the divides, barriers, categories, and all of the various ways we’ve learned to separate ourselves, one from another at our foundation, love is the language that we speak and the very lifeblood of our existence. Love comes in many forms—self-love, love between friends, familial love, and romantic love among them.”—Authors Note.

In Jayne Allen’s, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, we meet Tabitha. A thirty-something black journalist who is at a critical stage in her life. From the outside looking in, she has it all: a career (with the hopes of being promoted soon), a year and a half year-long relationship with Marc who she thinks she could settle down with, friends who have her back, and a family who loves her. But it’s not all that it seems for Tabitha. After what she thought would be a routine casual visit to her doctor reveals a diagnosis she knows she cannot run from. It is from there we begin to see Tabitha unravel as she struggles with asserting herself at work, has difficulty expressing her true feels to Marc, and finds herself losing sight of her friendships.

One of my favorite parts of the book was this reflective moment Tabitha is having after learning of her health crisis and having a less than favorable interaction with a white police officer. Speaking to the careful construction of the character by the author we see Tabitha go from anxious and frustrated to clear on who and what she wants in her life.

”It’s not like I forgot I was single or forgot to have children. Not possible. It hummer in the background on every night with my girls, every trip to the supermarket, and every other solo tax return. And once I turned thirty, no matter my accomplishment; educational or professional, there was no chance of escaping l the question, “So how come you’re not married yet?” —Tabitha

This book I enjoyed on several fronts but especially in its ability to shine a light on many of the issues and struggles that Black Women face, day in and day out. How we can come to embrace and love ourselves even in the midst of all of our experiences and continue to breathe life into our relationships and all that we do.

Easily 4.5 stars! Ps: do you see how gorgeous this cover is???

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this amazing e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. I also won a goodreads giveaway copy of this book in print.

If you like Terry McMillan, especially her older work, this is a great new series that hits the same spot. It's about a younger woman than her stories generally feature. Tab is working at a news station in LA, dating a nice guy when all of it seems to explode because she learns she has 6 months to have a baby or freeze her eggs due to stress. There's lots of other things happening with her 2 best friends, Alexis and Laila who come from different parts of her life but still love each other. Wraps up nicely and also leaves you hanging for the next book in the trilogy.

This book is like a snowball in how it gathers speed and oomph. Started out a little uncertain about reading it, couldn't put it down by the last third. Also it made me cry. Just a really rich and unpredictable, satisfying, textured read.

(nb I read an uncorrected proof which I received from the book's publisher.)

After a quick review, Tabitha is a strong woman who pushes through in a way many of our patrons will relate to. The beautiful cover is an attention grabber. Thank you for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for an eARC of “Black Girls Must Die Exhausted.” The title and cover caught my eye months ago, and the book more than lived up to my expectations. If you’re a contemporary fiction fan, I can’t recommend it enough.

In “Black Girls Must Die Exhausted,” we meet 33-year-old Tabitha Walker, a Los Angeles TV news reporter who is deep in the throes of existential millennial dread. She’s also navigating life and a cutthroat career as a Black woman.

As the book opens, Tabby has just been told she has premature ovarian failure and that her window to have biological children is quickly closing. She has no choice but to spend the money she’s saved for a down payment on freezing her eggs or accelerating her relationship with her boyfriend, Marc.

There are some absolutely delightful characters in this book, from Tabby herself to her grandmother, who’s also a Tabitha, and her assisted living bestie. I genuinely enjoyed spending time in their world, and I’m looking forward to following this author.

This book was a phenomenal exploration of modern adulthood told from the perspective of a young black reporter trying to make a name for herself. I really enjoyed the characters and their intricate relationships, as well as the commentary on racism. We get to hear her family's stories of racism, which differ from segregation to microaggressions, and examine how it presents itself in modern times. I honestly can't wait to read more of Tabitha's story as she journeys through IVF, dating, and beyond.

*Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Beautiful book. Beautiful, beautiful book. Highly recommend to literally everyone. Read it, share it with your friends, gift it to everyone. That is all

Everything in this book is so relatable. I loved how Jayne Allen was able to pack this book with SO MANY issues that Black women face every day from family secrets, racism, work problems, relationship issues, and so much more. I just loved it all! I'm so excited to read more from Jayne Allen.

Jayne Allen has written a wonderful book about the struggles of 30-something women who are trying to balance work with family (and the opportunity to have a family). The fact that the main characters are black adds another layer to this story and their struggle to "have it all."

Tabitha Walker has a successful career as a TV reporter. She has been dating Marc for a year and a half, and their relationship is on a good path, even if he hasn't fully committed to a life with her yet. But when she finds out her fertility is waning fast, Marc doesn't respond quite the way she expects (or wants). She has to decide if she wants to freeze her eggs, and how she is going to pay for that, as her insurance doesn't cover procedures like that (but it does cover the cost of Viagra, which frustrates her). At the same time, Tabitha is in a dogfight at work to earn the spot as senior reporter, and wonders if she can compete against the old boys network. She also is approached by a female anchor about joining a women's group at the station to fight for things like better health care that covers women's issues as much as men's.

Tabitha has a complicated family. Her grandmother (on her father's side) is white and married a black man when that simply wasn't done, especially in West Virginia, where she is from. Her parents are divorced because her father had an affair with a white woman, and married her. Tabitha has two stepsisters who she barely knows because she was so hurt by her dad's betrayal. However, she remains extremely close to her grandmother Tab (she is named for her), and visits her every Saturday at her retirement home.

Tabitha's best friends, Laila and Lexi have troubles of their own. Lexi is married with children, but Tabitha doesn't trust that Lexi's husband Rob is on the up-and-up. Laila is dating a new man, who is perfect except for the fact that he is married. The three women lean on each other but find themselves holding parts of their lives back from each other because of embarrassment and pride.

Every woman who has fought for a promotion and doubted herself, every woman who has seen a man (either hers or a friend's) cheat on her, and every woman who has had fertility issues or even worried about the possibility of having to choose between a career and motherhood, will cheer on the women of this book as they navigate these complex situations. Women of color will relate to the struggles Tabitha has with the choice to straighten and style her hair in order to appear "neat" and less "ethnic," and the other changes she makes in how she looks and acts to fit in at the television station. All women have to do this, but it is doubly hard for women of color, who have to overcome both being "female" as well as being "ethnic."

I loved the characters of this book, and the conversations they have about race, relationships, the pressure to have it all, and the importance of friends and family. It will make you want to have an honest conversation with your loved ones so they know how you feel and that you're there for them, no matter what.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of this great book!

Tabitha Walker is so stressed out with life and the issues it brings that she is suffering from a diagnosis of Premature Ovarian Reserve Failure. Her doctor tells her if Tabitha doesn’t change her lifestyle in the next six months, she may never be able to give birth.
Allen threads a story of a character who sitting in the middle of conforming week after week to maintain her role at the local news-station. Her thoughts are in order to be successful, she must wear a mask of lies. Its like the mantra my mom instilled in me about work, keep your head down and do a good job. A Black woman’s pain has never been enough to stop the world from righting its wrongs or adding to them. I could see where the author was going with this title but it wasn't the right time for me to read it.

I received a copy of this title in exchange for my thoughtful & honest review.

I laughed, cried, and went through a full range of emotions reading this book. The characters were real and relatable...like reading about your girlfriends, your sister, yourself. While Black girls may die exhausted, we still manage to find the magic and joy in living, as evidenced in this well-written novel by Jayne Allen. I highly recommend.

The plot: Tabitha Walker has a plan to “have it all.” She's educated, has a good job, dating and overall watching everything fall in place.. Until one day, Tabby receives an unexpected news - a diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down. With her dreams coming to the point of destruction, she now has to make one crucial decision; a choice between her career and a family.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was relatable because being a woman, a black WOMAN, I and others have to work much harder to get the recognition that we deserve. It's hard and we constantly have to fight to get ahead. So the way Jayne creates Tabby's character to portray that hardness, and how we have to always choose between one thing or the other, was amazing. Doing so, it created an emotional connection between the character and I that made me root for her until the very end. Also, the relationships in the book between the female characters were very strong, especially between Tabby and her grandmother. I loved her grandmother so much because she was wise, gave great advice and overall there for Tabby. Their bond was excellent.

Overall, this is worth the read. for those of us who can relate to the very same struggles. Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial for the copy!

First in a series. Entertaining read. The characters and their friendship took center stage for me and set up the series well