A story of found family, friendship, and connections, with a focus on Black community and the importance of being present. A great choice for Pride month. The main character is unusual and starts off pretty unlikable, but the joy of the book is getting to know her better and seeing beyond her selfish exterior and watching her develop into someone to care about.

Skye travels for a living--nearly a nomad at forty--touching down in her hometown of Philadelphia only occasionally and staying at her friend's bed and breakfast. It's on one of those visits home that a twelve-year-old girl approaches Skye and tells her that she's her "egg." Years ago, Skye donated eggs to a friend for money, and now Vicky is here as a result. Skye soon realizes that Vicky's aunt Faye is the woman she tried to pick up in a record store the other day. And, she's starting to come to the understanding that being responsible, even tangentially, for another human means she might have to finally grow up herself.

This book was lovely and took me by surprise: in all the good ways. I loved Skye--her anti-social ways, her awkwardness, and her cynicism. She's a true mess, with a mom and dad who left her hurting and afraid to love or trust--but McKenzie captures Skye's voice so perfectly that it's hard to resist her. This is an honest and emotional book, written in a way of addressing the reader directly. It's different at times and might take some getting used to, but I loved the whole thing.

The story here is so interesting and might sound off-putting: Vicky discovers Faye, who donated her eggs years ago to Vicky's mom. Skye has a crush on Vicky's aunt. In the background, Skye is floundering--she's a great businesswoman but she has a terrible relationship with her brother and her mother, who is ill. She also has tumultuous and dramatic friendships.

The city of Philly is a character in itself here too--it stands vibrant and buoyant in McKenzie's hands, as she pens an ode to the city and its black community. There are excellent and timely discussions of race, including a strong side plot featuring Vicky and Faye's neighbor. But best of all is the existence of Skye, Faye, and Vicky themselves--strong black women finding their way in the world. They completely grow on you as you read this outstanding book.

Overall, this is an excellent read. It's funny, heartfelt, and completely engaging. This authentic cast of characters will steal your heart.

Original and important, this book is one to check out. The storyline is definitely one of a kind and was was written by the author in a way that will define her in this genre. There is humor and sweetness and some funny one liners that will cause you to laugh out loud. One not to be missed.

I have so much love for this book. The standout factor of this book is the wit. The author is /so funny/, the main character is both super relatable and super cartoonish at the same time. I was laughing out loud through the entire book, and the story was just so endearing. The book also tells the more difficult stories of having a disabled mother (which I can totally relate to, and it was nice to read Skye's perspective on it) and gentrification. I fell hard for the romance between Skye and Faye, although I fell even harder for the relationship Skye forges with Vicky, the child which she was the egg donor for. Don't miss this book!!

This book was funny, unique, and fresh. The story flowed really well and the characters kept me engaged. A really good read.

I received a copy of this book via netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. From the beginning of when I started reading this book I wanted to dnf. But, I forced myself to read through it and I just didn’t really enjoy it. I also didn’t like the writing style either. This book just isn’t for me, i’m sure lots of people will absolutely adore it, but it’s just not my style.

This was a good read. It took me a little while to get into the book -more on that later- but once I did, I was hooked. My plan was to read half the book tonight but I read all in one sitting since I was enjoying it so much. Because I read a lot of books, I sometimes find myself forgetting certain stories quite quickly. I’m happy to say that this book has the type of feel to it that I believe certain characters and storylines will stay with me for a long time to come.

This is contemporary fiction first and a romance second. I would probably say the split was about 70/30 or so. This book is also first person in the POV of our main character, Skye. Now, this is where I had a bit of a struggle getting into the book. Skye, is not always the easiest character to like and you really experience some mixed feelings for her in the beginning of the book. I noticed in the early reviews that while there were a lot of people that loved the book, there were some people that DNF’d it and I think that might be a reason why. My connection with Skye was very slow going, but as her character grew, my connection to her character grew. Anyway, my long drawn out point is that this is a book to be patient with. If you are unsure while reading, give it more time. This is the perfect example of a book that actually gets better every single chapter that you read.

While it took me a while to bond with Skye, the characters are the heart of this book. The characters are all extremely well written. It doesn’t matter how small of a roll they might have played, they all took up space and felt like fully formed characters. From Skye’s egg donor child to her disabled mother. From a best friend who is a transwoman to the Reverend, this is one of the better casts of characters I have read all year and I know I’m going to miss them.

I found that I enjoyed how many feel good moments that the book had. While this book does talk about racism, some biphobia and transphobia, abuse and neglect, and policing, before I could get too upset over something the book would have these nice warm and even humorous moments to lift you back up. This book had a lovely message about community and how important your made family is. And the relationship between Skye and her egg daughter really got to me emotionally. I did start to tear up a few times but I also smiled -a lot- and even laughed.

In the end, I would recommend this one to contemporary fiction fans. I think people looking for well written characters, especially ones that have growth and a journey to take, will enjoy this one. It does take a little bit to get into this book so be patient with this one. I have a feeling I will remember these character for a long time to come. I hope McKenzie will write more LGBTQ+ fiction as I would love to read it.

Skye Falling was the book I never knew I needed in my life. The perfect book for June and Pride month book. Mia McKenzie does an amazing job creating a perfectly imperfect human being in Skye with trauma, insecurities, and a soul that at its core wants to just simply belong and have people. Skye's inner voice is so real it hurts. She makes you blush, cringe, sweat, and laugh as you live her experiences during her glass shattering summer of coming into newest self.

This book is fast paced, humorous, real, and above all well written. You will not be disappointed when you pick up your copy of this book to fill your summer days with.

This was a revelation. I requested an ARC a while ago and then completely forgot what the book is even about until the pub date rolled around. Imagine my surprise when this book was everything I ever wanted. I loved everything about it: constant humor, loving tenderness, slow-burn complicated romance, and all with a fantastic social justice/anti-racist angle.

Still, I could even do without all that in a novel if it's got great characters. And the characters here really knock it out of the park. Skye has definitely secured a spot in my Top 10 Protagonists. At 39 she's still growing up; she's messy, she's real, sometimes I ended up shaking my head at her choices just as much as she was, but at the end of the day, I wanted nothing but good things for her. Even the supporting characters are all three-dimensional, hilarious and lovable.

We're not quite halfway through 2021 but I can already tell this will be a tough one to beat for this year's best.

I loved Skye Falling! The characters were sharp and witty and the author has such a unique, relatable way of describing her characters.

Skye has spent her adult life running from her childhood, but then out of the blue a little girl enters her life. When Skye was younger, she donated her eggs to a friend to have a baby. 12 years later, her egg is now a child, Vicky. Vicky seeks out Skye in the hopes of finding out more about who she is and where she came from. The problem is Skye doesn’t really know herself, and she doesn’t allow herself to form meaningful relationships with ANYONE. Can Skye get her life together for the sake of Vicky? It will be messy, but maybe a little more stability and some human connections is exactly what Skye needs.

4.5/5 stars
Skye is a complex woman in her late 30’s. She runs a successful travel company, leading specialized tours around the world. Yet, her home base is a room at a friends bed and breakfast and her personal life is a mess. She drinks too much, doesn’t always have a filter or self-control, and has a lot of deeply rooted anger at her family and ex-friends.
In Skye Falling, we spend three months in her world in West Philly, and a lot happens during this short time period. Skye’s life changes dramatically when a sassy 12 year old named Vicky comes into her life.
The author grew up in West Philadelphia and that comes through loud and clear in how she captured the area where most of the book takes place. Her sense of humor is fierce and there are many laugh out loud moments that break up, a bit, the serious issues of racial inequity, family challenges and dysfunction that are weaved into the story.
I loved the book and want to know more about Skye, Vicky, Viva and Faye and where life takes them.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read Skye Falling in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. While it is billed as an LGBTQ book due to its gay characters, the crux of the story is about so much more. Personally, I loved the LGBTQ aspect and I felt Skye’s character was believable and easy to relate to if you’re someone who has grown up in the LGBTQ community. I laughed out loud a couple of times reading Skye’s thoughts and words. She’s rough around the edges in her “sworn to singlehood” status but beneath the tough exterior is a tender-hearted person. Enter Vicky, Skye’s “donor egg” daughter, who shows up in Skye’s life wanting to know more about where she came from genetically. The bond between Skye and Vicky is pretty much instantaneous, while the role of motherhood for Skye never fully materializes. But, for me, that was okay. After all, Skye never signed up to be a mom. Sure, any adult knows not to show up at a kid’s school function after consuming alcohol, and it was almost cringeworthy when Skye did just that. But let’s focus on Skye’s personal growth throughout the story instead. The romance was just kind of iffy for me and mostly unnecessary but also typical and, therefore, believable. All in all, it was a great story about family, love, responsibility, motherhood, friendship, and culture.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Skye is running from attachments, and proud of her singleness, when on a visit home, she is located by the fully-developed, adolescent version of a prior egg donation she once made for money. Her first inclination is to sneak out a bathroom window rather than have a conversation with this bright young woman. The plot idea is captivating but the POV is scattered because Skye has a lot of stuff to unpack, and she keeps it closely held. It takes most of the book to fully understand her motivation and her actions. But this is a fascinating author worth reading. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

A different kind of love story. The main character is Skye and told from her POV. Skye is not your lovable and sweet character and that comes out in the story. Skye does not trust or want to be close to people. When a friend of hers uses Skye's egg to get pregnant, the plot begins and it tell a story of change and love on two levels. I enjoyed the book. the characters and plot were good. The story takes place in Philadelphia and it has a very real feel to it. I recommend this love story to readers who want a different slant on l0ve.

🥚 Skye Falling 🥚

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Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review. Skye Falling is out today, 6/22!

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Y’all this book is so funny and readable. Skye is a 30-something queer black woman with a successful career, traveling the world, and generally avoiding her hometown by any means necessary. Then she suddenly meets her egg, Vicky. By egg, I mean she donated an egg to her friend way back when and now her 13 year old daughter is hunting her down and wanting a relationship. Does Skye climb out a restroom window to escape the first meeting? Absolutely, but she gets there eventually!

The journey Skye goes through in reconnecting with her past, coming to grips with it, learning to plant roots and foster real relationships? It’s beautiful and funny and sad and all the other real, engaging emotions. I do think there was a touch too much text lingo within the actual descriptive text (like, there’s a lot of “LOOOOOL” and “tbh”) and whatnot. And the ending was so abrupt that I genuinely flipped a page expecting another chapter and was hit with “epilogue.” But overall, I flew through this story and really enjoyed the setting and relationships being set up here.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


This review was cross-posted today, 6/22, to Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/CQbJh7gLShk/) and Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3993557258?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1).

Thank you to Random House for my NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Skye is the very definition of a free bird - and this bird, you cannot change. At nearly 40, she still lives up to her junior high superlative of "Most Likely to be Single". She runs a travel company that takes her to exotic destinations, returning to her Philly hometown only to regroup between trips. Imagine her surprise when she meets Vicky, her "egg" - aka biological daughter from a mid-twenties egg donation to a friend. Skye decides to give this whole meaningful relationship thing a try, and surprise, surprise, it's a bumpy ride.

I picked this book because I also love Philadelphia - a lot of my family lives in that area, and I was intrigued to read about a character so different from myself. Skye is frustrating at times, especially when she tries to escape hard conversations via a bathroom window, but I really warmed up to her over the course of the novel. She's been through a lot in her life and put up walls as a defense mechanism. Skye's queer and black identity allowed for the exploration of deep issues like gentrification and racism, taking this into the realm of literary fiction.

I enjoyed seeing Skye's interactions with Vicky - these were entertaining but also indicative of personal growth. Vicky has plenty of tween attitude, making her a very memorable character. And of course, I can't forget about Philly - the city is practically another character in the book. I would recommend this book to readers who like character-driven novels and don't mind unlikeable characters.

Posted to Goodreads and Instagram on pub day 6/22/21.

There are people who will love this book but I am not one of them. From pretty early on, I could tell it just wasn't for me.

I hated Skye. She is so self-centered and immature that she is really annoying and I didn't care about her at all. When she showed up to the spelling bee "bipsy", I was done and truly hated her. Her decision to stay in Philly also seems random and not well explained or thought out at the time which left a gaping hole in the plot that I had a hard time overlooking.

I also didn't like the writing style. The constant slang and use of all caps of Skye's internal narrative just didn't work for me. If I never hear the word "jawn" again, that's ok by me.

The plot did start to get better towards the end, I had a couple laughs, and I didn't detest Skye quite as much by the end but overall, this was a miss for me. Going with 3 stars since I didn't dislike it by the end but really can't say I liked it either.

**I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

thx @randomhouse for the free e-copy 💖

This is a funny, fast-paced, heartfelt book that centers Black queer women & reads like a love letter to West Philly. Skye, a Black lesbian in her late 30s, is hesitantly forging a relationship with a 12 y old girl who was conceived w her donor egg. As she tentatively settles back into her hometown for the first time in years, she’s forced to confront all that she’s been avoiding.

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Things I loved:
-The engaging first person POV: lots of sarcastic quips, occasionally breaking the fourth wall, and quickly oscillating between cheesy humor & candid realizations. Similar to Sam Irby’s style.

-This book handled a lot of subjects in a nuanced and sensitive way. I loved the way two medical situations were discussed throughout:
➡️The impact of Faye and Cynthia’s family history of cancer: grieving the loss of loved ones, fearing their own diagnoses, making life decisions based on that risk. As a cancer genetic counselor, I’d consider sharing this w patients. I think it would be really validating, esp since media representations of familial cancer often stop at white celebrities.
➡️Skye’s challenging relationship with her newly disabled mother: far from a straightfwd disability narrative, this highlighted the messy nuances of having somebody in your life who really hurt you, but is now in need of your help. A situation where you’ll never get an apology for the irreparable harm they did to you, & and you have to decide if you can still move forward together.

-There’s a sweet sapphic subplot, & I loved the inclusion of sex scenes that aren’t just magically perfect from beginning to end.

-casual lesbian, bi, & trans rep! untranslated Spanish dialogue!

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I did find the commentary on gentrification to be somewhat lacking—while it spoke a lot about the changing demographics of Philly, there were a few lines that implied that new businesses being Black-owned made up for gentrification. Gentrification is an issue of race and class, and I personally wanted more exploration about class and the issues with Black capitalism. But also 1 contemporary fiction book can’t do it all lol.

CW: police brutality, parental abuse, sexual assault, gentrification, grief, cancer, death of a parent, traumatic brain injury, memory loss, transphobia

Highly disappointing
I DNF at 30%
Thanks you netgalley for letting me read this to leave an honest review, unfortunately for me- I just didn't vibe with this one .
Between the unlikable characters and the basly choice of descriptions, not to mention the constant change to another language I had a very hard time keeping up .
Im sure alot of people will love this one ! It was good, and I did laugh a few times . But I struggled to get as far as I did . It was very basic ; even with the "humor" the author tried to push, I couldn't continue .

This is a lively and energetic book about a woman rethinking her life when she's confronted by the child born of an egg she sold to a friend. Skye's got a successful business, vibrant friends, and a desire to keep moving. Vicky however makes her stop and consider what's important. Vicky's had a hard time since her mom died; she lives with her aunt Faye, who Skye is very much attracted to. This touches on so many issues- dealing with elderly parents, navigating gender, grief, gentrification, urban environments, bu most of all love. Vicky takes out her anger about her mother's death on others, most notably her stepmother (who is more generous than is immediately apparent). Skye's got her own issues with her mother and father. Then there's the changing neighborhood- McKenzie has captured the tension between new and old. AND Philly is a character as well. This lopes along. pulling you in as Skye bounces into a different life. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great storytelling and interesting characters make this a very good read.