Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson will be officially released 01 February.

The quick rundown: Benny and Byron haven’t spoken in years. The estranged siblings reconnect after their mother passes away. Together, they find out they didn’t know their mother as well as they thought! Mom leaves a letter and audio instructions for them, AND the black cake in the freezer for them to share. The two must follow the audio files left for them to see their mother, and ultimately themselves, for the first time.

Mom and the black cake have been through some thangs! I enjoyed this book immensely. The writing is good and easy to follow; the pace is steady. And, the ending gave me all the feels. Now, when I first read the synopsis, I had no idea we would end up here, or where we were going, but I am glad I decided to read this book.

If you like family drama, read this! This book is similar to the Turner House, These Ghosts are Family, and a Day Late and a Dollar Short.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House/Ballantine Books, for the ARC to read and provide my honest review.

Absolutely loved this book - can't believe it's a debut. Even though switching between characters and times can be confusing at times, it didn't seem to matter to me in this case. I was wonderfully immersed in the stories both past and present, and was happy to go along for the ride. The book reminded me of the times my family gathers (my mother's side) and we all sit around the table and the old stories, and some new, are pulled out and repeated. You just settle down with a good dessert and absorb it all. Something new always comes to light. I appreciated what felt like an insider view of Caribbean island life, as well.

I started this book but didn't like it enough to finish. The characters didn't grab me early on and I never picked the book back up.

What and interesting and very likable story. This is almost as truth of how things are today! Enjoyed the tale , the reasons of why you'd hide in plan sight is delightful! Family is not always truthful! Enjoy!

Thank you for my advanced copy!
Black Cake is a multi generational story of estrangement and secrets. I had high hopes based on the description. The timeline jumped around as well as the POV which led to confusion for me. This book deals with a lot of social issues and had too many coincidences to be believable.
Overall, just not for me

BLACK CAKE by Charmaine Wilkerson, Random House, Ballantine. When their mother dies, Byron and Benny are left with a strange inheritance: a voice message describing her secret past, which takes the sibs from the Caribbean to London to California to unravel. She also leaves a rich Caribbean black cake and a directive: "Share the black cake when the time is right." A story as delicious as the luscious cake. Now In development as a Hulu original series produced by Oprah. Out Feb 1.

Thanks to the author, Random House, Ballantine, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson is a book that shows how intricately we are all tied together on this planet. The black cake as well as the family described in this story demonstrate this mixing of different cultures, different traditions, and different fates.

The story goes through time with the different characters in this broken up multicultural family revealing mysteries, tragedies, heartbreaks, as well as high notes, victories, and celebrations.

Family recipes are something held close to the heart such as the black cake recipe. And in doing such together with family is the common theme that helps hold people together through the hardships, long unknowing’s, and distance. Recipes as such can be passed down, made and eaten together, and shared. Even after the original people have passed from this planet, the recipes and food are still here to carry on their memories and traditions. This is the beauty of the black cake in this story.

This story will keep you engaged and turning the page as you go through every painful and heartbreaking moment with these characters but know that there is a lot of good stuff packed into these pages as well. The wisdom is in the recipe.

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tale of a family spread across generations, full of drama, love and secrets. The story is told through flashbacks and voice recordings after their mother passes away. I liked how the author used short chapters in her writing style, it made the reading experience fly by. The title, Black Cake, is a recipe that is very important throughout the story, I loved how much the children loved it, the memories it invoked. This was a joy to read, hard to classify a genre, at times it felt a bit like a mystery, but at its heart it’s a loving tale of a family. I recommend this if you need a break from all the sameness in the fiction world.

When Benny and Byron's mother Eleanor passes, they reunite in order to handle her final affairs and estate. Her wish was simple: they must listen to the recording together and share the black cake, a family recipe with untold significance, when the time is right. With a strained past between them, Benny and Byron struggle through their conflicts only to be met with an unexpected truth that threatens to shake the core of their identities.

I loved this book.

From the short, sharp chapters to the masterful storytelling, this is the kind of book that has the potential to be added to every school curriculum as a mainstay. It's just one of those stories that hits every mark of long-lasting impact. I loved Wilkerson's unraveling of the plot, the deft character development and layered emotions. The voices are spot on and I'd have a difficult time narrowing down my favorite. Wilkerson's descriptions are vivid, almost cinematic, and if this doesn't make its way to the screen, I'd be shocked.

I can't say enough good things about it. Out 02/01, add this to your TBRs now. Immediately. Go and do it and thank me later.

Huge thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Family Secrets

I am not sure how to review this book. It sounded like a good book, I really tried to get into it, but about half way through or so it really started becoming impossible to follow. So many characters and so many different places. It appeared the story became fragmented and it no longer kept me engaged.

The story is of siblings that were once close but not for a while. Upon the death of their mother they come back to deal with her death. When they listen to a recording their mother left it is full of old secrets she had never revealed to them of her life.

Throughout the book this rum cake or black cake keeps appearing. The cake sounds a bit like a fruitcake and so did the book after a while. Bits and piece of this and that.

I hope that other's enjoy it more than I did, this was not the book for me.

Thanks to Charmaine Wilkerson, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book.

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel has all the elements that make fiction so rewarding. Wonderful characters, skillfully drawn, settings that take the reader’s breath away, whether through their beauty or the things they lack. And an imaginative story so creative, it must be real.

Benny and Byron are long separated twins, rejoined when their mother dies and leaves them a strange legacy. Not just the historic Black Cake, whose recipe has facilitated the survival of this Caribbean family, but a video recording, telling the story of where they all came from.

While plenty of obstacles face the characters, there is always hope and that hope kept me reading to a satisfying conclusion. This is a great “book club” book, because it addresses so many issues important today, and does so in an accessible and fresh manner.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This is a debut novel that has a brother and sister dealing with the death of their mother and learning about her surprising past. I enjoyed learning about the characters but found it confusing with so many and the story being told in past and present and trying to follow all the obstacles each character faced. I almost feel that was too much going on that took away from main storyline, which I found very interesting. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

"You have always known who I am. Who I am is your mother. That is the truest part of me.”

4.5 ⭐️
What a unexpected and stunning debut by Charmaine Wilkerson!

Nothing is what it seems in this novel. Black Cake is a beautifully written multi-generational family saga told from multiple POV and dual timelines and it will absolutely tug at your heartstrings.

It was engaging from the very beginning and kept my interest throughout waiting for everything to unfold. Just when you thought you had everything figured out, guess again.

The characters were all well developed however there are a lot of them, so my tip is to take notes.

Black Cake was a poignant story of family love, loss, and sacrifices. I would definitely recommend. This will make the perfect bookclub read.

Pub Date 2/1/22

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballentine Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

It should be no surprise that I love family dramas at this point and this book is no exception. It kept me hooked and I just wanted to know their stories.

It was predictable. I don't think I was shocked by anything but I am not sure if you are supposed to be?

I would get frustrated because I really don't understand how some parents can just not speak to their kids. But I also know there are a lot of factors that go into that.

It did drag a little after the halfway mark but not too bad and everything was necessary for the story.

The writing was fantastic and the story was so good. I'd definitely recommend this one.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. Pub Date: February 1, 2022. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5. A lyrical story that follows two siblings and their journey of finding out family secrets after their mother’s death. Filled with grief, love, hope and family, this one pulls at the heart strings. The more I read, the more dedicated I became to the story. It’s a novel about relationships and black cake. I enjoyed this one! Thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Netgalley for this free e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #igreads #blackcake #charmainewilkerson #netgalley #randomhousepublishinggroup #ballantinebooks

2 stars

DNF 30%

Oh I did NOT expect this at all.

I kept going back to read all the 5-star reviews to find motivation to finish this book.

But, nope. Unfortunately I couldn't finish it, even though I was very excited about the premise, the good reviews and all the hype.

The writing style was definitely not for me. I don't know exactly what is was but it didn't flow well for me. Maybe there was too much telling for my taste or maybe it was the repetitive sentences' structure. It felt formulaic, emotionless and I couldn't connect with the stories or the characters.

Oh man I've been soo hyped for this book and I was not disappointed! This story illustrates why representation matters. My family comes from the Caribbean and there were many concepts, phrases, feelings, and situations with which I identified. It was exciting! This is a clever story with likeable characters written with an engaging style. I truly look forward to seeing what the author writes next.

Right from the start, Charmaine Wilkerson had my attention. A story about complicated family dynamics and unknown family histories told in short chapters and along dual timelines is usually a guaranteed draw for me. But more than family drama and short chapters, I appreciated the skill with which the author fleshed out their characters and painted the worlds through which they moved.

I look forward to reading more from Wilkerson in the future!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Random house and Netgalley for an advanced copy of Black Cake to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really wanted to love this story. Unfortunately it fell a little short for me. It had the potential for being a great story. One of tradition, different generations, love and heartache. I just feel like it bounced around too much with too much unnecessary information. Too many beginnings of a different story with no real place in the book.

I will give Charmaine Wilkerson another chance when she writes a new book, mainly because I do see the potential she has.