One of my favorite things about Naima Simone's books are how her characters feel like real adults. They're people you could find out in the world, they respond to things in a reasonable, measured way - no over the top reactions or melodrama here. That means in a book like this, you feel the yearning and conflict. You've got people who know what they want, but aren't quite ready to go after it...but given enough time, it all explodes anyway. The fallout of the potentially ruined friendship is as compelling as the romance itself, and together, makes a book you just can't put down.

MAYBE once upon a time India Roberts WAS considered Jessie's girl, but not any longer and not by India herself, or her former good friend Asa Hunt. Asa, who carried a secret torch for three years unknown to both India and Jessie until that night she disappeared two years ago.
India's returned, and Asa is now the guardian and uncle to ten year old Rose, a student at the school where India is Vice-Principal. The precocious ten year old is largely responsible for bringing these two together again - repeatedly! The only issue is Asa's childhood friendship with Jessie - can it withstand a change in relationship status from Jessie to Asa? Steamy and humorous romance - loved it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for an honest and unbiased review.

Thank you to Oliver Herbert Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review.

You’ve been his for years, and I respected it. Maintained my distance. Kept my silence. My secret.
Until that night you came to me, disillusioned, angry and hurt. God helps us both, but I crossed my carefully drawn line before you left, disappeared. This was an emotionally moving read. Wow. And am voluntarily leaving my review.

This was such a fun, angsty, and emotional romance novella!! Jessie's Girl by Naima Simone is an adult contemporary romance novella that follows India and Asa - and India is Asa's best friend's ex-girlfriend. It's obviously a forbidden romance and the two main characters desperately try to fight their attraction and feelings for each other, and fail completely.

Naima Simone is amazing at writing angst and making me root for the characters so hard that I am desperate to see their happily ever after. The chemistry and sexual tension is amazing, and the romance is really steamy and emotional. It was such a quick read and I loved every second of it. The tropes like best friend's ex-girlfriend don't always work for me because I hate when there's another person in the way, and Jessie (the friend/ex) is a total douchebag so he annoyed me a lot, but I expected it and it wasn't that big of a deal. My only other complaint is that the ending is a little rushed and we get no epilogue. Other than that, I loved it.

If you like angsty forbidden romances and you'd like to read something short and steamy, definitely pick this up!! I can't wait for more books in this series.

I really liked Jessie's Girl, I just wish there had been more of it. It's a well-constructed novella, but it could have been even better had it been a full-length novel. Was it a bit messy? Of course, we're talking about best friend's former girlfriend. BUT I love messy, so it was enjoyable.

3.6 stars.

The title has you going back to an old song and I must say that is why I wanted to read this book. I was not disappointed. India is Jess’s girlfriend, he is a pro quarterback and she has caught him cheating was this the first he cheated on her? Who knows, she does not want anything more to do with him. She runs to her friend Asa who is also Jess’s friend. As she explains what happens and he comforts her they share a kiss but Asa pushes her away and two rejections in one night a heart cannot take, especially when she puts together that Asa knew but did not tell her. She leaves and that is it you think they will never meet again.
Fate has another laugh for them when Asa is now the guardian of his niece as his sister has passed away. Trying to run a garage and now be a parent is totally new for him, especially having to go to school because his niece is in trouble and you never thought you would be in the principal's office again. This time though the vice principal India is who he must speak with and well that goes very interesting because now the niece picks up that they knew each other and so she wants to put them together. The only problem is, does she want to and has he gotten past his issues with his friend to stand up to him? A very good story with really good characters and a very good ending as well.

JESSIE’S GIRL is the first instalment in Naima Simone’s contemporary, adult LOVE ON THE RADIO erotic, romance series, This is grade school vice-principal India Roberts, and twenty-nine-year old mechanic Asa Hunt’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Asa and India) JESSIE’S GIRL focuses on the relationship between grade school vice-principal India Roberts, and twenty-nine-year old mechanic Asa Hunt’s story line.. Two years earlier professional football player Jessie Reynold betrayed his fiance India Roberts by having one of numerous affairs but his most recent affair came to light when the other woman contacted our story line heroine. Suspecting his best friend Asa Hunt knew about Jessie’s history, India confronted her former fiance’s best friend, and when faced with another possible rejection, India disappeared without a trace. Fast forward to present day wherein India return to her home town, the new vice-principal of the local school, whereupon she will come face to face with Asa Hunt, the second man to break her heart. Asa Hunt is the now the guardian of his niece Rose in the wake of her mother’s death, a guardianship that is struggling with Rose’s outbursts at school. What ensues is the building relationship between Asa and India, and the potential fall-out when Jessie comes home to discover his best friend with the woman he claims to still love.

The relationship between Jessie and Asa is a best friend’s former fiance to lovers. Asa Hunt has lusted after India Roberts for as long as he can remember but India was ‘Jessie’s Girl’ although Jessie never remained faithful to the woman he love.Hoping to rekindle the fire with India Roberts, Asa struggles, caught between friendship and love, a friendship that may be destroyed by his need for our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Jessie Reynolds, administrative assistant Lena, as well as Asa’s niece Rose.

JESSIE’S GIRL is a quick read; a story of friendship and relationships, betrayal and heart breaking, love and acceptance. The fast paced premise is emotional and engaging; the romance is captivating; the characters are energetic and charismatic.



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Unrequited love sucks but when you happen to love your best friend's girl, it is even worse. So when Asa opens his door one night to find a broken and disillusioned India confronting him for hiding Jessie's cheating ways, he has no choice but to allow himself to be her punching bag and everything else that she needs him to be in that moment. Then she disappears from his life without a trace.

Fast forward a few years and he is once again facing the woman who still haunts his dreams and most waking moments. This time he is going to make sure that he's going to make sure that she's always going to be by his side, best friend be damned!

So of course I can’t help but sing this song ‘Jessie’s Girl’ by Rick S. when I look at the cover of the book… I’m guessing it was the author’s point since it had me read the blurb of the story based solely on the title.

India used to date Jessie who is best friend’s with Asa. Poor Asa has always had more then a crush on India. When India finds out Jessie cheated on her she ran to Asa allegedly to find out if he knew. I think she subconsciously had a crush on him as well.
Two years later and he still wants India.

I enjoyed this story. I do wish it had a epilogue since I’m left wondering a few things.

I was nervous AF going into this one because the title alone gives you a good idea of the plot: a man in love with his best friend's girl. Love triangle, angsty, emotional feels terrify me. But it's Naima, so I girded my loins ("loins" is a terrible word, and "girded" is not much better), and I'm so fucking glad I did. I'm confident that everyone is going to want Jessie's Girl. (Or his best friend—I would absolutely break me off a piece of Asa . . .) It's a love triangle, but not in the way I am used to reading them, and that worked for me. Also, it's crazy hot. Demanding, dominant Asa, FTW.

One of the best things about working at Verve is being on a team with a slew of other book lovers. Ones who understand that sometimes SHOUTY CAPS aren't a choice, quivering when a less-than-feminist pet name is whipped out is totally normal, and begging for redemption stories, and baby-filled epilogues is par for the course.

Never is this compatibility more evident than when a couple of us get together for a buddy read, as Julie and I did recently for Naima Simone's latest, Jessie's Girl. (And yes, we have both been singing that nonstop since the day the ARCs landed on our Kindles.)

Read on to see what we thought about Asa, India, Jessie, love triangles, mean girls, and more. Look for my comments in BOLD and Julie's in ITALICS, okay?

**3.75 Stars**

Jessie's Girl is a best friend's ex romance. Asa has kind of been secretly pining for India, his best friend's girlfriend, but would never cross that line. When his best friend makes some bad choices and the relationship ends, Asa provides India with some emotional support and lines get a little blurred. Fast forward a couple years and now India is back and the assistant principal at the school Asa's niece attends, which has them back in contact and working through their complicated history.

This was my first book by this author and overall I did enjoy it. I found it to be well written and engaging and I overall liked Asa and India. It was a quick read. I thought India and Asa had great chemistry, but I did struggle at times with the back and forth. The execution didn't quite come across in a building angst way, but more so in a lacking maturity way. I also struggled with the lying or withholding of the truth that occurred. I would definitely be interested in reading more of this author's work in the future since this was my first book.

I am voluntarily reviewing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Would have loved if this was a full length novel but the love connection between these two just didn't work for me. Asa was seemingly in love with India for years but I don't really see why and India was somehow obsessed with Asa for 2 years after one kiss. Idk. I just didn't buy it. I also usually like kids in books but Asa's niece in here was a bit annoying. This was my first array into Naima Simone but I definitely see promise. I think longer form novels are going to work better for me because I did love the set up and various emotional backgrounds of the characters. I just wish we got more of that.

As always Naima Simone's writing pulled me right into the story, including the heat and chemistry between the two forbidden lovers. That said, the overwhelming sadness and stuff with the child left me unable to really sink into the heat of the story, and I had to DNF.

I would recommend for those who enjoy a hot, heavy, and forbidden romance and recommend checking content warnings.

Vibrating with tension!

This is the story of Asa and India. And Jesse, Asa's best friend, almost like a brother, and India's ex boyfriend for 4 years. The one who betrayed her. And the one who keeps them both on a tight emotional leash.

But Jesse just appears in a couple of scenes, to break and make the story. The real main character here is the amazing Asa and his close to obsession love for India. While she is a lovely woman, you would think she is an absolute goddess by the way Asa feels and thinks about her. All the book is their coming together, in an wonderful way, full of sensual tension and passion.

Naima Simone masters this sensual tension in all her books and this one is not different. While the trope is definitely not my favorite, this book was super worth it because of the writing. There wasn't much drama, except for Asa's emotional one, but it sure was filled with vibrating, pulsating, can't leave without her emotional charge. Beautiful!

I received a copy of this in order to offer my personal view on it.

Hello, Asa and India. And thank you to Naima for bringing one of my favorite songs to life in such an awesome way. This book is all the sexy, romantic, sexy, take you through every emotion book Naima Simone is famous for. Just perfection!

Unrequited love!! This book is the perfect bite. It’s the story of India and Asa, and the journey they take to their HEA. This book is the first in a series, it’s quick and steamy. What do you do when you are in love with Jessie’s Girl? Read this book to find out. Naima Simone really delivers and you won’t be disappointed. I

I received a Netgally ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved it! India finds out her boyfriend is less than stellar and two timing. She finds solace and returns for romance with her ex’s best friend.

What did I like? Everyone knows the song and now I guess they can read about it. Ada and India have super hawt chemistry but both grapple with how Jessie will deal with their budding relationship. Four stars!

Would I recommend or buy? If your in the mood for a fun romance then this is super sweet and pretty quick. I would definitely read more by this author!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review.

My primary problem with this book is that I had That Song running through my head every time I read it.

India is, as the title says, Jessie's girl. Jessie is a friend. Jessie is a good friend of Asa. And Asa has been pushing down his lust for India their entire friendship out of respect for Jessie.

Anyway. Asa and India combust in the first chapter then don't see each other for two years. It's an intensely physical, longing driven story with emotional complexities. There's a 10 year old with behavior issues who inadvertently brings Asa and India back together.

It's a short and fulfilling read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.