Nina Morgan Clarke is the definition of a Strong Independent Black Woman. She has a boss babe job, a PhD, and is single mother to a sixteen-year old young woman,. The Better Half begins the summer before Nina's first term as Head of School at Royal-Hawkins, an elite private school in Pasadena, California. This summer, with her new job, graduate school completed, and her daughter attending boarding school in New York, Nina finally feels like it's her turn. Until she unexpectedly falls for a White corporate type man when a fling turns into much more.

The Better Half tackles themes of race in America with the appropriate dash of wit and lightheartedness as Nina navigates this new relationship and how it changes her own self-view. Aside from being poignant and timely, the writing is funny and natural, so the reader does not feel hit over the head with its social themes. The plot takes a bit more time to get into but picks up quickly once it takes off. The writing could at times be served from going straighter to the point.

The Better Half is a story about an accomplished woman who faces challenges in her personal and professional life. The book touches on important themes such as women power, interracial relationships, school politics, self-worth, and family values. However, the long backstories and teachings can make reading tiresome. The characters are interesting but the don’t leave an indelible mark in me. I recommend this book to those who are looking for a story that shows how empowered women navigate life.

Thank you NetGalley, Alli Frank, and Asha Youmans for the chance to read this book and to share my honest thoughts.

This bordered on chick lit for me. It covered some heavy topics but did so in a light way. Good friendship, parenting and career storylines. The main character was a bit annoying at times but overall a good book.

I loved Alli Frank's previous books and love the collaboration of the two authors who seem to work seamlessly together in this book.

Nina is the first black woman to be head of school at a ritzy private school. She has a daughter in "those" awful teenage years, an ex husband who makes her life difficult and Marisol, a best friend from childhood who understands what it is like to be in the minority. Nina has had an exhausting year getting an advanced degree at the last minute so she can be the school head and is finally ready for the few days of summer to unwind before school starts. Of course she meets someone and all of her relaxing plans are out the window, but so worth it.

Her new school year greets her with many problems that all require special handling, but she has some friendlies besides Marisol to get her through it, including her dad who has some surprises of his own.

I really enjoyed this and look forward to more stories by Frank & Youmans. 4.3 stars and thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Love the 70 vibes cover! Drew my attention because of that. Fun summer read. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a review.

This book was an absolute treasure to read. The characters were extremely relatable and while it had some political undertones to it, they were handled in the absolute best way. The book made me laugh and a couple of times had me teary eyed. Watching Nina grow and evolve as a character was a real treat and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something a little more light hearted and easy to read.

This book is a humorous and heartwarming story centered around Nina, a successful woman whose life takes a drastic turn when her husband decides to part ways. As she navigates through the process of rebuilding her life, Nina discovers her own strength and resilience. The book presents a range of relatable characters, infused with humor and moments that provoke contemplation. However, some readers may find the ending to be overly tidy and a few plot points predictable. Nonetheless, it remains an engaging read that explores the complexities of modern womanhood.

Although I was interested to finish the book and find out what happened I didn’t necessarily enjoy it. I feel like the book kept jumping around all over the place. There didn’t seem to be a flow to the story. Also the main character was super annoying to me. I’m

I enjoyed this book so much. I laughed and I truly felt everything that Nina was going through. This book shows the true trials and tribulations of life and I was here for it!
I just reviewed The Better Half by Alli Frank, Asha Youmans. #TheBetterHalf #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I always start off my reviews with a notable quote. I swear I had like 15 to choose from with this book. Here are some of my favs:

“The egos of the young and newly employed, I have learned, do not respond well to my direct feedback and aggressive timeline by when I need to see said improvements. This is a generation raised in therapy, and they want their reviews equal parts feelings, culture of safety, and recognition for their individuality. I want their reviews to lead to exceptional teaching.” THIS. So much this.

“Since when is doing what’s right easy? The simple truth is, the most difficult path is usually the right path.”

“Right decisions are often the hardest decisions.”

Nina Morgan Clarke is a successful black woman in her early 40s who is on top of the world. She is about to start her dream job as the first black headmistress of a storied private school in Pasadena when she discovers she’s pregnant after a summer romance with a nice white guy whom she likes a lot. But the idea of having a baby at her age and with her career skyrocketing blows her mind and leaves her with tough choices. Is it even remotely possible to have it all?   
 
Co-authors Alli and Asha, who met when they were both working in academia in Seattle, write about sensitive issues surrounding race, parenting, career, and the politics of school administration, with humor and heart. 

This was a heavy book dealing with A LOT of social issues happening currently. I must admit that I did find the sheer number of tackled issues a little overwhelming at first..but the way it all tied together was so refreshing and beautifully done.
 
Thank you to @alliandasha and @mbc_books for the #gifted copy.

I thought this was such a great book! The characters seemed realistic and I appreciated the different topics the book tackled. I really enjoyed the writing as I found myself not able to put it down.

Thanks to Mindy's Book Studio, Netgalley and the authors for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

Mindy is a Queen so if she says to read something, I read it. I read the synopsis of this novel and was expecting something pretty extraordinary. While this was a funny book and the characters were well-written and engaging, I would not call this a romance or rate it as highly as many readers have.

The book seems to me to be more of an analysis of a whole range of social constructs, especially relationships, and the way that view immigration and multiculturalism in America. As a woman of colour and an immigrant to Australia, I found much of what was explored in this book, and Nina in particular, relatable. But some of it wasn't, and I think that's because I don't live in the United States. There are layers there that, as an international reader, I felt I couldn't fully comprehend. Multiculturalism seems to be viewed differently in Australia.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book or find it interesting - I just couldn't gel with it as much as other readers seem to have.

I was really rooting for Nina but had a hard time balancing the fact that she was so strong and held a position of power but yet she let other people talk over her and make huge decisions for her. Unprotected sex? Oof. Surprise baby? Duh.

I liked the school aspects and all the drama within but this boon as a whole was a miss for me.

A very enjoyable read. I loved that the main character were older and vibrant. The writing style was a little confusing at times when it jumped around, but I really liked the story and how it all played out. A good read.

This is a good contemporary fiction. It did feel a little over-hiped in my opinion. But I enjoyed it enough to look into other works by the authors.

I really loved this story! It was beautifully written and left you feeling all the feelings! It was a delightful read.

A fun read, I enjoyed reading this while on vacation. Great story and found it to be engaging and funny at times.

A light read, fun and entertaining i liked the storytelling and the characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Can't say I agree with laugh out loud funny but the story was delightful and a fun read. Would definitely recommend when you're in the mood for a fun, light read.

This book does not live up to its hype, and to me, was not “hysterical” or laugh at loud. Nina and Marisol go away for a girls weekend when Nina meets Leo. Their relationship develops, exploring the topic of interracial marriage and raising mixed race kids. The themes of friendship, family and love are put to the test as Nina’s older daughter, Xandra, and Nina’s father, Fitzroy, are added to the mix. A decent story but just okay for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.