I absolutely loved this story and another look at how racism impacts every realm of existence. It was an important and charming debut from Travis.

I enjoyed this book. The story was relatable, the plot was engaging and the characters were well-written.

I enjoyed reading this book, and it was relatable. This title is what stood out to me. It was a super fast paced read! It was nice seeing the FMC get what she deserved in the end! I love a good second chance romance!

This book was quite the surprise! I went into reading Travis’ book thinking it was another book about a Black woman in a white-dominated space, but it was so much more than that. A top read for 2024!

Black Woman’s Workplace Challenges

The Only Black Girl in the Room by Alex Travis is a compelling debut novel that follows Genevieve Francis, a 25-year-old Black reporter who struggles with the challenges of being the only Black woman in her workplace. Stuck doing diversity checks and menial tasks for her white colleagues, Genevieve's life takes a turn when she gets her big break and faces the reappearance of her ex-boyfriend, adding layers of personal and professional conflict.

Overall, The Only Black Girl in the Room by Alex Travis is a powerful and engaging debut novel that offers a poignant exploration of race, identity, and personal growth. It is a thought-provoking read that resonates with the experiences of many and provides a critical commentary on the challenges faced by minorities in professional settings.

I wanted so much to love this book and at first I was really enjoying the reading, it was very fluid and kept me interested. Unfortunately, this feeling didn’t last the whole time I read it.

Another point is that I think the marketing for this book is done wrong, this story is not a cute romance, it could have had the potential to have a totally different cover, which would have better reflected the tone of the narrative.

I wasn't interested or captivated by the supporting characters, neither the ones who were friends of the protagonist or the villains, no one had any nuance and the love interest simply didn't make sense, I didn't think he showed any changes like the main character says.

Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions are ky own.

The Only Black Girl in the Room follows Genevieve, a Black woman working as a reporter for a local newspaper. We see her suffering her racist coworkers and their microaggressions (and sometimes not so micro), and not receiving opportunities simply for being Black. When she gets the chance to write a profile of a millionaire CEO, she is reticent to jump at the opportunity given the CEO is her ex.

I enjoyed the voice Genevieve was written in and reading about her emotions and her internal monolgue. I thought the book did a good job at providing a glimpse of what Black women go through not just at work but in their everyday lives, and how they have to contort themselves to make others "feel comfortable."

I enjoyed the romance aspect of it and that the book didn't gloss over the difficulties in Genevieve's and Jude's relationship. I wish the book would've had more of Oliver's involvement since he seemed to have been a huge part of the MCs' lives. I liked that the ending wasn't sappy, especially considering everything Genevieve went through.

I recommend the book for those who like to read will they/won't they, and to read about real life difficulties that people, especially people of color, face.

This is a strong debut that deals with the issues of classism, racism, and sexism in vulnerable, realistic ways. I found myself wanting to scream at Gen's colleagues and boss while also cheering when Gen stands up for herself and subverts the white-dominated industry in which she works. (Also, her friends are hilarious and incredibly supportive!) While I wish the romance had featured more prominently--this is probably more contemporary fiction than romance, though the marketing suggests otherwise--I appreciate that Alex Travis forces Gen and Jude to confront the reasons for their breakup and their development in the four years since.

The Only Black Girl in the Room by Alex Travis had well-developed characters and a plot that was engaging. This book was a a great read. I highly recommend!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

This was a compelling debut novel that explores the challenges of a black woman in a predominantly white environment, both professionally and personally. The writing is heartfelt and I wish there had been a little more of the romance. It is a thought provoking read.
Many thanks to Alcove Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

📚 "ɪ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀᴀᴄɪꜱᴍ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴍᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʙᴜʀᴅᴇɴ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ." 📚

💭 REVIEW
What a beautiful, insightful and educational book. I LOVE Gen. How she always stays respectful is something I admire. While the world around her can be cruel, outright mean and racist, she is staying true to herself.

I love how thoughtful she is and how she tries to see different perspectives. Her journey in this book is amazing and I adore the badass woman she became throughout this book. I'm so glad she is surrounded by awesome friends!

She and Jude are so cute together and the romantic storyline in this book is really believable. This story doesn't shy away from the tougher subjects like death, grief, alcoholism and not to forget; racism.

I annotated a lot of beautiful and educational lines in this book. One of my most memorable ones:

"𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮?"

4.5 stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

A well written, relevant book. I enjoyed this second chance romance story that also told the struggles of racism, sexism and socio-economic stereotypes. The characters were relatable and the relationships believable. Thanks #NetGalley #AlcovePress

Such a good book that I alternated between reading and listening to the audio. I recommend this book.

Thank you to the author, Alcove Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this review, I had a bit too much going on.

This story of a young journalist trying to get a toehold the career ladder is a quick and engrossing read. There is a romance in the book, but it's so much more than that and the romance is not at the center of the story. Instead, we dive into the protagonist's workplace and her hopes and dreams for her career and gain insight into the exhausting battles the protagonist has to fight because she is dealing with a toxic work environment, constant racial micro-aggressions and bullying by horrible coworkers. I am very white so cannot pretend to know what being "the only black girl in the room" feels like - but this book gave me more understanding about how far we are from being alright. Not that I was under any illusions on that topic, but I loved the trajectory of the protagonist's ambitions and how she worked to move forward on that.

I really enjoyed this book, it is a great debut and I will definitely be looking for more from Alex Travis. The characters are all well rounded, the plot moves and is interesting, I was really invested in the story line and the main characters. I love a will they won't they story line.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Reader Copy!!

This was a quick read, that made me feel extremely seen and heard as my experiences as often the only Black girl in the room. This debut novel about Gen, an ambitious and well-qualified reporter and her experiences both with romance and racism at her job. This book has all the things, dynamic and fun characters, loveable friendships, interracial dating, coming of age, figuring out your life, and taking control of the narrative that you tell about yourself. Without giving away too much, this book starts off very fast paced (in my opinion) with Gen and Jude’s break up, then fast forwards to Gen’s life after that as an underutilized, but very talented writer. I feel like this book has a good balance of romance and contemporary/women’s fiction vibes to fit in either category. As a romance girlie, I wanted a touch more romance and maybe to get to know Jude a bit more. I enjoyed Jude and Gen’s banter a lot and might have me believing that all second chance romances are not terrible. I

Now, as someone who studies, researches, and experiences racism, this book is spot on with the microaggressions and overt forms of racism. I feel like as someone who is very attuned to these things, I wish the book went a little deeper into those experiences and perhaps more of the emotional frustration and/or compartmentalizing that Black women have to do at work to survive. However, I feel like it is a great first look at racism and workplace discrimination that Black women specifically experience, especially if you have never had a Black woman share her experiences with you.

Overall, I enjoyed this book alot and I cannot wait to see what Alex will write next!

THANK YOU FOR THIS ARC! Although this book is a romance I think it is also a great work of literary fiction. I liked how this book showed different situations Black women have to go through in the workplace. I think this is such an important topic in this book and was so grateful to be able to read it and see myself in this story.

4/5 ⭐
0/5 🌶️

This book does have romance, but it is so much more than that. It shows racism in the workplace and how those micro aggressions and stereotypes negatively effect people.

Gen, a reporter, is only being given copy editing and sensitivity reads instead of being able to use her skills and experience as a journalist. That is until she's the last resort for a story. This story leads to her running into her ex (who proposed to her at a cemetery during a funeral 😳), who also happens to be a CEO. When her ex requests that only she is allowed to do his story, those at her work do not take it well, and soon Gen has to make some tough decisions.

I appreciate how the author took on the topic of racism in the workplace and showed Gen's journey through different situations. I believe I was expecting a bit more of a light romance read, but what I got was a thought provoking story with a cute romance as well! Definitely a great debut novel, and I'm interested to see what the author writes next!

📰 Second chance romance
📰 20-something coming of age
📰 Interracial relationship

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book.

I will never grow tired of good reads that also enlighten. This book was a great look into a topic I have no experience with but also romance that we can all relate to. I look forward to reading more.

This book was a romantic, funny, heart wrenching, rage inducing women’s fiction book. I had a really great time reading this. I loved Gen as a main character and I really enjoyed the scenes with her friend group. I didn’t super love Jude as a love interest but I did like him as a character. I thought his overall arc and character development was pretty on par for that of a white man who grew up in wealth and privilege. That being said, Gen deserved way better than him. By the end of the book, he was still making decisions without talking with her, when those decisions affected her more than him. I think at 21 years old and having gone to college, he should have been more aware and vocal for how his family treated Gen. It shouldn’t have taken 4 years to speak up. But alas… a white man in a white man

I hated the Fates, which is exactly how the reader should have felt. The rage I felt for Gen in every single scene of her in the workplace had me putting this book down multiple times. The author wrote this book so well and I highly recommend