While this book offers some insightful and introspective thoughts on what it’s like being a black woman in professional settings, I felt the storyline and characters were ultimately very underdeveloped, which made this a lackluster and disappointing read.

Thank you, Net Galley and Alcove Press for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything, I picked it up mainly because working in corporate I know the perils of being the ONLY Black girl in the room, the ONLY Black girl in the office, and the ONLY Black girl in the building, yup! Anyway, the title alone spoke to me and the book was so much better than I expected, no shade.

This is a second chance romance but it’s also a Black woman trying to navigate her career, her ambitions, and making space for herself.

Gen is working her dream job on her home city’s newspaper, but the microaggressions and racism she faces daily are weighing on her. She’s left out of conversations, not getting any good stories and it’s all a lot. Then her ex Jude requests her to write his big profile piece about him replacing his father as CEO for their big firm. This could be the break Gen needs, but she’s worried that they had a very dramatic breakup, as well, working with an ex, among other things.

This was a great read, I was so invested in the characters and the story.

So I thought this was good (hence the 4 stars) but I found parts of this very slow. I did think that Travis did an excellent job showing how a Black woman has to move when in predominantly white spaces (the main character Gen is a journalist and former girlfriend to a rich white man) as well as the everyday racism that most Black people deal with. I thought that at times though, the romance was not front and center enough for me. I needed more of Gen and Jude. It felt like a very long time before we even got to understand what made Gen fall for Jude and why she still couldn't shake him after not speaking for several years.

"The Only Black Girl in the Room" follows Gen. Gen is a journalist that is worried that she's never going to be able to write a "big" article and move on. The current newspaper she works at is the very definition of "allies are a mess and this is why". Dealing with the casual and overt racism of her days, she still struggles to try to find a man to date after breaking things off with her ex Jude during a bad time in his life. However, Gen is given an opportunity to write an in depth profile of a young CEO who ends up being her ex Jude.

I think as others have already said, I wish the romance was more. I think that Travis at times wanted to write a different type of book that really gets into how Black women have to navigate spaces. But it takes a while for the book to shift (IMHO) to a romance and have Gen and Jude start to open up to each other again. This is a second chance romance and I think that Travis does this very well though. There were legitimate and messy reasons why Gen and Jude ended (and not what you think) and I don't know if I would have went there again either. But I get how they got there.

The secondary characters like Oliver, Eva, and Mickey were great.

I did think that the flow was slow though. I think some of the book could have been paired down a bit because it started to feel like I was getting a lecture and I wanted to just enjoy the romance.

The ending was really good and I will definitely check out Travis again in the future.

A great debut!
I appreciate everything that this book covered, socially.
All the microagressions and racism that Black women face esp in the workforce.
I enjoyed the messy second chance romance in here too. I found myself invested in all the plots this showcased.
A great read.

I enjoyed Gen’s story and seeing her find her voice and go after what she deserved. I also liked Jude and how he was the catalyst for change but didn’t overshadow the fact that Gen was more than capable of being a great journalist.

This book was so relatable because I’ve been the only black girl in the room and let me tell you it’s hard. Needless to say this book did a great good of highlighting some of the micro-aggressions and racism while also adding an interracial slow burn romance just to shake it up and I’m here for it…

Took me a little longer than I expected to finish this. Overall it was a good book but didn’t keep my attention for longer than a few chapters at a time.

The plot was great and I enjoyed all the characters. Definitely a direct look into how it feels to be the only or one of few black women/people in a room no matter if it’s relationship, work , just existing period.

I struggled with this book a bit in the beginning, when it looked like it might be headed toward being a romance. Even by the end, I was still lukewarm at best toward Jude, although he did grow on me.

But ultimately, while there is romance in this book, that's not the focus. This is really the story of Genevieve coming into her own, dealing with her toxic, horrible work environment and egregious coworkers, and trying to find a balance between telling the stories that matter to her while also avoiding being tokenized--which, spoiler alert, does not involve changing the opinions of her coworkers... I won't get too into that, but the trajectory of her career and ambitions was the most interesting part of the story for me. There's a great passage in here about how some people get multi-page profiles just for existing, while others are only awarded space in the mainstream consciousness when their pain is being mined and exploited. Since I have an ARC of the book, I won't quote it directly, but it's great.

Full disclosure: I'm very white, so I'll refrain from commenting on many parts of this story, but I am also 1,000% certain that there will be readers who complain that Gen's experience is over-the-top. As someone who worked for a company with similar "values," I can say with certainty, it's not. I think this book will make a lot of people feel heard, and for my fellow mayonnaise-tinted readers out there, please read and journal about it if this books gets you in your feelings. While I don't love Jude--or, more accurately, the idea of getting back with a dubious ex whose family is NOT GREAT--I did appreciate that he's trying to be better, but that he's also not a savior in this story.

This book deals with a few other topics, like substance abuse and recovery. I would definitely categorize it as general fiction with a side of romance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book as an ARC. This is a great debut novel, and I see that her next book is already in the works, so you'd better believe I've already added it to my TBR.

Talented Black journalist Genevieve is stuck working menial assignments. Her luck seems to change when her billionaire ex, CEO Jude, requests that she write the newspaper’s profile of him. Despite the potential risks and lingering emotions, Gen seizes the opportunity. But as racial tensions rise and professional lines blur, Gen finds herself courting scandal, endangering more than her career.

This is an engaging women’s fiction with a romance subplot. The main characters are likable and relatable. The plot is a bit complicated, but the book held my interest throughout.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book is so so good. Romance lovers AND cont fiction readers would like this in my opinion. I have seen reviews saying this leans less on romance than it does the other subplots but I disagree. Jude is such an interesting love interest and the interspersed romantic moments are so perfectly placed.

Racism is a major topic of this book as you can probably guess from the title. In big and micro moments it is pervasive. Gen is working in a newsroom having to provide free emotional labor acting as a sensitivity reader for her coworkers all while being told she's too "biased" for certain features. There is camaraderie shared eventually with other Black women who advocate for and with her, but truly there are some really painful and cringey moments that she faces that is absolutely based on reality.

She is thrown back together when she is tasked with writing a feature on her now billionaire ex-boyfriend, high school to college sweethearts who haven't spoken in 5 years. When this book first started their breakup scene in the prologue- I was shocked to learn that this was going to be the main love interest. It is ROUGH what they both go through. So he really has to work to win her and I felt like myself as the reader as well back.

This overlapping conflict of interest brings up questions on journalistic ethics and integrity. Gen has to balance that while also dealing with her editor with his own agenda. All while trying not to fall back in love with Jude who has changed so much.

I don't think I've ever read a second chance romance where one of the reasons they broke up was due to substance abuse/alcoholism. I can't speak on the accuracy of Jude's journey but it did feel to me like it was handled with care. Their work back to each other was so incredibly delicate and I loved every moment of it. They have to talk through a lot of things before Gen can even think about being vulnerable again but it is all so interesting to read because they have so much chemistry and BANTER. Gen also acknowledges that as much as they are alike and compatible at their core they have a huge economic and social difference and also as anti-racist as Jude can try to be he still will never fully understand her experience as he is white.

There are many ups and downs of this and also amazing side character friends. I didn't even notice that there's no spice, no closed door. The majority of this is them getting back to a new start (but you do get an epilogue! It felt HEA to me not even HFN). The nostalgia they had for their bright eyed youth and the connection they continue to share I was really satisfied with the second chance aspect of this, they absolutely needed to break up to come back together stronger. And there is definitely pining.

Thank you so much to Alcove Press for this eARC! Highly recommend.

This was a great story but I can’t lie it made me mad at times. I hated how Gen was treated as the only black girl in her workplace and on her team. It really made me think of how hard I tend to work because I am black I feel I have to work 10x harder at times just to be given a chance. The story was realistic and I love that it wasn’t so romance focused but more in regards to her career and the drama that came with it.

TW: racism in the workplace, racism in social spaces, cyberbullying

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for permitting me to read this work prior to its publication date.

Genevieve Francis broke up with her long-term boyfriend Jude. Four years after the breakup, her career in journalism is stymied by politics and prejudice in her workplace. When given the opportunity to write a profile on her now high-profile ex, she struggles even more with the unfair treatment in her office while reconsidering her feelings about her ex-boyfriend.

I wanted to like this book, but it was “meh” for me. I appreciated that the author wrote Genevieve with great depth and complexity. Her Blackness isn’t the only thing we know about her; she has her friendships, her hopes, the love of her family and conflicting feelings about Jude. I’ll admit I was hoping that the novel leaned away from romance as opposed to leaning more into it, but I think I’ve become more of a cynic.

This is excellent! I loved how much there is going on. It's definitely general fiction as much as it's a romance with a perceptive rumination on women and race in America.

The throughline is about being a Black woman and how casual racism can stall a career (a life?) so easily and effortlessly. There's more - it's also about whiteness, alcoholism, responsibility, honesty, and forgiveness.

It's definitely about love - Jude and Genevieve are together from high school, then break up in college. Four years later they are thrown together when journalist Gen has the chance to do a profile piece on young billionaire CEO Jude. Their story is a slow burn (and clean), we see Gen learning to forgive Jude and recognise her love for him. Both Gen and Jude are affectionately drawn, Jude in particular was so flawed, and so lovely. From his loafers to his veneers, he wasn't a typical billionaire romantic hero, but I adored him. He is trying so very very hard to be a better man. There's a friendship group centred around Gen, she has some wonderful mentors but also a toxic boss, and devious workmates.

I would have liked to see some more nuance in the characterisation of Jude's mother, perhaps even some atonement for her, but otherwise this works really well. I even loved the cover! Thank you NetGalley, Alex Travis and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This is a great and well written read. I enjoyed the story, pov, and narrative featured in the book. The quality of the writing is good and the story sucks you in. I think this is an important story to be told and I hope other readers enjoy it as much as I did!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but it ultimately fell flat for me. This book has been done before and better over the last couple of years.

I don't think the characters were particularly well-developed and I didn't feel any chemistry between Gen and Jude. I think the reader needs more than a one chapter prologue to understand the depth of their initial relationship. It felt like a typical high school/college romance that didn't last, which didn't make it believable that they were still so hung up on each other four years later. I do think the author nailed the scenes with the repeated microaggressions and racism at the newspaper, but those moments couldn't quite make up for the faults in the rest of the book.

I loved this book so much, I found myself putting it down during the last few chapters to extend my time in Gen’s world.

A wonderful plot, realistic characters to absolutely adore or hate with a vengeance, and some workplace/romance without being cheesy all added up to an amazing book. Unfortunately there were so many times I was frustrated for Gen not speaking up for herself, but as a white woman, I can only have a tiny peek into what her reality was. The racism in the book is both micro aggressive and flat out aggressive and it was infuriating to read, but that is what so many people must deal with on a daily basis. The depth was enlightening and sad.

An incredible book!

More a look at life in the workplace than a romcom. Gen is a reporter who experiences microaggressions and racism daily and her journey will no doubt be familiar to many readers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Interesting read.

The Only Black Girl in the Room-a standalone

By Alex Travis- debut author

Rating: 4/5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📃Page Count: 349 kindle

🌎Setting: Sykeswood, NY

Publication 5-7-24,  Read 4-17-24

🙏🏾 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Alcove Press for this ARC💚! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

🤷🏾‍♀️ What to Expect:   
✅Adult and Women's Fic/Romance/AA interests
✅workplace romance
✅childhood sweethearts
✅2nd chance romance
✅interracial romance


Summary: Gene and Jude were in love through high school and college until Jude reverted to drugs and drinking. He didn't tell Gene about the accident and proposed at his father's funeral. Gene broke up with him, but four years later she gets the chance to revisit their past. As CEO of Landon Energy Jude becomes the subject of her latest profile. Will it ruin their 2nd chance together?


🎭The characters:

✅Genevieve "Gen" Francis-25, only black woman reporter @ the Tribune newspaper for four years
✅Jude Landon-25, white CEO of father's company Landon Energy. Ex alcoholic, rehabbed after father's funeral
✅Adam-Gen's editor boss, racist-calls Gen the wrong name, ignores her ideas
✅Jackie and Julian(deceased) Landon-Jude's parents.
✅The Fates-3 white women @ Gen's job- Clara, Heather, Lucy all gossip girls
✅Mickey-Gen's BFF
✅Oliver-Jude and Gen's BFF friend. He was in a car accident when Jude was drunk driving. Jude made him sign an NDA and paid him off.
✅Kaitlyn Franklin-a socialite, working w/ Jude. His mother sees her as his potential wife
✅Regina-Gen's coworker

⚠️ racism, sexism, alcoholism ,drug use, car accident w/ H

My Thoughts: I have been in this situation in college. I went to a predominately white school where black students were five percent of the student body. I was an English major and remember being in an English Lit class as the only black girl in the room. We were reading Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison and I was offended and forced to explain "nappy" hair to the room, including my old, white, and male professor who looked like Colonel Sanders. It was a struggle having to stand up for myself and my work in classes, but I got through it. Gen was brave and driven even though frustrated and depressed about her workplace environment. I'm glad Jude changed and was honest with Gen about wanting her back, but she had a choice to make -career or love?

The Only Black Girl in the Room follows the professional and personal life of Genevieve Francis, a 25 year old Black reporter. After a promising start her career seems to have stalled and she spends most of her working day copy editing and sensitivity reading the work of her white colleagues. A last minute opportunity to cover the gala of a prominent CEO seems like a great opportunity. Except that CEO just happens to be her ex whose proposal she rejected four years earlier.

This sounds like the setup for a romcom and this novel does have a significant romance storyline. However, at its core it’s a workplace story, documenting the racial prejudice and discrimination, along with a side of sexism, which Gen faces daily in her incredibly toxic workplace. At times some of the treatment from her boss and her colleagues made my jaw drop and it felt a little too on the nose. I’m guessing there were two main reasons for this. One, some workplaces really are that bad; some people that blatant. Certainly I’m aware of several real life instances mirroring the sexism that she experienced. I imagine for readers who live Gen’s experience, this will be a delightfully cathartic read. Two, some readers, particularly white readers, by virtue of their privilege, will still be unaware of the extent and variety of workplace (and other) discrimination, and the author really wanted to make sure they couldn’t miss the truth of what was happening.

This was an engaging, entertaining read that went down easily. It’s contemporary rather than literary. As a reader it was impossible not to root for Gen and her obvious abilities, to rage at her mistreatment and cheer her triumphs. The romantic storyline was well paced, their “re”connection and Jude’s remorse felt genuine - despite his missteps, and I respected Gen for insisting that they take things slowly.

This promising debut releases on 7 May, perfect for summer read. Thanks to @netgalley and @alcovepress for the eARC.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It definitely portrayed what it feels like to be the black girl in the room, whether that be at work, relationships, etc. How the MC gathered her strength and worked through racist and micro aggressions, was commendable. The elements of overcoming grief and addiction were woven in as well. Overall, I’d highly recommend the this story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my opinion.

The premise and the overall theme of this book was really promising, but I was so disappointed in this book.
The main character spend more time complaining about her situation, instead of actually trying to fight for her rights. Not only that, but I felt like she relied too much on the love interest to accomplish anything herself. In the start I really rooted for her, because I expected that she would grow stronger throughout the book and do something about the problem, but she rarely did anything. It was the people around her that fought for her rights and not herself.

With such an important theme as mistreatment of woman and especially black woman in workplaces, I really hope for a lot more feminism and girlpower in this book, but I didn’t get that from this book.

However it wasn’t exactly a bad read and there was a lot of entertaining moments as well, so I would still recommend it if you are here for the romance only and not here for the justice of black women being treated right in workplaces.

The best thing about this book was definitely the romance. It was really cute and even though they came from two very different backgrounds, they still seemed like they fit very well together.