The Only Black Girl in the Room is an interesting mix of a book. On one hand, it's a second-chance romance. Gen and Jude broke up dramatically after Jude's father died and didn't have any contact with each other until Jude requested Gen to write his first big profile piece about replacing his father as CEO of an environmental firm.

But that is just one small part of this great debut. The majority of the book is about Gen - black, twenty-five years old and working in her dream job on her home city's newspaper. It is nothing like she'd thought it be because she faces racism - small microagressions to blatant bigotry - every single day. She's constantly left out and never gets stories. She spends her time copy editing and sensitivity reading her colleague's articles. This profile would really help her career but she's worried about working Jude both personally and professionally. What if people think that's the only reason she got the article?

I inhaled this book. I was totally invested in Gen's struggle to become the confident black woman and journalist she wants to be.

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @Alcove Press for the chance to read this ARC before it's pub date on May 24.

"The Only Black Girl in the Room" by Alex Travis is a thought-provoking debut novel that offers readers a unique perspective on the challenges faced by a Black reporter, Genevieve Francis. As a cis white woman, I appreciated the opportunity to gain insight into her experiences, which shed light on issues of racial bias and workplace dynamics.

However, I found that the story's pacing was somewhat slow, particularly in Genevieve's reluctance to leave her job and her reconciliation with Jude. It sometimes felt like she allowed herself to be mistreated, which was frustrating.

Overall, "The Only Black Girl in the Room" deserves a commendable 3.5-star rating. It's an impactful book that tackles important themes and provides a window into a different world. While I had some reservations, I believe it offers valuable perspectives for readers interested in exploring issues of race, identity, and career aspirations.

Thank you to negalley and Alcove Press for allowing me access to The Only Black Girl in the Room by Alex Travis. This book was very eye opening and spoke so many facts. I thoroughly enjoyed this book overall.

Such a powerful read I loved this book. As a woman of color (but not a Black woman) it was such an eye opening read and I would definitely recommend this book and author to other non-Black people because it really helped broaden my reading diversity.

It's hard for me to articulate how much I loved this book or how it impacted me, but I am going to try because this author deserves ALLLL the positive feedback.

This story was beautifully woven together and addressed important issues in a way that was still enjoyable for the reader. I didn't read the description before starting it, which NEVER happens, but I sure lucked out because this was an intersectional work of art. The plot, character development, and writing were all fantastic. Not only did I laugh and want to cry and scream along with the characters, but it also made me think deeper about my own privilege.

Solid 5 stars and I am looking forward to the next one from Alex Travis!

Thank you NetGalley, author Alex Travis, and publisher Alcove Press for providing this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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This was a solid 3.5 stars for me. The cast was enjoyable, the writing was well done, the second-chance romance hit me square in my feelings, and I feel like this is an important story to be told. I was not comfortable; I wasn't supposed to be. Race takes a front and center seat in this book: the author is a Black woman, the main character is a Black woman, and this book focuses heavily on what it's like to be a Black woman. Particularly a Black woman in a white-dominated industry where microaggressions happen as casually as pre-coffee "Good morning"'s. The plot was a little thin, but I don't think Travis was seeking to write a real gripper of a novel. Instead, I think she wanted to write a story that resonated with her, so she wrote what she knew. Kudos, snaps, and applause for Travis.

What didn't work for me was the predictability of it all. I felt like I knew what was going to happen before it happened, and at times that made it hard to stay engaged. It took about two weeks for me to finish this, when usually a book of this length takes about half the time. It's entirely possible though that because I'm living my very own second-chance romance, I was working with preexisting knowledge with how these things go. Although it's worth mentioning I feel like the romance in this book is also mostly just a b-plot; main character Genevieve is mostly focused on her workplace drama and for most of the book she's very much not interested in rekindling her romantic relationship with MMC Jude, although she thinks she might be able to rekindle a friendship.

I would, however, still recommend it to anyone looking for a second-chance clean romance. I also think its an important story to be told, given the FMC wants to tackle racism in the workplace but is wrestling with internal feelings of being stereotyped as the Angry Black Woman. I liked that that made me uncomfortable; I'm a white woman, it *should* make me uncomfortable, and I should reflect to see how I can be an ally, so thank you for that.

Note: This book contains mentions of alcohol abuse and a car accident as a result of that abuse, and should probably carry a trigger warning.

Jolie couverture. Titre qui me parle (évidemment). Et… Je demande ce livre sur NetGalley. Après quelques pages/chapitres, je vais quand même voir ce qui se dit sur goodreads. Et là, je vois que ce livre est classé dans la catégorie Romance. Le genre de livre que je ne lis jamais, parce que ça m’ennuie terriblement. J’en ai très peu lu en fait. Que ce soit pour adultes ou jeunes adultes, j’ai l’impression de lire les mêmes histoires. C’est peut-être pire quand cela parle de lycéens, parce que je les trouve un peu jeunes pour dire que leur vie est finie si machin les quitte, préfère quelqu’un d’autre… Mais bon, chacun son truc.

Ici, Genevieve est cette seule noire dans la pièce. Elle est reporter pour le journal local, « mais on l’avait cantonnée dans des travaux bien peu passionnants » : elle relit ses collègues blanches, vérifie les faits pour les articles de celles-ci et surtout, elle doit s’occuper de la lecture sensible de la rédaction. Depuis quatre ans, elle n’a rédigé qu’un article sur un nouveau parfum de glace. Toutes ses idées de reportage sont automatiquement rejetées, ou acceptées quand c’est un·e collègue blanc·he qui les reprend. Ses collègues blanc·he·s sont bien caricaturaux·ales, mais il y a de l’idée. Et puis, Jude, le PDG de l’employeur de la ville, fils d’une grande famille (et accessoirement, son ex), demande que ce soit elle qui l’interviewe pour une biographie exclusive. Évidemment, ses collègues sont jalouses et vont tout faire pour lui mettre des bâtons dans les roues.

Je dois dire que finalement, j’ai plutôt aimé ce livre. Je lui ai trouvé quelques longueurs. Les passages relatifs à l’éthique journalistique ne m’ont pas convaincue. Quant à Genevieve, elle est tellement indécise et pour des raisons bien ridicules parfois. Oui, Jude a dit ça, mais est-ce qu’il le pense vraiment ? Pourquoi Jude ne m’a-t-il jamais recontactée ? Tu as l’impression que tout va bien, mais Genevieve se fait des films et imagine les scénarios les plus compliqués, comme si elle n’avait pas assez de problèmes. Et puis ces grandes scènes : Je n’ai pas besoin de tes explications. Mais ce n’est pas ce que tu crois. J’en ai assez de tes mensonges… Le genre de truc qui m’agace tellement. Ce gros fil blanc plus qu’usé que l’on retrouve partout. Un peu d’originalité please ! Mais ça se laisse lire.

Media has been a hit-and-miss as a source of news for the masses, shrouded by racism and misogyny both on and off the record, which hits the code of ethics that journalism should've stood for in modern times. And this topic marks the strong debut by Alex Travis in her book The Only Black Girl in Town, which chronicles the second chance romance between talented and ambitious yet down-of-luck staff writer Genevieve Francis and her ethical billionaire ex-boyfriend Jude Landon, who happens to be the subject of the CEO profile she's writing for her career breakthrough.

Travis meticulously breaks down the irony of journalism with the reality behind the scenes, such as the issues of sensitivity reading in news related to people of color, or the casual aggression happening in a workplace without a consequence. The fiery Genevieve plus the quiet dominant Jude serve as an excellent duo to contest the issues, in which Travis is careful enough not to drag Jude, as the white privileged man, to be the ultimate white savior without holding himself accountable. It is why it's easy to see that the main characters are perfect to be with each other, especially noting how they have grown and reflected on their past.

Subsequently, the novel is a great addition for readers who want to tackle contemporary romance books. It's intense and passionate with a pace that won't make readers feel bored.

For a debut author, this is amazing. I loved the realness, the characters and how well written the reality of a black women in the workplace and in all life things. I do wish this had more romance but I also really enjoyed that this book wasn't solely about that. I can't wait to read more from Alex!

This book pissed me off. Genevieve is a highly educated black woman living in a white-dominant world, the way she rolls over and takes everything really made me angry. This book would have worked if she was the kind of girl who believed that if she played by the rules, she would succeed.

But no, the author wrote Genevieve to be aware of the power structure of her workplace, she's aware of why all the other black employees left said workplace, including her mentor, yet she stayed, claiming that if she left she would have to start all over from the bottom. But she's already at the bottom of her job, so it just frustrated me how she kept coming up with excuses.

I also dislike how Jude (her ex) came back into the picture and practically became her white saviour. She kept complaining about him, but as soon as he showed up she was ready to roll over for him and it was also so weird how all her friends were already "Team Get Back Together With Him" from the beginning, especially with how the relationship ended.

It should also be criminal that my favourite character in this entire book was Jude. JUDE. It was so adorable and fun and got shit done when all Gen did was complain but did not take action. It's like she used up all her courage to reject Jude's proposal at the beginning of the book.

All in all, the characters in this book felt like stereotypes instead of real people, especially the Fates.

I expected light entertainment for this book that I found on Netgalley under women fiction and romance categories, but I got a lot more! What a nice surprise this book is. I chose it because I rarely intentionally read books whose main characters are black. It’s actually much more than “just” a romance! For a debut novel this is impressive and I definitely would read another novel by Alex Travis.

Genevieve had a great track record as a university journalist, and when she was hired after graduation, she had a lot of ambition and high hopes. But now she’s the only Black girl in the room and is stuck doing menial jobs for her white colleagues. Her day-to-day activities are limited to checking their articles and confronting micro-aggressions that damage her self-esteem. If she quits now, she won’t have anything to show for 4 years of work and will have to start over at the very bottom of the ladder.

On the sentimental front, Gen is equally stuck. She can’t get over the dramatic break-up with her long-time boyfriend Jude. Jude was the heir of a big business, but when his father died, he awkwardly proposed to her in such a way that she couldn’t accept. Four years later, they meet again at a gala she’s covering for her newspaper, and there’s a chance to get some closure… or to develop a new relationship?

The romance part was definitely on the background compared to the theme of racist prejudices at work. Some might be disappointed by this choice but I really liked it! Gen’s struggles felt real and not just minor hurdles to move the plot along. The backstories of all the characters are well developed, and apart from some slower moments the plot development was satisfying and interesting. I cared for Gen and cheered for her!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book for review consideration.

I thought this book was amazing! A second chance romance, Genevieve is working as a journalist when she's assigned the task to write a profile on her ex. This book also touches on the racism that black women suffer from in journalism. I give this one alllll the heart eyes!! 😍😍😍😍😍

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

totally Brilliant Book, showing what many of us women still know but especially if your Skin is of Darker Hues your work is brought under question & you are denied the rightful acknowledgements & successes you should have , just as many women of all nationalities Historically have been forgotten & not taught about , purely because most of our History Books were written by men. #NetGalley, #Goodreads, #Amazon.co.uk, #Fb, #Instagram,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>.

Firstly, thank you for the opportunity for reading this before publication. For a debut novel this is very good - I loved following the main character's journey and loved being aligned with their perspective, as well as actually being able to relate to certain circumstances and incidents. That is really refreshing and important to me.

The Only Black Girl in the Room is a great mix of a second-chance love story and a workplace drama. I especially liked the take on Black women in journalism, as this was a specific workplace that I don't think I had read a lot of stories about, and the ex-boyfriend's ritzy family was also fun to read about.

Thank you Alcove Press & NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a great book! This story was about a writer named Genevieve, and author Alex Travis did a brilliant job highlighting racial inequality in her workplace. Genevieve gets assigned a huge story after being given nothing so far in her position. Her assignment? Doing a profile on businessman Jude, her ex-boyfriend and high school sweetheart. This leads to many uncomfortable moments in the office as their past is discovered.

The incidents that Gen experienced ranged from micro-aggressions to all-out racism, and the first person narrative really helped me as the reader understand her perspective. As a white woman working on becoming anti-racist, I really appreciated this book, I won’t soon forget it!

Thank you again for the ARC!

First of all, thank you Net Galley and Alcove Press for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for honest review.

The title instantly captured me. I had to find out what was written in The Only Black Girl in the Room. I must say Alex Travis delivered a wonderful message in this book. I hope this book doesn’t only reach a black audience but also to an audience who isn’t black. It touches matters that I’m sure every black woman in the work force has faced.

With all that being said, I loved our fmc. Gen didn’t want anyone being her “savior” and wanted to write her own articles without the help of her rich white ex boyfriend. The only thing I didn’t like about Gen is that she was just too nice to her nasty co-workers. There’s a reason why she was though. You see, black women are often seen as women with attitudes, or as what they considered Gen to be, “aggressive.” So she definitely didn’t want to come off as aggressive to her co-workers. Regardless, those co-workers were awful and very much so didn’t deserve the kindness Gen gave them.

On the other hand, Gen had two best friends who stuck beside her and I’m glad Gen had the support of them. Some black women that go through racist work places might not have any support. So that leads me also being glad Gen had Regina. An awesome and only other black employee at Gen’s work place.

In the end, I liked the conclusion of this novel. There were times where I was getting bored, but it definitely picked up.

I will definitely pick up another novel by Alex Travis.

4 stars

There were a couple of times I struggled to follow the implications of all the work shenanigans and I thought the storyline was wrapping up too neatly, but Genevieve’s struggle was relatable and the mix of personal and professional helped propel the plot forward. Gen and Jude felt really young for most of the novel, which makes total sense because they *are* mid-20 year olds trying to figure out life and loss. Travis was able to capture the larger-than-life angst many of us experience at that age without trivializing their struggle or making them feel like immature youngsters. I would read something else by Travis - it feels like Mickey’s story is just waiting to be explored.

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley and Alcove Press for the digital arc. I really appreciate the chance to read about black characters whenever I can. This book brought a different perspective to my eyes. Although I am a black woman in America, I try my best to always be in diverse spaces. Sometimes it is not possible but I always look for the other black person in the room. This book showcases the exact reason why. I am blessed to not have experienced this level of racism and micro aggressions. I found myself getting very worked up and upset while reading the things that took place at the tribune. I know that so many can relate to these types of things happening in the workplace, and for that, I am so glad this story was told!

Now when it comes to the romance. It was very bittersweet to me. One of my favorite tropes is second chance romance, and then my least favorite is slow burn romance…this story incorporates both, hence why it was bittersweet. lol Some moments I really enjoyed, while others I wanted to skip past. I will say I enjoyed the fact that this book did not have any spice.

I found myself feeling like some parts dragged on and sometimes I was not excited to pick the book up. It kept my interest but at the same time didn’t. As I said there were some parts that I really enjoyed and some parts were just really slow and hard to get through. Over all I think it was a 3.5 star read and pretty good. I will recommend but it just wasn’t my favorite read.

Pub Date: May 7, 2024
Published by Alcove Press
325 Pages

I received this ARC from Alcove Press (via NetGalley), in exchange for my honest review. This was the first book that I have read by Alex Travis. It was well written. I can relate to this book as I am the only black woman in my office. This book will have you wanting to reach out and touch The Fates. This book opens your eyes to bias, racism, micro aggressions, and privilege in the workplace. Genevieve Francis, the main character endured all of this while working as one of the only black females in her office. Gen is requested to write a profile for a prominent CEO, who tuns out to be her ex Jude Landon.

I loved hoe the author told their story, and how it developed throughout the book. This is a slow burn, but you will find your self rooting for Jude and Gen. I was so glad that Gen finally stood up for herself and took charge of hoe she wanted to be treated. Overall this was a great book, and I am ready to see what Alex Travis have in store for us with the next one.