Well, if you don't want to read about a strong Black female and the odds that are stacked against her, then this book isn't for you. If you don't want to read about how it feels to be the only Black girl in the room, then this book is not for you. If you don't want to read the heart wrenching love story of two people who fell apart due to life, then this book isn't for you.

This book had me crying for absolutely no reason. Well, there were plenty of reasons to. But the most important part was, it felt good to read words that I could relate to. I hope this books gets the attention it deserves. This is a new to me author and I will definitely be reading more.

This is it folks - the best read of the year. If I could give this book 10 stars I would.

The Only Black Girl in the Room follows Gen, a black reporter, who’s struggling to catch a break whilst being asked to improve upon the work of her white colleagues so they can get ahead. Until she’s asked to write a profile for Jude: prominent CEO, gorgeous… and her ex.

This story is a great love story. Travis has created a world with believable characters, real friendships, and a FMC who you are rooting for and who we get to watch develop outside of her blossoming romance with Jude.

Importantly, this book successfully depicts the nuances of everyday racism as a black woman in a largely white area. The thoughts are REAL, the scenarios are REAL, and this book is a great example of something that will make black audiences feel seen and enable white audiences to understand the occurrence of daily micro aggressions. Travis’ book is accessible and light, and this aspect of the story is heartfelt and funny, instead of falling into a heavy and depressing narrative that has made me switch off of books in the past.

If you only buy one book this year, make it this one.

This was just an okay read; while it was an easy read, I struggled for it to keep my attention and somehow was not. a page-turner. I found Gen particularly boring and lacked any real strong characteristics. The friends were undeveloped and their stories were not completed by the end which was disappointing. The focus on racism and microaggressions had some important and relatable elements, but all were still centred on the investment of rich white people.
The soft romance was painfully slow, and for a twenty-something year old character, it felt more like a YA book.

The title is promising, the plot might be interesting, but at the end of the day it is romance, spiced up a bit with antiracist and feminist aspects that are pertinent, no doubt, but have been dealt with literarily in much more proficiency. The author tells us that she started writing at the age of 11, but she is not a writer, but a school psychologist. She is certainly competent in her profession, but her literary talents are minor. There are lots of repetitions of facts, which is boring in a novel. The first person narrator is constantly doubting herself, doesn‘t seem to know, what she wants from life - a career? her high school sweetie back? respect? She is rather weak, but easy to put the blame on others - her colleagues, her ex-almost-mother-in-law, her boss… I won‘t spoil here, but the ending of the novel is no surprise, either. And in its twist - a will? - kind of pathetic. So, my conclusion would be: If you like soft romance and can bear with the somewhat flat way of telling a story, which, as such is a good one, go ahead and read it. On a lazy sunday morning in bed, or on the beach. All others rather grab something else from the netgalley shelf. Thanks to netgalley I could read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book but felt as though the editing was done really poorly - a lot of repeats of words or phrases within a few paragraphs and characters either repeating themselves or doing a complete 180 from the prior scene with no explanation as to why. I felt as though there could have been a bit more characterization of the various side characters as well as they all seemed to mold together.

Genevieve Francis is a 25-year-old Black journalist in a predominantly white town. Gen’s editor refuses to give her any real stories and instead she spends her time doing copy edits and sensitivity reads on her white colleagues’ articles. Things begin to change when Gen’s 3 mean girl coworkers get sick and Gen gets the opportunity to attend a prominent CEO’s gala and write a piece on a chef. The CEO happens to be her ex, Jude, and after the gala he requests for Gen to write the first ever authorized profile of him. The majority of this novel deals with Gen trying to balance career fine lines and having Jude back in her life.

I liked that this book tackled topics such as Gen being one of just two Black women in her workplace and all of the microaggressions and racism that they dealt with. All of the dialogue did what it had to do. The workplace story was told vividly, I loved Gen’s interactions with her friends because they provided her so much support, and I felt the chemistry between Gen and Jude.

However, I hate to say it but I couldn’t wait for this book to be over. I was incredibly frustrated with how long it took Gen to leave her job. I read this entire book and I can’t tell you what the reason for that was. I would’ve enjoyed this book way more if Gen had stood up for herself AND THEN reconnected with Jude so that it could have been a decision that she made on her own. This is not a romance. The romance was a blip in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel.

Pros: it was a break from the mystery books I normally read. It dealt with real race issues when it comes to how women, especially black women are regarded in the work p[ace. I love the dynamics of the inter-racial relationship the main character had with her college sweetheart. I can see this being a issues in real life, when the parent and siblings have difference views on if they were best together or apart.

Cons: The author was a little wordy for my taste. I felt this story could have been wrapped up sooner.

But all in all a fund read that dealt with friendship, race, and love.

Would definitely recommend!!

The Only Black Girl in the Room was such a thoughtful, well-written story! When readers first meet Genevieve Francis, she feels, quite simply, stuck. She'd hoped she'd be going into her fourth year at her newspaper job writing meaningful stories and feeling as if she finally belonged at work, being one of only two Black employees. Instead, she's forced to hear microaggressions from her awful coworkers, and do extensive edits on their hard-hitting stories instead of writing her own. But then, famous CEO—and Gen's ex—Jude walks back into her life, and everything changes. Jude wants Gen to write a profile on him, and Gen is thrilled to accept this huge opportunity—but she'll be forced to spend more time with Jude than she has in four years, when she rejected his marriage proposal. Will Gen risk both her career and her heart in writing the profile?

I so enjoyed this book! Genevieve is such a complex, likable character, and it's easy to get invested in her story. I loved following her journey of advocating for herself and achieving her goals. The second-chance romance was so sweet and well-developed, but I appreciated how the main focus of the book was really on Gen and her growth. I also really liked reading about her friends, and how supportive they always were of her! Overall, this was a wonderful debut from Alex Travis. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

First I really liked the way the story was written and how the characters were portrayed. I’ve been noticing sometimes the characters stories are rushed and this was the perfect amount of time

Also omg the fact that her big interview was with her ex I love that so much and reconciliation is a must. I give this book 5 stars out of 5 I wish I could do 10 stars instead

This was billed as a romance, but the romance was an afterthought. There are a lot of things to love about the story. This was really a story about Gen standing up for herself and pushing back on the racism she faced on a daily basis. The love interest, Jude, grew as a person worthy of her, owning up to his mistakes and doing better. That said, their relationship got very little page time compared to Gen facing a toxic workplace environment, a toxic potential in-laws situation, microagressions on the regular, and Gen’s relationships with her friends. I enjoyed it, but I would have enjoyed it far more had my expectations been correct. It’s heavy on the social commentary.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove for the ARC.

This novel spells out for (mostly white) audiences what racist microaggressions and discrimination looks like: it's overt, it's institutional and systemic, it's present in everyday life and work. I found the writing to be heavy-handed about this, but then I realized that it had to be for readers who have never thought about it or are oblivious to it. There's also a story of redemption and romance, and this arc is also laid on thick, maybe, again, for readers who wouldn't pick up on more subtle writing. Overall the book is a fine read and one that should provoke a lot of good discussions and thought.

I really enjoyed this book! It felt like a combination of Get Out, The Other Black Girl, and Jude reminded me of a character from Succession. I appreciated the friends, especially Mickey, but Gen was so frustrating sometimes! I felt so bad seeing her continued struggles at work and wished she’d just up and leave already! The ‘mean girls’ felt written in a way that you could see them vividly. I wish there was a bit more on Jude’s family, specifically more on his mom, but I liked the different characters and very much enjoyed when we learned more about Julian. Will definitely be recommending!

I think the novel had the best intentions, but it ended up being a nothing burger. The MC just allows everyone to walk over her until the literal last pages of the book. The microaggressions in the workplace were very well written, but mixed with the second chance romance the story just had zero appeal. Why should a reader root for the MC to engage in all the toxic relationships and people surrounded by her?

Such a propulsive, engaging read--this is a devour in one rainy day kind of book, with pacing that climaxed at exactly the right moment. The author answers all lingering questions in time-jump epilogue that is a satisfying end to this novel.

Absolutely devoured this book! Well-written, witty, and insightful, it was the perfect combination of an informed and fun read. The author does such a good job at creating the best dialogue - it was so engaging and I was genuinely left swooning over some of Genevieve and Jude's interactions. Their chemistry, their growth - as individuals and as a couple - was so heartwarming to witness. The realness of how Jude dealt with grief and substance abuse, and the importance of therapy in the acceptance and ownership of his past behaviour was just the icing on the best-book-crush cake. Genevieve's self-doubt due to her overtly abusive treatment from her coworkers (as one of the only two Black women at her workplace), alongside dealing with several microaggressions every step of the way, and how this is the scenario for a lot of Black women and POC in white-dominated fields, was executed with so much care and precision that I could truly feel her frustrations. And I loved how she could finally get out of the toxic newsroom and the trajectory her career took after! Truly a girlboss.
I was so invested in how things would work out between Jude and Genevieve at the end. Though I would've liked to see a few more conversations between them and know more about how the relationship progressed in the in-between years (and also more about Jude and Oliver's friendship!), I think it was still a realistic and perfect conclusion and had me kicking my feet in the air and gushing with joy (I'm clearly very attached to these characters).
Overall, I just really enjoyed this book, and I can't believe this is a debut! Will definitely look forward to more of the author's future works.

This was actually a fun read! The way I cackled through and through! This book was written for the suburban black girlies imo! It was well written, the dialogue flowed! The optics of being one of or the only black person in the work place! I absolutely could not stand the Fates my goodness! They were insufferable but reminded me of the many white girls i grew up with in my predominately white town! So realistic on that end! Did i think Jude and Gen had perfect chemistry?! Idk im still pondering that but I def was rooting for them! We honestly didnt get to see a lot of personality imo from Jude but got a lot from Gen, which makes sense obvi bc shes the MC. I think for me, my biggest complaint, was Gen having to educate Jude! I know in that regard it is realistic too but my God black ppl are tired! Its been 400 years of us educating white people and begging them to see out humanity! That wasnt the case with Jude but with other aide characters however Gen had to point out his blindspots, which me personally im not about to do lol sorry! Overall, a solid read. Its hysterical and highlights important issues that I believe a lot of black woman would relate to! Looking forward to more works by this author! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been trying to be more conscious of diversifying my reading choices and this one does not disappoint! While I can never truly understand and relate to what Gen experiences, it made me think twice about my own biases and microaggressions that slip under the radar from my community and, admittedly, myself. As a teacher near a huge refugee city and class lists that become more and more diverse each year, it's helped me to take a step back to think twice about the way I approach my students personally and academically. Gen's character and voice were so well written and her anger and frustration came clear off the pages. I enjoyed the romance and the character arcs of both of them throughout the novel. I was expecting an easy read but enjoyed how much this one made me really stop and think. I'm stunned that this is a debut novel - I can't wait to see what else she writes!

Obsess with this book! I loved the representation and being seen as a black woman. The story was a little slow but I really enjoyed the main character and her viewpoint. This is for every black Roman who has left visible and wanted to be seen.

This book is a guide on how to navigate the workplace as (one of) the only black girls in the room.

If you are a black girl, who knows what she deserves, please read this book.

There are so many times I’ve been the only black girl in the room, this books takes the pain and the anxiety and turns it into anger. Turns it into motivation. to do something about it, to be unapologetically yourself, to not put up with the microaggressions we face daily.

I’ll be honest, this book made me think about my past experiences and what I still go through at my current workplace. At some point I realised it was easier to just shut up, ignore the microaggressions and just get on with my work. That stopped as soon as I finished this book. I will correct people when they mispronounce my name, I will tell people to stop touching my hair (yes I know it’s soft but I'm not a dog gtfo), I will no longer be at people’s beck and call for their diversity and sensitivity reads.

I loved this book, I love a book that makes me think and feels so incredibly personal and relatable.

I also love a second chance romance, and whilst I had conflicting feelings about Jude being a White Knight I did appreciate how hard they both worked to become the people they needed to be for their relationship to work.

Overall, this book was perfect. It was so relatable and the romance was sweet and written incredibly well. It is so important for these stories to be told, and equally important that they are read.

To Alex Travis, thank you for writing this book and giving a voice to black girls everywhere. You wrote this book so beautifully and it truly has a place in my heart. I will be purchasing a physical copy of this book upon its release.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s relatable, yes, but it’s also written so well. Gen is spot on in her depiction of life, love, and heck of existence for Black women and Black women in mixed-race relationships. And Jude is spot on in his own right as well. Together is an amazing, clean love story. I wish all races would pick this up because we can all grow and learn from it. And the romcom flow is sweet as pie! You are rooting for them with every page turn. An excellent read for sure!