Love a friends to lovers. They were both on the same page in the bedroom but in public it got muddled.
Love Juleesa/Jucee she knew who she was and had so many healthy relationships. Cyn/Poppa was a stud and got a lot of attention so it was hard not to get a little jealous. Hate the fans that hang on just trying to get to the talent but use you in the process.
Read if you are looking for a sapphic/bi friends to lovers in the music industry. With some good family characters/advice and I want that strawberry wine.

Cyn and Jucee, who were once best friends, unexpectedly began seeing each other in a new light one day. As Cyn grappled with her emerging feelings, it triggered some challenges for Jucee as well. Witnessing their journey to resolve these issues and find common ground was truly enjoyable for me.

I have been anticipating this book since it was first announced. I’m so glad I got to enjoy it.

Cyn and Jucee were best friends that suddenly one day started looking at each other differently. Cyn struggled with her new feelings and that caused Jucee to have some issues as well. I really enjoyed watching them work things out between them.

This was a really good book. I enjoyed it a lot.

Cyn and Jucee are amazing.

This was a really fun, really hot journey that these two friends went on. Who would have thought a short work trip away would have you coming back and realizing that your best friend is actually someone that you definitely want to bang? Not Cyn, I can tell you that. But that's exactly what she realized. And what do we do when we realize that we have sexy feelings for our best friend? We make out and hook up and then panic and avoid one another for a while! Duh! Everybody knows that.

I'm obsessed with the way that Houston strip clubs are described in this book. And just the view of sex work in general that's portrayed in this book. This is Jucee's career. She's not working her way through school or using the club as a way station until she moves on to bigger and better things. She's a dancer and this is her way to dance and do what she loves. It's incredible.

I also really love that these are fat women. Not just "curvy" or "voluptuous" but fat. And still super hot. Top of their games hot. And they celebrate their bodies and each other's bodies. It's really a beautiful study in body positivity.

Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for this ARC.

A steamy friends to lovers Sapphic romance with great Fat rep and BIPOC rep that was great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Talia Hibbert and Denise Williams. I loved the dual narration by Lauryn NicholA and J. Shani Michaels. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Danille Williamms.

This is the story of two best friends, Cyn and Julessa, who finally see each other as people and not just their bestie. I truly fell in love with how the author penned Cyn to express love by way of musicality. Calling someone your personal metronome speaks to my own music heart. This book definitely reminds me that love is not linear and communication is key. This book deals with emotions, identity and life while being a love story. I also enjoyed that this book showed love to my hometown Houston.

I loved how unapologetically black queer this book was. I love a friends turn lovers ESPECIALLY when they are already acting like they are dating. Papa was really driving me crazy. I do find it odd when best friends who can complete each other sentences suddenly can’t communicate correctly with one another but in the end, I loved the book!

I really like this author and her style, I loved the last book I read and I knew I was going to love this one. This friends to lover’s trope was EVERYTHING!!! They both didn’t want to risk their friendship, and can they be any more BADASS!!!!! This one was fun and steamy…

“Our mouths seemed to fit like the most important pieces of a heart-shaped puzzle.”

I received an eARC of A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C Higgins from Carina Adores in exchange for an honest review. Here are my thoughts!

🎵 Cyn Tha Starr has a successful music career that has led her to fame and fortune and a rotating door of beautiful women. Jucee is a single mother who has taken a break from dating to focus on taking care of her son all while being one of the most popular dancers a prominent strip club. Jucee and Cyn have been friends for years, but when they start to see each other in a new light will their friendship be able to survive their attraction? 🎵

I have gushed about D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding so many times that I was thrilled when I got my hands on an arc for Higgins new book - A Little Kissing Between Friends. Unfortunately I ended up barely being able to make my way through this one.

Before I talk about what I didn’t like, let’s focus on what this book did well - the representation.

Cyn and Jucee are both Black, Cyn being a lesbian and Jucee being bisexual. There is an interesting dynamic referenced a few times - Cyn coming from a very accepting family, and Jucee not. Both women are queer, but have had different experiences within their queer identities. There are other queer characters, and a lot of great references to building a community which I loved.

The rest of the books though? I was just not a fan. There will likely be some light spoilers from here on out - so be wary of that!

My first major complaint is that Cyn and Jucee’s relationship seemed to just change out of nowhere. There was nothing that seemed to lend itself to their feelings morphing from platonic to sexual and romantic, so I had a hard time believing in their romance.

The next complaint I have is that Cyn and Jucee both felt underdeveloped outside of their relationship with one another. Jucee is constantly mentioning that her son is everything to her, but for most of the book he’s never at home with her. I felt like more interaction between Jucee and her son would’ve helped to round out her character a bit more. Similarly, Cyn’s music career felt nonexistent. Yes, she spent time in the studio but it usually seemed to be only to create a scene for Jucee to bring her a meal. Outside of that it seemed pointless for her to be there.

I feel like I could have ignored all of that if I’d actually believed that Cyn and Jucee were in love…but I just didn’t. From the get go there are awkward moments of jealousy and possessiveness, but those emotions didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere. The arguing and the angst didn’t feel tantalizing or rewarding as I read - it just felt painful and boring.

So, yeah. This one didn’t work for me. I think it needed a lot more time developing the characters rather than a vague situation, because there’s a good story hidden in there somewhere. I just had a hard time finding it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Cyn and Jucee’s story! I absolutely loved reading about queer Black love and the bisexual and plus size representation was a wonderful added bonus! I definitely recommend this book for folks who are fans of sapphic romance novels!

**spoilers**
This was truly such a good book. I've never read anything by this author before this, so I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but UGH Chencia C. Higgins can WRITE. It was just so good, I don't know how else to say it. The pacing was literally perfect and had me hooked on every word just needing to know more about Cyn and Jucee's individual characters, their friendship, and their relationship. Friends-to-lovers just does not get enough praise IMO because the tension and angst that comes with characters realizing their falling for their bestie??? Them feeling like they have to hide their feelings so they don't ruin everything but simultaneously having their feelings written on every inch of their face when they think no one is looking??? Impeccable and this book did it so well: the angst, the jealousy, the confusion, the pining. The character building (is that the phrase?) is just so good, too. Each character (main and side) has well-thought-out and unique personalities with unique flaws that make them more relatable and IMO more likable than if they were "perfect". For example, the way Jucee worries so much about collateral losses when she and Cyn fight and starts to try to pull away in advance to avoid any other issues is just too relatable. Same with how Cyn is essentially oblivious to how actions that seem meaningless to her are huge to Jucee and needs a firm but gentle nudge in the right direction to figure it out. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book to any and everyone who wants an amazing friends-to-lovers and dancer x music producer romance, 10/10.

3.5 Stars
I previously read Kris and D’Vaughn Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins and really liked it so when I saw this one was on Netgalley I knew I needed to read it. I was lucky enough to be approved to read this one.
This story was much different than the other one I read by this author and to be honest I didn’t like it as much. This one was really fast paced which I’m not complaint about but I feel like everything happened fast. I found this one to be spicier.
I liked the friends to lovers storyline between Cyn and Jucee. I just didn’t connect with these characters but I still enjoyed the story. I found Cyn’s grandma to be the most intriguing character, I’d want more on her story and how she raised everyone essentially.
This was a spicy, sapphic read and everyone who likes those stories would love this one.

Thanks again to Netgalley and Carina Adores for the copy.

There was a lot to love about this book: the sense of community, the characters both central and side, the absolutely bonkers and hilarious similes, the extra-spicy spice... This was great.

My one complaint, which is very much personal preference, was the depth of the miscommunication that drives the conflict. Cyn/Poppa kept doing dumb s*** (and she knew it), but in ways that didn't always make sense with her character. There were times when Jucee did things that I didn't fully understand until we were reminded of her backstory, but at least that was in character. Miscommunications tropes are a pet peeve for me so this may not bother other readers.

Bonus points for the way food is discussed in this book, because I wanted to eat ALL OF IT. I liked that Jucee in particular was kind of obsessed with good eats. I know some authors shy away from showing a bigger character enjoying food on this level, and the fact that she didn't talk about food as a guilty pleasure made me really happy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book as an ARC. I already bought the author's debut novel because this one was so much fun. :)

A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins is a phenomenal sapphic romance story!
This book is an absolute delight. I read the entire thing with a stupid grin on my face and almost immediately fell in love with both of our MCs.
These might be the most likable characters ever!! Literally all these characters were so wonderful. There was never a boring moment!
This was an amazing, funny, beautiful, Black sapphic romance story that I absolutely LOVED!!

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Heat Factor: Gets fairly explicit.

Character Chemistry: Everyone they know thinks they’ve been dating for the past year.

Plot: Cyn and Jucee, ride-or-die besties, hook up. And then fail to communicate in truly spectacular fashion.

Overall: I loved the voice, but had some problems with the arc of the narrative.

I’m going to start with a quote from Chapter 1, because I read it and laughed my ass off, and it pretty accurately captures the narrative voice of this book:

"When people saw me, a five-foot-ten, dark-skinned, three-hundred-pound, masculine-presenting woman with a taper-fade and a bottom grill, the assumption was almost always that I was a carpet-muncher and not just a fat tomboy. And the assumption was one hundred percent correct. I mean…genetics made me fat, but I did indeed love to eat."

If this sounds like something you could get down with, read on!

Let’s set the scene. Cyn, a music producer on the rise, and Jucee, a stripper who is doing pretty well for herself, are best friends. And let me be clear: when I say they are best friends, their lives are completely enmeshed. Jucee brings meals to Cyn at the studio when she’s working. Cyn gives Jucee her new songs to perform to at the club before they’re released to build the hype. Jucee goes to barbecues at Cyn’s parents’ house. Cyn’s grandmother takes care of Jucee’s child every day after school while Jucee is working. They also do things like have movie night and go clubbing and grab lunch and all the other things you may do with your besties. The first third or so of the book is spent establishing this friendship—so while the beginning does feel slow, it lays important groundwork for the rest of the romance.

One night, Cyn and Jucee are out on the town and this other woman hits on Cyn and it’s kind of a wake-up call for both of them, as they realize that they’re hot for each other. Cue cycle of sex followed by miscommunication, wash rinse repeat.

The great thing about this romance is how clearly Higgins shows the care and connection between Cyn and Jucee. Here’s Cyn the first time they hook up:

"“I— I’m just…” I snapped my lips shut as I realized I didn’t have an answer— not one that wouldn’t sound ridiculous. How did I explain that the way she was taking charge had my mind frazzled? I was a top. I ran the fucking show.

"From the way Jucee licked her lips and twisted them into a sensual smirk, you’d have thought I’d spoken out loud. Had I spoken aloud? Had she read it in my eyes? Oh, duh.

"She definitely read it in my eyes. Jucee knew me too damn well.

"Or maybe she knew me the perfect amount.

"Because the way Jucee crawled toward me and placed her hands on my hips had me trembling."

Here’s Jucee, when she and Cyn are in the midst of communication issues:

"You know that feeling when you’ve been traveling for days, or even weeks, and you’ve been sleeping in hotel beds and eating restaurant food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you’ve been wearing your shoes more than ever because you aren’t at home so you don’t feel comfortable walking around barefoot in a strange place, but then. Then you get home, and you kick off your shoes, and you eat food you cooked, and you shower in your own tub, and you jump naked under your own sheets, and everything smells like home and warmth and yours?

"That was the feeling that consumed me when my lips accidentally on purpose landed on Poppa’s. It had only been weeks since we’d kissed in any capacity, but, no matter how hard I willed it to not be true, Poppa was my home and kissing her felt like getting my footing after stumbling over and over."

[Note: Poppa is Jucee’s special nickname for Cyn.]

Now, both of these cases are the characters telling me about the special connection, but it works because I’ve already seen it, in that first third of the book where Higgens did all that work to show how close their friendship is.

Unfortunately, the book faltered for me toward the end. When I say I had some problems with the arc of the narrative, it’s not because this is a character-driven miscommunication book that falls more on the vibes side of the plot-vibes spectrum. That is what it is, and you either like books like that or you don’t. However. In order to be effective, their miscommunication should stem from their characterization, right? The way the miscommunication was set up, I felt strongly that their problems were entirely due to Cyn being not great in the way she was treating her friend, and that Jucee’s protective pulling away was a normal response to what was going on. But then, at the very end of the book, something is revealed about Jucee’s backstory that indicates that she was pulling away much more aggressively than the situation warranted; this one scene made me question my reading of their miscommunication dynamic (and not necessarily in a good way). Cyn and Jucee have it out and make up right after this scene, and the book ends pretty shortly after that, so the ending felt very abrupt—perhaps because I didn’t have time to sit with the late-revealed information about Jucee’s life.

Soapbox moment: I’ve seen a lot of other reviews highlighting the representation in this book, and not just because Cyn and Jucee are Black lesbians. Cyn is a fat stud. Jucee is bisexual and certainly has some junk in the trunk. So I’d like to address the other side of this, which is the potential pushback of “oh these characters aren’t relatable.” I am now speaking to my fellow white ladies who listen to country music and haven’t been to a club in fifteen years: it is precisely the specificity of the portrayal that makes these characters human and relatable. Even though on the surface I have nothing in common with Cyn and Jucee, I related intimately with Jucee’s balance of being a mother and also her own person, with Cyn’s fear of messing things up, with both of their struggles to navigate their way through making their friendship more than what it was.

And speaking of specificity, the food writing here is unbelievable. Yes, I do want to eat at a Texas sushi fusion place called Yee Raw, which sells things like baked bean gyoza, please and thank you.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

Nothing beats D’Vaughn & Kris plan a wedding— that book lives in my heart. A Little Kissing can stand next to it though! This was fun, flirty, a little frustrating (the friends to lovers trope drives me batty!). This was well done. I always know I can settle into a Chencia Higgins book and know that she is going to take care of her readers.

I didn’t know before reading this (cause adhd) that it’s the same author who wrote one of my favorite reads of last year. The pacing was amazing. I finished the book in about a day. I really appreciated the sex worker representation in a positive light. Both main characters were lovable and well developed. The spice was doing its thing. Shout out to dominant femmes!!! I’m not gonna say to much but well done again!!!

Oh no this was so cute! I really enjoyed A Little Kissing Between Friends. It was the perfect contemporary romance: sweet, warm, funny. The perfect summer read.

* All of the characters seemed relatable in one way or another, but their speech patterns were kind of weird to me. Some of the words and phrases used were just not everyday phrases and it was a little weird to me. 
* There was a LOT of internal dialogue in this book, some of which didn’t actually help the plot.
* I enjoyed that the story was set in Houston and that the characters were a stripper and a music producer. 
* There were a lot of gaps in the story line. There were some parts of the story where it said something previously happened in the book and it didn’t. Not sure if this was just typos in the advanced copy, but it made the reading experience less enjoyable. 
* I probably wouldn’t read it again, but this would make for a good book club pick

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
After loving D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding, I was excited to see what Chencia C. Higgins would write next. A Little Kissing Between Friends absolutely delivered in that regard.As the cover promises, I particularly loved how the book, as reflected by the cover, shows body diversity and diversity in gender expression, with Cyn being fat and butch, and Jucee being full-figured/midsize and femme.
I really liked that both Cyn and Jucee were successful career women, being a music producer and dancer respectively. They’re longtime friends, and seeing them discover their feelings for one another was really sweet. There were some communication issues, but I wasn’t that bothered, because these two were so delightful as they navigated their relationship. The book leaned a little more toward being “no plot, just vibes,” which impacted pacing a tad, but these characters sustained my interest enough throughout the book.
This was an enjoyable read, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for a sapphic Black romance with body diversity.