Thank you so much for letting me receive an ARC of this book 🥹 I LOVED IT SO. MUCH. Aaliyah and Von's chemistry is scorching, and seeing Aaliyah's transformation from a "church girl" to who she really wanted to be and have stand up for herself was amazing. And Von is such a good dad 😫 I love them both!

🖤 Age Gap
🖤 Runaway Bride ♡ Tattoo Artist
🖤 Forbidden Love
🖤 Single Dad MMC
🖤 Nanny FMC
🖤 Good Girl x Bad Boy

*Church Girl* by Naima Simone is a steamy, emotionally charged romance that delivers on both heat and heart. Aaliyah Montgomery’s journey from a small-town girl fleeing her stifling life to a woman finding her true self in the bustling streets of Chicago is as inspiring as it is relatable. Simone crafts a compelling story of self-discovery, love, and second chances that keeps you turning the pages.

Aaliyah’s unexpected gig as a live-in nanny for the brooding, tattooed Von Howard is a perfect setup for sparks to fly. Von, with his rough exterior and hidden vulnerability, is the kind of complex hero you can’t help but root for. Aaliyah’s blend of innocence and underlying strength makes her a refreshing heroine, and watching her bond with Von’s seven-year-old daughter adds a layer of warmth to the story. The chemistry between Aaliyah and Von is undeniable, with plenty of steamy moments that will have you fanning yourself.

One of the standout aspects of the book is how Aaliyah discovers her passion for tattoo art, which serves as a powerful metaphor for her personal growth. Her journey from being unsure of her path to embracing her talents and desires is beautifully portrayed.

However, while the romance and character development are well done, the pacing occasionally feels rushed, especially towards the climax. Certain emotional beats could have used more room to breathe, allowing the reader to fully appreciate the depth of Aaliyah and Von’s connection.

Overall, *Church Girl* is a captivating read that explores themes of self-discovery and breaking free from societal expectations, all wrapped up in a sizzling romance. If you enjoy stories of unlikely love, personal growth, and a touch of heat, this book is definitely worth picking up.

#BookReview #RomanceReads #NaimaSimone #ChurchGirl #TattooArtist #SelfDiscovery #SteamyRomance #MustRead #BookLovers #ReadThisNext

I didn’t know how bad I needed a Von in my life but he was right on time. The man’s mouth is filthy and aggressive and I just wanted more of it.

No seriously, if we could follow me around and tell me what to do I wouldn’t even be mad. I’d sign over my feminism card if I needed to.

Luckily Aaliyah (great name!) has more sense than I do and doesn’t buckle to his might. Aaliyah is an outwardly week woman from small town Alabama. She’s a PK of a very domineering pastor father, very submissive mother, and runaway bride for a man that is only choosing to marry her to inherit the throne (but not too much on him).

Anywho, Aaliyah hops an uber in a wedding dress to head to the hotel room of her cousin that wasn’t invited to her wedding because she’s wayward (this is where domineering father comes in) and tags along as she heads to her chosen home of Chicago.

Aaliyah is a complete fish out of water. She dresses like an affable Disney character and has the disposition that makes her look like a doormat, only she really has fangs. She uses those fangs whenever people try her like the principal of the school of her charge, Von’s adorable daughter, attends.

All the while Von and Aaliyah are fighting their attraction. Von doesn’t want to smash the nanny and Aaliyah wants to keep her job which helps her pay for college classes her parents would never let her attend. The moments where they stop fighting are so delicious and I could take eight more chapters of their glorious couplings. Scrumptious!

This book inspires so many of the warm fuzzy feelings I love in a romance. There is single dad, found family (in the scope of Aaliyah reconnecting with her cousin and them supporting each other), and so many laugh out loud funny moments. I can’t wait to get it on my shelves and read it again and again.

Obsessed with Von and Aaliyah’s story!

I loved this! Von was kind of a jerk but in a really sexy way, and I loved seeing Aaliyah gain her independence. Together they were just so sweet and had such great tension. This might be one of my fave Naima Simone books!

This book was EVERYTHANG!! Naima Simone brought the heat with Von. That man burned my reader up!! His mouth is nasty and I loved it!

Aaliyah is a woman at a crossroad. She has had her life planned by her religious family and she is over it. She runs away from her family to start living her life on her own terms. She is hired by Von reluctantly to be a nanny for his young daughter. Von is an extremely sexy tattoo artist and he is not what Aaliyah is used to. I don’t know who was unprepared the most…Von or Aaliyah!!😂 The pull they felt shook both of them and they weren’t ready but they got ready real quick. Needless to say, this couple’s connection was fire. I danced in my seat and cheered plenty of times while reading. Naima Simone has a way with words that just resonates with me and I loved every moment with Von and Aaliyah. Von helps Aaliyah with her confidence and with believing in herself. She is a young woman who was controlled for so long that she feels immense guilt for following her dreams. Aaliyah in turn shows Von what it feels like to have a good woman. He’s a bit rough around the edges but she handles him perfectly.

I loved this book!! Don’t let the title fool you! Church Girl is super hot!! I give it 5 burning stars!! ⭐️🔥⭐️🔥⭐️🔥⭐️🔥⭐️🔥

PS—I loved Tamara! I can’t wait for her book.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Not my typical read, but I was intrigued by the synopsis and I'm glad I read it. The cultural and societal differences between Von and Liyah were developed and played out well and I liked how they explored their differences and apologized when necessary. In that sense, the story had a lot of depth which I always appreciate.

This book though is a romance book but it dealt heavily with the purity culture and the beliefs and expectations from a kid of a Pastor or a person heavily imbibed with Christianity. I liked all the characters created by Naima especially the bond between Von & Gia as it was so honest and raw.

I enjoyed this book as it was a short- sweet, spicy read.

CHURCH GIRL by Naim Simone was the first book I’ve read by the author and really enjoyed it. Literally finished it in one sitting.The writing was beautiful and felt like I could connect with both characters Aaliyah and Von. I loved seeing their vulnerable sides and the growth throughout the read. They had beautiful chemistry together and I liked how they changed each other. And the passion between the was incredible!! They honestly make a beautiful complete

The discussion of heavy topics was impactful as well as thought provoking, however I wish it was discussed further in the story if felt brushed off at the end and not properly with all parties involved in the situations.

I also do wish the book was longer where the ending felt rushed to me. I wish there was more time to see Aaliyah and Von’s relationship progress on a deeper level, the “I love you’s” came to early for me

Overall, this was such a good read. I’m excited for Tamera story next she was an intriguing character is this book, I can’t wait to see what’s to come with her story.

Oof! I knew based on the reviews that the spice would be spicy in this one but I wasn’t prepared for just how raw and filthy it would be. And I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t love it. Aside from the spice though, I loved the story as a whole, a new spin on the preacher’s daughter and nanny tropes. I’d highly highly recommend this one!

Church girl

The idea of this book is a good one. The runaway bride, small town vibes an extra churchy family, second chances at love and what they’re calling grumpy sunshine, however Von did absolutely the most and he was nowhere near grumpy sunshine. He was much more of an aggravating asshole with the AMEX lol. he did the absolute most every chance he got. in my love I don’t need all riffraff BUT by the end I enjoyed his realness and rawness even though is mouth was raggedy. It worked out well with Aaliyah’s dainty coy nature. Most relationships have a lil heaven and a lil hell.

This book was oozing with lust and sexual tension. I was like whoaaaaa this is so sexually charged even tho there was only 2 spice scenes. That’s very mindful. Very demure lol.

I did want a little more from the ending. I wanted to see what family life for this messy lil group will look like. An epilogue would have been nice. I’m also looking forward to Tamera’s book. She really held Aaliyah down, and I know she has so much more to give us.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC. Such a great romance story

An updated twist in the Runaway Bride trope which I loved. A good church girl who falls for the bad boy is going to be good every single time. This was a great read, and the steam was NICE. Naima Simone never disappoints.

Church Girl by Naima Simone had an intriguing premise that piqued my curiosity, but the execution didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The story of Aaliyah, a preacher’s daughter turned runaway bride, promised a lot of tension and growth, especially with her stepping into a world so different from her own. However, the plot felt too predictable and the characters, particularly Von, came across as a bit one-dimensional.

The dynamic between Aaliyah and Von had potential, but it often leaned too heavily on clichés. Aaliyah’s journey of self-discovery was fascinating, but how it unfolded felt rushed and lacked the depth needed to make it truly compelling. While steamy, the romance between her and Von overshadowed the more exciting aspects of her character development.

Overall, the story felt like it could have been more than it was. The idea was solid, but the execution left me wanting something with more substance and less reliance on familiar tropes.

I LOVED this book. Naima is a one click author for me so I was thrilled to get this ARC from Harlequin Afterglow. It’s so good, I’m mad it’s over lol

First and foremost, this is everything I love most: runaway bride, single dad, cute kid that acts her age, small town girl in a big city, combatting purity culture brainwashing that makes you feel like you’re not “pure enough”. Naima took all these beloved tropes and topics and made such a heartfelt (and hot!) story between two total opposites. I was delighted.

Von is gruff and a straight shooter but he goes out of his way to lift Aaliyah up and encourage her, even when he’s trying to stay far far away from her “Disney princess attitude” lol it doesn’t last long because he’s entranced by her. And he’s such a sweetheart with Gia, his baby girl. Their relationship was so precious. I adored Von, even in his more butthead moments. The stubborn ones fall the hardest I swear.

But Aaliyah is the star of the show for me. A preacher’s kid running away from the expectations and man they expected her to just go along with. Combatting years of purity culture down her throat and parents that cared more about the image than protecting their daughter. I cried because Naima perfectly encapsulated that fear and self loathing that’s instilled in us who grew up in purity culture so young. And Von is so FIERCE on her behalf. I mean, the man is just like “nah, you’re not the responsible party here. Your parents should have put YOU first”. So as much as this is a love story, it’s also Aaliyah coming into her own and finding out what she wants and who she wants to be. And I loved it. Every second.

Do I wish there had been an epilogue of some kind? Sure! But I don’t have any doubts that Von, Aaliyah, and Gia are living their best lives with each other and hanging out at Auntie Tamara’s condo. And that makes my heart happy.

CW: mentions of attempted childhood SA by a family member (historic, briefly discussed, non-graphic), purity culture, sex work shaming by side character

It's Naima Simone, so of course the writing is beautiful and the steam is HOT (though there could have been more). I do think the ending was a bit rushed, especially with the "breakup" and then the ex-wife's about-face. I wouldn't have been mad about an epilogue. But I'm so glad that Tamara is getting a book, because I LOVED her.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC.

Church Girl is everything I hoped it would be and more. It’s spicy, dirty-hot, and steamy enough to leave a thick trail of fog in its wake. I love that Simone doesn’t pull any punches with this book. She goes right in, and she takes the reader along with her. Von and Aaliyah are both incredible characters. They are charismatic, intelligent, and just truly good people. They also challenge each other to be better versions of themselves and to truly see themselves as well as they see each other.

If you love a good girl/bad boy trope with a twist, a grumpy/sunshine, and a dirty-hot age gap romance, Church Girl by Naima Simone is a not-to-miss read.

I LOVED this book. Coming from a background of being mixed PK it was really nice seeing myself represented in such a beautiful story and it had a lot of heart immediate 5 star book for me. The characters made me love them and root for them and I loved the interactions and just the story as a whole.

Church Girl was a good romance read that gave us Aaliyah and Von's story. Aaliyah is the daughter of Bishop Timothy Montgomery and although her father wants her to live her life in service of the church after marriage, Aaliyah has other desires. Those desires don't fall in line with her father, mother or fiancé, so she runs before it's too late leaving them disappointed, and her feeling free for the first time. Tamara knows what it's like to live her life being judged by her family so when her cousin shows up at her door asking for help, she doesn't hesitate. I absolutely enjoyed Aaliyah and Tamara's relationship, and the support Tamara gives her cousin even though there weren't close before Aaliyah came asking for her help. Their antics had me laughing out loud more than once. Von's dealing with a bitter ex-wife but he must put up with her for their daughter Gia. Gia is his world but he's in desperate need of a nanny. In comes Aaliyah, she's nothing Von expected and everything he desires. When their employer/employee relationship cross the lines, there's no going back. I loved them together, but I wish there were deeper moments between them. The connection was there but I needed more. There was jealousy, drama, laugh out loud moments, steamy scenes, secrets were revealed, revelations were made and a HEA. I thought there were some things that wrapped up too nicely after all the drama with certain people, especially Sheree. Her being a "better" mature woman and mother in the end just didn't feel right after everything she did, it was just too soon. Overall, it was a good story, and I enjoyed a lot of laughs along the way so I think it's a story worth reading that romance readers will enjoy.

I loved this book! And the cover was so pretty! And I really loved the romance in this book. The main characters were really lovely!

This was such a fun time. I love the grumpy x sunshine trope and the author did a great job here.

I really loved both of the characters. I could sympathize with both. Aaliyah is trying to find herself and her job as a live-in nanny for Von was certainly an experience. A lot of her experiences were endearing and funny. I liked her character a lot. Von is grumpy but with good reason. He's had it rough. It takes a little warming up to Von but I did like him by the end. I thought these two were cute and I liked their romance.

There is some heat here which was nice since the characters had great chemistry.

Would definitely recommend for opposites attract romance lovers.

Whoever designed this book cover deserves a raise!! Let me first start by saying that there's something about a bride escaping on her wedding that I find so messily delicious. Aaliyah was kind of all over the place but I loved her. She was genuine and sweet to the people she cared about. I felt the chemistry between Aaliyah and the other MC and love interest, Von. However, I didn't like him he was so condescending to me and I felt like Aaliyah could do better, honestly. This book does have spice and explicit language so if you're sensitive to that kind of thing this book won't be for you.