Aaliyah is a preacher's daughter, brought up to be a preacher's wife. But when the day comes, she runs away to Chicago to live with her cousin. Aaliyah is going to make her own way and follow her own dreams. Von is a successful tattoo artist and shop owner in desperate need of a nanny. Despite the ten year age difference and power differential (or because of it) they are very into each other.

I really liked all the tension between these two. So much lust. I also loved Aaliyah's fiery temper wrapped (mostly) up in devastating niceness and bible verses.

So while this was a really enjoyable book, the big conflict happened really late in the book. And Von didn't suffer enough. He didn't grovel enough. I wanted him to do some more work to earn Aaliyah back, and I wanted her to demand that of him. But it didn't happen.

A good solid read overall. And look at that cover - so pretty.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This romance felt so lived in and real. The FMC felt so familiar, her suffocation and desperation felt so palpable. I really enjoyed this one and I cannot wait for others to as well.

I love Naima Simone's books! In Church Girl, a Southern bishop's daughter flees her wedding, feeling suffocated by her controlling parents and nearly arranged marriage. fleeing to her stripper cousin's house in Chicago, she ends up nannying for the sweet daughter of a tattoo shop owner who is still recovering from the betrayals of his ex-wife. He thinks the new nanny is too innocent. She thinks he's too bossy. But as they begin to know and respect one another, neither can deny the scorching hot passion that burns between them. Sensual & emotionally satisfying.

"Out of the blue, I'm reminded of one of my favorite Scriptures, about God not being found in a wind or an earthquake or a fire. He was found in a quiet, small voice. That's this kiss."

After fleeing her small town and controlling family, Aaliyah finds support with her outcast cousin as she seeks her own identity, and crosses paths with bad boy, Von, who's in desperate need of a nanny for his daughter. 

There's a saying about "never judge a book by its cover." A lesson Von Howard had to learn when it came to good ol' church girl, Aaliyah Montgomery. She may not have had a lot of life experiences, but everyone has a story that shapes them into the person they are and Aaliyah is full of surprises.

But life hasn't been easy for Von. All he wants is to continue to prosper in his business and provide a loving and healthy environment for his seven-year-old daughter, but his ex-wife looks to complicate every aspect of his life. 

So, when Aaliyah enters his world, it's literally a breath of fresh air, but Von can't shake off that mix of innocence with sensuality Aaliyah gives off. Making their professional relationship a struggle, but a pleasant struggle, and I enjoyed every moment. 

Aaliyah and Von radiate an intensity that's hard to ignore, and I was drawn into their fierce connection to the very last page. 🔥🔥🔥

Naima Simone's upcoming romance, Church Girl, is a must-read and one I can't wait to add to my collection! #ChurchGirl #RomanceNovel #RomanceBook #BlackRomance #ReadingRomance #RomanceReads #NetGalley

My girl finally puts herself first. She's a runaway bride...on her way to Chicago to discover herself. The story of Aaliyah and Von is a good time. This book will give you all the feels.

I love the cover of this book! I will/would recommend this book to anyone who listens. The characters and storyline is amazing and the characters are very well developed. I’m glad the ex-wife was able to see the error of her ways and apologize to Von.

I love this author and was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book. I guess I'm in my single dad - cute kid, phase. I love Von and Aaliyah's story, Gia was hilarious. I will read this book again, I sped through it. Naima is an author that I instantly add to the TBR. Treat yourself to a great afternoon read on a weekend and get all booked up.

Church Girl by Naima Simone is an age gap romance about a young woman who essentially fed up with her life and is ready for a big change, that includes running away on her wedding day to find her way to freedom. I thought this booked moved at a good pace and the timeline of the events was stretched out that it was comfortable. My biggest complaint is that the story will hop around for weeks and tell us that essentially nothing happened. It would be nice to have a few filler events because it almost feels like over the months long timeline, they actually didn’t have a ton of meaningful interactions. Regardless, it was still a very good read and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

4 stars
Slow burn romance
Workplace romance
Dad/nanny
Grumpy/ sunshine

Von is in need of a nanny, at first glance he instantly judge Aaliyah but with no other option, Von is forced to settle for the "country bumpkin."

I enjoyed this book. I love a good Dad/nanny romance.

Tamara was my favorite character. I appreciated how she treated Aaliyah.

I also enjoyed the authors writing style.

This book seems too long and too short at the same time. I do believe this book needed an epilogue. While the story has an HEA as most romances do, I feel it ended somewhat abruptly.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me and I had to DNF. I liked the idea of this story but some of the wording at the beginning made me realize we just didn't click. Will potentially check for future work by this author because I love romance books by Black authors. Best of luck to this author's release!

i really enjoyed this book for it being my first book from this author! i really loved the characters, the storyline and how fast paced the book was!

5 ☆
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She’s a preacher’s daughter, a runaway bride and now the (not quite) qualified nanny for a sexy tattoo artist with a beautiful daughter—and a dirty mouth.

I went into this book completely blind. I was expecting a church-based book with all the holy, rolly stuff, and what I got was a pleasant surprise! This book pulled me out of a reading slump—a reading slump! I devoured this book in one day; it held my attention the entire time. As of now, this book is my favorite book of the year. Von, my man, my man!

I can’t wait for the second book!

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬:
•church Girl vs Tattoo Artist (Man)
•Single Father
•Black Romance
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Nov.26
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Harlequin for the eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Never reading anything from this author but I’m impressed with her writing. While reading, it felt like I was watching a movie because I felt every emotion of the main characters. While there wasn’t a lot of romantic gestures, I still enjoyed Von and Aaliyah’s romance. Their interactions were sexual tension so the romantic gestures didn’t matter that much.

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.