As a rabid romance reader, I always appreciate a stand-out story that steps outside the conventional tropes and offers a memorable, fresh take on the genre. Lizzie Damilola Blackburn delivers on this with The Re-Write,

What would happen if an ex broke your heart and then went on a popular dating reality tv show? Heartbreak compounded, right? Maybe a bit of public humiliation and certainly some salt in the wound, having to watch (despite your best effort to avoid the show entirely) the guy you had a genuine connection with 'dating' some of the hottest women the producers could find, on national (international?) television, no less? Worst case scenario.

UNLESS, of course, you finally get your 'big break' as an author - an offer to ghost write a celebrity's memoir for an exorbitant amount of money just when you're starting to think your writing dreams will never come true - ONLY TO FIND OUT that the celebrity in question is... you guessed it... the ex.

What would happen then? Do you decline the offer? Suck it up and sabotage the memoir to enact your revenge? Or, dare I suggest, give the guy another chance?? Well, reader, you'll just have to see for yourself.

Temi and Wale's story was fun, real, and cheeky. Their friends and family are lovable (mostly) and memorable, and I flew through the book in anticipation of how it would end. I really enjoyed the inclusion of the character's cultures throughout, from traditions to food to the familial expectations that Temi and Wale navigate as they come to terms with who they've been, who they want to be, and how they stay true to themselves in all matters of the heart.

Fans of Etta Easton, Talia Hibbert and Myah Ariel should grab The Re-Write immediately if they're looking for their next black love focused romance fix, but fans of the genre more broadly will also love and devour this memorable story for its wonderful writing, character growth, and relatability.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book. I will be purchasing once it's published as I'll certainly be re-reading this one!