BOOK REVIEW: Everything is Love – Fine-ness is a Game Changer

Review by Lyndell Williams
EVERYTHING IS LOVE
By Aubree Pynn
$2.99, pp 169, Kindle (Free, KU)

Okay, I’m done! No more men. Oh, wait a minute. Who dat? Damn, he’s fine.

Yeah, how many women have decided to go the celibacy route only to have a gorgeous hunk of…man pass their way? Suddenly, all resistance starts to whittle away. Who me? Is this bottled water?

So, where was I? Oh, yeah. ***SPOILERS ALERT*** Now, Let’s do this.

In Everything is Love by Aubree Pynn, Baylee is in “manless me” mode when fly basketball player, Dakari bumps into her at a party. The tiny run-in and subsequent bickering mark the beginning of their worlds colliding.

Yeah, that’s it.

Dakari is big brother Akil’s bosom buddy and client just blowing back into town. He’s tall, hunky and annoying AF, but still, check out those abs, girl!

After a major heartbreak, Dakari has taken a similar oath against the opposite sex and love, but his friend’s beautiful, smart-ass sister continually opens his eyes—and nose.

I am not a fan of enemies-to-lovers plots. I think it’s because authors tend to drag the tension on for far too long. Then suddenly, everyone’s clothes are off and on the floor. Nah, I’m not buying it. All of that dislike for so long doesn’t just flip into fondness—let alone some imaginative sex positions.

Pynn avoids a major pitfall of the trope. Baylee infuriates Dakari and vice versa, but it doesn’t make it unbelievable when their mutual attraction starts to stir.

The author also extends the viability of the two protagonists falling for each other by making them equally yoked. Both characters are smart, confident, and damn sure not taking any mess from anyone. They connect and things are fine. Well, that is until one of them screws up everything and catastrophe pours all over the awesome duo—threatening lives and love.

I found Pynn’s portrayals of Black love and friendship refreshing. She delivers multilayered renditions of relationships through the two stable relationships between Akil and Camilla and Xavier and Fayven.

The Black women protagonists have strong male support systems stemming from their upbringing. When describing his sister, Baylee, Akil explains that she’s, “not spoiled” but that she’s “well taken care of” and “she will remain that way until she settles down and even then, she better be taken care of.”

The author highlights the protector and provider part of Black maleness that is so often overshadowed by prevailing social stereotypes in novels. Brava!

The love scenes between the couples ranged from endearing to erotic. Pynn wrote sensual interactions overlaid by the intense feelings Dakari and Baylee had for each other. I give it 3 out of 5 steamy lips.

The language in a few places could’ve been tighter. There were times instances where simpler words would’ve been better at keeping the storyline flowing, but it doesn’t keep Everything is Love from being an awesome romance.

I’m feeling a little salty with Aubree Pynn because she wrote a warm and exciting novel with complex and engaging characters in a way that made it damn difficult to put down. So, I ended up falling behind grading papers. Which is exactly what I have to get back to doing.

I highly recommend Everything is Love by Aubree Pynn to readers looking to have a blast with some witty and sexy couples.