Just My Type

A book that will have readers laughing as well as shaking their heads Just My Type was my first read by Synithia Williams and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Janiyah Henderson believes she has the ideal life after college. She works as a virtual assistant where she sets her own hours and spends her earnings freely. She feels she has accomplished the American dream, that of having very little responsibility and living across from her brother’s best friend. Her quest for independence is evident, however, she lacks the drive to obtain knowledge of current events and comes across as a “joke” to others. When a family meeting is called and her father tells her she is unable to handle a real job, Janiyah does what any person would do, she set out to prove him wrong. She is tired of people not taking her seriously and strives to rectify the situation. In steps Fredrick Jenkins, Janiyah’s next door neighbor and her brother’s best friend. He has been around for years and Janiyah has secretly been in love with him since high school. Janiyah seeks employment at Fredrick’s accounting firm and also tries to gain access to his heart. Does she succeed? Readers will need to pick up a copy of Just My Type to find out. Ms. Williams did a great job with the character development of both Janiyah and Fredrick. Janiyah’s character did appear to be flighty and impulsive whereas Fredrick was the laid back, conservative next door neighbor. These two were total opposites, but the attraction was apparent on both sides. Fredrick worked very hard to not act on that attraction because of some issues he was dealing with and the fact that Janiyah was his best friend’s sister. There are a few scenes in the book that will have readers laughing as well as shaking their heads. They each have issues they must work to resolve and overcome before they realize their feelings. The story flowed very well and will keep readers’ interest in the outcome of this couple’s journey. Overall, a good read. -Reviewed by Deborah

Janiyah has had a crush on Fredrick for years. As a teenager she acted on those feelings only to be shot down. Since then, she has been dating one guy after another. Each still hold a flame but neither acts on their feelings. Fredrick thinks that Janiyah has the potential to hold him down financially like his father is with his mother. Janiyah thinks that Fredrick only see her as a type of little sister. When they both can no longer hold up the facade of friendship the story really heats up. And the way he makes her say Fredrick instead of Freddy...oh my LAWD! *this is an ARC review Bunnita Worth Reading It?

My first encounter with this author, and I have to say that it was a nice change to find a romance that featured African American characters that weren’t characterized by an urban theme or setting, and not overwhelmed with ‘street appropriate’ language.  While there are several urban authors that I adore, I also want to see stories from the other perspectives, those stories from people who aren’t headline news but should be.   A good romance feels real and solid, with characters that you can relate to, and their differences from you (financial, religious, and cultural) are solidly presented but it is the similarities that draw you in.  We all want love, acceptance and happiness, and we all have obstacles to overcome as we seek that perfect person.  Romance should celebrate finding love and the differences in relationships, no matter the race or color of the characters.  Synithia Williams manages to provide an entrée into a developing relationship between two characters that speaks to every romance reader, and that presents us all with a new way of seeing the people around us.   Janiyah is a bit spoiled and headstrong, wanting to have it all but not necessarily dedicated to working for it.  She enjoys her free time, and with her father willing to supplement her expenses, she isn’t ‘required’ to finish growing up and take responsibility for her life.  Fun loving and flirty, she is the outgoing girl who is the center of attention and often speaks or acts before she thinks things through.  Fredrick (or Freddy as Janiyah calls him) is a few years older, and as the best friend of Janiyah’s brother Aaron, he knows the little spitfire well. He finds her interesting and attractive, but far too much like his mother in behavior and desires than he wants. Fredrick wants a woman who will be happy with him and want to work together for a successful life, and he doesn’t think that Janiyah is capable of hard work or controlling her desire for luxuries.  Watching his father “lose his mind” over his mother, and keep the family in debt as he bought ever-more luxurious items to keep his mother happy, he won’t be caught in that trap.   These two have a long history, and there has always been an attraction on Janiyah’s part.  But, Fredrick remembers the spoilt and tantruming little girl, sees the young woman all too happy for Daddy’s help with her bills, and well, it IS his best friend’s little sister.  Every moment of attraction that Fredrick has is quickly cooled by one or another of those images, and his reminder that he will not behave as his father did.  Early on, it is clear that a strong attraction exists, but the relationship is a series of baby steps.  Janiyah has to reveal her true self, and Fredrick needs to make peace with his misconceptions and start to see her, and himself in a new light.  Several interactions and moments where the ‘real’ heart of them both come to light, and the reveals and pacing are perfectly suited. You really KNOW these characters and start to cheer them on – waiting for them to take that last leap of faith and go for it.   Williams uses the secondary characters and the expository moments in a perfectly constructed story. While the secondary characters serve only to fuel the insight we are gaining on the new couple, they don’t overreach their purpose, and help to flush out the story.  They don’t interfere with the main story arc that is Janiyah and Fredrick’s budding relationship, and the arc shows a solid progression from tentative to steamy, without much fluff or filler that would only distract. A story that many romance lovers need to read – this is a book that is carefully crafted to give maximum smiles to readers.  I received an eBook copy of the title from the publisher for purpose of honest review for Tasty Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review. All conclusions are my own responsibility. 

This is a great story, loved the dynamics and the chemistry between Janiyah and Freddy! Looking forward to the 3 brothers stories.