Review: Making it Real by Synithia Williams

When I made the choice to read this book, I had no idea that it was part of a series. After reading the first couple of pages I discovered that there were two books prior to this. The good thing though is that this can be read as a stand-alone. Now, after reading Kareem’s story I am quite eager to read the books that were written about his siblings. The reason for making this choice was based on my being a huge fan of the bad boy falling for the rich girl type of stories. What I did not count on was that I would become so invested in the story. From the moment I began reading, I was pulled into the story. I fell in love with the main characters and found myself rooting for them at each page turn.

Kareem Henderson was not your typical hero. He was from a well-to-do family and a former gang member. He had spent five years in prison for carjacking. He is now a free man and is determined to prove that he would succeed in fulfilling his dream of owning and operating a high-end gentlemen’s lounge.

Patrice Baldwin aka Neecie came to work for Kareem as a barber. She was from a prestigious family, however she ran away from that part of her life five years ago. Since then she has been on a journey of self-discovery. Her past caught up to her and in a bid to get her family off her back, she enlisted Kareem to pretend that he was her fiancé. In return, she would provide him with the connections needed to fulfill his dream.

The chemistry between these two sizzled from the moment they first met, however Kareem was not keen to act on it. He knew that Neecie is the type of woman who wanted romance, but he believed that was the one thing he could not give. Kareem’s perception of relationships was warped after being a part of a gang and became worse after the time spent in prison. At first he was wary of agreeing to the pretend engagement, but as he got closer to Neecie he realized it was not as bad as he thought it would be. He came to realize that he cared for her more than he had expected to. He enjoyed spending time with her and was willing to make the facade real; however, when you are from different worlds there is always something or someone that will try to pull you apart. For Kareem and Neecie that thing was trust.

MAKING IT REAL was a beautifully written story of second chances. It shows the importance of learning to forgive yourself for past indiscretions, and doing so will allow you to live your life to the fullest and be the best you can be. It had the perfect blend of drama and romance which made for a very entertaining read. –