The Truth According to Ember
Danica Nava
353 pages
Berkley Romance
published August 6, 2024
Thanks to @BerkleyRomance and @PRHAudio for my #gifted book and audiobook. #BerkelyPartner #Berkley #PRHAudioInfluencer
I am always a fan of reading how a different culture handles day to day life. I’ve read thrillers about Native American characters, but this is my first rom com. I agree with the author about her mention of representation in the genre. Glad she was able to represent in her debut novel. I am a fan of the glossary at the back of the book, that helped with some of the terminology.
Ember really made me shake my head. Such blatant lying on her resume was brazen. Then continuing the lying at the start of a relationship. The book is built around a powerful theme of bias in workplace hiring. Especially as the world is switching back to not believing this happens. I wanted to like and root for Ember, but it was so very hard. While she is in her 20s, which is still somewhat young, but this read that she was so much younger.
On the flip side, Danuwoa was almost too good to be true. I loved his big heart and willingness to help anyone, but a flaw or two would have made him seem more believable. Even the best boyfriends/significant others stumble and make mistakes.
I appreciate the overall theme and hope it helps start discussions. I love that this is the first Native American rom com published by one of the big firms. I can’t believe it took this long. I can even appreciate the opposites attract and that Ember can find her other in all her messy ways. But ultimately it fell a little short for me in the believability department. That someone would not check out references before hiring, get a large promotion so quickly when having no track record with the company and Ember’s mounting excuses were accepted were just a little too much.
Siena East does an exceptional job bringing the story to life. She helped make a book a might not have finished, an entertaining listen. While I am always a fan of having two narrators in a romance, she is able to tell both Ember’s and Danuwoa’s story.
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