“Alexa, play ‘Best Friend’ by 50 cent.”

I just finished More Than My Mistakes by Amanda Linette (out June 6th!). It’s Amanda’s debut novel, first of The Bloom Series and let me tell you, she came in swinging with the emotion, the healing, and the perfectly messy humanity we all know too well.

Let’s talk about Ria. Whew, this girl had LIFE come at her hard. And watching her stumble, learn, and try to rebuild herself had me rooting for her like she was my own cousin. Amanda really taps into that very real struggle of trying to do better while not being swallowed whole by your past. It’s about grace, growth, and that quiet strength you have to summon when you’ve got nothing left but hope.

And while Ria’s journey is the heart of the book, the friend group is the soul. There’s something so comforting about seeing women show up for each other, have the hard convos, hype each other up, and just be real. That sisterhood? 10/10. (Okay, 9/10 because one friend was giving red flags the whole time and needed to be voted off.)

Anddd of course, y’all KNOW I’m weak for a friends to lovers story, and Onyx + Ria delivered. It wasn’t over-the-top spicy (think a soft 2/5 on the spice-o-meter), but the emotional intimacy?? Off the charts. Like, read this quote and try not to melt:

“Ria, listen to me. You can’t fuck this up. IF you were mine, like really mine, you couldn’t get me to walk away from you. I know that God designed you for me.”
“Because when I’m with you, I’m at peace. When I hold you, I feel whole. And when I look at you, I see my purpose.”

Excuse me while I go scream into a pillow real quick.

This was a solid debut that hits on forgiveness, self-worth, and giving yourself a second chance—even when you’re convinced you don’t deserve one. I’ll be watching Amanda Linette closely because this series? Has serious potential.

Happy Reading Folks!