Title: Black Girls Must Have It All
Author: Jayne Allen
Page Count: 288
Rating: ❤❤❤❤
Hi friends. I'm back with a quick review on the latest books I've read. It's currently February 2nd, 2023 (can you believe it's already 2023?!) and what better way to kick off Black History Month than with a review of a book about a black woman written by you guessed it, a black woman?!
This book is the third in the series and I am unsure if Jayne Allen is planning on continuing, but I for one would not mind reading more about Tabitha, Layla, Alexis and... even Marc. I found the first book Black Girls Must Die Exhausted about a year or so ago when I had just been laid off from my job and was struggling to figure out what I wanted to do next. This book reinspired my love of reading and started me on the journey I'm on today. For that reason alone, this entire series holds a special place in my heart. It's a story that made me feel seen and heard in ways that I didn't realize I needed. So of course, when I saw the third installment on NetGalley I absolutely had to request it! And thank goodness they accepted it, because no one wants to see the major attitude I would have had if they denied it.
So anyway, all rambling aside: let's get into it.
After a whirlwind year, Tabitha Walker’s carefully organized plan to achieve the life she wanted—perfect job, dream husband, and stylish home—has gone off the rails. Her checklist now consists of diapers changed (infinite), showers taken (zero), tears cried (buckets), and hours of sleep (what’s that?).
Don't get her wrong, Tabby loves her new bundle of joy and motherhood is perhaps the only thing that's consistent for her these days. When the news station announces that they will be hiring outside competitors for the new anchor position, Tabby throws herself into her work. But it’s not just maintaining her position as the station’s weekend anchor that has her worried. All of her relationships seem to be shifting out of their regular orbits. Best friend Alexis can’t manage to strike the right balance in her “refurbished” marriage with Rob, and Laila’s gone from being a consistent ride-or-die to a newly minted entrepreneur trying to raise capital for her growing business. And when Marc presents her with an ultimatum about their relationship, coupled with an extended “visit” from his mother, Tabby is forced to take stock of her life and make a new plan for the future.
Consumed by work, motherhood, and love, Tabby finds herself isolated from her friends and family just when she needs them most. But help is always there when you ask for it, and Tabby’s village will once again rally around her as she comes to terms with her new life and faces her biggest challenge yet choosing herself.
Like I said, I'm a fan of this series. I wish there was more. Maybe if we all complain loud enough, Jayne Allen will hear us and give us more Tabitha Walker. It's worth a shot.
Throughout the story, Tabitha grappled with one big life decision after enough. She had to juggle having a newborn with her increasingly complicated relationship with Marc and his horrid mother, as well as try to decide what she wanted to do next in her career.
Even though I'm not a mother, some of the questions Tabitha was asking resonated with me. She wondered if it was worth it to push for a job in an environment where she had to stifle herself to be accepted. She wondered if Marc was the man, she truly wanted to spend her life with, or if he was just the convenient choice because they had created a child together.
If I hadn't asked some of these questions about my own life, I knew at least three women who had asked it or something similar. It was comforting to see those questions on the page. To realize that you are not alone in the struggle.
"Make the decision you can live with; the rest will work itself out." Magic words to live by. In the end, Tabitha made some hard choices for herself and for her daughter. She made the decision she could live with and the rest worked itself out. It was refreshing to read a story about a woman that looks like me without all of the unbridled trauma and loss that often accompanies black and brown stories. This book was a breath of fresh air.
If you haven't been paying attention until now, or if you do like I do on those stupid recipe articles, and skip to the end you might be wondering if I recommend this book.
Well.
Yes. Yes, I do. It's a great story to kick off Black History Month or any other month for that matter. If you do decide to read it, please come find me on Instagram or Facebook and let me know what you thought. I love to discuss books.
Until next time:
Happy Reading Babes! ❤