Erotic romance and romantic erotica are my two favorite genres. When Eyta Jade approached me to read and review Awaked by Him, I was very excited. This book certainly lived up to my expectations!

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The summary:

Falling into him was a dance with destiny; little did she know it would be her unravelling.

Zina at 24 and fresh out of the academic world, arrives in London for a new paralegal job. She is thrown for a loop when her chance at something new and uncomplicated is threatened from the moment she meets business magnate, Niklaus Clarke.

He wants more from her than she’s willing to give, because giving him more means undoing her past which she’s been running from. Unable to resist the undeniable attraction she feels, or the allure of the unyielding billionaire who didn’t get to where he is by giving up, Zina surrenders.

What should have been a mere awakening turns into blurred lines and shattering of boundaries. Until their secrets, lies and half-truths threaten the gravity that pulls them toward each other.

Bridges will be crossed, bridges will be burnt. But, will bridges be rebuilt?

Buy Awakened by Him here.

First, I want to say that this book was so much more than I expected. The characters are all fresh and interesting. Zina’s roommate Evelina reminded me of one of my good friends.

I went into this book expecting a sort of 50 Shades romance, but got so much more than I bargained for. To be honest, I could have dealt with some more obvious chemistry between Zina and Niklaus – a little more banter before they got down to business, if you will. But once they did get down to business, the erotica really made up for what I found to be a lack of romance. That was certainly enjoyable!

But this book was so much more than erotica. There’s a very carefully and thoughtfully constructed conversation about the racism and racist microagressions Zina, a Nigerian and British Black woman, faces and expects to face for being in a romantic relationship with a white man. She deals with this from Niklaus’s family as well as other people of color. This was really the driving force of the story. I loved how supportive Niklaus was, while also messing up a little at times.

There were times I found the language to be a little stiff and formal or to not flow so well. I noted some inconsistencies as well. However, I had an ARC copy, so maybe this won’t be the experience for a reader of the published version.

Finally, this is a romance series, not a single book. There’s a huge cliffhanger. I thought I had it figured out, but turns out I didn’t fully! I’m on the edge of my seat, waiting for Book 2.

Overall, this was a 4 star read for me. Thank you, Eyta Jade, for hooking me up with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

P. S. Check out Eyta’s Pinterest board featuring her dream cast, fashion inspiration, fan edits, and more! She also shared this YouTube playlist, featuring all of the great songs mentioned in the book. I really encourage you to check these out if you’re already a fan of the book or want to see if it’s for you. Plus the playlist is just a great listen!

Awakened by Him by Eyta Jade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An exciting first book in a romance series. The language and word choice didn’t always flow at times, and I could have done with a little more chemistry between the leads. However, the erotica was on point, the plot and cliffhanger were so interesting, and I loved the discussion of the various microagressions and forms of racism Zina faced. The cliffhanger left me on the edge of my seat! Excited for Book 2. My thanks to Eyta Jade for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review, and look out for my full review at bitchbookshelf.com on August 5.

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