Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: If You Love Something
AUTHOR: Jayce Ellis
PUBLISHER: Carina Adores
LENGTH: 303 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 28, 2021
BLURB:
“A lovingly drawn depiction of Black family dynamics.” —Publishers Weekly on Learned Reactions
A marriage lost is found again in this cheeky new romantic comedy from acclaimed author Jayce Ellis.
As executive chef at one of the hottest restaurants in DC, DeShawn Franklin has almost everything he’s ever wanted. He’s well-known, his restaurant is Michelin starred and he can write his own ticket anywhere he wants. Until his grandmother calls him home and drops two bombshells:
1) She has cancer and she’s not seeking treatment.
2) She’s willing half her estate to DeShawn’s ex-husband, Malik.
Make that three bombshells.
3) That whole divorce thing? It didn’t quite go through. DeShawn and Malik are still married.
And when DeShawn’s shady uncle contests Grandma’s will, there’s only one path back to justice: play it like he and Malik have reconciled. They need to act like a married couple just long enough to dispense with the lawsuit.
Once DeShawn is back in Malik’s orbit, it’s not hard to remember why they parted. All the reasons he walked away remain—but so do all the reasons he fell in love in the first place.
Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters. Discover a new Carina Adores book every month!
REVIEW:
A new-to-me author with a sweet tale of love lost re-found.
DeShawn Franklin is a highly successful chef in the DC area. A black, gay chef with full sleeve tattoos and long dregs. His restaurant is a Michelin starred and he has a local cooking show. But when his grandma summons him and tells him that “The cancer has metastasized and I’m not doing no more treatment.” His seemingly rock solid world is rocked to the core. She also explains that she is leaving him her house but the money isn’t going to his Uncle Robert but to Malik, his ex husband that it turns isn’t an ex after all! To make matters worse she tasks him with reaching out after 7 years to let him know. Oh and for Robert to not get to turn her will around they need to start being husbands again! Talk about a bombshell. Oh add to that the fact that part of the reason they broke up was DeShawn’s rise to fame and his introverted husband was still in the closet to his family.
I loved Grandma. She loved both her boys so much and knew what was best for them even if they were too stubborn to acknowledge it themselves. And that woman was patient. She waited until she didn’t have time to wait for them to figure out on their own any longer. And she was willing to pull the Death card to make it happen. She knew those boys loved each other and that Malik had stepped aside for DeShawn to chase his dreams. And she knew they belonged only to the other, no matter how much of a horn dog the tabloids mad D look bad.
I got to have a bit of an insight into how a black family supports their own. And it might not be even by blood but by love and commitment. And we get a glimpse into the differences a bit of fame can provide to make or break a restaurant…no matter how long they have been around or how good the food is.
This was a sweet love lost and then regained story. It features two men that were willing to sacrifice for the other to get their goals and to protect their secrets. It also includes to sweet dogs that love their men. Plus a spunky grandma that knows best.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: