Allen shines in her second installment of a planned trilogy about a career-driven Black woman… Allen’s sharp, frank prose advances the engaging plot. This bittersweet treat will have wide appeal with women’s fiction fans.” — Publishers Weekly

“Allen’s solid follow-up to Black Girls Must Die Exhausted sees her characters navigating the many societal issues Black women face… Fans of Terry McMillan will enjoy this humorous and entertaining novel.” — Library Journal

“The characters here are written in such a way as to make you feel like they’re people you know in real life, so get ready to feel like you’re hearing the latest on your friends. The issues they face are serious, but there is also humor throughout. You’ll be ready to get your hands on the next in the series.” — Book Riot

“A charming slice of life centered on a Black woman and her search for the life she deserves, this is a much-needed novel and series.” — Nerdist

“Allen has a way of making the reader feel like they’re part of the gang, or in the case of this book, part of the village…. hooks you in from start to finish.” — The Suburban

“Masterfully written and pitch perfect, Black Girls Must Be Magic is, simply, magic.” — Good Morning America

“In Jayne Allen’s debut novel, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, readers are reminded of many ways Black women are not afforded tranquility, time or space to just be. . . .. What readers will discover is this: Black women figure it out. Whether Allen’s characters are contending with a problematic manager at work, a husband’s poor decisions or a grim diagnosis, they come together and empower one another with a web of understanding and love that is not available elsewhere in their lives, where they have to project an image of perfection. . . . Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is the first novel in a three-book series. If her opening salvo is any indication, Allen promises to show the relentlessness of the trauma Black women deal with every day leavened with the solidarity of friends who can relate.” — New York Times Book Review on Black Girls Must Die Exhausted

“An impossible-to-put-down novel chronicling Tabitha Walker’s extremely relatable journey through relationships—with men, friends, family, and most importantly, herself. With finely-drawn characterizations and touching life lessons, Jayne Allen paints Tabitha’s “adulting” journey with heartbreaking, heartwarming strokes that stayed with me long after I’d finished reading. (On a personal note, as a Black woman who struggles with infertility, it’s so refreshing that Allen sheds a light on this rarely-told story.) Sign me up for the trilogy!” — Tia Williams, award-winning author of The Perfect Find and Seven Days in June on Black Girls Must Die Exhausted

“Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is a smart, sophisticated portrait of three very different women, united in both their struggles and their joy. Allen seamlessly blends sharp social commentary with a heartwarming story of friendship between irresistibly complex characters. A fresh, punch-packing debut from an author to watch!” — Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read on Black Girls Must Die Exhausted

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is a smart, sophisticated portrait of three very different women, united in both their struggles and their joy. Allen seamlessly blends sharp social commentary with a heartwarming story of friendship between irresistibly complex characters. A fresh, punch-packing debut from an author to watch!

A charming slice of life centered on a Black woman and her search for the life she deserves, this is a much-needed novel and series.

The characters here are written in such a way as to make you feel like they’re people you know in real life, so get ready to feel like you’re hearing the latest on your friends. The issues they face are serious, but there is also humor throughout. You’ll be ready to get your hands on the next in the series.

An impossible-to-put-down novel chronicling Tabitha Walker’s extremely relatable journey through relationships—with men, friends, family, and most importantly, herself. With finely-drawn characterizations and touching life lessons, Jayne Allen paints Tabitha’s “adulting” journey with heartbreaking, heartwarming strokes that stayed with me long after I’d finished reading. (On a personal note, as a Black woman who struggles with infertility, it’s so refreshing that Allen sheds a light on this rarely-told story.) Sign me up for the trilogy!

Allen has a way of making the reader feel like they’re part of the gang, or in the case of this book, part of the village…. hooks you in from start to finish.

Masterfully written and pitch perfect, Black Girls Must Be Magic is, simply, magic.

In Jayne Allen’s debut novel, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, readers are reminded of many ways Black women are not afforded tranquility, time or space to just be. . . .. What readers will discover is this: Black women figure it out. Whether Allen’s characters are contending with a problematic manager at work, a husband’s poor decisions or a grim diagnosis, they come together and empower one another with a web of understanding and love that is not available elsewhere in their lives, where they have to project an image of perfection. . . . Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is the first novel in a three-book series. If her opening salvo is any indication, Allen promises to show the relentlessness of the trauma Black women deal with every day leavened with the solidarity of friends who can relate.

"A story for our times, dealing with urgent, important themes in an exhilaratingly entertaining way. Tabby, the gutsy heroine navigating her way through the challenges of life for a thirty-something, Black professional woman, is a wonderfully relatable character who had me rooting for her from the very first page. The choices Tabby has to make will resonate with anyone trying to stay true to themselves in balancing their personal and career aspirations. I was beguiled by the warmth and humanity that shine throughout the book, particularly in Tabby’s relationships with her beloved grandmother and her spirited friends. Jayne Allen has created a fresh, modern and uplifting book that left me wanting more. I adored it."

"Allen crafts an engaging and evenly plotted story of a woman who, after learning that she has only a limited window in which to have children, evaluates her relationships and personal aspirations....readers will readily connect with her search for fulfillment on her journey of self-discovery." 

"Allen crafts an engaging and evenly plotted story of a woman who, after learning that she has only a limited window in which to have children, evaluates her relationships and personal aspirations....readers will readily connect with her search for fulfillment on her journey of self-discovery." 

02/01/2022

Allen's solid follow-up to Black Girls Must Die Exhausted sees her characters navigating the many societal issues Black women face. No longer waiting for her undependable occasional boyfriend Marc to become that reliable partner she wants in life, Tabby Walker takes her future and her fertility into her own hands. Her desire to become pregnant through a fertility clinic proves successful; now expecting, she puts up with negative comments about single mothers. Not only does she have to worry about having a healthy pregnancy, but trouble at work causes sleepless nights. As a television news reporter and the only Black woman at her station, she strives to adhere to certain expectations when it comes to her appearance. Her recent hairstyle change when she wore her natural hair brought in a flood of complaints from viewers. Facing challenges from all quarters, Tabby relies on her close friends and family to gain the confidence she needs to become her authentic self. VERDICT. Fans of Terry McMillan will enjoy this humorous and entertaining novel.—Joy Gunn

2023-01-12
Following the events of Black Girls Must Die Exhausted (2018), Tabitha Walker courageously navigates a risky pregnancy, an old flame, and workplace racism in Allen’s delightful sequel.

After the death of her beloved Granny Tab less than a year ago, Tabitha refuses to waste any more time on starting a family. Last year’s medical diagnosis of premature ovarian reserve failure encouraged Tab to do in vitro fertilization with a sperm donor, and she's just received the life-changing news: She’s having a son. Tab plans to raise the child alone as a “single mother by choice, much to the dismay of her ex-boyfriend Marc. Although they’ve been friends-with-benefits for the past few months, she hopes he will join the village (including her friends Alexis and Laila; unconventional doula Andouele; and Granny Tab's best friend, Ms. Gretchen, who's going to be the “glam-maw”) that it will take to help raise her baby. But then her doctor unleashes a bombshell: The baby is a girl, which means it isn't the embryo he implanted. Which means that the baby is Marc's. Suddenly, Tab’s carefully laid plans for the future go haywire in all aspects of her life. Chris, her ratings-hungry boss at the TV station where she works as a news reporter, informs her that viewers have filed complaints about seeing her natural hair on air; Marc wants to be more than friends; and her father might be having an affair, again. Over the course of nine months, Tab can’t help but wonder whether this is the happy ending she chose for herself or whether it was simply decided for her. Author Allen moves through Tabitha’s pregnancy at an efficient pace, writing with flowing, poetic prose, as in this passage when Tabitha unloosens her braids: “They felt glorious, like thick grapevines hanging from my scalp. I let my eyes linger on them lovingly. This moment was my truth. Here I was, the real me—unfurled, free, unrestrained, wild in my spirit and natural in my appearance.” Tabitha’s journey is raw and real, and Allen’s description of the different realities of motherhood is exceedingly authentic and powerful, as demonstrated through this moniker that Tabitha applies to herself: “single mother by courage.”

An exceptional sequel that will leave readers eager for more.