This book has an interesting premise. I enjoyed it while reading but is easily forgettable. Overall fun read and would recommend to those who need an in between story

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was good. I liked the characters. I couldn't put it down

I enjoyed the book. Gave me a chance to step away from everyday life and see some action. Realistic - nope, but definitely entertaining.

Not my typical read but the snippet intrigued me. It was a good read, it kept my interest throughout. I would recommend it to others

I really liked the book. The story was different than the normal novels. I would definitely recommend this book.

Unfortunately I just couldn't get into this book and unfortunately it was a Did Not Finish (DNF) for me.

No slut-shaming allowed here and more power to normalize sex work. Stripping on the side to pay for school, support a family as a single parent or paying off debt is a harsh reality for some folks, but this offers insight to lives of some beautiful pole dancers, and this book tells that in a way that's not so in your face accompanied with a twist. This was a good and adventurous read.

The story-line and blurb sounded fantastic! And the cover really pulled me in. But, I had a hard time reading this from the very first chapter, mainly due to the poor /incorrect grammar and writing style. The tense jumped back and forth in sentences, the POV of the main character I found a bit hard to digest, and overall it was very hard to follow and enjoy. I wish I could rate it higher, as I thought this would be so good! The basic things in the craft of writing made it hard as a reader to follow, enjoy and recommend it as a good read. I thank the author and publisher for allowing me the chance to read it.

Thanks for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This read just wasn’t for me. The cover looked great but I just didn’t enjoy this at all.

I really struggled with this book in respect of the writing, grammar and dialect which I felt were poor. The story was weak and it seemed a bit disjointed and jumped around, as well as being a little too fairytale for me for the ending. Such a shame, as from the introduction, I had high hopes for this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

This novel, though having a really worthy and worthwhile to explore plot, falls far short of most things, and while I'm quite appreciative of transgressive fiction, and writing styles that challenge, the sheer amount of times that I felt that I was being told, not shown, and therefore instead of being involved and motivated to feel as the character feels, rather than there being a barrier between us and the author.
I am also a bit uncomfortable with some of the genderplay in the book, though it was very diffuse and slight, so might just be personal taste for that one.
There are areas it feels disjointed and not as well-handled as the rest of the book, and the novella results in feeling just a little bit off balance and a lot lackluster, unfortunately.

Red Friction shows the struggle of a young college student trying to make ends meet in order to pursue her education. Ebony has dreams of being a doctor, but in order to make her dreams a reality, she needs cash. Ebony starts out working as a stripper, which she keeps from her family. This decision leads to other poor decisions that put not only her life, but the life of her family in danger. We are taken on a ride through the world of strip clubs, gangs and drugs as Ebony works to right her wrongs. The story is realistic and opens your mind to places that you may not have considered before. There are, indeed, young women out there working for a better life in the best way that they know how. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to review this book.

This book has a lot of potential but it moves at such a fast pace that it became a bit distracting. From start to finish, this book went over a timespan of 3 years. That is most likely my biggest issue with this story. I also acknowledge that different cities use different dialect but the use of "am" for "I'm" might be confusing to other readers. Finally as this is a test copy, I also have to acknowledge there were quite a bit off errors in this story. I'll be reading it again upon release inn hopes that they are fixed for a more enjoyable reading experience.

Ebony is a stripper/per med student who gets into a bit of trouble that changes her life. Literally overnight. While fighting for her freedom, Ebony builds an empire and becomes the Ice Princess. All while keeping a life full of secrets from those she loves the most, Ebony and her crew run South Carolina. During this time, she questions who she really is and makes moves to find out who she is. As I said before, this book was very fast paced yet a really good read. This is my first time experiencing this author's pen. I will be checking out more of his work however. It may just be this story that moves so fast

Mmmmm it was ok but not really for me! "Slight spoiler" within the first few pages the main character is selling weed for her boss and jumping on his... D uh lap! Lol which any of that is fine with me to read but within like page 5?! Come on! And her boss is fairly new to her! They've never interacted before this! It was all to insta everything for me! Not the worst book I've read but not my favorite either! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!

I was never able to get into the story. The story jumped around and I couldn't identify with the characters.

The Novel:
Ebony Daniels is a Pre-Med student working as a stripper in order to fund her education, however a series of poor decisions puts herself, her dreams and family in jeopardy.

The Characters:
Wilson’s characterisation of Ebony is an unrealistic and one-dimensional portrayal of femininity. This is not helped by the fact that this is written in first person - a “hubristic leap” for male authors in the words of Eli Gottlieb (The Face Thief).

We are introduced to Ebony as a pre-med student, and can therefore assume that she is smart and capable, however this is not evident in her characterisation. She repeatedly makes poor decisions, and Wilson provides no evidence of her utilising her brain to aid in those decisions. The only growth evident in Ebony’s character throughout the novel is her poor judgement which increases exponentially. Ultimately, Wilson’s representation of Ebony is more male masturbatory fantasy than real woman, and as a book with a purported female target audience, this depiction needs refinement.

The Story:
The premise of the novel is absolutely plausible and very promising, however numerous plot points are dealt with poorly resulting in several anti-climactic revelations. A lack of adequate research with regards to the workings of the criminal justice system is also evident in the plot. Overall, the story just doesn’t deliver.

The Writing:
The writing is not to my taste, and was a difficult read from page one. The first chapter is sheer exposition- a litany of facts intended to situate the reader within Ebony’s life, however this is extremely poorly written. This is compounded by the innumerable typos evident in the novel. Were this an ARC, I would be sure that these would be addressed in the final version of the book, however this book was published over a month ago. I would recommend that these are edited before the next print run.

Rating:
1/5. An extremely promising premise, and excellent plot bones. However, the writing is extremely off-putting and Wilson’s depiction of women distasteful. I would not recommend this book, nor will I read any further work by this author.

Declaration:
Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for providing this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

A gritty outburst of emotion runs through this crime fiction.
A short novella, told in the first person about a young black woman caught up in crime while trying to better herself through med school.
It has an alluring hook. To pay for her studies to become a doctor, Ebony Daniels is working as a stripper.
We are catapulted into this world of sleaze, recreational drugs and gangs through the initial naivety of Ebony who falls for her boss and allows him to control her working life. She is trying to balance her need to pay off student debt; maintain her grades while becoming more entrenched in the criminal activities.
When a deal goes down badly; it seems Ebony has been set up. Not only has she been arrested but she has lost both the product and the money in the process. Her life seems to be over. In custody, caught up in the lies she’s been leading in her double life. If she makes bail, how can she repay her boss? If she is convicted she can kiss good by to any medical career.
This is a car crash for all Ebony’s hopes and dreams but her future is hard to contemplate when she considers her present. Low on savings; in debt, people out to get her, a disappointment to her family perhaps the fruit has not fallen far from the tree.

I loved the drive of the story. It carries all the tension as an honest testament of Ebony’s struggle to overachieve while looking out for family and discovering herself.
She is a unfinished person, just 21 years old, a contradiction, seemingly unable to make the best decisions for her life and those she cares about.
A risk taker, wanting more, over reaching for it all. Equally it is the story of her courage, drive and determination, that keeps pace through it that makes it a fascinating read.

While she is a bright and beautiful young woman she is struggling in a man’s world and rooted in her own community that gives and takes away in equal measure. Yet the support she garners and the leadership she shows goes beyond her sexual being and intelligent mind.
The author has written a far more detailed character than a sensual stripper or a studious swat. The streets, their danger and rewards seem to appeal more, and her motivation appears driven more by lust than scholarship, heart rather than mind.

I loved this dichotomy of her nature and struggle. Wilson never appears to repeat himself and he sets up the tension well which is carried through the piece.

It is sexy and earthy. Realistic and takes you to places you would not venture after it gets dark. It appears authentic and brings unsettling truths to the a society that creates skills to heal and greed to destroy. Full of contradictions, the story will through the main character, challenge the notion of right or wrong, good against evil.

At times the writing appears disjointed and thrown out there, rather than polished and edited but this style fits the tone and texture of the book.
I enjoyed it and thanks to the provided ARC I have read something fresh and invigorating and briefly spent time in a world that has shocked me.
I feel I have been challenged, stretched and rewarded by my efforts to stay with this story. It hopefully leaves us less judgemental and more willing to promote opportunities to all parts of the community.
I like fiction that works on many levels and this short book although not perfect, is a fine example of modern literature.

I decided to change it up a little and try a genre I have not read in a while. I used to enjoy African American fiction so I figured that is what I would try. I was disappointed by this offering.

Red Friction describes the adventures of Ebony Daniels aka Isis. She is a med student by day and stripper / drug dealer by night. Her life is flipped upside down by a betrayal she should have seen coming a mile away. She now has to save her medical career while simultaneously keeping her grandmother and brother, Laron, safe.

From the moment I spotted the first grammatical error, I wanted to stop. But I have a really bad habit of needing to finish any book I have started, no matter how bad it is. The errors were horrendous. I hoped when the author wrote ‘I and Mel’ instead of ‘Mel and I’, that it was a typo. But he did it again later on in the book. I also want to mention that the past tense of ‘speed’ is ‘sped’. It is not ‘speeded’!

For someone who was supposedly quite intelligent, Ebony made some very stupid mistakes. I was not surprised by the treatment she got from Bushwick, her boss at the strip club, or Gum Drop, a fellow stripper.

The dialogue was ridiculously awful with a lot of unnecessary details being thrown in. The actions of the characters were horribly clichéd and fake.

The plot was promising. However, it was overshadowed by the bumbling efforts of the author. I hoped for so much more from this book. I gave it two stars instead of one because of the fact that the plot did hold my attention, regardless of the other failures.

Violence: Shooting / Stabbing / Fist fights
Sexual Content: A lot. This book is definitely for adults
Profanity: A lot
Religious Themes: None
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: The main character was a drug dealer. That basically said it all. However, for those of you who need it spelled out, there was a lot.