Taylor Corrien here! Chief Story Stylist and your guide through The Curvy Fashionista Book Club! We had a very spicy Spooky Season read with “I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker” by Jessica Cage. In our final November meeting, we had the pleasure of wrapping up the month with Author Jessica Cage herself on the Paranormal Romance that gave us all the heat!
I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker a book by Jessica Cage – Bookshop.org US
Jessica Cage is filling the gap! The Accidents Happen Series showcasing Plus Sized, Black, and middle-aged female FMCs in her Paranormal and Urban Romances! Carving out a space for representation in a world where certain age groups, body types, and ethnicities are often left out. Main Characters like Whitney in “I Accidentally Hooked Up with A Vampire” (previous book of the month) and Jericha of “I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker” are perfect representations of the kinds of characters we yearn for in fantasy as Plus sized people.
Jericha was written in a way that made her feel real and connected to us although she is of a fictional world. Let’s dive deep into our last meeting and all the inside scoop we got from the author herself!
The Overview
In our previous meeting we left off with Jericha, our Plus Sized FMC, being faced with the true identity of the man she hired, is hooking up with, and is starting to develop romantic feelings for.
Raymond Statton is a Shadow Walker! He is not from earth, he is from hell, and there are some creatures from his world after him.
So naturally, those creatures followed him to Jericha’s house and now she and everyone she loves is in danger as well.
Raymond’s true identity isn’t that big of deal to a Green Witch like Jeeicha, she’s able to manipulate and utilize the earth and plants around her in whatever way she sees fit! Usually for good.
Now faced with danger and the kidnapping of her assistant, she’s forced to travel to Raymond’s world to save her employee and friend.
Characters We Loved and Characters We Couldn’t Trust?
Jericha does not trust easily. So as readers we naturally saw things from her point of view. Her assistant especially got our attention throughout the story. Her role was clear, but her presence was questionable. She popped in and out, she always wanted more responsibility. During Book Club Ms. Jessica Cage informed us that this was intentional. In an action-packed story like IAHASW, she wanted us to see things from Jericha’s perspective. Jericha is naturally skeptical, so we became skeptical for and along with her.
Towards the end of the story when her assistant was kidnapped, we still didn’t trust her. Honestly, we thought it could be a set up!
It wasn’t though, she was really in danger and luckily Jericha trusted her a bit more than we did.
Jackie, a recurring character in the Accidents Happen Series, was a real rock for Jericha. Our trust in Jackie predates this book because of how good of a friend she was to Whitney in the previous story “I Accidentally Hooked Up with A Vampire” by Jessica Cage!
We all need a Jackie in our lives. A friend who knows us well, is resourceful, and protects us like a sister. In a way Jackie can be seen as a stand in for us as the reader. Being the voice of reason and keeping a side eye on anyone who could potentially be a threat to our FMC.
Their relationship was unique in the way only two Black women can exist in sisterhood. Their banter and unspoken communication reminded us as Black women of how we exist in our friendships. How we “keep it real” with one another, how we study each other through love, and how we show up in times of need
Ms. Cage shared with us how her own friends inspired the characters in this series. The love and experiences pulled from the real Black women in her life. As a group we all agreed that reading Jericha’s story felt like talking to our homegirl, as intended by Jessica Cage.
Our MMC Raymond could honestly do no wrong. He was respectful, fun, sexy, adventurous, and a true protector! Throughout the story as readers, we found ourselves rooting for Raymond to get through Jericha’s tough emotional exterior. He was patient and deliberate about his pursuit of Jericha. As readers we never questioned if Jericha could trust him and honestly neither did she.
What Human Men Can Learn From MMC’s like Raymond Statton
The Accidents Happen Series are romances centered around human women with other worldly gifts who fall in love with men from other worlds! In IAHASW, Raymond Statton is a Shadow Walker from another dimension with different and often more strict rules.
In our meeting this past Wednesday we discussed consent; In the story Raymond can use extra hands during intimacy with Jericha. He doesn’t even have to be in the same room with her to pleasure her, she is excited about this!
Ms. Cage explained to us, her intentionality in creating the male characters like Raymond. Writing them as respectful, protective, and nurturing men. Everything that Plus Sized women deserve. In their universe standards are high for the men originating from other worlds. I think this lends to them being the kinds of men they are, violation of rules and universal laws comes with serious consequences. These men understand boundaries well.
Often in the real-world rules are very loose for men, yes there are laws but often the laws don’t come with guaranteed consequences.
Do men in the real world need more intense consequences to understand boundaries or consent?
Lately on social media, the topic of men needing to read Romance Fiction to learn how to properly love women has become very popular! The idea is that most fictional men are written from a woman’s point of view and who best to tell how to love a woman, then a woman! Men who seem to be attached to low effort pursuits and romance, could use Romance Fiction books as sort or a guide to real world romance.
Just imagine if the man you were dating read your favorite romance book to get an idea of how best to love you. If your boyfriend took date ideas from your newest Romantasy find. If your husband took your next intimacy experience straight from that Paranormal Romance read, you love!
Now that’s a different level of commitment and effort!
While we agree that it would be beneficial in today’s dating and relationship climate, we think there are some other topics that men who have a hard time understanding consent, boundaries, and empathy could benefit from in these stories!
These male characters often have a great level of emotional intelligence and consideration, we think that if men want to learn anything from these reads, those should be priority.
What You Won’t Do, Do For Love!
From a trip in the store to the marriage of souls. Towards the end of the story, Jericha and Raymond are in a full-on action-packed battle to save her assistant. During battle Raymond is hurt to the point where he may not survive and the only way to save him is for Jericha and him to marry their souls to one another.
It’s not an option for them initially but Jericha is not letting her man go that easy, so she commits and saves his life.
This signaled to us as readers that what Jericha and Raymond have found is true love, because let’s be real, would you marry your soul to a man you weren’t in love with or didn’t at least trust?
No.
Yeah, they’ve found it. When you find true love is there anything you wouldn’t do to keep it? Would you do everything in your power to keep it? All love needs boundaries, I wouldn’t advise you to agree to visit hell like Jericha did with Raymond, but within reason and for the person who puts you first, HELL YES!
November Book Of The Month
We are on to November, and we are diving headfirst into a drama filled dating and friends-to-lovers romcom, “The Good Ones Are Taken” by Taj McCoy!
Our Curvy FMC, Maggie is feeling the pressure to find a date for her best friend’s weddings, so dating and putting herself out there is the way she plans to make it happen. The only issue is that her college bestie, Garrett, keeps raining on her parade and bad mouthing each guy she thinks has potential, and when he admits he has feelings for her, thighs get sticky fast!
Will she choose from one of her eligible suitors, or will she drop them all for the love of her longtime friend?
Join Us Wednesday, November 11th at 4pm PT/ 7pm ET to discuss the first half of “The Good Ones Are Taken” by Taj McCoy!
The Good Ones Are Taken a book by Taj McCoy – Bookshop.org US
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