As apparent in the title of I'm So (Not) over You, YA author Kosoko Jackson's first novel for adults, Kian Andrews is so (not) over his ex. So what if Hudson Rivers is handsome, smart and heir to a family fortune? The two didn't stay together when they dated in college, so Kian sees no problem in doing Hudson a favor and showing up for a family dinner as his (fake) boyfriend to appease Hudson's demanding parents. But even Kian knows he's lying to himself: "Look up Bad Idea on Google, and our helpful search engine will bring up, Did you mean: Kian Andrews's choices whenever they involve Hudson Rivers?" When one pretend date spirals into the pair attending a family wedding, emotions run high--and Kian and Hudson are finally forced to reckon with their feelings for one another.
It's never precisely clear why Kian and Hudson broke up in the first place, which can sometimes make the will-they-won't-they tension of their second-chances love story unclear. But Jackson (Yesterday Is History) has a knack for building nuanced and multilayered characters, which makes it impossible not to root for these two. Kian reflects on feeling out of place as a "Black guy in Boston," as well as his desperation as an "overworked, underpaid twentysomething" trying to succeed as a journalist. Hudson's history with his family, one of the richest Black families in the United States, gives depth to his moody, brooding personality. Ultimately, that character development is what makes this queer, Black romantic comedy such a delight. It is, from start to finish, full of laughs and heart. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer