In These Streets by Shelly Ellis
Published: November 27, 2018
Publisher: Dafina
Pages: 352
Genres: contemporary fiction, contemporary romance, POC, urban fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Recommend to fans of: friends who grew up together, flawed but relatable good characters
Foodie Vibes: wine and a nice dinner — while trying to impress the right people
Synopsis:
They beat the odds and turned their lives around. But now three best friends will go head-to-head with ambition, deception—and each other . . .
Derrick. Ricky. Jamal. One’s responsible; one’s still a player; one’s upwardly-mobile. Sentenced to the Branch Avenue Boys’ Youth Institute at twelve, they grabbed the chance for better futures. They stayed tight even when their lives diverged—but the times . . . they are a-changing.
New deputy mayor Jamal is anti–corruption, which means severing ties with Ricky, now a “criminally-adjacent” businessman. But political power plays and unrequited love will lead Jamal to a lethal choice . . .
Ricky doesn’t mind running a front for DC’s biggest drug dealer, but when he pursues a sexy customer at his strip club and discovers she’s a cop, any wrong move could end Ricky’s good times permanently . . .
Now the Institute’s new leader, Derrick is torn between his job and his fiancée, Melissa. But when a cute new instructor who supports him and his mission arrives, he wonders if he should leave Melissa behind, not the Institute. However, this dilemma is nothing compared to a problem brewing right under his nose, and the fallout will strike at the heart of the three friends’ bond—and put more than their survival on the line . . .
Review:
Thank you to NetGalley, Dafina and Shelly Ellis for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.
In These Streets centers around Derrick, Ricky and Jamal. The 3 friends had a tough life growing up. Each guy has achieved various levels of success in their life, some legal and some not.
The book explores male friendships, their relationships with significant others, careers choices, moral choices and more. I really liked that the author explored the multidimensional character of each person. No one is perfect. Each person’s reasoning, behind their actions, was explained so you understood them even if you didn’t agree with their choices. I also enjoyed the diverse representation. Also a gay male black character is in the book, which isn’t always talked about. I was really invested in the stories and enjoyed reading them.
However, some of the romantic relationships were unfaithful. And you know me, I’m not a fan of that. But mostly, people are good human beings.
Overall, a very enjoyable and in depth read. Loved the character exploration and development. Highly recommend!
Random Question: What’s the best day of the week?
Come say hi!
Twitter: @BooksAndLife1
Instagram: @BooksLifeAndEverythingNice
Goodreads: Amanda (Books, Life and Everything Nice)
Facebook: @BooksLifeAndEverythingNice
Books, Life and Everything Nice 
One thought on “ARC Review | In These Streets by Shelly Ellis”