Title: Concrete Stilettos
Author: Mya Kay
Genre: Urban Romance / YA
Age Group: Young Adult (Upper YA)
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Mya Kay’s Concrete Stilettos: A Love Story, is a fierce, urban romance that will leave the people in the pews and the parlor screaming for more.

She’s as real as they come and as hard as they make them. And her heart still belongs to God…

Seventeen-year-old Taz Elizabeth Green is every man’s fantasy, every girl’s women crush and the envy of many of the women she strips with in Philadelphia. But she’s not your average stripper. A virgin whose parents were murdered when she was 12, Taz only dances because she truly loves it – not because she’s broke and hungry. Not one to make an excuse or take part in self-pity, she wiggles her way into private parties for politicians and police officers, adding to the stash her parents left her. Even the Grady’s, the family that adopted her when her parents were murdered, have no idea the double life Taz is living. They sent her off at sixteen to UCLA, a genius that had been skipped twice in school, to get a degree in Business and Design. Only, Taz returned to Philadelphia a year later with more than just college credits to her name. The only thing Taz fears is her father, Officer Drew Grady, painting the town red when he finds out.

Her best friend Daylen believes in her and so does her cousin Shamiyah. With encouragement, she learns to manage Shamiyah’s lingerie store and takes baby steps to a purpose filled life. She even increases her church attendance and prays more, seeking answers to unknown questions. Enter Curran Kilman, the UPS driver who delivers to the store and suddenly, Taz’s desire for fun in the nightlife changes to nighttime picnics and strolls in the park on the weekend. She can tell Curran might be “the one” and she feels he may be getting closer to making a commitment. But not before she’s exposed at the church she’s been attending – on the Sunday her and Curran go together. And to make matters worse, Daylen’s leukemia diagnosis brings out a family secret that could add layers to Taz’s demons – and for once, she’s not sure how to fight. Not to mention every time Taz leaves the hospital or her condo, there’s a black SUV parked outside and she is sure she’s being followed which is confirmed when Taz almost meets death on more than one occasion. Pleasure and purpose collide in Concrete Stilettos: A Love Story, the story of a teen girl who’s lost in a world full of judgment and sin, but knows God is calling her name.

Let me start by saying that Concrete Stilettos is not your typical YA. Main character Taz Elizabeth Green is seventeen years old, but she knows a lot more about the world than a regular teen that age. She strips in Philadelphia, but she dances because she loves it, not because she needs money. She’s considered a genius, and her adoptive parents sent her off to UCLA, unaware of the double life she’s leading. But Taz’s life isn’t all sunshine and roses. Her parents were murdered when she was twelve years old. She uses dancing as a way to escape from this.

When her friends encourage her to find more purpose in life and she meets Curran Kilman, an UPS driver who delivers to her cousin’s store, which she helps managing, Taz wants nothing more than be with him, and she thinks he might be “the one”. But just when life seems to improve, Taz finds out she’s being followed and her life may be in danger…

I never knew what to expect next, making this an enjoyable read filled with unexpected twists. I loved Taz. She’s a complicated character, with different emotions and feelings, but she’s also realistic and easy to connect with. I liked Curran too, although I did prefer Taz of all the charcters.

If you love a book that keeps you guessing and makes you feel invested into the characters, then I recommend Concrete Stilettos. I had no idea what to expect when I started reading, but it was a pleasant surprise.