Now let me say Quameer is my favorite Inferno brother and that’s a hill I will die on. Quasim has had me pissed off since the Italy and Miami trips in Capri, so I went into this prepared to be stressed. And stressed I was.
Book 1 dives into his backstory and gives us the “why” behind his evasiveness. After losing the woman he loved because of his lifestyle and then their child shortly thereafter, he’s been in a dark place ever since. Quasim has some super deep trauma even going back to childhood but has yet to do the work to heal from it. Blair showed up and like a moth to a flame he wanted her ever since. Blair too has her own trauma that she’s avoidant about, in addition to being treated for breast cancer, so the fact that these two were instantly drawn to one another makes sense. He could automatically feel what she was going through without her saying a word.
The entire book focuses on the tension between Quasim’s emotional unavailability and Blair wanting to move on with someone who actually wants to court her but allowing herself to keep being pulled back to Sim. I mean, he told her she was his and she thought it was a game. Baby, when Zay took her to the runway to get on the flight for Capri’s birthday trip? I just knew Sim wasn’t havin’ it. He didn’t say anything in the moment but it became apparent that he was staking his claim on Blair and ol’ boy was gon’ have to step. That first time they were intimate in the sprinter van after her photo shoot? Chile, that was wild! Him having her tattoo his name on him? Whew! But why did this fool break in her house just to be sittin on her bed knittin in the dark though? Sim crazy AF. Whole bloodline got screws loose. But yes, I love these two together. If I’ve learned nothing else from the Delgato universe, what they want, they get. Brace yourself for the cliffhanger at the end when Blair finally gets to visit Sim’s house.
Book 2 shows Quasim and Blair finally deciding to navigate a physical and emotional connection. You also see a softer side of Sim as his young neighbor Elijah, a broken and abused child, becomes even more a part of his life. Sim begins to drop his guard, and Blair is no longer on the outside looking in. When she said she would go through the fire with him, I don’t think she was prepared to go through literal fire! She starts to feel the pressure of loving a man whose life is constantly under threat with him also not wanting her or Elijah to get caught in the crossfire. He literally vowed to protect that boy with his life, and seeing that protective side was everything.
I was not prepared for the way this book opened with Quameer and Capri’s lil family’s lives in danger though! That opening scene was intense but baby, Big Pri standing her ground to protect her man and making sure everybody from the DA’s office to the PD knew she didn’t play bout him? Top tier! I love how the family warms and welcomes both Blair and Elijah. The highlight for me was his mother, Mina, getting back to her former self after her surgery. The flashbacks and scenes where Harley came to them in visions were so very touching. Learning the backstory of Elijah’s mother was something I didn’t see coming. One thing I love about the entire Jahquel J universe is how seamlessly she makes connections between characters. When everyone huddled in the bathroom and found out Blair was pregnant after all they had gone through, I lost it. But these Inferno men and these damn proposals? I be like, the weddin’ ain’t gon’ be shit then because man what?! The way Quasim proposed to Blair with Elijah had me sheddin thug tears over here. The wedding was all that and then some! I wasn’t ready for that ending though!
Book 3 legit tried to kill me. My heart couldn’t take none of it! There was so much pain, hurt, and trauma throughout. I was boohoo’n. I loved the Casellis, Vanduccis and Cromwells comin’ through to wreak havoc though! It was a rollercoaster with entirely too much action. I was caught off guard seeing how Des Delgato and Papa Inferno got down because baby, what?! Those two were clearly HELL back in the day. They are ruthless AF. Oh and let’s not forget Mina the OG Queen Inferno, Gams, and Mama Jean…. Baby they don’t play about theirs on no day of the week. But Blair coming into her own as Queen Inferno was something to see. She was ready to burn the whole city down behind Quasim. And if you thought he was a crash out? Hunty Blair invented crash out lol
But then Sim had the nerve to give her his behind to kiss because he was angry during his recovery. When she left his ass and gave that damn engagement ring and wedding band back? I was so proud of her for standing on business because I didn’t think she would do it. She made his ass come correct and I love that for her.
The way Capri stood on business and brought down a whole illegal empire didn’t get enough praise for me. The Inferno/Delgato women stood on business throughout this entire book. It was like Bella Mafia round that bitch! Everybody got exactly what they deserved from Tookie on down and I loved to see it. The way he thought Blair was gon’ come back to him was comical. He did her so dirty and I’m glad she found peace. The fact that the Vipers and Del Devils got beside themselves thinking Quasim was dead tripped me out.
This was a dope season and I was thoroughly entertained. Quasim is unhinged and deeply traumatized but watching him and Blair navigate the “fire” (literally and figuratively) was beautiful.
TW: domestic violence, abuse, violence
Rating: This one is a rollercoaster… have your tissues ready and don’t expect your heart rate to go down until the very last page.
Discover more from Dear Black Grl
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Dear Black Grl 