Chile, when I say these three On Us books took me completely through it?! A whole MESS. Going from Front St. Porter straight into this trilogy is like opening Pandora’s box, and just when you think you have these toxic, beautiful, deeply broken men figured out, Nina drops another bomb.
On Us book one. As I stated in my previous review, I actually started with this book, so I didn’t have the backstory initially.
On Us really feels like Vant, Ivy, and Avery’s story. Ivy raised Avery as if she was her own from a very young age, and Vant helped pick up the slack when Avery was about 13 years old. They’re all adults now. After having lived together for years, Avery is out on her own living with her boyfriend, Ky. As soon as the book opens, you learn that Ky is physically and emotionally abusive to her. Front St. Porter shows that Ky is actually Vant’s childhood friend and is much older than Avery; he had been messing around with her, unbeknownst to them, since she was 15 and he was in his early 20s. Lake NEVER liked Ky and always kept him at arm’s length. Finding out he had been messing with Avery and putting his hands on her left a horrible taste in all the Porter men’s mouths.
As always happens in these dynamics, Avery forgives Ky when he claims he’s changed, and they get engaged. Meanwhile, this man done had a whole baby on her and is so afraid of losing her that he keeps it a secret only for them to find out that SHE is now pregnant as well. While this is happening, Ivy continues to battle infertility, suffering multiple miscarriages while simultaneously dealing with Vant’s cheating. She has resorted to self-harm since she was a child, and she continues doing so after finding out she’s pregnant again. Watching all of them navigate this pain was so gut-wrenching; so many times, this book had me crying real tears.
Now, Lake essentially didn’t talk to anyone. He was very observant all the time. Even though Vant and Ivy had been together for five plus years, he was still so quiet and reserved around her. Everyone feared him, no matter the context. But then, after a wild night of getting high, Lake fell out. He does not do hospitals, so they refused to take him to one. Since Avery was their resident nursing student, they called her over. She diagnosed that his lungs were inflamed and decided to be his in-home nurse, using her resources to get him back to health. Her friend Gia, who is a nurse, was able to sneak the meds they needed at home.
Lake never apologized or begged for a thing in his life, but for Avery? Chile. When Avery started sleeping over to play nurse and slept in the damn bed with Lake, who clearly slept naked, it was hilarious. Those two had each other wide open and it was so obvious. Avery was so possessive over Lake’s ass, and he wasn’t even her man. I loved watching them fall in love! Wreck falling for Gia at the pool party was also super cute to watch. He was the brother they just knew was a “hit it and quit it” type, but the fact that Gia was a virgin had him completely stuck. He knew she wasn’t giving it up, but he wanted her so bad he kept going back to his ex on the low, smh.
When Ivy found out both she and Avery were having babies at the same time, it was super cute. Vant was completely over them both because they were always hormonal and crying. Vant started off as my absolute favorite, but he made me hate TF out of him when he started creeping behind Ivy’s back with his ex, Cheyenne. They all come face to face with one another when Avery is shot and ends up in a coma. To make it a complete mess, Sav is arrested because Ky allowed the police to believe Sav was the one who shot her. Chile, it is a whole MESS.
On Us book two gave a better look at Wreck, Dem, and Sav, but it was still pretty much the Lake and Avery show. Ivy has to make the heavy decision on whether to deliver Avery’s baby early or put both of their lives in jeopardy. And the way Lake was around there carrying TF on! He didn’t let NOBODY near her. He protected her like he was her damn husband and that was his baby! AND he finally beat Ky’s ass! Listen… I LOVE me some Lake.
Fast forward to them allowing everyone to believe the baby died just to prevent Ky from gaining custody while Avery was still in a coma. Not too long after Avery wakes up, Ivy goes into labor with the twins. Cheyenne is still lurking around the hospital, and Dem & Lake made it clear she wasn’t welcome around any of them anymore. They knew what was up and refused to let her play in Ivy’s face like that.
So much happens in this damn book!! Cheyenne ends up pregnant, and once Ivy finds out, she’s angry at EVERYONE for knowing and allowing her to be kept in the dark. She breaks up with Vant but ummm… there is no breaking up with a Porter man. At some point, he allows her to have her space, but she knows as well as he does that he’s not letting her go.
Meanwhile, Avery’s suspicions are confirmed that something went down between Lake and the NICU nurse he allowed into their home to monitor baby River’s progress while she was still in the hospital. Even though it was “only head,” Avery is furious and leaves with River. Again, there is no breaking up with a Porter man. Lake lets her calm TF down, but baby, when Lake came for his woman, he came. Let’s just say Avery ended up with her own private jet, a black card, AND a marriage proposal because Lake refused to be without her or his baby girl River.
Sav and Chi were the couple I didn’t expect to see. They had their ups and downs but eventually love conquered all. Dem went through it in so many ways. My heart went out to all of them, but Dem the most. He hurt so badly and no one could ease that pain no matter how hard they tried. Lake finally had to not only make tough decisions about Dem but also face his drug-addict mother, Oceana, and the trauma he has been dealing with since age six. And then the ultimate reveal: Ky was also Hassan’s son by Mucci, who they all thought was their “aunt”! CHILE! When I say messy AF! I didn’t like that heffa from jump, so it tracked.
Book three brought everything full circle, including the backstory about Hassan, his baby mommas, and Mucci’s involvement in all the trauma the brothers (and their mothers) deal with to this day. There was so much deep-seated pain in ALL these characters. Like, not one of them was whole.
Gia was so hurt by Wreck’s betrayal that she eventually moved on leaving him depressed and withdrawn. Because she was the godmother to Avery’s babies, it was incredibly hard for her to be around the family with him there. These two were drawn to each other like magnets, but between her own internal struggles and his refusal to deal with his own, it was a never ending battle.
I loved that Ivy was the catalyst for all of them eventually going to therapy with Dr. Pie to heal and mend their relationships with themselves and each other. Vant and Ivy’s growth was the absolute best part of this trilogy for me. While Ivy got her lick back, and Vant thoroughly deserved it, I was glad he took ownership and became the man she needed from jump.
These stories were so complex and deeply layered. Every time I thought I had something figured out, Pandora’s box opened. I’ve never laughed, cried, and cussed so much reading a series lol. In the end, Lake & Avery, Sav & Chi, and Ivy & Vant do in fact find their happy endings. When I say these three On Us books took me TF through it?! Even still, I LOVE the Porter men…
…but wait, did you know there’s also a Porter woman? We’ll get into Clear Water because baby, Hassan was definitely a menace.
TW: domestic abuse, grooming, infidelity, gun violence, self-harm, generational family trauma
Rating: ALL the stars! An emotionally exhausting, toxic, yet beautifully healing masterpiece of street lit.
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Dear Black Grl 