I was intrigued by this book because I enjoy period dramas and I like the idea of media with Black people in these kind of period pieces. I appreciate the author situating the characters in a realistic period in history. Post-Reconstruction, the rise of Jim Crow, and the Great Migration are significant social contexts that provide important development for our characters. I appreciate the historical aspect.
With that said, I just don’t think the idea was super well-executed. To start I think that there are too many POVs. We follow four different young women and frankly only two of them had compelling stories for me Amy-Rose and Ruby. Olivia’s POV had potential but it’s representative of what this book was lacking. Because there are so many POVs the progression of each “romance” and plot arch is rushed and moves very quickly. I didn’t really feel the passion or angst or longing between the couples. Reading each couples romance felt flat and lacked dimension. It would have been better I think if each had their own standalone to allow for the meet-cute moment, the pining, the banter, the back and forth should we or shouldn’t we, the building angst and longing, the kinds of thing that make a believable romance. I just didn’t feel like any of these couples really loved let alone desired each other. The couples lacked passion. I think the author could write a good romance but this execution does not work for me.
I also kind of with the our female leads had a little more fire and tenacity. There were many moments when they were pretty laissez-faire especially with their parents instead of advocating for themselves. I just wish they were a little more outspoken. At the very end of the book we got that with one character but I wish we could’ve gotten more of that.
There’s clearly going to be a second book. I’m not sure if I’ll read it. On the one hand I would because this book needed with so many loose strings and so many plot lines up in the air. But on the other hand I didn’t super enjoy this book so I don’t feel especially motivated to read the second. We’ll see how I feel when the time comes.
With that said, I just don’t think the idea was super well-executed. To start I think that there are too many POVs. We follow four different young women and frankly only two of them had compelling stories for me Amy-Rose and Ruby. Olivia’s POV had potential but it’s representative of what this book was lacking. Because there are so many POVs the progression of each “romance” and plot arch is rushed and moves very quickly. I didn’t really feel the passion or angst or longing between the couples. Reading each couples romance felt flat and lacked dimension. It would have been better I think if each had their own standalone to allow for the meet-cute moment, the pining, the banter, the back and forth should we or shouldn’t we, the building angst and longing, the kinds of thing that make a believable romance. I just didn’t feel like any of these couples really loved let alone desired each other. The couples lacked passion. I think the author could write a good romance but this execution does not work for me.
I also kind of with the our female leads had a little more fire and tenacity. There were many moments when they were pretty laissez-faire especially with their parents instead of advocating for themselves. I just wish they were a little more outspoken. At the very end of the book we got that with one character but I wish we could’ve gotten more of that.
There’s clearly going to be a second book. I’m not sure if I’ll read it. On the one hand I would because this book needed with so many loose strings and so many plot lines up in the air. But on the other hand I didn’t super enjoy this book so I don’t feel especially motivated to read the second. We’ll see how I feel when the time comes.