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The Blondness of Honey
He said that love is blind and love is merely a madness.
But when Laura Hastings fell in love with Catherine Chadwick in 1893 America, she wasn’t thinking about William Shakespeare. Maybe she should have been...
The Blondness of Honey is the story of two women bound by an uncommon love, of one another and life, at a time when the Victorian notions of love and women called for more disciplined and rigorous adherence to traditional relationships. At least publicly.
Set mainly in the San Francisco Bay area, including the nearly inaccessible, rugged and hauntingly beautiful Pt. Reyes Peninsula, this is a story of women who came into their own sense of themselves with little historical antecedent referent on which they might pattern their love and their lives. As the dictates of society and their own misunderstandings threaten to derail their impassioned love, Laura Hastings and Catherine Chadwick’s relationship plays out against the uniquely American saga of survival, adventure and accomplishment that reached an apex of frenzy in 1893. Two historical events in America informed the narrative of everyday lives during this time: the impending financial crash of 1893 that followed on the heels of the most extraordinary world’s fair, The Columbian Exposition, which opened in Chicago in May of that year.
Follow Laura, Catherine and a colorful and memorable cast of friends, lovers, families and enemies as they try to make sense of a world where women were both adored and restricted. Follow them into a world where extravagant displays of wealth and acquisition settled in gorgeous mansions on tree-lined streets adjacent to the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods of tenements and hovels. And watch as these American born women discover something the throngs of proud immigrants already knew—that the lingua franca of freedom is that most elusive, non-denominational, non-ethnic value of all human endeavors: tolerance.
But when Laura Hastings fell in love with Catherine Chadwick in 1893 America, she wasn’t thinking about William Shakespeare. Maybe she should have been...
The Blondness of Honey is the story of two women bound by an uncommon love, of one another and life, at a time when the Victorian notions of love and women called for more disciplined and rigorous adherence to traditional relationships. At least publicly.
Set mainly in the San Francisco Bay area, including the nearly inaccessible, rugged and hauntingly beautiful Pt. Reyes Peninsula, this is a story of women who came into their own sense of themselves with little historical antecedent referent on which they might pattern their love and their lives. As the dictates of society and their own misunderstandings threaten to derail their impassioned love, Laura Hastings and Catherine Chadwick’s relationship plays out against the uniquely American saga of survival, adventure and accomplishment that reached an apex of frenzy in 1893. Two historical events in America informed the narrative of everyday lives during this time: the impending financial crash of 1893 that followed on the heels of the most extraordinary world’s fair, The Columbian Exposition, which opened in Chicago in May of that year.
Follow Laura, Catherine and a colorful and memorable cast of friends, lovers, families and enemies as they try to make sense of a world where women were both adored and restricted. Follow them into a world where extravagant displays of wealth and acquisition settled in gorgeous mansions on tree-lined streets adjacent to the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods of tenements and hovels. And watch as these American born women discover something the throngs of proud immigrants already knew—that the lingua franca of freedom is that most elusive, non-denominational, non-ethnic value of all human endeavors: tolerance.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 23, 2012
3 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
T.T. Thomas
19 books32 followersMy latest novel is out! Number 5 Babyn Yar Street: A World War II Novel—Ukraine.
Ektarina (Rina) Stepankova and Sofia Shevchenko, university students in 1941 Kyiv, have their whole lives ahead of them. The best friends look so much alike they could be twins—tall, blonde, sparkling blue eyes, alluring smiles.
But only Rina is Jewish.
Number 5 Babyn Yar Street is Rina’s story—a breathtaking, passionate, and suspenseful story of survival during the Nazi invasion of Kyiv in September, 1941. Where Sofia is slightly boy crazy, Rina is more reserved, shy, studious. That’s part of what her Russian history professor, Illia, finds attractive.
As the young women begin a university summer session in the 1500-year-old city, a new threat looms large. Over the centuries, Kyiv has gone from prominence to obscurity and back again, but nothing can prepare its inhabitants for the German war machine’s advance.
Within the first week of the invasion, Nazi forces rounded up over 33,000 Jews, took them to Babyn Yar ravine and murdered them in two days. Only a handful survived.
The women and their families maneuver a hostile and confusing Kyiv as the Soviet Red Army retreats and the Nazis advance. Staying fed, sheltered and invisible is hard. And nobody fully trusts anyone outside of family…even then—can one be certain?
In the shock and soul-crushing sorrow of brutality and inhumanity, Rina finds out that the price of freedom cannot be negotiated with the oppressors, and the reward of love is life.
I have a feeling that if you read Chaptere 1, you'll pretty much read the whole book nonstop!
Prior to Number 5 Babyn Yar, something a little (a lot) different from me. A project that began 6-7 years ago found the lockdown and lots of encouragement and became Dante Club and the Problem with Jane. I've written 6 Historicals, and I wanted a little lighter fare. Well, here we are!
It’s a bit late for Dante Club to wonder: Was it wise to accept an AI bodyguard from his ex-lover, the brilliant Dr. Celia Fang? But, Jane seriously needs an attitude fix. When you moonlight as the Robin Hood of assassins, you probably should have planned ahead. Awkward!
Almost nobody knows that Dante Club, a highly sought-after intelligence agency consultant, secretly moonlights as a reluctant assassin. Fueled by grief and a thirst for revenge, Dante takes on a contract to eliminate the man he believes is responsible for the death of his sister and niece.
Fate and the NSA intervene, giving Dante and his investigative team the cohesion they need for an assignment that takes them into the complex matrix of international organized crime. Humanity collides with homicide on the dark, enigmatic streets of Los Angeles, where the line between morality and immorality is as thin and sharp as a fresh razor in a pile of cocaine.
And then the stars come out in Hollywood.
Hope you have the fun reading that I had writing.
I will resume historicals with the January release of The Kensington Cat, a WW II, multi-generational historical/suspense themed story. The title of the book is the name of a (fictional) bookstore in Kensington that's been around for nearly 100 years——except when it got bombed out during The Blitz. Now it's got a new owner, and the connections of the modern generation to the war, the bookstore and one another is the stuff of surprise, wonder and, dare we say it, destiny.
______
House of Bliss. At the Intersection of Obsession and True Love lies humanity.
London, 1905 When ladies of the night begin showing up dead in the dark and bawdy alleys of Covent Garden, the victims are wearing House of Bliss corsets made by Sabrina Blissdon. Now the police want to know how and why Blissdon, the bohemian but successful upmarket corsetière, appears to be dressing the dead.
Sabrina does know a few working women, from a time when she found comfort and solace with a couple of the occupants of a
Ektarina (Rina) Stepankova and Sofia Shevchenko, university students in 1941 Kyiv, have their whole lives ahead of them. The best friends look so much alike they could be twins—tall, blonde, sparkling blue eyes, alluring smiles.
But only Rina is Jewish.
Number 5 Babyn Yar Street is Rina’s story—a breathtaking, passionate, and suspenseful story of survival during the Nazi invasion of Kyiv in September, 1941. Where Sofia is slightly boy crazy, Rina is more reserved, shy, studious. That’s part of what her Russian history professor, Illia, finds attractive.
As the young women begin a university summer session in the 1500-year-old city, a new threat looms large. Over the centuries, Kyiv has gone from prominence to obscurity and back again, but nothing can prepare its inhabitants for the German war machine’s advance.
Within the first week of the invasion, Nazi forces rounded up over 33,000 Jews, took them to Babyn Yar ravine and murdered them in two days. Only a handful survived.
The women and their families maneuver a hostile and confusing Kyiv as the Soviet Red Army retreats and the Nazis advance. Staying fed, sheltered and invisible is hard. And nobody fully trusts anyone outside of family…even then—can one be certain?
In the shock and soul-crushing sorrow of brutality and inhumanity, Rina finds out that the price of freedom cannot be negotiated with the oppressors, and the reward of love is life.
I have a feeling that if you read Chaptere 1, you'll pretty much read the whole book nonstop!
Prior to Number 5 Babyn Yar, something a little (a lot) different from me. A project that began 6-7 years ago found the lockdown and lots of encouragement and became Dante Club and the Problem with Jane. I've written 6 Historicals, and I wanted a little lighter fare. Well, here we are!
It’s a bit late for Dante Club to wonder: Was it wise to accept an AI bodyguard from his ex-lover, the brilliant Dr. Celia Fang? But, Jane seriously needs an attitude fix. When you moonlight as the Robin Hood of assassins, you probably should have planned ahead. Awkward!
Almost nobody knows that Dante Club, a highly sought-after intelligence agency consultant, secretly moonlights as a reluctant assassin. Fueled by grief and a thirst for revenge, Dante takes on a contract to eliminate the man he believes is responsible for the death of his sister and niece.
Fate and the NSA intervene, giving Dante and his investigative team the cohesion they need for an assignment that takes them into the complex matrix of international organized crime. Humanity collides with homicide on the dark, enigmatic streets of Los Angeles, where the line between morality and immorality is as thin and sharp as a fresh razor in a pile of cocaine.
And then the stars come out in Hollywood.
Hope you have the fun reading that I had writing.
I will resume historicals with the January release of The Kensington Cat, a WW II, multi-generational historical/suspense themed story. The title of the book is the name of a (fictional) bookstore in Kensington that's been around for nearly 100 years——except when it got bombed out during The Blitz. Now it's got a new owner, and the connections of the modern generation to the war, the bookstore and one another is the stuff of surprise, wonder and, dare we say it, destiny.
______
House of Bliss. At the Intersection of Obsession and True Love lies humanity.
London, 1905 When ladies of the night begin showing up dead in the dark and bawdy alleys of Covent Garden, the victims are wearing House of Bliss corsets made by Sabrina Blissdon. Now the police want to know how and why Blissdon, the bohemian but successful upmarket corsetière, appears to be dressing the dead.
Sabrina does know a few working women, from a time when she found comfort and solace with a couple of the occupants of a
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
dnf
October 4, 2018DNF at 40%, so no rating. My main issues: poor proofing, too much detail bogging down the narrative, and a lot of head-jumping that takes the focus off the main character (and also head-jumping that didn't transition smoothly). I will likely try another of this author’s books at some point in the future, though. Thomas does write beautifully (despite proofing issues), but this just wasn’t enough to hold my attention.
November 18, 2012
Picaresque Romantic Romp
The Blondness of Honey (one of the all-time great titles, with a gorgeous cover to match) is a lesbian romance as promised, but it's also several other stories as well. And that's a good thing! Not that there's anything wrong with "just" a romance; only that, at close to 400 pages, Blondness has many plot threads spinning merrily along. Author T.T. Thomas has a lot of tales to tell, and she apparently tried to cram all of them into one big book. Fortunately, she took one or two of them out (for example, there are only a couple of excerpts left of a novel within the novel) or we'd never reach the end—and our minds would be mush when we got there.
The story begins in upscale California ca. 1890 as we meet heroine Laura Hastings and her beloved, Catherine Chadwick. The two young women's idyllic summer of love is soon to be spoiled, in best romance-novel fashion, by a villain, in this case a man, Augur Lazenby, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. But he does serve a purpose: he's a reminder that, until recently, men and women who wanted children and a family saw no other way to get them than through heterosexual marriage, whatever their emotional and physical inclinations. Catherine is no exception.
But then, instead of taking us in the expected direction, in search of lost love, Thomas sends her heroine abroad to find herself among the artistic, European lesbian communities of Rome, Paris and London. And when Laura and readers return to America, we meet yet another love interest, the beautiful and intelligent Rachel Delacourt, a gifted teacher. Heavens! Shortly after that, we meet the very pretty, heterosexual Lilly George. Oh my! And we follow a fascinating, improbable, but who-cares-I'm-having-too-much-fun story that is part coming of age and quite a lot picaresque, as strangers on a train trade places and cousins who aren't really cousins fall in love. We meet Jane Addams of Hull House and go to the Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair) of 1893.
The style is a bit unsophisticated for my taste, which is only to say that I prefer the more polished, concise T.T. Thomas of her short stories like "The Guy in Frankie's Hatbox" and "Ronald Debby" (also available as part of the series "Sex On a Regular Basis"--read it, it's terrific). But the breathless, slightly unfocused style suits this nonstop romp across late-nineteenth-century America. It reminds me a little of Louisa May Alcott's "sensational" adventure stories, a resemblance that is perhaps not coincidental. This is not "literary" fiction but genre--the stuff we want to read, not the stuff we struggle through because it's good for us. This is a ripe, juicy peach or a strawberry, not celery. And yes, if you sense a double entendre here, you're right. This is "women's fiction," in several meanings of that term.
Thomas is at her best (aren't we all?) when she restrains her wordiness and keeps her scenes short and humorous. I laughed out loud, literally, when Laura and Catherine are about to make love outdoors. "What about snakes?" Catherine asks, to which Laura replies, "Oh, they've seen it all." Another happy moment occurs during a formal dinner when the twelve-year-old daughter of the house quotes from Little Women: "Housekeeping ain't no joke."
As in her novella Two Weeks at Gay Banana Hot Springs, Thomas has a talent for evoking the spirit of California. I don't mean boring descriptions of scenery but a mood, a way of existence. In Blondness, Thomas combines this western flavor with the exuberance of a young country celebrating its achievements, testing its strength and ready to tackle any problem with a fresh eye, from alleviating poverty to inventing better office equipment. Never have the typewriter and paper clips seemed so exciting.
It's standard in stories of same-sex love for the protagonists to face parental disapproval and rejection, and while we do get some of that, it struck me as original and right that Laura has two loving parents who know their daughter, and accept her and love her as she is. Even Catherine and Rachel's parents come around in the end and stand by their unconventional daughters. It's a welcome and necessary reminder that there have always been some good parents, and that California, a land of golden opportunity, might have had more than its fair share. The portrayal of most of the male characters as decent, kind people, learning to recognize the "Sapphists" among their sisters and daughters, but not judging, also contributes to the warm atmosphere. This is a romance, so it must end happily.
There are only a couple of steamy love scenes, and the level of spiciness felt just right for a story populated by proper young ladies. The final scene has one of the most suggestive and poetic phrases I have ever read to describe the way in which a lady can make love to another. I won't ruin it by quoting it here, any more than I'll spoil the story by revealing who ends up with whom. Read it and find out for yourself.
The Blondness of Honey (one of the all-time great titles, with a gorgeous cover to match) is a lesbian romance as promised, but it's also several other stories as well. And that's a good thing! Not that there's anything wrong with "just" a romance; only that, at close to 400 pages, Blondness has many plot threads spinning merrily along. Author T.T. Thomas has a lot of tales to tell, and she apparently tried to cram all of them into one big book. Fortunately, she took one or two of them out (for example, there are only a couple of excerpts left of a novel within the novel) or we'd never reach the end—and our minds would be mush when we got there.
The story begins in upscale California ca. 1890 as we meet heroine Laura Hastings and her beloved, Catherine Chadwick. The two young women's idyllic summer of love is soon to be spoiled, in best romance-novel fashion, by a villain, in this case a man, Augur Lazenby, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. But he does serve a purpose: he's a reminder that, until recently, men and women who wanted children and a family saw no other way to get them than through heterosexual marriage, whatever their emotional and physical inclinations. Catherine is no exception.
But then, instead of taking us in the expected direction, in search of lost love, Thomas sends her heroine abroad to find herself among the artistic, European lesbian communities of Rome, Paris and London. And when Laura and readers return to America, we meet yet another love interest, the beautiful and intelligent Rachel Delacourt, a gifted teacher. Heavens! Shortly after that, we meet the very pretty, heterosexual Lilly George. Oh my! And we follow a fascinating, improbable, but who-cares-I'm-having-too-much-fun story that is part coming of age and quite a lot picaresque, as strangers on a train trade places and cousins who aren't really cousins fall in love. We meet Jane Addams of Hull House and go to the Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair) of 1893.
The style is a bit unsophisticated for my taste, which is only to say that I prefer the more polished, concise T.T. Thomas of her short stories like "The Guy in Frankie's Hatbox" and "Ronald Debby" (also available as part of the series "Sex On a Regular Basis"--read it, it's terrific). But the breathless, slightly unfocused style suits this nonstop romp across late-nineteenth-century America. It reminds me a little of Louisa May Alcott's "sensational" adventure stories, a resemblance that is perhaps not coincidental. This is not "literary" fiction but genre--the stuff we want to read, not the stuff we struggle through because it's good for us. This is a ripe, juicy peach or a strawberry, not celery. And yes, if you sense a double entendre here, you're right. This is "women's fiction," in several meanings of that term.
Thomas is at her best (aren't we all?) when she restrains her wordiness and keeps her scenes short and humorous. I laughed out loud, literally, when Laura and Catherine are about to make love outdoors. "What about snakes?" Catherine asks, to which Laura replies, "Oh, they've seen it all." Another happy moment occurs during a formal dinner when the twelve-year-old daughter of the house quotes from Little Women: "Housekeeping ain't no joke."
As in her novella Two Weeks at Gay Banana Hot Springs, Thomas has a talent for evoking the spirit of California. I don't mean boring descriptions of scenery but a mood, a way of existence. In Blondness, Thomas combines this western flavor with the exuberance of a young country celebrating its achievements, testing its strength and ready to tackle any problem with a fresh eye, from alleviating poverty to inventing better office equipment. Never have the typewriter and paper clips seemed so exciting.
It's standard in stories of same-sex love for the protagonists to face parental disapproval and rejection, and while we do get some of that, it struck me as original and right that Laura has two loving parents who know their daughter, and accept her and love her as she is. Even Catherine and Rachel's parents come around in the end and stand by their unconventional daughters. It's a welcome and necessary reminder that there have always been some good parents, and that California, a land of golden opportunity, might have had more than its fair share. The portrayal of most of the male characters as decent, kind people, learning to recognize the "Sapphists" among their sisters and daughters, but not judging, also contributes to the warm atmosphere. This is a romance, so it must end happily.
There are only a couple of steamy love scenes, and the level of spiciness felt just right for a story populated by proper young ladies. The final scene has one of the most suggestive and poetic phrases I have ever read to describe the way in which a lady can make love to another. I won't ruin it by quoting it here, any more than I'll spoil the story by revealing who ends up with whom. Read it and find out for yourself.
November 1, 2012
Laura Hastings is in love. In love with Catherine Chadwick. Catherine however, is almost engaged to Augur Lazenby. When Augur turns up unexpectedly at Laura’s home to collect Catherine, Laura can’t bear the pain of it and flees from her home. When Laura next encounters Catherine, she can’t help but notice she’s pregnant. Catherine must have married Augur. Laura is even more heartbroken if that’s possible and realizes she must get on with her life, she has to move on. Catherine will never be hers. Laura sets off on a tour of Europe and enjoys the company of more than one female lover in an attempt to forget Catherine.
When Laura meets Rachel Delacourt on her return home, she thinks she has found a new love, a love to replace Catherine. But will Rachel be the love of Laura’s life when she still thinks so much about Catherine? Only time will tell. Time that Laura and Rachel may not have when their illicit love is discovered.
This is an extremely well written, delightful, delectable, decadent and delicious historical romance. The book is set mainly in and around the San Francisco Bay area. A place close to my heart. The scenic descriptions are so vivid and real, I could picture myself being there. The beauty of the area hasn’t changed at all with the passing of time.
The characters are wonderful and multidimensional, so easy to get to know and to love. Each character plays an important part in progressing the story forward. The story has lots of little twists and turns, just when I thought it was going one way, it veered off in a totally different direction. I was on the edge the whole time, hoping against hope that Laura would find someone to love, someone who would love her back, even if that someone was not her true love, Catherine. She deserved to be happy. The path Laura took in the course of finding her way to her true love is nothing less than a wild and spectacular adventure.
T.T Thomas has put an enormous amount of research into this book, it shines through. I love history and to read of such things as the financial crash of the eighteen nineties and The Columbian Exposition in Chicago are a sheer pleasure. History and a lesbian romance, a combination of the best of both worlds for me.
At the very heart of this book is the unbreakable love between Laura and Catherine. Even as others have torn them apart, their unshakeable love will never die. They are true soul mates. Whether they will find their way back to each other..........well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
This book is riveting from the start to the finish. Even though this is a lengthy book, it still wasn’t long enough for me. I wanted more, much more. I would love to read more about these characters, maybe a sequel or even a few short stories. See, there I go, I can’t be satisfied with one story! Pure and unadulterated greed for more from the brilliant muse of T.T Thomas. This is a definite keeper, a re-read.
When Laura meets Rachel Delacourt on her return home, she thinks she has found a new love, a love to replace Catherine. But will Rachel be the love of Laura’s life when she still thinks so much about Catherine? Only time will tell. Time that Laura and Rachel may not have when their illicit love is discovered.
This is an extremely well written, delightful, delectable, decadent and delicious historical romance. The book is set mainly in and around the San Francisco Bay area. A place close to my heart. The scenic descriptions are so vivid and real, I could picture myself being there. The beauty of the area hasn’t changed at all with the passing of time.
The characters are wonderful and multidimensional, so easy to get to know and to love. Each character plays an important part in progressing the story forward. The story has lots of little twists and turns, just when I thought it was going one way, it veered off in a totally different direction. I was on the edge the whole time, hoping against hope that Laura would find someone to love, someone who would love her back, even if that someone was not her true love, Catherine. She deserved to be happy. The path Laura took in the course of finding her way to her true love is nothing less than a wild and spectacular adventure.
T.T Thomas has put an enormous amount of research into this book, it shines through. I love history and to read of such things as the financial crash of the eighteen nineties and The Columbian Exposition in Chicago are a sheer pleasure. History and a lesbian romance, a combination of the best of both worlds for me.
At the very heart of this book is the unbreakable love between Laura and Catherine. Even as others have torn them apart, their unshakeable love will never die. They are true soul mates. Whether they will find their way back to each other..........well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
This book is riveting from the start to the finish. Even though this is a lengthy book, it still wasn’t long enough for me. I wanted more, much more. I would love to read more about these characters, maybe a sequel or even a few short stories. See, there I go, I can’t be satisfied with one story! Pure and unadulterated greed for more from the brilliant muse of T.T Thomas. This is a definite keeper, a re-read.
October 22, 2016
I think I should have enjoyed this one more than I did. I love romances, I love historical novels, I love stories of friends-turned-lovers, I love stories about trailblazing women. I've even enjoyed the occasional ensemble novel, though they tend to be a bit trickier.
Ensembles work in sci-fi/fantasy novels. They work in adventure novels. They work in thrillers, mysteries and general fiction. They don't, at least for me, work in romances. I like my romances to have a central couple. I like their relationship to be the main character. In this book, there was no central character, no clear focal point. I felt like a hitchhiker; just when I thought I was getting to know one character, I was out of their car and into someone else's.
Initially, I felt attached to Laura. I thought she was the protagonist, right up to the point where she disappeared with nary a mention for what felt like 100 pages. Then I thought Rachel was the protagonist. Except her story didn't get a conclusion. Neither did Jane's. Or Harriet's. Lilly's might have, possibly. I'll just assume it did.
I'm honestly not sure who I was supposed to care about here. Probably everyone, but I found that very difficult to accomplish simply due to the logistics of it all. We saw most of the heartbreaks and betrayals on the page, however all but one of the romances were either abbreviated or occurred off-screen. Or maybe people just fell in love in ten minutes during the late 1800s. I just don't know.
Credit where credit is due, however. The author clearly dedicated a fair amount of research to her timeline and locations. We get a lot of period detail, which is critical in a historical novel, romance or otherwise. Some of the exposition felt a little dry, but it did set the scene. The prose itself was frequently quite beautiful, and some of the metaphors were exquisite.
Currently priced at $2.99 at the Kindle store, this is definitely worth a recommendation at that price point. While it's not a book I'll probably reread, I felt it was worth the time and certainly worth the money.
Ensembles work in sci-fi/fantasy novels. They work in adventure novels. They work in thrillers, mysteries and general fiction. They don't, at least for me, work in romances. I like my romances to have a central couple. I like their relationship to be the main character. In this book, there was no central character, no clear focal point. I felt like a hitchhiker; just when I thought I was getting to know one character, I was out of their car and into someone else's.
Initially, I felt attached to Laura. I thought she was the protagonist, right up to the point where she disappeared with nary a mention for what felt like 100 pages. Then I thought Rachel was the protagonist. Except her story didn't get a conclusion. Neither did Jane's. Or Harriet's. Lilly's might have, possibly. I'll just assume it did.
I'm honestly not sure who I was supposed to care about here. Probably everyone, but I found that very difficult to accomplish simply due to the logistics of it all. We saw most of the heartbreaks and betrayals on the page, however all but one of the romances were either abbreviated or occurred off-screen. Or maybe people just fell in love in ten minutes during the late 1800s. I just don't know.
Credit where credit is due, however. The author clearly dedicated a fair amount of research to her timeline and locations. We get a lot of period detail, which is critical in a historical novel, romance or otherwise. Some of the exposition felt a little dry, but it did set the scene. The prose itself was frequently quite beautiful, and some of the metaphors were exquisite.
Currently priced at $2.99 at the Kindle store, this is definitely worth a recommendation at that price point. While it's not a book I'll probably reread, I felt it was worth the time and certainly worth the money.
March 1, 2013
When Vivien and Rose first meet as teenagers, they are drawn to one another, eventually becoming sweethearts. But it’s 1875 and they live in rural England, so it’s not so easy for them to be together.
Vivien and Rose have to rely on letters. Their families have old grudges and there are of course, those who would not agree with, or condone the relationship between the two women.
Rose manages to arrange for them to meet at Tapahanset Lodge, where a case of mistaken identity results in a misunderstanding and a missed meeting. All is eventually resolved. Unfortunately, Vivien and Rose are not to be left to live their happy ever after love.
There is an abduction to Barbados. Which in turn results in a race against time across both land and sea. A love like that of Vivien and Rose will never be allowed to die or indeed let go, no matter what perils await.
I love T.T Thomas’s books. Historical lesbian fiction is a firm favorite of mine. The only gripe I have about this novella is......I wanted more, much more.
I love the multidimensional characters, Vivien and Rose. They are a match made in heaven. They are both strong women, each with their own talents. Both are easy to get to know and love. The rest of the characters are a great asset in moving the story forward and are essential. Although some of them I could have cheerfully slapped!
The scenic descriptions are written so that I could easily lose myself in the story and cruise along side with the characters.
This story ties in with The Blondness of Honey, also by T.T Thomas. It is in fact ‘written’ by one of the characters from The Blondness of Honey. Another absolutely page turning historical romance.
I eagerly await whatever T.T Thomas is going to publish next.
Vivien and Rose have to rely on letters. Their families have old grudges and there are of course, those who would not agree with, or condone the relationship between the two women.
Rose manages to arrange for them to meet at Tapahanset Lodge, where a case of mistaken identity results in a misunderstanding and a missed meeting. All is eventually resolved. Unfortunately, Vivien and Rose are not to be left to live their happy ever after love.
There is an abduction to Barbados. Which in turn results in a race against time across both land and sea. A love like that of Vivien and Rose will never be allowed to die or indeed let go, no matter what perils await.
I love T.T Thomas’s books. Historical lesbian fiction is a firm favorite of mine. The only gripe I have about this novella is......I wanted more, much more.
I love the multidimensional characters, Vivien and Rose. They are a match made in heaven. They are both strong women, each with their own talents. Both are easy to get to know and love. The rest of the characters are a great asset in moving the story forward and are essential. Although some of them I could have cheerfully slapped!
The scenic descriptions are written so that I could easily lose myself in the story and cruise along side with the characters.
This story ties in with The Blondness of Honey, also by T.T Thomas. It is in fact ‘written’ by one of the characters from The Blondness of Honey. Another absolutely page turning historical romance.
I eagerly await whatever T.T Thomas is going to publish next.
October 29, 2021
The Blondness of Honey by T.T. Thomas
How I wish I had lived in those times! Of course, the MCs were amongst the privileged who could deal more easily with being different; but just the same. I fell in love with both of them as I could relate to their sentiments for each other.
And the writing shows a great research as to how the feelings were expressed in those times. Great historical book!
How I wish I had lived in those times! Of course, the MCs were amongst the privileged who could deal more easily with being different; but just the same. I fell in love with both of them as I could relate to their sentiments for each other.
And the writing shows a great research as to how the feelings were expressed in those times. Great historical book!
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