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Club Storyville
Elizabeth has been raised in propriety, and in 1944 Richmond there are things a lady simply doesn't do. Her grandmother Mary - Nan to those close to her - does them all. She drinks what she wants, speaks when she wants, and doesn't hesitate to help a colored boy on the street with no concern for who might see.
In awe of her grandmother, Elizabeth also wants to be a good daughter, and no one is more concerned with what people think than her mother, so different from Nan it's sometimes hard to believe she came from the woman's womb.
When Nan gets sick and needs full-time care, she invites Yankee nurse Ariel Brandt into their lives. Smart, funny and beautiful, Ariel is a lot like Nan in a lot of ways, and Elizabeth is drawn to her at once. As her feelings for Ariel grow out of her control, Elizabeth finds herself torn between her own desires and the deeply-ingrained rules of the society in which she lives.
Her brother at war, a new suitor trying to court her, and Ariel keeping a safe distance, Elizabeth is charged with an errand. Nan wants her to travel to New Orleans to find someone she once knew and pass along a wooden box that holds an important letter.
Can the unexpected journey into Nan's past help Elizabeth find her future?
In awe of her grandmother, Elizabeth also wants to be a good daughter, and no one is more concerned with what people think than her mother, so different from Nan it's sometimes hard to believe she came from the woman's womb.
When Nan gets sick and needs full-time care, she invites Yankee nurse Ariel Brandt into their lives. Smart, funny and beautiful, Ariel is a lot like Nan in a lot of ways, and Elizabeth is drawn to her at once. As her feelings for Ariel grow out of her control, Elizabeth finds herself torn between her own desires and the deeply-ingrained rules of the society in which she lives.
Her brother at war, a new suitor trying to court her, and Ariel keeping a safe distance, Elizabeth is charged with an errand. Nan wants her to travel to New Orleans to find someone she once knew and pass along a wooden box that holds an important letter.
Can the unexpected journey into Nan's past help Elizabeth find her future?
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2014
4 people are currently reading
358 people want to read
About the author
Riley Lashea
13 books183 followersRiley LaShea grew up in an Ohio town that looks like a dust speck on most maps. It was boring and awful, so she got the hell out of there. Now, she doesn't know where she wants to be, so over the past several years she has lived in Nashville, Orlando, Fort Worth, Allentown, Columbus, Kansas City, Raleigh, outside LA and inside Manhattan.
She won a lyric contest judged by the Indigo Girls in high school and a screenplay contest judged by Creative Screenwriting Magazine once. Her first published novel became a bestseller at one indie bookstore in Oakland that has since gone out of business.
Known to take great risks in the noble pursuit of creativity, sometimes she prefers to just sit around eating chocolate yogurt and doing KenKen in pajama pants.
She won a lyric contest judged by the Indigo Girls in high school and a screenplay contest judged by Creative Screenwriting Magazine once. Her first published novel became a bestseller at one indie bookstore in Oakland that has since gone out of business.
Known to take great risks in the noble pursuit of creativity, sometimes she prefers to just sit around eating chocolate yogurt and doing KenKen in pajama pants.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 29, 2015
Where to begin?
I don't think the most positive adjectives in the dictionary would ever do this book justice. However, those seem to fit for now:
Moving, tender, beautiful, heartbreaking, powerful, romantic, charming, crushing, sexy........
Riley LaShea is officially one of my favorite authors for this genre, or maybe even for any genre.
Club Storyville is not just a story of love, it's a story of life, with everything that comes with it: happiness and unhappiness, acceptance, death, internal struggle, war.... It takes place in the charming setting of the South, and I could see myself there. I could smell the flowers in Nan's garden, feel the sun of New Orleans on my skin, hear the music, see the colors of the French Quarter buildings and taste the cognac on my lips.
It's the kind of story that stays with you like a melody stuck in your head for days on end, or a movie that touched your soul so deeply it will always have a special place in your heart. It is THAT intense and THAT well written.
I cried 4 or 5 times while reading it. And that's a rarity for me for I'm not easily moved by words. I cried for Lizzie's distress and hopelessness, I cried for Ariel's tenderness and strength, I cried for the beauty of their union, I cried because of the unfairness of life, because of the cruelty of men, but also because of their ability to change for the better, that LaShea depicts so well as if she was born in another time.
There are things I would have liked to be different, but there always is, of course. No book is ever perfect. But some stories have so much good in them that it trumps the bad, and you forget about what you usually love or what you would have arrogantly done differently.
LaShea is obviously someone who writes with her guts, with her raw emotions, and judging by the two books I've read by her, she sees life as a beautiful and hopeful thing that noone should ever waste.
Read it if you want to experience something so strong it'll touch you to the core and even maybe change your perceptions on things.
I don't think the most positive adjectives in the dictionary would ever do this book justice. However, those seem to fit for now:
Moving, tender, beautiful, heartbreaking, powerful, romantic, charming, crushing, sexy........
Riley LaShea is officially one of my favorite authors for this genre, or maybe even for any genre.
Club Storyville is not just a story of love, it's a story of life, with everything that comes with it: happiness and unhappiness, acceptance, death, internal struggle, war.... It takes place in the charming setting of the South, and I could see myself there. I could smell the flowers in Nan's garden, feel the sun of New Orleans on my skin, hear the music, see the colors of the French Quarter buildings and taste the cognac on my lips.
It's the kind of story that stays with you like a melody stuck in your head for days on end, or a movie that touched your soul so deeply it will always have a special place in your heart. It is THAT intense and THAT well written.
I cried 4 or 5 times while reading it. And that's a rarity for me for I'm not easily moved by words. I cried for Lizzie's distress and hopelessness, I cried for Ariel's tenderness and strength, I cried for the beauty of their union, I cried because of the unfairness of life, because of the cruelty of men, but also because of their ability to change for the better, that LaShea depicts so well as if she was born in another time.
There are things I would have liked to be different, but there always is, of course. No book is ever perfect. But some stories have so much good in them that it trumps the bad, and you forget about what you usually love or what you would have arrogantly done differently.
LaShea is obviously someone who writes with her guts, with her raw emotions, and judging by the two books I've read by her, she sees life as a beautiful and hopeful thing that noone should ever waste.
Read it if you want to experience something so strong it'll touch you to the core and even maybe change your perceptions on things.
June 19, 2022
Elizabeth is 22 when Ariel (aged 30) comes into her family's life as a nurse for her ailing Nan. The year is 1943 and America has joined the war in Europe. Elizabeth's family live in Richmond, Virginia, a place which at that time is not tolerant of people who are different.
The story is told from Elizabeth's perspective as she struggles with her sexuality, with the effect of the war on her family and with racial segregation and prejudice she is exposed to when she and Ariel travel to New Orleans on an important errand for her Nan. The people they meet and events they experience there make a huge impression on Elizabeth, allowing her to come to terms with who she is and what she wants from life.
Elizabeth's growing affection for and attraction to Ariel is always uppermost in her thoughts, as is her despair at her certainty they can never be together and will eventually be parted. Everything does work out for them eventually though their path to happiness is a rough and thorny one.
I'm not usually a weepy reader but Club Storyville brought me to tears several times. This is a special story, beautifully told and absolutely deserving of your consideration. Very highly recommended.
The story is told from Elizabeth's perspective as she struggles with her sexuality, with the effect of the war on her family and with racial segregation and prejudice she is exposed to when she and Ariel travel to New Orleans on an important errand for her Nan. The people they meet and events they experience there make a huge impression on Elizabeth, allowing her to come to terms with who she is and what she wants from life.
Elizabeth's growing affection for and attraction to Ariel is always uppermost in her thoughts, as is her despair at her certainty they can never be together and will eventually be parted. Everything does work out for them eventually though their path to happiness is a rough and thorny one.
I'm not usually a weepy reader but Club Storyville brought me to tears several times. This is a special story, beautifully told and absolutely deserving of your consideration. Very highly recommended.
December 23, 2022
3.5
Club Storyville had all the markings of a great historical romance — or so it seemed — and the writing was lovely (barring a few typos). The plot with the secret box and a trip to New Orleans was very intriguing, and I loved Nan’s character. However, two things bothered me A LOT, and that just about ruined my experience.
1. I literally couldn’t stand the MC, Elizabeth. 🙄 She was a total goody-goody, ‘innocent’ and naive to the extreme, with self-flagellation tendencies. Her internal monologues almost smothered the plot. I would’ve been more tolerant had her character been in any way developed throughout the book, but by the end, she was basically the same immature, indecisive CHILD that she’d been in the beginning.
2. The romance was just too weak. Elizabeth just kept mooning over Ariel, and then suddenly they were together. That’s it? I have NO idea what a woman of Ariel’s caliber saw in her, and so I don’t buy their epic love. 🤷♀️
And all the time skips in the last chapter... no.
I'm pretty sure this was my last Lashea.
Club Storyville had all the markings of a great historical romance — or so it seemed — and the writing was lovely (barring a few typos). The plot with the secret box and a trip to New Orleans was very intriguing, and I loved Nan’s character. However, two things bothered me A LOT, and that just about ruined my experience.
1. I literally couldn’t stand the MC, Elizabeth. 🙄 She was a total goody-goody, ‘innocent’ and naive to the extreme, with self-flagellation tendencies. Her internal monologues almost smothered the plot. I would’ve been more tolerant had her character been in any way developed throughout the book, but by the end, she was basically the same immature, indecisive CHILD that she’d been in the beginning.
2. The romance was just too weak. Elizabeth just kept mooning over Ariel, and then suddenly they were together. That’s it? I have NO idea what a woman of Ariel’s caliber saw in her, and so I don’t buy their epic love. 🤷♀️
And all the time skips in the last chapter... no.
I'm pretty sure this was my last Lashea.
December 30, 2017
Okay, so it’s Riley Lashea who manages to reduce me to tears on this (almost) last day of the year.
2017 has been a real Lashea year for me, after reading The Meddling Friends series, Night Falls on the Piazza, re-reading Behind the Green Curtain and now Club Storyville I have to say she has earned a prominent place on my favorite author’s list.
Club Storyville is set in 1944 Richmond, VA. A time of strict segregation laws, racial prejudice and no freedom to love the one you love (if that love happened to have a different color or was the same sex as you).
It is a journey of self-discovery for Elizabeth as she struggles with her burgeoning feelings for live-in nurse Ariel Brandt who’s taking care of her sick Nan. Elizabeth wants to please her rigid mom but secretly longs to be as unabashed as her rebel grandma.
I love how a young and wide-eyed Lizzy slowly comes into her own. How she grows by her experiences during their quest to New Orleans and how she finally finds the courage to fight for her love.
I stayed up past my bedtime again, unable to put the book down (something that happens a lot when I read this author’s work). Lashea writes like a chameleon, always perfectly adapting her voice to evoke the right atmosphere. Chapeau!
f/f appropriately explicit for the spirit in which this story was written
Themes: a love that dare not speak its name, I loved Nan, she was a rebel, Lizzy felt very young for a 21-year old, but of course times were different then, I would have loved to live inside Ariel’s head for a bit, she has been around the block a few times, you get a real flavor for what went on during the time of segregation.
5 stars
2017 has been a real Lashea year for me, after reading The Meddling Friends series, Night Falls on the Piazza, re-reading Behind the Green Curtain and now Club Storyville I have to say she has earned a prominent place on my favorite author’s list.
Club Storyville is set in 1944 Richmond, VA. A time of strict segregation laws, racial prejudice and no freedom to love the one you love (if that love happened to have a different color or was the same sex as you).
It is a journey of self-discovery for Elizabeth as she struggles with her burgeoning feelings for live-in nurse Ariel Brandt who’s taking care of her sick Nan. Elizabeth wants to please her rigid mom but secretly longs to be as unabashed as her rebel grandma.
I love how a young and wide-eyed Lizzy slowly comes into her own. How she grows by her experiences during their quest to New Orleans and how she finally finds the courage to fight for her love.
I stayed up past my bedtime again, unable to put the book down (something that happens a lot when I read this author’s work). Lashea writes like a chameleon, always perfectly adapting her voice to evoke the right atmosphere. Chapeau!
f/f appropriately explicit for the spirit in which this story was written
Themes: a love that dare not speak its name, I loved Nan, she was a rebel, Lizzy felt very young for a 21-year old, but of course times were different then, I would have loved to live inside Ariel’s head for a bit, she has been around the block a few times, you get a real flavor for what went on during the time of segregation.
5 stars
February 18, 2016
This is a special book that touched me very deeply and I highly recommend it. Set in the later years of World War Two primarily in Richmond, Virginia, with a remarkable trip to New Orleans, where for several days two women have an extraordinary adventure including an astounding visit to Club Storyville. Everything is primarily and pointedly experienced through Elizabeth's eyes, heart, and soul. I love reading and books often take me soaring, but this story transposed my inner being, allowing me to come to terms with a myriad number of life-altering realities. What a beautiful gift from this author that I hope countless readers can enjoy. Miraculous!
It is through Elizabeth's eyes, sensations, and traumas that this story unfolds. A major force in Elizabeth's world is her grandmother who is affectionately referred to as Nan. In fact, Nan is the architect and reason for the stunning trip to New Orleans, too. Additionally, at home Nan is Elizabeth's closest confidante and a magnificent role model. However, the entire dynamic of this family from Elizabeth's point of view is shifted and continually tilted after Nan hires a nurse named Ariel Brandt. It is a delightful and impressive happening when Elizabeth attempts to understand her transformation in light of her exposure to and near-mesmerism by Ariel. In a pivotal scene early on during a bout of extreme outdoor heat in Richmond, Elizabeth notices that Ariel's perspiration has her clothes sticking to her body creating a near see-through effect. What might have been simply mildly embarrassing to witness, this incident floors Elizabeth. This vision opens a floodgate within Elizabeth by the intensity and profoundly moving sensations she feels.
Elizabeth's thoughts are very much slanted by her upbringing; she knows she cannot pretend that she felt something wholesome. Through her contorted and tangled viewpoint, she unquestionably comprehends that she is depraved. The author packs such a wallop into a few sentences, then periodically plunked me back into Elizabeth's conscience for short but recurring remembrances to that mind-boggling event that locked in Elizabeth's perspective. What a stroke of writing brilliance and there is still three quarters of book yet to be traversed. Elizabeth has many more moments of confusion and despondency paralleling her every growing love, need, and want for Ariel. This story may bring up uncomfortable memories, recollections, or the lightening bolt events when someone first learns there is something very different about them. Even if you are not overwhelmed personally, being in Elizabeth's shoes and core is a remarkably transfiguring tribulation. I found it powerfully jolting, but exquisitely cathartic!
Ariel Brandt is truly adored by Elizabeth. Additionally, she is worldly wise, a professional and proficient nurse, stunningly beautiful, plus a charming companion. She does have some frailties, but Elizabeth has some difficulty seeing them. Ariel is superb with Nan and touchingly convivial with Elizabeth's brother and friend. Early on Ariel and Elizabeth are quite comradely and share some treasured moments. Things definitely shift after Elizabeth becomes besotted with Ariel and I think Nan is the rescuer for them in the way she cobbles together the exceptional death-bed request for both of them to deliver a package to a close friend of Nan's in New Orleans. I adore, possibly love, Ariel. She is a nearly perfect winner. Indubitably impressive!
This book was fabulous and everyone should read it. Monumental!
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
It is through Elizabeth's eyes, sensations, and traumas that this story unfolds. A major force in Elizabeth's world is her grandmother who is affectionately referred to as Nan. In fact, Nan is the architect and reason for the stunning trip to New Orleans, too. Additionally, at home Nan is Elizabeth's closest confidante and a magnificent role model. However, the entire dynamic of this family from Elizabeth's point of view is shifted and continually tilted after Nan hires a nurse named Ariel Brandt. It is a delightful and impressive happening when Elizabeth attempts to understand her transformation in light of her exposure to and near-mesmerism by Ariel. In a pivotal scene early on during a bout of extreme outdoor heat in Richmond, Elizabeth notices that Ariel's perspiration has her clothes sticking to her body creating a near see-through effect. What might have been simply mildly embarrassing to witness, this incident floors Elizabeth. This vision opens a floodgate within Elizabeth by the intensity and profoundly moving sensations she feels.
Elizabeth's thoughts are very much slanted by her upbringing; she knows she cannot pretend that she felt something wholesome. Through her contorted and tangled viewpoint, she unquestionably comprehends that she is depraved. The author packs such a wallop into a few sentences, then periodically plunked me back into Elizabeth's conscience for short but recurring remembrances to that mind-boggling event that locked in Elizabeth's perspective. What a stroke of writing brilliance and there is still three quarters of book yet to be traversed. Elizabeth has many more moments of confusion and despondency paralleling her every growing love, need, and want for Ariel. This story may bring up uncomfortable memories, recollections, or the lightening bolt events when someone first learns there is something very different about them. Even if you are not overwhelmed personally, being in Elizabeth's shoes and core is a remarkably transfiguring tribulation. I found it powerfully jolting, but exquisitely cathartic!
Ariel Brandt is truly adored by Elizabeth. Additionally, she is worldly wise, a professional and proficient nurse, stunningly beautiful, plus a charming companion. She does have some frailties, but Elizabeth has some difficulty seeing them. Ariel is superb with Nan and touchingly convivial with Elizabeth's brother and friend. Early on Ariel and Elizabeth are quite comradely and share some treasured moments. Things definitely shift after Elizabeth becomes besotted with Ariel and I think Nan is the rescuer for them in the way she cobbles together the exceptional death-bed request for both of them to deliver a package to a close friend of Nan's in New Orleans. I adore, possibly love, Ariel. She is a nearly perfect winner. Indubitably impressive!
This book was fabulous and everyone should read it. Monumental!
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
August 9, 2020
This was very, very good (it's hard to use those two descriptors these days without conjuring up a buffoon world leader, no?). This is another emotional rollercoaster yes, but Ms. Lashea manages to weave the characteristics I so enjoy in a novel. All the complexities, the weak and the strong, the flaws and the vulnerabilities. MOOOOREEEE PLEEAAASSSE.
The year is 1944 in rural Virginia, so one can already sense the theme that's going to happen.....love that is deemed shameful, hidden, "not placeable....." Working through foreign feelings and desires a character never imagined. But also a journey of learning acceptance and respect, not only for oneself but other races and cultures, noting the unfairness of society and determined to find strength to live her truth and stand up for equality. Very poignant, especially in today's climate. But goddamn it's sad.
I'd say my only disappointment was how fast the ending was, it felt a little disjointed by its back and forth, past to present, and I would have liked to have a little more meat of Ariel and Elizabeth's life together.
The year is 1944 in rural Virginia, so one can already sense the theme that's going to happen.....love that is deemed shameful, hidden, "not placeable....." Working through foreign feelings and desires a character never imagined. But also a journey of learning acceptance and respect, not only for oneself but other races and cultures, noting the unfairness of society and determined to find strength to live her truth and stand up for equality. Very poignant, especially in today's climate. But goddamn it's sad.
I'd say my only disappointment was how fast the ending was, it felt a little disjointed by its back and forth, past to present, and I would have liked to have a little more meat of Ariel and Elizabeth's life together.
May 22, 2018
5-
WOW...if you get involved in these characters lives your heart will take a wild ride.
This story takes place in the mid 1940's in Richmond, Virginia. Where racial prejudice runs rampant and everyone's freedoms are nonexistent. It is literally illegal for Elizabeth and Ariel to be in love. And, until recent years that has remained true. This story takes us through those years of prejudice and hatred to modern days where some attitudes and laws have been repealed.
In fact, according to Wikipedia, "The strongest expansions in LGBT rights in the United States have come from the United States Supreme Court. In four landmark rulings between the years 1996 and 2015, the Supreme Court invalidated a state law banning protected class recognition based upon homosexuality, struck down sodomy laws nationwide, struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, and made same-sex marriage legal nationwide."
This book will make you want to cry for the LGBT community of those intolerant days.
This is a book I will read again and again. LOVED IT! Superbly written!
WOW...if you get involved in these characters lives your heart will take a wild ride.
This story takes place in the mid 1940's in Richmond, Virginia. Where racial prejudice runs rampant and everyone's freedoms are nonexistent. It is literally illegal for Elizabeth and Ariel to be in love. And, until recent years that has remained true. This story takes us through those years of prejudice and hatred to modern days where some attitudes and laws have been repealed.
In fact, according to Wikipedia, "The strongest expansions in LGBT rights in the United States have come from the United States Supreme Court. In four landmark rulings between the years 1996 and 2015, the Supreme Court invalidated a state law banning protected class recognition based upon homosexuality, struck down sodomy laws nationwide, struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, and made same-sex marriage legal nationwide."
This book will make you want to cry for the LGBT community of those intolerant days.
This is a book I will read again and again. LOVED IT! Superbly written!
October 23, 2019
One of the best books i've ever read this year. The story is so lovely but at the same time it's so sad, because of the cruelty in the society. I'm glad because they did had a happy end after all. I just want everyone to read this masterpiece. It became one of my favorites.
December 8, 2015
This a great book and I can honestly say that LaShea is becoming one of my favorite authors in lesbian romance. The two books of her that I've read so far, go far beyond the basics of the genre and both succeed in taking the reader into a live journey of self-discovery.
Being both books very diferent in their stories, the depth of them and the quality of the writting are at a high level, in both cases.
The book is in no way perfect, as I would i have preferred to get a better insight on the reasons of each women to fall in love for each other (mainly Ariel's reasons), a part from the physical atraction, of course. In any case this one of the best readings available in the genre and I would highly reccommend it.
Being both books very diferent in their stories, the depth of them and the quality of the writting are at a high level, in both cases.
The book is in no way perfect, as I would i have preferred to get a better insight on the reasons of each women to fall in love for each other (mainly Ariel's reasons), a part from the physical atraction, of course. In any case this one of the best readings available in the genre and I would highly reccommend it.
November 14, 2022
4 stars. This was so good. I’m in a bit of a historical mood and this really hit the spot. I liked the writing a lot and while the main character Elizabeth was annoying in the beginning. She’s very naive and sheltered which was understandable but I think she went through some really great character development and I ended up really liking her. The love story between her and Ariel was beautiful and I loved the way that it developed. Ariel knows who she is whereas these feelings are new for Elizabeth. She messes up a lot but never with any ill intentions. She’s just trying to figure out her own emotions and feelings.
Outside of the lovely romance I also loved the family aspect of this. The relationship and bond that Elizabeth and Ariel had with Elizabeth’s grandmother, Nan, was so sweet. This was just a really engaging and heartwarming story. Loved the ending and I would definitely recommend it.
Outside of the lovely romance I also loved the family aspect of this. The relationship and bond that Elizabeth and Ariel had with Elizabeth’s grandmother, Nan, was so sweet. This was just a really engaging and heartwarming story. Loved the ending and I would definitely recommend it.
November 12, 2017
This book was lovely. Riley LaShea's writing is lovely. I have read quite a few of her books and they all have been very different but excellent. And that's a testament to what a great writer she is. I really have not seen great writing in this genre unfortunately. I'm a little sad that soon I will have read all her books and will have to try and patiently wait for her to publish a new one. But when you find a lovely writer, it's worth it to be patient.
March 10, 2021
I had a good cry towards the last one or two chapters. I love works from LaShea, they have a seal of quality on them.
July 10, 2019
While reading this book, all I could really think about was how glad I am not to be born in an era where racism and homophobia are the norm. We still got a long way to go to abolish such condescending hatred, but I am very much thankful to the people of the past who were brave enough to fight for our right to love freely, which paved the way for the growing acceptance and equal recognition of homosexuals and POC. That said, this book was remarkable in showing some of the more privileged who were able to transcend the false ideals of their generation. For them, I am grateful too. They were important allies.
The writing of this book was good. Albeit there were instances where I had difficulty following the main thought of a sentence, especially when it is comprised of multiple long clauses.
Understanding this was written in first-person in Elizabeth's POV, I can't help but feel all the other characters were too distant, even Ariel. Ariel seemed like a secondary character, and I wasn't convinced by her affections towards Elizabeth. The attraction felt one-sided. Elizabeth had too much internal monologues that sort of became a distraction from what was currently happening in the scenes.
I also wasn't utterly moved by the contents of the box they were carrying on their journey. Though the message was significant, I can't help but think the lesson it contained could still have been imparted by Nan while she and Elizabeth were together. I do understand, however, that maybe Nan wanted Elizabeth to learn the lessons first-hand, hence she deemed the journey necessary.
While I would still categorize this as a good book, it's not exactly one I would reread.
The writing of this book was good. Albeit there were instances where I had difficulty following the main thought of a sentence, especially when it is comprised of multiple long clauses.
Understanding this was written in first-person in Elizabeth's POV, I can't help but feel all the other characters were too distant, even Ariel. Ariel seemed like a secondary character, and I wasn't convinced by her affections towards Elizabeth. The attraction felt one-sided. Elizabeth had too much internal monologues that sort of became a distraction from what was currently happening in the scenes.
I also wasn't utterly moved by the contents of the box they were carrying on their journey. Though the message was significant, I can't help but think the lesson it contained could still have been imparted by Nan while she and Elizabeth were together. I do understand, however, that maybe Nan wanted Elizabeth to learn the lessons first-hand, hence she deemed the journey necessary.
While I would still categorize this as a good book, it's not exactly one I would reread.
January 9, 2021
Beautiful and thought provoking
Riley LaShea is truly an artist, eloquently painting a picture with her words. This story was captivating as it took me into earlier times and captured what gay people and other non traditional couples went through just to have the ability to truly be themselves and love who they love. This is my second time reading this author, the first being Behind the Green Curtain, which was also fabulous (and spicy)!
Riley LaShea is truly an artist, eloquently painting a picture with her words. This story was captivating as it took me into earlier times and captured what gay people and other non traditional couples went through just to have the ability to truly be themselves and love who they love. This is my second time reading this author, the first being Behind the Green Curtain, which was also fabulous (and spicy)!
September 18, 2018
Club Storyville
This was a really a fabulous read, not only is it a story of love but also the history and lives through important times in America, from the depression, changing civil rights and WWII. Beautifully written novel that I found hard to put down.
This was a really a fabulous read, not only is it a story of love but also the history and lives through important times in America, from the depression, changing civil rights and WWII. Beautifully written novel that I found hard to put down.
April 28, 2025
A beautiful yet heartbreaking story about pushing past your fears, your comfort zone and your own safety to be who you are and love who you love. Although a book of fiction, it was definitely true to those times and even partially to this day. I felt a rollercoaster of emotions reading this book and I 💯 recommend.
July 6, 2019
Elizabeth is smitten when a beautiful young nurse, Ariel, comes to care for her grandmother, Nan, in her declining health. As Elizabeth and Ariel become aware of their attraction to each other, Nan requests that they go to New Orleans to deliver a secret box to someone she knew there once. The book takes place in Richmond, Virginia in 1944, and it confronts the racism and homophobia of the time, drawing the main character into worlds she must learn to understand. Elizabeth is a little annoying at first: sensitive with her own feelings and inconsiderate of how her actions affect those around her. It is satisfying to see her change and slowly shed the lingering effects of her privileged upbringing that make her so afraid of what other people think. Ariel balances Elizabeth's cluelessness with her tenacity and wisdom, but she holds Elizabeth at a distance. This is another character-driven story done right. It is bittersweet, but I think it does justice to the characters.
The writing really could have used more editing; I noticed a lot of grammar and verb tense errors. With those things fixed, the book would have truly been a treat for the senses. Riley LaShea is good at evoking the emotions of the characters and I love the attention she paid to the subtle nuances of each interaction and touch between them.
The writing really could have used more editing; I noticed a lot of grammar and verb tense errors. With those things fixed, the book would have truly been a treat for the senses. Riley LaShea is good at evoking the emotions of the characters and I love the attention she paid to the subtle nuances of each interaction and touch between them.
January 11, 2021
Someone make a movie out of this and give Ariel a little more to work with, please.
I didn’t write a review when I finished it so I don’t remember everything but here’s what I can say:
Gripping story from start to finish;
Complex main characters, lively and realistic secondary characters;
Great chemistry between the
MCs;
One of the MCs, Ariel, could’ve used more. Just more, in general. More dialogue, more unraveling, more background information. I don’t know if the author was going for mysterious or just focusing more on Elizabeth, but it made the whole relationship feel o entirely too one-sided. I understand this is more believable because of the time the story’s set in, but if we see Elizabeth pouting and getting jealous at stuff, we should at least have gotten some of it from Ariel.
Rushed ending - after such a long journey with these characters, we deserved to see more about how they end up the way they do, and they deserved better than that. Again, especially Ariel.
I can’t however say much about the historical accuracy or how well written the more sensitive New Orleans bits were regarding Black people. It felt okay-ish to me to read, but I still don’t know how much of it I can trust. Still, I don’t think its accuracy or lack thereof distracted me too much. The New Orleans part was my favorite, like I’m sure it was for a lot of people, so I’d say the author did a solid job meshing the historical and racial history aspects with the main story between Elizabeth and Ariel. Especially in how it showed us a little more about Ariel. Can you tell I’m mad about how Ariel was treated in this book?
Anyway, solid entertainment, well-written, passionate prose, plenty of angst, leaves you guessing until the end (but not so much that you’re worried).
I didn’t write a review when I finished it so I don’t remember everything but here’s what I can say:
Gripping story from start to finish;
Complex main characters, lively and realistic secondary characters;
Great chemistry between the
MCs;
One of the MCs, Ariel, could’ve used more. Just more, in general. More dialogue, more unraveling, more background information. I don’t know if the author was going for mysterious or just focusing more on Elizabeth, but it made the whole relationship feel o entirely too one-sided. I understand this is more believable because of the time the story’s set in, but if we see Elizabeth pouting and getting jealous at stuff, we should at least have gotten some of it from Ariel.
Rushed ending - after such a long journey with these characters, we deserved to see more about how they end up the way they do, and they deserved better than that. Again, especially Ariel.
I can’t however say much about the historical accuracy or how well written the more sensitive New Orleans bits were regarding Black people. It felt okay-ish to me to read, but I still don’t know how much of it I can trust. Still, I don’t think its accuracy or lack thereof distracted me too much. The New Orleans part was my favorite, like I’m sure it was for a lot of people, so I’d say the author did a solid job meshing the historical and racial history aspects with the main story between Elizabeth and Ariel. Especially in how it showed us a little more about Ariel. Can you tell I’m mad about how Ariel was treated in this book?
Anyway, solid entertainment, well-written, passionate prose, plenty of angst, leaves you guessing until the end (but not so much that you’re worried).
June 18, 2015
I recently came to the conclusion that we must be living through a golden age of lesbian literature, and it's books like Riley LaShea's Club Storyville that convince me this is the case. It's a novel which tackles issues of sexuality and race head on, and which claims the reader's attention from beginning to end. Above all, it's a beautifully exercised and compassionate narration of the sacrifices people are prepared to make in order to live and love freely.
I knew I was in for the long haul from the opening pages. There is something about Riley LaShea's style of writing which is both compelling and absorbing. I felt immediately drawn into 1940s America, and in particular to a south traumatised by the effects of the war, divided along racial lines by Jim Crow legislation, a society desperate to maintain appearances while tensions brew beneath its surface. Above all, I absolutely loved the way LaShea skilfully meshes her tale of forbidden love between two young women into this complex, historical background.
Club Storyville is quite simply a wonderful novel which works on so many levels - as a tale of self-discovery, as a skilfully-realised piece of historical fiction, and as a romantic love story. It's a book which forces you to think about just how much people were prepared to risk in order to be with the person they love. In that respect, I'd say it's a very important book, and I highly recommend it.
I knew I was in for the long haul from the opening pages. There is something about Riley LaShea's style of writing which is both compelling and absorbing. I felt immediately drawn into 1940s America, and in particular to a south traumatised by the effects of the war, divided along racial lines by Jim Crow legislation, a society desperate to maintain appearances while tensions brew beneath its surface. Above all, I absolutely loved the way LaShea skilfully meshes her tale of forbidden love between two young women into this complex, historical background.
Club Storyville is quite simply a wonderful novel which works on so many levels - as a tale of self-discovery, as a skilfully-realised piece of historical fiction, and as a romantic love story. It's a book which forces you to think about just how much people were prepared to risk in order to be with the person they love. In that respect, I'd say it's a very important book, and I highly recommend it.
October 8, 2017
I was disappointed by the very easy conclusion of their dilemma, Also, I found the New Orleans boarding house situation uncomfortable.
But it tries to broach difficult subjects essential to lgbt history without being too dark about it. This was a very easy story to read, due to the author's decent writing and storytelling skills. I also liked and got attached to the characters, although I regret not learning more about Elizabeth's parents.
But it tries to broach difficult subjects essential to lgbt history without being too dark about it. This was a very easy story to read, due to the author's decent writing and storytelling skills. I also liked and got attached to the characters, although I regret not learning more about Elizabeth's parents.
November 26, 2024
How freakin’ cute.
Ngl I found her to be rather whiny 50% of the time but different times you know? I always hesitate to read books set in the past due to the very obvious issue of racism. And while homophobia was absolutely rampant, I’m black before I’m gay😬. In that regard, I think this book handled both issues pretty well. ESPECIALLY given the fact that both issues did and still continue to intersect when it comes to conversations about human rights.
While I can’t say I agree with every stance in the book, which absolutely is not the point, aside from the characters that are meant to be offensive, the conversations between Nan and Ariel were well represented (I think lol).
In many cases (unfortunately) I find authors’ dedication to authenticity when it comes to depicting racism a little (a LOT) heavy handed. While it is absolutely necessary that we all have an understanding of just how severely such issues impacted specific demographics of people, it is seldom handled with the care and compassion necessary when the person depicting it isn’t one who would have/has experienced it. I must express my gratitude for the author’s depiction of genuine care. Emphasis on the author’s note at the beginning of the book.
Skillfully written and well thought out, I really enjoyed the characterization of each person (even as they were being offensive/ignorant). Absolutely a book I would recommend (and if you hate it don’t tell me why lmaooo).
Ngl I found her to be rather whiny 50% of the time but different times you know? I always hesitate to read books set in the past due to the very obvious issue of racism. And while homophobia was absolutely rampant, I’m black before I’m gay😬. In that regard, I think this book handled both issues pretty well. ESPECIALLY given the fact that both issues did and still continue to intersect when it comes to conversations about human rights.
While I can’t say I agree with every stance in the book, which absolutely is not the point, aside from the characters that are meant to be offensive, the conversations between Nan and Ariel were well represented (I think lol).
In many cases (unfortunately) I find authors’ dedication to authenticity when it comes to depicting racism a little (a LOT) heavy handed. While it is absolutely necessary that we all have an understanding of just how severely such issues impacted specific demographics of people, it is seldom handled with the care and compassion necessary when the person depicting it isn’t one who would have/has experienced it. I must express my gratitude for the author’s depiction of genuine care. Emphasis on the author’s note at the beginning of the book.
Skillfully written and well thought out, I really enjoyed the characterization of each person (even as they were being offensive/ignorant). Absolutely a book I would recommend (and if you hate it don’t tell me why lmaooo).
August 11, 2021
This book, to me, was ok. I always appreciate a lesbian love story! And especially one set in the south ( as i’m from the south ). The dynamics between the main character and her grandmother were very lovely! However, there were a couple of things about this book that rubbed me the wrong way. First, I don’t know how I feel about the author equating the struggles and oppression of African Americans in the Jim Crow era to those of the LGBT community. No doubt it was a difficult time for both communities. Equal in their oppression? I would venture to believe that African Americans had to deal with way worse in general. Second, this book succumbs to the same pitfall I find in many lesbian books/movies. I just didn’t buy that the two main characters were really in love. Neither of them had very redeeming personalities or did anything to truly express their love for one another. Elizabeth was whiny and childish and Ariel was cold and stand-offish and I just wasn’t understanding what they saw in one another other than they were in the same place at the same time. That being said, I think it a book worth reading as it raises some interesting questions and did depict some heartwarming relationships!
Cheers
Cheers
June 12, 2018
This is my second book by the author and I can say it was one of the best books that I've read in years. It is extremely well-written and very emotional.
It is written in a first person and since the first page I was captivated by Elizabeth's thoughts, worries and observations.
Riley Lashea managed very well to describe the period of social unrest and the conflict between genders and races. So, it is not only a beautiful romance but also enlightening, not in a boring way :)
I can't remain indifferent to books that make me feel, and this one made me scared, made me happy and made me cry.. twice.
I highly recommend Club Storyville!
It is written in a first person and since the first page I was captivated by Elizabeth's thoughts, worries and observations.
Riley Lashea managed very well to describe the period of social unrest and the conflict between genders and races. So, it is not only a beautiful romance but also enlightening, not in a boring way :)
I can't remain indifferent to books that make me feel, and this one made me scared, made me happy and made me cry.. twice.
I highly recommend Club Storyville!
January 2, 2020
This is a truly beautiful story that is beautifully written that you’d think (or hope) that it’s a true story (but alas it is not). The navigation of being different in the 1940s is well captured and this is not an easy task. Things that may appear natural now may not make sense then and there are more self-awareness now that how we react is clearly different from how they reacted then. And I’m pretty sure LaShea is not like 80 years old to know this yet the details are so well thought through. And she makes you feel like you’re there to witness everything and to feel what the characters felt. And fret not, this beautiful story also has a beautiful ending.
November 9, 2018
I simply loved this book. It is so well written, the authors prose is beautiful in its description of the characters, of the south in the WWII years, and of the love story. It is sweet coming of age story of a young woman brought up in a society where one does not deviant from the norm unless one plans on facing the consequences. Wonderfully rich characters makes this a must read.
June 27, 2024
4.5 Stars for me. Minus half a star for the disappointing 'rushed' ending.
I loved the writing and the story - a bit more meat than the average lesbian romance novels. Loved learning about the intolerance of era and area, both ethnic and sexual orientation of the 'Southerners'. Found Elisabeth to be a bit of a wimp, being the grand daughter of such a strong resilient woman.
I loved the writing and the story - a bit more meat than the average lesbian romance novels. Loved learning about the intolerance of era and area, both ethnic and sexual orientation of the 'Southerners'. Found Elisabeth to be a bit of a wimp, being the grand daughter of such a strong resilient woman.
November 19, 2017
A really good book. Kudos to Riley Lashea.
January 18, 2023
so good and so sad at the same time :(
November 20, 2015
"Then, the song changes and it changes again, one melody layering atop another until it's a near assault of noise and memory. It's a terrible racket, I think, at first, before I start to hear the beauty in it. Because Ariel and I didn't have one haunting song of lost romance. We had many years and a lot of music between us, and that messy rhythm that fills my ears, it is the sound of our lives."
I did NOT burst into tears in a very public place while reading this novel. And I absolutely did not feel that pain of losing something very precious, either. Nope. Not me.
This story hangs on the romance, even though the backdrop is more vaguely interesting than the relationship. It's such a slow burn that I was quite frustrated at some points and felt as though Elizabeth was perhaps TOO naive and TOO innocent in a lot of ways. But the underlying emotion was true, I think, and the elements of the story - cross generational and social and geographical - actually blended together rather well. This book won't change your life, but it made me feel something and that's often really the entire point.
I did NOT burst into tears in a very public place while reading this novel. And I absolutely did not feel that pain of losing something very precious, either. Nope. Not me.
This story hangs on the romance, even though the backdrop is more vaguely interesting than the relationship. It's such a slow burn that I was quite frustrated at some points and felt as though Elizabeth was perhaps TOO naive and TOO innocent in a lot of ways. But the underlying emotion was true, I think, and the elements of the story - cross generational and social and geographical - actually blended together rather well. This book won't change your life, but it made me feel something and that's often really the entire point.
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