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Decades: A Journey of African American Romance #1
A Delicate Affair
Golden Worth is a proud southerner. But when some “good” Georgia boys threaten to lynch him, he runs north to Washington DC to make music and a new life for himself. He doesn’t count on falling for the untouchable Leonie Harper, an aristocratic beauty with a mind for sin. He knows better than to want her, but the Radcliffe-bound girl who’s supposed to be a blushing debutante is anything but. She captivates him, tempting him to want things he once thought were out of reach.
All too easily, Golden falls into Leonie’s scented embrace, even though he suspects she’s only playing with him until something richer comes along.
Can this country boy convince a big city girl to take a chance on real love, or will she leave him swinging in the wind?
All too easily, Golden falls into Leonie’s scented embrace, even though he suspects she’s only playing with him until something richer comes along.
Can this country boy convince a big city girl to take a chance on real love, or will she leave him swinging in the wind?
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2017
About the author
Lindsay Evans
55 books50 followersBorn in Jamaica, Lindsay Evans currently lives in Atlanta, GA. She loves good food and romance and would happily travel to the ends of the earth for both. Find out more at www.LindsayEvansWrites.com.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 21, 2021
Read for HRR (Historial Romance Readathon 2021). A first in a historical romance series that features Black love, I ended up enjoying it for the most part and I'm excited to continue on with the rest of the series. 3.5 stars. CW: racism
A Delicate Affair is a short book that takes place in the early 1900s and focuses on the relationship between Leonie and Golden who meet at a night club. Leonie comes from a background of wealth and fortune while Golden does not. I found this element to be really interesting because we don't often tallk about the social classes that existed amongst the Black community during this time. The amount of work that went into the world building and the character development was good. I enjoyed the "feeling" of the setting. It's one that's hard to describe, but Evans had a gift for making me feel transported into this 20th century setting. The characters, on their own, were intriguing. Leonie is attempting to carve out her own path away from the grasp of her parents while Golden fought to make a space for himself in the music community. They each had issues, but they had this power about them that allowed them to persevere.
I had a little hick up with their romance. I don't think I was as invested in their relationship as I should have been as a reader. I'm not against instant love; I know that comes with shorter novels; however, I didn't feel the chemistry between the two characters. Their steamy scenes were hot, but I think I wanted just a tad bit more connection that I could feel off the page. The relationship does force Leonie to grow up a bit which I thought was perfect for her character development. To be quite honest, I would love to see an additional novel with these two characters. I think with time their romance could develop a little more. Overall, it was a good read and I'll be checking out more from this author and this series.
A Delicate Affair is a short book that takes place in the early 1900s and focuses on the relationship between Leonie and Golden who meet at a night club. Leonie comes from a background of wealth and fortune while Golden does not. I found this element to be really interesting because we don't often tallk about the social classes that existed amongst the Black community during this time. The amount of work that went into the world building and the character development was good. I enjoyed the "feeling" of the setting. It's one that's hard to describe, but Evans had a gift for making me feel transported into this 20th century setting. The characters, on their own, were intriguing. Leonie is attempting to carve out her own path away from the grasp of her parents while Golden fought to make a space for himself in the music community. They each had issues, but they had this power about them that allowed them to persevere.
I had a little hick up with their romance. I don't think I was as invested in their relationship as I should have been as a reader. I'm not against instant love; I know that comes with shorter novels; however, I didn't feel the chemistry between the two characters. Their steamy scenes were hot, but I think I wanted just a tad bit more connection that I could feel off the page. The relationship does force Leonie to grow up a bit which I thought was perfect for her character development. To be quite honest, I would love to see an additional novel with these two characters. I think with time their romance could develop a little more. Overall, it was a good read and I'll be checking out more from this author and this series.
January 8, 2021
2020 Winter Bingo (#SnowInLoveBingo❄️): Black Historical
So this has a fascinating narrative structure that I’ve never seen before: first half of the novella is hero-only POV while the second half is heroine-only POV (both in third person/past tense). I was skeptical but it really works!
I’m a sucker for rich city girl/poor country boy dynamics and enjoyed this novella set in early 1900s Washington, D.C. Outside the romance, Leonie’s conflict with her family is a highlight.
So this has a fascinating narrative structure that I’ve never seen before: first half of the novella is hero-only POV while the second half is heroine-only POV (both in third person/past tense). I was skeptical but it really works!
I’m a sucker for rich city girl/poor country boy dynamics and enjoyed this novella set in early 1900s Washington, D.C. Outside the romance, Leonie’s conflict with her family is a highlight.
Read
March 17, 20181900s cross-class African-American romance. Wealthy privileged girl meets struggling musician freshly fled from the South. Wonderful atmosphere and the history is well deployed, plus complex interactions of privilege and class, prejudice, racism and colourism, aspiration and obligation vs the right to independence. That's a lot to pack into a novella but it is handled deftly amid a sexy romance. A quality start to a very good idea for a series. Sex scenes a bit over the top for my taste,, but each to their own.
April 11, 2018
Leonie Harper comes from a wealthy Washington DC family and her mother is determined that Leonie will be one of the few black women to attend Radcliffe in the first decade of the 20th century. Leonie really doesn’t want to, but she feels guilty, knowing that she has a rare opportunity for a person of color, especially a woman of color.
She meets Golden Worth, a talented musician lately transported from the South, playing at a jazz nightclub. They are immediately attracted to each other and spend a lot of time together. Golden believes she’s a spoiled rich girl, amusing herself with him - and she is. She doesn’t tell him that she expects to be leaving soon for college; when her friends tell him in the most vicious way possible, she finally realizes how much she loves him.
I was really excited by the premise of this story, as well as the era in which it is set. Unfortunately, I found it extremely modern; other than the presence of ragtime music, the historical time period was not emphasized. Leonie has very modern ideas about sex, birth control, etc. In addition, their relationship was mostly insta-lust and there wasn’t as much relationship building as I would have liked. Finally, the sex was quite a bit more graphic than my normal preference.
However, I’m still intrigued with the idea of this series in which the books are set in each decade of the 20th and 21st (so far) centuries, with each book written by a different author.
She meets Golden Worth, a talented musician lately transported from the South, playing at a jazz nightclub. They are immediately attracted to each other and spend a lot of time together. Golden believes she’s a spoiled rich girl, amusing herself with him - and she is. She doesn’t tell him that she expects to be leaving soon for college; when her friends tell him in the most vicious way possible, she finally realizes how much she loves him.
I was really excited by the premise of this story, as well as the era in which it is set. Unfortunately, I found it extremely modern; other than the presence of ragtime music, the historical time period was not emphasized. Leonie has very modern ideas about sex, birth control, etc. In addition, their relationship was mostly insta-lust and there wasn’t as much relationship building as I would have liked. Finally, the sex was quite a bit more graphic than my normal preference.
However, I’m still intrigued with the idea of this series in which the books are set in each decade of the 20th and 21st (so far) centuries, with each book written by a different author.
April 5, 2022
4.25 stars
There’s an interesting story behind how A Delicate Affair came to be. In the early 1990s, Harlequin published a series of twelve romances each set in a different decade, mostly in the twentieth century, but featuring white authors and characters. More recently, romance author Wayne Jordan approached fellow authors about writing and publishing a similar series, but this time with a focus on African-American history. A Delicate Affair is the first book in the Decades: A Journey of African American Romance series.
At 160 pages (according to Amazon), A Delicate Affair is on the longer side for a novella. It takes place in Washington, DC, in the year 1902, and begins in a juke joint.
Golden, a musician in the dance bar’s band (he plays more than one instrument) is approached by a girl who is obviously from a family of means. “Diamond girl,” as Golden names her, is at the juke joint with her friends and she comes up to Golden in an alley just outside the place.
The girl flirts with him in a seductive manner, but Golden suspects she has a bet with her friends that she can seduce him, and he wants no part of her. Even when she follows Golden to his apartment, he turns her away—until he remembers that she must have followed him through a rough neighborhood and backtracks to find her.
Leonie—diamond girl’s real name—is attacked, but Golden puts a stop to it just in time. Then he has to bring her to his apartment in order to patch up a wound, and after that, he insists on escorting her home.
Through it all, Golden is powerfully attracted to Leonie and tempted by her offers, but he refuses to be used by her. He wants her to see him as more than just a country boy who fell off the peach truck, and eventually, Leonie begins to.
Even then, there are powerful obstacles in their way, and difference in their classes is one of the biggest. For all of Golden’s ambition—he might work a second job as a dishwasher, but he yearns to move on to bigger and better things—choosing him may entail some sacrifices on Leonie’s part.
Then, too, Leonie’s parents have other plans for her and expectations of her, which taking up with Golden can’t fulfill. Will Leonie find the courage to break free of her parents’ hopes and dreams?
I loved a lot of things about this book, but my favorite might have been the gender role reversal. That Leonie was the one in pursuit, and also, the one with more of a financial and social position, made the book feel very fresh. There was also a coming of age element in the novel—Leonie had to grow up a bit to reach for her happiness.
You can find the rest of this review at the dearauthor.com, here:
http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
There’s an interesting story behind how A Delicate Affair came to be. In the early 1990s, Harlequin published a series of twelve romances each set in a different decade, mostly in the twentieth century, but featuring white authors and characters. More recently, romance author Wayne Jordan approached fellow authors about writing and publishing a similar series, but this time with a focus on African-American history. A Delicate Affair is the first book in the Decades: A Journey of African American Romance series.
At 160 pages (according to Amazon), A Delicate Affair is on the longer side for a novella. It takes place in Washington, DC, in the year 1902, and begins in a juke joint.
Golden, a musician in the dance bar’s band (he plays more than one instrument) is approached by a girl who is obviously from a family of means. “Diamond girl,” as Golden names her, is at the juke joint with her friends and she comes up to Golden in an alley just outside the place.
The girl flirts with him in a seductive manner, but Golden suspects she has a bet with her friends that she can seduce him, and he wants no part of her. Even when she follows Golden to his apartment, he turns her away—until he remembers that she must have followed him through a rough neighborhood and backtracks to find her.
Leonie—diamond girl’s real name—is attacked, but Golden puts a stop to it just in time. Then he has to bring her to his apartment in order to patch up a wound, and after that, he insists on escorting her home.
Through it all, Golden is powerfully attracted to Leonie and tempted by her offers, but he refuses to be used by her. He wants her to see him as more than just a country boy who fell off the peach truck, and eventually, Leonie begins to.
Even then, there are powerful obstacles in their way, and difference in their classes is one of the biggest. For all of Golden’s ambition—he might work a second job as a dishwasher, but he yearns to move on to bigger and better things—choosing him may entail some sacrifices on Leonie’s part.
Then, too, Leonie’s parents have other plans for her and expectations of her, which taking up with Golden can’t fulfill. Will Leonie find the courage to break free of her parents’ hopes and dreams?
I loved a lot of things about this book, but my favorite might have been the gender role reversal. That Leonie was the one in pursuit, and also, the one with more of a financial and social position, made the book feel very fresh. There was also a coming of age element in the novel—Leonie had to grow up a bit to reach for her happiness.
You can find the rest of this review at the dearauthor.com, here:
http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
January 2, 2018
Love It!!!
A Delicate Affair is the first book in the Decades: A Journey of African American Romance series but is also a standalone novel. I really enjoyed reading Leonie and Golden story.I felt as if I was time traveling looking back as the author pulled me into the story. I watched as Leonie and Golden allowed society and friendship interfere in their relationship.The storyline is believable and the sparks flying between the two is sizzling hot.
I am so looking forward to the next book from the Decades series.
January 12, 2018
Not Disappointed
I have been waiting on this series to come out for almost a year. I loved the first in the series by Lindsay Evans. I felt like I was in the 1900s with Golden and Leonie.
Golden and Leonie are from two very different worlds. Golden, poor and from the South and Leonie is privileged and on her way to Radcliffe College which is expected of her. She wants to be free to do what she wants and Golden is the catalyst to make that happen.
I have been waiting on this series to come out for almost a year. I loved the first in the series by Lindsay Evans. I felt like I was in the 1900s with Golden and Leonie.
Golden and Leonie are from two very different worlds. Golden, poor and from the South and Leonie is privileged and on her way to Radcliffe College which is expected of her. She wants to be free to do what she wants and Golden is the catalyst to make that happen.
March 8, 2018
This is the 3rd book I read by Lindsay Evans. I loved ❤ this book's story line. I loved ❤ the hot & steamy scenes. I loved ❤ the family 👪 scenes. I loved ❤ Leonie's character. Sometimes Leonie got on my nerves. I loved ❤ Golden's character. I loved ❤ the ending. I loved ❤ how Ms. Evans made us feel how the 1900s was. Awesome job Ms. Evans.
June 20, 2020
I loved the story and the setting.
This was a wonderful story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a more erotic story than I usually read. I was more interested in the characters and the background but I’m glad I read it.
This was a wonderful story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a more erotic story than I usually read. I was more interested in the characters and the background but I’m glad I read it.
February 15, 2018
It’s nice to read something featuring black people from this time period that isn’t Ragtime. Like, people can fall in love and play music, and nobody dies. How exciting!
July 5, 2020
I almost never give novellas more than 3 stars, but here I am giving 4.5. Definitely an author I would read from again.
March 27, 2022
4.5
I really liked this! I would have liked a little more at the end. It just wound up feeling a little too abrupt, but I really, really enjoyed it!
I really liked this! I would have liked a little more at the end. It just wound up feeling a little too abrupt, but I really, really enjoyed it!
March 10, 2018
Great!
This book was good! Golden didn’t take anything from anyone. He spoke his mind and didn’t care who liked it or not. Leonie got on my nerves how she kept playing with my boy’s feeling when we knew she loved him. This story was so enjoyable to read and I hated that it ended so soon. I love Golden!
This book was good! Golden didn’t take anything from anyone. He spoke his mind and didn’t care who liked it or not. Leonie got on my nerves how she kept playing with my boy’s feeling when we knew she loved him. This story was so enjoyable to read and I hated that it ended so soon. I love Golden!
March 2, 2018
Golden and Leonie are two strong characters whose story kept me engaged from start to finish. Leonie knew what (or who) she wanted and Golden wasn't about to let her play with him physically or mentally. It was hard to see how their love would survive, given the divide between them, but Ms. Evans provided a satisfactory ending to their romance.
The atmosphere, backdrop, and music steeped me in the period covered. Careful attention to detail gave the story an authentic feel. The push and pull between the two lovers made me emotional at times, so too the reality of what black people faced in the 1900s.
Good storytelling, memorable characters, and insight into life ‘way back when’ make A Delicate Affair an entertaining read.
The atmosphere, backdrop, and music steeped me in the period covered. Careful attention to detail gave the story an authentic feel. The push and pull between the two lovers made me emotional at times, so too the reality of what black people faced in the 1900s.
Good storytelling, memorable characters, and insight into life ‘way back when’ make A Delicate Affair an entertaining read.
February 10, 2018
This is a raw romance, written in an era when communities were segregated by colour, wealth and education. Golden is a man driven by music, the one instrument to ultimately bring all communities together, whilst Leonie is the product of a wealthy family that has high expectations for her. Golden was forbidden fruit and Leonie was bold in making her desires known. Knowing that he did not belong in her world, Golden did everything he could to make her keep her distance. When the final insult is delivered, Golden turns his back on Leonie and she recognises all she has lost.This book is well written, drawing on the feelings and emotions of the era, as well as the expectations of society towards young women of their class. I loved Golden’s character, his chivalry and protectiveness towards Leonie, even when she was reckless in her actions. Leonie typified many young women of that time, when as much as the world was opening up to them, there were also severe restrictions. Essentially a love story, this novel drew a clear picture of the life and times of a young Coloured woman in the early 20th century, making one realise that advances in society have been made. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
September 9, 2018
A Delicate Affair is the first book in the Decades: A journey of African-American Romance series. Golden Worth is a talented musician who has relocated from rural Georgia, in the early 1900’s, to escape the threats of lynching. He travels to Washington, D.C. for a better life. From the moment that Golden laid eyes on “Diamond Girl” in the Juke Joint where he plays, I was intrigued and wondering what would happen next. “Diamond Girl” is the pursuer and Golden is trying to stay as far away as possible. He knows that she is in a totally different class and out of his league. I like the name Golden for this character. It’s fitting considering his eyes are pale brown “pretty” eyes.
I like how Ms. Evans writes the situation that causes draws these two characters together and gives Golden the opportunity to be the hero. We also finally find out that “Diamond Girls” name is Leonie Harper.
There is a lot of flirtatious banter between these two. When they get together it’s hot and sensual. Golden falls hard really fast. As we get to know Leonie we realize she wants to travel a different path than what her parents have set for her. Does she have the courage to follow her dreams and her heart?
It was hard to put this book down. It’s a good thing is it’s a novella Ms. Evans does a really good job of using imagery to transport the reader to the setting. Her words are also kind of poetic. In addition to being an all around great story, the historical references, including referencing Booker T. Washington and Tuskegee institute, add to the theme of the book. I’m rating this 5 stars, despite the fact that I wasn’t ready for it to end.
I like how Ms. Evans writes the situation that causes draws these two characters together and gives Golden the opportunity to be the hero. We also finally find out that “Diamond Girls” name is Leonie Harper.
There is a lot of flirtatious banter between these two. When they get together it’s hot and sensual. Golden falls hard really fast. As we get to know Leonie we realize she wants to travel a different path than what her parents have set for her. Does she have the courage to follow her dreams and her heart?
It was hard to put this book down. It’s a good thing is it’s a novella Ms. Evans does a really good job of using imagery to transport the reader to the setting. Her words are also kind of poetic. In addition to being an all around great story, the historical references, including referencing Booker T. Washington and Tuskegee institute, add to the theme of the book. I’m rating this 5 stars, despite the fact that I wasn’t ready for it to end.
April 5, 2025
3.5
i like how forward leonie is about her attraction to golden. not only because it’s nice to see an fmc be so unabashed in what she wants. but also because despite her being a bold and confident person, she’s using this forwardness to cover up her feelings of confusion and awkwardness. she’s used her seduction before and it worked easily on others but with golden she’s out of her depth and saying the wrong things all the time, just to follow it up with exactly the right things. she was an interesting character that i wish had more development.
i do like golden over all and i do like the “city girl / country boy” and “rich girl / poor boy” dynamic but i kinda hate it when the mmc is insecure about his status and makes it the fmc’s problem. that didn’t happen too much in this book but there were a few moments that made me think it was going there. the way it went in this book kind of led towards leonie chasing after golden which i didn’t love.
i feel like nothing really happened with the whole “golden goes to france” plot. i thought it’d be more of a big deal but it showed up at the beginning of the book and didn’t get mentioned again until close to the end. and when it did get mentioned it was very abrupt. i enjoyed the book but it felt half baked.
i like how forward leonie is about her attraction to golden. not only because it’s nice to see an fmc be so unabashed in what she wants. but also because despite her being a bold and confident person, she’s using this forwardness to cover up her feelings of confusion and awkwardness. she’s used her seduction before and it worked easily on others but with golden she’s out of her depth and saying the wrong things all the time, just to follow it up with exactly the right things. she was an interesting character that i wish had more development.
i do like golden over all and i do like the “city girl / country boy” and “rich girl / poor boy” dynamic but i kinda hate it when the mmc is insecure about his status and makes it the fmc’s problem. that didn’t happen too much in this book but there were a few moments that made me think it was going there. the way it went in this book kind of led towards leonie chasing after golden which i didn’t love.
i feel like nothing really happened with the whole “golden goes to france” plot. i thought it’d be more of a big deal but it showed up at the beginning of the book and didn’t get mentioned again until close to the end. and when it did get mentioned it was very abrupt. i enjoyed the book but it felt half baked.
February 11, 2019
Golden Worth (Instrumentalist) is a proud southerner. But when some "good" Georgia boys threaten to lynch him for looking at a white woman, he runs north to Washington DC to make music and a new life for himself. He doesn’t much care for the racism and the way blacks are treated in the clubs; play but can’t sit and enjoy the music. He doesn't count on falling for the untouchable Leonie Harper, an aristocratic beauty with a mind for sin. He knows better than to want her, but the Radcliffe-bound girl who's supposed to be a blushing debutante is anything but. She captivates him, tempting him to want things he once thought were out of reach. Eventually, Golden falls into Leonie's scented embrace, even though he’s told by her friends she's only playing with him until something richer comes along. He flees the states for a better life promised in Europe. Can this country boy convince a big city girl to take a chance on real love, or will she leave him swinging in the wind?
January 25, 2022
Interesting
I am certain that this was an exercise of placing a romance as we know it today in the early1900's. What made this story difficult for me were the morals, social practices/pressures, and having to imagine a family with wealth during this period. Hearing about the conditions of the African-American during this time made it easy to identify with Golden, a main character. I had a hard time with Leonie,the love interest , who was born into prosperity and privileges. I completed this novel to learn how courtship was handled and how they were finally able to come together. I personally need to read more romances that occur during this period. I definitely will read something else by this author.
I am certain that this was an exercise of placing a romance as we know it today in the early1900's. What made this story difficult for me were the morals, social practices/pressures, and having to imagine a family with wealth during this period. Hearing about the conditions of the African-American during this time made it easy to identify with Golden, a main character. I had a hard time with Leonie,the love interest , who was born into prosperity and privileges. I completed this novel to learn how courtship was handled and how they were finally able to come together. I personally need to read more romances that occur during this period. I definitely will read something else by this author.
November 21, 2019
This was the first book in a 12 book series of african american romances, one set in each decade. The series started off amazing with this first book. Golden, originally from the south, comes to Washington as a musician and meets socialite Leoinne Harper, and they have to make a decision if they can overcome their differences and make a relationship work.
These two were just so right for each other. They had a great banter that made you fall more in love with them and root for them all the way to the end of the story. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the other books in the series. (Series, but each book is a stand alone, since each one covers a different decade)
These two were just so right for each other. They had a great banter that made you fall more in love with them and root for them all the way to the end of the story. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the other books in the series. (Series, but each book is a stand alone, since each one covers a different decade)
December 23, 2021
A historical romance between two African American characters during the early 1900s of different social classes? I was in. Ready to read. Golden has escaped the South and plays banjo in a ragtime band (love ragtime), and Leonie is bound for university at Radcliffe, something very important to her mother, who wants her daughter to succeed.
The story is truly a product of the time, and I loved how the author did not hold back. I also enjoyed Leonie’s carefree attitude to enjoy herself before she set off to make her mother’s dream come true.
Read more here: https://t.co/AvvGORagYz
The story is truly a product of the time, and I loved how the author did not hold back. I also enjoyed Leonie’s carefree attitude to enjoy herself before she set off to make her mother’s dream come true.
Read more here: https://t.co/AvvGORagYz
March 22, 2018
This is the first book in the Decades series (A Journey of African-American Romance) by Lindsay Evans. I am quite pleased with her portrayal of Golden, a southerner who came North to make music. Leonie is Radcliffe bound and comes from a well to do family. Golden feels she is toying with him, but I felt she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life. Love the story can't wait to read more.
February 19, 2018
A delicate affair is quite an interesting story. Golden, a southern boy came to Washington in hope for a greener pasture. He met Leonie, a spoilt and rich city girl who pursued him tirelessly. But Golden knows they are from two different worlds, will they be able to make it work? "I received this book for free from eBook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review".
May 8, 2018
Color Doesn't Matter
Interesting, story line at times it seemed receptionists with Golden and Leonie repeating the same process. Intriguing secondary characters. It's a shame here in 2018 we are still dealing with issues from the 1900s.
Interesting, story line at times it seemed receptionists with Golden and Leonie repeating the same process. Intriguing secondary characters. It's a shame here in 2018 we are still dealing with issues from the 1900s.
January 12, 2018
The Sound of Music
Golden's music takes him from the south to the north and to Leonie. She is bold, spoiled, and well-off. Can they co-exist?
Golden's music takes him from the south to the north and to Leonie. She is bold, spoiled, and well-off. Can they co-exist?
April 1, 2018
Great story!
I love love stories that is not predictable. Leonie and Golden's story was not predictable. Leonie had to grow up and follow her heart.
I love love stories that is not predictable. Leonie and Golden's story was not predictable. Leonie had to grow up and follow her heart.
February 25, 2022
Interesting depiction of a culture that is unfamiliar to me - Black Washington DC in the early 1900s. Sadly, the heroine was too young and entitled for me, so I didn't stick with it.
September 13, 2020
The whole concept of this series - following African Americans couples through 12 decades - was fascinating so I decided to pick this book up sometime in JuneI believe. Then of course I forgot I bought it because it kind of got sandwiched between some tomes. Thankfully, I found it recently and decided to give it a shot - it was actually less than 155 pages as there are excerpts from other books in the end.
This was an interesting read - I really liked the writing but the plot was too thin to really sustain the angst and the drama the writing created. Here the novella length didn’t help. Basically, the entire book was angst about how the characters couldn’t be together, but the resolution was so easy that it felt that there was no real thing keeping them apart, other than them being idiots.
Even the societal issues about how Golden was “low class” wasn’t really explored. It was such a non-issue that I was annoyed
While I generally liked the author, some of the writing choices were a little weird - there were too many whore similes in the beginning. For example, “Golden was sweating like a whore in church ...” - that was the second time this has happened in 13 pages so I was annoyed. Thankfully, the author switched POV and gave us chapters from the heroine’s perspective which saved the book for me and gave the latter half of the book a shot in the plot arm.
There was some fascinating references to history (lynching in the south , Radcliffe College etc) but none of it really mattered to the romance . This could have been set in any time period and it would have worked. Why this was set in the 1900s wasn’t clear to me. The sense of time was lacking in the novella though the sense of atmosphere was good. The music and the sizzle between the characters was all well done which made me quite conflicted when thinking about this book.
In the end - 3 stars for the chemistry between the leads (even though they were idiots).
I look forward to reading a full length novel by this author because I think she was constrained by novella length and being part of this historical series.
This was an interesting read - I really liked the writing but the plot was too thin to really sustain the angst and the drama the writing created. Here the novella length didn’t help. Basically, the entire book was angst about how the characters couldn’t be together, but the resolution was so easy that it felt that there was no real thing keeping them apart, other than them being idiots.
Even the societal issues about how Golden was “low class” wasn’t really explored. It was such a non-issue that I was annoyed
While I generally liked the author, some of the writing choices were a little weird - there were too many whore similes in the beginning. For example, “Golden was sweating like a whore in church ...” - that was the second time this has happened in 13 pages so I was annoyed. Thankfully, the author switched POV and gave us chapters from the heroine’s perspective which saved the book for me and gave the latter half of the book a shot in the plot arm.
There was some fascinating references to history (lynching in the south , Radcliffe College etc) but none of it really mattered to the romance . This could have been set in any time period and it would have worked. Why this was set in the 1900s wasn’t clear to me. The sense of time was lacking in the novella though the sense of atmosphere was good. The music and the sizzle between the characters was all well done which made me quite conflicted when thinking about this book.
In the end - 3 stars for the chemistry between the leads (even though they were idiots).
I look forward to reading a full length novel by this author because I think she was constrained by novella length and being part of this historical series.
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