Reviews with content warning for Racism - Wild Women and the Blues

The corwnung jewel to this book is the amount of care and detail that went into the historical setting, it's really immersive and you never forget, down to the language it uses having a lot of 1920s terminology. Otherwise the plot and characters and writing is just okay, it was entertaining to listen to at work but nothing special

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somelibrarychick's review against another edition

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informative mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Wild Women and the Blues is a slow roll story, a little bit of a mystery but mostly just historical fiction. There's a dual storyline with multiple reveals, all of which are relatively interesting. I liked the book feel enough, but I really struggled with the pacing and ended up kicking the narration up to 2x. I think it was a mix - the slow pace of the book itself coupled with a slow narrator.

We have some interesting characters, though, and all of them have different sides that leave the reader interested in digging down and learning their truth. I was interested in all three of the principle characters in the past, and I grew to understand why we also had a present-time storyline. That one I didn't love, but it was fine. It served the final twist, and that was what mattered.

I'd recommend Wild Women and the Blues to the right kind of reader. They'd have to be an historical fiction fan, for one. It's got the edges of a lost love kind of love story, as well as many aspects that make books set in Prohibition really interesting. I appreciated having a different perspective telling the story - not a flapper, not a white girl, not a bootlegger, not a mobster. There's a formula to this story as well - the dual storyline - that makes it a tried-and-true format that many people enjoy.

If you enjoy adult historical fiction, historical fiction from Black perspectives, and the 20s, this is a great book to check out.

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cyan_altaria's review

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emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

While I don't usually read historical fiction, I enjoyed Wild Women and the Blues. The characters were complex and flawed, and I really liked that. Sawyer's character development was on point, and seeing Honoree's reactions felt real. Sawyer and Honoree had distinct voices, which I really liked. The twists and turn of the plot were handled excellently, although I would've liked a little more foreshadowing with

the fact that the "Honoree" in the facility was actually Bessie

. The two timelines also felt disconnected for most of the book. But overall, this was a great book!

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shayk22's review

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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nikkiei's review

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dark emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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ashleysbookthoughts's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This is what I’m looking for in historical fiction: a dual timeline, a propulsive plot that keeps me invested, characters I care about who are doing their best despite their shitty circumstances, and an era that is not WWII. (As an aside, I’m so over WWII era stories. I don’t care how good the book sounds, I’m tired of reading about it when there are so many other time periods to write about.)

Wild Women and the Blues delivers on all of my criteria. The 1920s Jazz era Chicago setting was so unique and well done and the story kept me on the edge of my seat. This was well on its way to being a five star book for me, but the ending knocked it down a touch. It was rushed, which left a big loose end for me that was a pretty big plot point. There also was a twist that felt pretty unnecessary and I think the book would’ve been better without it.

All in all though, it was a great ride and I enjoyed spending time with Honoree, Bessie, and Ezekiel. The 1920s slang was fun too.

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