cdb393's review against another edition
Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole was by far the best novella in the collection. It was great. All the rest were just okay with Drifting to You by Kianna Alexander being the weakest.
eemms's review against another edition
4.0
Overall good collection of short stories, though the first one was IMO by far the weakest. My favorites were Drifting to You (Kianna Alexander) and Let it Shine (Alyssa Cole).
crystalisreading's review
3.0
This collection of short stories was my first time reading African-American historical romances, and my first time really learning about Juneteenth. As with any collection, I enjoyed some stories (the first and last ones) more than others. Being new to the subgenre, I was surprised how many stories featured an at least partially Caucasian love interest, but once I got used to that idea, I was sold on most of the romances. I especially liked the smart, fiesty, independent ladies of Amazing Grace and Let it Shine (and have a hold on another book by Alyssa Cole already). The young ladies were smart and independent, but for the most part not distractingly/ unrealistically so. Having limited familiarity with the fine points of African American cultural history also probably helped me with the suspension of disbelief and constant suspicion of anachronism that I usually struggle with while reading historical fiction. The stories gave me a lot of perspective on various points in African American history, as well as some sense of the role of Juneteenth celebrations throughout it, and left me wanting more, at least by Alyssa Cole and Lena Hart. Kianna Alexander's story was full of one-dimensional characters, especially the "villain" and I really couldn't get into it. and then I actually disliked Piper Huguley's story, characters and plot, so much that I had to struggle to get through it and finish the collection. When I finally pushed through it, I was happy with the ending, and even happier to get to Let It Shine, which I then enjoyed. I'm glad I read this, not only on its own merits, but also as an introduction to a new (to me) subgenre and some good authors to check out again in the future.
cakt1991's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
mariepiperbooks's review
4.0
A beautiful and romantic collection of tales centering around the Juneteenth holiday, which I'll admit I didn't know much about before reading. All four stories are well done and interesting and could stand alone. Alyssa Cole's LET IT SHINE won awards, in fact, and is the collection's stand out story. Recommended for historical romance buffs.
rach_simone's review
4.0
Excellent collection of historical romance novellas.
My personal favorite was Let It Shine. It's set during Civil Rights and this young woman who has always followed the rules wants to be part of it. She runs into a boy from her past (he's Jewish) and sparks fly. It was steamy and emotional. Stuff happens in a boxing ring. Of course there are issues with race and growing up and moving on from tragedy.
I plan on reading more from each of these authors.
My personal favorite was Let It Shine. It's set during Civil Rights and this young woman who has always followed the rules wants to be part of it. She runs into a boy from her past (he's Jewish) and sparks fly. It was steamy and emotional. Stuff happens in a boxing ring. Of course there are issues with race and growing up and moving on from tragedy.
I plan on reading more from each of these authors.
harmony's review
2.0
Amazing Grace by Lena Hart
One Star
Setting aside the chemistry-less insta-love and the twee fact that the hero is attracted to the heroine, named Gracie, while she's singing Amazing Grace, I just couldn't find much to like in this novella. The heroine is a young Black woman who escaped from a plantation with her family when she was 4, her father having sustained a brutal beating over the theft of an apple.
Who does she fall in love with? Gross, gross, gross!
Drifting to You by Kianna Alexander
Three Stars
I didn't really have strong feelings about this story. The attraction and buildup between the two characters is largely implied to have happened before the story actually starts, so we're supposed to instantly buy into chemistry that they supposedly have and are ignoring. Will is the owner of a very successful business for backstory reasons that are barely plausible, and Rosaline is a baker who seems to be universally admired, enough that a wealthy local woman is willing to lower her standards to encourage her nephew to marry a former slave. Obviously that doesn't work out the way she'd hoped. The couple is sweet but bland, and the story didn't stick in my mind.
A Sweet Way to Freedom by Piper Huguley
One Star
I couldn't finish this one. The heroine is too perfect to believe and the hero is supposed to be a redeemed player but he just comes across as awkward and a little gross. The writing was technically competent, but the overall story didn't work for me at all.
Let it Shine by Alyssa Cole
Five Stars
Unsurprisingly, Cole is the shining star of this collection. She writes beautifully, her characters are delightful and vulnerable and real, and her story is crafted with skill and care. Sophie and Ivan, a young black woman and a Jewish man in the early days of the first Civil Rights Era, have just reconnected after being childhood friends, but their relationship is illegal in Virginia, and even if it weren't, they are both prepared to throw themselves into the danger and violence of protest and prison. It's an emotional journey and a great story.
One Star
Setting aside the chemistry-less insta-love and the twee fact that the hero is attracted to the heroine, named Gracie, while she's singing Amazing Grace, I just couldn't find much to like in this novella. The heroine is a young Black woman who escaped from a plantation with her family when she was 4, her father having sustained a brutal beating over the theft of an apple.
Who does she fall in love with?
Spoiler
HER FORMER OWNER! Not that she realizes that at first. At first he's just some random guy she gets sort of thrown together with on flimsy reasons who is prone to inappropriate touching. Despite knowing basically nothing about each other, the girl who was willing to move away from everything she knows and loves to marry a stranger on the frontier to help her family basically throws herself at him, simultaneously throwing her family's future away. She regrets it, but it's okay because he totally wants to marry her now, except that he knows she's from his plantation and DOESN'T TELL HER. She's mad for a while, but after a couple weeks she's ready to forgive him and make little frontier babies with the guy who owned slaves and fought for the Confederacy.Drifting to You by Kianna Alexander
Three Stars
I didn't really have strong feelings about this story. The attraction and buildup between the two characters is largely implied to have happened before the story actually starts, so we're supposed to instantly buy into chemistry that they supposedly have and are ignoring. Will is the owner of a very successful business for backstory reasons that are barely plausible, and Rosaline is a baker who seems to be universally admired, enough that a wealthy local woman is willing to lower her standards to encourage her nephew to marry a former slave. Obviously that doesn't work out the way she'd hoped. The couple is sweet but bland, and the story didn't stick in my mind.
A Sweet Way to Freedom by Piper Huguley
One Star
I couldn't finish this one. The heroine is too perfect to believe and the hero is supposed to be a redeemed player but he just comes across as awkward and a little gross. The writing was technically competent, but the overall story didn't work for me at all.
Let it Shine by Alyssa Cole
Five Stars
Unsurprisingly, Cole is the shining star of this collection. She writes beautifully, her characters are delightful and vulnerable and real, and her story is crafted with skill and care. Sophie and Ivan, a young black woman and a Jewish man in the early days of the first Civil Rights Era, have just reconnected after being childhood friends, but their relationship is illegal in Virginia, and even if it weren't, they are both prepared to throw themselves into the danger and violence of protest and prison. It's an emotional journey and a great story.
firewhiskeyreader's review
3.0
Amazing Grace by Lena Hart has a Confederate soldier hero and I mean, I know it's post war and all that, but like.... I don't want to read a Confederate soldier as a hero? I guess I should be all about redemption, but... Um. Idk, y'all. 2019 is too much for me to be reading Confederate heroes.
Drifting to You by Kianna Alexander is one of those novellas that doesn't work for me because I'm like ??? How did you decide you love each other that fast? It was good and if you can just fill in the blanks of their history so their story is satisfying, you'll probably really enjoy it. Maybe I was just cranky when I read it?
A Sweet Way to Freedom by Piper Huguley was difficult. I struggle with romances with accidental pregnancy on the best of days, but when you give me one with a hero who doesn't want to take responsibility for much of anything in his life? I'm pretty much checked out before we even really get started. There is not enough groveling IN THE WORLD for that.
Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole is absolutely wonderful and amazing. Essentially it's about a black woman and a Jewish man who grew up together because her mom worked for his. Well, her mom died, and her dad went way too overbearing and really stifled her. But she sees this flyer at church about an activist group for nonviolent sit ins and she goes and who is there but this hot as hell white man. Turns out the white man is her old friend! And the two of them falling in love is freaking everything. Not to mention all the fierce resistance and also, the Civil Rights Movement people were fierce af and we do not appreciate them enough. Like John Lewis is still ALIVE y'all. This was not that long ago. But when I tell you how little I know about this era because it wasn't taught in school, I'm not kidding. I know the big things, right? Like Brown v. Board and Plessy v. Ferguson and Loving v. Virginia, but that's because I'm a lawyer, not because my high school did a good job teaching. Anyway, I'm going to get off my soap box now because this post is already so long.
Drifting to You by Kianna Alexander is one of those novellas that doesn't work for me because I'm like ??? How did you decide you love each other that fast? It was good and if you can just fill in the blanks of their history so their story is satisfying, you'll probably really enjoy it. Maybe I was just cranky when I read it?
A Sweet Way to Freedom by Piper Huguley was difficult. I struggle with romances with accidental pregnancy on the best of days, but when you give me one with a hero who doesn't want to take responsibility for much of anything in his life? I'm pretty much checked out before we even really get started. There is not enough groveling IN THE WORLD for that.
Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole is absolutely wonderful and amazing. Essentially it's about a black woman and a Jewish man who grew up together because her mom worked for his. Well, her mom died, and her dad went way too overbearing and really stifled her. But she sees this flyer at church about an activist group for nonviolent sit ins and she goes and who is there but this hot as hell white man. Turns out the white man is her old friend! And the two of them falling in love is freaking everything. Not to mention all the fierce resistance and also, the Civil Rights Movement people were fierce af and we do not appreciate them enough. Like John Lewis is still ALIVE y'all. This was not that long ago. But when I tell you how little I know about this era because it wasn't taught in school, I'm not kidding. I know the big things, right? Like Brown v. Board and Plessy v. Ferguson and Loving v. Virginia, but that's because I'm a lawyer, not because my high school did a good job teaching. Anyway, I'm going to get off my soap box now because this post is already so long.
darlenemarshall's review
4.0
I live in a small town in North Florida where Juneteenth is celebrated as the community remembers it took a war and the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves who lived here, and throughout the South.
This outstanding collection celebrates the 19th of June (and if you don't know why that's a holiday, each story explains it), and the brave women and men who were strong in the face of adversity, whether it was a Jim Crow rail car of the late 19th c. or the Freedom Riders of the 1960s. Some of the stories are Inspirationals, some are straight historical romance (with some sensuality), all are well-written and entertaining.
I look forward to reading more from these authors, and applaud them on putting together a very special anthology.
This outstanding collection celebrates the 19th of June (and if you don't know why that's a holiday, each story explains it), and the brave women and men who were strong in the face of adversity, whether it was a Jim Crow rail car of the late 19th c. or the Freedom Riders of the 1960s. Some of the stories are Inspirationals, some are straight historical romance (with some sensuality), all are well-written and entertaining.
I look forward to reading more from these authors, and applaud them on putting together a very special anthology.