Tag: Antebellum

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Back to Old School, Dueling Review

Back to Old School: The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss (1972)

smutreportteam

Birmingham, Book #1

Heat Factor: “His warmth and passion” is “led on to his nest.”

Character Chemistry: Is it abuse or is it love? Hard to tell.

Plot: Brandon rapes Heather. They are forced to get married. And then Brandon takes Heather to South Carolina, where shenanigans occur and also they somehow decide they’re in love.

Overall: It’s all totally yikes or totally infuriating and sometimes both!

Please note: This book includes rape, abuse, chattel slavery, and ableism (among other things), which we discuss in this review.

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Recommended Read, Review

Review: Indigo by Beverly Jenkins (1996)

Erin

Heat Factor: It’s pretty steamy for a reasonably standard old school historical romance 

Character Chemistry: Galen makes Hester feel things. He also thinks she’s arresting.

Plot: Slave catchers are roving around, looking for our protagonists, in antebellum Michigan

Overall: The work this book does is really something special

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Recommended Read, Review

Review: The Lawyer’s Luck by Piper Huguley (2014)

Ingrid

Home to Milford College, Prequel

Heat Factor: Not a “hot” book – more of a tender book.

Character Chemistry: Kind of an “us against the world” type love.

Plot: Realie is tantalizingly close to freedom in Canada, but is accidentally shot when she attempts to steal a horse. Lawrence, an upstanding Miami Indian/Negro man and aspiring laywer, is determined to heal and help Realie after accidentally shooting her. These two sacrifice and take great chances to build a life together, and it’s both heartbreaking and beautiful as they strive for their dreams.

Overall: This is a remarkably balanced historical romance. Huguley somehow manages to hold to the truth of history and weave a story of love and commitment between Realie and Lawrence, which is perhaps easier said than done when “happily ever after” can’t ever mean truly “free” for Realie.

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