Review: “Wait for Me” was the first book I read by Caroline Leech and it is one of my favorite historical romances to this day! 

“Wait for Me” tells the story of Lorna Anderson, a young Scottish girl who works on her family’s farm during World War II. Paul, a German Prisoner of War, is sent to work on the Anderson farm. Lorna is initially disgusted at the prospect of working with the very enemy her brothers have been enlisted to fight. Slowly, but surely, Lorna begins to view Paul in a different light. 

I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful book. It captures war time perfectly. Leech’s imagery and characterization are what make this book so gripping. this novel is truly underrated! I recommend it to those who want to explore the historical fiction genre and fans of the forbidden love trope!

Review: I have been into the regency romance genre lately, so when I saw this book at my local bookstore, I could not resist purchasing it! I’m really glad I did 😊

I think what I like most about this book is that it goes beyond just romance. There were elements of mystery throughout the plot that made the novel all the more intriguing and engaging. The mystery and the romance make for quite a dangerous combination, because once I began reading, i could not stop until I was finished. 

Another aspect I appreciated was how the book paid homage to Jane Austen! The story takes place during the regency period after Austen’s many works were published. Victoria “Vicky” Aston, the story’s protagonist, strives to emulate Jane Austen’s beloved characters. in the end, however, she branches out and decides to simply be herself. I thought this was a great twist because most Austen remakes are crafted to reflect modern times. It was refreshing to see “Dangerous Alliance” break the mold and model as “an Austenscious romance” before becoming something completely new and different. 

This isn’t your typical regency romance, which makes reading “Dangerous Alliance” all the more magical 💘

Review: I absolutely adored this retelling of Jane Austen’s pride and prejudice! One thing that’s tricky with regards to retellings is making sure you aren’t copying the original story word for word. Zoboi did a fantastic job creating something new using the skeleton of Austen’s work. 

One of my favorite things about this book is the main character Zuri. She is an aspiring poet looking to attend Howard University. At the same time, she can’t bear the thought of leaving her neighborhood and family behind. She is extremely protective of them and wants to preserve the diverse culture of the hood. Zuri is an incredibly strong, young black woman with a powerful voice. We got to see that voice in her poetry, which was provided in the novel. I loved this addition because it provided further insight into Zuri’s character and a change of formatting. 

What i appreciated most was that the romance element was secondary, which allowed more focus to be on Zuri. Her romance with Darius did not overpower the important conversations about race, social class, and the black experience that were had throughout the novel. I think that is what makes this text so strong.