I managed to pick up a free read at Kobo. And since it’s free, I always do a review as a “thank you” to the author. See what I have to say about A Delicate Affair, book one in the Decades: A Journey of African American Romance, a historical romance by Lindsay Evans.
Title: A Delicate Affair
Series: Decades–A Journey of African American Romance
Author Lindsay Evans
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 149 pages
Publisher: Red Hills Publishing
Publication Date: January 1, 2018
Blurb: 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?
****
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.
The writing is impeccable. The author really excels at bringing the story and setting to life through beautiful, detailed prose. The exchanges between Golden and Leonie are so realistic, especially Golden’s mindset about being “used” by the upper-class. Nice touch. His backgrond of the South really surfaces in his current life.
I especially loved Leonie’s persistence. She’s a girl who’s served up whatever she desires, so not taking no for an answer was truly in her character as she begins her pursuit of Golden. What Leonie doesn’t count on is her escapade having more meaning than she wants it to, and she has some hard decisions to make.
Golden is the consummate hero. He is a true gentleman of the South.
It’s a short story, so I didn’t mind the insta-love at all. To get a HEA, the plot and characters had to move fast, yet still be believable, and it was. I just wish they could have spent more time talking, beside enjoying steamy romps, because I would have loved to see them interact on a conversational intimate level. But being the time period that it was, of course this isn’t going to happen.
Still, this did not detract from the romance. I enjoyed them as a couple, and would continue reading their romance if the author ever decides to continue their romantic journey. I highly recommend this read. It’s a great historical romance story.
Have you read A Delicate Affair? If so, do you agree with my review? If you haven’t read the book, are you willing to now?
Maggie Blackbird 