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laileanah's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This is a 2nd chance love story set in Reconstruction Era Alabama, 1867.
For the most part I liked this. It was simple and not as good as her more recent stories but certainly worth reading.
My main gripe with this book is that the author did so little research.
The Black Codes don't come into effect until after the end of Reconstruction, 1877.
Reconstruction itself is a Golden Age in American history in which Black folks, voted, held office, owned property and during which interracial marriage was legal.
Anti-miscegenation Laws in Alabama are placed in the state constitution in 1901. During the time this story is set those laws did not apply.
Reconstruction is not taught in schools and very few Americans truly understand its importance and significance.
I highly recommend checking out Reconstruction on PBS hosted by historian Henry Louis Gates Jr.
For nonfiction history books I'd suggest:
Black Reconstruction by W.E.B. Du Bois
Black Reconstruction by W.E.B. Du Bois
Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Reconstruction & The Second Founding by Eric Foner
I Saw Death Coming by Kidada E. Williams covers the fall of Reconstruction which brings about the well known Black Codes that usher in Jim & Jane Crow.
To offer a slight education to anyone interested I included just simple Google Search results.
jjbaby72's review
3.0
Cute and heartwarming
African American historical romance is NOT an easy genre to write. One false move and you can go either to sad and preachy or campy and fantastical. This book is charming and the author does a great job of getting her story out. Although predictable, with a little more imagination, this author could be the next Beverly Jenkins.
African American historical romance is NOT an easy genre to write. One false move and you can go either to sad and preachy or campy and fantastical. This book is charming and the author does a great job of getting her story out. Although predictable, with a little more imagination, this author could be the next Beverly Jenkins.
kelleenmoriarty's review
1.0
The heroine in this book is a formerly enslaved Black woman in 1867 and the hero is a plantation owner and former Confederate soldier who has loved her since they were children? Plantation owners and Confederate soldiers do not deserve HEAs.
kittykat's review
2.0
editiing needed work. Also he fought for the confederate! He didnt want to tell her he was gaoing somewhere with another woman. Villains were caricatures. BFF was delightful.
faye_reads's review
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
nbjackson's review
4.0
With no memories beyond the past five years and a young daughter to take care of Sarah must do everything she can to protect herself and her daughter. The emancipation proclamation declared Sarah free years ago but the local laws still prevent her from leaving the plantation. However, when her master dies and the extremely abusive son inherits the house...and her… Sarah bundles her child and runs away. Lost in the woods being chased by dogs Sarah is doomed until a kind stranger steps in and rescues them.
Alex is amazed when his long lost love comes running into his arms as the plantation owner James chases her through the woods. Soliel has been missing for five years and everyone had given up hope on ever seeing her again. He whisks her away to his home and offers to send her back to her parents in France. With the help of Victoria a childhood friend, Soliel and Alex work on rebuilding their relationship and her memories, one piece at a time.
This was a cute little romance story with some harsh truths about slavery and racism. It was heartbreaking at some points and others had me wishing to go on romantic walks and picnics with my husband. I would've liked more development of the character relationships and of Soliel regaining her memories but since it is a collection of short stories it makes sense how it is.
Alex is amazed when his long lost love comes running into his arms as the plantation owner James chases her through the woods. Soliel has been missing for five years and everyone had given up hope on ever seeing her again. He whisks her away to his home and offers to send her back to her parents in France. With the help of Victoria a childhood friend, Soliel and Alex work on rebuilding their relationship and her memories, one piece at a time.
This was a cute little romance story with some harsh truths about slavery and racism. It was heartbreaking at some points and others had me wishing to go on romantic walks and picnics with my husband. I would've liked more development of the character relationships and of Soliel regaining her memories but since it is a collection of short stories it makes sense how it is.
breaking_the_epigraph's review
5.0
In G.S. Carr's The Cost of Hope, a historical interracial novel (2018) is a story of the love of a woman who was sold into slavery and loved by a man who could not in those times have her as his wife. The author told her story very well; this is clean romance story; however, it does have its elements of darkness which speak of potential rape, rape, and abuse. Stories of this period especially for women of color are hard to read, it brings about the imagery of what happened to our ancestors so long ago. This story had excellent protagonists in Vivian and Elizabeth; those would have been two people to throat punch.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
hannahecarey's review
4.5
GS Carr is a new and distinctive voice in historical romance. Her debut novel, The Cost of Hope is a beautiful love story that deals with the internal struggles of Soliel and Alex, but also the external struggles of America at that time. A great combination of romance & depth certain to engage any lover of romance & historical fiction.
naika's review
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Cost of Hope was a well written, captivating story that put me through a range of emotions. From the first chapter, you bear witness to all the pain and burdens that Soleil has had to endure as a Black women who was born free, was subsequently forced into bondage, and is now fighting for a better life. All the while trying to recover her identity and sense of self she lost due to a traumatic brain injury. Soleil would stop at nothing to build a better life for herself and her daughter, Hope. There clearly was so much symbolism in both their names. I felt the book played into the symbolic and metaphoric, which I immensely enjoyed.
For such a short book, the pacing was great and the story and characters felt fully developed. It realistically portrayed the barriers Black people faced in the 1860s, specifically during the time frame in which the Black Codes were barring Black people from fully realizing their freedom. The Cost of Hope did not shy away from racism, classism, or elitism, nor did it shy away from the resulting violence and abuse. It also showed how white women played significant roles in the continued oppression of Black people during this time period - something that is not nearly explored enough. I liked how we got bits and pieces of historical facts throughout the story, akin to what Beverly Jenkins does in her historical romances (which I personally find to elevate historical romances).
You could feel the push and pull between Soleil and Alex, the white plantation owner who helps her escape her previous living situation. We come to find out that he was her childhood friend and sweetheart before she was abducted and enslaved. They loved each other, but the doubt about whether or not they could safely be together heavily weighed on them as a couple and as individuals. At times, I was not convinced Alex would make the necessary sacrifices for the woman he constantly proclaimed he loved; sometimes his inner monologues exasperated me, as I felt Soleil fared a future far more dangerous than him. I also did not like how he kept excusing or ignoring what Vivian and Elizabeth were doing. It bothered me when he had the opportunity to use his white privilege, he often shied away. But Alex ultimately opened his eyes to what was truly unfolding before him.
The epilogue was not quite what I was hoping for, but it did not distract or take away from the read, and gave the characters a hopeful and happy ending. In fact, I am interested in reading the rest of the series and seeing what else this author has in store.
For such a short book, the pacing was great and the story and characters felt fully developed. It realistically portrayed the barriers Black people faced in the 1860s, specifically during the time frame in which the Black Codes were barring Black people from fully realizing their freedom. The Cost of Hope did not shy away from racism, classism, or elitism, nor did it shy away from the resulting violence and abuse. It also showed how white women played significant roles in the continued oppression of Black people during this time period - something that is not nearly explored enough. I liked how we got bits and pieces of historical facts throughout the story, akin to what Beverly Jenkins does in her historical romances (which I personally find to elevate historical romances).
You could feel the push and pull between Soleil and Alex, the white plantation owner who helps her escape her previous living situation. We come to find out that he was her childhood friend and sweetheart before she was abducted and enslaved. They loved each other, but the doubt about whether or not they could safely be together heavily weighed on them as a couple and as individuals. At times, I was not convinced Alex would make the necessary sacrifices for the woman he constantly proclaimed he loved; sometimes his inner monologues exasperated me, as I felt Soleil fared a future far more dangerous than him. I also did not like how he kept excusing or ignoring what Vivian and Elizabeth were doing. It bothered me when he had the opportunity to use his white privilege, he often shied away. But Alex ultimately opened his eyes to what was truly unfolding before him.
The epilogue was not quite what I was hoping for, but it did not distract or take away from the read, and gave the characters a hopeful and happy ending. In fact, I am interested in reading the rest of the series and seeing what else this author has in store.
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