Reviews

Confessions in B-Flat by Donna Hill

thebluehaired_reader's review against another edition

5.0

Wow. Wow. Wow. I still have tears in my eyes! What a beautifully written book! I loved everything about this story. Jason, the do gooder who is a follower of MLK and Anita, a fiery activist supporting Malcolm X. Both of them coming together despite their differences and the challenges it causes educates you on how life was back then. I loved the history in this book and the pictures! You go from heart break to laughter to love. I definitely recommend reading.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

iamcaseyrkelley's review against another edition

4.0

I haven’t read any romance in a minute. But err now n den a sis needs to chill and decompress from the crazies killing folx and the heavy ish. This hit the spot. Wait...prolly shouldn’t say that when referencing this type of book. So scratch that.

Y’all know I just grab books cuz they have Black cover art and Black authors when I see them at one of those heaven on earth places novices call bookstores. So I was like wayuhmenit when Dr King was chilling in the diner having a meeting. Sure enough on the cover it says “A Civil Rights Love Story”. How’d I miss that?

Aside from the storyline which I loved (someone from Dr King’s camp goes to NYC and meets a woke before wokeness Afro sis that’s from Malcolm’s camp), the visuals were incredible. The wardrobe references gave me life. I could feel the energy in the club. Donna Hill didn’t say there was a tall bass playing in the band. But I heard one while Anita was spitting verse over some smooth jazz. I could see the streets of Harlem with men dressed to the nines in shoes that were spit shined. If time travel ever becomes a thing, I wanna visit the 60s minus the whole racism thing

Loved almost everything about the book. I wasn’t feeling one small storyline towards the end. But other than that it was fiyah. Cop it.

lilydoyle6's review against another edition

4.0

This book was great to read. I really felt transported to the 60s. I thought Anita & Jason were a cute couple & I loved their love.

itsbibliotherapy's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this Civil Rights era romance. I loved how the author intertwined real historical events into the story, even linking speeches and articles for the reader to engage with. The writing was superb and the characters were multifaceted and relatable. It was entertaining, fast-paced, and educational, too. By the end, I was super invested in the characters, and my heart was racing until the very last page! I recommend it.

squirrelfish's review

4.0

It's a young adult, new adult historical fiction romance set in Harlem in the Civil Rights era. And it is lovely! The central conflict is between the political ideologies of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, as the two young dedicated Black people argue their own stances. It's timely, not just to the civil rights movement but to the political climate today. I also loved the history of Harlem and Brooklyn that is interwoven through the book, showing the authors love for the Black Americana and era she chose for the book.
Overall, I wish this book had been around when I was discovering romance, and I'm so glad to have read it. Highly recommend for new readers and romance lovers.

kpthebookworm's review against another edition

5.0

I was gifted a copy of this book as part of TLC Book Tours.

This was a fabulous read from beginning to end. I found the characters endearing, and the concept of the two vastly different ideologies fascinating. How will two people who are so wildly different overcome these difference and make it work?

It was a poignant look at the Civil Rights Movement from an interesting perspective. I found it all at once enlightening and riveting.

The ending was so emotionally charge and beautiful. It genuinely surprised me.

I would gladly follow these characters anywhere just to be a part of their journey.

A great read all around - especially for historical fiction romance lovers like myself!

bookedandlit's review

4.0

This week I read #ConfessionsInBFlat by #DonnaHill . This book is a love letter to the civil rights era of the 60's. We begin with a young man named Jason from Atlanta. He is in a meeting with MLK, John Lewis, and Bayard Rustin, and he volunteers to move to Harlem to teach non-violence as a protest philosophy. On the way he meets Anita. She is a beat poet who believes that Malcolm X's teachings of "by any means necessary" is that correct path towards true freedom. Together they wrestle with their ideologies, and become each other's refuge in a world marked by unrest. At first I had a hard time getting into this book because there was so much history and context being provided. But once I understood what the author was doing, I enjoyed it very much. This is a historical romance where she has included photos and historical markers to push the story forward. And it really resonated with me because in this brief snapshot of their love affair there was the Birmingham Church Bombing, the Kennedy Assassination, the beginning of the Vietnam War, other attacks on Black people in the south. And seeing these characters repeatedly choose each other while it felt like the world was spinning out of control was incredibly moving. This book was clearly a labor of love, and really expanded the genre for me.

adanna_h's review

4.0

In the 1960s, two men were at the forefront of the civil rights movement and the fight for social justice. Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted the same thing, but they approached that vision from very different backgrounds and means. Confession in B-Flat places the reader in the midst of this dynamic time with a multimedia retelling of Romeo and Juliet -- Jason, the "do-gooder" mentee of Martin Luther King Jr., falls for Anita, the fiery devotee of Malcolm X.

I loved the way history is weaved into Jason and Anita's journey. The incorporation of music, poetry, speeches, news articles, and photographs brings this time period to life and helps you feel the tumultuous times in which they are living.

Above all, Confessions in B-Flat is a love story that spans decades. At times, it is beautiful and heartwarming, while at other times, it is heartbreaking. Jason and Anita's path to their happily-ever-after isn't a straight one but reflects their personalities -- strong, independent Anita and patient, do the right thing Jason -- and strengthens with time.

Jason and Anita are two sides of the same coin, much in the same way that you can't look at the civil rights movement without considering the work of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. This engaging, emotional love story is a must-read!

Thanks to Donna Hill, Entangled Publishing, and NetGalley for the digital ARC to read and enjoy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

thespinedown's review against another edition

informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

louisekf's review against another edition

4.0

At its heart, Confessions in B Flat is a romance, but what a romance! It is set against the backdrop of the civil unrest of the 1960s. The female main character, Anita, is a follower of Malcolm X and the male main character, Jason, is a follower of Dr. Martin Luther King. They spar verbally but they have an innate attraction that allows them to “agree to disagree”, realizing that they have the same goals, just different approaches. I loved the family dynamics of both families. I didn’t fully understand the motivation for a big decision by Jason toward the end of the book, but that might be my 20-20 hindsight looking back at the long-term impact of the Vietnam War. The writer beautifully brought to life two New York City neighborhoods: Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant. There are some lovely extras, including historical photos and links to speeches by Malcolm X and others. The book features cameo appearances by many heroes of the civil rights movement: MLK, Malcolm X, John Lewis, Bayard Ruskin, Andrew Young and others. The book is dedicated to John Lewis, who we lost so recently.

Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing / Sideways Books for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy. All opinions are my own.