Reviews

Confessions in B-Flat by Donna Hill

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.

fair2partlycloudia's review against another edition

1.0

I had such high hopes for this and wanted to love it. The concept really sucked me in but I just couldn't get into the writing and thought the characters were kind of one-dimentional. I ended up more frustrated than anything.

annarella's review

5.0

What an excellent story that mixes historical fiction and romance.
It's gripping, poignant, enjoyable and full of food for thought.
I loved the fleshed out and interesting characters, the well researched historical background and the tightly knitted plot that kept me hooked.
It's an excellent story that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

bookfay's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

shaunessymargaret's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

lulureads365's review

2.0

This was a descent romance novel, but the historical elements came up way short for me. I never got the feeling that this novel actually took place in the 60s. Some of the references made were way off from their actual timeframe. I don’t wanna spoil the story, so I won’t go into details, but yeah....I was actually disappointed with this one.

descobar's review against another edition

5.0

This read couldn’t come at a better time! Donna strikes a balance between Black joy and Black struggle for self determination. The way she describes Anita’s Black features had me in awe. Sprinkled throughout the chapters are key quotes, links to speeches, and photographs of Civil Rights events that invite the reader to further explore the era. There is such a variety of Black representation and I highly recommend this book!

fatima17's review against another edition

4.0

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think the author did a good job of ensuring the main issues of the books in terms of Black Lives Matter, racism, police brutality, state violence etc did not get overpowered by the romance. There was a good balance between the two. She also managed to strike a nice balance between adding her own flavour and creativity along with keeping actual historical events and figures in the book.

That said I think the book felt a little rushed towards the end. I'd like to get a sequel just to see where lies ahead for the main characters.

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.