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librarysue's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A rather sweet romance set in the mid-1960's that features NO white people at all! Brooklyn native Anita supports Malcolm X and falls for M.L. King organizer Jason, fresh up from Atlanta and new to city life. The history and the setting seem real, the two young folks and their families are people you can warm to and like and admire. All in all a satisfying trip down memory lane.
csikich7's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-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
3.75
georgiaonyrmnd's review against another edition
3.0
This one wasn’t for me and I ended up not finishing it. I really wanted to like it, but I had a hard time getting into the story despite the compelling premise. It actually felt didactic at times. I appreciated the inclusion of photos and video about NYC and the Civil Rights movement, but was irked by how often Anita called Jason a country boy. He’s from Atlanta! Plus he was a good Baptist boy but didn’t have qualms about sleeping with Anita. That seemed odd...
cakt1991's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Confessions in B-Flat is a truly multimedia experience: along with the engaging prose, there are photographs of pivotal moments from the Civil Rights movement, as well as links to video clips of moments referenced within the text to read along to, so you can both read the words and hear the voices of Civil Rights luminaries like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. It really brings the history to life in such a compelling way.
As for the romance, it’s beautifully heartbreaking and hopeful, memorable and moving. The dynamic between Jason and Anita is one of people with different methods working toward a common goal, an example of a politically charged opposites-attract relationship that has a lot to overcome without one side being oppressive to the other, as is the trend in other recent books. And I really liked seeing Jason as the one interested in peaceful protest and Anita more radical action, as opposed to the other way around, which I might have expected, as well as their respective reasons for choosing to believe as they do. It also makes it compelling as they do begin to influence one another.
With the dearth of more “modern” historical romances (the only comparable title from the same time period that comes to mind is Alyssa Cole’s novella, Let it Shine) and the continued relevance of these issues in the present, I think this is an important book to pick up for anyone doing anti-racism work. But it’s also a brilliant book in and of itself that I recommend for anyone looking to diversify their historical romance reading.
Confessions in B-Flat is a truly multimedia experience: along with the engaging prose, there are photographs of pivotal moments from the Civil Rights movement, as well as links to video clips of moments referenced within the text to read along to, so you can both read the words and hear the voices of Civil Rights luminaries like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. It really brings the history to life in such a compelling way.
As for the romance, it’s beautifully heartbreaking and hopeful, memorable and moving. The dynamic between Jason and Anita is one of people with different methods working toward a common goal, an example of a politically charged opposites-attract relationship that has a lot to overcome without one side being oppressive to the other, as is the trend in other recent books. And I really liked seeing Jason as the one interested in peaceful protest and Anita more radical action, as opposed to the other way around, which I might have expected, as well as their respective reasons for choosing to believe as they do. It also makes it compelling as they do begin to influence one another.
With the dearth of more “modern” historical romances (the only comparable title from the same time period that comes to mind is Alyssa Cole’s novella, Let it Shine) and the continued relevance of these issues in the present, I think this is an important book to pick up for anyone doing anti-racism work. But it’s also a brilliant book in and of itself that I recommend for anyone looking to diversify their historical romance reading.
arisbookcorner's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Now this is a great "political differences" romance novel premise. None of that bipartisan romance nonsense that seems to be a disturbing newish trend. In essence both Anita and Jason believe Black Lives Matter (or in this case the civil rights movement), they just don't believe in the same methods to achieve Black liberation. Unfortunately much of the political execution of this novel fell flat for me. I was frustrated that although both perspectives are given space, we spend far more time with MLK Jr.'s followers/Jason. It's set in 1963 which is the year before Malcolm X splits from the Nation of Islam but as the novel moves through the years this isn't mentioned. I also wanted the author to really go there and have Anita grapple with her feminism and the teachings of the Nation when it came to the treatment of women but that's also not brought up. It was a missed opportunity and made the book feel inauthentic because its depiction of Malcolm X and his teachings was surface level. Jason's character development was also lacking. He makes a seemingly rash decision towards the end that made no sense given his character and his love of MLK and non violent principles. I found this so abrupt and disconcerting that it put me off the entire last half even with the romantic ending. I also did not like the multimedia aspect which included photographs, newspaper headlines and speech excerpts. Usually I do enjoy multimedia inserted into a novel but in historical fiction I think it's unnecessary. Maybe I'm just being cranky because I know what both leaders look like but I found it distracting and unhelpful to moving the story along. There was also a type for Bayard Rustin's name and it made me wonder about the accuracy of other historical details I might have been less familiar with as a few other reviews caught things I had missed.
Where the politics fall short the romance somewhat makes up for it. The lack of strong character development makes it hard to feel fully invested in Jason and Anita's relationship but I still adored their relationship. Their struggles felt authentic as they wondered if they could compromise politically for their sake of their relationship. It's a tough question and one the author probes well. Anita and Jason's romance is sweet and nicely paced, no insta love or enemies to lovers tropes here but it is an "opposites attract" romance in personality as well as beliefs. Instead they start off the way many real-life romances do, as strangers who grow fond of each other but are also more than willing to challenge each other. Their romantic journey is mostly pleasant, low-angst but still believably tumultuous on occasion. Additionally their families are richly drawn and just as lovable. Ironically I felt like the families had more nuance than Jason and Anita themselves.
CONFESSIONS IN B-FLAT is an absorbing historical romance that needed a little more heft. The premise is fantastic but it needed a little more depth when it came to the main characters to be executed well. I was frustrated by much of the ending because of the abrupt change in Jason's character, it didn't jar with anything we'd been told about him or his beliefs. I think this is a good introduction for anyone whose lacking in 1960s/civil rights knowledge but for the more seasoned reader/lover of history none of this will be new or interesting information. In which case I recommend focusing on the sentimental romance as opposed to some of the basic or questionable historical details. Also the cover is stunning! So pretty.
Where the politics fall short the romance somewhat makes up for it. The lack of strong character development makes it hard to feel fully invested in Jason and Anita's relationship but I still adored their relationship. Their struggles felt authentic as they wondered if they could compromise politically for their sake of their relationship. It's a tough question and one the author probes well. Anita and Jason's romance is sweet and nicely paced, no insta love or enemies to lovers tropes here but it is an "opposites attract" romance in personality as well as beliefs. Instead they start off the way many real-life romances do, as strangers who grow fond of each other but are also more than willing to challenge each other. Their romantic journey is mostly pleasant, low-angst but still believably tumultuous on occasion. Additionally their families are richly drawn and just as lovable. Ironically I felt like the families had more nuance than Jason and Anita themselves.
CONFESSIONS IN B-FLAT is an absorbing historical romance that needed a little more heft. The premise is fantastic but it needed a little more depth when it came to the main characters to be executed well. I was frustrated by much of the ending because of the abrupt change in Jason's character, it didn't jar with anything we'd been told about him or his beliefs. I think this is a good introduction for anyone whose lacking in 1960s/civil rights knowledge but for the more seasoned reader/lover of history none of this will be new or interesting information. In which case I recommend focusing on the sentimental romance as opposed to some of the basic or questionable historical details. Also the cover is stunning! So pretty.
packy_reads_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Hate crime, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, and Abortion
coley_cole37's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The build up took too long.
readincolour's review against another edition
2.0
I had such high hopes for this book but I can't do historical fiction that doesn't get the timeline of history right it's sloppy research. Between calling Bayard Rustin Baynard, taking about cassette tapes (which were around at the time but not really for commercial use) and then talking about mix tapes, which weren't a thing until hip hop came along, I quit.
Beautiful cover though. Very beautiful cover.
Beautiful cover though. Very beautiful cover.