A review by oceanwriter
The Mayor of Maxwell Street by Avery Cunningham

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I’m feeling indifferent to this book. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t find it particularly good, either. The premise is solid and promises a lot. Sadly, so much of it falls flat. 
 
Nelly is an heiress living in Chicago who is writing anonymous articles about the lives and perspectives of Black Americans. While she’s content with her dreams of being a journalist, her family expects her to marry and produce children. She soon finds herself involved in a high-risk investigation. 
 
I found this book to be far too long for the plot. So many scenes dragged on. There are some nice quotes that I saved, however, I noticed more cliched phrases than I could count. I’m not usually too bothered by those in moderation but they became distracting here. Aside from this, the writing was good. 
 
Had I realized this was being marketed as a romance, I probably would have passed on it. Glancing at the Book of the Month summary, I assumed it would be a mystery. While there are some mysterious elements, I would use the term loosely. I really wanted to love the story. It’s ultimately on me for not doing my research. 
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