A review by nytephoenyx
Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce

reflective 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

4.0

Wild Women and the Blues is a slow roll story, a little bit of a mystery but mostly just historical fiction. There's a dual storyline with multiple reveals, all of which are relatively interesting. I liked the book feel enough, but I really struggled with the pacing and ended up kicking the narration up to 2x. I think it was a mix - the slow pace of the book itself coupled with a slow narrator.

We have some interesting characters, though, and all of them have different sides that leave the reader interested in digging down and learning their truth. I was interested in all three of the principle characters in the past, and I grew to understand why we also had a present-time storyline. That one I didn't love, but it was fine. It served the final twist, and that was what mattered.

I'd recommend Wild Women and the Blues to the right kind of reader. They'd have to be an historical fiction fan, for one. It's got the edges of a lost love kind of love story, as well as many aspects that make books set in Prohibition really interesting. I appreciated having a different perspective telling the story - not a flapper, not a white girl, not a bootlegger, not a mobster. There's a formula to this story as well - the dual storyline - that makes it a tried-and-true format that many people enjoy.

If you enjoy adult historical fiction, historical fiction from Black perspectives, and the 20s, this is a great book to check out.
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