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A review by buuboobaby
Breathless by Beverly Jenkins
Breathless starts with a bang. Portia is awakened in the middle of the night by her aunt, and urged to quickly dress. A lynch mob is after her uncle, who has been pretending to be white. As they flee, Portia watches a group of angry men torch their home. She is terrified that they won’t be able to escape, that the men will hang her uncle Rhine. This scene is fast-paced and really grabbed my attention.
Fast forward 15 years. The family has resettled in Arizona Territory, and they own a successful hotel. Rhine is a prudent businessman, and they have all prospered. Portia works as the hotel’s bookkeeper, and she is content with her life. She will never marry, and she bears the emotional scars of being abandoned by her mother. Both she and her younger sister were packed up and shipped off to their Aunt Eddy, and they haven’t heard from their mother since. Corinne was a whore, and the girls’ early years were filled with neglect and hardship. Corinne’s customers were abusive and Portia feared for her safety. After moving in with Rhine and Eddy, she was withdrawn and fearful of men, but as time passed, she realized both she and her sister were safe, and her aunt and uncle gave them both love and encouragement to become strong, independent women.
When Kent rides back into her life, her equilibrium is unbalanced. He challenges her decision to steer clear of men, and makes her re-evaluate her life goals. Will she really be content working for her uncle and staying unattached for the rest of her life. She sees the love that is freely displayed between her aunt and uncle, but doubts that a love like that is possible for her.
The pacing sometimes drove me nuts. There were times when the action on-page dragged, but then when it picked up, it PICKED UP. Thankfully the lulls were regularly broken up, keeping me turning the pages. Both Kent and Portia are complex characters, and the historical details were worked seamlessly into the story. Portia and her circle are fighting for the right to vote, and most of the women at strong, politically active, and not afraid to speak their minds. I liked that.
Kent is at odds with his father. After ditching medical school to be a cowboy, he and his father barely communicate. I really enjoyed this subplot. Both Kent and his father mature, and learn to put their differences aside. Family is more important than these small disagreements, and they both learn to let go of the past.
The romance between Portia and Kent was a mixed bag for me. I didn’t feel that there was much chemistry, but I did like how their relationship slowly developed. After some initial fireworks, I thought their courtship was flat, and I’m not sure why. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t knock my socks off. It felt long at times, with intense bursts of action that helped to make up for the lulls.
Grade: 3.75 stars
Fast forward 15 years. The family has resettled in Arizona Territory, and they own a successful hotel. Rhine is a prudent businessman, and they have all prospered. Portia works as the hotel’s bookkeeper, and she is content with her life. She will never marry, and she bears the emotional scars of being abandoned by her mother. Both she and her younger sister were packed up and shipped off to their Aunt Eddy, and they haven’t heard from their mother since. Corinne was a whore, and the girls’ early years were filled with neglect and hardship. Corinne’s customers were abusive and Portia feared for her safety. After moving in with Rhine and Eddy, she was withdrawn and fearful of men, but as time passed, she realized both she and her sister were safe, and her aunt and uncle gave them both love and encouragement to become strong, independent women.
When Kent rides back into her life, her equilibrium is unbalanced. He challenges her decision to steer clear of men, and makes her re-evaluate her life goals. Will she really be content working for her uncle and staying unattached for the rest of her life. She sees the love that is freely displayed between her aunt and uncle, but doubts that a love like that is possible for her.
The pacing sometimes drove me nuts. There were times when the action on-page dragged, but then when it picked up, it PICKED UP. Thankfully the lulls were regularly broken up, keeping me turning the pages. Both Kent and Portia are complex characters, and the historical details were worked seamlessly into the story. Portia and her circle are fighting for the right to vote, and most of the women at strong, politically active, and not afraid to speak their minds. I liked that.
Kent is at odds with his father. After ditching medical school to be a cowboy, he and his father barely communicate. I really enjoyed this subplot. Both Kent and his father mature, and learn to put their differences aside. Family is more important than these small disagreements, and they both learn to let go of the past.
The romance between Portia and Kent was a mixed bag for me. I didn’t feel that there was much chemistry, but I did like how their relationship slowly developed. After some initial fireworks, I thought their courtship was flat, and I’m not sure why. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t knock my socks off. It felt long at times, with intense bursts of action that helped to make up for the lulls.
Grade: 3.75 stars