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A review by bookish_afrolatina
Breathless by Beverly Jenkins
adventurous
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Portia had a terribly rough life at a young age so I was very happy to see her life as an adult with her aunt and uncle. I loved exploring her community in New Mexico during the late 1800s through this story. It's not common knowledge that Black folks had communities out there. It was really cool to get a glimpse into Black feminism at the time, too!
Portia and Kent are very sweet together and their sexual tension is immediately explored. The only parts of the book I wasn't enthused by were when the author repeatedly described Portia as "aware of his maleness" and "made her feel female." I'm always turned off when folks use those terms to describe people because those are scientific terms that are usually followed by a species name like, "she saw a female bear." I feel like that made some of the scenes less romantic to me.
Portia and Kent are very sweet together and their sexual tension is immediately explored. The only parts of the book I wasn't enthused by were when the author repeatedly described Portia as "aware of his maleness" and "made her feel female." I'm always turned off when folks use those terms to describe people because those are scientific terms that are usually followed by a species name like, "she saw a female bear." I feel like that made some of the scenes less romantic to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, and Abandonment