A Blues Singer to Redeem Him by Elle Jackson

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! So this book has a lot of tropes I usually avoid in romance but still I was intrigued. The usual archetypes in historical romance just don't really appeal to me. And with IR historical I'm extra weary of them dancing around slavery and racism while I'm supposed to root for this woman of color fighting for a place in a society that doesn't accept her all for a man who historically wouldn't have accepted her and whose family would've been involved in the oppression of her people. I also steer clear of any type of mafia, gang, and cartel romance. But I decided to give Elle Jackson's Harlequin Historical a chance as the 20th century setting and the synopsis intrigued me. I read the synopsis and wondered how the hell the author planned to make this work without Lorenzo coming off as too much a white savior.  And after reading the early chapters wondered how a happy ending would come about in the midst of such violence. 

Evelyn is living in the hidden town of West Eden after being displaced from her home of Greenwood during the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. It's been a few years and to the general public it's as if the event never happened but she still bears physical and emotional scars from that horrific night. She's living with her grandmother in this thriving all Black town but needs a way to make some money to help with her healthcare expenses.

Lorenzo comes from a major crime family in Kansas City. Though he left the family business his father continues to try and pull him back in. But just because he left the mob doesn't mean he's completely legit. Lorenzo runs a popular 24 hr club called Blues Moon and an illegal distillery. And when Evelyn first walks into his club ready to audition for the role of his lead singer he's so smitten he's ready to give her the gig without even hearing her sing. 

After he rescues her from an assault by local KKK members, he sets her up with a swanky apartment above his club. Evelyn is navigating being on her own without the watchful eye of her grandmother and brother and experiencing her first real relationship. She and Lorenzo are attracted to each other but their families don't want them together. Evelyn knows she should not be feeling these feelings for a man who looks just like the men who took her family away from her. And Lorenzo is still grappling with losing an ex-girlfriend because of his violent family connections. Aside from that there's the looming threat of the KKK who are obsessed with them.

Despite the title this isn't the story of Lorenzo's redemption alone. Lorenzo and Evelyn have chemistry but where the book shines the most is in it's ability to approach a difficult history. This book does not shy away from the violence of the KKK and white rioters. The author specifically set out to tell an untold story of Black history despite how ugly the truth is. The prologue is set during the events of  the massacre when Evelyn and her family are packing to flee Greenwood. And my heart was pounding for them. I thought she did a great job unpacking Evelyn's trauma while still allowing her to have moments of levity, discover her sexuality, and become a confident and fearless woman.

There was just a tad too much, "I love you! But I must push you away because my life is so dangerous!" drama coming from Lorenzo. I understand he was trying to prove himself as the good one who is unlike his father. The mobster's son who refuses to kill and steers clear of violence as much as possible. But his emotions gave me whiplash and were a little exhausting towards the end. And then Evelyn just started acting stupid the further in love she fell. She of all people already knew how relentless the KKK are, yet she figured made some actions towards the end that just irritated me because she felt too smart for that. I hate when writers feel the need to dumb characters down to get them in the mix of conflict.

That being said this was still a solid read. This year marks 100 years since the Tulsa Massacre. There's something to be said about the way fictional stories like this can help people connect to the past in a way non fiction may deter them. Maybe someone will pick up this story and be inspired to discover more about the history behind it.