Nights at the speakeasy…
Spark a dangerous romance
Evelyn Laroque's performances at Lorenzo De Luca's Kansas
City blues club draw even bigger crowds than his bootleg whiskey. And every
time he hears her voice, Lorenzo falls a little harder for the achingly
beautiful blues singer. When Evelyn becomes a target for the KKK, Lorenzo faces
an impossible choice. Will this son of a gangster turn to the mob if it's the
only way to protect the woman he loves?
Good romance between two people haunted by their pasts
and who face obstacles to having a life together. This story has big issues:
survivor's guilt, racism, interracial relationships, and expectations. The
story sucked me in and kept me turning the pages until the end.
I liked Evelyn. She is intelligent, talented, beautiful,
and has a loving heart. She is scarred,
physically and emotionally, by witnessing her parents' deaths during the Tulsa
Massacre. She dreams of a music career but needs a job to take care of her
grandmother, which leads her to Lorenzo's club, Blues Moon. Though wary of men,
especially White men, she can't turn down the job he offers.
I liked Lorenzo, too. The son of a local mob boss,
Lorenzo has tried to distance himself from his family since he was seventeen. His
father has not given up on drawing Lorenzo back into the family business,
though Lorenzo says he is done with the violence. He isn't entirely legit,
though, as he runs a speakeasy where he sells alcohol, he makes himself at an illegal
distillery and winery. Despite this, he is respected by customers and employees
alike.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Lorenzo and Evelyn. The sparks between them were evident from the start though
both were hesitant to do anything with them. Lorenzo avoids relationships,
convinced that he is dangerous to be around, while Evelyn focuses on her career
and caring for her grandmother. But when Evelyn runs afoul of the KKK,
Lorenzo's protective instincts are aroused. I liked watching them spend time
together, getting to know each other and occasionally butting heads when
Lorenzo's protectiveness runs up against Evelyn's independence.
The attraction between them continues to grow, but Lorenzo's
fears often get in the way of any forward progress. Evelyn is frustrated by
Lorenzo's actions and tries to convince him that he's wrong about himself. When
Lorenzo makes a boneheaded decision that drives her away, Evelyn counters with
a stupid decision of her own. I wanted to shake both of them for being so
stubborn. It takes nearly losing her for Lorenzo to let go of his fears and
find a way to move forward with her.
There was a feeling of impending trouble running
throughout the book. We have the conflict between Lorenzo and his father, who
have two widely different outlooks on business and how things should run. Mr.
de Luca is old school mafia, who buys cops and politicians, and uses violence
to get things done. Lorenzo prefers to use discussion and compromise and avoid
violence whenever possible. There are several confrontations between the two,
including one that involves Evelyn. They have their differences, but family
plays an integral part in the end.
Even more worrisome was the growing threat of the KKK,
who were new to Kansas City. Lorenzo's club is open to everyone, which draws
some unwanted attention. He makes it clear that he's not bowing to their
demands. One particular member has it in for Evelyn, creating another layer of
tension. The intensity builds as Lorenzo gets word of an impending attack. I
was glued to the pages as I watched Lorenzo and the others prepare to handle it.
The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Lorenzo discovered Evelyn caught up
in the middle of it. I loved his way of handling it. The epilogue was terrific.
I liked the book's setting and the deft handling of the challenges
Lorenzo and Evelyn faced. The problems were illustrated believably without me
feeling like I was reading a history book - not that any of this was in the
history books of my youth. I appreciate the opportunity to learn something new.
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