Prohibited! by Delancey Stewart

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: January 1, 2015

In 1920s New York, uptown debutante Evie McKenzie can see that the world is changing. And while her parents may think she’s destined for a life of quiet conversation and polite society, she is determined to roar with the twenties—whatever the cost! Evie knows she should really be getting her beauty sleep and dreaming of Roger White, the straight-laced Yale graduate her parents have chosen for her. Instead, she’s been heading out to the local speakeasy… and into the arms of dangerously charming Jack Taylor. But when Evie discovers an unexpectedly wild side to Roger, he’s suddenly competition for smooth-talking Jack—and she has a decision to make. Should she appease her parents… or commit the ultimate rebellion? One thing’s for certain: Evie is going to have a lot of fun making up her mind…

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My decision to pick up Delancey Stewart's Prohibited! was purely self-indulgent. The cover caught my eye, but I really like the 1920s and jacket description sounded light and fun. My track record with new adult lit is decidedly hit and miss, but weighed against the modest length of the book, I figured I'd little to lose. 

Historically speaking, there isn't an abundance of detail in this piece, but what's there speaks directly to the roar and buzz of New York City's jazz scene. Against all odds, Stewart creates a subtle ambiance, giving the book a distinct feel despite its brevity. Roger and Jack are fairly one dimensional, but I liked what Stewart did with Evie. Her sexual awakening paired with her growing independence and sense of self added a layer of depth where I'd not expected it.

Though only six chapters, Prohibited! proved a delightfully diverting piece and one I'd easily recommend to fans of Jax Garren. 

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She had said she was fine, but she worried that Jack had ignited something within her that might never stop burning. And at that moment, she had felt willing to do almost anything to feed that hungry fire simmering in her belly.

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One Night to Remember by Kristin Miller

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Personal Kindle Library

Read: March 23, 2012

First class clothing designer Elizabeth Scott isn’t all that she appears. She may be elegant and poised on the outside, dining with the richest on the ship, but she’s hiding a dark secret within. Thieves boarded the Titanic, too… Officer Thomas McGuire is as honest as they come. Working to make a decent living on the ship of dreams, he can’t believe his eyes when the most striking lady he’s ever seen steals from another first class passenger. As the night goes on, Thomas must decide whether he plans to arrest or seduce Elizabeth and she’s not making it easy on him—the heat sparking between their bodies is unlike anything either of them has ever known. Time is running out… The Titanic is sinking fast, with little more than an hour before it settles on the ocean floor. Although Elizabeth has finally met a true gentlemen, one who gazes upon her with total adoration and fulfills her deepest fantasies, he insists on helping other passengers until the last minute, even if that means going down with the ship.

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The fatal flaw in One Night to Remember is in the formatting. Miller chose to write her story as a novella which is fine but it doesn't give her a lot of opportunity to develop the cast. We learn very little about Miss Scott and even less about Mr. McGuire. They feel as if they are going through the motions more than anything. Miller might understand the motivations and background of her characters but these concepts were never adequately conveyed to her audience. As a reader, the lack of development made it difficult to accept or even care about Elizabeth and Thomas.

From a historic point of view I couldn't get excited over Miller's depiction of the sinking. Having read a handful titles about the ship I was familiar with the concepts Miller approached in her work. The confusion, the uncertainty... even the drama surrounding Collapsible B. All of it was old news. I think Miller and a lot of other authors forget the sinking itself is well known and as such doesn't make for much of a plot twist. 

According to the about the author section, "this book is the culmination of twenty-four years of research and countless dreams about writing a Titanic novel." I don't doubt the author harbors a deep affection for the ship and its fate but that passion doesn't translate well to her work. In reading the piece, I couldn't help feeling One Night to Remember had been slapped together in a mad rush to capitalize on the hundredth anniversary of the disaster. The erotic love scenes might appeal to certain brackets but I don't think there is much here for the main stream reader.

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"Let us pretend that you are bold and I am more than taken by you. Let us pretend that we are secluded within the four walls of this stateroom and whatever happens within these walls stay here."

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