Review: I wish it was better!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 16, 2013
I really enjoy Historical Romance novels and if you've read a lot of them you know the storyline of the heroine dressing like a boy on the hero's ship then love and lust ensues. This has been done over and over again and for once I was really happy to see that it would be an African-American heroine. I don't think I've ever seen it done before in an Interracial Historical Romance so I was really excited to read this book.What I really liked about this book was how much the racism was real. Yes, there were a few people that were okay with Zayla, but a lot of people had a problem with her and her relationship with Christopher/Stone. It wasn't sugarcoated which was good. I also really liked Chris because some times the hero in an IR historical setting can be weak. I think the author found a healthy mix for him to be strong but consistent with the time of what he could and could not influence.There are a lot of things I didn't understand or like about this book1) This book should have been longer. For the subject matter and all the events that took place this should have at least been a 200+ or 300+ book. What I am saying is, it should be like other historical romance novels even more so because it is an IR set int he 1860's. I think it would have also helped to develop the love Zayla and Chris had for each other. We needed to see the little things they did that caused them to fall in love and the things they continued to do that caused them to fall more deeply in love.2) The language. I don't know if it just me but some of the language and dialogue felt out of place. I kept wondering to myself what time period they were in because it didn't feel like the 1800's. It honestly took me our of the story because it felt like I was reading about modern day characters.It also really annoyed me the way they used profanity when Zayla and Chris were making love. Is it necessary because it is an IR? I guess it is a preference thing with me then. I get it though and to be honest I don't mind once or twice but it is used a lot after a certain point. In my opinion, I don't think you need to use the F word or anything else that vulgar to describe passion or the intense emotion two people feel for each other. Even if it is used it doesn't need to be used all the time. Yes, they did have sex a lot and this is another reason why this book should have been longer. The author should have written more scenes with them talking and doing things together. Not just telling us they spent time together and then have scenes with them having sex. It kind of puts more focus on the sex and the sex should just be the bonus, something used to express how they feel for each other. Just my opinion.3) Something was seriously wrong with this book when it came to length of time. I think another reviewer mentioned it, but during Zayla's pregnancy she was almost 5 months pregnant then they set sail. Even if she was 4 months give or take when they reached South Asia(I will not say where) she should have at least been 6-7 months pregnant. Then they sailed to from  South Asia to Europe and then to North Africa. When the were in North Africa( I will not say where) Zayla was only in her 6th month of pregnancy. I know during those times sailing from place to place took weeks and months. Someone please tell me how is it that Zayla could be 4-5 months pregnant before she sails to South Asia, Europe, and North Africa and yet only be 6 months in North Africa? What is worse, the author mentions that Chris sailed from North Africa to the Caribbean and it would take about 8 weeks. So, if that is the case, how is it Zayla sailing all that time isn't at LEAST 7-8 months pregnant when she sails from the Caribbean to Asia and then from Asia to Europe? And to make it worse....it is not like they sailed to the coast of each country waved hello and went on their way...no...they spent time there and I'm sure it had to be days if not weeks.4) This is just a small part but important enough for me to mention it. I didn't understand why it took Zayla 5 pages before the book was finished to finally believe that Chris loved her and would never leave her. It is completely understandable why at first she was hesitant to believe. I am happy the author made a point write about Zayla's fear because of course the relationship she and Chris had just wasn't done. I just felt that after months and months of being together Zayla should have had some trust in Chris and his love for her. When Chris left to take care of his father the only fear that Zayla should have had was that he was hurt or he might have died. Not that he abandoned her. She had enough faith in the beginning to believe he would have come back for her when she was dragged off, even when strangers were telling her he wouldn't come for her. So she should have have had faith in him to believe he would come back to her when they expressed the love the felt for each other over and over again for months.5) This is small but I really hate how this book along with all the other IR historical romance novels have an African-American heroine who is mulatto. Are they seriously telling me white men only fell in love with black women who were half-white and had flowing hair and grey/blue/green eyes? It is really getting old and the fact that almost all the girls mentioned in this book were mixed annoyed me.