Let Us Dream

I've recently started reading Alyssa Cole books (started with Extraordinary Union, followed up with a Hope Divided and now this), and I must say of the 3 I've read so far, this one was easily my least favorite. But it's a read I don't regret, and I will still continue to follow this author and read her work. Here are my pros and cons.The biggest pro is Ms. Cole's ability to perfectly capture setting. The time/place was never forgotten. It was a constant presence throughout the story, as should be the case with any historical piece. I loved the early twentieth century landscape, because it's one of my favorite times in history. She did the setting justice.I loved the coverage of the women's suffrage. As a womanist myself, I loved how she delved into the multilayers of the women's movement. What benefited white women didn't always benefit women of color, even less so for women of color without respectable jobs. I thought she handled this well, especially the tension in the beginning at the meeting. I honestly wish this were a bigger part of the book. I wanted more of this.I really enjoyed Amir. His heritage and background story was refreshing and enlightening. I love how she weaved his culture throughout the narrative without it feeling forced. Amir was a well-developed, multidimensional male lead that I rooted for. I wanted him to win. He was complicated, flawed, but earnest and had a good heart. I also love his physical descriptions. He sounds like a dreamboat! It was an interesting choice having him as the male lead, because I think both him and Bertha being disenfranchised by society (albeit in different ways) really forged an interesting dynamic and connection between them. They both understood each other on a profound level, because they could relate to what it was like to be seen as "less than". I'm actually glad that for this story she chose Amir and not some typical white male beau.Okay, now to what I didn't care for. I believe this story could've been longer. This could have easily been a full-length novel. I think she could've gone more in-depth on the women's suffrage, Bertha's struggles with the Cashmere and the illegal activity going on there and vice looking to crack down, and even showing us MORE interaction between Bertha and Amir. For example, we're told they spent many afternoons talking about their lives, but we didn't see much of this. Maybe one or two scenes. I would've really liked to get this as a reader, especially since Bertha is my least favorite heroine of Ms. Cole's sofar. I feel like I needed the time to care more about her or develop a connection, and the short length didn't help me do so.Which brings me to my next point....Bertha. I didn't care for her too much. I wanted to, because I love what she fought for in terms of women's equality, but overall she came across as cold and sometimes downright meanspirited at times. I understand her harsh background and complicated relationship with men being an ex-prostitute, but I feel like her unfair treatment of Amir was glossed over. Does she ever actually apologize for treating him like she was ashamed? While we know her shame was more of an insecurity about herself, it was still unfair to project that onto Amir and belittle him for his station in life. I think at one point she did apologize for reminding him he's a dishwasher, but I don't know, she didn't come across as sincere and heartfelt as Amir to me. I also found her kind of illogical at times, and not endearingly so. For example, she was hurt and very upset with Amir about the land back home and him leaving, but she was going to act on a sexual business transaction with a former john.....while with Amir? This was never addressed. I honestly felt like Amir had as much of a reason to be upset with her as she did with him. But again, no apology.I also think their romance was probably the weakest I've read from Ms. Cole. I really believed Elle/Malcolm and Marlie/Ewan loved each other, but with Bertha/Amir, there was something missing. I think it's because it felt like we didn't get to the core of how Bertha felt about Amir. She never seemed to share much with him (or we're simply "told" she did rather than shown....did she ever mention her past in prostitution or her marriage? etc). They didn't feel as intimate to me, even their love scenes didn't capture me.Anyway, I will say while this book wasn't perfect and I saw some flaws here, I am still invested in following Ms. Cole. I think she has a natural talent as a story-teller, creating mostly well-developed characters I can root for (except Bertha it seems), and she's a pro at doing so with historical backdrops that are compelling. I honestly want to see what else she comes out with. I'm hoping for a Loyal League book 3.

A satisfyingly political romance set in 1917 Harlem between Bertha Hines, a determined African-American woman who owns a cabaret called The Cashmere and organizes for women's suffrage, and Amir Chowdhury, a Muslim Bengali immigrant to the U.S. who's hired at The Cashmere as a chef after discovering that the "American dream" isn't really open to people like him. Bertha is So Over Men, for good reasons, and both she and Amir are extremely prickly people, also for good reasons, but they somehow manage to fumble towards mutual respect and then affection.I love how smart and quietly funny Bertha and Amir both are, and how Cole doesn't throw out either their smarts or Bertha's reservations about relationships when they both start having feelings. The historical setting comes alive through both events and distinctive secondary characters - in fact, so much happens to so many people that in retrospect I can't figure out how Cole fit all this into a novella. It never feels rushed or cramped, just rich and interesting. It's a feminist social justice anti-racist multicultural romance that opens up part of the past we often see only through white people's eyes.Diversity note: Alyssa Cole is African-American (and one of the most fierce and amazing advocates for diversity in romance).

Women helped each other in ways small and large every day, without thinking, and that was what kept them going even when the world came up with new and exciting ways to crush them (164).Reading this book made me so happy. I'm so glad I "buddy read" it with Korey, even though I was way too slow and she finished it a week before I did. As she said in her review, this is a satisfying read in Mango Mussolini's America. Two people of color, finding love and their dreams? YES to the please, TYVM.Bertha is an ex-prostitute who is now madam of her own club for black people. Amir is a Bengali Muslim who she recently hired as a chef. The attraction between them is instant, but also fraught with difficulty because Amir has responsibilities to his family back home and Bertha has trust issues when it comes to men (for good reason). She's also a suffragette (yay!) and doesn't want to be with a man who sees her as a second class citizen.The writing in this book is very good, and I thought the characterization was incredibly well-done. Cole in this book reminds me of Courtney Milan at her best, particularly with how Cole takes the narratives of people of color and historical feminists and weaves them into the story. We need more of that perspective in historical romances, in my opinion.This is the third Alyssa Cole book I've read. The first, one of her short stories, didn't really wow me, but the writing was good enough that I thought a full-length novel might be better. The second, AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION, is about a black woman spying for the North while posing as a slave, and it was amazing. LET US DREAM is just as good, although length-wise it falls between the two aforementioned books, as it's not quite a short story, not quite a novel.As of my writing this review (8/21), it's currently only 99-cents on Amazon. Go check it out!4 out of 5 stars

Unusual historical setting, with characters we din't usually see in historical romance. In many ways this was eye-opening. I'd like to read more of Cole's work.

The best writing I have read in a romance novel for quite a while! Really enjoyable, feminist, believable. Great fun. I definitely want to read more of Cole's work!

Both the hero and heroine are good people trying to do the right thing; their values and goals are never in conflict. Bertha is Amir’s boss, and he never challenges that. Their romance is born out of solidarity and friendship (and a lot of convincingly written lust).When the heroine falls in trouble she is rescued not by the hero but by another woman.

Short fun historical romance story. Well-researched, fun characters and an antagonist to lovers relationship where the two leads actually respect one another: what more could you ask for?