This was a fun, twisty turny, engaging tale of the gin soaked jazz age in Chicago. The story, split between 1925 and 2015, follows Sawyer, a film student, as he seeks answers from Honoree, a one time choirs girl, now 110 year lady. She tells her story, her version of it, in 2015, while we get to see it play out in 1925.

From the very first page I was hooked. The lavish descriptions of the speakeasies made me feel like I was there. I instantly liked Honoree, Sawyer was meh. His search for answers was an interesting one. Though I didn’t like the character I was hooked on his storyline.

I officially give this book 4.5 stars.

This book was brimming with rich historical detail of Chicago during the 1920’s. I appreciated Ezekiel’s and Honorees’ stories individually and seeing the development of their characters. I loved the references to other big name musicians of that era and getting a glimpse into what may have been like for a famous entertainer from the 20s.
What I struggled with was the dual POV plot. It was not as engrossing as I was hoping it to be and found myself losing interest.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wild Women and the Blues is a historical fiction novel set during the Roaring Twenties (1925, for the most part), focusing on a Black chorus girl who unwittingly gets tangled up in some very bad business. While there is a crime element to the book, it's definitely more historical fiction/ women's fiction than it is a crime/ mystery type of book. The setting was particularly rich: featuring a number of Chicago's speakeasies (some Black-only, some mixed), so if you enjoy this sort of detail--the language, the dresses, the music of the era, you would like this book. Also want to give props to the beautifully designed cover!

I absolutely loved this book! It's a dual timeline set in 1920s Chicago and 2015. There is murder, mayhem, gangsters and more. Denny S. Bryce did an amazing job with this book. I got so absorbed by the setting, the characters and their lingo. I loved that there was a bit of a plot twist too. I did not want this book to end. It is that good!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review because I loved it! Vivid characters and though Honoree had a bit of a prickly exterior, it was well-earned and worn. Simultaneously she wore the armor to help with her fierce loyalty towards those she cared about while also taking care of herself and not only surviving, but thriving. I loved reading her story. Added bonus, the time period! Bryce's language for both time periods was fantastic. I especially loved the lexicon for the 20s. Can we please bring back the word "zozzled" for drunk?

Gripping historical fiction that takes the reader into Chicago's Black Belt and the speakeasies of 1925. "Wild Women and the Blues" weaves two stories—one of a grieving film student in 2015, the other of a 1920s showgirl the student is researching—in a dual timeline format. While I went into the book expecting to see thorough research and a peek into a time and place I was unfamiliar with (my expectations were met, and then some!), I hadn't anticipated that it would be mystery and suspense that kept me turning the pages faster and faster. It's Chicago in the 1920s, after all! On top of spinning a riveting tale of ambition, murder, and love, Bryce does a brilliant job of balancing the inventiveness and optimism of the era with the criminal and racial realities that created barriers and challenges for the people who lived in that time. I would recommend this book to fans of Fiona Davis and anyone who loves historical fiction, especially novels with a dual timeline format.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing an advance copy of this book for review purposes.

I loved exploring the Chicago of yesteryear through this book. The pacing was a little slow but I did read this book in one day, so clearly that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. There is quite a bit of explicit, possibly triggering content (not an issue for me but worth mentioning). Overall, I liked this book!

Thank you so much for the digital ARC!

Wild Women and the Blues is a dual perspective story following Ezekiel, a modern day film buff, and his research subject - Honoree, a famous dancer from the 1920s. As Ezekiel seeks to discover the authenticity of an old film real that could possibly feature Honoree, we flashback to Chicago in the 20s, and the life of a famous flapper.

I really loved the character development in the story. Both Ezekiel and Honorees we're multifaceted and likable. I loved the Black history and culture, as well as the inclusion of Louis Armstrong and Lil Hardin.

The only problem I had with the book was the pacing. The story unfolded very slowly which made it easy to forget certain plot lines or to lose interest. I would have appreciated a more fast-paced plot.

This novel was an amazing stroll through Chicago’s history of jazz music and a beautiful blend of past, present, and how they intertwine.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wild Women and the Blues was pretty interesting to dive into. Even if things got a tad bit confusing towards the end for me. In it, you will meet Sawyer (who will be the Present POV) and Honoree (who will be the Past POV). These two were pretty interesting on their own but once they got together and he was interviewing her for a thesis.. things kind of got crazy.

From switching through the years, 2015 back to 1920, Chicago seemed entertaining, soulful, and crazy back then. Now I've always wanted to go to this city and try all the amazing food there but due to Covid, I guess I will be okay with diving into this book instead.

Honoree was a fun character to read about. Doesn't mean she had a nice and easy life back then because she really didn't. I love the winter but I'm not sure how I would feel with no heat in zero degree weather. Might not be happy and might freeze to death (but details). Then the whole buildings on fire? Yeah, no - count me out of that please.

Other than that, she was the bees knees and I really enjoyed how they said certain phrases back then. Then there's Sawyer, who was getting to what happened back in her good ole days and some of the secrets that came out towards the end blew my mind. It was hard for my brain to comprehend one of them.. which I wont dive into.

Great book and easy to devour.

Read if you: Want a promising historical fiction read (mostly) set in a Black nightclub during the Jazz Age.

When I read historical fiction stories in which part of the story is set in the past and the other part is set in the present/near past, I usually wish that the story was only set in the actual historical setting. Unfortunately, I felt the same with this story. Sawyer’s story was not nearly as interesting as Honoree’s story. The surprise twist near the end is still a bit bewildering to me. However—I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Librarians/booksellers: Historical fiction fans that want stories featuring Black characters will want to read this.

Many thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
This is not what I was expecting at all. It was bland and boring and I couldn't get into it. It was not something that I could relate to in any way.

I appreciate this story for shedding light on an important topic such as being a black woman in the 1920s. However, I found the novel to have a slow pace which is something I do not enjoy in books. Overall, this was still a really great book and I would recommend it.

Book Review for Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

I enjoyed this quick-paced historical novel set in 1920s Chicago among nightclubs and dancers and musicians, as well as organized crime figures and thugs. I'd like the framework to have been more robust and realistic: we don't get a lot of information on Micheaux or exactly what the grad student protagonist is doing with is dissertation/documentary, and having that background and info would have helped make the story much more solid. There were some other glaring gaps in the making sense department, mostly in terms of character behavior, that suggest to me that the book could use one more careful edit before going to press. Overall, though, it will appeal to a wide range of readers.

I was drawn to this book by the awesome title and the gorgeous cover and was not disappointed. WIld Women and the Blues focuses on Honoree Delacour, a currently 110 year old woman being interviewed by Sawyer, an aspiring filmmaker on the trail of a lost Oscar Micheaux film and the dancers featured in the footage he's found along with some documents from his grandmother. This novel switches between 1925 Chicago and 2015. Sawyer is trying to get Honoree to retell the events of 1925 but Honoree insists on giving tit for tat and Sawyer has to open up about the tragedies in his own life before Honoree will open up about hers. Bryce's book really shines in the telling of 1925 Chicago and the lives of young black women trying to live their lives on their own terms. You really get the exhaustion and exhilaration that a dancer's life can be as well as the danger of Prohibition era Chicago was. Sawyer's story in the present has less of an impact but he is also given a complete story line. There were some interesting twists in the story line, some that I didn't see coming. I look forward to reading more of Bryce's works in the future.

What initially interested me was the framing device, it reminded me of Evelyn Hugo, a favorite. But the unique cinematic energy that Bryce brings to this story moves so much faster. It's immediate, it's excellent.

I felt breathless when I closed Wild women and the blues. i just went from one surprise to another. The craftmanship of the story appears in every page. the setting, the plot the characters, all is perfect. I learnt a lot too, the end of the 1920s in Chicago were real tough times, beyond the imagination. I will recommend ( I already did) this book and will bear in mind I think foerever all I learnt about the dfficult lives of people of that period.
All opinions are mine, I received a copy from NteGalley.

There is always that certain something that separates a good book from a truly great one. Certainly it is the writing that is part of the equation, and a good story helps as well. Now, "Wild Women and the Blues", can definitely be considered a good book. The story is compelling, the characters are interesting, and the intermingling of characters with historical figures is a nice touch. But somehow, though the story did hold my interest, I found something missing. Perhaps it was that some of the central characters weren't fleshed out enough.. Perhaps the action parts just fell flat. Maybe it was the dialog that just didn't ring true. And so, while I do think this is a good book, I think it might have been even better. But then again, it's just my opinion.

Wild Women and the Blues is a dual track story of Honoree, an African American performer in the Al Capone’s Chicago, and her grandson in 2015 who is trying to learn her story in pursuit of a graduate degree in filmmaking. The story resonates on both levels. Who doesn’t wonder about the history of our predecessors?
As I was reading Wild Women and the Blues, I realized that it fits nicely with other books I've read this year, including Rules of Civility, The Secrets We Kept and Last Train to Key West. Each of them highlights the stories of women in earlier ages. It struck me that this was the first of those stories that focused on the stories of African American women.
Wild Women and the Blues can be read as simply a fun story, set in the time of Al Capone, jazz and booze. Or it can be read as a reflection of state of systemic racism at that time, and as such it can deepen one's understanding of the systems that continue into today.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Kensington and #Netgalley. #WildWomenandtheBlues