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That’s in exchange of an honest review that I received (via NetGalley). an ARC of " Queen and Bandit " by Geonn Cannon from Supposed Crimes
So, here it is !!!
My rating : 3.5⭐️

The story sets partly in Los Angeles, partly during a road-trip through the US in the 40s, a period when you had to be male to make a career & the Hollywood dirty business of casting couches seemed to be the only way for a woman to get a top billing role in a movie … The main stars of this historical tale are Gracie Simon & Evelyn Wade. Gracie is a reporter for the Merc posing as a man called Simon Grace, aka ‘‘Gracie’’ to get career opportunities a woman isn’t allowed to have and Evelyne is a Hollywood rising star. Both bear a secret.

This book, from one hand, is quite enjoyable to read despite the not so fun topics it talks about, in an era occuring a long time before the #MeToo era but, in the other hand, IMO, it’s too short, bland and too magically ‘‘perfect’’ to be totally credible given the heavy weight of some of the subjects. I really wish it had been way longer and more actions had been added including more danger (physical & emotional) for both the bold ladies who put their careers on the line to denounce something which is still, sadly & probably more often we’d like to admit, a reality nowadays …
The narration is very detailed and descriptive until the MCs reached Chicago but, then, once they went different ways, it became rushed and pretty superficial due to the shortness of the book. It was very annoying and it’s a shame because such shortness has, sadly, prevented the author to develop both MCs to their full potential. The story seems pertinent to the era it portrays but properly developed, expecially with a proper character development (including a more thorough background about the MCs to help knowing them and connecting with them) as well as more ‘‘confrontational’’ scenes, some angst, drama & struggles this book could have been great, I mean by that it could have been a very exciting read.

BTW : When I say drama, I mean, more BS coming their way after they released the article & witnessing the MCs really facing their respective silent opponents, so facing more forcefully the unfair society … And in the struggles department, Evelyn being the one discovering her true self, particularly in this even more homophobic era than it is nowadays, she should have had more issues with her new-found sexuality. It would have made the story more credible if you ask me.

If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Not as much as I wanted too, it was too short to be properly developed.
- Did I find the characters believable? => Not totally due to the lack of character development.
- Is this book now included in my "must be re-read"-list? => Nope.
- Will I purchase the paperback? => Nope.
- Would I read another book by this author? => Yes, because Geonn Cannon is still on my list of favorite lesfic authors.
- Would I recommend this book => I’ll let people use their free will to read the novel, or not …

A more personal remark : It’s a detail and this piece of work is far from perfect but, still, I’ve noticed a real improvement in the edition work regarding this book compared to the 10 other books by Geonn Cannon I’ve read so far. So … Thank you !!

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Fun and flirty with a lot of interesting historical perspectives. It was a good read with entertaining characters. The pacing didn't quite strike the right chord for me.

Gracie Simon is a reporter. Or should I say...Simon Gracie. Gracie is a woman who moonlights as a man so that she can be given the jobs and stories that her talents truly allow. She typically covers political content and other "serious" matters but her boss assigns an entertainment piece. Up-and-coming actress Evelyn Wade appears to be a starlet in the making. When she reveals the seedy behavior of men in positions of power in the movie industry, Gracie says that she can unveil the story and keep her out of the public eye for the week following the drop to avoid immediate backlash. The two decide to take a cross-country round trip to Chicago and move than just small talk is revealed.

This is a great work of queer historical fiction. It discusses the blurred lines between sex, gender, and sexual orientation really well. It also handles the performativity of gender in a truly exceptional way. At one point, Gracie is asked if she is “acting as a man” or “being herself.” This distinction puts her gender presentation in a different context and gives the reader framework for the language that should be used to describe these characters. Geonn Cannon should be praised for this.

I do not read a lot of historical fiction, but this is a setting that I have not seen very often—especially in queer literary circles. I tend to avoid queer historical fiction because I find the homophobia to be stifling, but I think Cannon handles the burgeoning romance between Gracie and Evelyn tenderly while still giving enough attention to the society at large without it being overbearing.

Overall, I enjoyed this a lot. I appreciated the setting, I particularly enjoyed the discussions on gender, and I found the queer relationships believable. I would definitely read more by Geonn Cannon.

**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A pleasant read about two people struggling to live an honest and happy life because of the timely restrictions of past Hollywood. I enjoyed the portrayal of the emotional connection between the two women and appreciated shedding a light on the casting couch practice that women were expected to go through if they wanted to have a career in show business.

This book is quite enjoyable. It is rare that we are treated to a woman's road trip and Cannon treats us to just that.

A reporter who is hired to interview a movie star reveals her secret (that she has had to pose as a man to get work). The star then reveals her secret about the dirty business of casting couches. She is a rising star and it seems this may be a career breaker. She does it to help other women not be victimized by this standard Hollywood behavior.

A buddy road trip ensues as they escape the immediacy of the story's publication.

This books is about Simon Grace - Gracie- who is a reporter who is posing as a man to get career opportunities she wouldn't get as a woman. She gets assigned to do an article on an actress and that's when certain events lead up to a road trip with both of these women.

The two main characters are interesting in their own way and I liked getting to know them and seeing how they gravitated towards each other.

Queen and Bandit is a really fun read with a serious undertone in it. Geonn Cannon takes on Hollywood and the casting couch in this road trip romance.

Evelyn’s plight unfortunately still happens today. Cannon’s historical tale does not read as one. The only time you really feel as if you are reading a historical novel is when they are driving through Las Vegas.

There is one scene that is stereotypically male that while I was reading it I was thinking, “Oh, no.” Then I was chuckling and saying the same words out loud in CAPS as Gracie reacts to it. Men have not changed. Smh

Gracie is my favorite character in this book. Her desire to write and tell important stories is something I can readily identify with. The fact that she hid her gender to make this happen is (sigh) so attractive. That drive and determination in a person is so appealing. Then how Evelyn sees Gracie is hot. I love them together.

There is a point in the book that I thought Cannon was going to go in another direction and I was horrified. I am so glad that they didn’t. It would have devastated me as I love Gracie and Evelyn as a couple.

Queen and Bandit is a fantastic road trip in time and love.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

Enjoyed reading this book. Set in an era when the casting couch seemed the only way for a woman to get a plum role in a movie and you had to be male to get on in a career. The story of a movie actress and a "male" journalist. And how they met and fell in love. It's not an exciting read as such but probably pertinent to the era it portrays.