Blaming The Wind
By Alessandra Harris
This book review is part of a blog tour hosted by Sage's Blog Tours which you can access by clicking here.
Let me start by saying, I had no expectations when I first began reading this book. A lot of reviewers comment that this is a great ‘debuting’ novel, or ‘for her first novel’ it’s good. As usual, I disagree with most reviewers. This is a good book because it’s a good book. Doesn’t matter if she’s written thousands of novels and did eenie meenie miney moe to pick one to publish or if she just discovered how to work a laptop and this somehow came to be. The book is good because it is good. Simple as that.
Now, let’s talk about why it’s good.
Blaming The Wind is a great title for this novel. I think it really describes a lot of the unspoken words between Sophia and Terrence, it also describes how some of the events are handled or addressed. Sophia is the kind of character who teeters. Sometimes she tackles things, like finding a job to help pay the bills, and sometimes she avoids things, like telling her husband about her pregnancy—or telling Terrence anything, really. She talks to her mom some, which is nice. But Sophia is a character who never really does what you want her to do and that’s ok! I was happy to get angry with a character for once, or to feel that I would have handled things differently because that’s what makes a novel exciting. I kept turning the pages because I wanted to see if things would go my way or another way.
Honestly, this isn’t your typical romance. There’s some betrayal and confrontation, things get heated but they’re also sweet at times. It is cliché to call it a roller coaster but I’m having a tough time finding the right words to use when it comes to Blaming The Wind. Harris has definitely found her niche and I hope she sticks to it. Romance can get dull with the same kind of characters and the same kind of story retold in a different setting. But this is new and it is refreshing and to call it just a romance would be an injustice to all this book truly is. It is riveting and it is surprisingly exciting. I would definitely recommend it to adult readers and those who enjoy light reads or easy reads with a bit of underlying suspense.
There are certainly some shockers to be revealed in this book that, by all accounts, reads like a soap opera come to life. You will enjoy it, but I think the writing is something you have to taste test for yourself. I found it a little bland but the story and the drama definitely made up for it. You have a breaking marriage, drowning finances, a baby on the way, and a pile of secrets waiting to spill over. You can’t ask for a more entertaining story. Oh wait, you can! Harris has finally done what so many authors need to step out and do … write about minority characters! I was SO excited to see a sophisticated novel NOT get labeled as an ‘urban novel’ or an ‘African-American book’ just because the characters happen to have a different color skin. Blaming The Wind is not a ‘black novel’ it is a novel and it’s a good one.
I wish more authors would follow Harris’ lead but maybe she will take the stage all on her own. With a book like this, she may not need help bringing more minority characters to life.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*