2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Shaken to the Core by Jae (201-07-24-2016)

[reviews_and_ramblings]

1) Flawless in the writing style. The author brought turn of the century San Francisco alive in her descriptions of everything from the cable cars to the clothing worn by the characters. The characters themselves had a nice dimension to them, and the plot, while a tad predictable in places, kept me engaged throughout.

2) This is the type of book I always hope for but seldom get. The extremely strong plot centers on the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, which provides many exciting scenes, adventure, suspense, and character-building moments as well as a realistic and exciting evolution of the love story. The setting is a rich, detailed, and thoroughly-researched historical San Francisco. The characters are complex, very likable, and exquisitely detailed down to their different cultural backgrounds (one is an upper-class Anglo-Saxon American from a Victorian background, and one is a Catholic Sicilian immigrant). The writing style is clear, flowing, and beautifully descriptive. This is a great story.

Shaken to the Core by Jae
Lesbian Historical Romance
Paperback: 386 pages
Publisher: Ylva Verlag e.Kfr.; 1 edition (June 4, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 395533662X
ISBN-13: 978-3955336622
Amazon: Shaken to the Core
Amazon Kindle: Shaken to the Core

Kate Winthrop, the only child of a wealthy shipping magnate, has the course of her life charted for her by her parents. She’s expected to marry well and produce a successor to the Winthrop empire. But Kate has a very different path in mind. Her true passion lies with photography—and with women. Alone in the city after losing her brother, Sicilian immigrant Giuliana Russo starts working for the Winthrops as a maid. Despite their different social status, Kate and Giuliana become friends, much to the dismay of Kate’s parents. As the connection between the two women grows, a devastating earthquake hits San Francisco and ignites fires that sweep through the city for three days and nights. Will the disaster shatter their tentative feelings for each other, or will they find the courage to save each other’s lives—and their hearts? Join Kate and Giuliana on a journey of danger and discovery in the action-packed historical romance "Shaken to the Core", set against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html