RACHEL MALDONADO
Reviews
"Her Maiden Voyage is 'groundbreaking' and 'riveting'..."
BY DANIKA AND RACHEL, THE LESBRARY , 7/27/2015
A wonderful lesbian romance that takes place on the Titanic, Her Maiden Voyage by Rachel Maldonado, was just released earlier this year.
The protagonist of the story, Marie Antoinette Michaels, earns her passage on the Titanic to escape from England, where she is at the mercy of her controlling husband. Boarding the ill-fated ship to start a new life, Antoinette is a first class passenger. While departing Southampton, she meets Evelyn Chambers, a third class traveler with a moody husband and baby son. The two young women feel a pull to each other and become friends. Over the course of the voyage, Evelyn and Antoinette explore the ship and acknowledge their feelings for each other. Then the ship hits the iceberg. If Antoinette and Evelyn survive the voyage, can they live together in a time when homosexuality was not accepted?
Her Maiden Voyage is now one of my favorite lesbian books. The characters of Antoinette and Evelyn balance each other out so well: serious, down-to-earth Antoinette and plucky, playful Evelyn forge a strong bond. As they get to know each other better, the women begin to confide their deep secrets and longings. Antoinette wants to be a writer, and Evelyn wants to someday own a boutique, and they encourage each other’s dreams and to pursue what they want. Their love for each other is genuine and pure. The characters do have shortcomings, but that doesn’t detract from the story at all.
Another thing that made this novel really good was how in depth Maldonado went into describing the amenities and activities the Titanic had, and how the two women explored so much of it. There were squash courts, swimming pools, promenades, cafes, and more. It was fun to read about Antoinette’s exploits on the ship. I was not aware that there was so much to do on the Titanic! As the story progresses, Evelyn and Antoinette play squash, chess, swim races in the pool, dine in First Class, among other adventures. It was interesting to watch these characters explore and interact with other people, often in a joking fashion. The story had some good humorous moments, and the two women said some funny and cute things to each other.
The novel doesn’t center entirely around the night the Titanic sank, so is not packed with action and intensity like the famous movie, Titanic. Some readers may find the sinking in this book to be anti-climactic or glossed over, but it really wasn’t the point of the story. The point is two young women in love who want to create a life together. Personally, I thought the author handled the Titanic disaster well. She showed how many of the passengers were not fully aware of the situation, and how they wouldn’t know of the high cost of lives until later.
Her Maiden Voyage seems to mean more than just the first and only voyage of the Titanic, it also seems to represent Antoinette and Evelyn on their journey to acknowledge their love for each other. The title was a symbolic touch to the novel, and the story itself is beautiful. It’s a new take on lesbians in history, on a topic that no one really has done before, making it a groundbreaking and riveting novel.
"... So much creepy paranormal action that kept me glued to it as I turned the page...."
CRISSY, INKED RAINBOW READS , 5/30/2015
FiveStars
This book was different then any paranormal book that I have read before. So much creepy paranormal action that kept me glued to it as I turned the page. The women in this book go through so many things in such a short period of time. The train tracks were creepy, and I'm not sure I would go sit my car on them like they did that is for sure!
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
~Crissy
"...Ms. Maldonado has a clear writing style which enables the reader to feel and see what the two main characters Evelyn and Antoinette are seeing and doing."
REBECCA, THE LESBIAN AUTHORS GUILD , 2/24/2015
I don't usually write reviews but in the case of Her Maiden Voyage it's worth taking the time to write one. Ms. Maldonado has a clear writing style which enables the reader to feel and see what the two main characters Evelyn and Antoinette are seeing and doing. I could clearly picture all of the characters in the book. With the story taking place on the Titanic there could be only two outcomes for these two lost souls who meet and fall in love on board the doomed ship. Without giving the story away, it's worth a read, you won't be sorry. While I wanted to get to the end of the story to see what happened to the ladies I also didn't want the story to end.
My Review for Rachel Maldonado’s ‘Shelvis’
Posted on February 2, 2019 by lynnlawler
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....Today I’m featuring my review for Rachel Maldonado’s new book, ‘Shelvis‘. This is an interesting read and the romance is enticing. Let’s go meet the characters.
Shelvis aka Tammy Jones is an Elvis impersonator who works in a casino. She loves to flirt especially with those in authority. She is used to being the star when performing. She speaks courageously most of the time, but is insecure on occasion. Tammy appears apprehensive when the very thing she loves is threatened.
Her love life has been on a halt since the passing of her mother years ago. Tammy is so into her career that she doesn’t have time. However, things change when she meets Sheila.
Sheila is a motorcycle sheriff who loves her job. She is protective and doesn’t share much about herself. She tries to act tough, but underneath, she is a sweetie. It is obvious she is looking for love, but doesn’t know when to expect it.
A secondary character needs to be mentioned, Estelle. She is Sheila’s mother. I could see a wonderful mother-daughter bond here between she and Sheila. Tammy takes a liking to her because Estelle reminds her of her own mother; she is calmed by Estelle’s gentle spirit. Estelle has a keen ear when it comes to the important things and is very loving and caring to both women.
I found a date Sheila takes Tammy on to be romantic, especially with the location. The story takes place at Christmastime, which is a favorite time for me and gave me a cozy feeling.
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This story keeps the reader engaged. A mystery develops. You won’t believe what happens. Be on the lookout for some high drama and a sneaky character who’s causing it all.
This book is fun and took me about 5 hours to read. I would recommend reading it in one sitting. The pace is moderate, but you need to be paying attention to the plot. A few small things seemed confusing, but not enough to deter me from the story. The descriptions are well done, and I was able to visualize while reading the book. I am recommending it.
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Here is an excerpt to get you started.
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“I didn’t mean to upset you,” said Lincoln. She began to undress right in front of Shelvis to reveal that she wasn’t wearing underwear or a bra. I didn’t have any clean underwear since my RV was towed, so I was just going to wear the clothes you gave me without any skivvies. I hope that’s okay. I’ll wash the clothes for you before I give them back.”
“I think you can keep those,” said Shelvis matter of factly. “It’s just an old polo and jeans. I have plenty of those.” Now I’m going to have to dry clean that jumpsuit that Lincoln tried on, she thought to herself.
“That’s nice of you. Thanks.” She finished changing and then sat on the chaise pulling her legs up underneath her cross-legged style. She then took out her guitar from her case and began to strum it, playing the introduction music to Jailhouse Rock. She also began to sing along. To Shelvis’s surprise, she sounded really good.
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Five Stars
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Thank you for stopping by today. Shevis is available and is doing very well on Amazon. I would like to open a discussion for the book so feel free to start up a conversation in the comments. Be sure to stop by next week when I’ll be featuring an interview.
Until Next Time,
Lynn
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To read the full review which includes an excerpt from the book please go to Lynn Lawler's Book Blog
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