Racing To Read: Votes For Vixens Blog Tour

Hi everyone! Today I have a stop on the Votes For Vixens blog tour. I have a review of the book and an excerpt for you all.

Votes for Vixens

By: Tara Chevrestt

Historical Lesbian Novella/Sensual, not Explicit

Blurb

Elizabeth is a small-town Kansas girl who has grown up under her domineering father's shadow. When she finds out that her father has denied her hand in marriage to the town's most eligible bachelor--a man she's long secretly desired--she snaps. Her father punches her for the last time. She realizes she has no future and with stories of suffragettes, women's rights, and voting in her head, vows to be free.

She escapes to New York City where she meets Margaret. Margaret believes in the right to vote for women and engages Elizabeth to join in the National Women's Party activities.

Operation: Opera House is underway. In a month's time, President Wilson is due at the Metropolitan Opera House to give a speech. The NWP hopes that a peaceful protest will convince the president to gather congress in order to ratify the 19th Amendment.

As they prepare and plan, Margaret shows Elizabeth how to live and love. Under Margaret's sensual touch, Elizabeth begins to heal from numerous emotional wounds. But on March 4th, 1919, their "peaceful protest" becomes a riot on the streets of New York.

A riot ensues in Elizabeth's heart as well when her former flame shows up in the city…

My Review

Elizabeth is a small town girl who dreams of two things either being engage to the bachelor of her dreams or helping with women's right to vote. She realizes under the thumb of her overbearing preacher father she will probably have neither. One night her father hit her one time to many and she heads out to help with at least one dream. She will do anything she can to help woman get to vote. She meets Margaret in the city and quickly finds herself in the middle of the woman's movement what she has always wanted. Along with other woman wanting a peaceful protest to get the presidents attention they make their way but never make it to the Opera House where he is. They are attacked by men who have vowed to protect the country but have no problems beating on woman wanting a change. Elizabeth has also done another thing that is unheard of from woman she has entered a relationship with Margaret. When her old dream guy shows up she will have to decide just what she wants for the future.

Set in a time when things like woman as a couple and woman voting are not to be done or aloud, Elizabeth steps out of her shell and decides she wants both. While one has to remain a secret she fights will all she has for the other. She is a strong character even when she thinks she is weak. I really enjoyed getting to know her and read while she went through her struggles. This book may be short but you get a whole lot of knowledge on what life was like for her. I really liked seeing her come out of her shell and while tragedy has struck her she tries to carry on. Margaret helps her a whole lot on many things but I really couldn't care for her a lot. At times she seemed selfish but after hearing her story I understand why. She can seem cold hearted but it is just because of what she has been through. This book will take you back in time and realize just how much we take for granted sometimes and wonder what things were like for woman back then. I really enjoyed it and thing the author did a great job touching in many subjects in such a short book.

4 out of 5 Stars

Excerpt

"Let me show you how to do your makeup."

I sat obediently as she began to dab rouge on my cheeks and something else, something dark on my eyes. A cylinder tube was the last thing she grabbed. She messed with a little lever at the base of it, causing color to rise to the top. I had a hard time not smiling as she ran it over my lips. In a matter of minutes, I looked like a new person, but upon closer inspection, something seemed wrong. Margaret sat back and perused me thoughtfully while I blinked at myself in the mirror. "The lipstick is too dark, too harsh for me, don't you think? I don't have the coloring you do."

"You need to blot it." She reached for her cigarette holder and seemed to be looking for something as she began moving containers around. "Damn. I'm out of paper."

I sat there mutely, staring at myself, still in awe over my appearance. I was almost as pretty as Margaret. The rouge covered the last of my bruise, my lips appeared to be shaped like a heart though a bit dark, and my eyes were doubly enhanced by whatever she'd put on them. I looked almost like those flapper girls, and I didn't think that was a bad thing. Pa's teachings were going by the wayside, right quick.

Finished with all her fumbling and searching, Margaret took a drag of her joint and set it down. Then she did the most shocking and wonderful thing. Until then, I hadn't been aware of it, but there'd been a wall between us, a wall of discomfort despite the fact we were living like sisters, aware of each other's every breath, sigh, frown, grunt of displeasure. We knew each other's likes, dislikes, what kind of fellas the other favored—in my case, none, and what kind of bloomers each preferred—her lace, me plain.

She banished that barrier when she grasped my face in her cool hands and leaned forward and slowly placed her lips on mine. Her lips were luscious, full, and engulfed my own. My mouth slightly parted, almost of its own accord, and my eyes closed. I felt an intense heat in that brief moment, and it wasn't from the smoke leaving her mouth and entering my own, some of it rising between our faces. I know because it took over my entire body, from my heated face to my tingling toes, not bypassing my private place, either.

I didn't want her lips to leave mine, but all too soon, they puckered in a kiss and departed, leaving cold air and a smoky taste in their wake. It took me a moment to open my eyes as I had to get my bearings, and think. My thoughts were going everywhere at once. I wanted her lips on mine again, but wasn't that wrong? I wanted to feel more than her lips against mine, but wasn't that a sin? Did these thoughts make me the vixen my pa had always accused me of being? Was I spurning God by thinking this way? Oh, I wanted to try it again. Had I disappointed her? Was I a horrid kisser? She hadn't given me much time to react.

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Author Info

Tara Chevrestt is a deaf woman, former aviation mechanic, writer, and an editor. She is most passionate about planes, motorcycles, dogs, and above all, reading. That led to her love of writing. Between her writing and her editing, which allows her to be home with her little canine kids, she believes she has the greatest job in the world. She is very happily married.