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A review by witandsin
History of Us by Stacey Agdern
4.0
3.75 stars - Reviewed for Wit and Sin
History of Us is an enjoyable second chance romance with two protagonists who are clearly made for each other but who have to find a way to make their lives work together. Anna and Jacob have been on-again/off-again for years; loving each other has never been their problem. But sometimes love isn’t enough, especially when one of them never stops moving. Jacob has a soul-deep need to do everything he can to try and make the world a better place. It’s an admirable goal and his heart is definitely in the right place but he feels like he has to be perfect and he’s stretching himself so thin you can see he’s in danger of tearing himself apart. Anna is an assistant curator with a passion for Jewish history and great ideas for blending history and modern political ideas.
The Jewish representation in History of Us is where the book shines brightest. Stacey Agdern weaves into the story the obstacles many Jews face today, the veiled antisemitism that is often faced. With Jacob’s work and Anna’s exhibit she also delves into how many Jews have and do take part in social justice movements. There’s also discussion of Gilded Age Jews, exploring personal history, and more. It’s all fascinating and Agdern does it extremely well, grounding the book in reality.
The romance is where I struggled with the story a bit. It’s not bad – not by a long shot – but the passion and energy that is found in the real world issues seems to be understated in the romantic fantasy element. I wanted the romance to grab me more, to care about Jacob and Anna as a couple as much as I did about their work and their passion for community. I liked them, make no mistake, and I wanted them to get together because the history they had came through. But overall I was left wanting a bit of excitement and feeling from the romance. I needed more show less tell. Even with this issue, the community Adgern builds in her books and the religious and cultural elements of History of Us are so rare to find in romance novels that I will definitely be back for more Friendships and Festivals stories.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
History of Us is an enjoyable second chance romance with two protagonists who are clearly made for each other but who have to find a way to make their lives work together. Anna and Jacob have been on-again/off-again for years; loving each other has never been their problem. But sometimes love isn’t enough, especially when one of them never stops moving. Jacob has a soul-deep need to do everything he can to try and make the world a better place. It’s an admirable goal and his heart is definitely in the right place but he feels like he has to be perfect and he’s stretching himself so thin you can see he’s in danger of tearing himself apart. Anna is an assistant curator with a passion for Jewish history and great ideas for blending history and modern political ideas.
The Jewish representation in History of Us is where the book shines brightest. Stacey Agdern weaves into the story the obstacles many Jews face today, the veiled antisemitism that is often faced. With Jacob’s work and Anna’s exhibit she also delves into how many Jews have and do take part in social justice movements. There’s also discussion of Gilded Age Jews, exploring personal history, and more. It’s all fascinating and Agdern does it extremely well, grounding the book in reality.
The romance is where I struggled with the story a bit. It’s not bad – not by a long shot – but the passion and energy that is found in the real world issues seems to be understated in the romantic fantasy element. I wanted the romance to grab me more, to care about Jacob and Anna as a couple as much as I did about their work and their passion for community. I liked them, make no mistake, and I wanted them to get together because the history they had came through. But overall I was left wanting a bit of excitement and feeling from the romance. I needed more show less tell. Even with this issue, the community Adgern builds in her books and the religious and cultural elements of History of Us are so rare to find in romance novels that I will definitely be back for more Friendships and Festivals stories.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.