VICKY’S VICTORY by Nadine C. Keels
SERIES: Malt Shop Milestones #1
GENRE: Young Adult Historical Romance (Clean)
PUBLISHER: Independently Published
RELEASE DATE: January 6, 2025
PAGES: 128
Young lives. First loves. And a classic American period enlivened by jukeboxes and chocolate malts.
Vicky, a bookish sixteen-year-old, wouldn’t call herself popular. But around her thriving Black community of West Hill, and especially at school, she’s pretty well-known: as “The Brain of West Hill High.” In addition to keeping her grades up this year, she’s looking to make an impact writing for the school newspaper. A step toward her goal of becoming a journalist one day.On a different note, Vicky is ready to get a new, real taste of romance. She dreams of spending time with an interesting guy who’ll be a match for her head as well as her heart. A guy who’ll applaud her career ambitions.
But finding someone like that might be too much to hope for in high school. Maybe?
Enjoy this nostalgic nod to the bygone era of “malt shop” books—from an angle featuring more of America’s color.
“… make sure stuff gets written down. Keep records of who we are. So people will know and remember.”
I was first drawn to Vicky’s Victory because of that striking cover, and of course by the fact that Nadine C. Keels wrote it. I stayed for the opportunity to learn more about Black history post WW2 … and for the swoony romantic tension (to no one’s surprise). But I also became really intrigued by the vintage ‘malt shop romance’ genre that I’d never heard of but was apparently popular among teens/young adults in the 40s-60s, revolving around the popular teen hangouts of the day. What a fun genre! And I’m so delighted that Keels is writing a series of these books where Black characters are prominent and not constricted by stereotypes. Because, like that quote I opened with, it’s important to understand history in its fully diverse context, to know and remember the sacrifices – yes – but also that everyday life didn’t happen to exclusively white people, as novels and film and TV tended to imply.
Ok, stepping off my soapbox that I didn’t really plan to bring out haha… back to our regularly scheduled review.
I loved the main character of Vicky’s Victory, and I have a feeling that you will too. She’s smart, ambitious, kind, a little sassy, and she’s got a great sense of humor. She’s also one of us, y’all – a certified lover of words whose dream date involves reading purely for the fun of it. And she’s pretty certain that’s the kind of guy she wants, too… until a childhood friend (who’s now their high school’s star football player) crashes back onto her radar with a grin that she reacts to as though ‘she’d never been grinned at before‘. Be still my heart. The romantic tension between Willie and Vicky is all kinds of sweet and delicious and lovely, and it made ME grin like a besotted fool. Willie’s approach to showing his feelings to Vicky may not be obvious to her but oh it melted me. He’s such an endearing hero with a little bit of a flirt tucked inside an ultimately shy heart.
Bottom Line: Vicky’s Victory by Nadine C. Keels gives us a delightful taste of a vintage genre that may not be familiar to most of us – malt shop YA romance – with a needed, more authentic splash of color. The music, the malt shop food (and the origins of a classic sandwich), the Black American community setting, the clothes, all of it adds to the nostalgic atmosphere and engaging tone of this quick read. Willie and Vicky not only make a cute couple, they’re the kind of people I would want as friends – or, I guess since I’m old, the kind of young people I would want as friends for my nieces and nephews. There’s a lot of historical insight in this story, too, and it got me looking up more info on several aspects of Black American history that I wasn’t taught in school. So excited that this is the first in a new series, and I’m really looking forward to the next book.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!
KissingBook Level: 3 / may forget to breathe on occasion
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Her lifelong passion for the power of story makes reading and writing an adventure for
Nadine C. Keels. She’s driven to write the kinds of stories she’s always wanted to read but couldn’t always find, featuring diverse and uncommon lead characters in a medley of genres.
Through her books and her blog (Prismatic Prospects), Nadine aims to spark hope and inspiration in as many people as she can reach.
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What about you? What makes you want to read Vicky’s Victory by Nadine C. Keels?
