Read Beverly Jenkins

I hadn’t heard of Beverly Jenkins until just around Covid times.
And yes, I’m sure I saw them at the bookstore. I’m even sure that I clocked them at the library. But around Covid times, I wasn’t really a romance reader. I’d check out things occasionally, but I preferred other genres.

My best librarian friend (I’m sure I’ve spoken about her before) recommended Beverly Jenkins to me, and I think I read a novella. But I still wasn’t about that historical romance life, or so I thought.

She was the guest of honor at Steamy Lit Con. I finally realized what the fuss was all about. And then I ended up stumbling across a Beverly Jenkins themed book club on social media. I caught them a little late (second meeting) and missed Miss Beverly being on the actual group with everyone.

Reading these books is so much more than romance. These books feature strong female characters. Characters that command respect. They are rooted in history (with cited references at the end of each book). The problems they face are so similar to problems still encountered in the world. Take for example the January books, the Destiny series.

The Destiny Series takes place in California and made me want to find out more about California history. As a California native, I moved away just before we were to learn about the state’s history, so I had very little reference as to what was going on historically in California. There are three very specific heroines in this book series (the 1st has my birthday and my allegiance feels like it should be with her, but the 2nd heroine is just too darn awesome. The third is good, too), but there’s also a mother/stepmother that is the matriarch you hope your family has.

Overall, I’ve noticed I expect more from romances since reading Beverly Jenkin’s books. I expect better characters if they are main characters. I expect a decent hero, if there is one. And I am perfectly happy to read about the history and the books she references to learn more about this country from a point of view I was not getting when I grew up.

Do you want to read something that will pull you out of your mind and give you a little escape with some history? Do you want to stay up all night trying to finish said book? Read Beverly Jenkins. You’ll be so happy you did!