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JEWEL - Beverly Jenkins Harper/Avon May 2008 |
SYNOPSIS: One of the most popular authors of African-American romance reunites two characters from her early fan favorite VIVID in this wildly romantic tale set 1880s Michigan.
HISTORICAL ROMANCE |4| Jennifer Brathwaite
REVIEW:
Despite his tireless efforts,
Eli Grayson had to shut the doors of the newspaper he had worked so hard to
develop; which left him dangling in the wind as to what he would do with his
days in the long run for an occupation.
As such, when a newspaper mogul contacts Eli with the prospect of buying
his now non-operational paper, he’s ecstatic.
The initial meeting goes well but at the end of the night Eli gets the
shock of his life. He learns that his potential backer – G. W. Hicks – presumes
Eli to be married and further explains that he doesn’t trust bachelors as he
believes them to be unreliable.
Suddenly the “Coloured Casanova of Cass County” needs a wife, and fast; enter
Jewel Crowley. Eli’s plan is
simple, have his dear childhood friend pose as his wife for one evening while
they have a dinner meeting with G. W. Hicks and then, when the magnate leaves
town, everything will go back to normal.
The ‘doomed to failure’ plan fulfils its destiny however, and suddenly
the pretend wife must become a real one whether she likes it or not.
JEWEL
flows with the kind of perfect tempo readers have come to expect from Beverly
Jenkins. The pace, always in sync
with story being told, keeps the reader in touch with the characters and engaged
in the novel.
Welcome back the Crowley
men, Maddie Loomis and Miss Abigail!
Along with the Quilt Ladies, Nate and Viveca and the rest of Grayson
Grove, the characters in the novel, (many of whom were first introduced in the
book VIVID) are in fine form.
Filled humour, depth and, in some cases, wickedness and malice, the
players in the book come to life on the pages.
Grayson Grove remains as
charming as it ever was with its open plains and small town dynamics matched
with its fairly sophisticated city features.
Likewise, the dialogue in JEWEL is equally enchanting.
The camaraderie between the Crowley brothers, the love between Eli and
his mother and the sisterly affection between Jewel and Maddie are nicely
demonstrated in every conversation.
Overall JEWEL is another great novel by Mrs. Jenkins. The themes of second chances, friendship, redemption and love run through the text and are elegantly addressed. The idea of the ‘innocent’ female meets the ‘practised’ male and eventually, passion ensues, is not new but can be forgiven here since, for the reader, the characters are like old friends. As always, for long-time fans and newbies alike, Beverly Jenkins has penned another definite buy.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 20th May 2008