My only *minor* complaint is that it seems the romance was mostly reserved for the last third of the book, and I would have loved to have seen it a bit more front and center throughout. The author has such a way with creating a memorable cast, and I found her expression of the secondary characters to be so well done, some of the best I've encountered to date. Going in, I had no idea that this book featured some of Beverly Jenkins's former characters, but was delighted to find out that I have many more adventures ahead of me with the Le Veq family. I personally enjoyed reading the author's note at the conclusion showing the copious amounts of research that went into ensuring this book was historically accurate. The narrative of a country trying to rebuild following the Civil War, and essentially the truth in how a piece of legislature could never abolish racism, is front and central to the story. I thought this aspect was incredibly well-rounded, as the author shows just how many areas racism can arise from, even after slavery was "abolished" following the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Please be aware, as I'm sure is expected, there are many inclusions of racism specific to the time period, which could be a trigger for some readers. This was a stressful week for our family, and being able to escape into an atmospheric novel during a time period I haven't read much of was wonderful. Her writing is equal parts powerful narrative and comforting bear hug, and her words have a smoothness like literary butter that is intelligent and accessible to all. Beverly Jenkins name continually comes up as a giant in the genre, and I can certainly see why. 😂 As someone who is still very new to the historical romance genre, I've been branching out with some of the seemingly fan favorites, since I haven't been sure where to start. I was so engrossed in this book that I didn't even stop to save quotes like I usually do.
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