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pucksandpaperbacks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
CW: Mention and description of sexual assault; sexual harassment; racism; racial slur; violence; gun violence; death; mention of slavery and being enslaved; blood; taxidermy; mention of alcoholism; mention of death by child birth, mention of child abuse, sexual harassment, alcoholism, animal still birth.
Wow! I knew I wanted to pick up Beverly Jenkins for the Diverse Baseline Challenge prompt "historical fiction" for February. But that window is over now that it's almost April. Regardless, I'm thankful to the challenge for giving me an opportunity to finally pick up her work!
Wild Rain is a slow burn grumpy x sunshine romance between a female rancher and a reporter who comes into town. If you like the caregiver trope - you must pick this up. Set in the wake of the Civil War, Spring takes in Garrett during a blizzard thinking he will only be with her for a couple of days. However, Garrett is in town to interview her brother and doctor, Colt.
I loved how Jenkins played into the forced proximity trope and it was realistic! Even if it was at the hands of her characters getting injured, haha. What I appreciated and admired most about this romance is how the grumpy x sunshine element unraveled, showing the author's intent for applying it to this story. Spring is bold, fierce, and resilient. She has endured a lot of trauma due to the way men have treated her. Therefore, she wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn't allow men to let her in.
Wow! I knew I wanted to pick up Beverly Jenkins for the Diverse Baseline Challenge prompt "historical fiction" for February. But that window is over now that it's almost April. Regardless, I'm thankful to the challenge for giving me an opportunity to finally pick up her work!
Wild Rain is a slow burn grumpy x sunshine romance between a female rancher and a reporter who comes into town. If you like the caregiver trope - you must pick this up. Set in the wake of the Civil War, Spring takes in Garrett during a blizzard thinking he will only be with her for a couple of days. However, Garrett is in town to interview her brother and doctor, Colt.
I loved how Jenkins played into the forced proximity trope and it was realistic! Even if it was at the hands of her characters getting injured, haha. What I appreciated and admired most about this romance is how the grumpy x sunshine element unraveled, showing the author's intent for applying it to this story. Spring is bold, fierce, and resilient. She has endured a lot of trauma due to the way men have treated her. Therefore, she wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn't allow men to let her in.
"He was handsome, she supposed, but a pretty face often masked an ugliness inside, so she wasn’t impressed by the strong jaw or the pleasant features it anchored."
But Garrett (our cinnamon roll) shows her what a healthy relationship and a kind man is. By asserting and accepting Spring's boundaries, listening and accepting her. Very early in the book, Spring declares that she doesn't want to marry and later on we learn she is child free by choice. Garrett is okay with that. Whenever I read romance, I always say this: THIS is a healthy romance. I thought this was great and very refreshing to see a historical romance where the female protagonist is child free and the love interest is okay with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racial slurs, Blood, Medical content, Slavery, Racism, Death of parent, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
sailormar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Ms. Bev has done it again!
In her authors note she says Garrett Macray is her first cinnamon roll and MY GOD is he ever a delicious cinnamon roll. He’s the perfect counter to the gruff, cantankerous, independent Spring Lee, rancher and solo badass, and it was beautiful to see how his gentleness and kindness healed parts of Spring and helped her open up to love and being cared for.
I often find I love but can’t relate to Beverly Jenkins heroines - I want to be them but they are so strong and powerful! Something about Spring though, despite her tough exterior, really lets you in to her soft interior, where she realizes she has become a bit lonely, where she struggles with the estranged relationship she has with her father figure, where she fears opening up to this man when the world is so bent on telling her she isn’t what a woman ought to be.
Loved this tender Beverly Jenkins book, with a lot of heart and even more strength.
In her authors note she says Garrett Macray is her first cinnamon roll and MY GOD is he ever a delicious cinnamon roll. He’s the perfect counter to the gruff, cantankerous, independent Spring Lee, rancher and solo badass, and it was beautiful to see how his gentleness and kindness healed parts of Spring and helped her open up to love and being cared for.
I often find I love but can’t relate to Beverly Jenkins heroines - I want to be them but they are so strong and powerful! Something about Spring though, despite her tough exterior, really lets you in to her soft interior, where she realizes she has become a bit lonely, where she struggles with the estranged relationship she has with her father figure, where she fears opening up to this man when the world is so bent on telling her she isn’t what a woman ought to be.
Loved this tender Beverly Jenkins book, with a lot of heart and even more strength.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Racism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Death of parent
haley49's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Everything about this book was done right, from the atmosphere to the mcs to the side characters to the way sensitive topics were handled. Basically perfect but didn’t give 5 star vibes if that makes sense😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Gun violence
Moderate: Slavery, Sexism, Misogyny, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Violence, and Death
Minor: Death of parent
wilybooklover's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
I loved this! Garrett is a super soft, sweet hero who would do anything for Spring — and who could blame him, because Spring is amazing. He never wants to change her or cage her in; he simply supports her and trusts her to know what’s best for herself. Spring is tough, independent, and more than a little bit prickly (also a complete bad ass), but Garrett earns himself a place in her heart despite all that.
I also loved that Spring doesn’t compromise on not wanting to marry or have kids, but at the same time doesn’t close herself off from love. So often heroines end up changing their minds out of love for the hero and I am so glad she didn’t.
The conflict resolution with the villain at the end felt a bit rushed, and the book ended a bit abruptly. I wish there had been another chapter or two to flesh the last part of the story out a bit more (and maybe an epilogue?). But aside from that, this was excellent!
The conflict resolution with the villain at the end felt a bit rushed, and the book ended a bit abruptly. I wish there had been another chapter or two to flesh the last part of the story out a bit more (and maybe an epilogue?). But aside from that, this was excellent!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Gun violence
Moderate: Medical content, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual assault, Animal death, Blood, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, War, Genocide, Terminal illness, and Slavery
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I enjoyed this more than Tempest! Spring is such a dynamic character and I loved her development and growth. I also really appreciated how complex Garrett's identity and desires are, given his very different background from Spring (born enslaved vs born free as she was, and significant cultural differences in the two parts of the country). Jenkins is expert in historical nuance and this is no exception. The discussions of race, class and station on page are always so well done. The final conflict felt a bit muted to me and patched up a bit too easily/quickly (and I also didn't feel it was as well seeded?).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Death, Sexual content, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Trafficking
Note that racial slurs for Black and Indigenous people are used on page (they are also addressed as bigoted and violent on page).now_booking's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I love this author’s work and couldn’t not jump on this new release, a second installment in her Women Who Dare series. Unlike some of her other series, this book isn’t at all linked to “Rebel,” the first book in the WWD series- different worlds, different settings. Indeed, my feeling is that this series is linked by the strong Black unconventional female leads who are living life on their own terms. I think this description could fit any Beverly Jenkins’ heroine personally, but I suppose the heroines in books 1 and 2 are extra daring and out of the usual way. This book IS however linked to this author’s Old West series with Book 3 in that series, “Tempest,” featuring Colt and Regan, characters who also feature prominently in this book as the brother and sister-in-law of the protagonist. Nonetheless, like most of this author’s historicals, each book stands alone and it’s only a bonus if you happen to know the characters previously.
The premise of this book is that female Wyoming rancher, Spring, is one of the few black people in her rural small town, and she has a scandalous reputation from a somewhat wild youth. Now older and a self-made rancher, what people say about her doesn’t matter to her because she has been through fire to get to where she is, she has paid her dues and she’s not in this world to be liked or to be what anyone but herself thinks she should be. When she meets Garrett, a citified lawyer cum newspaperman cum carpenter from Washington DC, come to her Wyoming small town to interview her doctor brother, sparks fly but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to change herself for anyone.
I liked this novel the way I adore anything Ms Bev writes. The storytelling was gorgeous, the history was well-researched and vibrant, the action was good, the characters feisty, the heroine absolutely everything. Garrett is a real delight as a hero- open-minded, non-judgmental, understanding, he’s the perfect match to Spring. I’m a “give me all the babies and marriage” sort of romance reader but I loved that the author took a different path with this heroine, because I recognize that not everyone’s happy ending looks like marriage and children and I think the author did a fantastic job representing this underrepresented sort of heroine in this book. I loved that Spring was always unapologetically and unashamedly herself and just really had no flips to give. It was good to have a hero that for once was the one that compromised and gave up some of his dreams for love. This was fun and deeply emotional and engaging. I listened in audio and I must say like all Beverly Jenkins’ other books, this translated very well and was quite a gorgeous listen. Highly recommend!
The premise of this book is that female Wyoming rancher, Spring, is one of the few black people in her rural small town, and she has a scandalous reputation from a somewhat wild youth. Now older and a self-made rancher, what people say about her doesn’t matter to her because she has been through fire to get to where she is, she has paid her dues and she’s not in this world to be liked or to be what anyone but herself thinks she should be. When she meets Garrett, a citified lawyer cum newspaperman cum carpenter from Washington DC, come to her Wyoming small town to interview her doctor brother, sparks fly but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to change herself for anyone.
I liked this novel the way I adore anything Ms Bev writes. The storytelling was gorgeous, the history was well-researched and vibrant, the action was good, the characters feisty, the heroine absolutely everything. Garrett is a real delight as a hero- open-minded, non-judgmental, understanding, he’s the perfect match to Spring. I’m a “give me all the babies and marriage” sort of romance reader but I loved that the author took a different path with this heroine, because I recognize that not everyone’s happy ending looks like marriage and children and I think the author did a fantastic job representing this underrepresented sort of heroine in this book. I loved that Spring was always unapologetically and unashamedly herself and just really had no flips to give. It was good to have a hero that for once was the one that compromised and gave up some of his dreams for love. This was fun and deeply emotional and engaging. I listened in audio and I must say like all Beverly Jenkins’ other books, this translated very well and was quite a gorgeous listen. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
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