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kaydawn's review
4.0
Ages: she’s 26 and I don’t think his was said but I’m guessing in his 30s? Dual POV. Great as always though really wanted to slap some sense into him.
shae_purcell's review
3.0
This is my first time reading a true romance novel. I've read books with a love story, of course, and I love a Jane Austen romance, but I never thought I'd enjoy the '90s style Harlequin-esque books with their shirtless Fabios. I've just always been too prudish, let's be honest. Lately, I've been dipping my toe into other genres (cozy mysteries!) and finding myself quite pleased, so I decided a steamy romance would be next on my list.
I first came across Beverly Jenkins in a Goodreads article about new historical romances. The book mentioned in the article was her newest release, but I decided to go back to the beginning and start with her very first published work. The cover told me all I needed to know. Night Song, here we go.
First of all, I love historical fiction. It's one of my favorites to read. I'd read that Beverly Jenkins is great at weaving historical events into her stories. While some seemed to find it tedious based on their reviews, most praised her work. I am firmly in the latter camp. I loved the historical references, most of all because I learned a lot about a period in history I'm not all that familiar with. It made me want to learn more on my own, which to me is a sign of a good author.
Now, the story itself. I really enjoyed Cara and Chase and how their stories came together. I can see how others might consider the flow of this book to be predictable, but there were very few things I was able to guess before the end. I expected that once the build-up to their first sexual encounter was done, there wouldn't be much left of the story. I was pleased to be wrong. The ending wrapped up quite nicely - maybe too nicely for some, but it was just the way I wanted it to go.
At the end of it all, I'm still quite prudish. The author is playfully descriptive in her terms for various parts of the male and female body. It's barely steamy compared to some reviews I've read for other books, but any mention of Chase's "manhood" and Cara's "blackberry forest" had me giggling and blushing. Yes, I'm still twelve. Let's just say that this was a great novel for my first time. My only complaint - the man on the cover needs a mustache!
I first came across Beverly Jenkins in a Goodreads article about new historical romances. The book mentioned in the article was her newest release, but I decided to go back to the beginning and start with her very first published work. The cover told me all I needed to know. Night Song, here we go.
First of all, I love historical fiction. It's one of my favorites to read. I'd read that Beverly Jenkins is great at weaving historical events into her stories. While some seemed to find it tedious based on their reviews, most praised her work. I am firmly in the latter camp. I loved the historical references, most of all because I learned a lot about a period in history I'm not all that familiar with. It made me want to learn more on my own, which to me is a sign of a good author.
Now, the story itself. I really enjoyed Cara and Chase and how their stories came together. I can see how others might consider the flow of this book to be predictable, but there were very few things I was able to guess before the end. I expected that once the build-up to their first sexual encounter was done, there wouldn't be much left of the story. I was pleased to be wrong. The ending wrapped up quite nicely - maybe too nicely for some, but it was just the way I wanted it to go.
At the end of it all, I'm still quite prudish. The author is playfully descriptive in her terms for various parts of the male and female body. It's barely steamy compared to some reviews I've read for other books, but any mention of Chase's "manhood" and Cara's "blackberry forest" had me giggling and blushing. Yes, I'm still twelve. Let's just say that this was a great novel for my first time. My only complaint - the man on the cover needs a mustache!
lyrareadsbooks's review
4.0
I read this in advance of meeting Beverly Jenkins. It's not normally something I would pick up, but I was pleasantly surprised. Having been to some of the desolate parts of Kansas in modern times, her description of the land and pioneer life rang true to me. She's such an expert researcher, that I could hardly believe she hadn't been there. For those people who didn't learn much history in school, this is an excellent place to start.
zlibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
greylandreviews's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars
Trigger Warnings: violence, lynching, death, loss of loved ones, murder, racism, colorism, miscarriage, gun shot, and kidnapping
Trigger Warnings: violence, lynching, death, loss of loved ones, murder, racism, colorism, miscarriage, gun shot, and kidnapping
cmcdonnell's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
nic55's review against another edition
4.0
This started off weaker than the other Beverly Jenkins I’ve read but it eventually won me over. Per usual with her books, I was initially much more interested in the independent, opinionated FMC than her love interest. Cara’s backstory was immediately tragic and her role within her community as a teacher was more compelling than I would’ve guessed. Chase took longer for me to warm up to but he won me over. I appreciated his struggles with being a Black Union soldier and also his past as a slave. Their dynamic was great, especially since they both initially claimed they’d never fall in love or get too involved. I’m a sucker for when romance leads have unwanted feels popping up lol. There was a lot of steam in this one, especially on household furniture lol, which I enjoyed. Bev tends to write sexual tension well and even while having sexually inexperienced heroines, they’re always fairly independent so it doesn’t go too far with the whole virginal/innocence thing (at least, for my taste).
There were a lot of twists and suspense/drama in the back half of this book. It was ultimately entertaining but too drawn out and a bit OTT. There was a miscarriage plot line that was…jarring to say the least. The way it affected their relationship was irritating but I eventually just rolled with it lol. Writing was also not as smooth as I would’ve wanted and was repetitive/meandered at times.
Overall, I have preferred the slightly newer Destiny series to the books published in the 90s (Topaz and this). Though I definitely enjoyed this, I could tell this was a debut. I’m interested to keep exploring Bev’s historicals and see if that pattern continues!
There were a lot of twists and suspense/drama in the back half of this book. It was ultimately entertaining but too drawn out and a bit OTT. There was a miscarriage plot line that was…jarring to say the least. The way it affected their relationship was irritating but I eventually just rolled with it lol. Writing was also not as smooth as I would’ve wanted and was repetitive/meandered at times.
Overall, I have preferred the slightly newer Destiny series to the books published in the 90s (Topaz and this). Though I definitely enjoyed this, I could tell this was a debut. I’m interested to keep exploring Bev’s historicals and see if that pattern continues!
abriyah1's review
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? It's complicated
5.0
onlyonebookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Gun violence, Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage