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zids's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Beverly Jenkins the author you are.
This is my second time reading her work, I admire her so much for writing black historical romance, they said it couldn't be done!
Usually I really don't like when male leads in romance novels are too self assured or pushy in their affection, but there was just something about Galen. I'm sorry yall I had to put the feminism down for a second.
This book had really heroic, likeable characters and a beautiful ending. There were times it felt a little like Bev was reciting from a history book, but we got back into it real quick.
Loved it!
This is my second time reading her work, I admire her so much for writing black historical romance, they said it couldn't be done!
Usually I really don't like when male leads in romance novels are too self assured or pushy in their affection, but there was just something about Galen. I'm sorry yall I had to put the feminism down for a second.
This book had really heroic, likeable characters and a beautiful ending. There were times it felt a little like Bev was reciting from a history book, but we got back into it real quick.
Loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Racism
hendrixpants's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Slavery
toffishay's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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
3.75
I really loved this romance, I mean I read it all in a day! Hester, or as Galen calls her Indigo, is an amazing main character. She is strong and funny and kind! I love the relationship that she develops with Galen. Even though Galen is arrogant, I found him very lovable. It is certainly a romance of its time, and Galen can be a little hard to connect to at times because he can steamroll others at times. But overall, I really enjoyed this story. As a Black woman from Michigan, I also really appreciate the real history about Black life in the mid-late 1800s, the role that Michigan played in the Underground Railroad, and a slice of the political and social landscape at that time. I believe that fiction can be a great way to learn and Beverly Jenkins always does an awesome job balancing education with romance. It was all a piece of life at that time and books like this are an important part of telling that history and keeping it alive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism
Moderate: Kidnapping, Hate crime, Sexism, Infidelity, Classism, Misogyny, Bullying, Grief, Violence, Trafficking, Gun violence, Slavery, and Murder
Minor: Fatphobia, War, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Colonisation, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Murder, and Cursing
reading_historical_romance's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Racism, Violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Murder, Pregnancy, and Grief
caitlinemccann's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Slavery, and Racism
Moderate: Classism, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
brianaisgoingplaces's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I knew that Beverly Jenkins didn’t get to where she was for no reason, but I am so happy I finally read one of her books and learned why straight from the source. Indigo is the story of Hester, a determined and brave young woman doing her part to help runaway slaves on the underground railroad. One night, she encounters a man who has been badly beaten, almost to the point of death. As he recovers, Hester decides he is one of the rudest people she’s met, and the Black Daniel discovers he may have met his match. Soon, their hatred for each other takes a turn, and it’s delicious.
Both of these characters are wonderful in their own ways. They each have full personalities that complement each other, and it’s fun to watch them on the page. The story progresses a bit slowly, but it serves to build tension well, both romantically and otherwise.
Indigo isn’t just Hester and Galen’s love story. We get to meet a lot of interesting characters, and we get a glimpse into how it felt to live as a free Black person during that time.
The only qualm I had with the novel was Hester and Galen’s…appetite. It got to be a bit repetitive and at some points I just wanted the story to move along.
I cannot wait to read Beverly Jenkins whole body of work!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery
liseylovesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Racial slurs
allingoodtime's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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
There is so much I want to say about this book, yet I feel I cannot do justice to the thoughts swirling in my head. Beverly Jenkins has been an author I meant to read for a very long time. While I now realize she writes both contemporary and historical, I was under the impression that she was a strictly historical author and I had stepped away from that genre for a while. Over the last year, I started incorporating historical romance back into my reading (I’m still not sure why I ever got away from it in the first place) and still hadn’t read one of her stories. WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG?!?
This author writes with such sensuality and intimacy, I was shocked to realize how far into the book it was before Hester and Galen actually gave in to their desires. The raw sexual tension and meaningful looks made it seem as though these two were much more physical with each other than they actually were. Ms. Bev has a true gift and I am going to happily delve into her library or work. Now that the seal has been broken for me, there’s no going back.
I’m the type of reader who is fascinated with the level of research a writer such as this puts into her work. I’m also a history buff so want to know all the things. As it is, when reading a historical romance I often look things up as I go along to find out more. When a book, whether historical or not, takes place in my neck of the woods I get even more invested. This story takes place, for the most part in Michigan. The Detroit area. In other words, my neck of the woods. I was thoroughly intrigued by this story of a conductor of the Underground Railroad and The Black Daniel, a man who took great risks to steal slaves and set them free.
The author does a wonderful job of weaving the story of Hester and Galen, aka The Black Daniel, with the history of the time and place. It’s never intrusive but gives such richness to the tale of these two and the town and surrounding areas. There are issues with class, gender roles, politics, and love. Most importantly love. To Hester, love leads to pain so she never desired to find love for herself. She’s seen what love has done to those closest to her. The same can be said for Galen in a way, but growing up rich and light-skinned and free, he was more about having fun than thinking about love.
Whenever I go into a book that was written over 20 years ago, I go in with some expectation of the writing feeling a bit dated. Now, this doesn’t happen as often with an historical, but it still happens. I never felt that with this book. Gee, maybe because a black woman author knows how to write stories about black women. Even when it’s being written about a time when slavery was still legal in much of the U.S. and racism was rampant even in places it was not legal.
As I said, my words cannot do this story justice. Just know that it blew me away and I cannot wait to read more by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Racism
Moderate: Violence and Misogyny
vicia's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Wow! This book is not my usual lighthearted romance; it's intense -- and great! If I were looking for intense, I would probably have given it 5 stars, as both the drama of the plot and the romance moved my emotions more deeply than most anything I've read. Just superb! Re my personal preferences, I found myself worrying too much for the characters to fully relax and enjoy myself (also I found some of the history was laid in a little heavy here and there, and I didn't love the resolution with the villain) -- thus the 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Hate crime
Minor: Body horror and Slavery
chloewakham's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexual content
Moderate: Slavery and Infidelity