Reviews

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins

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Ok you can deffo tell that this was written in the 90s. There’s some fatphobia ofc but mostly it’s the stalking and inability of a man to accept a woman saying no to him. . BROKE INTO HER HOUSE AND BEDROOM AND WATCHED HER SLEEP IN IT AND LEFT A ROSE NEXT TO HER???
I wish it weren’t this way bc the premise is cool and interesting and I have genuinely learned a lot about the Underground Railroad and abolitionist movement I never heard about in school and it’s a good thing to learn about. But man. The romance in this is treacherous.

kkenna7's review against another edition

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the way i so deeply despised the mmc in this

carakupferman's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

sharonwashington's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A

5.0

dinipandareads's review

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challenging dark emotional funny informative 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? No

4.5

4.5 stars rounded up!
Before I get into my review I just want to say: can we get the clinch cover back for this romance, please!? It's stunning and I want and need it in my life, please and thank you. 🥹

TL;DR: I've found another new favourite Jenkins romance! Even set against the tension-filled backdrop of a time of slavery, fugitive slaves and the dangers of being a conductor in the Underground Railroad, Jenkins manages to write a heartfelt and sensual romance full of yearning and I loved it. I was pulled in from their caustic first meeting to the tender blooming of their feelings to their intense chemistry and hot-as-hell sexual tension. I loved Hester and Galen so much!

I appreciate how much I learn about history with each Bev Jenkins book I read. Reading about slavery, slave catchers, and fugitive slaves was at once eye-opening, angering and heartbreaking. I loved the inserts of prominent historical figures, such as abolitionist John Brown and I admit that after reading, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole reading up more about a few of these people. I admire how reading her historicals never feels like lessons but I still walk away with so much knowledge. Plus, she writes everything so well that it's hard to not be reeled in by her stories!

I adored Hester! She's a very sensible good egg and though she's all about logic and being practical, she also doesn't hesitate to speak her mind. She has no issue standing her ground against persistent rakes like Galen and evil scum like Shoe. I love how Galen brings out the saucier and more playful side of her. I enjoyed reading about her role as a conductor for the underground and I do wish that we'd seen more of that part as the story went on, but it made for a very unique first meeting between her and Galen. And as much as I adored Hester, I was smitten with Galen! Having always been a free man and coming from one of the wealthiest families, he couldn't have been more different from Hester. He had an interesting backstory and I enjoyed learning how he became the notorious slave rescuer, Black Daniel. Although his arrogance was astounding at times, I didn't find his actions irritating because he was genuine, had a big heart and cared a great deal.

Ngl, the man had me swooning all over the place with his persistent charm, devotion, respect and all-consuming love for Hester. He was a complete simp for her and I mean, I get it! He wouldn't give her up without a fight and it was such a fun time watching him try to continuously woo her in his arrogant rakish way and see her rebuff him time and again. 😍 Their banter only got better as the story continued and the intensity of their burning sexual tension pretty much set my Kindle aflame! Although they catch feelings rather quickly, their romance (more or less) takes place over a year and I enjoyed the slow burn of their romance. I loved that Hester makes Galen work to prove himself to her! But although it's a slower burn, there were some delightfully steamy moments throughout. 🔥 Their chemistry was something!

I have to admit that the baddies got off way too easy and I did find the ending a bit too cheesy. It tracked with Galen's character though! Overall, this was another successful romance for me and I'm so excited to learn that the Le Veq brothers have a series cos I want their HEAs, especially Raymond's.

Content Warnings

awebofstories's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Content Warnings

sarcasticlive's review

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emotional informative reflective 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? Yes

5.0

This book was swoon-worthy! I've never read anything set in this time period and it was so eye opening and also so romantic??? I loved it. The plot is strong and the steam is there. Amazing read, 10/10. Will absolutely be checking out more of her books!

Content Warnings