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A review by dinipandareads
Destiny's Captive by Beverly Jenkins
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
This probably has one the most unique and now one of my favourite romance meetings ever! She ties him up and steals his ship and when she lets him go, he says <i>"I will find you if it takes the rest of my life, so stay alive until I come for you, my little pirate..."</i> and at this point, we probably shouldn't be swoony-hyperventilating over a man but y'know, okay, cool cool cool. We're fine.
Even though this didn't end up being my favourite in the series, reading Bev Jenkins' romances is never a bad time and I still thoroughly enjoyed myself! Noah Yates has always been the mysterious youngest Yates brother and his story was pretty heartbreaking. He was shanghaied on his eighteenth birthday and following the two years of his disappearance, he came back a completely changed man. He was no longer the happy, artistically driven, carefree youth from before but a sombre and often angry man. He experienced horrifying things in the time he was gone that left him completely broken and not once in the decade following were his trauma and nightmares addressed. But all of that changes the minute he meets the pirate lass who steals his ship and eventually steals his heart. It might've been instalust to love but I liked these two together so much and couldn't picture him with a better match than Pilar. I knew his lady love would be feisty, fierce and a total badass and Jenkins did not disappoint! She's a revolutionary soldier supporting the rebellion in Cuba and I loved her passion and desire to create a stronger, more free country for her people. Following a duel of swords between Pilar and Noah, they end up getting married and what follows is a beautiful love story of healing and growth.
I love how her stories carry hope, passion and happiness even against a background where people of colour are still treated as subhuman and suffer so many injustices. I never walk away from a Jenkins romance without having learned more about the history of BIPOC and I love her books all the more for it!
Even though this didn't end up being my favourite in the series, reading Bev Jenkins' romances is never a bad time and I still thoroughly enjoyed myself! Noah Yates has always been the mysterious youngest Yates brother and his story was pretty heartbreaking. He was shanghaied on his eighteenth birthday and following the two years of his disappearance, he came back a completely changed man. He was no longer the happy, artistically driven, carefree youth from before but a sombre and often angry man. He experienced horrifying things in the time he was gone that left him completely broken and not once in the decade following were his trauma and nightmares addressed. But all of that changes the minute he meets the pirate lass who steals his ship and eventually steals his heart. It might've been instalust to love but I liked these two together so much and couldn't picture him with a better match than Pilar. I knew his lady love would be feisty, fierce and a total badass and Jenkins did not disappoint! She's a revolutionary soldier supporting the rebellion in Cuba and I loved her passion and desire to create a stronger, more free country for her people. Following a duel of swords between Pilar and Noah, they end up getting married and what follows is a beautiful love story of healing and growth.
I love how her stories carry hope, passion and happiness even against a background where people of colour are still treated as subhuman and suffer so many injustices. I never walk away from a Jenkins romance without having learned more about the history of BIPOC and I love her books all the more for it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Rape
Moderate: Colonisation and Slavery