1. Wild Rain: Jenkins’ admits this is her first book with a cinnamon roll hero and as someone who has a weakness for that kind of man, this one comes first as Garret’s kind ways soothes the independent (and hurt) spirit of Spring Lee when he comes to her small Wyoming town of Paradise.

This is a quiet book befitting its setting in the pristine west before industrialization. While trains and lumber mills may be approching, Paradise still stands with its beautuous mountain view and spring rains in a town whose members care for each other for the most part. This landscape beauty helps to encourage the character companionship Spring and Garret share when Garret’s bruised knee leads him to staying at Spring’s place for a spell.

See, Garret McCray is a “city” man from Seattle come to interview Spring’s brother, Colton about being one of the few colored doctors in the West. He also comes to learn about the whole town and its residents including the despicable Mitch Ketchum whose harrasment of Spring will not be abated and whose partnership with a smarmy banker only spells trouble. It’s a conflict between the industrializing East and the once peaceful West as more Natives are being kicked off their land and the colored race start to wonder if the segregationist practices and prejudices will soon arrive to the territories.

It is because of Mitch and his father that Spring remains so guarded. She believes all she needs is respect for herself, her family and her homestead but Garret’s kindness, his respect, just his decency has her rethinking her stance of bachelorettehood. As she muses, meeting Garret has changed her. Not to a better person but a different one but she was okay with that because it has allowed her to be open with her feelings in a way she hadn’t been able to do so before.

What makes this one my favorite of the trilogy is how there is more external obstacles rather than the classic case of communication issues holding these characters back. There are internal issues as well, especially for Spring and her estrangement with her grandfather, Ben but that only makes the moments of trust and communication between them more meaningful.

Plus Jenkins doesn’t skimp in creating an interesting backstory for both, having Garrett come from escaping slavery which informs his familial background (especially his father, Hiram and their views when it comes to marriage) and allows Jenkins to seamlessly weave a historical lesson in the history of black naval men, sundown newspapers and lawyers. I enjoy the historical detail that makes the world more rich and teaches me something new but the history nerd in me sometimes wish Jenkins delved into things like sundown newspapers a bit more as I recall those were controversial in the day and subjected to violence and burning.

But on the subject of newspapers, Jenkins also touches on Native American bigotry as Garrett meeting Spring’s friend and business partner, Ed Prescott has him humbled that he ever believed the drival of “uncivilized savages”. She also hints at a compelling backstory and conflict of Ben and his Shoshone wife whom he drove away with his “civilizing” ways, another strike against him from Spring’s point of view.

With such a well-done couple of different backgrounds yet both have a hurt child carried within them bring light to each others’ lives, and a nice change of pace from drama of city society, this reached the number one spot for me.

2. Rebel: Set during the Reconstruction period, Rebel shows the dire straits of the Race in New Orleans as whites try to regain their Antebellum years through violence and harrassment. Among them in Northern transplant, Valinda Lacey who has come to teach the freemen, women and children despite meager funds and housing. While in the area, she narrowly escapes a rape thanks to Drake LeVeq who is soon intrigued by this hellion schoolteacher.

I loved the banter between the two because it made the more romantic gestures (like he gave her a freaking school!!!) more meaningful. Plus individually, they are a lot of fun.

For instance, Drake LeVeq is descended from the piratical House of LeVeq and has that naughty charm to him that makes him so exciting. Especially with his unique ways of bringing justice to the race without hurting anyone (well anyone who doesn’t deserve it) after he grows tired of his work at the underfunded, understaffed, disorganized Freedmen Bureau. It shows his fierce, protective side yet still retains wonderful emotional maturity with how eloquent he expresses himself and his feelings.

This is a good thing because Valinda needs some time to adjust her feelings and her head as she dares to love. You see, she may be engaged to her childhood friend but that is more of a marriage of convenience to get her pushy, patriarchal father off her back and avoid the more oppressive marriages that her mother and sister live under. She thought she was okay to have a marriage without passion but with drake she learns to play again and they make such a good match with her climbing trees and he as her tree house king. It makes sense with context, trust me.

Besides the couple, the LeVeq family is such a warm, joyful group that I loved everytime they were on page and interacting with each other especially as Val develops a sisterly friendship with Sable. I also enjoyed the side characters like Cole Bennet, Val’s friend and intended and Drake’s mistress, Josephine who was in a few pages but I admired her straightforward style. Mainly I enjoyed the easy subversion of the love obstacle tropes, getting them out of the way of Val/Drake’s romance without assassinating them as bad people.

Historically, I really enjoyed the politics subtly weaved through such as the Creole elite that have been free, rich and educated and dismiss freedmen and freedwomen because they like being separated and distinct, they even petitioned the government to be named a different class. It also involves such historical events like the William Nichols court case of desegregating streetcar systems in 1867, Louisiana Army helping Jackson, Reconstruction elections etc. As a history lover, I really enjoy such additions that make the world more live and affect the characters’ personalities and worldview.

But the best part was Val’s growth in learning to fight to be her own women and seeing such wonderful examples of the LeVeqs in having courage to defy societal expectations for women.

My one issue is that it is a quite bit of exposition in first two chapters trying to run down all the historical context instead of easing readers into it. However, that’s just a minor quibble compared to the wonderful romance at the heart of the book.

3. How to Catch a Raven: We’re back in New Orleans but instead of the charitable LeVeq pirates, the Moreaux family takes center stage with their band of swindlers, con artists and grifters. Maybe they’re not the most moral people but they’re the most interesting. They have a relatable and understandable goal in trying to get their money via dubious means because it is difficult for people of their race to elevate themselves otherwise. That’s what gives Raven Moreaux a bit of a chip on her shoulder as she hopes to have more in life than be a domestic but she doesn’t think she has any employable skills to make up for it.

But that’s all about to change when the rude, and decietful Pinkerton agent, Welch comes to her door threatening to arrest the family unless they help steal back the Decleration of Independence from a former Confederate senator. Her partner in this con is the rich and straight laced Braxton Steele whom she’s sure will ruin the con and drive her out of her mind with his judgemental attitude.

I enjoyed the premise of the book and especially loved the loyal and devious Moreaux family with their large network of spies and hucksters. I’d read or watch a whole series of their cons, they’re that entertaining just the prologue alone was enough to get me hooked. Plus I liked how it presents a new take on class differences that often pop up in these romances by adding the historical contextual element that Raven had no time to learn when she needed to help her family ontop of societal belief she didn’t need education because she is a black woman.

Unfortunately, I found the book to be too fast. It almost felt like a novella in that there was a lot of telling rather than showing. It took almost half the book before they got to their mission in South Carolina and that only took a few chapters before wrapping it up neatly with a quick conflict that is just as easily resolved.

While I can believe the attraction at first sight and bickering to lovers aspect of Brax and Raven’s romance (especially with the way Brax teased her, oh Lord, yes!), I still found it hard to suspend my disbelief that they’d start realizing they’re in love so quickly in a matter of days. Maybe it’s because the local child with the Sight predicted their marriage, they’re more apt to believ her but I found it hard for me to believe at least. Especially since Raven was made out to be someone who had her walls up after an unspecified betrayal by an ex boyfriend.

Which is another thing, it felt like there were several interesting story threads that were hinted out but in such a short book that they just dropped it. Honestly it felt more a novella than a novel. There was Lottie, Brax’s former intended who was super enjoyable and I feel like she’d be the next one to explore. There was the Pinkerton agent whom we never had the specifics of why she betrayed the house Leveq (maybe it was in a different Jenkins book I missed), there was the danger of rising white surpremacy after Reconstruction, Raven’s ex and her stint in jail that is mentioned to be traumatic and never delved into again. All interesting threads but they were just mentioned and dropped. I understand maybe she didn’t have time considering the length but with the expansive, rich world of the previous two I wanted a bit more.

Especially as there were a few deus ex machinas that, again, made it wrapped up too neatly. As it is, it’s a sweet book especially as Brax shows his gentlemanly side, providing her with riches she didn’t have to hustle for and teaching her how to read. It just falls a bit short compared to the other two.

Anyway, I loved Jenkins works and I’m eager to find Tempest and LeVeq Family series that have been mentioned throughout this trilogy. With her amazing characters, historical worlds and steamy scenes, I can’t wait for more.