Author: Beverly Jenkins|Website| Twitter| Facebook|
Publisher: Avon Publishing
Genre: Historical Romance
Genre: Historical Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 2
Format: ebook, Mass Market
Format: ebook, Mass Market
Cost: $5.99
Pages: 384
How I got it: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication Date: Jan 31, 2017
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Synopsis:
Even though this is the second book I actually read it last, I so wanted to read the third book and see her story that I skipped ahead, and I have no regrets. This is the story of the oldest child of Eddy's sister, Portia, this is years after the events in Forbidden. We do still see Rhine & Eddy as Portia and her sister still live with them. I was glad to see that Beverly gave them a realistic ending in this one since we all know whites in this era wouldn't have taken to being treated that way by Rhine.
I went into this one already knowing how Reagan's story ends and also was given a bit of spoiler for this one (but nobody told me to read the series backwards so there is no blame right??) in this Portia and her family have built a successful business and while still being supported by Rhine's brother they have an outlet that other blacks at this time might not have had. I loved the glimpses we have of the Black upper-class and of course the Suffrage movement that was taking place.
This is both a wonderful second chance romance and a coming to terms with who you are tale. Portia has repressed herself so that others would never link her to her mother's choices, she wants to be seen more like Eddy and her choices of living an upstanding life, even though no one in town knows her family history. Unlike Reagan who is able to embrace the present and the future with a spirit of adventure, Portia has everything planned out to the smallest detail, including the fact that according to her she's never going to get married. She also wants to ask her mother why she gave them up and wants to know what has happened to her.
Kent Rudolph comes from a more established family, his father was the Doctor in town and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. Kent has other ideas and after the night that he aided Rhine with his family, he drifted around learning how to be a man, when he realizes the drifter life was no longer for him he looked Rhine and his family up. He was surprised to see Duchess there and decided to be her friend while deciding if this town was where he could settle down.
From there we get the sweetest and funniest romance. With Portia learning what she really wants and not to hold back to Kent learning what forgiveness looks like. In between, we get great family reunions, see history unfolding, get to read fun characters and be involved in a mystery. As the story unfolds we get a bit of adventure for the girls, see Rhine and Eddy sharing their love and of course a bit of history lesson as always.
I loved everything about this romance. I loved Portia's blooming into a woman she could be proud of, with Kent she didn't feel she would be repressed, and for that, she happily embraced the secret dreams she had including becoming her own business owner. I loved her discussions and the love she had for both Eddy and Rhine. I loved her relationship with Reagan and how they motivated and held each other up.
Her romance with Kent was beautiful to read and he was such a wonderful and complicated man. He had his experiences and knew that they had shaped him into the man he was, he never apologized nor did he flaunt his background or his education. I really loved how he was with Portia. I loved that he also had a journey with his past that he needed to take and boy did those scenes make me cry.
I highly recommend the story and the series.
Publication Date: Jan 31, 2017
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Synopsis:
A strong-willed beauty finds herself in the arms of the handsome drifter from her past, in this second book in the sizzling series set in the Old West, from USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins
As manager of one of the finest hotels in Arizona Territory, Portia Carmichael has respect and stability—qualities sorely missing from her harsh childhood. She refuses to jeopardize that by hitching herself to the wrong man. Suitors are plentiful, but none of them has ever looked quite as tempting as the family friend who just rode into town…and none has looked at her with such intensity and heat.
Duchess. That’s the nickname Kent Randolph gave Portia when she was a young girl. Now she’s a stunning, intelligent woman—and Kent has learned his share of hard lessons. After drifting through the West, he’s learned the value of a place to settle down, and in Portia’s arms he’s found that and more. But convincing her to trust him with her heart, not just her passion, will be the greatest challenge he’s known—and one he intends to win…
I went into this one already knowing how Reagan's story ends and also was given a bit of spoiler for this one (but nobody told me to read the series backwards so there is no blame right??) in this Portia and her family have built a successful business and while still being supported by Rhine's brother they have an outlet that other blacks at this time might not have had. I loved the glimpses we have of the Black upper-class and of course the Suffrage movement that was taking place.
This is both a wonderful second chance romance and a coming to terms with who you are tale. Portia has repressed herself so that others would never link her to her mother's choices, she wants to be seen more like Eddy and her choices of living an upstanding life, even though no one in town knows her family history. Unlike Reagan who is able to embrace the present and the future with a spirit of adventure, Portia has everything planned out to the smallest detail, including the fact that according to her she's never going to get married. She also wants to ask her mother why she gave them up and wants to know what has happened to her.
Kent Rudolph comes from a more established family, his father was the Doctor in town and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. Kent has other ideas and after the night that he aided Rhine with his family, he drifted around learning how to be a man, when he realizes the drifter life was no longer for him he looked Rhine and his family up. He was surprised to see Duchess there and decided to be her friend while deciding if this town was where he could settle down.
From there we get the sweetest and funniest romance. With Portia learning what she really wants and not to hold back to Kent learning what forgiveness looks like. In between, we get great family reunions, see history unfolding, get to read fun characters and be involved in a mystery. As the story unfolds we get a bit of adventure for the girls, see Rhine and Eddy sharing their love and of course a bit of history lesson as always.
I loved everything about this romance. I loved Portia's blooming into a woman she could be proud of, with Kent she didn't feel she would be repressed, and for that, she happily embraced the secret dreams she had including becoming her own business owner. I loved her discussions and the love she had for both Eddy and Rhine. I loved her relationship with Reagan and how they motivated and held each other up.
Her romance with Kent was beautiful to read and he was such a wonderful and complicated man. He had his experiences and knew that they had shaped him into the man he was, he never apologized nor did he flaunt his background or his education. I really loved how he was with Portia. I loved that he also had a journey with his past that he needed to take and boy did those scenes make me cry.
I highly recommend the story and the series.
★★★★★
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