Through the Storm. Beverly Jenkins. 1998. HarperCollins. 388 pages. [Source: Public Library.] I am far too late on the Beverly Jenkins train; luckily, I’ve corrected course and thoroughly enjoyed the first in her historical fiction series that follows the Le Veq family in Civil War-era New Orleans. With an unexpected and dramatic escape from the plantation she’s always know as home, Sable finds herself newly free during the ongoing Civil War. Through what can only be described as divine intervention, she comes crosses paths with Raimond Le Veq at a refugee camp. While the disarming general is obviously enamored with her, Sable is suspicious and disinterested in any connection that doesn’t make good use of her newfound freedom. Unfortunately, things never play out in simple terms, and a spur of the moment decision pulls the two apart, with Raimond left resenting Sable, who he’s come to see as a traitor. Just a year later, Sable finds herself in Raimond’s hometown of New Orleans. They’re one again thrown together by chance, this time in a marriage of convenience so that Raimond’s family can access the much-needed family inheritance they need to recover from the war. There is constant tension between the…

Black Love Matters. Jessica P. Pryde, ed. 2022. Berkley. 285 pages. [Source: Public Library.] As a proud lover of all things Black romance, I had to get my hands on this anthology which features essays from some of the most visible names in the field of Black romance publishing and scholarship. With this book, Pryde has brought together long-established names as well as those who are on their rise to consider the ways that Black Love Matters. The result is a book filled with contributors representing all facets of Black life and love, sharing their insights on the genre and what it means for them or critically examining the space that Black love occupies in literature. One of the greatest take aways here is that Black Love Matters gives space to ask the question — why do we need to center Black love? If romance is one of the best-selling segments of the publishing industry, why are Black stories still lacking in representation? In responding to this topic, the authors share their own experiences as creators, consumers, and scholars of Black romance. What I love about this book is that its chapters reflect the complexity of Black writing; there are…

Confessions in B Flat. Donna Hill. 2020. Sideways Books. 306 pages. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] Confessions in B Flat was a particular treat for me. I am, admittedly, not a huge fan of historical fiction. But the lure of its description was too much for me to walk away. Two young Civil Rights activists from differing ideologies find themselves struggling to figure out if a relationship can withstand their polarized views. Anita and Jason are, in many ways, like oil and water. Despite coming from a “bougie” background, Anita, a part-time waitress and poet, moves to the beat of her own drum and is often compelled by a sense of doing what fulfills her. She finds herself a follower of Malcolm X and is deeply committed to all Harlem has to give. Jason, a Georgia native who comes north to spread the teaching of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is more bound by duty and expectation. He wants to do what is right, even if it comes with a sacrifice. Their initial interactions are fraught with conflict about how they approach the fight for civil rights, but their chemistry is undeniable. Hill masterfully captured the culture wars that…