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Old West #2
Breathless
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romance (2017)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 have 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…
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 have 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…
376 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 31, 2017
About the author
Beverly Jenkins
68 books4,442 followersBeverly Jenkins is the recipient of the 2017 Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the 2016 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for historical romance.
She has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature, was featured both in the documentary “Love Between the Covers” and on CBS Sunday Morning.
Since the publication of Night Song in 1994, she has been leading the charge for inclusive romance, and has been a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and NPR.
She has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature, was featured both in the documentary “Love Between the Covers” and on CBS Sunday Morning.
Since the publication of Night Song in 1994, she has been leading the charge for inclusive romance, and has been a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and NPR.
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March 1, 2017
"I want you to kiss me."
Caught off guard, he froze. "I'm sorry. I must've misheard you. Say that again."
She looked irritated. "I want you to kiss me."
"May I ask why?"
"I need to cure myself of whatever these feelings are I'm starting to have for you, and don't ask me what feelings. You know what I mean."
"I do," he said as he studied her gorgeous ebony face. She looked so put out he wanted to smile but kept his features bland. "Have you ever been kissed before?"
"No."
"Then I should warn you that this probably won't cure you, Duchess. In fact, it might make matters worse."
Okay, I have a lot to say about this novel. Let's begin.
The premise is very good. Portia, as you remember from Forbidden, is the daughter of a prostitute. She is 27 and has vowed never to fall in love.
Excellent. This is a very exciting premise for a lot of reasons. Her past makes her fearful and suspicious of men. We know Corinne was planning to sell Portia's virginity to the highest bidder. We know it took years for Portia to learn to trust Rhine and Jim, two good men who helped raise her. What will it take for a man to earn Portia's trust and love? It's exciting and romantic just to think of all the time, patience, and sweetness this hero is going to have to pour into Portia. Gentle, sweet, kind men who are patient are the best men ever, and I was very excited to read about this.
Also, the Old West. Wow, I love reading books that take place in the Old West. So fun.
However, the book did not live up to my expectations.
It started out wonderfully. Kent (the hero) exhibits some very mensch-like behavior. He cooks. He does the dishes. He shocks all the women by being able to do these things and not expecting to be waited on.
He calls Portia "Duchess" and rarely addresses her by her real first name. This might annoy some people, but I found it endearing and sexually exciting.
"Managing a party of this size doesn't leave much time for enjoyment."
"I suppose you're right. Do you ever get to have fun?"
She thought about the conversation she'd had with Regan yesterday. "I have a lot to do."
"Not judging, Duchess. Just asking."
Portia prefers Kent's rough hands, skill with horses, and worn clothes to the local dandies trying to court her.
"Fanciest set of duds I own, Duchess. Sorry."
"No. I was - just thinking about how much more I liked your attire than his." Embarrassed by her admission and doing her best to ignore the heat searing her cheeks, she dragged her eyes to his and found a quietness waiting there that spoke to her wordlessly. "Please, I wasn't judging you."
"Are you always this sincere?"
Portia felt as if they were alone in an empty room. "When I need to be, yes."
"Good to know," he said softly.
Things are going well. Every time he calls her Duchess, she gets sexually excited - I can't blame her. Her tummy is fluttering around him and he is being very sweet and mensch-like with her.
However, around 44% I was starting to realize that Kent is no mensch. We start to first see problems when an attractive widow starts hitting on Kent.
He had no interest in sampling what she was so brazenly offering. The younger version of himself would have gladly accommodated her anytime and anyplace, but he was far more selective in his old age. His jail sentence played a small part in his current stance, but maturity played a larger one. He no longer wanted to pursue women other men had ridden hard and put up wet.
Um, EXCUSE ME. One, that is uncharitable and unkind to say about someone. The woman has had sex before, therefore she is gross? Two, pot calling the kettle black. Kent is known as the 'cat house king' and he's fucked A LOT of prostitutes and married women. Now he has the gall to say a woman who is not a virgin (and this woman is a WIDOW for fuck's sake) is 'dirty?' Fuck you. Three, are you only interested in Portia because she's a virgin? Because that puts a really skeevy and icky gloss over your attraction for her. Now I'm worried that he's into virginity fetishizing and it's grossing me out.
Then he starts calling the heroine "good girl" which really makes me retch.
"Fibber. Get your horse. Who knows, if you're a good girl, you might get kisses, too."
Ew. This is so gross on so many levels.
"Good girl. Now, come, let's find a place with a bit more cover so I can give you your reward."
See, in both these things he is calling her 'good girl - as if she's a dog or a two-year-old, I can't tell which - and acting as if kissing her is some kind of reward for her behavior or some shit. Both are icky concepts.
The book also has other problems.
One problem is that Jenkins tends to introduce characters and situations with a bang, but then end them with a fizzle. She did it in Forbidden, too, but it was easier to ignore there. Here it is glaring. An example is Corinne, Portia and Regan's mother, who is a prostitute. She's scarred her children, by prostituting herself in front of them, giving them away without a second glance at a young age, and plotting to sell their virginity to the highest bidder. Is Corinne going to show up in this book? Are we going to find out what happened to her? Are her daughters and sister going to be able to confront her? It's weak.
Then we have Ty Parnell, the sullen ranch hand whom Kent dominates and throws off the ranch for being insubordinate. Things get exciting when
I have no idea why Jenkins builds up these potentially exciting situations (and there is a lot of potential here) and then just allows them to fizzle into nothing. It's frustrating for this reader.
Another huge problem I had is the fact that Portia's mother being a prostitute severely fucked her up and she distrusts men because the men she knew were the kind of men who frequented prostitutes. And her 'hero' is someone who is known as 'the cat house king.' This is never addressed. Shouldn't there be a scene where she confronts him about this? Shouldn't there be some soul-searching about falling in love with a man who could very well have been one of her mother's customers? Doesn't the fact that Kent fucked hundreds of hookers BOTHER Portia?!?!!? I guess not. She never brings it up, and neither does he.
The closest we get is when she is upset to find out that he was fucking married women.
"Are you going to be unfaithful to me at some point, Kent?"
There was such seriousness in her tone it broke his heart. He felt like he'd failed her in a deep and profound way even though he hadn't known he'd be in love with her someday.
And then he's just like, "No," and it's the end of the conversation. Like, WTF? ?!?!?!?! If I were Portia I think I would need a little more convincing and also I would like an explanation of why he felt the need to fuck other men's wives. Did he think he was entitled to any woman he set eyes on? Was he physically unable not to fuck any woman who asked him to fuck? It couldn't be that he wasn't getting enough sex, we've already established he was getting plenty of sex. Does he need the danger and excitement of an illicit affair to get off? Inquiring minds want to know. Portia should investigate this shit if she's going to marry this fucker.
The end of the book is completely loony. Jenkins should have ended the book at the end of Chapter Sixteen. Instead, she tacks on about three more endings, one involving Portia getting which I found completely ludicrous. None of this extra was necessary and I was baffled as to where Jenkins was going with it. She was going nowhere.
Characters also do some really weird and out-of-character stuff. For instance, Portia has this annoying suitor named Edward Salt (great name, BTW) who is competing for her affections along with Kent and some other men. Suddenly, out of nowhere, about 71% through the book, he starts saying very crass and demeaning things to her. Like calling her 'bitch' and talking about 'enjoying what is between her thighs' and talking about how much she's going to inherit etc. etc. And I was like, "WTF?" Because he has to know that saying things like this to a woman is going to put him out of the running. I can't imagine what would suddenly possess him to say such things to her! Sure, he was a bit unpleasant before - in a come-on-too-strong, I-am-interested-in-your-money way, but suddenly he's with the 'bitch' and the 'sex' and it's just jarring and weird. If you are going to have a character go off the deep end like this, then you have to explain why he's doing it.
There are more than one instances of this.
How's the sex, Carmen?
Sigh. I had such high hopes, due to Portia's circumstances and Jenkins/Kent's focus on kissing (KISSING!) but the sex did not do it for me.
The main problem was Kent's insistence on talking during sexual activities. He was way worse than Rhine, the hero of the last book.
"Do you want me to make them harder, Duchess?"
Her back braced against a tree, Portia could barely stand due to the storm whirling inside. He leaned down and kissed her mouth possessively. "You have to say 'please,' darlin'."
UGH. Just do the thing! Don't ask her stupid questions!!!! And I'm all for begging when it comes naturally, but this is just gross. Why are you making her ask for sexual favors?! What makes you think she's into that? Are you getting off on humiliating her? She's a virgin! FFS!
If any man told me I had to say 'please' in order to get him to continue what he was doing in bed - as if I was five and this was an episode of Sesame Street - I would probably bite his nose off*. What the FUCK are you doing. Getting a good rhythm going, making her feel really good, she's moaning and you are rock hard, and then you just stop everything to make her beg or some shit?!!?!? Did I wander into Fifty Shades or some shit?!?!!
Then they actually have p-in-v sex and it gets even worse.
"Come for me, Duchess. I know you're ready."
Fuck you. I will come whenever the fuck I feel like coming. Also, way to snap her out of the moment there. There's nothing worse than being close to coming and then a man opens his mouth and ruins it by saying stupid shit to you.
"Welcome to the marriage bed, Mrs. Randolph."
His thrusts were harder, stronger, and he reached down and raised her hips without missing a beat. He threw back his head, "God, you're so tight. I could do you all night, woman."
Can you imagine trying to enjoy sex while your lover is saying stuff like this to you?!?!!?!? SO ANNOYING. Does he think this is adding at all to the situation?!!?! Why don't you two both just enjoy yourselves in silence? Or just revert to the classics, like taking the Lord's name in vain and moaning a lot? Are you trying to distract her so she's unable to come? What is your problem?!!?
I don't know how to get heroes in romance novels to shut the fuck up in bed. Sure, dirty talk is fun, but in 90% of these novels the heroes are shit at it. I don't know what to do. Hopefully this trend takes a downturn soon.
Tl;dr - This is a step-down from Forbidden. Lack of tension, side characters who enter strong but fizzle out with a whimper, and a rather loony conclusion all detract here. Not to mention that Kent slowly morphs from a mensch into someone I feel distaste for. The sex does NOT make up for this defect, because the sex isn't even very good.
VERDICT: Skip this, read Forbidden. I will read the third book, Regan's story, and tell you how that is. Perhaps Jenkins will have another winner. Stay tuned.
*Not really, I'm not a violent person.
Categories: Historical Romance, Black Romance, Cowboy/Western Romance.
Caught off guard, he froze. "I'm sorry. I must've misheard you. Say that again."
She looked irritated. "I want you to kiss me."
"May I ask why?"
"I need to cure myself of whatever these feelings are I'm starting to have for you, and don't ask me what feelings. You know what I mean."
"I do," he said as he studied her gorgeous ebony face. She looked so put out he wanted to smile but kept his features bland. "Have you ever been kissed before?"
"No."
"Then I should warn you that this probably won't cure you, Duchess. In fact, it might make matters worse."
Okay, I have a lot to say about this novel. Let's begin.
The premise is very good. Portia, as you remember from Forbidden, is the daughter of a prostitute. She is 27 and has vowed never to fall in love.
Excellent. This is a very exciting premise for a lot of reasons. Her past makes her fearful and suspicious of men. We know Corinne was planning to sell Portia's virginity to the highest bidder. We know it took years for Portia to learn to trust Rhine and Jim, two good men who helped raise her. What will it take for a man to earn Portia's trust and love? It's exciting and romantic just to think of all the time, patience, and sweetness this hero is going to have to pour into Portia. Gentle, sweet, kind men who are patient are the best men ever, and I was very excited to read about this.
Also, the Old West. Wow, I love reading books that take place in the Old West. So fun.
However, the book did not live up to my expectations.
It started out wonderfully. Kent (the hero) exhibits some very mensch-like behavior. He cooks. He does the dishes. He shocks all the women by being able to do these things and not expecting to be waited on.
He calls Portia "Duchess" and rarely addresses her by her real first name. This might annoy some people, but I found it endearing and sexually exciting.
"Managing a party of this size doesn't leave much time for enjoyment."
"I suppose you're right. Do you ever get to have fun?"
She thought about the conversation she'd had with Regan yesterday. "I have a lot to do."
"Not judging, Duchess. Just asking."
Portia prefers Kent's rough hands, skill with horses, and worn clothes to the local dandies trying to court her.
"Fanciest set of duds I own, Duchess. Sorry."
"No. I was - just thinking about how much more I liked your attire than his." Embarrassed by her admission and doing her best to ignore the heat searing her cheeks, she dragged her eyes to his and found a quietness waiting there that spoke to her wordlessly. "Please, I wasn't judging you."
"Are you always this sincere?"
Portia felt as if they were alone in an empty room. "When I need to be, yes."
"Good to know," he said softly.
Things are going well. Every time he calls her Duchess, she gets sexually excited - I can't blame her. Her tummy is fluttering around him and he is being very sweet and mensch-like with her.
However, around 44% I was starting to realize that Kent is no mensch. We start to first see problems when an attractive widow starts hitting on Kent.
He had no interest in sampling what she was so brazenly offering. The younger version of himself would have gladly accommodated her anytime and anyplace, but he was far more selective in his old age. His jail sentence played a small part in his current stance, but maturity played a larger one. He no longer wanted to pursue women other men had ridden hard and put up wet.
Um, EXCUSE ME. One, that is uncharitable and unkind to say about someone. The woman has had sex before, therefore she is gross? Two, pot calling the kettle black. Kent is known as the 'cat house king' and he's fucked A LOT of prostitutes and married women. Now he has the gall to say a woman who is not a virgin (and this woman is a WIDOW for fuck's sake) is 'dirty?' Fuck you. Three, are you only interested in Portia because she's a virgin? Because that puts a really skeevy and icky gloss over your attraction for her. Now I'm worried that he's into virginity fetishizing and it's grossing me out.
Then he starts calling the heroine "good girl" which really makes me retch.
"Fibber. Get your horse. Who knows, if you're a good girl, you might get kisses, too."
Ew. This is so gross on so many levels.
"Good girl. Now, come, let's find a place with a bit more cover so I can give you your reward."
See, in both these things he is calling her 'good girl - as if she's a dog or a two-year-old, I can't tell which - and acting as if kissing her is some kind of reward for her behavior or some shit. Both are icky concepts.
The book also has other problems.
One problem is that Jenkins tends to introduce characters and situations with a bang, but then end them with a fizzle. She did it in Forbidden, too, but it was easier to ignore there. Here it is glaring. An example is Corinne, Portia and Regan's mother, who is a prostitute. She's scarred her children, by prostituting herself in front of them, giving them away without a second glance at a young age, and plotting to sell their virginity to the highest bidder. Is Corinne going to show up in this book? Are we going to find out what happened to her? Are her daughters and sister going to be able to confront her? It's weak.
Then we have Ty Parnell, the sullen ranch hand whom Kent dominates and throws off the ranch for being insubordinate. Things get exciting when
I have no idea why Jenkins builds up these potentially exciting situations (and there is a lot of potential here) and then just allows them to fizzle into nothing. It's frustrating for this reader.
Another huge problem I had is the fact that Portia's mother being a prostitute severely fucked her up and she distrusts men because the men she knew were the kind of men who frequented prostitutes. And her 'hero' is someone who is known as 'the cat house king.' This is never addressed. Shouldn't there be a scene where she confronts him about this? Shouldn't there be some soul-searching about falling in love with a man who could very well have been one of her mother's customers? Doesn't the fact that Kent fucked hundreds of hookers BOTHER Portia?!?!!? I guess not. She never brings it up, and neither does he.
The closest we get is when she is upset to find out that he was fucking married women.
"Are you going to be unfaithful to me at some point, Kent?"
There was such seriousness in her tone it broke his heart. He felt like he'd failed her in a deep and profound way even though he hadn't known he'd be in love with her someday.
And then he's just like, "No," and it's the end of the conversation. Like, WTF? ?!?!?!?! If I were Portia I think I would need a little more convincing and also I would like an explanation of why he felt the need to fuck other men's wives. Did he think he was entitled to any woman he set eyes on? Was he physically unable not to fuck any woman who asked him to fuck? It couldn't be that he wasn't getting enough sex, we've already established he was getting plenty of sex. Does he need the danger and excitement of an illicit affair to get off? Inquiring minds want to know. Portia should investigate this shit if she's going to marry this fucker.
The end of the book is completely loony. Jenkins should have ended the book at the end of Chapter Sixteen. Instead, she tacks on about three more endings, one involving Portia getting which I found completely ludicrous. None of this extra was necessary and I was baffled as to where Jenkins was going with it. She was going nowhere.
Characters also do some really weird and out-of-character stuff. For instance, Portia has this annoying suitor named Edward Salt (great name, BTW) who is competing for her affections along with Kent and some other men. Suddenly, out of nowhere, about 71% through the book, he starts saying very crass and demeaning things to her. Like calling her 'bitch' and talking about 'enjoying what is between her thighs' and talking about how much she's going to inherit etc. etc. And I was like, "WTF?" Because he has to know that saying things like this to a woman is going to put him out of the running. I can't imagine what would suddenly possess him to say such things to her! Sure, he was a bit unpleasant before - in a come-on-too-strong, I-am-interested-in-your-money way, but suddenly he's with the 'bitch' and the 'sex' and it's just jarring and weird. If you are going to have a character go off the deep end like this, then you have to explain why he's doing it.
There are more than one instances of this.
How's the sex, Carmen?
Sigh. I had such high hopes, due to Portia's circumstances and Jenkins/Kent's focus on kissing (KISSING!) but the sex did not do it for me.
The main problem was Kent's insistence on talking during sexual activities. He was way worse than Rhine, the hero of the last book.
"Do you want me to make them harder, Duchess?"
Her back braced against a tree, Portia could barely stand due to the storm whirling inside. He leaned down and kissed her mouth possessively. "You have to say 'please,' darlin'."
UGH. Just do the thing! Don't ask her stupid questions!!!! And I'm all for begging when it comes naturally, but this is just gross. Why are you making her ask for sexual favors?! What makes you think she's into that? Are you getting off on humiliating her? She's a virgin! FFS!
If any man told me I had to say 'please' in order to get him to continue what he was doing in bed - as if I was five and this was an episode of Sesame Street - I would probably bite his nose off*. What the FUCK are you doing. Getting a good rhythm going, making her feel really good, she's moaning and you are rock hard, and then you just stop everything to make her beg or some shit?!!?!? Did I wander into Fifty Shades or some shit?!?!!
Then they actually have p-in-v sex and it gets even worse.
"Come for me, Duchess. I know you're ready."
Fuck you. I will come whenever the fuck I feel like coming. Also, way to snap her out of the moment there. There's nothing worse than being close to coming and then a man opens his mouth and ruins it by saying stupid shit to you.
"Welcome to the marriage bed, Mrs. Randolph."
His thrusts were harder, stronger, and he reached down and raised her hips without missing a beat. He threw back his head, "God, you're so tight. I could do you all night, woman."
Can you imagine trying to enjoy sex while your lover is saying stuff like this to you?!?!!?!? SO ANNOYING. Does he think this is adding at all to the situation?!!?! Why don't you two both just enjoy yourselves in silence? Or just revert to the classics, like taking the Lord's name in vain and moaning a lot? Are you trying to distract her so she's unable to come? What is your problem?!!?
I don't know how to get heroes in romance novels to shut the fuck up in bed. Sure, dirty talk is fun, but in 90% of these novels the heroes are shit at it. I don't know what to do. Hopefully this trend takes a downturn soon.
Tl;dr - This is a step-down from Forbidden. Lack of tension, side characters who enter strong but fizzle out with a whimper, and a rather loony conclusion all detract here. Not to mention that Kent slowly morphs from a mensch into someone I feel distaste for. The sex does NOT make up for this defect, because the sex isn't even very good.
VERDICT: Skip this, read Forbidden. I will read the third book, Regan's story, and tell you how that is. Perhaps Jenkins will have another winner. Stay tuned.
*Not really, I'm not a violent person.
Categories: Historical Romance, Black Romance, Cowboy/Western Romance.
August 28, 2020
I feel like I’ve been saying this in my reviews for several authors lately but really though, GIVE ME alllll of Beverly Jenkins’ books.
I loved seeing Eddy and Rhine from the first book and seeing their relationship with Portia and Regan develop. The family aspect in this and the community feel was A+ and the romance so wholesome. 🥺
As always, Beverly Jenkins does a phenomenal job of focusing on what it meant to be Black in the 1800’s as well as giving us a swoon worthy romance with an incredible heroine and hero.
I loved seeing Eddy and Rhine from the first book and seeing their relationship with Portia and Regan develop. The family aspect in this and the community feel was A+ and the romance so wholesome. 🥺
As always, Beverly Jenkins does a phenomenal job of focusing on what it meant to be Black in the 1800’s as well as giving us a swoon worthy romance with an incredible heroine and hero.
July 31, 2020
This was just too slow and sweet for my taste. There was a romance, but this definitely feel like a romance book. This felt more like a look into the main characters' lives and that was it. Someone got a job. Someone got married. Someone went to a festival. I just didn't find myself caring and just wanted to get to the end so that I could get onto something more exciting. While I love Beverly Jenkins, this book was just a miss for me.
March 19, 2020
Didn’t love this one as much as the other 2 in the series but it was still thoroughly enjoyable! Kent and Portia’s romance is slow and sweet. I LOVED his nickname Duchess for her. This series is a must read if you love western historical romances.
February 7, 2017
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I really enjoyed this book. I was so happy to see so many wonderful character from the first book in the series, Forbidden, featured in this book. I found this book to be a really easy read and liked the sweeter romance that it offered. The western setting was very well done and quite a lot of fun.
The book focuses on Portia and Kent. Portia came to live with her Aunt Eddy and Uncle Rhine when she was 12 years old. They are forced to leave Virgina City shortly after the events of the first book. The family ends up in the Arizona Territory running a successful hotel. Portia has grown up to be an intelligent and very capable woman who handles most of the day to day operations of the hotel. She is very business minded and has no desire to marry.
Kent's life has been rather adventurous since he fled Virginia City with Portia's family. He is now the rancher he always wanted to be and is hoping to settle down a bit. He signs on to work with Rhine and soon is put in charge of the adjoining ranch. He is a very hard worker and an all around good guy.
I liked Portia and Kent together. This romance was really quite sweet. Portia is very innocent and the bulk of the book covers the couple getting to know each other. I liked how Kent handling all of the attention that Portia was getting from her long time suitors. He seemed to know just the right thing to say to handle a situation. It was nice watch this couple fall in love with each other.
I would recommend this book to others. I didn't like it quite as much as I liked Eddy and Rhine's story but I thought it was a solid romance. Having Eddy, Rhine, and other characters from the previous book play an important roles in this book was a nice surprise. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
I received an advanced reader edition of this book from Avon Books via Edelweiss.
I really enjoyed this book. I was so happy to see so many wonderful character from the first book in the series, Forbidden, featured in this book. I found this book to be a really easy read and liked the sweeter romance that it offered. The western setting was very well done and quite a lot of fun.
The book focuses on Portia and Kent. Portia came to live with her Aunt Eddy and Uncle Rhine when she was 12 years old. They are forced to leave Virgina City shortly after the events of the first book. The family ends up in the Arizona Territory running a successful hotel. Portia has grown up to be an intelligent and very capable woman who handles most of the day to day operations of the hotel. She is very business minded and has no desire to marry.
Kent's life has been rather adventurous since he fled Virginia City with Portia's family. He is now the rancher he always wanted to be and is hoping to settle down a bit. He signs on to work with Rhine and soon is put in charge of the adjoining ranch. He is a very hard worker and an all around good guy.
I liked Portia and Kent together. This romance was really quite sweet. Portia is very innocent and the bulk of the book covers the couple getting to know each other. I liked how Kent handling all of the attention that Portia was getting from her long time suitors. He seemed to know just the right thing to say to handle a situation. It was nice watch this couple fall in love with each other.
I would recommend this book to others. I didn't like it quite as much as I liked Eddy and Rhine's story but I thought it was a solid romance. Having Eddy, Rhine, and other characters from the previous book play an important roles in this book was a nice surprise. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
I received an advanced reader edition of this book from Avon Books via Edelweiss.
February 16, 2021
This was a lovely Valentine's Weekend read.
I liked this in many ways, the main character is a woman interested in early feminism and uninterested in marriage.
I loved the historical imformation, this authors research is top notch and smoothly included in the narrative.
Still I don't much care for romance as a genre.
I liked this in many ways, the main character is a woman interested in early feminism and uninterested in marriage.
I loved the historical imformation, this authors research is top notch and smoothly included in the narrative.
Still I don't much care for romance as a genre.
May 13, 2023
But where’s MY naughty cowboy husband??? This one felt a lot softer than book one and the plot was a bit more mellow. I really enjoyed the main relationship, especially when he taught her how to cook??? Also Ms. Bev is an EXPERT at having her heroes say “baby.” It’s rare, but when it shows up my knees go WEAK.
We were SO close to having zero ZERO characters kidnapped and then the marker reached 97% and all hell broke loose 😭 Why so close to the end??? It was sooooo random even the kidnapper was like yeah bro that was very random of me. Praying Regan kidnaps someone instead!
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5 🌶️.5*/5
*He was very hot and gifted sexually. The scenes were short and pretty low detail but their wedding night was fun.
We were SO close to having zero ZERO characters kidnapped and then the marker reached 97% and all hell broke loose 😭 Why so close to the end??? It was sooooo random even the kidnapper was like yeah bro that was very random of me. Praying Regan kidnaps someone instead!
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5 🌶️.5*/5
*He was very hot and gifted sexually. The scenes were short and pretty low detail but their wedding night was fun.
October 20, 2022
It was beneficial to have read book #1 for character development and storyline cohesion. I appreciate the incorporation of actual history into the story. There's plenty of steamy romance too.
July 3, 2021
This was lovely, sweet, and romantic. I love Beverly's books so much. Her sense of family, the old fashioned romance, and the hope threaded through the character's lives is perfectly done. This wasn't quite as good as Forbidden but still really great.
June 28, 2018
3.3 stars
The heat now glittering in his eyes touched her like a hand. “You are going to be in so much trouble, Miss Bookkeeper.”
I was really enjoying this one, more so than the first one because I thought the hero and heroine had better back and forth (I still had moments where I thought the dialogue was a bit stop and go), but the last 40% or so was pretty full of dropped in and random threads.
There was some awesome shout-outs to historical women figures and Jenkins does a great job of setting the scene, made you feel the West. There's not a lot of angst between our couple but I enjoyed their chemistry, not scorching but playful.
I just don't understand how the last half ending wasn't cleaned up more, it left you feeling as if alternate endings were dropped in together and messily meshed together.
Going to read the third because Regan was a character that grabbed my attention and Jenkins gives good historical feel and context (There's a tiny Geronimo and Lozen guest appearance here!).
The heat now glittering in his eyes touched her like a hand. “You are going to be in so much trouble, Miss Bookkeeper.”
I was really enjoying this one, more so than the first one because I thought the hero and heroine had better back and forth (I still had moments where I thought the dialogue was a bit stop and go), but the last 40% or so was pretty full of dropped in and random threads.
There was some awesome shout-outs to historical women figures and Jenkins does a great job of setting the scene, made you feel the West. There's not a lot of angst between our couple but I enjoyed their chemistry, not scorching but playful.
I just don't understand how the last half ending wasn't cleaned up more, it left you feeling as if alternate endings were dropped in together and messily meshed together.
Going to read the third because Regan was a character that grabbed my attention and Jenkins gives good historical feel and context (There's a tiny Geronimo and Lozen guest appearance here!).
June 10, 2023
Another hit from Ms. Bev! This one was fun because it links to a couple of my favorite romances from her. Breathless is a historical romance following a strong-willed young woman determined to never marry and support herself with a book-keeping business. But when someone from her past shows up, she eventually realizes she can have what she wants out of life AND love. The hero is so supportive of her dreams and capabilities which I loved, and I always learn something from one of these books.
February 19, 2017
Rating~ 4.5 stars
Such a great read!
Portia ‘Duchess’ Carmichael is the manger of the Fontaine Hotel. Portia had a very difficult childhood which was further made difficult when her mother decides to abandon her sister and her to their aunt. It took a long time for Portia to pare her deep distrust of men that her mother was responsible for. Portia now has a lovely family, she loves her aunt and uncle like her parent and her sister. What she doesn’t want to be married or be in love. She is truly adamant that it she doesn’t need love that is before one cowboy comes back into her life.
Kent Randolph is finally reunited with his friends the Fontaines, after travelling and just drifting through life he has finally decided to settle down and put down some roots. Seeing Portia, who he knew as a child is another boon for him. Convincing the woman to give him a shot might take him some time but he’s in it for the long haul.
The romance we get in this book had this gentle, caring sweet and humorous filled quality to it that I adored. I truly didn’t want to it end. As a fan western historical romance I know I’ll rereading this again! I think its one of most healthy relationships I’ve read in a while, it was a very natural progression to their attraction and caring to move on and fall in love. I can’t even articulate properly the feeling I had while reading their romance, it was just great.
They were so good and adorable together. Kent made Portia smile, laugh, live a little and encouraged her to after her dreams while Portia took her time understanding the man that Kent had become, who was not only hard working, intelligent but a genuinely nice guy who understands her better than anyone.
I also loved the friendships and the family dynamic the book had! Regan and Portia were very close together and Beverly Jenkins showed their sweet, teasing and loving relationship quite well at the same time showed how different they were from each other. The characters were also fantastic along with that it also some historical details that I wasn’t aware making it even more interesting.
Overall, it was joy to read, I was smiling through out the book and I can’t wait for Regan’s story, Portia’s sister who really wants to find love.
ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Such a great read!
Portia ‘Duchess’ Carmichael is the manger of the Fontaine Hotel. Portia had a very difficult childhood which was further made difficult when her mother decides to abandon her sister and her to their aunt. It took a long time for Portia to pare her deep distrust of men that her mother was responsible for. Portia now has a lovely family, she loves her aunt and uncle like her parent and her sister. What she doesn’t want to be married or be in love. She is truly adamant that it she doesn’t need love that is before one cowboy comes back into her life.
Kent Randolph is finally reunited with his friends the Fontaines, after travelling and just drifting through life he has finally decided to settle down and put down some roots. Seeing Portia, who he knew as a child is another boon for him. Convincing the woman to give him a shot might take him some time but he’s in it for the long haul.
The romance we get in this book had this gentle, caring sweet and humorous filled quality to it that I adored. I truly didn’t want to it end. As a fan western historical romance I know I’ll rereading this again! I think its one of most healthy relationships I’ve read in a while, it was a very natural progression to their attraction and caring to move on and fall in love. I can’t even articulate properly the feeling I had while reading their romance, it was just great.
They were so good and adorable together. Kent made Portia smile, laugh, live a little and encouraged her to after her dreams while Portia took her time understanding the man that Kent had become, who was not only hard working, intelligent but a genuinely nice guy who understands her better than anyone.
I also loved the friendships and the family dynamic the book had! Regan and Portia were very close together and Beverly Jenkins showed their sweet, teasing and loving relationship quite well at the same time showed how different they were from each other. The characters were also fantastic along with that it also some historical details that I wasn’t aware making it even more interesting.
Overall, it was joy to read, I was smiling through out the book and I can’t wait for Regan’s story, Portia’s sister who really wants to find love.
ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 28, 2018
The narrator was spot on, and flowed as the reader was transported back to the wild Wild West. In this second installment of Beverly Jenkins series.
Portia Carmichael and Kent Randolph’s journey to love was a treat to listening to. I love how at the heart of this story was family, progress and personal growth. No one character was perfect but each one learned from their past.
This series had some sprinkles of historical qualms regarding both Blacks and Native Americans plights in the old territory.
I enjoyed the love story and I enjoyed the hard work ethic that the hero and heroine displayed. They felt sweet and sexy together. It was a fun book to listen to.
Portia Carmichael and Kent Randolph’s journey to love was a treat to listening to. I love how at the heart of this story was family, progress and personal growth. No one character was perfect but each one learned from their past.
This series had some sprinkles of historical qualms regarding both Blacks and Native Americans plights in the old territory.
I enjoyed the love story and I enjoyed the hard work ethic that the hero and heroine displayed. They felt sweet and sexy together. It was a fun book to listen to.
September 18, 2017
I liked the slice of life feeling of this story. :)
August 31, 2017
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Breathless is the second book in the trilogy and I have been looking forward to this one ever since I picked up book one. I finally got my hands on it, and I will admit I had some pretty high expectations for this book, and I was left feeling a bit disappointed. It wasn't what I was expecting, especially when I loved Forbidden, the first book.
Breathless is a story that features two people who knew each other when they were younger but life got in the way and they each had their own journey to take until they met each other again as full-fledged adults, much more mature and ready for what was to come for them. Portia Carmichael was abandoned by her mother who prositituted herself for money. She and her sister found a good life with their aunt and uncle. Kent Randolph has spent his life searching, and being a bit of a rake of the wild west. Now he has returned to the one place he felt like was his home and to his "duchess". Portia is very serious about building her own business and working for her aunt and uncle. She has no interest in love or dating. She is content working with her numbers. But then Kent comes back, and she is having to face with her old feelings for this handsome man that she wants to feel nothing for but does.
I did enjoy the beginning of the story, seeing these two banter like two old hens, their interactions were pretty funny and I just couldn't get enough. We see the good life that Portia and Regan (her sister) have found with their uncle and aunt Eddy and Rhine (couple from first book). We see the closeness that Portia has with her sister. But wow these two couldn't be more different from each other. Portia is consumed by the seriousness of life, and Regan just wants to live life to its fullest. She wants to experience everything, most especially passion and love. So it was interesting to see Portia figure out what she really wants in life, and that there is more to life than just building a career. Seeing some true depths of self discovery, and learning to experience desire and the building of a intimate relationship was the highligh of the story for me. However I did have some issues. Quite honestly, I think I might have had too high expectations for this book. I don't think I have been so let down by a book by Jenkins. I have always enjoyed her work. ALWAYS. I know I am not in the "popular" opinion here however the middle of the plot felt flat for me. I had a hard time connecting with the actual romance. It took almost a whole week for me to read this. Now for some that may not seem like a long time, but I read a book a day. So I really struggled with this story. The first and latter portions of the story were really great, but the middle I took forever getting through.
I am however super excited to read book three though, Regan's story which features her being a mail order bride (yep yep super super stoked for this one, since that is one of my all time favorite tropes in romance).
[foogallery id="25227"]
Breathless is the second book in the trilogy and I have been looking forward to this one ever since I picked up book one. I finally got my hands on it, and I will admit I had some pretty high expectations for this book, and I was left feeling a bit disappointed. It wasn't what I was expecting, especially when I loved Forbidden, the first book.
Breathless is a story that features two people who knew each other when they were younger but life got in the way and they each had their own journey to take until they met each other again as full-fledged adults, much more mature and ready for what was to come for them. Portia Carmichael was abandoned by her mother who prositituted herself for money. She and her sister found a good life with their aunt and uncle. Kent Randolph has spent his life searching, and being a bit of a rake of the wild west. Now he has returned to the one place he felt like was his home and to his "duchess". Portia is very serious about building her own business and working for her aunt and uncle. She has no interest in love or dating. She is content working with her numbers. But then Kent comes back, and she is having to face with her old feelings for this handsome man that she wants to feel nothing for but does.
I did enjoy the beginning of the story, seeing these two banter like two old hens, their interactions were pretty funny and I just couldn't get enough. We see the good life that Portia and Regan (her sister) have found with their uncle and aunt Eddy and Rhine (couple from first book). We see the closeness that Portia has with her sister. But wow these two couldn't be more different from each other. Portia is consumed by the seriousness of life, and Regan just wants to live life to its fullest. She wants to experience everything, most especially passion and love. So it was interesting to see Portia figure out what she really wants in life, and that there is more to life than just building a career. Seeing some true depths of self discovery, and learning to experience desire and the building of a intimate relationship was the highligh of the story for me. However I did have some issues. Quite honestly, I think I might have had too high expectations for this book. I don't think I have been so let down by a book by Jenkins. I have always enjoyed her work. ALWAYS. I know I am not in the "popular" opinion here however the middle of the plot felt flat for me. I had a hard time connecting with the actual romance. It took almost a whole week for me to read this. Now for some that may not seem like a long time, but I read a book a day. So I really struggled with this story. The first and latter portions of the story were really great, but the middle I took forever getting through.
I am however super excited to read book three though, Regan's story which features her being a mail order bride (yep yep super super stoked for this one, since that is one of my all time favorite tropes in romance).
[foogallery id="25227"]
February 7, 2017
Last year I read the first book in this series, Forbidden, and I enjoyed it but I definitely like Breathless better. Our heroine in Breathless is the niece of the hero and heroine in Forbidden - Eddy and Rhine - who play a prominent part in this book. It's fun to see them fully enjoying their HEA. Portia and her sister Regan came to live with Rhine and Eddy when their mother, a prostitute, could no longer care for them. Rhine and Eddy have given them a good life, and now living in the Arizona Territory, Portia does the books and helps run the fancy hotel and uncle and aunt own. They also start exploring offering a "dude ranch" to clients which is a fun venture. Portia is twenty-seven and a serious woman. No need for passion or love in her life - she is just fine keeping busy at the hotel, no matter how much prodding her more crazy sister pokes at her.
Kent Randolph has had a busy adult life - first he found himself in a Mexican prison, and then he headed west to Montana and worked on various ranches breaking in horses. He is now ready to settle down a bit and finds his way to Rhine. A former bartender to Rhine, he knew Portia when she was just twelve years old (he is six years older). He hasn't seen her in many years but when he runs into her at Rhine's hotel, he is stunned. She is beautiful, but still the serious, rigid girl he remembered from all those years ago, earning the nickname "Duchess" from him. Portia gets a little hot and bothered by Kent, something she didn't expect. When he decides to stay on and help run a neighboring ranch, things start to heat up between them.
I really like Kent and Portia together. Since they knew each other from childhood, while they have to take some time to be reunited, Kent knows her enough to fondly tease her. He knows Portia is turned on by him, but of course refuses to admit it or show him any sign of it. Portia runs her romance life like she runs the hotel - with efficiency and no-nonsense. Even when she finally admits that she may want to kiss him, it's serious stuff:
"I want you to kiss me."
Caught off guard, he froze. "I'm sorry. I must've misheard you. Say that again."
She looked irritated. "I want you to kiss me."
"May I ask why?"
"I need to cure myself of whatever these feelings are I'm starting to have for you, and don't ask me what feelings. You know what I mean."
"I do," he said as he studied her gorgeous ebony face. She looked so put out he wanted to smile but kept his features bland. "Have you ever been kissed before?"
"No."
"Then I should warn you that this probably won't cure you, Duchess. In fact, it might make matters worse."
Not so fast Portia. Kent is more than willing to oblige but he wants to court her and be romantic. He shows her what an actual kiss can be like - and then there is no turning back for her.
"So," he said softly. "Let's give you this kiss..."
He released her hand and when he slowly traced a finger down her cheek, the resulting spark was so startling, she jumped.
Amusement shone in his eyes. "I can see you're going to manage this real well, Duchess."
She came to her own defense. "You - you surprised me. I thought you were going to kiss me not touch me."
"Touching's important sometimes. You don't want a man to just grab you and plant his lips on yours. There's no passion in that."
"I don't want pass..." The word died as his finger boldly traced her bottom lip. All thought fled.
Although she lets Kent in, she still holds strong in her more serious demeanor which made me smile.
Along the way, other suitors try to woo Portia which keeps her busy. There is also some drama at the ranch that Rhine takes over that everyone has to deal with.
There is big drama at the very end which seemed kind of rushed and I could have lived without it. But I really enjoyed Kent and Portia's romance. Looking forward to Regan's story.
Grade: B
Kent Randolph has had a busy adult life - first he found himself in a Mexican prison, and then he headed west to Montana and worked on various ranches breaking in horses. He is now ready to settle down a bit and finds his way to Rhine. A former bartender to Rhine, he knew Portia when she was just twelve years old (he is six years older). He hasn't seen her in many years but when he runs into her at Rhine's hotel, he is stunned. She is beautiful, but still the serious, rigid girl he remembered from all those years ago, earning the nickname "Duchess" from him. Portia gets a little hot and bothered by Kent, something she didn't expect. When he decides to stay on and help run a neighboring ranch, things start to heat up between them.
I really like Kent and Portia together. Since they knew each other from childhood, while they have to take some time to be reunited, Kent knows her enough to fondly tease her. He knows Portia is turned on by him, but of course refuses to admit it or show him any sign of it. Portia runs her romance life like she runs the hotel - with efficiency and no-nonsense. Even when she finally admits that she may want to kiss him, it's serious stuff:
"I want you to kiss me."
Caught off guard, he froze. "I'm sorry. I must've misheard you. Say that again."
She looked irritated. "I want you to kiss me."
"May I ask why?"
"I need to cure myself of whatever these feelings are I'm starting to have for you, and don't ask me what feelings. You know what I mean."
"I do," he said as he studied her gorgeous ebony face. She looked so put out he wanted to smile but kept his features bland. "Have you ever been kissed before?"
"No."
"Then I should warn you that this probably won't cure you, Duchess. In fact, it might make matters worse."
Not so fast Portia. Kent is more than willing to oblige but he wants to court her and be romantic. He shows her what an actual kiss can be like - and then there is no turning back for her.
"So," he said softly. "Let's give you this kiss..."
He released her hand and when he slowly traced a finger down her cheek, the resulting spark was so startling, she jumped.
Amusement shone in his eyes. "I can see you're going to manage this real well, Duchess."
She came to her own defense. "You - you surprised me. I thought you were going to kiss me not touch me."
"Touching's important sometimes. You don't want a man to just grab you and plant his lips on yours. There's no passion in that."
"I don't want pass..." The word died as his finger boldly traced her bottom lip. All thought fled.
Although she lets Kent in, she still holds strong in her more serious demeanor which made me smile.
Along the way, other suitors try to woo Portia which keeps her busy. There is also some drama at the ranch that Rhine takes over that everyone has to deal with.
There is big drama at the very end which seemed kind of rushed and I could have lived without it. But I really enjoyed Kent and Portia's romance. Looking forward to Regan's story.
Grade: B
February 4, 2020
Well I loved the fact we get to see the HEA for characters we met in the first book, while focusing on new love interests in this one. "Breathless" follows Eddy's niece Portia.
Portia is now in charge of her family's bookkeeping at the hotel they run in the Arizona territory. The family had to flee after her uncle Rhine admitted his mixed race heritage. Portia doesn't think she will ever find a love like her Aunt Eddy an is happy to just focus on her job. However, old family friend Kent Randolph finds Rhine again and asks for a job. Rhine agrees to let him work for him. Kent and Portia have sparks flying with Portia wondering if she can just kiss Kent and forget about him. We get some introduction to new characters as well as revisiting with the older ones.
Jenkins did a great job of making me think that Portia and Kent had feelings for each other and how suited they were with each other. Portia is easily understandable based on how her mother sent her and her sister away in order for her to have a better life. Portia's mother does pop up again, but it's a plot hole I expect is resolved in book #3. I also loved the back and forth with her and her sister Regan. Though I will roll my eyes a bit that all of their talk was mostly about getting married and what man. They both are strong women and I wish that Jenkins had thought to do a novella of them growing up in Arizona. The tales we are told via other characters about them learning to ride horses, do shingling, etc. were so interesting.
I also loved how Kent's life changed once he pushed back against his father's expectations of him being a doctor too.
We get secondary characters and definitely get to see that old adage, not all of my skinfolk are kinfolk in this one.
Also thankfully we have Jenkins acknowledging the times of the day with the women's suffrage movement and how it was excluding women of color. I also loved how we hear about Geronimo (and he even makes an appearance). I also could not believe that men of color could not be deputized and if they were murdered or stolen from there was nothing they could do unless a white man or sheriff came along and pressed the issue.
The book ties things up neatly with Portia and Kent, but things are left open about Regan. I am definitely going to find and read book #3!
Portia is now in charge of her family's bookkeeping at the hotel they run in the Arizona territory. The family had to flee after her uncle Rhine admitted his mixed race heritage. Portia doesn't think she will ever find a love like her Aunt Eddy an is happy to just focus on her job. However, old family friend Kent Randolph finds Rhine again and asks for a job. Rhine agrees to let him work for him. Kent and Portia have sparks flying with Portia wondering if she can just kiss Kent and forget about him. We get some introduction to new characters as well as revisiting with the older ones.
Jenkins did a great job of making me think that Portia and Kent had feelings for each other and how suited they were with each other. Portia is easily understandable based on how her mother sent her and her sister away in order for her to have a better life. Portia's mother does pop up again, but it's a plot hole I expect is resolved in book #3. I also loved the back and forth with her and her sister Regan. Though I will roll my eyes a bit that all of their talk was mostly about getting married and what man. They both are strong women and I wish that Jenkins had thought to do a novella of them growing up in Arizona. The tales we are told via other characters about them learning to ride horses, do shingling, etc. were so interesting.
I also loved how Kent's life changed once he pushed back against his father's expectations of him being a doctor too.
We get secondary characters and definitely get to see that old adage, not all of my skinfolk are kinfolk in this one.
Also thankfully we have Jenkins acknowledging the times of the day with the women's suffrage movement and how it was excluding women of color. I also loved how we hear about Geronimo (and he even makes an appearance). I also could not believe that men of color could not be deputized and if they were murdered or stolen from there was nothing they could do unless a white man or sheriff came along and pressed the issue.
The book ties things up neatly with Portia and Kent, but things are left open about Regan. I am definitely going to find and read book #3!
August 12, 2021
Portia!!!
hardworking, independent, realistic, supportive woman!!
hardworking, independent, realistic, supportive woman!!
February 24, 2017
We make plans and God laughs.
As usual Beverly Jenkins has written a historical romance that I can identify with. A strong female heroine. Portia was abandoned by her unsavory mother along with her younger sister. Thank goodness mothers sister took them in and raise them as her own. Even with that unpleasantness. Portia and her sister attended college and later Portia became a bookkeeper and ran hot aunt and uncle's hotel She also had an unconventional idea of the time she did not want to marry and have children but as fate would have it an old friend changed her mind . That would be Kent. Kent is definitely a alpha male with a soft spot for women. So much so he ended up in jail for having an affair with a married woman in Mexico. But that was several years ago and he's much older now and more wiser .. paths cross is again with his friend Portia both are instantly attracted to each other and eventually find love. I definitely recommend this book to you
As usual Beverly Jenkins has written a historical romance that I can identify with. A strong female heroine. Portia was abandoned by her unsavory mother along with her younger sister. Thank goodness mothers sister took them in and raise them as her own. Even with that unpleasantness. Portia and her sister attended college and later Portia became a bookkeeper and ran hot aunt and uncle's hotel She also had an unconventional idea of the time she did not want to marry and have children but as fate would have it an old friend changed her mind . That would be Kent. Kent is definitely a alpha male with a soft spot for women. So much so he ended up in jail for having an affair with a married woman in Mexico. But that was several years ago and he's much older now and more wiser .. paths cross is again with his friend Portia both are instantly attracted to each other and eventually find love. I definitely recommend this book to you
Read
April 15, 2018A good read but overall the least successful of the trilogy for me. Kent and Portia are both fun characters, but I missed the powerful conflicts of books 1 and 3--these two just have it too easy and get on too well with nothing keeping them apart. Or I am an evil cow who likes to see characters suffer. One of the two. If you're looking for ultra low angst and to spend some time chilling with likeable characters this would be perfect: it's hugely readable.
July 14, 2020
4.5 stars
January 8, 2018
Not what I expected... but in a good way. And for a historical romance set in the Wild West, it's one of the better ones I've read.
That aside, I won this book from a GR giveaway, and like the last romance I won through GR, I'm really glad I got it for free. But unlike that last one, this one was a much better read overall. More on this later. Hopefully--I'm really behind on reviews, like 3 years behind.
That aside, I won this book from a GR giveaway, and like the last romance I won through GR, I'm really glad I got it for free. But unlike that last one, this one was a much better read overall. More on this later. Hopefully--I'm really behind on reviews, like 3 years behind.
April 13, 2021
4.5 out of 5
I read these books in reverse order. This is the second book in the Od West series and in this book Portia, the older sister of Regan. Portia is very goal focused. She works in pretty much running the hotel that Rhine Fontaine (hero of Forbidded and husband of Eddy, Portia’s aunt) She is the numbers person and she also has hopes of starting her own company. Therefore she has not time for frivolity. She’s therefore rather flustered when an old family friend, Kent Randolph shows up. He used to work for Rhine years ago. Then tragedy struck and their home was burned to the ground, the Fontaines relocated and built a successful business and Kent just drifted all over that time. But now he has dreams of settling down and making a home for himself. And now that Portia is all grown up, she’s the one he wants to share his life with. However Portia isn’t so sure even though she’s wildly attracted to him. Her career is very important to her and she doesn’t want to give it up.
This is another book I truly enjoyed by Ms. Jenkins. It’s so nice seeing Rhine and Eddy again and Kent is a great hero. Portia is the real star though. I’m seeing that Beverly excels at writing strong heroines and I love that about her books. I’m ever so glad I have more ahead to read.
I read these books in reverse order. This is the second book in the Od West series and in this book Portia, the older sister of Regan. Portia is very goal focused. She works in pretty much running the hotel that Rhine Fontaine (hero of Forbidded and husband of Eddy, Portia’s aunt) She is the numbers person and she also has hopes of starting her own company. Therefore she has not time for frivolity. She’s therefore rather flustered when an old family friend, Kent Randolph shows up. He used to work for Rhine years ago. Then tragedy struck and their home was burned to the ground, the Fontaines relocated and built a successful business and Kent just drifted all over that time. But now he has dreams of settling down and making a home for himself. And now that Portia is all grown up, she’s the one he wants to share his life with. However Portia isn’t so sure even though she’s wildly attracted to him. Her career is very important to her and she doesn’t want to give it up.
This is another book I truly enjoyed by Ms. Jenkins. It’s so nice seeing Rhine and Eddy again and Kent is a great hero. Portia is the real star though. I’m seeing that Beverly excels at writing strong heroines and I love that about her books. I’m ever so glad I have more ahead to read.
Read
February 9, 2017A hot romance in the Wild West! Portia Carmichael is the manager at one of Arizona’s nicest hotels and a fiercely independent woman who refuses to settle for just any suitor – and then a handsome stranger rides into town. (There’s always a handsome stranger, right?) And he’s determined to win Portia’s heart. CUE THE KISSING PARTS. Jenkins is one of the best contemporary romance novelists working today. Her books are so smart and sexy! Two words: HUBBA HUBBA.
Backlist bump: Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/listen/shows/allt...
Backlist bump: Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/listen/shows/allt...
June 27, 2018
Beverly Jenkins writing makes me blush and giddy like a schoolgirl. I'm over here feeling like a teenager lol. Her books are so much fun for me to read. All I need is some sand and a blanket and I'd be ALL smiles.
30% Done: BLUSHING!
90% Done: Chiiilllllleeeee, this book is juicy! So let me explain. This is only my second Beverly Jenkins book, the first being Forbidden which is in no way as scandalous as this one. Fam! I'M LISTENING TO THIS BOOK AT WORK! I wasn't ready lol
30% Done: BLUSHING!
90% Done: Chiiilllllleeeee, this book is juicy! So let me explain. This is only my second Beverly Jenkins book, the first being Forbidden which is in no way as scandalous as this one. Fam! I'M LISTENING TO THIS BOOK AT WORK! I wasn't ready lol
August 20, 2021
I’ve been on a major Beverly Jenkins binge the last few months and have zero regrets. Her writing and style of storytelling is just everything and I have been loving getting through so many of her books. This is book 2 in the Old West trilogy but the last book I read in the series. 😅 I love the family in this series so much, seeing all of the characters in this book again is the best and you really feel like you know this family so well.
This book is the romance of Portia Carmichael and Kent Randolph. Portia is one of Edie’s nieces (the heroine of book 1 in this series/Forbidden) and she works as an accountant, as well as the manager of one of the finest hotels in the Arizona territory. Portia and her sister Regan had a rough, complicated childhood and Portia enjoys having respect and stability now in her life…things she lacked growing up. Portia is also determined not to get involved with the wrong man and has put off marrying. But then a handsome drifter from her past, and family friend Kent comes rolling back into town…
Kent has spent time traveling through the West and has learned the value of a place to settle down…and now he’s convinced he belongs with Portia, or with his “Duchess” as he so affectionately calls her. I loved how flirty Kent was and determined to show Portia he wants her in his life forever. I loved how sweet this romance was and low-angst, it’s just a really cozy glimpse into the character’s lives in this small western town. I liked how the conversation of women’s voting rights is happening in the time this book takes place and we get to see how women of color got behind this movement. I loved Portia’s relationship with her sister Regan and their aunt Edie, this family is so special and I can’t get enough of them. I just really enjoyed each book in this series and can’t wait to continue reading more of Bev’s backlist books.
This book is the romance of Portia Carmichael and Kent Randolph. Portia is one of Edie’s nieces (the heroine of book 1 in this series/Forbidden) and she works as an accountant, as well as the manager of one of the finest hotels in the Arizona territory. Portia and her sister Regan had a rough, complicated childhood and Portia enjoys having respect and stability now in her life…things she lacked growing up. Portia is also determined not to get involved with the wrong man and has put off marrying. But then a handsome drifter from her past, and family friend Kent comes rolling back into town…
Kent has spent time traveling through the West and has learned the value of a place to settle down…and now he’s convinced he belongs with Portia, or with his “Duchess” as he so affectionately calls her. I loved how flirty Kent was and determined to show Portia he wants her in his life forever. I loved how sweet this romance was and low-angst, it’s just a really cozy glimpse into the character’s lives in this small western town. I liked how the conversation of women’s voting rights is happening in the time this book takes place and we get to see how women of color got behind this movement. I loved Portia’s relationship with her sister Regan and their aunt Edie, this family is so special and I can’t get enough of them. I just really enjoyed each book in this series and can’t wait to continue reading more of Bev’s backlist books.
February 23, 2017
After reading five of her books I'm realizing that Beverly Jenkins is a hit or meh author for me. I don't think I've rated anything below three stars but some leave me disappointed. Sadly, this is one of them. But first,
The good:
- Historical romance with protagonists of color (here African American) is always always a good thing. Love.
- Portia doesn't need a man. In fact, due to her rough childhood, she thinks she'd be better without. Kent respects her past and proves that he's the right person for her.
- Jenkins is well known for her history chops and she's true to form here. And how many books set in the Arizona territory can you name? It's interesting stuff.
The not-so-good:
- Like in Night Hawk there isn't a big bad or an overarching plot. Events happen but don't feel exciting as they should - this book has a body count, for goodness sake! There should be some kind of tension. But...
- Problems are wrapped up quickly so incidents feel self-contained. Okay, that's over, next. Wow, that was a problem for five pages, but it's fixed now. Next. There's not much of a middle or building anything to the narrative.
- The characters aren't nuanced and many are typecast. Oh hey, the guy that sounds and dresses like an arse? Turns out he's an arse! And the perfect lady that keeps things running like clockwork? Well she knows exactly what she's doing and her only imperfection is being so perfect. ~sigh~
- Checkered pasts are put forth as faults and character development but they're not, not really. 'He had sex with a married woman!' Yes, but we learn that her husband was cheating on her and she was actually better off after the affair. 'He's had sex with lots of women, gasp!' And now he has mad skillz to pleasure the heroine, my dear. 'She is way too forward!' So she may get exactly what she wants, what a shock.
- I feel like Jenkins doesn't trust the reader to remember what happened a few chapters before so she retells it laboriously.
All that hearsay for an event I remember as clear as day. It makes for tedious reading.
- Similarly,
I find it endearing too, even if it's not pointed out to me. Gah.
- Finally, I never really believed in the romance. Kent is nice, Portia is nice, and they have a couple of nice times together. Lust is there, for sure, but love? I don't buy it.
That's a lot of griping, I know, but Breathless is still a decent read. I like the heroine for the next book of the series so I'll be looking forward to that despite ~waves hand around~ this.
The good:
- Historical romance with protagonists of color (here African American) is always always a good thing. Love.
- Portia doesn't need a man. In fact, due to her rough childhood, she thinks she'd be better without. Kent respects her past and proves that he's the right person for her.
- Jenkins is well known for her history chops and she's true to form here. And how many books set in the Arizona territory can you name? It's interesting stuff.
The not-so-good:
- Like in Night Hawk there isn't a big bad or an overarching plot. Events happen but don't feel exciting as they should - this book has a body count, for goodness sake! There should be some kind of tension. But...
- Problems are wrapped up quickly so incidents feel self-contained. Okay, that's over, next. Wow, that was a problem for five pages, but it's fixed now. Next. There's not much of a middle or building anything to the narrative.
- The characters aren't nuanced and many are typecast. Oh hey, the guy that sounds and dresses like an arse? Turns out he's an arse! And the perfect lady that keeps things running like clockwork? Well she knows exactly what she's doing and her only imperfection is being so perfect. ~sigh~
- Checkered pasts are put forth as faults and character development but they're not, not really. 'He had sex with a married woman!' Yes, but we learn that her husband was cheating on her and she was actually better off after the affair. 'He's had sex with lots of women, gasp!' And now he has mad skillz to pleasure the heroine, my dear. 'She is way too forward!' So she may get exactly what she wants, what a shock.
- I feel like Jenkins doesn't trust the reader to remember what happened a few chapters before so she retells it laboriously.
"Kent told him what he thought to be Parnell's motive. 'When Rhine introduced me as the new foreman, Parnell said Mr. Blanchard had promised him the job. Rhine told him his mind was made up, so Parnell spit tobacco juice at Rhine's boots. I had to teach some manners, then made him pack up and leave.'"
All that hearsay for an event I remember as clear as day. It makes for tedious reading.
- Similarly,
He kissed Eddy on her forehead, which Portia found endearing, and they left.
I find it endearing too, even if it's not pointed out to me. Gah.
- Finally, I never really believed in the romance. Kent is nice, Portia is nice, and they have a couple of nice times together. Lust is there, for sure, but love? I don't buy it.
That's a lot of griping, I know, but Breathless is still a decent read. I like the heroine for the next book of the series so I'll be looking forward to that despite ~waves hand around~ this.
March 20, 2020
This book is a no for me because it was too slow and there was very little angst. At one point, I didn't know if this was a romance. Also, it's my fault because I didn't realize this was a western historical romance and not a regency historical romance... Oops.
Read
February 6, 2017 Breathless starts with a bang. Portia is awakened in the middle of the night by her aunt, and urged to quickly dress. A lynch mob is after her uncle, who has been pretending to be white. As they flee, Portia watches a group of angry men torch their home. She is terrified that they won’t be able to escape, that the men will hang her uncle Rhine. This scene is fast-paced and really grabbed my attention.
Fast forward 15 years. The family has resettled in Arizona Territory, and they own a successful hotel. Rhine is a prudent businessman, and they have all prospered. Portia works as the hotel’s bookkeeper, and she is content with her life. She will never marry, and she bears the emotional scars of being abandoned by her mother. Both she and her younger sister were packed up and shipped off to their Aunt Eddy, and they haven’t heard from their mother since. Corinne was a whore, and the girls’ early years were filled with neglect and hardship. Corinne’s customers were abusive and Portia feared for her safety. After moving in with Rhine and Eddy, she was withdrawn and fearful of men, but as time passed, she realized both she and her sister were safe, and her aunt and uncle gave them both love and encouragement to become strong, independent women.
When Kent rides back into her life, her equilibrium is unbalanced. He challenges her decision to steer clear of men, and makes her re-evaluate her life goals. Will she really be content working for her uncle and staying unattached for the rest of her life. She sees the love that is freely displayed between her aunt and uncle, but doubts that a love like that is possible for her.
The pacing sometimes drove me nuts. There were times when the action on-page dragged, but then when it picked up, it PICKED UP. Thankfully the lulls were regularly broken up, keeping me turning the pages. Both Kent and Portia are complex characters, and the historical details were worked seamlessly into the story. Portia and her circle are fighting for the right to vote, and most of the women at strong, politically active, and not afraid to speak their minds. I liked that.
Kent is at odds with his father. After ditching medical school to be a cowboy, he and his father barely communicate. I really enjoyed this subplot. Both Kent and his father mature, and learn to put their differences aside. Family is more important than these small disagreements, and they both learn to let go of the past.
The romance between Portia and Kent was a mixed bag for me. I didn’t feel that there was much chemistry, but I did like how their relationship slowly developed. After some initial fireworks, I thought their courtship was flat, and I’m not sure why. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t knock my socks off. It felt long at times, with intense bursts of action that helped to make up for the lulls.
Grade: 3.75 stars
Fast forward 15 years. The family has resettled in Arizona Territory, and they own a successful hotel. Rhine is a prudent businessman, and they have all prospered. Portia works as the hotel’s bookkeeper, and she is content with her life. She will never marry, and she bears the emotional scars of being abandoned by her mother. Both she and her younger sister were packed up and shipped off to their Aunt Eddy, and they haven’t heard from their mother since. Corinne was a whore, and the girls’ early years were filled with neglect and hardship. Corinne’s customers were abusive and Portia feared for her safety. After moving in with Rhine and Eddy, she was withdrawn and fearful of men, but as time passed, she realized both she and her sister were safe, and her aunt and uncle gave them both love and encouragement to become strong, independent women.
When Kent rides back into her life, her equilibrium is unbalanced. He challenges her decision to steer clear of men, and makes her re-evaluate her life goals. Will she really be content working for her uncle and staying unattached for the rest of her life. She sees the love that is freely displayed between her aunt and uncle, but doubts that a love like that is possible for her.
The pacing sometimes drove me nuts. There were times when the action on-page dragged, but then when it picked up, it PICKED UP. Thankfully the lulls were regularly broken up, keeping me turning the pages. Both Kent and Portia are complex characters, and the historical details were worked seamlessly into the story. Portia and her circle are fighting for the right to vote, and most of the women at strong, politically active, and not afraid to speak their minds. I liked that.
Kent is at odds with his father. After ditching medical school to be a cowboy, he and his father barely communicate. I really enjoyed this subplot. Both Kent and his father mature, and learn to put their differences aside. Family is more important than these small disagreements, and they both learn to let go of the past.
The romance between Portia and Kent was a mixed bag for me. I didn’t feel that there was much chemistry, but I did like how their relationship slowly developed. After some initial fireworks, I thought their courtship was flat, and I’m not sure why. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t knock my socks off. It felt long at times, with intense bursts of action that helped to make up for the lulls.
Grade: 3.75 stars
March 2, 2020
4 stars. Such a drastic improvement from book one, Forbidden. I don’t even like thinking about that book but this one more than makes up for it.
Portia and Kent are wonderful together. They have a strong, healthy relationship that’s based on respect and love. Portia has some issues with love and men and relationships because of her unresolved issues stemming from her mother. Kent does everything in his power to show her that his intentions are pure and that he just wants to love her and I just about died. That man is seriously so charming and charismatic and though she tried, there was just no way that Portia could resist him.
Portia is definitely a character that I love. She’s intelligent, witty and she really knows how to hold her own. I loved her relationship with her sister, Regan (who the next book is about) and how much emphasis was put on it. They have a wonderful relationship and Regan was a riot. I really enjoyed her character whenever she was on the page so I’m very excited to get to her book.
Again, the romance was top notch Jenkins and I loved every single moment of it. The ending was really well done and emotional. If you’ve read the first book in this series and was let down, do not give up on this series. It’s definitely worth the read.
{Challenges completed:
✔Romance Readers Reading Group: March Monthly Challenge (1 out of 10)
✔YA Buddy Readers’ Corner: Step Back in Time Team Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Greatest Love Stories Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: I Went to the Zoo Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Behavioral Analyst Challenge}
Portia and Kent are wonderful together. They have a strong, healthy relationship that’s based on respect and love. Portia has some issues with love and men and relationships because of her unresolved issues stemming from her mother. Kent does everything in his power to show her that his intentions are pure and that he just wants to love her and I just about died. That man is seriously so charming and charismatic and though she tried, there was just no way that Portia could resist him.
Portia is definitely a character that I love. She’s intelligent, witty and she really knows how to hold her own. I loved her relationship with her sister, Regan (who the next book is about) and how much emphasis was put on it. They have a wonderful relationship and Regan was a riot. I really enjoyed her character whenever she was on the page so I’m very excited to get to her book.
Again, the romance was top notch Jenkins and I loved every single moment of it. The ending was really well done and emotional. If you’ve read the first book in this series and was let down, do not give up on this series. It’s definitely worth the read.
{Challenges completed:
✔Romance Readers Reading Group: March Monthly Challenge (1 out of 10)
✔YA Buddy Readers’ Corner: Step Back in Time Team Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Greatest Love Stories Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: I Went to the Zoo Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Behavioral Analyst Challenge}
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