A CHANCE AT LOVE - Beverly Jenkins
Avon
September 2002
SYNOPSIS: From the premier voice in African-American historical romance comes this tempting tale of Loreli Winters, who never imagines she'd end up a mail-order bride in Kansas until the two nieces of Jake Reed beg her to be their new "mama." One look at the devastatingly handsome man is enough to entice her to abandon her plans for California and stay put in this one-horse town.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: (5) Joni Clarke
REVIEW: A slow simmer to a sizzling hot boil is the energy between Jake and Loreli, the main characters in Beverly Jenkins’ new release, A CHANCE AT LOVE. Jake concedes to his nieces’ appeal that they want Loreli to be their momma. Having witnessed the wonderful way Loreli interacts with his nieces, Jake asks Loreli to marry him for the sake of giving his nieces a proper mother. Jake and Loreli discuss the terms of a short-term marriage to appease his nieces. Although Loreli has fallen in love with Jake’s nieces, life in Kansas is a little slow for her liking. Loreli soon feels accepting this marriage proposal may not be such a good.
Jenkins has masterfully created a setting in the late 1800’s where the gender roles are reversed. Loreli is a beautiful, rich and successful woman with an occupation that is uncharacteristic for a woman. Additionally, Loreli is a worldly woman with life experiences. While Jake has accomplishments, and has sustained a good living for his nieces and himself, his wealth and experiences do not compare to Loreli. Further, Jake has only ever left Kansas for a short period of time and therefore is not as well traveled as Loreli. Jake is extremely handsome but has very little experience with women. Jake and Loreli initially feel that their different backgrounds will certainly be a problem for any long-term relationship. The sparks start flying as a result of Jake and Loreli spending more and more time together.
In the novel, A CHANCE AT LOVE, Jenkins develops characters that are loveable. The supporting characters, the twin nieces, are a joy to get to know as the story unfolds. Through the nieces’ desire to find a mother, it makes you root for Jake and Loreli’s relationship.
The element of surprise throughout A CHANCE OF LOVE creates a page-turner! Even though the story is set in the 1800’s, I was captivated and could identify with each character. Jenkins has yet again done a wonderful job in weaving an excellent love story with history as the backdrop.
1st October 2002