Beverly Jenkins

Avon True Romance

0-06447-342-2

May 2002

(4+) Wayne Jordan

Historical Romance

PLOT SYNOPSIS: 

In 1859, Michigan and freedom hold many surprises for a girl from Kentucky, not the least of which is falling in love with someone else's beau.

REVIEW: 

When Beverly Jenkins released her first book in 1994, historical romance fans embraced her with enthusiasm.  Eight years and nine books later, Ms. Jenkins hovers on the brink of welcoming a new generation of readers into her circle of devoted fans.  BELLE AND THE BEAU, one of the launch titles for the new Avon True Romance line for teen girls, contains all the elements that readers have come to expect of a Jenkins’ novel.

While escaping to the North, runaway slave, Belle Palmer, and the groups of slaves she is traveling with, are attacked by slave catchers.  Belle runs, and is separated from them and her father.  Determined to continue, Belle travels on her own, until Daniel Best and his sister, JoJo, find her hiding in the bushes.  When the Best family takes her into their home, Belle experiences freedom for the first time in her sixteen years.

Belle, too, discovers the joy and heartache of growing up when she falls in love with Daniel.  Daniel, already engaged to the spoilt, but beautiful Cecilia, cannot deny his attraction to the quite gentle Belle, but his sense of honor does not allow him to act on his growing feelings for her.

BELLE AND THE BEAU, a truly delightful romance, also focuses on Belle’s journey of self discovery.  A shy apologetic girl, Belle becomes a confident young woman who willingly embraces her new found freedom, and harnesses her inner confidence.  As Belle discovers the power of her femininity, she also becomes aware of Daniel’s youthful virility, and her attraction to him intensifies.

As with her adult romances, Ms. Jenkins’ strength lies in her ability to create very special characters, and BELLE AND BEAU is filled with a menagerie of realistic individuals.  Not only does she allow us to look deep into the hearts of her central characters, but she gives us well-defined secondary characters who play essential roles within the story.  Mrs. Best, with her gentle understanding of Belle’s plight, the effervescent JoJo, the deceitful Cecilia, and the appealing Morgan brothers are vivid creations.  JoJo’s story, Josephine and the soldier, is scheduled for publication in early 2003.

To review a Jenkins’ novel and not mention the wealth of historical information, would be to deny an essential characteristic of Ms. Jenkins’ writing.  With her usual skill, she seamlessly weaves authentic historic fact into the plot of the novel, ensuring that readers, young and old, learn something about their own history.

With BELLE AND BEAU, Ms. Jenkins creates a story that is sure take the reader through a range of emotion.  There are moments of laughter, anger and pain, but in the end, the readers will be left with the satisfaction that love conquers all!

wayne@romanceincolor.net (1st April 2002)