Devon’s review of Jewel by Beverly Jenkins
Historical Romance released by Avon 29 Apr 08

Gotta say, I really enjoy a good Americana setting every once in awhile. Small towns where everyone’s in each other’s business, and no one ever forgets a thing. I’m coming out of historical burnout, and have been on the lookout for unusual settings to help me out of that slump. So when Jewel came up for grabs, I was all over it. A nineteenth century American setting? That’s not a Western? Yes! While not a perfect book, Jewel has plenty to interest those who enjoy American historicals or different settings in general.

Eli Grayson is descended from the founding fathers of Grayson’s Grove, Michigan, and there’s no where else he’d rather live. “The Colored Casanova of Cass County” has been through some rough times, but he’s getting his life back together. Now if only the newspaperman can get the Gazette back off the ground. When the owner of the largest Black newspaper syndicate in the US shows interest, Eli might have his chance. But the Newspaper mogul only wants to work with married men, leaving the Lothario in a bind. (This reminds me of the plot of Rugrats in Paris, for those of you who don’t watch it EVERY SINGLE DAY.)

So Eli turns to Jewel Crowley, who is actually his stepsister. Please note, their parents married when both were grown and they’ve never lived in the same house, so I didn’t find it creepy or anything. They’re more buddies than anything. Despite her better judgment, Jewel agrees to pose as Eli’s wife for his big meeting. These charades do get out of hand, you know, and to her great dismay, Jewel finds herself having to marry Eli for real, to save her reputation (and Eli’s life, as her father and five brothers are not too happy). Jewel has had a soft spot for Eli for years, but has no interest in a marriage of convenience. Nor is she sure that Eli has it in him to be a faithful husband. Will he be able to overcome her objections?

Eli is charming, intelligent, witty and very handsome. Like many a Regency rake, the ladies flock to him, and he made the mistake of dallying with the wrong woman. The wrong married woman. But unlike many rakes and rogues, he paid dearly for his mistakes, and still lives with the guilt and shame. He was an interesting character, tormented despite his outward charm, and he and Jewel had a great, “sparring partner” type chemistry.

I loved Jewel. She’s a woman of the times, who has spent her adolescence and young adulthood taking care of her brothers and father. She is intelligent, forthright and opinionated, yet never veers into annoying “feisty” territory. Jewel has strong ideas, but is willing to back down and revise them if she changes her mind. She’s not thrilled about getting hitched, but knows it has to happen. I liked that, despite her long time crush on Eli, she was objective about him. This was my first read by Beverly Jenkins, but I like the way she writes female characters. Eli’s mother, Abigail, and their friend Maddie, were great characters as well. I even found the villainess interesting.

Great hero, great heroine, good romance, but the book was slowed down by too much info dumping. A lot of time was spent setting the scene: who is related to whom, who did what when, who works where and so on and so forth. I like the whole close knit, small town thing, but sometimes I just wanted to get back to Eli. There was also a lot of historical information. The subjects–the role of African-American newspapers and African-American ladies’ societies in advancing Civil Rights in the post-Civil War era–were very interesting. But in the middle of the scene there would be paragraphs and paragraphs of information, which distracted from the plot.

When the story really focused on Eli and Jewel’s story, it did take off for me. With a lovely hero and heroine, and a fun supporting cast, Jewel is definitely worth a look for those who like American set historicals.

Grade: B-

     Summary:

     A proposal she had no choice but to accept . . .

     Though Eli Grayson is one of the most handsome, charming, and intelligent men in Grayson Grove, no one will take a chance on a confirmed bachelor. Unwilling to give up his dreams, Eli convinces his friend Jewel to pose as his wife. Their masquerade is to last just one night . . . but when word gets out, Eli and Jewel must tie the knot to save his career—and her reputation.

     Became a love she never expected . . .

     Angry at being forced to turn her life upside down, Jewel never imagined that a white-hot passion would consume her once she and Eli became husband and wife. Sharing a bed has turned their prim friendship into a sensuous love affair . . . but when a woman from Eli’s past returns to stir up trouble, he and Jewel will learn just how far they’ll go to protect the precious gem of their newfound passion.

     Read an excerpt here.