Forbidden

January 4, 2016
In this appealing launch of a series set in the 19th-century American West, veteran romance author Jenkins (Destiny’s Captive) introduces the warm and supportive mining town of Virginia City, Nev., where a diverse community mostly manages to live in harmony. Eddy Carmichael is a lovely young African-American woman on her way to California from Denver, with the goal of opening a restaurant. Robbed by a man posing as a priest and left in the desert to die, she is rescued by one of Virginia City’s most noted citizens, Rhine Fontaine. Rhine was born a slave, but he’s light-skinned enough to pass as white and has used this to rise to prominence in the town, less for his own gain than to advance the rights of the African-American community. He owns real estate and a popular saloon, sits on the town council, and is engaged to the daughter of a prominent white family. Rhine is captivated by Eddy’s courage and beauty, but he knows their love is forbidden by those who think they are from different races, and revealing the truth would jeopardize everything he has fought for. Jenkins combines vivid characters and sexual intensity with historical accuracy in a story and setting that will appeal to her core fans and newcomers alike. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

Starred review from March 1, 2016
A biracial saloon owner hides his heritage after the Civil War but can't bring himself to marry a spoiled white woman instead of the strong African-American woman who's taken his fancy. Jenkins (Homecoming, 2015, etc.) explores the years after the Civil War with the story of Rhine Fontaine, the son of a white plantation owner and the enslaved descendant of African queens. Rhine's light skin and green eyes allow him to pass as white, and he rises to prominence in the town of Virginia City, Nevada. He's a man of property, a rising local politician, and he's engaged to be married to a beautiful white socialite. Only his business partner and his half brother know the truth about his parentage. When Rhine comes upon an African-American woman who's been robbed and left to die in the desert outside town, he brings her back to Virginia City, nurses her back to health, and helps her find a job cooking at a local boardinghouse. Eddy Carmichael's cooking may be divine, but she's spent much of her life scrubbing floors to avoid ending up a prostitute like her younger sister. She's thrilled by the new job and determined to save up money to open her own restaurant. When Rhine casts aside his fiancee and starts hanging around Eddy's kitchen, she's sure his motives are anything but honorable. For Rhine, the idea of marrying Eddy makes him reconsider his decision to renounce the African side of his ancestry. In spite of a few forgivable anachronisms, Jenkins' prose is lively and fluid, her characters complex and engaging, and her plot full of interesting side stories. For readers who enjoy love stories with steamy interludes against historical backdrops, Jenkins' latest is not to be missed.

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from February 15, 2016

Rescued by handsome businessman Rhine Fontaine after being cruelly stranded in the Nevada desert on her way west, Eddy Carmichael soon finds a position as a boarding house cook among the welcoming colored community in Virginia City. As one of the few black women in the rough mining town, Eddy attracts her share of admirers. Still, when the chemistry sparks between her and Rhine, she tries to resist, believing that nothing can come of it. VERDICT Empathetic characters, a compelling romance, and gripping Old West history, including the rampant racial prejudice and injustice following the Civil War, combine in this first in a riveting new series from award-winning writer Jenkins (Destiny's Captive). Issues of interracial romance, "passing," and life-changing choices feature well in this captivating story. Jenkins lives in Michigan.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
Award-winning Jenkins (For Your Love, 2015) begins a new series, set in 1870s Nevada and featuring Rhine Fontaine. The son of a former slave and her master, Rhine passes himself off as a wealthy white man who helps the African American community while serving on the city council. Eddy is traveling to California with a worn carpetbag and her cooking stove when a robber takes her money and leaves her stranded in the middle of the desert. Rhine and his friend save her and help her secure a job cooking for a local boardinghouse. Eddy loves her new home and Sylvia, her employer, but she can't deny her attraction to Rhine. He knows that passing as white means that a relationship with African American Eddy would be difficult and revealing his true background would earn him enemies of both races. The characters are strong and appealing in this excellent western historical romance, with its fascinating background and modern implications. Fans of Linda Lael Miller's westerns may also enjoy much-loved Jenkins' newest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)