I’m in my Beverly Jenkins era in 2024 and I’m not mad about it at all. Bev Jenkins is a staple in the historical romance genre and I’m beyond glad that I finally picked up her books this year! Lucky for me (though unlucky for my bank, lol) she has a huge backlist to work through so I have no fear of running out of books to read but this was a cracking start!

TL;DR: The Destiny series is a great historical romance series featuring strong and feisty heroines, delightfully simp-tastic heroes, and a host of amazing and loveable side characters. Jenkins’ combination of sensual romance, strong family ties, and history continue to have me falling in love with her stories and characters as well as learning so much that I had never heard of before; especially about the experience and treatment of BIPOC people throughout American history. There was so much I didn’t know and so much knowledge I walked away with each time. I can’t recommend Jenkins enough! 😍

Did I read this in one sitting overnight and suffer for it at work the next day? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. This was a delight!

I think Beverly Jenkins is (one of) the only author who can make me enjoy an instalove romance so much and this was very instalove! Like, “a week and I love you” type of love and as someone who doesn’t enjoy that very much, if ever or at all, I was surprised to find myself not caring all that much when it came to Mariah and Logan. They were a fantastic couple and so easy to root for! Mariah is what I’ve come to expect from a Bev Jenkins heroine—she’s headstrong, sassy, sharp and so much fun! In many ways, Logan and Mariah were very similar. They’re headstrong and opinionated and while Logan has rarely been told ‘no’ throughout his life, that changes when Mariah steps into the picture. I loved Logan—he’s kind, generous of heart and hardworking, but Mariah was such a wonderful grounding force for him. Their banter, their chemistry, and all the supporting characters had me genuinely laughing out loud several times while reading but it would be remiss of me to not mention Alanza, the Yates matriarch, specifically. What a fantastic character and I hope we get more of her story, too! 😍

I fell in love with Destiny, the beautiful landscapes and small-town setting. If you’re looking for a low-stakes sexy historical romance, I’d recommend this!

Woo, I’m ngl, Drew pissed me off a bit with his sour attitude and cutting words at the beginning but Billie’s passion, fire, and all the love she contained made this another wonderful romance. Coming back to Destiny Ranch in this story felt a little like coming home. Alanza continued to play a prominent role and grew on me even more. She might be the “well-intentioned meddling mother” side character but she has such a great arc too.

Our MCs are total opposites from two different worlds who shouldn’t have worked together but somehow did. They had such raw incendiary chemistry that it set my Kindle alight and I’m so glad that Drew pulled his head out of his arse to recognise just how well he and Billie work together and what a wonderful little family they made. I adored Billie—she knows exactly who she is and despite the way people treat her due to her being a “lady of ill-repute”, she doesn’t let them make her feel less than. I loved her boldness, her passion, her pride and I loved her as a mother to baby Tonio. He was an absolute rascal and charmer who brought some funny but sweet moments that brought their family closer together.

The conflict in this book was intense and infuriating and I couldn’t have hated Prince DuChance more—he was absolute scum and I was so happy to see him get his comeuppance. Billie’s bloodthirstiness was fantastic! 😂 Overall, this was another win for me.

This probably has one the most unique and now one of my favourite romance meetings ever! She ties him up and steals his ship and when she lets him go, he says “I will find you if it takes the rest of my life, so stay alive until I come for you, my little pirate…” and at this point, we probably shouldn’t be swoony-hyperventilating over a man but y’know, okay, cool cool cool. We’re fine.

Even though this didn’t end up being my favourite in the series, reading Bev Jenkins’ romances is never a bad time and I still thoroughly enjoyed myself! Noah Yates has always been the mysterious youngest Yates brother and his story was pretty heartbreaking. He was shanghaied on his eighteenth birthday and following the two years of his disappearance, he came back a completely changed man. He experienced horrifying things that left him completely broken but that changes the minute he meets the pirate lass who steals his ship and eventually steals his heart. It might’ve been instalust to love but I liked these two together so much and couldn’t picture him with a better match than Pilar. I knew his lady love would be feisty, fierce and a total badass and Jenkins did not disappoint! She’s a revolutionary soldier supporting the rebellion in Cuba and I loved her passion and desire to create a stronger, more free country for her people. Following a duel of swords between Pilar and Noah, they end up getting married and what follows is a beautiful love story of healing and growth!

I love how her stories carry hope, passion and happiness even against a background where people of colour are still treated as subhuman and suffer so many injustices. I never walk away from a Jenkins romance without having learned more about the history of BIPOC and I love her books all the more for it!

Have you the Destiny Series by Bev Jenkins or is it on your TBR? If you are a fan of this author, what’s your favourite book/series of hers or which book of hers do you think I should try next?

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