Beverly Jenkins Books

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Beverly Jenkins writes historical and suspenseful romance novels. Born in 1951 in Detroit, the African American author started reading at a young age. When she was still in the womb, her mother would read to her.

Once she was born, Jenkins spent many an hour chewing on the cloth books her mother had bought for her. Once she was old enough, she started frequenting the library, reading the likes of ‘Dune’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

She joined her elementary school newspaper, lending her talents as an editor to the publication. Michigan State University was an important part of her life, and not just because she graduated from the institution. Jenkins worked at the university library’s circulation department.

Her lunch period was highly educational because she used it to read articles about African American history. When she migrated to Ypsilanti with her husband, even though her position at the Parke Davis Pharmaceuticals reference desk kept her busy, she found the time to write romance novels.

In the beginning, she wrote for fun. But after a colleague encouraged her, Jenkins found an agent. She eventually landed a publisher. ‘Night Song’, her first novel, came out in 1994.

Even though she went on to publish novels in various romance sub-genres, the author is primarily known for her historical romances. Her books are easy to identify because they feature attractive black men and women in 19th Century garb, a rarity in the romance genre.

Jenkins’ books are filled with strong and accomplished protagonists living in towns that African Americans founded in the aftermath of the Civil War. The author does meticulous research.

Her goal is to make her settings as accurate as possible. Jenkins’ career has thrived because people are fascinated by the idea of romantic tales set during a period where life was not only restrictive but considerably dangerous for African Americans.

Jenkins is determined to show that, even in the most trying of times, black people can find joy in the romantic bonds they have formed with the people in their community.

The author chose to write romance because none of the romance novels on the market reflected her experiences. She couldn’t find stories that mirrored the people she had known or the relationships they had nurtured.

Initially, the publishing world rejected the author. They did not know what to make of stories about African American characters in the 19th Century that did not tackle slavery. Jenkins was an anomaly because her first story was about a Buffalo soldier pursuing a relationship with a schoolteacher.

The industry couldn’t find a place for her. But Jenkins persisted because she was determined to introduce black love to the public.

Beverly Jenkins Awards

Jenkins has won the Michigan Author Award, Romantic Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award.

Best Beverly Jenkins Books

The author encourages people to explore black history by adding bibliographies of the texts she used in her research to her novels. Jenkins’ best books include:

Bring on the Blessings: Bernadine Brown was 52 when she decided to divorce her husband. He was sleeping with his secretary. Rather than bemoaning her situation, Bernadine asked God to show her what she should do with the $275 million the divorce had given her.

Trent July, the mayor of Henry Adams, was distraught. His was one of the few townships still in existence that had been founded by freed slaves. And now, because of crippling debt, the town was up for sale.

When Bernadine came to Henry Adams, Trent was surprised. She wasn’t quite what he expected. More importantly, Bernadine was ready and willing to work hand-in-hand with Trent to save the town. But some among the community were opposed to the change the pair wanted to enact.

Forbidden: Rhine Fontaine was going places. His dreams were finally within reach. But his success was built on a lie, and Eddy was making it very difficult for Rhine to maintain his façade.

She was everything he wanted: beautiful, strong-willed, and defiant. But Eddy was not staying. She was grateful for everything Rhine had done for her.

She owed him her life. But she had no intention of allowing the fiery passion between them to trap her in Nevada.

When Does The Next Beverly Jenkins book come out?

Beverly Jenkins doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is To Catch a Raven and was released on August, 23rd 2022. It is the newest book in the Women Who Dare Series.

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