The second novel in USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins’ compelling new Women Who Dare series follows a female rancher in Wyoming after the Civil War.
A reporter has come to Wyoming to do a story on doctors for his Black newspaper back east. He thinks Colton Lee will be an interesting subject…until he meets Colton’s sister Spring. She runs her own ranch, wears denim pants instead … interesting subject…until he meets Colton’s sister Spring. She runs her own ranch, wears denim pants instead of dresses, and is the most fascinating woman he’s ever met.
But Spring, who has overcome a raucous and scandalous past, isn’t looking for, nor does she want, love. As their attraction grows, will their differences come between them or unite them for an everlasting love?
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This is my first time reading Beverly Jenkins. I must say I selected this novel because the character of Spring in the blurb captured my attention, and the author did not disappoint.
Spring is a strong heroine. She has lived through so much at her age, and having an independent heroine in a historical novel was refreshing. Although life hasn’t been kind (and that’s an understatement) to Spring, she shows how tough she is by making lemon out of lemonades. She not only made one pitcher of the stuff, she made four. This is one tough woman who doesn’t wallow in self-pity. She take the bull by horns and goes for it.
Read more here: https://maggieblackbird.com/2021/03/25/beverly-jenkins-wild-rain/#more-21106
Western Romance Perfection!
Capable heroine who doesn’t need a man to run her ranch
Bookish hero saved by the heroine and isn’t afraid to admit he likes it and her
Beautiful landscape and horses
I absolutely loved Spring and Garrett, in fact I think he’s my favorite Beverly Jenkins hero ever!
In addition to the majesty of a capable heroine who is unconditionally loved by the hero and the very sexy “substantial” consent that was present, I loved the inclusion of the history of the Black press, skewed representation of Natives at the time, and the exploration of the different facets of Jim Crow. Reading a Beverly Jenkins book is like the best history lecture I ever attended (I have two history degrees) but with some serious kissing!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.
It was very well written and educational
Ms. Bev shows us again in Wild Rain why she’s one of the leading lights of American set historical romance. It takes a strong man to love a woman not willing to settle or compromise, and Spring Lee has carved out a life for herself in Paradise, Wyoming that doesn’t include a husband or family. When Garrett McCray shows up injured during a springtime blizzard she reluctantly takes him in, fighting her own attraction to the Easterner with his smooth ways and broad shoulders.
Garrett’s life as a reporter for an African-American newspaper in Washington, D.C. hasn’t prepared him for women like Spring who wear denim trousers and drink whisky and don’t put on any of the airs like the young women he’s expected to court. His fascination for her only grows with the time they spend together, but her life is so different from his he’s not certain they have a future together.
This is the second Women Who Dare novel and Jenkins too is unwilling to compromise in bringing to life a segment of American history neglected, suppressed or simply overlooked, the role of Black Americans in Western settlement. I look forward eagerly to the next novel in this series about strong women and the men who love them.
When rancher Spring saves newcomer Garrett during a Wyoming blizzard, they’re forced to spend a few days alone together in her cabin. Garrett is fascinated by this fearless woman who’s unlike anyone he’s ever known. Spring likes her independence and isn’t about to give up her chosen lifestyle for a man. But when Garrett stands up for her against a man who brutalized her in the past, Spring begins to imagine how the comfort of a partner might bring joy to her life. Can Garrett thaw Spring’s frozen heart?
Ms. Bev’s masterful storytelling made this book a pleasure to read. Right from the beginning, you know you’re in the hands of a consummate professional. You can simply relax and go where the story takes you, like floating on a lazy river on a warm summer day. It doesn’t even make sense to analyze things like character and setting and plot and pacing—it’s a holistic experience, and it all just works. If you like a good story, this book is for you.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
What an amazing addition to the Women Who Dare series! Beverly Jenkins’ westerns are some of my favorites and this one was equally exceptional. I loved both Spring and Garrett, both as a couple and as individual characters. The setting and secondary characters were equally as intriguing. As someone who owns my own horse farm, I loved seeing Spring holding her own as a female rancher. This was a wonderful page-turner with deep emotion and steamy romance, along with little bits of history sprinkled in along the way. Highly recommend!
I am so glad there is going to be a book three. This book is set in Wyoming shortly after the end of the Civil War. I loved the characters and learning history I never knew. Wonderful hero and heroine. Highly recommend.
As usual I enjoyed Bev Jenkins book. The books is part of a series and it tells a good story with some historical references interwoven into the story telling. Ms. Jenkins always gives a new set of information concerning the Black lived experience in an accessible way.
The legendary Ms. Bev proved once again why she’s the Slayer of Words. Her latest novel is rich in Black history, balanced with action and humor, and shining with compelling characters. I admire how Ms. Bev made Spring an Alpha heroine yet still sympathetic. I could totally hear the author’s voice from the snappy dialogue. She also made Garrett a cinnamon roll hero but not soft. Definitely already one of my Top 21 reads of 2021.
Wild Rain is the second book in the Women Who Dare series, and from the very first page, you feel like you have arrived with the family with its feeling of coziness.
We meet Spring Lee, as we soon find out her life’s journey has been easy and for reasons having nothing to do with it being the post-civil war era. It is this journey that has shaped her into the person we meet in this story.
Spring Lee is unique and unapologetically her, and she is as unconventional as a woman can be during this time in Paradise. It’s this uniqueness that makes Paradise either turn its nose up in resentment or be in awe of her independence and strength.
When a newcomer from back east rides into town for an interview for a Black newspaper with the colored doctor, he finds that it is more than one that demands his attention.
Garrett gets thrown from his horse during a blizzard, and it’s Spring that rescues and nurses him back to health. The questions that arise about Spring comes naturally for the reporter in him. The more he learns, the more intrigued he is. It will take a special something or someone to get close to Spring. With all the experiences, she is a tuff nut to crack. Will Garrett be able to get through the layers and win her heart or go back east defeated like most of the men in Paradise?
What I have come to love about Beverly Jenkins’s book is how easy it is cozying up and getting into a story rich in history and characters full of depth. Wild Rain was that for me.
If you are like most, you fell in love with Regain and Colt from Tempest, and we get to catch up with them. It is no surprise that Regan and Spring get along so well.
Wild Rain is the second of the Women Who Dare series, but is part of the interconnected universe of the Carmichael/Lee family. However, the novel works perfectly as a standalone.
Wild Rain begins with Spring Lee, an independent rancher heading home during a blizzard after assisting in the arduous and protracted birth of a foal (who arrives stillborn). She’s bone-tired, freezing cold, and just wants to go home but plans change when she catches sight of a rider-less, fully laden horse. According to the novel, had she been anyone else, she might have let the horse go on, given the horrendous weather conditions, but instead, she hitches the horse to her wagon, keeping an eye out for the owner. She soon comes upon a downed man, whose knee has been injured when he was thrown from his horse, and helps him into her wagon.
Turns out the rider is an East Coast newspaperman named Garrett McGrady who has traveled all the way from Washington DC to interview Colt Lee, her brother and the town doctor about life on the frontier. His father owns the “sundown paper” which will publish the story. Spring Lee, who has survived a savage past, isn’t bedazzled by Garrett’s strong build or exceptional good looks and warns him that, while she will let him stay with her and will tend to him, she will not be trifled with.
However, the blizzard and Garrett’s injured knee forces them into close proximity. After a few days, Garrett, a former slave, navy sailor, educated in the law and a carpenter to boot, makes an impression on her, together with his mild manner and gentlemanly ways. And he cooks! What woman can resist a man who knows his way around a kitchen?
When trouble from Spring’s past rears it’s ugly head, Garrett steps up and shows himself to be more than an intelligent man with good manners, but a decent man with an iron character who is determined to stand up for Spring and love her the way she needs to be loved.
This book is fantastic. Spring is no one’s doormat and, after a harsh and relentless life, knows exactly what she needs to be happy. Garrett is a priceless cinnamon roll, the kind of perfect, self-possessed, sensitive beta hero a woman like Spring can be with – one who sees Spring’s extraordinariness and loves her exactly as she is. I need more books like this one, where the HEA is perfect for the couple but might not look the same as everyone else’s.
This novel is a natural follow-up to Tempest, part of the Old West Series, but it is also the second book of the Women Who Dare series. I love interconnected novels – they, create a series of deep relationships between characters that you invest in and grow to love with each installment. For example, Reagan and Colt (Tempest) make their reappearance in this novel and it is such a pleasure to see how their family – and love – continues to flourish. I am eager to see which other couple will be featured in future novels.
ARC provided by NetGalley/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Originally reviewed:https://serataino.com/bookshelf-wild-rain-women-who-dare-2-by-beverly-jenkins/
There was no question about me loving this new Ms Bev book. Wild Rain returns us to Wyoming and the Lee family from Tempest, which is one of my favorite Ms Bev books. Spring, the sister of the hero from Tempest, is the heroine of Wild Rain. She’s a scandalous, gun-toting, take no shit heroine who lives on her own. Spring has a tragic backstory that led to her acting out and being scandalous in her younger years. Now she just wants a simple life but when reporter Garret stumbles into her life, things are definitely about to change. Garret is here from the East Coast to do a story on Spring’s doctor brother. However, the more time he spends with Spring, the less interested he is in returning East. As usual, Ms Bev does a phenomenal job of weaving American history and the role of Black Americans into a beautiful love story. It’s a sad realization about the American education system that I’ve learned far more about Black Americans and events in the late 19th century from Ms Bev’s books than I ever learned in school.
Spring is hesitant to take a risk on Garret. She has been brutally hurt in the past, and the past shows up to cause problems too. What’s more is Garret’s only in Wyoming for a little while and at times, they want different things from life. Garret is a former slave and that experience shaped his life. It also means that once he found Spring and a love with her, he’s not willing to let that go. Garret and Spring have to fight for their HEA but that makes it all the sweeter.
*Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Wild Rain was a good book. It is a solid example of Beverly Jenkins’ writing style – straightforward storytelling with a lot of historical detail. She always tell us something about the history of Black Americans. This time the story is set in the West after the Civil War. We encounter the impact of the war on those not directly involved. We also have a Native American perspective.
The heroine, Spring Lee, is independent and tough as nails. She is perfectly happy to live on her own until she encounters newspaper reporter Garrett McCray. He is visiting from the East to interview her doctor brother (Tempest). A bit of intrigue and danger develops while Spring and Garrett form a relationship.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. The secondary characters added flavor and interest. Garrett was definitely a beta hero (which I love), but in this case he seemed a bit flat. If opposites attract then Spring and Garrett were a good combination. She was prickly and he was easy-going. As I said, this was a good book, but not Ms. Jenkins’ strongest.
ARC provided through Netgalley
I loved escaping into this wonderful romance!
Set in the Wyoming Territory in the late 1880’s, this fascinating story brings to life a strong, determined woman who charts her own way in the world while remaining devoted to her family and friends.
Spring Rain Lee is a breath of fresh air, and I loved getting to know her and her wild ways. She holds unconventional ideals and I loved how those weren’t treated as a problem to be fixed. She’s been abandoned and mistreated by some of the men in her past so she’s committed to making a life for herself that doesn’t rely on any man.
Garrett is a man of several trades, but it’s his role as a journalist that brings him to Paradise to interview the local doctor, who is Spring’s brother. Garrett turns out to be very different from any man she’s known before, in ways that are intriguing and even more liberating. Garrett is enthralled by Spring’s unconventional manner, and I really loved how he could stand up to her and for her and make her feel safe all at the same time.
There’s a bit of local drama that threatens Spring and by extension Garrett, but the story never veers far from the delicious love story that shows us how Spring and Garrett both change for the better and stay true to their innate core selves while forging a path ahead together. I loved his mother’s advice when Garrett is faced with the one issue he thought might keep them apart, and I was relieved to see how the author resolved this conflict.
There’s a wonderful HEA and hints about another story to come, and I for one can’t wait to read more about this delightful slice of Old West Paradise. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
4.5 stars
Garrett McCray heads to Wyoming to interview a doctor for his fathers newspaper back east. He thinks Doctor Colton Lee will be the most interesting part of his trip, until he meets his sister, Spring. Spring is a rancher who likes her independent life. But after meeting Garrett, she might change her mind about having a partner.
I really enjoyed this one! I can always count on Mrs Jenkins to write a historical romance that I don’t want to put down. I was so excited to read this book once I realized that Spring Lee is the sister of Dr. Colton Lee, the hero from Tempest. I loved Tempest and though she was a great side character so I couldn’t wait to find more about her.
Spring is fiercely independent. She has no plans to get married and prefers her life of solitude. After learning more about her past, I don’t blame her for staying independent and partnerless. She definitely has a good reason for it. She may have physically saved Garrett but I think he saved her mentally and emotionally. He helps feel comfortable enough to just talk about her past with him, and her brother.
“You are diamond-hard in mind and spirit. You glow inside with the fire of rubies. And you’re as vibrant as a sapphire when we make love.”
Garrett was a cinnamon roll. He was sweet, kind, and bookish. I adored him. He shows Spring how amazing of a woman she is and worships her like she is a goddess. I really hope these two show up in future books because I couldn’t get enough of them.
I can’t wait for the next book because I know it will be so good. In the meantime, I will cope by reading her backlog of books.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*
4.5 stars
Wild Rain was full of surprises, but then Spring Lee isn’t your typical heroine either. Spring, Dr. Colton Lee’s sister, first appeared in Tempest and I’ve been hoping some type of happy would happen to her after her difficult past. She deserved a special someone who appreciated her uniqueness and Garrett was more than up for the job! I couldn’t have asked for a better fit. He’s respectful, kind and is able to see Spring for who and what she is. He was a lovable cinnamon roll hero (I learned a new term for these super sweet hero types!) and I was cheering him on, along with the rest of Paradise’s residents to win Spring over!
Of course this wouldn’t be a Jenkins book without historical mentions-sundown newspapers and Black sailors in the Union Navy just to name a couple of things-but once again, I walk away from Ms. B’s story with new wrinkles on the brain and armed with a list of sources to research further.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley/Avon and Harper Voyager and this is my honest review.