Grayson Grove, Cass County, Michigan – 1881

Eli Grayson was once known as “The Colored Casanova of Cass County." His greatest mistake, an affair with the first wife of his cousin, Nate, nearly destroyed them both, placing a wedge between him and his beloved cousin, who divorced his wife. Eli fell into a deep well of despair, prompting him to drink to excess. Gradually, he pulled himself out again, and Vivica, Nate’s second wife, helped him to mend his relationship with Nate.

Eli established the Gazette, a newspaper for Grayson Grove, but began to lose out to bigger, nationally syndicated newspapers. The Gazette finally closed, and Eli began to work on paying his debts. All it takes to revive his hopes is a letter from G.W. Hicks, owner of the largest Black newspaper syndicate in the country, expressing an interest in buying the Gazette. Eli discovers that Mr. Hicks requires all the men who work for him to be married...whom could he marry before tomorrow?

Jewel Crowley is the hard-working younger sister of five brothers, who, with their father, Adam Crowley, all love and over-protect her. She is a strong, levelheaded woman, who nevertheless has a soft spot for Eli, though she doesn’t think he would ever make a good husband or be faithful to one woman. When Eli comes to Jewel and begs her to pose as his wife for one day so that Hicks will buy the Gazette, Jewel is filled with doubt, but she understands Eli’s dream and eventually agrees to help him. Neither of them expects that the news will get out that they have been secretly married, and now, the only way to save Jewel’s reputation is to actually marry. Eli is regretful of the trouble he inadvertently causes Jewel, and his reluctant bride intends to divorce him as soon as she can, but as they settle into their marriage, they discover passion and tenderness. When you finally meet the right person, can you let him or her go?

JEWEL is not only a tender romance, it includes many fascinating details about Black history. Ms. Jenkins creates characters who break the mold; they introduce us to a group of people who forged lives that valued education, family, and community after slavery. They built townships, established universities, and were some of the most fiery orators during the years after reconstruction. Jewel is opinionated and strong, but not irritatingly feisty; she doesn’t do stupid things for no good reason. Eli is charming and handsome, but he has dark places in his soul because of his mistakes. With the help of some of the interesting residents of Grayson’s Grove, Jewel becomes his salvation. JEWEL is a sequel to VIVID, written in1995. For the reader looking for a satisfying romance that includes a healthy dollop of historical fact, give JEWEL a try.

Lisa Baca