Name: Destiny's Embrace
ISBN: 9780062032652

Beverly Jenkins

Award-winning romance author Beverly Jenkins offers up another high-stakes historical romance that is sure to make you swoon. With Destiny’s Embrace, Jenkins brings readers back to the American West, where Logan Yates, a self-important ranch owner, must confront his feelings for his beautiful, free spirited housekeeper, Mariah Cooper. While they bicker incessantly, their sexual tension is palpable, and only rises when Mariah's former lover arrives on the scene. Will she accept Logan's heart? Set in 19th-century California, Destiny's Embrace features unforgettable characters and a satisfying mix of adventure and passion from nation's premier writer of African-American historical romance.

Destiny's Embrace

Lover of Romance 

Summary
Mariah Cooper has worked in her mothers dress shop for most of her life. But she now has the opportunity to leave a place of hard labor and abuse and make a new life for herself. So at the urging of her aunt, she heads out west to California to work as a housekeeper on a family made ranch, and her boss is the handsome and conceited Logan Yates. Logan Yates, is the oldest of the three brothers, and running the family ranch is a part of who he is. He keeps the ranch running smoothing and training horses, and trying to keep out of his mothers interfering matchmaking ways…that is until his beautiful and fiery housekeeper came and started steamrolling into his life and changing his nice life he had gotten used to. But he can’t resist her beauty or her passionate nature, but will he win her over before the other eligible men in the area take her before he can.

The Hero 
Logan Yates, is the oldest of three boys, and responsiblity has always been heavy on his shoulders. His father passed away when he was young, and it was up to him and his step mother to save it before they lost everything. It took sheer will and every intelligence he had to keep the land his father worked so hard for. Logan is used to taking charge and running things, but he gets a surprise with Mariah shows on the scene, because she is his match in every way. What was so amusing about Logan is how alpha he ended up being, but Mariah is not gentle flower, and he gets dosed with a bit of humility which is very entertaining. But what I most loved about Logan is how caring and affectionate he could be, a bit of a scoundrel, but a bit romantic at times.

The Heroine 
Mariah grew up in a home, where her mother abused her for every little wrong thing she did ever since she can remember. She has had to bear the punishment of the sins of her father, who abandoned them when her mother was pregnant with her, and her mother is very bitter and has taken it out on Mariah. Mariah has only had a little happiness in her life,thanks to her best friend. But when her aunt convinces her to take a new job and build a new life, Mariah goes, because she knows she needs a change and a fresh start, even if it means leaving the only person who has ever been good to her. But Mariah upon arriving in California begins to change from a timid and shy woman, to taking control and action. What I grew to love most about Mariah is seeing her change from being shy to bold and standing up to Logan. Especially when you see how much she is abused at the beginning of the story, and until the end I fell in love with this heroine and seeing the inner strength shine through.

Plot and Story Line 
Desiny’s Embrace is the first book in the Destiny trilogy. This is a trilogy based on the three Yates Brothers. I recently read the third book and I loved it so much I knew I needed to read the other two brothers. This is an author I have loved ever since I started reading romance, in fact she is one of those first authors I read that got me hooked, and she is very talented on interracial romances, she has a beautiful way of weaving love stories that win the reader over instantly. In this book we have quite a whopper of a romance. What was most entertaining was seeing these two go at it, These are equally matched in tempers and tend to go half cocked at times, both stubborn and passionate about what they believe in, and I loved the quick witted bantering and seeing these two fall for each other. It’s techinically a angst romance, but it has a bit more lighter tone to it than the typical angst romance. The supporting characters in the story added some fun to the story as well. And we do get to meet the brothers and I just cheered for Mariah at the end there…don’t want to spoil anything, but she really came through.

The Cover 
I do love covers as this one, reminds me of the older style a bit, I love the pose here and the colors in the background. A nice romantic setting.

Overall View 
Destiny’s Embrace is a heartwarming romance that brings together a equally matched pair in every way. A story to endear you to these endearing characters that can make you laugh and cry. A guaranteed PAGE TURNER!!

Ann-Loy

Who do I have to talk to so we can get this book as a movie?! I need to see the mountains, the wildflowers, the majestic beauty of wild California and romance between black people. This was... SO GOOD. but also what I’ve come to expect from Miss Bev.