A sizzling romance....here is what the back says:
"Archer Le Veq owes his life to the woman who rescued him from certain death at the height of the Civil War...a woman known only as 'the Butterfly.' Now, in the dark, waning days of Reconstruction, he needs the courageous and beautiful former spy...in more ways than before!
Zahra Lafayette thinks her days of intrigue are far behind her, until she is asked to go on one more mission. Posing as an infamous madam in New Orleans, Zahra must gather information to ensure the safety of the South's freedmen. The last thing she expected was to see Archer Le Veq again. He is as arrogant as he is handsome, but there's something about this dusky and debonair hotelier that sends her senses singing. Zahra knows she will need to guard her secrets, but no peril awaiting her compares with the treachery of Zahra's own heart - for, Lord help her, she burns to taste the m an and lose herself in his powerful embrace."
"Jenkins is a gifted storyteller who knows how to bring a special spark and sass to romance." Romantic Times Bookclub
"Archer Le Veq owes his life to the woman who rescued him from certain death at the height of the Civil War...a woman known only as 'the Butterfly.' Now, in the dark, waning days of Reconstruction, he needs the courageous and beautiful former spy...in more ways than before!
Zahra Lafayette thinks her days of intrigue are far behind her, until she is asked to go on one more mission. Posing as an infamous madam in New Orleans, Zahra must gather information to ensure the safety of the South's freedmen. The last thing she expected was to see Archer Le Veq again. He is as arrogant as he is handsome, but there's something about this dusky and debonair hotelier that sends her senses singing. Zahra knows she will need to guard her secrets, but no peril awaiting her compares with the treachery of Zahra's own heart - for, Lord help her, she burns to taste the m an and lose herself in his powerful embrace."
"Jenkins is a gifted storyteller who knows how to bring a special spark and sass to romance." Romantic Times Bookclub
Simply OK, not one of Beverly Jenkins best.
This book mixes a historically rich and sinfully romantic style to turn out a pageturned that just won't let you walk away
"You bitch," he spat at Zahra. She responded easily, "But I'm an armed bitch."
And that is Zahra. Strong, confident, intelligent. Zahra was a spy during the war. Now she is back home in the swamps of South Carolina. She is asked to do one last job. That job is to set up shop in New Orleans as a high class brothel owner and sniff out the individuals who could be causing trouble. President Grant wants to pull the remaining Union soldiers from the South.
Archer and his family call New Orleans home. Archer's older brother had his story in Through the Storm. He and Sable do make an appearance in this one. Archer was a soldier for the Union during the war. Unbeknownst to him, he and Zahra have a history. As "The Butterfly," she rescued him from a Confederate barn during the war.
I liked the interplay between Zahra and Archer. He finally meets his match after deciding to never fall in love.
As always Beverly Jenkins books are a wonderful love story with a history lesson. She covers things that were glossed over, minimally discussed, or not taught in history class. She covers how dangerous it was to be Black in Reconstruction South. How traitors to the country got their land back and got the Freedman to sign Indenture agreements that made the slaves again in everything but name only.
Mother Jones published an excellent article this summer that talked about some of the things mentioned in this book.
And that is Zahra. Strong, confident, intelligent. Zahra was a spy during the war. Now she is back home in the swamps of South Carolina. She is asked to do one last job. That job is to set up shop in New Orleans as a high class brothel owner and sniff out the individuals who could be causing trouble. President Grant wants to pull the remaining Union soldiers from the South.
Archer and his family call New Orleans home. Archer's older brother had his story in Through the Storm. He and Sable do make an appearance in this one. Archer was a soldier for the Union during the war. Unbeknownst to him, he and Zahra have a history. As "The Butterfly," she rescued him from a Confederate barn during the war.
I liked the interplay between Zahra and Archer. He finally meets his match after deciding to never fall in love.
As always Beverly Jenkins books are a wonderful love story with a history lesson. She covers things that were glossed over, minimally discussed, or not taught in history class. She covers how dangerous it was to be Black in Reconstruction South. How traitors to the country got their land back and got the Freedman to sign Indenture agreements that made the slaves again in everything but name only.
Mother Jones published an excellent article this summer that talked about some of the things mentioned in this book.
