I could eat this reformed rake arc with a GD spoon. Galen's obsessive devotion pairs so beautifully with Hester's shielded vulnerability, and I just couldn't get enough of the push and pull between these two. Like any Jenkins, the history is fascinating and deeply important to the love story. The political landslide caused by the Fugitive Slave Act shapes this late 1850s Michigan community, and we see the risks taken by Underground Railroad conductors even in "free" states. Particularly in the third act, you can see the tectonic shifts that are happening that will lead to the Civil War. 

One of my favorite elements of the romance itself is Jenkins' exploration of class differences. Hester is formerly enslaved - now free - with dark skin and permanently dyed hands and feet from her years working in indigo dyes. Galen is several-generations-free, wealthy from a family business in trading, and has very light skin. He has chosen a life working on the Underground Railroad but carries with him privilege Hester has no access to. She is constantly aware of the social gulfs that separate them, and Jenkins doesn't hesitate to show us the ripples of a union like theirs, and how classism and colorism intersect to create new challenges for their life together.

Of note, this is a 90s-era histrom, so expect heavy emphasis on virginity and gender essentialism (manhoods at every turn), and it's a Jenkins, so expect heavy use of euphemisms for intimacy (symphonic orgasms aplenty).

📝 Okay so I gather this was like, a historically important book. One of the first historical romances to feature Black love and become commercially successful. I can definitely see the appeal, but the book was originally published in 1996 and it does feel a little dated, which is maybe a weird thing to say about a historical. Things just seemed a little more sedate, I guess? Overall it was just a little more old fashioned than I like. But it was still a good book!

🤓 I liked that there were real historically relevant things in the text. It's kind of hard to avoid them, since we're talking about Black people in the antebellum United States (1858-59), but it's still good to have the details. Multiple references to the Fugitive Slave Act, the Dred Scott decision....not really sure how John Brown and Harper's Ferry was relevant to the love story, it felt like it was shoehorned in, but I'm all for including an armed insurrection in the text. Thinking back to what the average reader in 1996 might have known about the history of abolition, a lot of this was likely educative to them. Hey, even to a lot of readers now, it's probably at least somewhat new information.

🎧 The narration was a bit stiff, but the audio was produced a decade ago so that kind of fits I guess. Only one female narrator, although the POV switches between his and hers throughout. She does not change intonation or anything when she switches POVs.

🌶️ 3/5 there were a bunch of encounters but the steamy stuff overall was definitely more... flowery/roundabout language than I'm used to reading from more recently published books.

Wow. I 100% understand why so many people recommend Indigo as an excellent introduction to Beverly Jenkins. This book is utterly fantastic. I’m obsessed with everything about it, from the characters to the romance and history. It’s the perfect historical romance. 

Now, I read this back in December 2023, but I’m only now getting around to reviewing it in June 2024. But even six months later, this book continues to stand out in my mind. 

First off, the romance! Oh my god, I am OBSESSED with the romance. It has some of the BEST teasing banter I’ve read in a long while. And the chemistry between Hester and Galen – it could set the pages aflame! But I also love how Jenkins teases out their romance, as it takes months for them to actually get together! Galen is so freaking SMITTEN – we love a man who falls first and gets turned inside out by a woman. He works so hard to woo Hester, who is determined not to fall in love, especially not with him. It’s the perfect push and pull between them. I also love how sweet and playful parts of their relationship were. I was utterly mush during the mud pies scene and had the biggest grin on my face watching these two just have fun and relish being with each other. And there is also so much passion and love between them. Truly, no one celebrates Black love with the most swoon-worthy stories quite like Beverly Jenkins.  

This book also has so many tropes that I adore. Hester and Galen’s relationship starts out with her nursing him back to health while he’s going by his secret identity of Black Daniel. That sets up their relationship so well, and it highlights both their personalities to a tee. He’s such an enigma with so many layers to him, and she’s so practical, independent, and selfless. If you’re a fan of romances with class differences, this book will also be your jam! Galen is like wealthy wealthy and comes from a well-respected family in New Orleans. Meanwhile, Hester is the daughter of slaves who gained freedom when she was a child, though she is fairly well-off thanks to her family owning land in Michigan. The class difference definitely presents an obstacle (mainly for Hester) in their relationship but also leads to fun scenarios like him gifting her a gorgeous gown to wear at a ball he’s holding. 

There are so many things to love about Beverly Jenkins’ writing, and her characters always stand out. I adore that she includes such a diverse and wide range of Black characters to show that, yes, there were successful Black men and women in the United States in the 1800s and that not everyone was a slave.

I adored Hester as soon as we met her. She’s incredibly independent and practical, almost to a fault, as she doesn’t want to lean on others for support and doesn’t like that others want to help. This makes her stubborn but in the best way. Hester’s also got the biggest heart. She’s incredibly selfless and brave, playing an incredibly important role on the Underground Railroad that puts her own safety and freedom at risk. As a former slave, she’s dedicated to the cause of abolition and helping others gain their freedom. Unfortunately, she also has a warped perception of love as her father sold himself into slavery to be with her mother because he loved her so much. To her, love causes misery and pain. That really shapes her as a person and causes her to keep others at arm’s length.

Enter Galen. This man is arrogant, wealthy, charismatic, cocky, protective and mustached. I. Love. Him. Galen, aka the Black Daniel, is so nuanced and not what I expected. There is truly so much more to him than meets the eye. Despite his privilege (did I mention he was WEALTHY), he’s just as devoted to the cause of abolition and helping others reach freedom as Hester is. As Black Daniel, he puts his own freedom and life on the line so that those he helps ferry from the South can escape. But when you see him as Galen Vachon, you would never expect that. As I mentioned earlier, Galen is also absolutely, head over heels, smitten with Hester. It’s adorable. The way he nicknames her Indigo and then literally finds every opportunity to incorporate that color into his clothing, carriage, and home – it’s too cute! He also has a protective streak and feels a bit like an alpha main male character but in the best way. It’s not too overbearing, but just right. Being charismatic and saying the most swoon-worthy things also helps a lot. I was genuinely obsessed with him! 

Another stand-out in this book is how Beverly Jenkins seamlessly weaves in historical details and builds her stories around what they conveniently forget to teach you in U.S. history class. The way she incorporates those details feels so natural to the story, and you always walk away from a Beverly Jenkins book learning something new. 

Now, I did go into the book pretty blind regarding the plot, and wow, this didn’t go where I thought it would go, but it was still so enjoyable! There was a little mystery woven in related to who was working with the heinous slave catchers that I enjoyed. It led to some high drama and high stress in the last few chapters. I was on the edge of my seat and on an emotional rollercoaster, wondering how everything was going to be wrapped up with a happily ever after. But Jenkins wraps it up beautifully, and I may have shed a few happy tears by the end. 

I went into Indigo worried that there was no way it could live up to the hype, but by golly, it did. This book was everything. It’s truly a masterful historical romance that I have been and will continue to recommend to everyone. This is the second book I’ve read by Beverly Jenkins, but I know it won’t be the last. I have a list of so many other titles I want to explore by her, as she’s quickly become a new favorite author! 

 There really are logic errors in this book.
1. How is Hester, educated and land rich, so poor? No chickens or garden? How is she feeding all of these passengers on the underground railroad? Is she buying that much food and no one is suspicious?
2. Why is Galen, who helps slaves escape, insistent on going outside knowing slave catchers are in the area hunting him?
3. Why would Hester leave her papers in an empty house?
4. What is the purpose of meeting Ginette or the entire ball scene in terms of the plot?
5. Nothing happens to Bea, who betrayed all of the townspeople, but Lem is killed?
6. Why would Hester trust Jenine / Foster in that climactic scene?
7. Why does Gerrold, who knows someone is trying to kidnap Hester, leave her?
8. What information could Gerrold get at the house that he couldn't get by going with Hester to the jail?
9. Hester believes that love makes you lose your mind, yet has no problem with a man who humiliates her into marriage / ruins her reputation if she doesn't say yes and keeps sneaking into her house at night?

Then the suspension of disbelief is strained to the point of breaking that Hester, at 9, did not realize the evils of slavery or what enslavement meant as well as Galen's "Christmas surprise."