Indigo

by Beverly Jenkins

As a child Hester Wyatt escaped slavery, but now the dark skinned beauty is a dedicated member of Michigan's Underground railroad, offering other runaways a chance at the freedom she has learned to love. When one of her fellow conductors brings her an injured man to hide, Hester doesn't hesitate even after she is told about the price on his head. The man in question is the great conductor known as the "Black Daniel" a vital member of the north's Underground railroad network, but Hester finds him so rude and arrogant, she begins to question her vow to hide him.

When the injured and beaten Galen Vachon, aka, the Black Daniel awakens in Hester's cellar, he is unprepared for the feisty young conductor providing his care. As a member of one of the wealthiest free Black families in New Orleans, Galen has turned his back on the lavish living he is accustomed to in order to provide freedom to those enslaved in the south. However, as he heals he cannot turn his back on Hester Wyatt. Her innocence fills him like a breath of fresh air and he is determined to make her his, but traitors have to be found, slave catchers have to be routed and Hester's refusal to trust her own heart have to be overcome before she and Galen can find the freedom only love can bring.
(back cover)

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Audiobook, Adult

370 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

About the author

Beverly Jenkins is the recipient of the 2017 Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the 2016 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for historical romance.

She has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature, was featured both in the documentary “Love Between the Covers” and on CBS Sunday Morning.

Since the publication of Night Song in 1994, she has been leading the charge for inclusive romance, and has been a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and NPR. Her critically acclaimed Blessings series has been optioned for film by John Legend’s and Mike Jackson’s production company Get Lifted, and Hollywood and Broadway powerhouse Deborah Martin Chase. 

To read more about Beverly and sign up for her newsletter, visit her at www.BeverlyJenkins.net. 

Reviews

[chan ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

genuinely deserving of ALL the hype… a gorgeous historical romance

[EmBibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I’ve finally read my first Beverly Jenkins book, and I might have went and bought a couple more..

Hester is a former slave who now works to help other slaves escape. One night she found herself sheltering the famous Black Daniels, who helps escorting slaves to freedom, and nursing him back to life.

I loved the beginning and how Hester was nursing and taking care of him and how they were both stubborn and they kept on pickering. I also really like the informative part of this book about that time period and how terribly unfair was the situation for the African Americans and how they were brave and kept on fighting against slavery.

“We have a problem here, petite. It's fairly certain I'm in love with you."

Hester was such an incredible heroine! I loved her so freakin much!! She’s brave and smart and stubborn and she has that tough exterior that when she breaks down I feel like I wanna give her a hug so bad! Galen was so sweet! At the beginning he was so grumpy which makes sense since he was in pain and hiding from the slave catchers, but then he started to become that sweet nice person who is so attracted to Hester and didn’t hesitate to admit it! He loves her and he wants her without hesitations or playing games.

The romance was so good. The tension and angst was so worth it. I loved the buildup and I loved when they were together. Their chemistry was so explosive. I really loved the writing that I can’t wait to read more of the author’s books. The book was so informative and so engaging and I just really loved it!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. While I did have some problems with the pacing, the romance was EVERYTHING. The tension and build up of the romance between Galen and Hester had me DYINNGGGGGG. The first 100 pages were my absolute favorite where Hester was nursing Galen back to health and they were both just so stubborn yet so attracted to each other. I loved how Galen ended up being so unapologetically attracted to Hester and wanted her. I also really enjoyed the underground railroad scenes where Hester was helping slaves escape to be free. I do wish we had even more of these scenes and less of the filler between them of Hester just being in town and dancing around her feelings for Galen. Overall, though, I really loved their romance and how strong of a character Hester was. And the ending was definitely fast-paced and crazy! I couldn't recommend this romance enough!

[Warda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance so good, my heart ached.

It had some slow parts and I wish the villains were fleshed out more as well as the backstory of our main + side characters, BUT the romance, my god.

Hester deserved all the doting.

And as is a staple in a Beverly Jenkins novel, there was such amazing focus on Black history, the Underground Railroad and the treatment of Black people. I loved that this touched upon how Black people viewed each other and the animosity that slavery caused within their communities at that time.

Only Beverly Jenkins can write a romance story that is beyond wholesome.

[Rachel L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread July 2024

4 stars!

I just adore Ms. Beverly Jenkins. This is my third book by her and with every book I read by her, it’s something new and unexpected. I loved the witty banter between the characters at the beginning of this book and how they grew from irritating each other to something more. Mostly I loved how seamlessly Jenkins writes of the time. She does her research on her books well, and I often learn things of the time from her that I would never have learned in school. I cannot say how much I appreciate that she’s writing these historical romance books.

If you haven’t read Beverly Jenkins yet, you need to!

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book. Hester is a seemingly mild-mannered spinster with a peculiar habit of always wearing gloves up to her elbows. It turns out she was an escaped slave from a plantation where indigo was harvested, and has permanent dyeing of her arms and lower legs from working in the fields. She is one of my all time favorite heroines for her undying devotion to helping slaves escape their bondage. Her big house is an important stop on the Underground Railroad. She is uncaring of the danger she could face if it was found out that she is helping the slaves. I also love this book because of Galen the hero. He is a dandified man of property who also happens to be a masked raider that fights the slave-catchers. It was so cool to read a historical book that shows heroes of the African American disapora, and their fight against the abomination of slavery. It's also a beautiful romance. I loved the way that Galen cherishes Hester and gently introduces her to passion. If you love great historical romances that are full of adventure, passion, love, but also teach important history lessons, you should read this book.

[K.J. Charles]

An early epic by the magnificent Ms Bev, and a cracker. This one is set pre Civil War in the time of the Underground Railroad. Hester is a freed slave whose father sold himself into slavery for love. She was sold away from her family as a baby, and used as an indigo worker which has permanently stained her hands and feet, not to mention the finger joint her mother cut off in the hope of identifying her later. Hester's hands are a record of forced labour and violence against human bonds, and it is a marvellous thing when Galen takes her habitual gloves off and loves them as they are.

Ah Galen: rich New Orleans blue-blood working to lead slaves to freedom, with a big dose of alpha arrogance that crumbles like pie crust in front of Hester's refusal to marry him.

The historical situation is terrifying, with a pulsing sense of continual fear and Hester continually at risk because of her work on the Railroad despite being legally free. There's a really evil slave catcher (and oh boy does he get his) and a really solid grounding in events like Harpers Ferry, along with a lovely romance with a lot of space to develop. Wow, I don't know how anyone stays this consistently good over decades.

[sraxe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books that started off really strong for me and then fizzled out. For the first third, it was a solid five. If it had continued along the same or similar lines, I'd probably have given it a five despite my dislike of certain tropes. I was loving the tone and the characters and everything...but then Galen left and the latter two thirds happened and it was almost like the book was suffering from some personality crisis; it felt like a mishmash of ideas, as if it wasn't sure what it wanted to be exactly. The book can be broken down into three distinct portions: meeting, (attempted) mating, and marriage (+mating). While the first third had plot and development, the latter two thirds felt like sex and seduction most of the time, with a little bit of plot to hold it together. It wasn't exactly PWP or erotica, but it did have waaay more sex in it than I'd gone in expecting. (Honestly, so much so that I was skimming through several paragraphs and pages.)

The synopsis is true...to an extent. While it covers the first third, it doesn't really tell you that the story takes a turn. "As a member of one of the wealthiest free Black families in New Orleans, Galen has turned his back on the lavish living he is accustomed to in order to provide freedom to those enslaved in the south"...? Uh, no. While he has turned his back on some of his family, he hasn't done so with all. And he's still living lavishly with his independent wealth, just not with said family. So the latter two thirds turns into a Cinderella story with Galen constantly trying to seduce Hester, but she doesn't want to give in because she's afraid to love.

They made mud pies down at the river, made love, and spent the days of September learning more about the special magic they found in one another.

That about sums up their relationship, honestly. She constantly puts up a token protest about how she's not going to marry him, but he just tries to seduce away. He even forces Hester into marriage after they consummate. She's still telling him no, so he decides to subvert her wishes by proposing to her publicly by reciting the Song of Solomon...in front of the entire congregation on a Sunday. She has no other option but to accept. She tells him that she'll get him for this, but it's another one of those lip service things she throws out. Make no mistake: Galen never suffers any consequences for forcing her into marriage. Even before forcing her, he didn't even really have to work that hard because even though she was telling him no to marriage, she was still totes fine with making out and allowing him to feel her up. Amongst other things. (He even shows up in her house while she sleeps at one point and just sits there and watches her like a total creepy fuck.) It took a little for him to get her acquiescence for marriage, but acquiesce she did. She isn't even angry at him for doing this. And it made no sense how quickly she settled into wedded bliss, either. She spent 24 years of her life thinking love was the worst thing ever, but then she's accepting it and all's good.



He just continues to subvert her wishes, and she just accepts it all with a mild "you're incorrigible." He's a wealthy man who's always gotten what he's wanted, and this is no different for him, either. He lavished her with gifts and seduction, then forced her into marriage. And then they spend the rest of the book having more sex. This book legit could've been cut in half if all the unnecessary sex was removed and the stuff about wealth was removed.

Speaking of wealth...there's a whole part about Galen's grandmother, Vada. What was the point of her? She has colourism issues because she's prejudiced towards darker skinned black people. And hey! Guess what? Hester is a dark-skinned black woman. Drama, right? No. Because Grandmother Vada dies before ever meeting Hester. And the wealth aspect, right? Galen's got to get his money from somewhere. Well, he certainly doesn't get it from Grandmother Vada because she doesn't like him anyway. And even if she did, he doesn't need her wealth. When Galen reached majority, he came into the inheritance left to him by his mother and grandfather, and his father's estates. So if she's not used to be hurtful towards Hester or provide Galen with financial backing, what's the point of her? I literally found nothing that she added to the story. She was a useless character.

Oh, wait...when she dies, they hold a fucking BURIAL BALL. She'd decreed it in her will that a ball must be held. At this part, I was like...really? REALLY? There's really no other reason that could be thought up for a ball other than being held in the honour of someone's death, someone who literally EVERYONE is said to hate? Really? And the ball itself added nothing to the story other than for the characters to play dress up and for Hester to encounter a previous OW of Galen's. (And meeting with the OW does nothing either. After Hester meets her, Galen and Hester leave the ball.) So what was the point of this ball and meeting with this OW? She's never, ever mentioned again. So the ball thing happens, which is the last thing I expected in a book having to do with slavery, but whatever. But then the author went and threw in coach-fucking as well, so I guess we've covered all the tropey elements of HRs? No?

Let's go back to OW. The meeting with a past OW, Emma, added nothing to the story. And I wish that were the extent of it, but it's not. Galen is a manwhore—which I was hoping wouldn't be the case at first, but it is—so throughout the book, Galen's previous experience is mentioned constantly. He's a total rake "who in his life [has] never turned away a willing female." He's had a "vast number of women [he's] entertained over the years" and has "held many women in his arms," so when he's with Hester, he able to "[pleasure] her with an expertise born of many years of sensual practice." (And that's only some of the quotes.)



When his experience is mentioned originally, I tried to move past it even though I hated it. I was enjoying the book too much for it to ruin things for me, but then with the latter two thirds, it just got more and more irritating. There's even a point where they see someone having sex, and since this is before they'd gotten to that point, she's all shocked and acting so pure. Another HR element is included here, and that's the heroine asking the hero how sex works. She even asks him if it's painful, because the woman they saw had a pained expression. And that makes absolutely no sense coming from her. Not because I think that's a ridiculous observation, but because even though they haven't gone all the way at this point, they have done other things. MULTIPLE TIMES. So it makes absolutely no sense for her to be innocent about it.

The characterization was even off in the latter two thirds. I don't think Hester's character made sense because she's said to be one way, but then her actions contradict those statements. When Galen buys a portion of her land from her, he does so through a proxy because he says that she wouldn't have sold it to him otherwise. He says that she would've turned him down, feeling as though he was bestowing charity upon her. However, then she turns around and accepts gift after gift from him, from crates of food and a chest full of expensive clothing, to a silk dress custom-made with fabric she'd bypassed because it was far too costly. He even pays her jail bond at a later point, something she wouldn't have been able to pay unless she put her land up. And there's no protest from her. What happened to her protesting about being a charity case?? She tells him constantly to cut it out with the gifts, but he sends them anyway. And her response? She just smiles and accepts them, chiding him slightly with a "you're incorrigible."



Taking all of the above into mind, for a book that's so cookie-cutter, I'm surprised it receives such high praise. It's not terrible...but it's certainly nothing unique. If you were to strip away the slavery aspect, it's pretty much your run-of-the-mill HR Cinderella story, with the wealthy H and a down-on-her-luck h. And since I haven't read other romances with a slavery backdrop, I can't even say if this is something new or unique, either. I say that because, when I first got into HR, I remember being super impressed with EVERYTHING and omg it's all so amazing and unique. And then I read more and more and I realized just how average the first one had been. There was actually nothing unique or out of this world about it, and it even has tropes that I find super sexist (virgin heroine + manwhore hero), and while I want to go on about how well-researched and great the Black History aspect was, I don't know if it'll be like my general HR experience if I read more books like this. And I find that to be disappointing because the book had started off SO WELL. And then the wealth stuff happened and it started to feel like every single other HR, but with more sex and POC.

And the thing is, the Black History was well-researched. I felt like I learned more about Black historical figures in this romance book than I did during my years of history in school, including during Black History Month. David Ruggles? John Fairfield? John Brown? Ellen and William Craft? I've never even heard their names in history class (unless it was like a whispered footnote or something). Freedom papers? I'd only heard about those on the internet after I'd graduated. The Fugitive Slave Laws? Just reading about them here was unreal and had me Wikipediaing while reading. And because I was so impressed by all of this, I kept hoping it would get better and I wouldn't have to give it a low rating. But it didn't. And then the final fifth happened.



The entire conflict at the end was so shoddily put together and left a lot to be desired. (Just to backtrack a bit, in the beginning of the book, Hester was engaged to another man, Foster. But then when he came back from England, he brought back another woman, Jenine, with him who he'd married on the voyage back. So just keep her in mind.) So, anyway, after Galen and Hester get married, she moves into his house. A while later, after Vada's funeral and the ball, they found her old house has been trashed and her freedom papers have been stolen. Seriously...what the fuck? It was so stupid. Why would she leave her freedom papers behind when moving house? Who does that? Would you move elsewhere and leave your social security or passport or citizenship stuff behind in an empty house? Fuck no, you wouldn't. And now is a time when we've got electronic copies to support our claims. Which is why it makes no fucking sense for an ex-slave to move house and leave her freedom papers behind! No fucking sense! On top of which, she left them behind in a house that is open for other people to enter and go into because it's used to help runaway slaves. Why the fuck would you leave the single most important piece of paper behind in there? A piece of paper being the only thing that protects you from being enslaved again. WHY? Absolutely no fucking sense.



And then, the conflict got even more stupid. Because her freedom papers are missing, Galen asks his friends and family to remain with her at all times (at least one of them) while she's off running errands. There's a slave catcher who's out to get her, so they want to make sure he can't kidnap her. So what happens? Gerrold, a friend of Galen's who's supposed to be her protection at the time, are approached by Foster and Jenine, who tell them that Galen's been arrested. So what happens then? Gerrold leaves Hester because, while she goes to the sheriff to see Galen, Gerrold is going back to their house to see if he can gather more information. Why does Gerrold need to head back home? Wouldn't learn more about why Galen was arrested by, I dunno...going with Hester TO THE POLICE AND ASKING GALEN OR THE SHERIFF WHY HE WAS ARRESTED?? Instead, he leaves Hester to Foster and Jenine. What the fuck? SO STUPID.



And then, as if it couldn't get worse, we find out that Jenine is evil and working with the slave catchers. She only married Foster so he could bring her to Whittaker, which is where Hester and Foster live. Her previous lover, Lem, just moved there to live with his mother (he hates her though and is deceiving her), so she wants to go back to him. So...she met Foster coincidentally on the boat and married him and he just so happened to live in the town that her lover Lem just moved to? Really? Really? Too ridiculously coincidental for me.

But anyway...Galen saves the day. And then, because the above coincidental ridiculousness wasn't enough, Hester is also reunited with her mother. And how? Because Galen just so happens to decide to dine at a diner, and guess what! She's working there as a slave. He recognizes her and blah blah blah. The end. The entire conflict was just so ridiculous. Maybe if the author had concentrated less on the wealth aspect and them sexing one another up all the time, the conflict might've made better sense and wouldn't have been so slipshod.

There were parts of the writing that annoyed me as well. I got sick of how much Hester would tremble and sway and gasp. She'd be near to swooning in Galen's presence all the time. She got weak in the knees and her legs would go weak and shaky. Her heart would start racing, pounding, and beating faster in Galen's presence. Girl, maybe you've got some blood pressure issues? Maybe something worse? WebMD that shit like yesterday.

Along with the stuff about his sexual experience, there were other things about Galen that annoyed me. Galen goes on and on about Hester's looks. I liked it at first because he'd compare Hester to the black velvet sky, so it was nice. (And I wanted some authors to take note that you can describe POC without having to use food to do so!) I was down with it because the author never let you forget that her character was black. It was so unapologetically in your face. And I loved it...but then I got annoyed. While I liked in the beginning he'd remark on her looks, I got sick of it when he went on about the same thing for hundreds of pages. And it's not because of her colour that I got annoyed of it, it's because he talks about her looks again and again, waxing poetic about her body and her beauty continuously. And just like with the sex, I got sick of it and I started to skim.

It probable wouldn't have been such an annoying read if I'd read it before getting too into HRs, but I didn't. So, it read as super formulaic to me, using HR tropes that this book could've done without. The book felt as if it lost focus a third of the way in and it never really recovered. The slavery aspect as always in the background, but it felt like it was just there to fill in the spaces in between their sexy times, which is disappointing because it was way more interesting and had a lot more depth than their relationship did. I liked that Galen was so head-over-heels for her, but that would've had more of an impact for me if the author hadn't gone on and on about his sexual past. And then it was all wrapped up with too many TSTL decisions and coincidentals.

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so, so much! It’s a bit long, but I adored every second of it. The Underground Railroad aspect was fascinating to read about. It adds a lot of suspense and danger to the story. The romance took my breath away - I’m still swooning over Galen! He’s a reformed rake who cherishes and worships his heroine. The way he went about wooing her was perfection. Hester is a headstrong, intelligent woman I couldn’t help but root for. The two of them made such a powerful couple. I can see why so many people say this is their favorite book from this author!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quality. Pure quality. But I would expect nothing less from Ms. Bev.

Indigo was published in 1996. My admiration for pioneers of the romance genre is immeasurable, but 22-year-old romance novels don't always age well. That Indigo aged well indicates Beverly Jenkins' enduring talent.

Indigo is a romance, but it is also a history. As a certified history nerd, I must pay my respects. Historical romances are sometimes lacking in history, but here it is tangible and thorough. Jenkins seamlessly wove anecdotes and facts into the story, painting a vivid portrait of an African-American community in pre-Civil War Michigan. While recounting the horrors and injustice of slavery, Jenkins nevertheless infused hope vis-à-vis the heroes and heroines fighting for equality and freedom.

And, of course, a swoon-worthy romance. Hester is a former slave who now serves as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. One night she finds herself sheltering the famed Black Daniel, who escorts escaped slaves to freedom. Learning that the Black Daniel is Galen, a dashing man from a wealthy free Black family in New Orleans, is one surprise. The second surprise arises when Galen doesn't hesitate to disguise his interest in Hester. Hester is brave, to be sure, but she is also independent and excessively cautious when it comes to love. Galen is handsome, generous, and charming - to be blunt, he is also sex-on-a-stick - and that doesn't factor into Hester's plans. But who could resist him for long? I know that I couldn't.

There is a traitor among the close-knit community, and vile slave-catchers on the loose, and community gossips gossiping. It all added a healthy dose of excitement to the story. While Hester's naiveté was a bit too much at times and the story's pacing occasionally lagged, I ultimately appreciated the sweetness and the richness more.

Highly recommended read.

Read for SBTB January - March 2019 Quarterly Challenge: A book with a heroine who you find admirable.

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 5 out of 5]

"They were correct, but as long as it doesn't brand who you are in your heart, the color of your hands, like the color of your skin, is of no consequence."

4.25★
my first foray into the expansive works of beverly jenkins and it did NOT disappoint! i went in blind just knowing she writes historical romance that is usually full of well-researched details, and i was v impressed.

her writing is illustrious and richly descriptive, with attention to the setting details. part of why i've fallen in love w hisrom is bc of the transportation to a period of time with vastly different clothing, food, manners, even architecture and city planning. jenkins definitely brings this to her writing; i could perfectly see hester's family home in my mind, the meals she prepared and shared with galen, the luxuries he showered her with.

there is also so much history sprinkled throughout the story as well. jenkins brings in not only straight forward fact, but anecdotal moments that provide emotional context for how different things were during this time period.

"These are serious times."
"Yes, they are, which is why it's important to seek out humor and beauty whenever possible. If we don't, we'll all be buried beneath the weight of the misery."

this book specifically involves hester and galen, who are part of the underground railroad. while i know what it is, i never knew specifics. to read about it from the inside shed much light not only on how it worked, but how the actual slow process of complete abolition of slavery trickled throughout different parts of the country then and how glaringly different the laws worked.

the romance was one of my fav tropes; the wild playboy finally "caught" by a headstrong woman who is softened but not controlled by his wiles. hester is clever, brave, and resolute, and galen matches her in these traits. they find a reliable steadfastness in each other as well as playful sass and heated romance. sometimes there's nothing like an mmc who simply decides he's found the love of his life and is set on proving it.

"No doubt, she's spinning in her casket just hearing you contemplate such actions."
"Well, the more she spins, the more evenly she will roast."

^ i'm going to have to borrow this saying in the future bc LOL

i'm looking forward to working my way through the rest of jenkins's backlog!

[BookmarkedByAlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
This was my first book by this author but it will NOT be my last. What a pleasant surprise this was!
This was a book club pick and a time was had😂
This follows Galen and Hester (Indigo) and the development of a relationship between the two.
Hester works alongside the Underground Railroad and when a beaten man falls in to her care, she takes care of him despite his rudeness towards her. But oh how the tables turn and she ends up being the one being taken care of if you know what I mean 😜
There’s so much in this one besides the romance. Traitors, secrets, history and so much more.
Thanks Chas for choosing this one this month. I’ll definitely be reading more of these historical romances (not mass markets though)😂😂
Can t wait until our next pick ladies🩷

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did a buddy read for this over on BookLikes, for all my discussions, comments, and quotes:
Prologue - Ch 4
Chs 5-10
Chs 11-16
Chs 17-end

I've read a couple other Jenkins' books, this was my favorite. I loved all the historical references, tidbits, and weaving in that she did; I can't even tell how many hours I spent learning about people, places, and events she included. Galen was a roguish character that I probably let his charm get him off the hook, he was pushy and I wasn't a fan of how he forced Hester into finally agreeing to marry him. Hester was an amazing heroine, strong, soft, smart, and willing to give as good as she got. I enjoyed their banter in the beginning and could see how they fit together in the end.
I would say the only way this shows its age is in the sex scenes. While I liked how penetrative sex wasn't their immediately go to, the wording in sex scenes was a bit flowery for me.
The world building and secondary characters were amazing and I can't even tell you all the side characters I wish had their own stories or novellas.
This is a must read for historical romance readers, the history woven in is what we all come for and Hester and Galen were strong, sweet, and loving.

[Renae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen Beverly Jenkins, Slayer of Words and All-Around First Lady of Romancelandia—her reputation precedes her, and rightfully so. Everything I know about her as a person inspires a lot of respect. She's a lovely human being. (AND she Skyped into my African American Women's Lit class in undergrad, which was wonderful.)

Notwithstanding her newer work, I've always had the impression that Indigo was Jenkins' best book, or at least the one that's been talked about most often to me. So, I got my butt into gear and picked it up!

In sum: Indigo is a very strong novel, but its plot suffers from a lack of direction in the second half. Because of this, it wasn't my favorite thing ever—the novel can almost be split into two distinct stories, which is confusing—but boy if I didn't LOVE what Jenkins did here otherwise.

So, let's see. Hester Wyatt is a former slave, who was rescued/bought out of the South by her maiden aunt in Michigan. Hester's aunt also worked with the Underground Railroad to help fugitive slaves escape to freedom, usually in Canada. When Indigo opens, Hester's aunt has died, but Hester is keeping true to her memory and continues her work with the Railroad. One dark and stormy night, Hester unexpectedly winds up with an unconscious man in her cellar. This man is none other than the Black Daniel, another conductor for the Railroad, who has a price on his head because of all the slaves he's "stolen" from the South. Hester is prim, proper, and headstrong, and the Black Daniel is suave, sensual, and arrogant.

...I think we all see where this is going, right?

Yeah, I thought I knew, too.

Indigo starts off so great. There's tension between Hester and the mysterious Black Daniel, and also external tension due to the dangerous nature of their work with the Underground Railroad. Somebody in town sold out the Black Daniel, so obviously it's important to discover the traitor's identity. So, obviously, a really great story, and it's told really well because Beverly Jenkins absolutely knows what she's doing. I really love the way the "historical" aspect of this historical romance is not glossed over. There's lots of little facts and details spread throughout the book that give this a lot of depth and make it feel very authentic. I love that.

However, the Indigo I've just described is not really what this book is. Halfway through the book, the entire focus and tone of the plot shifts, and I was A) confused and B) not exactly there for it. Suddenly it turns out Galen (AKA the Black Daniel) is extremely wealthy Creole royalty from New Orleans, and he's moved into town for the sole purpose of seducing/marrying Hester. Hester protests, but we know that Galen's going to get what he wants. The situation with the slave catchers and the traitor and the Underground Railroad takes a backseat to the romance, which is fine, except the romance doesn't have any real obstacles, so it's like all the wind is stolen from Jenkins' sails.

Now, the action does pick up right before the end, but it was kind of clunky and weird. I really liked where Hester and Galen ended up, but it wasn't neatly executed, in my opinion. The very last chapter is just an info-dump of the events regarding John Brown and Harper's Ferry, which aren't even tangentially related to Hester and Galen's story, except as historical context. It just felt...off. I dunno.

I read another review which described Indigo as having an identity crisis, and I think that's spot-on. The book seriously seems like it's headed full speed in one direction (an exciting one!) but then stops and twiddles its thumbs for several chapters before continuing. Very disconcerting.

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[sometimesrobinreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

ya girl read her first beverly jenkins book and WOW. i’m in love. she’s a legend for a reason.

i’m gonna be honest. i did not think i would like this one. not because i didn’t trust beverly jenkins pen (because like i said she’s a legend) but i tend to avoid books set during the 1800 because, well….slavery. it’s just not something i enjoy reading about butttt i did not have that problem with indigo AT ALL.

i loved this book for so many reason. first, my girl hester. she was so witty and sharp. she tried her hardest to keep galen’s hardheaded self in line. i loved the role she played in helping her people obtain their freedom. the way she opened her home to those in need and literally took food of her plate to feed them warmed my heart.

and galen. whew chile. that’s a man right there. he a little hardheaded…okay he’s very hardheaded but he just wanted to be all up under hester. that was his indigo and he ain’t play about her. galen was so dreamy. i was laying in the bed, kicking my feet thinking “i have a crush on this man” 😂 something about a funny fictional man gon get me every time.

this book truly made me fall in love with beverly jenkins. i don’t know how i went this long without reading it and i don’t know where to go next. i fear this may have created a problem that only buying all of beverly jenkins books can solve.

[Obsidian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. Sorry to say but this is probably the first Ms. Beverly Jenkins book I have read that I struggled with. I think it's just because this one is packed with too much stuff. We have Hester helping the Underground Railroad. We have Hester dealing with her former fiancée and his now wife. We have Hester dealing with the attentions of slave catcher. And that's before you add in all of the Galen stuff. This book could have easily been broken into a duology with no sweat. I also didn't really feel/like Galen for a good portion of this book. It took a while for me to warm up to him. Per usual though, the historical aspects of this romance novel are very well done. I do have to say that I called BS on one character being able to get away scot free for what they did though. That whole thing left a bad taste. And I will say that the ending just didn't read as realistic at all. I really wish that Ms. Jenkins had not gone that way. It just seemed like she wanted this book to have a happy ending and I went, really? Okay. 

"Indigo" follows Hester Wyatt, a conductor on the Underground Railroad. One night, one of her fellow abolitionists brings slaves to her home to hide along with a Black man called Black Daniel. He's become famous on the Underground Railroad and many slave catchers are hoping to find him. As Hester hides the man, she finds out his real name is Galen. And she also starts to think about him in a romantic way. Galen also starts to think about Hester. With the slave catchers nearby though they have to be careful. When Galen eventually leaves to return to his home in New Orleans though it seems that there is a traitor in their midst and somehow men are being captured along with some women. Along with this though is the community being interested in what is happening between Galen/Hester as well as so many other things (see above).

I don't know. I liked Hester alright, I hated that Galen decided he was going to just call her Indigo and ignore the whole that's not her name thing. I get it was supposed to be sexy and whatnot but I got really annoyed while reading. I did find it interesting though that Hester had to hide her hands because they would have marked her as a former slave. Once again, the historical parts of this book make up for the lackluster romance. 

There are so many people in this one as well though that it made things hard. We have Hester's former fiancée, his mess of a wife, members of the community, Galen's family and friends, etc. I thought I was just never going to get to the ending. Galen's whole story-line and his grandmother and how things were being handled in New Orleans among those who were lighter skinned was interesting to read about. But I thought that whole thing was almost a separate book at times. 

"Indigo" takes place in Michigan during the late 1850s. I really feel dumb because I had no idea the Underground Railroad had locations set up in that state. It makes sense though when you realize that many former slaves were using that state as a way to cross over into Canada. It now also has me curious about the former slave population of Canada and whether I can find any books about this. We also get some historical events in this such as John Brown's storming of Harper's Ferry and the subsequent trial and execution. 

The ending didn't work and only because there was a coincidence on top of another one to even have it make sense. 

[Justin Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Appealing central romance with compelling historical details, yet as a whole Indigo is dragged down by uninspiring secondary characters and a flat-lined pacing that is never fully engaged.

Indigo has delivered on its exceptional reputation among readers regarding its romance and integration of historical facts. I was thoroughly engaged by the electrifying chemistry between Hester and Galen, and diving into fascinating Internet rabbit holes reading further into real-life events and individuals (The free-produce movement, the utter nonsense of a justice system towards the Black, etc.). But then it is also this heartfelt romance and the grounded weaving of historical facts that made the remaining fiction oddly hollow and unintentionally juvenile.

All the antagonists are 'Bad' with a capital 'B', caricatures with no nuance or shades of humanity (evil grandmother! materialistic, heartless female!), and Indigo has the unfortunate tendency to construct book-long suspense, only for them to be wrapped up without the deserving buildup and adrenaline in a few swift paragraphs (the hateful person simply passed away, the perpetrator voluntarily confessed, the kidnapping resolved in 2-3 pages).

Having read one other Beverly Jenkins' novel prior and felt rather lukewarm about it ( Night Song ), I was looking forward to be won over by Indigo, which has been praised by many to be her best work. Alas, it retains the same issues I have with her previous work. Although overall Indigo was more enjoyable (thanks to the wonderful heroine and hero), I can still refer to my own Night Song review as my final thoughts: "superficial villain and an uneven narrative... at the same time it feels thoroughly researched, revealing a slice of Black American history that doesn't often get the spotlight."

There remains one more book of hers I'm looking forward to try (The Taming of Jessi Rose), but maybe I'll just have to admit I'm not onboard the Beverly Jenkins hype train.

***The Rake Appreciation Book Club | June 2021 Selection***

[b.andherbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Indigo, I'm glad to have finally read you. What an absolutely perfect historical romance. Between the slow burn simmering build up of Galen and Hester's love and the riveting historic details, I was absolutely captivated. No one writes a description like Ms. Bev, and I just sunk into this story like it was the softest cushion from Galen's epic carriage.

Galen as a hero was both gallant and frustrating in the best ways, a man who gets what he wants but never makes you hate him for it because his kindness and love are so apparent. I adored how he slowly seduced Hester, letting her set the pace to their relationship with just the right pushes along the way. His backstory is so heartbreaking, and I loved reading about his Aunt Racine and the other friends he had to help him become the man good enough for Hester.

And oh Hester, I'd fight for you too. Her story is also heartbreaking but because I know I can trust Ms. Bev I knew everything would end up okay. Her work with helping fugitive slaves and her role in her community was so inspiring, and her ability to stand up to Galen too.

I'm going to be hunting for a copy of this book to put on my keeper shelf. I highly recommend the audio if you can listen to it as well, the narrator was A+.

I do have to note this is the first romance I've read where a heroine has used a fainting couch for its intended purposes, swooning. Heck yes.

CW: gun violence, kidnapping, physical violence

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was wonderful. I am in awe. Such beautiful writing and spirit and romance. A delight from start to finish.

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you read the right book at the right time, and in the right format. I think that was important here, because I could take my time, I had pauses for processing, and I snaked my way through this over a week rather than my regular "inhale first, think later."

There was so much to love in this novel; though admittedly, while I loved the overall backdrop - and a book in another Midwest state with excellent geographic details, the way some of the work that Hester dedicated her life to was peppered in didn't work as well as some of the slices of the Galen-Hester encounters did. I love the style in general, but it could feel quite abrupt. Again, today that worked for me. In her other works, it hasn't always.

BUT...I LOVED THIS! LOVED. This couple is unforgettable and wonderfully drawn. I really enjoyed this read.

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe that this is my first read by Beverly Jenkins.
This is an amazing slow-burn romance with a great storyline and a heroine that I really love. She is such a strong and smart woman, a protagonist after my own heart. The chemistry between her and the hero is sizzling. Well, who can blame her, Galen is swoon-worthy.
I enjoy reading about the dangers and efforts of the Underground Railroad...it is very informative and engaging.

[Crystal's Bookish Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re reading for the third time. I love this book.

This is perfect to me. The way Galen loves Hester kills me!

[SassyMama · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of My Favorites

This is only my third novel by Beverly Jenkins. And she has yet to disappoint! I've read Night Song, Vivid and now Indigo. I enjoyed the heated romance between Hester and Galen. The chemistry between Galen and Hester was so charged, they couldn't help but fall for each other. Their story just leapt off the pages. Galen was so used to being able to get any woman he wanted and he was so undone when Hester constantly told him 'No', he just couldn't help but fall in love with her and her innocence. It was wonderful to read about how much they were able to love each other. Considering the times they were living in with slavery and many arranged marriages taking place, and especially considering the 'Road' work they both did, yet with all of that taking place around them, they were able to find true love. When I first heard about the Black Daniel and Hester in Vivid, I thought now that's a story I would love to read. And now that I have, all I can say is WOW! It was a real page turner. It had me LOL and crying at the same time. And at times I laughed so hard I cried. I also enjoyed many of the other characters in the story, especially Raymond LeVeq and his brothers. I enjoyed the camaraderie and the loyalty they shared with Galen, which extended to Hester once she became part of his life. Hope to read more about some of these characters in future novels. My only problem with the story was that like all books it had to come to an end, and as good as the ending was, it just ended way too soon for me. Thanks for sharing Beverly Jenkins.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

by far one of the best historical romance i’ve ever read. you could feel the love and chemistry off the pages. there’s a reason why this book and beverly jenkins is top tier in historical.

set right before the civil war you have Indigo, a former slave, living in Michigan and an abolitionist - she helps former slaves escape slavery and get them to freedom. she has indigo stained hands due to her time as a little girl on a plantation where her hands were died permanently blue because of the indigo plant. she was able to escape and made it her mission to help others. Galen (our love interest) is a free black man and from a prominent family from New Orleans who also helps free slaves. during an incident that has Galen hurt, Indigo nurses Galen back to health and immediately the sparks fly between them but Indigo is very reserved and plays it safe and when he returns to Indigo months later he is ready to get indigo back and make her his. they must deal with the world they live in but also the class difference between the two of them.

there is an incredible sweeping story throughout the book. i learned a lot from this as well - i always appreciate when historicals dive into the world around them. Also want to mention how incredibly swoon worthy Galen is - his confessions of love to her were just perfection.

i didn’t want this story to end. i could have easily read more books about them! these two were so passionately in love and supported each other. true soul mates in my book.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book by Jenkins.
I love everything about it🥰

Original Review:
I loved this🥰 a couple light standard romance tropes.
This is set around my hometown of Detroit. Some of it takes place near where I currently live in Canada.
I take for granted local history on the Underground Railroad but this is a reminder that I need to visit these landmarks again and again.
Especially in these current times it's comforting to remember all my ancestors have survived and how we have thrived.

[Kimberly Carrington-Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estoy entre 3'5 y 4, pero ya sabéis que siempre tiro a la baja. Que no engañe la nota, que la lectura me ha gustado bastante. Cuando se publique la entrada de las autoras opcionales del #RetoRita2 #RitaJenkins podréis leer mi opinión en la reseña!
(Pero vamos, que atreveos con la Jenkins si os gustan las historias clásicas de amor)

[Azanta (azantareads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

the way Galen loves Hester wow what a man!!!!

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking to expand my romance reading beyond the narrow offerings when I was a teen, I found Beverly Jenkins name on many lists. And now I know why. She does a marvelous job of combining romance with real history, in a way that meets all the conventions of romance and also deals realistically and seriously with the Underground Railroad. Great stuff. I'll be reading more of her. And I'm always looking for more non-white characters, so if you have suggestions, I'll welcome them.

Library copy

[Claudine · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book starts with two letters that tell a heartbreaking story: a free black man has sold himself into slavery to be with the woman he loves. Despite the slave-owner promising to keep him together with his family (now including a baby girl who has been named Hester) he doesn't believe that the slave owner's son will honour the agreement. The second letter tells us the tragic end to the tale: the baby girl has been sold, separate from her mother, who has also been sold. The man is ill and will die soon. He begs his sister, the recipient of the letter, to find and rescue his baby girl. Her mother, accurately predicting the family's separation, had severed the tip of the baby girl's pinky finger, in order for her to be accurately identified later.

Unfortunately, after the letters, the writing of this novel becomes strange and stilted. Hester, the girl referenced in the letters, has been rescued and freed from slavery: the story picks up years later when she is an adult and one of the many people involved in the Underground Railroad.

I haven't finished reading this story yet, but I wanted to accurately reflect my thoughts here.

Hester is a free black woman, and a landowner who owns some hundred-and-change acres of land. She is not only involved in the underground railroad, she is a passionate abolitionist and advocate for civil rights... but for some reason, the characterization falls flat. Hester is depicted as painfully innocent and naive, sheltered to an absurd degree. Despite being a landowner and highly educated, Hester does not have a job or a source of income. She occasionally writes articles for publication, which provides her with some income, but she doesn't have an actual career or any employment... which is extremely anachronistic. She owns a lot of land, and has a lavish house with numerous rooms (some secret and accessed by hidden doors!) with more than one bathtub, and some indoor piping! Yet, for some reason she is also living in abject poverty? Destitute and forced to skip her own meals so that she can feed Galen (aka THE BLACK DANIEL).

While the writing of the novel itself is stilted and strange, the real thing that bothered me was the subtle, pervasive misogyny of all of Hester's interactions with Galen. There is a moment where Galen thinks to himself that Hester should be married and having babies, not working on the Underground Railroad.

Think about that. Galen, a black man (or a biracial half-white man, who cares) who works as a conductor on the Underground railroad, who risks his life helping people escape slavery, looks at the woman who is hiding him in her house and risking her life (and her freedom) to keep him safe, and he thinks that she would be better utilized playing house and having babies than assisting others in their flight to freedom. She wrote that. I was so fucking appalled reading that, I had to stop and take calming breaths. I still cannot believe ANY person could pen such thoughts (especially given the context.) Such a combination of racism and sexism could only come from an ignorant white man, and yet, the book was written by a black woman. What the fuck. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

Galen's entire character seemed to me to be... an overwhelming mess of alpha-male stereotypes. He refuses to respect Hester's many requests to use her actual name, instead calling her "Indigo" because her hands are stained purple from her time processing dye as a slave. He spends a lot of time ogling her, and musing about her (presumed lack of) sexual history. He ignores her opinions/advice/concerns at every point during his stay with her, including the ones where she asks him to use a chamberpot, instead of the outdoor privy, because slave-catchers are in the area looking for someone of his description.

The worst part of this book so far is that the narrative seems to celebrate Galen's high-handed creepy ways, instead of depicting any of his behaviour as reprehensible. He yells at her for not eating and orders her to eat, and Hester simply acqiuesces, because obviously The Man Knows What Is Best For Her.

It's creepy and pervasive, a subtle (or in some cases, blatant) misogynistic (misogynoiristic) undertone that Hester cannot take care of herself because she is Just a Woman, and that her unrealistically innocent/pure/childlike demeanour is somehow Exactly What The Manly Men Want.

I enjoyed some of the descriptions of Hester-- seeing a black woman described as beautiful will never get old, especially not a dark-skinned black woman, but her constantly being flustered by flirtation and running away ... it's a romance trope designed to reflect upper-class white women living sheltered lives, not the lives of a hard-working black woman who used to be a slave.

I find the addition of historical facts the only good thing about this book-- which is sad, because they aren't at ALL well incorporated into the narrative. Rather than have characters discuss current events or having things happen that explain or introduce the readers to situational information, we're subjected to constant infodumps. I won't complain about this further though, becuase the infodumps are at least informative.

There are things that I cannot help but think of as anachronistic and highly out of character, though. How is Hester still so virginal and childishly innocent with regards to sex? She lived nine years as a slave, during a time when (as I learned during one of the infodumps) the importation of African slaves from outside the country was illegal. Slavery included rampant sexual abuse, but also breeding programs to increase the slave population. How was she not, at least, given some sort of sex talk as a little girl, in preparation for the sexual abuse that most black slaves were subjected to? How has this woman who is wealthy enough to own her own house AND a good area of land never thought to start a garden to supplement her food needs? Why doesn't she own chickens or pigeons, for the same reason? Why doesn't she work?

Oh right, it's because the author wants Galen to come in and "fix" her life.

It's obvious and not subtle, but Hester's helplessness is so clearly contrived and anachronistic that I hate it. I'm supposed to believe that a previously enslaved woman working on the underground railroad needs a man to rescue her? If I wanted to read about a Big Strong Man helping the Poor Impoverished Somehow Childishly Innocent Virginal Woman, I wouldn't have picked up a book about the Underground fucking railroad.

As a black woman I just cannot fucking believe the number of hoops the author jumped through to take Hester's agency away from her. I haven't even finished the book, but something tells me it isn't about to get better. Maybe I'll read on, and I'll update this review if I do, but somehow I doubt I'll be able to stomach it.

Actual quote from the book: "Galen thought she looked far too innocent to be in this business. In his mind, she should be married to a good man having his babies, not risking her life every day for a cause which appeared to have no end."

Are you fucking serious? What kind of black person writes that, especially when the "cause which appeared to have no end" is the LITERAL ENSLAVEMENT OF YOUR RACE. Hester WAS one of those people. What kind of privileged bullshit, who the fuck writes that. I am appalled and offended. Fuck this book.

[Eros Bittersweet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know how much Beverly Jenkin's stories mean to people, and I really don't want to trample on anyone's positive enjoyment of Indigo. I can understand how powerful it is to read a fantasy about a dark-skinned former slave woman with indigo-stained hands being aggressively courted by a super wealthy man who lavishes her with gifts and shows her a life of luxury. It's just that this execution of that idea did not work at all for me for the following reasons.

If you sincerely liked Christian Grey's character, here is a version of him in an historical using his bossy powers to spoil the heroine? He shows up on her doorstep all battered from a brush with slave-catchers. He recuperates in the safety of her home while being unreasonably grumpy and rude about his accommodations, which are costing her a lot of effort and money. And over the course of the book he does the following:

* commands her to eat a large plate of food (she is starving and has been feeding him instead of herself.)
* Constantly compares Hester's virginity and modesty to the whorish ways of Other Women, who are fake and contrived. "Unlike the calculating women he sometimes attracted, Hester's show was no act." (63)
* buys up some of her land, knowing she's in a bad financial state. Of course this helps her out but it also makes her financially beholden to him
* returns to town, buying an estate expressly for the purpose of winning Hester, and makes it clear to her he's here to do that, while she has mixed feelings about marriage with him
* forces gifts on Hester she claims to not want (this one is a bit tricky because it's that whole trope where we're supposed to love the heroine for her selflessness but also want her to have nice things). But still, he never listens to her, he's like, here's your 20 silk dresses I had made without consulting you, now you're going to wear them, I don't care if you feel uncomfortable about how revealing they are.
* Shows up on her doorstep to visit when she's told him not to
* proposes to her in front of the church congregation which is a total surprise to her (and everyone), then demands the priest marry them there and then, which Hazel doesn't want, either.

He's a very old school 90s hero, is what I'm saying. And I know none of these involve him stalking Hester across the country when she's tried to leave him temporarily to get some space, so he's not literally as bad as Christian Grey. Even so, his lack of respect for her boundaries, even if we are supposed to know he "means well," stressed me TF out.

There's so many sideplots that seem caricaturish. Hester's fiancee falls in love with another woman while traveling, marries her, and brings her home, announcing he's breaking up with Hester. Because he's in love and is like, "this woman is beautiful and Hester's not!" (which admittedly is a totally dickish thing to say), of course he winds up cuckolded and shot in the stomach by the end of the book. The other woman is a schemer who cheats on him with the brother of a slave-catcher, kidnaps Hester, holds her at gunpoint, and then shoots her fiance. It's an extreme vilification of people who did Hester wrong that feels really OTT. Likewise, Hester's older BFF we meet in the first chapter turns out to be an informant, which ties up the loose thread of who's outing the underground railroad workers. It's a harsh, late note resulting in an infodump about her motivations that doesn't have much emotional payoff but sadness and questions over whether it's necessary for literally everyone in Hester's life to be some kind of betrayer. And there's some late dramatic tension with Galen's former intended potentially being upset that he's married someone else. But she goes out of her way to put herself down for Hester: "Galeno doesn't need a woman who can only discuss hemlines. Had he married me he would've wound up hating me." Who talks about themselves that way?! Who is so casual about being called stupid - the woman says that Galen tells her she has cotton-wool between her ears? It just seems mean-spirited. I know some people will be here for the melodrama. But this book veers so much between soap-opera sensibilities and seriousness about the plight of individuals working to free slaves, that the effect produces a bit of tonal whiplash.

There's very little character development. We're told that Hester supports herself by writing antislavery tracts, teaching piano and selling apples from her orchard, but we never see her do any of those things. Through the various subplots, Hester's constantly being thrown into wild extenuating circumstances to which she reacts calmly, which made it difficult for me to get a sense of her as a particular individual. Galen's just constantly hard from her (and I mean he's literally, repeatedly talking about how hard for her he is). They don't talk much in formats that aren't Galen bossing her around and her protesting the ways he wants to spoil her or be with her. To be fair to Galen, he is really generous in bed, prioritizing her pleasure over his own and spending a lot of time to make sure she's comfortable with other forms of intimacy before they have PIV, so, yay?

While most of the historical background felt infodump-y and not well integrated with the narrative, and the constant head-hopping between their two points of view drove me bonkers, I did enjoy the digressions into Hester's ancestors and her childhood on the indigo plantation, which conveyed a lot of thought and historical depth. There are some really beautiful, dreamy descriptions of Hester that I quite enjoyed, which feel so completely different from a white male gaze: "Her skin looked like the gift of an African night goddess. Dark with the true colors of her ancestry, the sable highlights beneath added to the luster of a face as clear as precious obsidian."