Vivid

by Beverly Jenkins

Maybe she'll be more appreciative of that long drawn-out rutting you seem to enjoy."

Bitch, what? How is that a bad thing?

the weather always this warm in May?" "Sometimes." He said nothing more.

What the hell? Why are Vivid and Hester cursed to have shitty starts with these dudes. They are so rude!

"You're wrong, you know. I'm here to be a physician. I'm not looking for a husband." "Sometimes a man doesn't care what a woman is looking for, especially if he wants her for his own." "I don't need a husband." "Every woman needs a man." "Only a man would say that."

First, big ups to Vivica for setting him straight 2 Jenkins is so good with banter. It's where she builds all the chemistry and I love it

Vivid walked over to the man and demanded, "I need to borrow your rifle, sir." The farmer seemed so surprised by her authoritative manner he handed it over without a word. Vivid quickly checked the shells, closed the chamber, sighted, and fired.

I like her

Before Nate could speak further the black-garbed Widow Moss came charging into his office towing his daughter, Majestic.

Ok, but where did he get a daughter? Did i miss that in the audiobook?

"Do you see, Mr. Grayson? No manners, no politeness, and no desire to be any better."

And what of it?

"Mr. Grayson, no amount of washing or deportment lessons will rid her of her bastard beginnings. She would try Christ himself."

Who talks like that about children?

"What happened to your hat, Pa?" Magic asked, picking it up from where he'd tossed it on the desk. She stuck two small brown fingers through the hole and wiggled them. "Looks like it's been shot to death."

I'm Listening to the audiobook while i read and they gave the girl a southern accent. In Michigan?

"And so, unless you wish me to bring legal charges against you, I expect you to honor the contract you signed."

So meh 😝

Abigail said, "Oh, all right, maybe there won't be a next time."

Gail, you are a trip!

"Just wondering where you put all that food, Lancaster."

Rude

"How long has your family been here, Mr. Grayson?" "Since '37," Magic answered for him. "Pa Grayson got freed and came here all the way from Carolina." "Did he come alone?" Vivid asked her. "No, there were thirty-four people. They came here and founded Grayson Grove. Do you have a family, Dr. Lancaster?"

This is similar to that spot in Cass County, wonder if that's what inspired it

"This is where Doc saw his patients till he got drunk and fell off the roof of the Emporium and died," Magic volunteered.

Well shit

He truly believed most females would not have had the gumption to confront him as she'd done in town today, and none would have gone so far as to shoot a hole in his hat.

Ugh, he says females. Automatic disqualification for book boyfriend status

More importantly, he didn't want Magic to be heartbroken when the doctor pulled up stakes and high-tailed it back to San Francisco.

Sounds like YOU want to leave

Men were everywhere; punching one another, violently wrestling in the grass, standing nose to nose and arguing at the tops of their lungs.

Caveman mating rituals

"Ah. Well, I don't know what this is called in California, but here it's called courting."

Kmt

Rifle in hand, Nate Grayson, dressed in his trousers and without a shirt, turned a malevolent look on the crowd and shouted, "What the hell's going on here?"

I misread this at first and imagined him in a long night shirt and cowboy boots at first *hahahaha*

"Good. Stay out of my way."

But they were besties in Indigo 😟

Therein lay the debate. Black Republicans were becoming increasingly disenchanted with the country's do-nothing policy concerning the South. Many Black men had lost their lives to Democratic forces while trying to vote in the election in 1874, yet representative Blacks such as Douglass and Pinchback were calling on Blacks to consider voting Democratic this time around to keep the Republicans from taking the Black vote for granted. As far as Vivid knew, few Blacks had crossed over.

I love how she includes these bits of our history

She wondered if she'd be allowed to enlarge the kitchen, as the space now was totally inadequate for the daughter of one of San Francisco's premier caterers. Vivid enjoyed a good meal and, thanks to her father, knew how to prepare one.

She's always making these ladies good cooks lol

"You aren't going to argue with me." "Nope." "Why not?" "You're my employer."

Was that normal back then?

Shortening their names to See-Pees is as shameful as having our ancestors' beautiful names changed to things like Toby."

A shout out to roots ms. Jenkins? I love it!

Above the papers Vivid spied the bottled and packaged nostrums that claimed to cure everything from baldness to lovesickness to the flushing away of an unwanted child.

I forget that abortion was not frowned upon at this time. So weird how we went so backwards on that

"See, Aaron, told you she'd figure it out. She might be female, but she ain't a blind female."

she has eyes you mean old coot

"Pa paints sometimes," Magic added. Vivid found that surprising. "Not as much as he did before the war," Abigail noted with a bit of sadness in her tone.

Awwww

I lay this whole mess directly at his door."

He beefs with everybody, doesn't he?

The breeze felt fresh, invigorating, so much so that she set down the bucket and turned her face to the wind. It rushed over her, filling her with its sounds and vitality, and evoking fond memories of being young.

This is such a good feeling in early spring too. Just letting all new life wash over you

Yet by the time Vivid left her cabin and walked across the yard for breakfast with the Graysons, she'd convinced herself that her attraction could be directly attributed to the residual weariness of her cross-country journey.

Girl, bye. You know that man is just fine.

"This is Michigan. We have a saying, 'If you don't care for the weather, just wait a few moments and it will change.'

Yup

"Becky Carpenter said she left because Pa wouldn't marry her."

The plot thickens, lemme get my popcorn 🍿

Vivid looked down at him and said, "I assume driving is a man's job, too?"

The misogyny is exhausting on this one. I don't like it so much as Indigo

He nodded, then added, "No tricks now. Hate to have to truss you up."

Sir, that's not how doctoring works.

"No one's cleaned the place since Jewel took sick," her escort explained. "We've become accustomed to the smell, I guess."

Men really are nasty

Jewel was a beautiful, cinnamon-skinned young woman but terribly, terribly thin. "How

Bet its her sugar

"Frederick Douglass represents only Frederick Douglass," came Mr. Crowley's response to Vivid's inquiry about whom he would designate as the true spokesman of the race. "Oh, Fred's a great orator, probably one of the best the race has ever seen, but he always waits for someone else to test the water first. He was one of the last on the wagon for taking up arms to end slavery. Never much respected his opinion after that, and his private life is a mess."

Love this take! Good job old man

"Wait until autumn, now that's spectacular."

It sure is

When he brushed his mouth across her lips, then slowly nibbled the parted corners, Vivid melted like wax.

He's Such a little slut!

She shouldn't have expected any more than the impersonal nod of greeting he gave her, but she was upset by his cool manner nonetheless.

As she should be! A kiss is an intimate gesture, he needs to grow the fuck up

forced to sit in balconies and galleries that bore such names as "African Corner" or the more denigrating "Nigger Heaven."

those old timey white folks had a way with slurs. Fucks me up every time.

"Good, because everybody's waiting on you so we can eat ice cream. Are you really going to marry Dr. Lancaster, Pa?"

This girl! What a silly child!

"Ah, little girl, what a wife you'd make. If I were twenty years younger, I'd court you whether you wanted me to or not."

Ew

"Because Adam's in love with my Aunt Gail. Has been for most of his life."

Aww that old lady better get her some

"I'll give you lessons when the snow falls, if you're still here," he added. Vivid turned to him and asked, "If I'm still here?" "Yes. If."

You little hoochie daddy, you know you are why they leave. Talking about they can't handle a winter *eye roll*

"Magic isn't Nate's daughter?" "Not by blood. But I say a prayer for that mother every night because she gave her to us."

I had wondered about this too

"Oh, that. I wasn't teasing." Abigail poured herself a cup of tea and sat at the kitchen table.

This lady, i love her!

"I believe you are the fiery pillar, Viveca."

And they were soulmates

When she came walking into the barn as he pitched fresh straw into the stalls, he felt his manhood quicken.

Calm down you horny toad, she's not a sex toy, she's a person

Her nipples pleaded but he gave no quarter, not with his lips nor with the lightning tip of his tongue.

Why are all her characters obsessed with suckin on tiddies?

"Well, we'd always wanted a bear cub, and Nate figured Uncle Absalom would let us keep it if it were an orphan, so we picked up the cub and started for home. About a half-mile into the trek the woods got very silent.

Those are some badass kids