I actually liked this one better than the previous ones! This one was steamy, the chemistry between the characters was amazing, and I learned some historical facts, which I always love. Beverly Jenkins will stay on my list.

Beverly Jenkins reins supreme for me still. Every single one of her books has me kicking my feet and giddy about the couple. Engaged by the plot and just dying to finish the book. This was no exception as I truly could not put it down and devoured it in an evening.

I received an advanced copy of To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins from the publisher Avon and Harper Voyager via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Raven Moreaux comes from a long line of grifters, who work to secure her families future and steal from those who deserve it. Raven is fine with her work, until she is forced to help the government in exchange for her mother’s freedom. A former Confederate official is suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence, and Raven is posing as his housekeeper to get it back. Her partner is the handsome Braxton Steel, masquerading as a valet/driver and her husband.

What I Loved: There’s a reason people say Beverly Jenkins is a national treasure and this is a great example. I really loved this historical romance. It was steamy and fun and the chemistry is off the charts. This book has a mission that needs to be accomplished (they need to steal back the Declaration of Independence), there are some really awful villains who we are cheering against (not just the confederates but also the Pinkerton detective) and I was on the edge of my seat to see what happened. I also appreciated seeing a story that covers challenging history and unique history that is not covered often. Oh and did I mention that Braxton and Raven are a DELIGHT!

What I Didn’t Like: Not much, I thought this was an exceptional romance.

Who Should Read It: People who love historical romance. People who loved Alyssa Cole’s Loyal League.

Summary: When forced to go undercover, two spies also find chemistry.

Beverly Jenkins is a master story-teller, her stories always captivating. To Catch a Raven is no exception. Raven & Braxton's love story is beautiful, contemplative, dark, deep and yet hopeful. A riveting tale of love, sacrifice and courage, the drama, intrigue, and thrilling elements are phenomenal. I will always want to read Ms. Bev's beautifully strung together prose. #ToCatchaRaven #NetGalley

Beverly Jenkins is a new to me author. I was intrigued to read this novel, not just for the gorgeous cover, but also for the historical premises in the series; more than just a love story. I loved the hero and heroine together and the way Jenkins weaves together the story. I would definitely read a book by this author again.

Tis a tale as old as time... ye olde opposites attracting with a side of forced proximity oh and a heist... in 1878...

Blackmailed into an operation to steal back a copy of the Declaration of Independence by Pinkerton agents Raven is forced to play the wife of Braxton the son of a man her mother was once involved with. Raven’s family are professional con artists and Braxton is a fairly wealthy upstanding tailor who has never broken a law in his life. Together they will take a job in the house of the suspected thief posing as servants. The realities of being a person of color in the south during the time doesn’t matter much to the agent in question but of course she had her own agenda . On site Raven and Braxton don’t like each other the premonition from a member of Raven’s family that has visions of the future and is certain they will be married, doesn’t help. Because of course they are not going to get married. What they do know is that they can’t trust this agent and the Monroe family is very resourceful and creative in everything they do.

It was a good read I liked Raven and Braxton and Raven’s family deserves their own series of shenanigans. As per usual with the author there is also whole lot of real life history sprinkled throughout the tale. I’ve read quite of books by her at this point and I’ll be reading them as long as she writes them.

You cannot go wrong with Beverly Jenkins! A well rounded romance with fantastic spice. I love the way Jenkins wraps up her books.

I recommend reading this entire series, as well as, Jenkin's backlist.

It took a while for me to get into To Catch a Raven, but boy was it worth it.

I've been intimidated by Beverly Jenkins' backlist for a long time. She's such a giant in the genre and I was pretty sure I'd love her books, but it perversely took me ages to get around to reading something of hers. I eventually decided to just jump in with her most recent. I probably would have picked it up no matter what the summary said, but seeing the words "stolen Declaration of Independence" made me a special kind of delighted and sealed the deal.

The big winner in this book is the world-building. Jenkins is pulling many different threads from history together into this one novel. Somehow, she braids them together into one unified story. Instead of feeling like digressions, they serve as context--necessary context for the main characters' place in their world. The world is rich with sociological and racial dynamics, and the main relationship still comes out front-and-center. If this is what Beverly Jenkins does, then I'm getting an idea of why she's ~Beverly Jenkins~.

I think I'll need to read a handful more of this author's novels to fully get into her writing style. The direct, spare prose reminded me of some older romances I've read, and I was a little thrown off by it initially, especially in a new release. It started to flow for me more toward the end, so I think getting some more of this author's work under my belt will help.

I didn't like the pacing in this one, but that may be a bug of this novel in particular rather than a quality of Jenkins' style. I was anxious to get into the heist plotline, which doesn't truly begin until almost halfway through, and the relationship was stagnant for some long stretches.

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager for the advance review copy of this title. No money changed hands for this review and all opinions are my own.

A super fun romance that has a bonkers premise but still works in spades. I think Beverley Jenkins must have have laughed the entire way through writing it. The romance was steamy both romances! And the HEAs were earned - both of them! And I loved how ALL the villains got vanquished! Just a fun read all around.

Beverly Jenkins never fails me. Not my favorite of hers, but it's absolutely up there! Definitely one of my favorite of her families, up there with the Le Veqs

Beverly Jenkins has delivered another great historical book filled with adventure and life lessons. I enjoyed reading about Braxton and Raven's love story. This book definitely takes you on an adventure and it was good from start to finish. A fitting end to a great series and I enjoyed reading the story.

I really wanted to love this. The heroine is a spy and is forced to work with the hero as a married couple to uncover a stolen copy of the Declaration of Independence. I really liked how the heroine didn't like the hero when they met and how she is very stubborn. But I feel like that tension resolved too quickly and they decided they liked each other too early in the book. Because of that, I was a bit bored by the romance. When it came to the spy plot line, I also felt a bit underwhelmed. Not a whole lot happened on that front until about halfway through the book when they finally go undercover in the household. Even then, they were just sneaking around and that was really it. I was expecting a more exciting mission and I was left a bit disappointed not hat front. I still enjoyed being in another Beverly Jenkins historical and how much history was in this book, but the romance and enticing plot were a bit lacking for me.

As much as I love historical fiction, I’d say it ends up boring me more than 50% of the time. Especially if it’s set during WWII. Do we not have enough books about WWII? From the white POV? Let’s diversify.

This diversified. Set way earlier than that aforementioned time, when I heard someone stole the Declaration of Independence, I immediately thought National Treasure. It’s not. That’s fine. It’s spicy and chock full of positive Black rep, which is infinitely better.

We’ve got Raven from New Orleans. And then there Brax from Boston. Things get heated. It’s good. It’s really good. I could’ve actually done without some of the plot. Sorry not sorry.

To Catch a Raven is a great book and a wonderful way to end Beverly Jenkins' Women Who Dare series. The story of Raven Moreaux and Braxton Steel has a lot of intrigue, family interactions and an unexpected love story. You will learn about the differences for African Americans in the North and South post Civil War and see that envy happens among lots of different people. The story also involves Raven and Braxton getting to know each other as they search unwillingly for a stolen copy of the Declaration of Independence. Their work with a Pinkerton detective leads to some interesting events. The story will keep you interested and anxiously waiting to see what will happen next.. I highly recommend this book.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as I hoped, but historical romance is also my least read sub genre.

Read this if you're interested in:
-a stolen Declaration of Independence
-a family of grifters
-class differences
-fake relationships
-cameos by characters from other Beverley Jenkins novels
-a historical not set in the upper class

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for my copy to review.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Raven Moreau grew up in a family of swindlers and knows her way around a scheme. She’s not ashamed of her background, but she does come to regret it when it forces her to help a Pinkerton agent.

A South Carolina senator is suspected of harboring a copy of the Declaration of Independence and Raven must steal it back. She’s to disguise herself as the housekeeper and her partner, the infuriatingly handsome Braxton Steele, will pretend to be his driver, as well as her husband. Braxton has been forced into this job just as she has, but their pretend marriage and the mild animosity between them soon gives way to a very real passion and they’ll have to put everything on the line to make it something lasting.

This was my first read from this iconic HR author and I’m not sure how I’ve missed her all this time, but it will not be my last. She accomplished that ever so challenging task of creating a strong heroine who is also likable and not constantly shrewish or hateful to the hero. Don’t get me wrong, Raven did start out fiery and fairly snappish, but Braxton also started off being just as judgmental and unintentionally narrow-minded as she accused him of being. I really liked that these two opened each other’s worlds and minds and they were both willing to be receptive to those differences and make changes in their behaviors and perceptions. Of course, it took Raven a bit longer to come around, but she was also quick to see sense when her mother talked it into her, and I liked that. I really loved that Braxton won Raven over by being so persistently sweet and showing her a level of care that she’d never experienced before. For her part, Raven taught Braxton all about having a big family and how to loosen up and have a bit of fun. She helped him relax and he did the same for her, each showing the other a different way to be and I found that refreshing.

This book was surprisingly low angst given the intrigue-based plot and I was very much here for that. Despite the bonkers plot and elements that brought Braxton and Raven together, this was very much a character driven story, with most of the emphasis placed on Raven and Braxton coming to know one another and their relationship developing as they also developed and grew as individuals. I also liked the no fuss way the villain was dealt with, and it still left me feeling satisfied. I thought the plot was very well done and it kept me from feeling stressed or edgy while I was reading, while still giving enough intrigue to keep me invested in reading. I especially liked that Raven was so willing to give Braxton credit for the things he did right, while also calling him out on his missteps and blind spots, and he did the same for her. These two wound up being an excellent match and I will read more from this author in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

QUEEN BEV DOES IT AGAIN!!!

Beverly Jenkins is truly a master of her craft, and her Women Who Dare series is an amazing example of that.

Raven is an amazing heroine. Strong, spunky, and independent. Braxton is the perfect counterbalance to her, and I ADORED their chemistry.

Read it. You won't regret it.

Beverly Jenkins is the queen of historical romance and this one does not disappoint. It was such a great enemies to lovers and the historical backdrop added a great realistic and mysterious element as they attempted to solve the mystery while keeping themselves safe.

One of her best honestly and Ms. Bev is a QUEEN of historical romance. This is a must read - it is set in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Massachusetts post the Civil War. This historical romance is full of amazing research about a time that many don't know much about. It also has a wonderful spy aspect to it: Raven and Brax must pretend to be a married couple in order to try and steal a stolen copy of the Declaration of Independence. And Raven and Brax are perfect. Raven as a free-living, loyal, magnificent woman who comes from a long line of grifters. Brax, an uptight Massachusetts gentleman who falls into Raven's orbit. And they are HAWT HAWT HAWT.

"Find us a bed and I'll give you dessert." is a line that Brax says. WHEW MY HEART. He is just magnificent. I loved this book so much. Perfect for fans of HR, steam, only one bed, and amazing settings.

Raven Moreaux and Braxton Steel go undercover as a married couple in Beverly Jenkins’ nineteenth-century historical romance To Catch a Raven, Women Who Dare #3, to recover the stolen Declaration of Independence. It’s my first by her, and it’s an entertaining read. Jenkins’ idea for this series is so creative and inspiring. I love that strong, resourceful, and Black women who knew themselves and their power led the Moreaux, teaching each generation to use their gifts and all that’s available to them to support the family, make the best of their circumstances, and most importantly, survive during a chaotic and uncertain time in US history—especially for Black Americans.

I love Jenkins’ dynamic writing style, perfectly balanced realistic and creative worldbuilding, vibrant description, colorful dialogue, and deft character development, which draw you in from the first scene and keep you glued to the pages. She brilliantly weaves the complicated history of the US following slavery and reconstruction into her multilayered, insightful story/plot. You can’t help but want to learn more about, and root for the success of To Catch A Raven’s fascinating, complex, fallible characters. In addition, she wonderfully captures the feeling of family with the Moreaux and their interactions.

Lying and cheating is a way of life for Raven, who comes from a long line of grifters—The Moreaux—and couldn’t be prouder. But she’s not excited to use those skills to help the government under duress. Raven poses as the housekeeper of a former Confederate official suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence to steal it back. Going undercover as Raven’s partner is Braxton Steel, who will masquerade as the valet/driver. Braxton and Raven are surprised by the fiery passion that ignites between them during their pretend marriage. But to survive and protect their families, they’ll put everything—including their hearts—on the line.

Raven’s a beautiful character. I love Raven so much! I’m in awe of her courage and moxie, considering the times she lived. Throughout the novel, I’m like, “Girl. I am scared of you!” Beautiful, fearless, determined, stubborn, spirited, and intelligent, Raven’s willing to do anything for her family and to keep them safe. She’s confident and comfortable with who she is and knows what she wants out of life and her own worth, so she’s not willing to settle for less. I love her confidence, spirit, and unwillingness to be disrespected, undervalued, or taken advantage of by anyone. Raven loves her job and her life because of her commitment to her family—even the arduous and thankless work of being a housekeeper.

Braxton is a surprise. At first, he comes off as completely judgmental and superior. Former military, Braxton’s a handsome, honorable, caring, intelligent, and proud tailor. However, Braxton’s jaded, cynical, and dealing with trauma from war. It’s interesting how low-key Braxton is, considering his war experiences. Being with Raven and the Moreaux helps to open Braxton’s mind and worldview because Raven, in particular, challenges his preconceptions about her and her family’s illegal activities. She also makes Braxton rethink what he wants for his life. Braxton upends Raven’s preconceptions about him and her ideas about men. But what I love most about Braxton is that he sees Raven and how she puts everyone else first. He’s laser-focused on caring for Raven, ensuring she’s safe, feels cherished, and puts her first—a new experience for her. And the way Braxton goes about it is sweet and exceptionally SEXY.

Because of Braxton’s initial attitude/view of the Moreaux and their lifestyle, he and Raven don’t get off to the best start. Though they are opposites, they work well together as partners, becoming friends and then lovers. But neither intends for it to be anything other than a temporary thing while they’re undercover. But emotions become involved, and they catch feelings. Jenkins deftly transitions their relationship from adversarial to friendship to lovers with snarky/witty banter and humor. I love that they talk about all kinds of things. Their love scenes are intimate, steamy, and very sexy!

Aside from Raven and Braxton, my favorite character is Dorrie, an eight-year-old orphan adopted into the Moreaux family. A unique little girl, she keeps things interesting. I love her sweet and funny interactions with Braxton. But, really, Braxton’s interactions with all the Moreaux are pretty funny because of their reaction to Raven’s and his relationship. I won’t spoil that.

While it has tense, suspenseful moments that keep you on the edge of your seat, the novel doesn’t have as much suspense or action as I expected. Nevertheless, To Catch a Raven is a very sexy, suspenseful, steamy, funny, and captivating romance that explores family, self-discovery, self-identity, class conflicts within Black communities, the treatment of Black Americans post-slavery, and class/wealth disparities.

Advanced review copy provided by Avon via Netgalley for review.