Expect adult action from the start as call girl Wilhemina
"Billie"
Wells enjoys the patronage of a well-off man in the
thriving new town of San Francisco. DESTINY'S SURRENDER
shows that the lovely young woman had few choices in life
when she arrived on the train from Kansas, so she's making
a living any way she can. Drew Yates, a lawyer, pays well
and even takes her to the opera, but she's realistic enough
to know that he'll marry a woman from the business side of
society and never speak to her again.
The bordello in the 'Barbary Coast' district is run by a
Creole lady, who provides girls of colour to the prominent
citizens; when Billie finds herself expecting, there's no
telling who the father is. She's determined to have the
baby and give it for adoption. She has some leeway but
girls come cheap and can be found floating in the Bay if
they give trouble, so she has to knuckle down to laundry
and go to live with a midwife near the whale oil rendering
plant.
Drew meanwhile has been off meeting ladies of fine old
Spanish families. His family is a Spanish-American blend,
this being the easiest way to prove ownership of their
land, Destiny Ranch, and he's under pressure from his
mother Senora Alanza to marry and provide his own heir. He
doesn't meet anyone interesting, until Rosaline appears at
a ball. Senora Ruiz will allow him to court her daughter
for a year, under the strict eye of a duenna, before
considering an engagement. He's looked for Billie, but
can't find her, and nobody will tell him where she is....
I was reminded of the start of the Billie Holliday story,
where a young woman can only earn on her back and all
talents are ignored; the perennial double standard means
that a man can walk in and out of brothels. The contrast
with Spanish society in this multicultural story is
fascinating and delves into the history of that part of the
world very well. I also liked the easy writing style and
instant identification with the characters. The midwife
is a root woman who knows the arts, securing herself a
place in local society. Senora Alanza is a fine strong
woman, utterly sure of what is right and determined to see
it done. Overall the women are far more impressive than
the men in Beverly Jenkins's action-packed tale. Try
DESTINY'S SURRENDER;
it's a good read and a fine historical romance.
Andrew Yates has come to a decision: it's time to stop sowing those oats and start a family. But searching for a bride isn't as simple as he'd hoped and many of the respectable women of his acquaintance feels...lacking. Then beautiful feisty Whilemina "Billie" Wells arrives at the family ranch with a toddler in her arms, claiming Drew is the father!
Billie had no choice but to show up at Destiny in search of Drew. For the sake of their child, she's willing to leave him with his father so the boy can have a better life, but then before she can blink, she's saying "I do" in front of a preacher in a marriage of convenience. All Billie and Drew have in common is the heat that brought them together, but is that enough to turn this into a real marriage?
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