5⭐ They having a yearn off and they both losing | tropes: marriage of convenience, good girl x playboy, small town| medium steam | digital + audio 

Overall Thoughts 💭:
I love marriage of convenience so much, and I loved how into it Eli was and how NOT into it Jewel was. I loved their journey from childhood friends to marriage to loving each other. This book did a good job juggling their emotional connection and their physical connection while emphasizing the importance of both. Jewel was stubborn and hotheaded, and I loved that about her. I understood her fears and holdups. She was single her whole life and was content with living and caring for her brothers. Then, she's suddenly paired up with a playboy who has his scandals. I usually don't like plotlines that have to do with other women and jealousy, but it felt realistic here for Jewel to feel these things. Jewel was falling for Eli and having to be confronted with knowledge of his escapades all the time. I felt for Eli, too! He fell for Jewel and wanted their marriage to work while dealing with his past. I loved how history was intertwined into this story. It really showed how important and political reading and writing are. Eli's paper, and black owned papers in this time were essential in spreading information to their communities, and information is power. Community is power. Especially in a time when it was harder to access information. I liked the inclusion of Maddie's character, which highlighted that while yes, racism was a barrier to people of color reading at this time but gender was also a barrier enforced in our communities. Overall, this book was sexy, sweet, and cozy! Can't wait to read more from Jenkins!