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.

Enjoyed the historical nuggets and, of course, strong women. Beverly Jenkins can write a whipsmart heroine better than anybody and this book continues the trend.

I absolutely had a good time with this book. I loved the dynamic between the main characters and the side romance. I am always a fan of grifter with a heart stories. I felt myself holding my breath for the twist in a good way. It was nicely paced, fun and funny. Also steamy. She did something I don't usually see in m/f romances but I won't spoil it.
Highly recommend

I don’t want to point fingers but Beverly Jenkins has been responsible for a lot of the late, sleepless nights in my life, especially this year. Early this year, I decided I was going to do a deep dive into Ms. Bev’s histrom back catalog. I had already read several but after perusing her website, there were 18 titles I hadn’t yet read, including her newest release. I’ve been reading a couple of them every month, the highlight of every reading month. I was lucky enough to score an ARC from Avon for To Catch a Raven, the 3rd and final book in her Women Who Dare series. To say it was a delight would be an understatement.

Raven Moreau comes from a family of thieves and con artists. She is clever and cunning, wily and witty, and always manages to be a step ahead. In short, she follows in the pantheon of iconic Ms. Bev heroines who have come before her. I loved her and I loved her close-knitted, nosy family all of whom, despite their grifting lifestyle, are as loyal to each other as they are loving.

Braxton Steel is handsome and proper, an upstanding tailor from a wealthy shipping family in Boston. While Raven and her family grew up in poverty, Braxton was born into a life of wealth and luxury. His father, Harrison, and Raven’s mother, Hazel also have their own history, having been in love once upon a time. Harrison is directly responsible for putting a halt to Hazel’s first wedding. So when these two families cross paths again, it’s hardly a happy reunion.

Brought into each other’s orbit to try and steal back a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence, Raven and Braxton have to pose as a married couple acting as housekeeper and valet/driver for the former Confederate official suspected of stealing it.

Now, you might be thinking, is this a heist book? Let me assure you all, it’s very much not. The stealing of the Declaration of Independence is a subplot at best and the real focus of the story lies exactly where it should, that is on the burgeoning feelings between the poor, uneducated Raven and the wealthy and proper Braxton.

While their first meeting is full of judgmental attitudes (Braxton) and snappish rebuttals (Raven), the two quickly learn they have to find a way to work together and find common ground if they’re going to achieve their objective. To that end, posing as a married couple also means a great deal of forced proximity and yes, that familiar favorite, only one bed.

If you’ve ever read a Ms. Bev histrom, you know her love scenes are steamy and this book is no different. While he may be a proper gentleman in the streets, Braxton is a sex god in the sheets. And his brand of sexual prowess is all about pleasuring Raven. Her first clue that there may be more to him than the polite facade he presents comes soon after they have dinner together, right after they first meet.

“Find us a bed and I’ll give you dessert.”

Her heart stopped.

Eyes blazing intensely, he added, “I can’t speak for other men, but you’ll remember my pleasuring you for the rest of your life.”

And let’s be clear, Braxon is not full of empty words, he more than backs up his promise later in the book, multiple times, in fact.

As is the case with most of Ms. Bev’s histroms, the romance and the heist subplot is interspersed with a lot of actual history and as always, I came up with a deeper understanding of this country’s history, more than I was ever taught in any of my history classes.

In the end though, the romance reigns, and Brax and Raven find themselves falling in love while they’re forced to pretend to be a married couple. They both see beyond the surface and realize that even if they come from wildly different backgrounds, where it truly matters, they both want the same thing.

Long-time readers of Ms. Bev will love this book and also enjoy the fact there are a few familiar faces that pop up. I was delighted when I made those connections and without spoiling, Ms. Bev really knows how to run a long game when it comes to plotting. Every time I finish a Ms. Bev histrom, I do so with a smile on my face. There is just something so comforting and warm and loving about the books she writes, whether it’s the couples themselves or the community around them, or in this case, Raven’s entire family. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. Additionally, if Ms. Bev were to revisit the Moreau family again, I would not be opposed to that.

I really enjoyed this next installment in Beverly Jenkins' Women who Dare series. In this book, we meet Raven who comes from a family of grifters and is forced to work with Braxton to help the government steal back the Declaration of Independence.

Their romance was the best part for me. You really got to see it build and grow from mutual attraction to love. In the beginning, they both had preconceptions about the other and Braxton had quite a few biases. But, the more the worked together and go to know each other, you could feel the love bloom. Also, Braxton and his dirty talk was swoon worthy!

I do wish there was more suspense around the spying plot. It was slow-going getting to the actual spy job. I felt like once they got there, it resolve pretty quickly. I wanted to see a bit more of the tricks and cons her family used worked into this job.

Overall, I liked this book and would definitely recommend to any historical romance lovers out there.

<i>To Catch a Raven</i> is the third book in the "Women Who Dare" series and is set mainly in the post-Civil War South. The female main character, Raven Moreaux, is a member of a family known as grifters, con artists, and thieves based out of Louisiana. Raven's family has struggled with poverty, but they all work together to achieve a united goal of uplifting the family. The male main character, Braxton Steel, is from a leading Black New England family of entrepreneurs. He grew up with servants and wealth and has never known anything but privilege. To say that he was shocked to learn to about his father's prior associations with the Moreaux family is a major understatement. Now Braxton must work along with a known grifter/con artist in an effort to save his father from possible prosecution. But he knows nothing about grifting and frowns upon even the thought of doing something illegal or underhanded. Braxton learns that he shouldn't be so quick to judge and that all is not what it seems with Raven Moreaux and her family. These two are forced to work together but each one learns valuable lessons from the other regarding pride, prejudices, and presumptions.

I found <i>To Catch a Raven</i> to be an enticing and fast-paced read. I enjoyed the dynamics between Raven and Braxton. Ms. Jenkins has incorporated quite a bit into this story beyond the search for a natural treasure. Just a few of the things a reader should check off on your Romancelandia Bingo card when reading this book include enemies-to-lovers, one bed, older couple-second chance romance, fake marriage, fake royals, fake nuns, mice in a bag, a broken bed, a young girl with second sight, <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>, ice skating, Confederate money with a woman's face, laudanum, betrayal, and more. What's amazing to this reader is that all of these elements, (SPOILER ALERT: along with a bullying Pinkerton agent receiving her comeuppance), are combined in such a manner that nothing seems out of place within the telling of this tale. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I loved reading this story. The relationship between Raven and Braxton is sassy, steamy, and sexy, not to mention sweet. Their quest to find a stolen document takes them from Louisiana to the Carolinas and the journey allows both to learn from one another. Yes, this is a romance. And yes, there's a HEA. But in addition to the romance story, Ms. Jenkins provides fascinating tidbits of history and it's always a pleasure learning about our hidden history. If you enjoyed reading <i>Rebel</i> and <i>Wild Rain</i>, the first two books in this series, then I strongly encourage you to get a copy of <i>To Catch a Raven</i> to read. In addition to my print and digital copy, I purchased a second print copy for my 87-y.o. mother. I can only hope that you enjoy reading this series as much as I have, and I can't wait to re-read this series (along with a few other favorite Beverly Jenkins books).

Happy Reading, y'all!

This is the third book in the Women Who Dare series, but can be read as a standalone. Beverly Jenkins is such an incredible historical romance author. She includes so much history in her books while of course including a swoony romance.

Raven Moreaux comes from a long line of grifters, but is now being forced to help the government. Raven ends up going undercover as the housekeeper to the man suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence in order to try and get it back. She gets partnered up with Braxton Steel who is undercover at the valet, driver, and Raven’s husband.

The first half of this book is about Raven and Braxton’s families, more so Raven’s extensive family. It was a little slow for me, and I was ready for the book to pick up. About halfway through the book though, things picked up and got really good! I loved the hunt for the Declaration of Independence, and the romance was so swoon worthy!

3.5 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #ToCatchaRaven in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a few of Ms. Jenkins's books and she never disappoints. This one might be my favorite of the bunch though. Raven and Brax are wonderful together. He sets her on fire with his words but consent is his middle name so until Raven decides she's ready, he'll sit back and wait. I'm always amazed at the historical facts that Jenkins weaves into her stories seamlessly and always feel more educated after reading one of her books than before I started the book. The romance is wonderful and so is the espionage part of this story. I hope one day we get Dorrie's story after she's had time to grow up.

You should definitely read this book!

The enemy of my enemy is… well, not her friend, but she’s blackmailed into a job for the Pinkertons all the same and the disapproving man beside her is just an added attraction, erm, nuisance. As the third in a series about strong, courageous women set in the post-civil war era from an African American perspective, this book was on my must reads this year.

To Catch a Raven is the third in a series, but it is easily standalone. There are mentions of characters from past series, but the plot, romance, and main characters are all new to this book as far as I know.

Raven Moreaux comes from a long line of shady types who are good at what they do on the wrong side of the law, but she is none too pleased when the Pinkerton Agency, namely a specific agent strong arms her into a job where her skill is required to keep family safe. And, she’s been saddled with a handsome, attractive man who is legit and looks down on her family legacy.

Unfortunately, Braxton Steele’s father was not always an upright person and he gets blackmailed into the job right next to Raven because of his father. They must pose as a married pair to get close to the former Confederate who holds a copy of the Declaration of Independence. They need to finish the job and Raven wants revenge on that Pinkerton, but somewhere along the way, real feelings and respect develop and meanwhile, an older pair get a second chance at romance.

To Catch a Raven raised certain expectations in me when I read the blurb. I thought the book would mostly be about them working together in their roles and doing the heist. And, this does happen eventually. Just not for a while. The book opened with attention to the family background and then they spent more time getting ready for the big job and fun banter is exchanged when they are a tad hostile.

I did enjoy this pair. Raven is loyal to those she loves, strong and feisty, but Braxton is one smoldering gent who knows how to get them both hot and bothered and is also a good, hard worker and protector. By the time they pose as housekeeper and driver married pair, it was obvious that the fake becoming real was what I was rooting for.

Like with most books by the author, the history is a strong authentic element. I like learning historical details as part of the overall enjoyment in a historical romance and I appreciate how it is blended into the story.

I’ve heard rumor this is the last of the Women Who Dare series, which were all excellent stories, but I am not sad because I have the author’s backlist and I see plenty more stories from bygone eras within Raven’s family alone. Those who want American History from the African American perspective or simply love a larcenous heroine and sexy hero on a heist, snatch this one for your reading pile.

Beverly Jenkins is an awesome writer. She tells her readers about history and will have headed to the library, internet or wherever information is available to learn more. She has an awesome way telling of a story that will have you wanting more and her stories have relatives from her previous books that gives you insight on their characters. You can never go wrong with a Beverly Jenkins novel. So with that being said if you have never read a Beverly Jenkins novel, what are you waiting for.

Beverly Jenkins takes her readers on a wild ride with Raven Moreau and Braxton Steele. Raven’s mom Hazel and Braxton’s dad Harrison have a past history; and Raven and Braxton are total strangers. These two get a visit from a Pinkerton agent who needs Raven’s help by blackmailing her. Raven is a grifter. She comes from a long line of swindlers, thieves, gamblers, etc. Raven has just been handed the perfect job which is a job that is she very good at. Braxton is a tailor and totally not feeling what he has to do. Raven and Braxton are to pretend to be a married couple working as a housekeeper, driver and valet. The two must infiltrate a home of someone that Pinkerton suspect to have stolen the Declaration Of Independence and retrieve it and return it the Pinkerton. As Braxton and Raven are pretending to be a married couple somewhere down the line their pretending takes a turn on the real romantic side. This is an awesome read. Can’t wait to read what Mrs. Beverly Jenkins is working on next.

Will Raven and Braxton retrieve the Declaration of Independence, will they return it to the Pinkerton, have their pretend relationship turned into the real deal, how will things go with Harrison who is Braxton’s dad and Hazel who is Raven’s mom; remember the two were in a relationship previously?

I received an ARC via NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and I am leaving my review voluntarily. Thanks NetGalley.

You can’t go wrong with a Beverly Jenkins book. I love romance and intrigue, and Brad and Raven give me everything. This book has romance, chemistry, and adventure.

As per usual, Beverly Jenkins wrote a story that took me back to another time and place with characters I rooted for so very much! Loved this one!

To Catch A Raven is the third book in the Women Who Dare trilogy and I'm super sad to see it end. Ms. Bev knows how to write a strong heroine, but these unconventional women (especially for the era they're written in) have been a delight to read about.
Raven and Braxton's story find us in post-Reconstruction New Orleans, Boston, and Charleston, South Carolina as they are forced by an ambitious female Pinkerton agent (the law enforcement of the time) to team up on a mission in order to save their family members from being sent to prison.
The book feels a little shorter than the other ones in the Women Who Dare series and the conflict part of the storyline seemed to be wrapped up quickly for my tastes but, as always, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the real life history and some subtle comparisons to current events.
True fans of Ms. Bev will enjoy all of the callbacks to her earlier books and definitely won't be let down by the heat factor between the main characters. And if you're not a fan, what's wrong with you? 🤣

Raven is a strong character that is forced into helping to obtain a copy of the Declaration of the Independence. She has to team up with a handsome rich guy. They have to pretend to be married and only have one bed.

Oh goodness the lady they have to work for is a piece of entitled traa- work. I mean all the statues of confederate losers should be removed and ladies like that one who funded them being put up should've been stopped. You are supposed to hate her but she is all that's wrong with 1878 and topped with a cherry.

I liked the undercover work and the jobs they would pull to get their money. Honestly, the people they were swindling from what they said we're using their money for horrible illegal things so they were defunding them for a bit. So doing the Lord's work.

The romance was definitely opposites attract. They had completely different upbringings and lifes. But they were definitely 🔥


Thank you avonbooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

To Catch a Raven is the story of Raven Moreau, a member of the Moreau family of New Orleans and Braxton Steele, the son of Harrison Steele, who at one time was in a relationship with Raven's mother, Hazel. The two families are brought together by a female Pinkerton agent who wanted them to find a document for her or they risk going to jail if they refused. What happens next is a series of thrilling, action-packed adventures in which the author uses references to historical events and people from the past to that will keep readers turning the pages until the end. The story is romantic, sexy and evocative. Mrs. Jenkins has another hit on her hands and I will look forward to reading her next project.

I received the book as an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

When you enter any book written by Ms. Bev you know that you were going to get an independent heroine and a swoony hero. Once again you are not disappointed when you read To Catch A Raven.

Raven, who is a lifelong swindler, is asked to help find the stolen declaration of independence. The person who is supposed to help her along the way is Braxton steel. So there is a heist involved in the book which takes place closer to midway point but the romance starts as soon as our two characters meet.

As always Ms. Bev brings the romance in the romance novel. You can see the chemistry between Braxton and Raven from the beginning. Also the actual storyline of the book moves at a good pace and is highly entertaining. As always I feel like I’m on a roller coaster while reading but I enjoy every minute. When finished all I can think about is when will the next Ms Bev book come out.

A very good book. This was my first read by Beverly Jenkins. This was a nice fun adventure romance that kept me reading throughout. After reading this I would like to finish the others in this series for more context. I enjoyed the descriptions and the history in the story. I also loved learning about the Braxton's and about Raven. The romance was also solid. The middle was a little slow but I did enjoy the book overall. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This third and final installment in the Women Who Dare series by Beverly Jenkins is a fun and innovative addition and conclusion. Each book in this series can be read as a standalone and at the heart of each novel in a strong and independent woman who knows how to work hard for what she wants and will challenge the man who wants to claim her heart. Jenkins writing is comfortable, plain and straight forward while building an intriguing heroine and a bold hero ready to fight for the woman he falls for. This last book in the series is entertaining, well paced and a charming ending to this group of books which leaves me craving to know what Jenkins will decide to explore next.

Raven is a grifter, and from a long line of grifters and she takes pride in the work that she does of bringing people in power (who do rather awful things) down a notch. But when she is called to help out the government she must pose as housekeeper and the wife of her partner, Braxton, who will masquerade as a valet/driver, in order to recover the stolen Declaration of Independence.

This novel starts out so fun with a glimpse into Raven's life as a grifter which immediately endears the reader to her. Then we take some time to develop and establish Raven and her family and Braxton and his family before we embark on the immediate plot of this story. Jenkins takes her time in establishing the past between Braxton's family and Raven's family to give the reader a deeper context of the mindsets of both the hero and heroine and this helps us to understand them on a different level. It is fun to watch Raven and Braxton, who are both determined not to fall for the other, slowly tumble into their attraction for the other. Jenkins builds their relationship slowly and carefully through interactions, stolen kisses, and the trust and understanding that comes with entering into a physical relationship. Family and their relationship are really at the forefront of this novel with the intrigue taking a bit of a back seat in my opinion, but I really liked this balance and thought is created a really nice and consistent pace for the novel.

I also know when I read a Jenkins I will be left with a happy and full heart, that I will be charmed and delighted in seeing how she will interconnect that novel with other novels in her backlist and be rooting for a strong heroine to find a man who can be strong and stand beside her and support her in the perfect way. Definitely do yourself a favor and pick up any Jenkins' romance, you will surely not be disappointed!

A former Confederate official is suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence, and Raven, posing as his housekeeper, is tasked with getting it back. Very witty. This is my first book BY this author and I really enjoyed it.

This was a pleasure to read. It’s plenty steamy, which I wasn’t sure about. I loved the deep family ties that Raven had. They added another level to the story that made it all the more enjoyable. I do feel like the relationship between the characters escalated a bit too fast, but most of the rest of the pacing was solid.