Many a good woman has had to leave a no-good man, but how many of them took a back-seat to his 600-lb. hog? On her own for the first time, Genevieve Gibbs is ecstatic, even if certain people preferred the doormat version of Ms. Gibbs. Finding someone who appreciates the “new” her has only just hit Gen’s to-do list when T.C. Barbour appears in her life.
A tiny Kansas town is a far cry from his native Oakland, California, but it’s just the change T. C. needs. While helping his divorced nephew acclimate to single fatherhood, T. C. lands a gig driving a limo for the most powerful woman in Henry Adams. It’s a great way to meet people—and one in particular has already made the job worthwhile. All it takes is a short trip from the airport for Genevieve to snag T.C.’s attention for good.

Love the Blessings series. The characters are great and the messages are positive, even with a little drama and mystery. ( )

The own Henry Adams, KS has become a favorite place to visit for me and this story continues that love affair with the inhabitants of this little town.

Genevieve Gibbs has finally started to remake herself after her disastrous marriage to her hog loving ex-husband. Returning from a trip she is met at the airport by the new town driver - TC Barbour. The two hit it off with he mutual love of jazz but TC has a secret and he's not sure that Genevieve will accept his shortcomings. In the meantime her ex has returned to town with his 600 lb. hog and the law on his tail.

The situations that evolve and the characters interactions, always make Henry Adams a place to go to to smile and laugh and sheer.

Looking forward to the next one.

I won this book on Librarything's Early Reviewers but never received it. I had to buy for myself. ( )

Love is in the air in Henry Adams, Kansas. Especially for Genevieve Gibbs. Actually, she’s the new-and-improved Genevieve Gibbs. While married to her horrible first husband, Riley Curry, she was downtrodden, abused, taken financial advantage of … and without a lick of self-confidence as a result. But that has all changed. Unfortunately, the man she’s been dating wants a more traditional (less independent) woman and he’s not changing his mind. Then she meets the new driver for Ms. Bernadine Brown, who owns the town – literally. TC Barbour is enchanted from day one and doesn’t see one thing about Genevieve that he’d change.

The town’s minister, Rev. Paula Grant – accustomed to helping others – finds herself in need of help. Her grandfather, the mean and abusive man who helped raise her, is dead. The two of them made peace during their last visit, but that peace doesn’t extend to Paula’s nasty Aunt Della, who has a heart full of hate and nothing stopping her from venting it.

This is a sweet series, and Henry Adams is an idyllic place to set it. If we could conjure up a perfect little town, it would be Henry Adams. Sometimes pure escapism is what is called for and this series is it!

PS: I never received the Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher, so this review is based on copy of the book I checked out at my local public library. ( )

Imagine a small town established by freed Blacks in the 1800s. Imagine that same town in the 21st century, struggling to survive. Now imagine the town is posted on eBay and sold. The buyer is a wealthy Black American female and she's willing to put her money up to bring this poor rural midwestern town into the 21st century. The population is growing once again, there's a school, a recreation center, a church, a grocery store, a beauty salon, a recording studio, and more. Return to Henry Adams, Kansas in Stepping to a New Day, the latest addition in the Blessings series by acclaimed author Beverly Jenkins.

Genevieve Gibbs is a sixty-something-year-old woman finding her niche in life. She divorced her husband after he chose his hog Cletus over his wife and embezzled thousands of dollars from the monies left to her by her father. Adding insult to injury, her home had to be demolished due to the destruction wrought by her ex-husband's favored hog. Genevieve had begun to rekindle her romance with her high-school love, but he can't accept her new found spirit and free will. Enter the newest addition to the Henry Adams family, T.C. Barbour. T.C. had moved to Henry Adams on a temporary basis to help out his nephew. Within days he's obtained a part-time job as a chauffeur and found that small town life isn't as bad as he thought. T.C. has also finally decided to follow through on a promise he made to his dying wife, he's going to learn to read. Both T.C. and Genevieve struggle with their new lives, but one area that is struggle-free is their romantic interest in one another.

Stepping to a New Day is the seventh book in the Blessings series by Ms. Jenkins. I found it to be a fast-paced and engaging read. Just in case you couldn't tell, I really like the Blessings series and was greatly looking forward to this new addition and it did not disappoint me. Ms. Jenkins has provided a story about second chances in family, love, and life for a variety of ongoing characters, including Genevieve and T.C. We also see the ongoing struggles with the children of Henry Adams and other residents. These characters struggle with the normal day-to-day routines and more. It's been fascinating to watch the development of this town grow from an isolated small rural community to one that is basically an extended-family scenario. It's always a delight to read about the interactions of the Henry Adams natives, transplants, and visits from out-of-state friends and relatives. Ms. Jenkins has created a diverse, multicultural town that I'd be proud to call home. If you've never read any of the books in this series, then I strongly encourage you to begin reading it. Seriously, start with Bring on the Blessings and continue all the way through to Stepping to a New Day. This series provides tons of romance, family angst and drama, and highlights small town life as well as midwestern Black American history...a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy. Go, read, and enjoy! I look forward to returning to Henry Adams in the future. ( )