This was originally posted on the West of Mars Facebook page, but I thought I’d put it here too so more of you can see it, given what Facebook does to business pages.

Romance writers! (And those who want to know what the fuss is about)

Check out Beverly Jenkins’ new book, To Catch a Raven. SO MUCH RIGHT is going on here.

One thing in particular that I want to point out is how she handles what amounts to the billionaire trope and gift-giving. I know there’s a popular sentiment that Christian Gray/Pretty Woman is the way billionaires give gifts.

I push back on it every time.

Know why?

Because it’s actually abuse. It’s a gift for the man, so that his woman fits more perfectly into his world and spares him from looking bad — which is the fear of all narcissists. The people around him should only reflect glory onto him.

Instead, check out how the more affluent Braxton showers the less affluent Raven with gifts. Note that they’re truly gifts for HER. Like bath salts. For a bath that she takes without him around; he purposely gives her space. He’s all about her me time.

And then take a look at how Ms. Bev handles the gift of a fancy dress. We see it all the time in billionaire romance.

But here, Raven has no clothing. Long story why, but she’s left her wardrobe behind. And now she’s in Boston and needs something stylish. Brax had bought a bolt of silk previously, saying only that as a tailor, he couldn’t resist.

As he offers up the silk, as he slips undergarments and gloves and other accoutrements that she needs into the purchase, it’s clear he’s doing it for her. Because he recognizes she is a woman who deserves to move among his peers comfortably — and because it is her comfort and her feelings and her emotions that matter. Not his. SHE matters, not his society circle. SHE matters, not whether or not she conforms properly. His intent is HER, not himself.

And that, my friends, is the difference. Too many billionaire trope gifts are about him, and that’s how and where they cross lines.

But when the gifts are true gifts, given for the enjoyment and pleasure of the recipient, then we’ve got romantic magic.

Yes, I work on romance novels! However, I do not have room for a new client until mid-October, at the earliest. If you need me, let’s talk!