His Bewildering Bride by Merry Farmer

His Bewildering Bride by Merry Farmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a lovely little romance. I'm glad it came up as a recommendation on my Amazon Kindle bookstore page. I liked the author knew a bit about the history of interracial marriage and wrote a story that showed that more of it occurred than history one would presume before the advent of Jim Crow/Segregation laws. I would have liked to live in a town like this during this point in history (when I normally think that being a black American at this time was a double-edged sword pointed at your throat). I liked that Wendy rose above the prejudice and ill treatment she faced. Born a slave but working to be an independent businesswoman. Although she faced racism, she didn't let it get to her or sour her or make her a hater. She didn't give up and I was glad to see her dreams come true.

Travis was such a sweetie. I loved him. He stepped in when his immature brother wouldn't honor is commitment to marry Wendy when he finds out that his bride is Negro. Travis was man enough to even help Wendy with her sewing so she could win the contest that might get her a shot at her own business.

While the ending ties up things nicely, it's a good ending that made me satisfied with the story. The love scenes are sweet but pretty steamy, and they show that Wendy and Travis had great chemistry, a strong bond, and true love. What a great combination. Probably the only thing I would change is for it to be longer. I will definitely continue this series. I downloaded the first book right after finishing this.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.00 stars.

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Snowflakes and Stetsons by Jillian Hart

Snowflakes and Stetsons by Jillian Hart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What a nice combination, Christmas theme and western historical stories.  I would consider myself fans of all three writers in this volume, but my favorite story was by Carol Finch, one of the three I've read the least books by.  I admit that I enjoyed the contrast between the proper wealthy woman from back East and the mixed-heritage rough and tumble ex-Texas Ranger.  I also liked the fact that they were able to see past apparently superficial divides between them to the good-hearted people beneath disparate exteriors.  I felt the ending was a bit too abrupt, but I would give this one four stars for its feel good vibe and readability, and also having a great lead pair.  Also brownie points for the hero's awesome dog named Dog!

The Jillian Hart story was good and I enjoyed it.  It took me a while to get into it, and when I did, what the heroine does nearly killed the book for me.  I really dislike when you have a character who supposedly falls in love with someone and then completely disses them because of what someone has said or what their bad reputation indicated. It didn't read true to me.  I hurt for the hero in that case, and I found him a lot more sympathetic than the heroine.  Hart writes very good heroes.  Generally I like her heroines, but I didn't understand the heroine's reactions and motivations, so that spoiled the story for me with this one. I can only give it story three stars.

Cheryl St. John writes a compelling and heartwarming story for this volume.  The main couple are stranded together in the heroine's father's well-equipped Pullman during a snow storm, along with two orphaned kids.  To complicate matters, armed bandits are after a payload that the US Marshal hero is trying to protect. For a short story, this has a nice dose of western action that make this reader happy. Readers who enjoy survival stories will appreciate this. I also liked the 'don't judge a book by the cover' theme of this novel.  The heroine comes from a rich family and she seems like she might be spoiled and unlikable, but she shows a generous, some resourcefulness that definitely helps in their situation, a good heart and a strong spirit from the beginning. I liked seeing her bond with the children, and I liked the way their romance unfolded.  This one was also four stars, although I liked the Carol Finch story more.

Overall, a good Christmas short story historical romance collection with good western stories and good writing.  It was actually a quick read once I was able to focus my attention on the stories.

I did the math and this comes out to be about a 3.8/5.0 star rating but it's Christmas, so I will round it up to four stars.



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The Trapper by Jenna Kernan
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

The Tracker was an excellent western historical romance that delivers a great story, a passionate romance with intensity and emotional connection between its characters, and exciting adventure. This is my fourth book by Jenna Kernan, and she hasn't let me down yet. She takes me back to the 19th century, when the American West was still young, and where a man or a woman proves his or her mettle against the unforgiving wilderness, and the dark heart of humanity of all colors and creeds.

What stands out in this romance was its hero, Troy. Troy Price is a man of mixed blood. His mother was of the proud Cherokee people, one of the five civilized tribes. They lived next to whites and held similar beliefs, but when gold is found in the ground beneath their land, they were uprooted and forced on the Trail of Tears. Even though Troy's father was a white man (Irish), he was deemed not good enough for his young lover, Rachel. Since the tragic end of their love affair, Troy has sworn to stay away from white women. He couldn't bear being rejected again, or causing the despair that loving an Indian would bring to her. I loved Troy, for the man he was. He was a mover and a shaker, and a man of deep integrity. I loved his ability to survive in the wild, and his way of looking deep inside a person and seeing not who they seemed to be, but who they were at their heart. Many times, I told Eleanor if she thought she wasn't good enough for Troy, I'd be happy to take him off her hands! Troy was definitely my kind of hero!

When he shows up at the docks to pick up his latest group of scientists for a tour up the Yellowstone, he sees a beautiful, elegant white lady who is the only one of the group to survive a Cholera outbreak. He refuses to take her, until she questions his honor. No man likes having his honor questioned. And for a half-breed with little to his name, his honor is his prized possession. He reluctantly takes on the redheaded greenhorn, who knows about as much about surviving in the wilderness as he does of navigating the ballrooms and parlors of Boston. Troy is convinced that Eleanor Hart will come to her senses when she gets a small taste of frontier life, but she proves to have more mettle than he expected.

Eleanor comes off as being very ignorant and closed-minded. She has lived in a smaller world than she realized, raised by bigots and social snobs who know only about power and status. Her parents' loveless marriage and procession of lovers is the model for what she can expect for the marriage she agreed to contract in exchange for this trip out West to paint wildlife. She really doesn't want that future, but how can she go back on her word? I never disliked Eleanor, who Troy calls Lena, even though she makes some very thoughtless, prejudiced comments to Troy, pouring salt into his wounds about being treated like less than a man because of his Cherokee blood. I could see she wasn't a bad person, just a person who had no real understanding of what makes a man or woman honorable or worthwhile. It's not race or heritage, or about money or status. It's about integrity and grit. This trip shows her exactly what she needs to learn. She did frustrate me as she continued to hold on to her ideas about the rightness of the society she was raised in. However, I could see that Troy and this trip out West had awakened the woman she was meant to be, and I cheered her on.

This novel touched me on an emotional level, and I also loved the action and adventure as Troy and Lena face life in the wilderness. The ending had me on the edge of my seat, and I hoped that Troy and Lena would fight for each other, and the life they could have together. I knew that being together on their own terms (not society's) was the right choice for both, but they had to come to that conclusion for themselves. And Kernan doesn't take it easy on the reader as you see just how painful that choice will be for Lena (and in ways I didn't imagine initially).

Because this book gave me pretty much what I wanted in a book when I read it, I am rating it 4.5/5.0 stars.

Recommended Casting:

Rachelle Lefevre as Eleanor 'Lena' Hart




Joe Lando as Troy Price



Recommended to western historical romance lovers



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Nightsong by Carolyn Davidson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Nightsong has languished on my tbr pile for years. I started it but put it down because I wasn't been in a mood to finish it at the time.  Yesterday, I felt this strong urge to read a western. Those urges come on me, and I felt it best to indulge.  My eyes fell on it tucked into the large bookshelf in my room, and I started reading it again.  It was the right book for my present mood.

Nightsong has that feel that I enjoy in a historical western.  Strong people living their lives, facing adversities, and adhering to their personal sense of honor.  Debra is a woman of two worlds:  her mother was Indian and her father was white. Both worlds have rejected her to some extent.  As a result, Debra has found her own world to live in. When hard-eyed Ethan Tyler comes along, determined to live with her at her homestead, she doesn't like the idea, but she can't make him leave.  Before she knows it, they are married.  And she falls in love with her husband, a man with torment and dark memories in his eyes.  Before they can found a future, Ethan has to face his past. He is a fugitive, having killed the man who killed his wife and young son, and a bounty hunter has come to take him back.  Honor dictates that Ethan go back and prove he was right to kill that man.  Will this man she has come to love as her husband return to her, or will she be forced go back to living alone, on the edge of two worlds?

I liked the steady narrative, which was light on dialogue and heavy on description. Admittedly, this doesn't always work for me, but it did for this book at this moment in time and space.  It showed rather than told who Debra and Ethan were.  They are characters in which actions speak louder than words, so it was fitting.  Through their interaction in the world around them, with each other, and with other pivotal characters.  (view spoiler)[ I especially liked Gray Wolf, Debra's brother who shows up. I wonder if he had a story. I'd read it.  (hide spoiler)]

It's an interesting thing how much reading depends on mood, at least for me.  At times, this sort of book wouldn't be what I wanted to read. Other times, like yesterday, it was what the doctor ordered. It satisfied my craving for a western, and left me wanting more.  That's why I gave it four stars.



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Texas Rain by Jodi Thomas

Texas Rain by Jodi Thomas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Jodi Thomas has done it again for me. I love how she can write such a genuine story that draws me in each time. I didn't think she could top the Wife Lottery Series, but I have to say I will probably have to eat my words. There is only one Carter McKoy for me, but Travis, now he certainly earns a place on my hero shelf. I enjoyed the complexity to Rainey's character. She wasn't unrealistically goody-goody or innocent. She made some decisions that weren't always highly ethical or selfless, although she is definitely a person of both strong morals and generosity. She led Travis a merry chase, however I can see why. I loved that Travis understood Rainey's issues and gave her what she needed to feel safe as a wife. While I was shouting, "Marry him already!", I could also understand why she was afraid/reluctant to do so. I think that even to this day, women do have to think long and hard about who they choose to marry, and moreso back in this time period where women had little rights or independence in a world that seemed to be wired for men. I like the way Ms. Thomas deals with these issues, not in a preachy way, but very matter of fact. She writes about several women who are in different situations, but all have to operate in a world that is dominated and controlled by men. With Rainey, the reader is able to examine that dynamic of a woman juggling the love of a man with a need for her own independence and control over her life, and I was able to empathize with and respect Rainey and root for her to gain both things in her life.

Equally complex was Travis. He's that tough, capable western hero that I love to bits, but he also has vulnerabilities, not in the least as a man of mixed heritage, with an Apache heritage that is written on his features in a society where Indians are the enemy and hated and feared equally. Also, he faces a life-changing injury, which requires him to look seriously at what his identity is as a person. Will he be happy and productive if he can no longer work as a Ranger? What's left for him if that is gone? I liked that Travis fell hard for Rainey and he had to deal with his sense of awkwardness in how to pursue her and romance her as a man who never thought he'd marry and start a family. Would he be happy with a friendship with his 'fairy woman' or would he be satisfied with nothing less than her as his wife? He couldn't have been more appealing to me.

I also liked how Ms. Thomas handled the issue of slavery. When I saw that this was set in 1854, I sighed. I really, really hate dealing with the slavery issue in historical romances. I'm black, so when I read these books, I think about how it must have been for black people to be slaves in this part of American history, and when I think about this, it makes it harder to enjoy the romance part of the book. In this case, Ms. Thomas managed to keep my conscience happy with those aspects of the book, and was able to keep that from detracting from the story, and it was realistic how she dealt with Mamie's situation.

Can I say how much I adored little Duck? What a sweet little boy. I just wanted to hug him. And Travis was such a good adoptive father to the orphaned, traumatized little boy. Nothing more sigh-worthy to this reader than a tough hero who is good with kids! Travis' relationship with Duck brought another layer of fantastic to this book, which was already pretty darn fantastic to begin with.

What can I say? Jodi Thomas has it when it comes to writing romance. She doesn't rely on a lot of bells and whistles. She brings simple to an art form. She just has what's needed: intriguing, lovable, relatable characters, an interesting storyline, great dialogue, and excellent western world-building and action that makes this Western-lover a happy camper.

I can't give this book less than five stars. That just wouldn't be right! Highly recommended!




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Sierra Bride by Jenna Kernan

Sierra Bride by Jenna Kernan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I liked this book a lot. It’s different from the other two books by Ms. Kernan that I have read and enjoyed, but that’s good. I like to see an author doing different things and mixing it up. One thing that was similar, and the most important thing, is Ms. Kernan’s ability to write a story that engages me, and her penchant for troubled characters falling in love with each other.

My thoughts:
• Sam was a sexy guy. He had charisma. I loved that Sam built himself from the ground up, from a very troubled past. He did something to survive that really tortured him, and made him feel unworthy of love. He wasn’t always the most honorable guy in the way he interacted with Kate, but he still showed her a lot of TLC, which counts for more in my book. Normally, I don’t like mistress storylines very much. Sam didn’t have honest intentions towards Kate initially, which bothered me. He saw the fire in her and thought she was sexy, so he wanted to get her into his bed. He didn’t really think about that being the last thing a woman who was trying to stay respectable would need. That struck me as being a little selfish of him (although he was more than willing to provide for her material needs), which made me unhappy with Sam. However, it was clear that there was a powerful attraction between Sam and Kate, and that had me interested. As I continued to read, I could see why Sam avoided marriage. He had two reasons: fear of commitment because of being rejected by the family who adopted his brother but left him because he was older, and also because of his feelings of unworthiness as a person. Ms. Kernan did a good job of showing that Sam was a down-to-earth guy, who might not have had a formal education, but he was smart and motivated. Who could ask for anything more in a hero? Although he was a rich man with access to anything he wanted, he was still an earthy man, which was very appealing! And he lacked the one thing he truly needed, the love and devotion of a good woman.
• Kate was tough, a survivor. She was also giving and self-sacrificing. She had scars from the loss of her family, and the fact that she felt responsible for her sister being blind. Also, from her marriage to a controlling, bullying man who used her for his own gain, and destroyed her reputation with his swindling ways. She was happy to be free and independent again, even if it made for long days and uncertain finances. She saves Sam’s life, and for her thanks, she gets pursued by him to be his mistress. At first, Kate says no, but her aunt will lose her house if she doesn’t go through with it. In any case, a temporary mistress stint would allow her freedom that being trapped in marriage had denied her the first time around. Although she agreed to be Sam’s mistress because of the financial necessity her family faced, she liked him and was very attracted to him. I like that Kate stood by Sam, even after finding out his terrible secret, and when he’s in danger from his competitors. She actually ends up saving Sam’s life twice. What a woman!
• The chemistry between Kate and Sam was hot. The love scenes were very passionate and fiery! I like how Sam was patient about Kate’s fears of intimacy, and cared about her pleasure, which wasn’t the case with her loser, deceased husband.
• Sam and Kate were both sweeties. I also liked Sam’s best friend, Cole. Sam and Cole’s friendship survived some truly horrible events, which is great, since we all need friends who will stand by us thick and thin.
• I must add that I liked the action/adventure elements very much. What’s a good western without one shootout? And the flood was a nice bonus. Another area in which Ms. Kernan excels.

Although I thought I would like this book, just based on my past experience reading Jenna Kernan, it was also a surprise that I found so many hidden depths to this story and our hero. Sam is one of those tough guys that I feel is just begging to be hugged, even if he doesn’t know it



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Allie's Moon by Alexis Harrington

Allie's Moon by Alexis Harrington

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Allie’s Moon is a love story with two lonely people who carry heavy weights on their hearts from the past. Althea Ford had been told for most of her life that she was responsible for her mother’s death. She focused her existence on making amends for her lapse by taking care of her father through his long illness, and her sister who has emotional problems and ‘fits’. She sees no other life for herself other than the narrow, lonely one she inhabits.

For the past two years, Jeff Hicks has drowned his past anguish in whiskey, becoming a homeless alcoholic, when he was once sheriff. He doesn’t think of the future, only the present. When he’s arrested for stealing an egg, his friend Will, who took over as sheriff, arranges for Jeff to work on Althea’s farm for a month, doing odd jobs that she needs a handyman for. Jeff doesn’t want to spend a month in jail, so he agrees to working on Althea’s farm.

The best part of this story was how these two sad people find peace and solace in each other. It was good to see Jeff stop drinking and heal from the pain of knowing he killed a boy. Even though it was in self-defense, he could never forgive himself. Although not as much time was spent on dealing with Jeff’s alcoholism, I believe Ms. Harrington made an effort for that to be realistic. Allie, as he starts to call Althea, gives him a reason to get through the day, purpose, and joy in anticipating every moment with her. In essence, she is a very good and positive substitute for alcohol, giving him the succor he needed, and helping him get his life back on track. That made his ability to kick his alcohol dependence so smoothly feel more realistic for me. Allie felt as though she deserved nothing more than to be a dogsbody to her sister to pay her penance for her mother’s suicide. But Ben sees the sweet, beautiful, loving woman she is under all her starch and propriety, and he wishes he was good enough for her, wanting to share the heart he thought was dead and incapable of feeling with her. At first glance, Allie does feel that the downtrodden, dirty alcoholic had something about him that draws her eye. When she sees the man he is after he gets cleaned up and finds purpose and peace working on her farm, it doesn’t take very long for her to become attracted to and to fall in love with Jeff. She realizes that he is an honorable, gentle, loving man, and wishes that he could be her happy ending, although she can’t see a future outside of her duty to her sister.

The worst part of this book was Allie’s horrible sister. She was such a mean, self-absorbed, evil person. She treated her sister terribly, manipulating and taking advantage of the kind woman that Allie was. I think the depths of her ugliness kept this from being a higher rated book for me. Olivia’s antics were too much for me, I think. I didn’t feel fully satisfied with the book after what she put Jeff and Allie through before it was over. I feel like she worked them over a little too easily, even though Jeff was onto her early on in the book. The fact that she was willing to let a man hang for something he was innocent of put a bad taste in my mouth . I do regret that this was enough to knock this book from five stars to four, but it just affected my enjoyment too much.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. I read it in one day, which says a lot. Allie and Jeff are two characters that I wanted to find peace and happiness. They both deserved to be loved. I appreciate that Ms. Harrington gave us characters who had a lot of anguish and issues to deal with, giving them a happy ending together. Those are my favorite kinds of romance stories. I haven’t been reading many western romances lately, which is a shame, since they are favorites of mine. This is my third book that I’ve read by her, and I can say that Alexis Harrington is one to reach for when a western romance fan wants a emotional read.




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The Tender Texan by Jodi Thomas

The Tender Texan by Jodi Thomas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


If you enjoy an old school western romance, this is a book you will like. The Tender Texan has both a hero and heroine who are survivors. They both have suffered tragedy and turmoil in their short lives. I absolutely adored Chance. He is a true, tough, fierce Texan, but he was also so loving and caring towards Anna. Jodi Thomas knows how to write absolutely scrumptious heroes--both incredibly loving and tender, but also formidable western heroes who know how to handle themselves and to take care of their women.

Chance has moved up near the top of my list. He's probably #3 now, #1 being Carter from The Texan's Wager, and #2 being Winter McQuillen from Two Texas Hearts. Chance lost his family in a renegade Indian attack, all except for his infant sister. His goal has been to make enough money to pay for the care of his sister. When Anna Meyer approaches his cattle campsite and asks for a man who is willing to marry her for a year, he offers himself, even though he's only nineteen years old. That's the kind of man Chance is. He might be young in years, but he's a fully grown man who knows how to handle himself and take care of his own, and he does that and more for Anna. Chance falls hard and soon for Anna, despite the fact that he's spent more time around cattle than women. He dreams of making love with his wife, making her his first and only woman, but he has to get past the wall around her heart first.

Anna frustrated me terribly at times. I did understand her issues, having been raped by her husband, and taken advantage and mentally/verbally abused by her mother. Yet, she wasn't able or willing to give Chance the opportunity to prove that he would be a good husband that she could love. The frustration I felt towards her couldn't be a mere fraction of what Chance felt. She craved his closeness, and was attracted to him, but her past had showed that a man couldn't give her anything but pain and humiliation, and that she was foolish to trust anyone or learn to depend on them. It was sad to read, because they both deserved better. Although Chance was the kind of man no one took for granted, because he was more than able to take care of himself; he had nothing on Anna. She is incredibly stubborn. I think that's a good thing. She couldn't have survived the tribulations she went through otherwise. Anna's not going to be a meek wife. She'll keep Chance on his toes. But, it's more than clear that he wants no other woman than her.

Although there isn't quite as much action in this story as some of Jodi Thomas' books, the depictions of the harsh journey that the German immigrants (including Anna) have to take from the Gulf Coast to their lands in New Braunfels are full of dangers--mainly from sickness and disease. I was actually glad that there wasn't a lot of Settler-Indian conflict in this book--that just breaks my heart. I liked that Ms. Thomas made it clear that not all Indians were violent towards the settlers. Chance has an issue with an Indian that killed his family, but he's not out to kill them all--he's actually friendly with various groups.

I like how Jodi Thomas shows humanity in all its forms. Her down-to-earth way of writing characters really speaks to me. I like her humor, a welcome counterpoint to the inherent danger and sadness of a life on the frontier.

It was good to immerse myself back into another fantastic romance by a dependably wonderful writer in the western romance genre. Definitely recommended.

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Against the Rules by Linda Howard

Against the Rules by Linda Howard


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I can't believe I never read this book before. I really enjoyed it. I love the feel of a modern western. I'm addicted to this theme. I thought Rule was such an intense, rugged, sexy, appealing hero. He was raw and dominant, like many of Linda Howard's heroes. But he never stepped over the edge to domineering bully, for me. He had a vulnerability and a need for Cat that made my heart flutter. Cat is a heroine that I could sympathize with. She spent so many years running scared from her overwhelming attraction for Rule, a man who swooped in and took control of her father's ranch after he died. And he took control of her, stepping in as a sort of surrogate guardian. Although he feelings for her were far from avuncular. Their interlude when she was seventeen and he was in his twenties didn't strike me as wrong (although legally it is), because there was a deep connection there that seemed to spark out of control. It didn't have a sleazy, Lolita vibe for me. I think it was handled very well by Ms. Howard.

The western ranch setting appealed to me. I loved the descriptions of working on a horse-breeding ranch. But it didn't overshadow the love story, merely forming a backdrop that helped to better characterize Rule and Cat. I so wanted to be there on that ranch, as I read this story.

Cat's marriage wasn't delved into overly much, but it sounds like it was a happy one. It is nice to have a character have been happily-married, and the deceased spouse not treated as the bad guy. And the fact that she was fated to love Rule so much more didn't mean that she couldn't have loved her husband.

Rule's intense love and feelings towards Cat really won me over. There are few types of heroes that I love more than heroes in pursuit. He was really intent on getting her to stay, and somewhat ruthless in his seduction, but that was just fine with me. It makes the romance all that more thrilling for me. I love a man who goes after the woman he wants.

The reviews for this one by others are kind of low. I guess I'm in the minority here. I would actually add this to my list of faves by Linda Howard. Sometimes her alphas can be domineering brutes to me, and that makes some of her books less enjoyable. In the case of Rule, he was done so well, that his alpha and dominant nature was a highly enjoyable part of this book. It might be that Cat didn't come off as being bullied by him. She was susceptible to him, no question about it. But he was probably just as much in her thrall. Their relationship had a mutuality in the level of love and attraction they held for each other that made the alpha/possessive tendencies of Rule feel right. And Cat definitely showed some jealous/possessive tendencies towards him, as well.

The sensual elements were well-done. Something about the way the category romances that were written in the 80s that I love. The books had the chemistry and the fiery love scenes that I like, but they aren't over the top, where you wonder, are these people really in love, or they just having some explosive sex? You can feel the love in the private moments. But that's just my opinion, and you know how much opinions are worth.

I'm really glad I had the chance to finally read Against the Rules. It's worth its weight in gold for this reader. It's going on my Linda Howard keeper shelf.

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Leaving Lonely Town by Cait London

Leaving Lonely Town by Cait London


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Leaving Lonely Town is a story about taking chances and facing the past, even if that past has the power to hurt you.

Sable Barclay found out during a bloodtyping experiment in class, that her parents weren't biologically-related to her. Years later, her involvement as a forensic scientist in a case of a baby buried in a shallow grave reveals to her who her real mother might be. This trail leads to Shiloh, and the Langtrys. In It Happened at Midnight, we first meet the Langtrys, who suffer the burden of having the youngest child stolen away from them. It turns out that Sable is the long-lost Langtry child. She is full of confusion at finding out that she has a different family than she thought. She doesn't know if she can take the gift of their open hearts and arms, and offers to take her rightful place in their family. Culley Blackwolf lays down a dare for her to go spend time with her family and find out if she can do that, because he sees the way Faith Langtry's heart still bleeds for her lost child.

Culley grew up rough, and ended up going to prison for killing his mother's abusive boyfriend, although she turns her back on him after he serves his time. He spent most of his young adulthood in the beds of hardened woman and anonymous hotel rooms, until he lost his taste for that kind of life. He comes to Shiloh, Wyoming, looking for his real father, but ends up staying, and making a sort of life for himself as the Langtry's foreman. He doesn't believe that a family or the gentle love of a good woman can belong to him. But the Langtrys have his loyalty, and he'll do what he can to see Faith Langtry get some peace about her baby being stolen away twenty-eight years ago.

Sable turns out to be everything he ever wanted, but didn't think he could have. But she insists on staying at his house, filling it with womanly softness and domesticity, and laying her claim on his heart, although he insists Lonely Town is the best place for a man like him.

The painful emotions experienced by the characters in this book reached out and touched me as a reader. I loved the western setting, and the simple values of the characters. How Jacob Langtry would do just about anything to see his beloved wife Faith get some peace. I think Ms. London did an excellent job showing the aftermath of the tragedy of a loss of their child, and the ugly circumstances of that child's conception. The Langtrys suffered a serious rift in their family, but they survived and kept loving each other, continually hoping that their youngest would be returned to them. When she comes, they try so hard not to rush her or push their feelings onto her. But the warmth and love of their family wins over her wary heart.

Culley's loneliness touched me. How he thought he was a hard man and unworthy of love made me sad, especially in the light of how good a man he was. I liked that Sable was willing to take a gamble and pursue him when it became clear that he wasn't going to subject her to his unworthy presence. He was very wary, yet passionate. It was very endearing.

The secondary romance was just as good. Roark is the only son of the Langtrys, a widower who lost his wife and newborn son, and has lived in Lonely Town ever since. When Sable's best friend, Eden, a prickly, no-nonsense paleontologist, comes to town, he feels the desire to come out of his tomb and to claim her as his own. I liked seeing the courtship between Roark and Eden. Eden didn't think she had those kind of feelings towards a man, when her passion was dinosaur bones. But there was something about this persistent Western man, who wasn't going to take no for an answer. Who kisses her senseless in a bed of alfalfa between hay bales, and gives her gifts of daisies and his family's heirloom ruby ring.

This book has such a realness to the characters. Their emotions were authentic and compelling to me. The western setting is evocative, and rounds out this excellent book. There is an element of magical realism, as Cleopatra Langtry's spirit watches over her descendants, helping them to find their greatest needs and desires.

Cait London did a great job of showing how complicated families are, with the good and the bad. How a bad mother can manage to raise a good son, in the case of Culley, and how parents don't always love fairly, in the case of Eden, who's lived in her brother Piers's shadow, and in fear of him destroying what she loves. How adopted parents can love just as much, and mean just as much as birth parents, yet it's not necessary to chose one over the other. And most of all, how love and hope never die, when a child is taken from a mother and father.

This was a very touching read. Recommended.

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Runaway Ranch by Cynthia Sterling

Runaway Ranch: Titled Texans by Cynthia Sterling


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Runaway Ranch was one of those books that I had no trouble reading and enjoying at all. I started it, and I got sucked right in. There's nothing particularly standout about this story. But it succeeded in being an enjoyable read when I needed one. I especially love the British Hero in the Wild West theme. And Camden is definitely that, but also a clergyman. I liked that he had a sense of honor that caused him to accept responsibility for something that he was not at all guilty of. He could have walked away from pregnant with no husband in sight Caroline, and felt not a moment's remorse. Instead, he allowed her father to think he was the father, and married her. Marrying Caroline ended up being a complication that this young vicar didn't need. He had basically been sent away from England in disgrace because of his involvement in a miner and landowner dispute, and the landowner happened to be his patron. His father, the Earl of Devonshire, was less than impressed with him, and gaining an appointment as a clergyman in Houston was his chance to redeem himself. Instead, he ended married to a pregnant girl, and working for free as a cowpuncher. But the best blessings come in disguise. Unfortunately, he will find himself in another sticky situation when tensions arise between the cowboys and the landowners. Cam was a good guy. He really wanted to do the right thing, but he also had human needs and desires. Caroline chose very wisely when she picked him as her husband.

Caroline didn't speak up when her father assumed the man who was sleeping in his barn was her baby's father, nor when he forces the very attractive young Englishman to marry her at gunpoint. But she couldn't. She had messed up big time, and something inside of her urged her to take hold of this man, as a chance to make things right. Despite these large errors in judgment, and that of chasing after and getting pregnant by an outlaw, Caroline was very likeable. In fact, her flaws made her relatable and human. She really did want what was best for Cam, and felt bad for putting a wrench in his plans. She knew that an earl's son was way too high above her reach, and was ready to let him go, until she fell in love with him. But when it's clear that she's really not the ideal bride for Cam, is she willing to let him go? She shows that she is more than willing to make a sacrifice of love, both for Cam, and her baby.

Runaway Ranch reminds me of my love of westerns. I love the setting, the plot elements, and the conventions of a western historical romance. I think there's a cowgirl living inside of me somewhere, despite growing up in the suburbs. And this book rekindles that excitement to read books in this setting. And the icing on the cake is the Englishman in the Old West. This makes a very pleasant read for me.

I loved the secondary love story between Caroline's uncle Bill, and the new schoolteacher, Estelle, who's hiding a scarlet past. This part really touched me because of the plight that this woman faced in her past, and how she tried to put it behind her, but some people are not eager to forget such things. I liked that Bill loved her for who she was, and she felt the same way for him. Love is accepting a person for who they are, and not holding their past against them.

This story has characters that I got involved with, and cared about. Not only that, it has a good message. We all make mistakes, but we can take measures to make better decisions in the future. Also, our mistakes serve a purpose. We grow from them, and they open doors to opportunities that we never considered that we might have in our lives.

I'm quite sure that the stickler will raise an eyebrow or two at the title errors that were made. Camden, who is the third son of an Earl, is called Lord Worthington. His proper form of address would be Lord Camden Worthington. As his wife, Caroline would be called Lady Camden. But that's nothing to throw the book across the room for, in my opinion. Also, the suspense plot is somewhat embryonic, involving a mentally unstable character from back East, who has designs on Carolyn's baby. But I liked the relationship between Cam and Caroline, and the side love story so much, this didn't really bother me.

For the enjoyable hours I spent reading this book, and the gems of wisdom it provided, I'd give it four stars. I'd recommend it, if you want a very readable western romance with an adorable hero and a sweet heroine.

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Mountain Wild by Stacey Kayne

Mountain Wild by Stacey Kayne

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest addition to the Wild series by an author who has definitely impressed me in the historical western romance genre. I can heartily say that Garret grew up to be a wonderful man. Not only is he devastatingly gorgeous, he is strong, intelligent, and independent, but despite having a divorce under his belt, when it comes down to it, he's not afraid to give his heart.



It's clear that growing up with an unusual and strong sister like Skylar really had an effect on him, for he can easily admire the strength and the unique appeal of a woman like Maggie. Even when he sees her at her worst, smelling from her bear coat, with tangled hair, about to kill a man, he still steps in to protect her. His generosity is rewarded, because his life is later saved by her, and he finds the love of his life.



This book was rather like Beauty and the Beast with the genders reversed. In this case, Mad Mag, as she is called, is the Beast. In reality, she is a beautiful woman who has been forced by circumstances to live her life in the mountains, away from most humans, due to a nefarious brother who tries to kill her at the age of thirteen. When mountain man Ira Dawkins steps in to buy her for six beaver pelts, she gets the opportunity to survive that she takes full advantage of.



Maggie is just as admirable as Garret. She has her reasons for hating most people. After all, her brother tried to kill her for her inheritance, and any time she ventures out of her mountains, she is ridiculed and poorly treated by the townsfolk. Despite that, she still takes in Garret when he is left for dead during a blizzard.



That is where the Beauty and the Beast allegory comes in. Garret spends days snowbound with Mad Mag, only she is incredibly beautiful and sweet-smelling. At first, he doesn't even know it's her. Poor Garret falls head over heels, despite his spoiled wife having cut out on him after eight months of marriage and still having a wary heart from that.



I really appreciated how willing Garret was to love Maggie, despite the obstacles in their way. He looks past what her reputation is to the sweet, kind woman she is. Maggie is survivor and is used to having no one stand up for her, so possessing Garret's devotion is a wondrous thing. She doesn't know quite what to make of it.



In addition to having Maggie be the mountain woman, instead of the hero being the mountain man, Ms. Kayne also did things a little differently in that Maggie is the skittish one in this story. She has no faith in human nature, probably for good reason. The only person who was ever nice to her was Ira, and at the same time, he kept her at arm's length as well. She's lived in the mountains so long, she just wants to escape back, although Garret is an almost irresistible allure. She is attracted to him physically and emotionally, and really surprised that he could want her as well. Garret tries very hard not to pressure his "Magpie" so she won't run away back to the mountains. When he is brutally assaulted again, he gets the opportunity to woo her as she nurses him back to health.



I really do appreciate Ms. Kayne's writing. Each book in this series has been different. It's hard to say which is my favorite, because they are all so good. But it's easy to say that Garret is my favorite hero in this series. He's neither alpha nor beta, but a divine mix of the two. He's fearless in giving his heart despite having had it broken. He's also fearless in protecting the woman he's come to love, but at the same time very gentle, kind and understanding with her.



Again, Ms. Kayne really hits pay dirt with the excellent mix of romance and western action. Pick this one up if you want to read a really good western.


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