Review: Chasing the Sun

Chasing the Sun
Kaki Warner
Western Historical Romance
New Mexico Territory/1873
Blood Rose trilogy/Book 3
Berkley Trade/January 2011

From the back cover ~


Daisy Etheridge always yearned to sing. But along the way she fell in love, had her heart broken, and bore a child to a man who loved another. Now she has a second chance to realize her dreams. Needing to support herself and her child during her training - and with no other choice - she turns to the family of the man who abandoned her.

Jack Wilkins never wanted to work his family's ranch. He wanted to travel the world. But when he left three years ago with his childhood love, his devotion to her wasn't enough to keep her. Now, he's back to try and win her one last time - until a woman from his past appears... with a baby who has eyes like his own.

Caught between his feelings for his old flame, his attraction to Daisy, and his new role as a father, Jack offers to marry Daisy - though she's unwilling to risk her dreams for a man whose head and heart are so prone to wanderlust. But when the ranch is threatened, and the Wilkins family is strained to its breaking point, Jack and Daisy must choose what they want out of their lives - and out of each other...

The final book of the trilogy and I'm sorry to see the end of the Wilkins brothers. It's Jack's turn to find his woman, convince her he's the one and ride off into the sunset together. Except Jack's a little confused about what he wants as well as who he wants. And his life is about to get a lot more complicated.

Daisy Etheridge is running out of time and running from the law. She has no choice but to head to New Mexico Territory and the home of the man who broke her heart. She doesn't expect to find him there so she's shocked when he shows up. Chasing the Sun is a reunited lovers story with the added bonus of a baby. Then there's the "other woman" and one sided love. Wow - that's a lot for these confused, former lovers to deal with. Deal with it they do, Daisy showing maturity and Jack, well he's working on it. He does come around and finally makes some decisions he should have made long ago.

Jack is suffering from misunderstandings and misguided love. He has been in love with Elena for years. The problem is that he's always thought it was the love a man has for a woman not the love of siblings or friends. With Daisy back in his life, he's starting to see his love for Elena in a different light. Jack is hard headed and on the outside it looks like he has close relationships with his brothers, Elena and the other residents of the ranch where he grew up. But he's not close with anyone. He's had this adventurous nature, this need to get away from the ranch. I think that's what kept him from getting too close to anyone - knowing that he would eventually leave. It's what he found when he left that has brought him back to the ranch.

Daisy and her daughter Kate make the difficult trip from San Francisco to the Wilkins' ranch in New Mexico Territory. Once there they are welcomed into the family while Jack gets over the shock of not only seeing Daisy again but finding out he's a father. Daisy was pretty good about letting Jack spend time with Kate. She didn't try to use the baby to get Jack to do what she wanted. Daisy is still in love with Jack which is unfortunate since she's aware of his feelings for Elena. It's drama central at the ranch with Elena determined to leave, Jack determined she stay and Daisy wanting to leave but wanting Jack too. Jack does man up and asked Daisy to marry him - she says No. LOL That was funny. Jack has a rep for being a ladies man but his charm wasn't working on Daisy. Jack was surprised but not deterred. In the end, they not only worked out their differences but were both able to live out their dreams.

Along with Jack, Daisy, Elena and baby Kate we also get to revisit with Brady, Jessica, Hank and Molly - heroes and heroines from the previous books. It was good to see how they were doing. Both couples had problems they were still working out while Jack and Daisy worked on their own problems. It did seem like too much was going on at times. I would have preferred there be less of everyone else and more of Jack and Daisy. What there was of them was sometimes sweet and sometimes frustrating with both being too stubborn to see one solution to their problems.

The series ended the way it started, with Brady and Jessica, now in their later years, reminiscing about their loved ones. It was a sweet, sentimental look back on the lives of everyone in the Wilkins family both by blood and by love. A nice way to wrap up the trilogy.

While this may be the end of the Blood Rose trilogy the good news is that Ms. Warner has a new series coming out. Heartbreak Creek, the first book in the Runaway Brides series is out in July. It's another western series which makes me a very happy reader. :)

Rating: B+

Books in the trilogy ~

Pieces of Sky
Open Country
Chasing the Sun