Review: A Reason to Believe

A Reason to Believe
Maureen McKade
Historical Western Romance
Texas/1868
Forrester Brothers/Book 2
Berkley/August 7, 2007

From the back cover ~

How do you pick up the pieces of a shattered life?

To escape her angry father, Dulcie McDaniel got pregnant - but lost her husband in a fatal accident. Penniless, she returned home with her little girl - only to have her world shattered once again. Lonely and filled with regrets, Dulcie struggles to provide a decent life for her daughter. Then a handsome stranger arrives...

Dulcie, usually shunned by proper folks, is suspicious of Rye Forrester, a drifter offering to work for his keep. But after he helps harvest the crops, her feelings toward the handsome stranger turn in to a consuming mutual passion. Although Rye wears the brand of an army deserter, Dulcie is thrilled to be with such a good man. But Rye has his own secrets. He can't understand why his late friend cheated on such a beautiful wife - or how he can now ask Dulcie's forgiveness for his part in her husband's death. Love is one thing - acceptance and forgiveness another. When their tragic pasts catch up with them, these two wounded souls must fight for the love that will keep them together for a lifetime...

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, A Reason to Live, and finally got around to reading Rye Forrester's story. Unfortunately, it wasn't as engaging as Creede's story. The writing was still good but the plot moved too slowly and I didn't feel that "click" of connection with the hero and the heroine.

Dulcie McDaniel is a young mother with little prospects for a happy life. Her one ray of hope is her four year old daughter, Madeline. Her father has just been buried and with her husband having been dead for months, all responsibility for the family farm falls to Dulcie. She has so much weight on her shoulders it's a wonder she could stand up. She has to get her crop in if she and her daughter have a chance of surviving the winter. I don't know what she would have done if Rye hadn't shown up and offered to help. Realistically, there was no way she could have done it by herself and there wasn't anyone else offering to help.

Rye Forrester carries a load of guilt. He's on a mission to make amends and hopefully relieve some of that guilt. On the surface he's a decent man but he has his share of ghosts. He hasn't had an easy life, growing up in an orphanage, then joining the army. I didn't get any sense of who he really was. He called himself a drifter and that's pretty much what he was. He didn't look towards the future and much of the time acted like he didn't really care what the future held for him. He was a hard worker and while he did come to care for Dulcie I couldn't help but wonder how much of that lay in the guilt he felt regarding her husband's death.

Together, Dulcie and Rye have many obstacles to overcome. In a town where most of the townfolks shun Dulcie, some thinking she little better than a whore, it's no wonder she keeps to herself. The bright spot in Dulcie's life also becomes a bright spot in Rye's life. I liked how the relationship of Rye and Dulcie also included Madeline. There was no way she could not be included and still have their love story work. Along with Madeline is another child that Rye helps. An orphan boy who was taken in by a local family out of obligation rather than compassion. Seeing how these four develop into a family was one of the better part of the book.

The difficulties continue to mount, life in rural Texas if tough but it felt like Rye and Dulcie would never get a break. Just for a second, when things are going well, BAM, they're hit with another crisis. I wish they would have had more happiness but instead it all came at the end when everything is resolved as best it could be and Rye and Dulcie create a new family. The ending came too quick and too neat after all the turmoil that preceded it.

So, I do have the next book on the tbr pile and I do want to read it, if only to see what happened to the remaining Forrester brother. I just don't think I'll be reading it anytime soon.

Rating: C+

Books in this trilogy ~

A Reason to Live
A Reason to Believe
A Reason to Sin

TBR Challenge Review: Mustang Wild

Mustang Wild
Stacey Kayne
Historical Western Romance
American West/1880
Harlequin/March 1, 2007

From the back cover ~

No smooth-talking man is going to outwit her!

With the deed to her land and a kid brother to protect, mustanger Skylar Daines shouldn't have tangled with the likes of Tucker Morgan. But his stolen kiss scatters her senses and, quicker than a whirling dust devil, they're wed!

To her relief, Tucker's keen to fix the marital slipup—and then he tells her the deed she holds belongs to him, and him alone. Maybe she shouldn't rush to have their marriage annulled. No man, no matter how good-looking, is going to swindle Skylar out of the one thing she yearns for most—a home.

This month's challenge category is westerns - either historical or contemporary. My TBR pile has plenty of westerns to choose from but they majority are from the Harlequin Historical line. I have a number of books from Stacey Kayne and decided it was about time I gave her a try. Mustang Wild is not only the first book in Kayne's Wild series, it's also her debut novel. While this is a historical, the cover looks more contemporary to me with the pearl snaps on the shirt and the jeans that look far more fashionable than an old pair of Levis.

The story begins with Skylar and her younger brother Garret looking for the man who was her father's partner instead she finds his drunken twin brother. Then before she could blink, they're married. What?! A bunch of drunks and a bet was involved and Skylar learned that she should always read what she signs. Right from the start it's obvious who the more mature, serious person is in this relationship. Skylar is nineteen but has been weighed down by a lot of responsibility early on. Now, with her father dead, she has her thirteen year old brother to take care of. Plus, she has to get her horses to Wyoming, to the home that she thinks is hers.

Tucker Morgan may be a twin but he's nothing like his brother Chance. Tucker is quick to smile, friendly, outgoing and just enjoys life. He didn't want to get married but once he gets to know his new bride, he begins to see the positive side of being married to Skylar. He also has a hard time thinking of her as just another one of the hands on the trail drive. He really seemed to enjoyed bringing out her feminine side and I liked that about him. That he took the time to see past her serious, somewhat rough exterior to the woman underneath.

The story got off to a bit of a slow start - I felt like I was ready but was left waiting for everyone else to get ready to go. It picked up once they got on the trail, heading to Wyoming. With everyone working hard to keep the horses moving and protected, you wouldn't think there would be time for romance. Tucker and Skylar managed to find some time, but still say they want an annulment. Aside from the hasty marriage, Skylar must overcome her distrust of men before she and Tucker have any chance of a HEA. She doesn't want to rely on any man, certainly not her husband but Tucker continues to prove he is there for her and she learns that all men are not alike. I was just happy she didn't suddenly fall for his pretty face.

The trail is dangerous, with the terrain and the horse thieves trying their best to stop Skylar and Tucker from making it to Wyoming. The plot was fairly typical of a western. I wasn't surprised by any twists or turns the story took, rather, I found myself along for the ride, knowing where I would end up. I'd say Mustang Wild was a pleasing read with a strong heroine, a likable hero and a couple secondary characters waiting in the wings for their stories to be told.

Rating: B

Books in this series ~

Mustang Wild
Maverick Wild
Mountain Wild

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