Review: Colorado Dawn

Colorado Dawn 
Kaki Warner
Historical Western Romance
Runaway Brides Series/Book 2
Berkley/January 3, 2012

After only three letters and one visit during her six-year marriage to a Scottish Cavalry Officer, Maddie Wallace decides to build a life without him. Accepting an assignment from a London periodical to photograph the West from a female perspective, she sails from England, determined to build a new life as an independent woman.
 

After injury ends his military career, Angus Wallace returns home to find his wife gone, his family decimated by fever, and himself next in line to an earldom. His new mission is clear--find his wife and sire heirs. His search takes him across an ocean and half a continent, but he finally tracks her to Heartbreak Creek, Colorado. There his biggest challenge awaits--to convince his headstrong wife to return home as his viscountess.

Amidst statehood struggles, claim jumping, and railroad disputes their passionate battle rages...until word comes that Angus has become the earl. Now they must decide between a life in the mountains of Colorado, or in the glittering ballrooms of London...and between duty and desire.

Since reading Heartbreak Creek (book 1) I've been curious about Maddie Wallace and what drove her to Colorado. We're told she is there to take pictures of the American West but why is she willing to go so far from home and who is she running from?  We find the answers and the romance in the second book of this wonderful western series.

Maddie Wallace doesn't think of herself as a quitter but a woman can only take so much rejection.  Maddie left her homeland for America after being left adrift by an absentee husband.  She felt there was no reason to stay and grabbed the opportunity to pursue her love of photography.  Maddie is enjoying her new life in Colorado, making friends and establishing a career.  Then her past comes roaring back in the form of her lost but not forgotten husband.  Immediately we see the chemistry between Maddie and Angus.  There is also tension, anger and sadness.  Maddie's conflict is well written, showing the conflict between her love of photography and her love of her husband.  She doesn't think she can have both and she's afraid Angus only wants her out of duty, not love.

Angus Wallace has come a long way, literally.  Across the Atlantic, then crossing a large part of America, all to find his wife.  But is is duty or love that drives him?  Sometimes I don't think even Angus was certain of the answer.  He takes his new role of Earl as he does everything else, seriously and with a great sense of duty.  In order to fulfill his role as Earl he needs to provide a heir, that's where the wife part comes in.  :)  Angus thinks he only needs to tell Maddie to come home and she will.  Oh, Angus, you poor fool!  Instead he finds he needs to do some serious convincing and in the convincing is reminded why he fell for Maddie in the first place.

Maddie and Angus' romance isn't the standard fare.  He's consumed with duty, she with independence.  What it all comes down to is love.  How much and how far are they're will to go for love.  There are tender moments and humorous moments that gave me hope for these two.  The thing about the romance is that Angus doesn't just fall in love again with Maddie, he also falls in love with Colorado which allows him to understand Maddie and her need to stay much better.  I really enjoyed the conflict Maddie and Angus went through between what their hearts want and what they feel obligated to do.  Warner made me believe in their final decisions rather it being the forgone conclusion.

The story isn't just about Maddie and Angus but also the good friends Maddie has made in Colorado.  They are skeptical about Angus but eventually welcome him into the fold. Declan, his wife Ed and their children, mysteriously wealthy Lucinda Hathaway and schoolteacher Prudence and her protector the Cheyenne Dog Soldier, Thomas Redstone.  I especially liked how Pru and Thomas' story evolved with more of their backstory given.  It's a sweet romance of two people who have learned to fight for everything they have and must fight for their own HEA.  A lovely secondary romance, worth the pages devoted to it's development.

With an unknown enemy causing trouble, the politics for statehood and the great big west, Colorado Dawn is more than just a romance, it's an adventure. 

Rating: A-

Runaway Brides Series ~

Heartbreak Creek
Colorado Dawn
Bride of the High Country

Review: Heartbreak Creek

Heartbreak Creek
Kaki Warner
Historical Western
Colorado/1870
Runaway Brides/Book 1
Berkley/July 5, 2011

From the back cover ~

Edwina Ladoux hoped becoming a mail-order bride would be her way out of the war- torn South and into a better life, but as soon as she arrives in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado, and meets her hulking, taciturn groom, she realizes she's made a terrible mistake.

Declan Brodie already had one flighty wife who ran off with a gambler before being killed by Indians. He's hoping this new one will be a practical, sturdy farm woman who can help with chores and corral his four rambunctious children. Instead, he gets a skinny Southern princess who doesn't even know how to cook.

Luckily, Edwina and Declan agreed on a three-month courtship period, which should give them time to get the proxy marriage annulled. Except that as the weeks pass, thoughts of annulment turn into hopes for a real marriage-until Declan's first wife returns after being held captive for the last four years. Now an honorable man must choose between duty and desire, and a woman who's never had to fight for anything must do battle for the family she's grown to love...

Many of you know how much I love a good western romance. After reading and enjoying Ms. Warner's Blood Rose trilogy, to say I was looking forward to her newest release was putting it mildly. One of my absolute favorite romance tropes is the mail-order-bride trope. If I read a blurb mentioning mail-order-bride, I'm there. For me, it's the ultimate in the romantic fantasy of trusting in fate and falling in love.

Southern belle Edwina Ladoux has lost just about everything. Her home, almost all of her family and her way of life. But she's ready to start a new life as the mail-order-bride of a man she only knows through his letters. Along with her best friend and half-sister Prudence (Pru), they head west. Edwina is a woman who can give the outward appearance of a delicate and proper lady but when she wants something she can be as stubborn as a mule! Edwina and Delcan don't make the best first impressions on each other. She thinks he's too big and too rough and he thinks she has some crazy ideas.

Declan Brodie is rough around the edges with a sweet and gentle inside. He loves his four rambunctious children and he loves his ranch. But he can't run a ranch and take care of the kids and the house too. Declan is nothing if not practical so he advertises in the Matrimonial News no less.

Honest, hard-working widower, age thirty-three, seeks sturdy English-speaking woman to help with mountain ranch and four children. Drinkers, whores, and gamblers need not apply.

How could Edwina possibly pass up a request like that? Except Ed, as Declan calls her, after first calling her Miss Priss, Declan doesn't think Ed has what it takes to take care of the children and house. He thinks she's too fragile and she can't even cook! Imagine! LOL Good think Pru is there to cook and teach Ed. Declan's impression of Ed slowly changes as he watches her take on the task of corralling his children's wild ways and learning about ranch life.

Ed and Declan were so very good together! They tease and irritate each other while they're busy checking each other out. I loved how Warner developed the romance, letting Ed and Declan discover that their first impressions only showed the surface and there was a lot more going on underneath. There's one scene where Declan realizes that he doesn't just need a wife, he needs Ed. For Ed, she not only fell in love with Declan, she also fell in love with his children which was important since the are so much a part of him. Some of the best scenes were with Ed and the children. These kids had personality and certainly added humor and emotion to the story.

The secondary characters that populate the town of Heartbreak Creek are a wonderful mix of typical small town folk and a couple of newcomers who liven the place up. Maddie Wallace and Lucinda Hathaway arrived on the same train as Ed and Pru. The four women become fast friends and share advice, experience and encouragement on their new lives. I know we'll see much more of both Maddie and Lucinda in coming books.

Ranch life isn't easy but for Declan and Ed, it's made even more difficult with a crazy man out to get revenge against Declan. Looking back, there was a lot going on in addition to Ed and Declan getting to know each other. Lots of upheaval with threats to everyone Declan cared about. Then throw in the once-thought-dead wife come back to life and damn but they had a heck of a lot to overcome. Yet, I never felt that it took away from the romance. If anything, it brought Declan and Ed closer together. There was just the right balance of romance, humor, suspense and teasing for future books.

Heartbreak Creek is a beautifully told historical western romance. We need more books like this! Thankfully, Ms. Warner has more on the way.

Rating: A

Books in this series ~

Heartbreak Creek
Colorado Dawn (January 2012)

February Reads...

February flew by - why is it that 2 to 3 less days make it seem so much shorter? This past weekend I was hoping to have a little reading marathon and finish a couple of books I had started earlier in the month. That didn't happen. Instead, Saturday was spent at Matsuri, a Japanese festival with lots of music, food and shopping. And I can't forget all the people decked out in costumes. WOW! Surprisingly, I even recognized a few! LOL Most are from video games, manga and Japanese music videos. Still, it's fun to see how much detail the cosplayers put into their costumes even when I don't know who they are. :)

On to the reading...


Audio Books

1. In The Bleak Midwinter/Julia Spencer-Fleming/Mystery/A-
2. A Fountain Filled with Blood/Julia Spencer-Fleming/Mystery/B+
3. Out of the Deep I Cry/Julia Spencer-Fleming/Mystery/B
4. To Darkness and To Death/Julia Spencer-Fleming/Mystery/B
5. All Mortal Flesh/Julia Spencer-Fleming/Mystery/B-
6. I Shall Not Want/Julia Spencer-Fleming/Mystery/A-
7. Destined for an Early Grave/Jeaniene Frost/Urban Fantasy/B+

As you can see, once I got going on Julia Spencer-Fleming's Reverend Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne series there was no stopping me! It's filled with fascinating characters in a setting that Spencer-Fleming really brings to life. The narrator, Suzanne Toren, does a wonderful job, giving each character a very distinct voice. Now I have to wait, along with everyone else, until April for the next book.

And just when I thought I'd caught up with Jeaniene Frost's Cat & Bones series, the next book comes out. This Side of the Grave was released on the 22nd so I will most likely read it instead of listening, although I do so love hearing Bones' cockney accent. :)

The Numbers

Mystery ~ 6
Urban Fantasy ~ 1

A- ~ 2
B+ ~ 2
B ~ 2
B- ~ 1

Print/Electronic Books

1. What She Needs/Anne Calhoun/Erotic Romance/A
2. Notorious Pleasures/Elizabeth Hoyt/Historical Romance/A
3. Whisper of Warning/Laura Griffin/Romantic Suspense/A-
4. Deeply, Desperately/Heather Webber/Mystery/A-
5. Animal Magnetism/Jill Shalvis/Contemporary Romance/B+
6. Nick All Night/Cheryl St. John/Contemporary Romance/B+
7. Master of the Mountain/Cherise Sinclair/Erotic Romance/B+
8. Chasing the Sun/Kaki Warner/Historical Western Romance/B+
9. Truly, Madly/Heather Webber/Mystery/B+
10. The Heat is On/Jill Shalvis/Contemporary Romance/B
11. Shadowfever/Karen Marie Moning/Urban Fantasy/C+
12. Master of the Abyss/Cherise Sinclair/Erotic Romance/C+
13. The Vampire Voss/Colleen Gleason/Historical Paranormal Romance/Review to come

The Numbers

Contemporary ~ 3
Erotic Romance ~ 3
Historical ~ 2
Mystery ~ 2
Historical Paranormal Romance ~ 1
Romantic Suspense ~ 1
Urban Fantasy ~ 1

A ~ 2
A- ~ 2
B+ ~ 5
B ~ 1
C+ ~ 2

Format

Print ~ 9
E-book ~ 4

Another good month. I kept switch the Heather Webber books back and forth between Romantic Suspense and Mystery. Whatever they're labeled - they're very good. The Anne Calhoun was a quick read (28 pages) and while I don't plan to review it, I would highly recommend it. Excellent writing with steamy, emotional scenes.

The number read was a bit lower than I'd hoped but the grades were pretty good so that evens it out right? LOL So far March is off to a good start and with some highly anticipated releases this month, it should prove to be another good one!

So how was your reading month? Anything you read that you absolutely loved and think everyone should read?

*Pictures are of the stage were the Cosplay competition took place and the winners. It was very crowded and unfortunately, I didn't get that many good shots. There were about 30 people total on stage in costumes and for most I had to ask the teen who everyone was. :)

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

Review: Open Country

Open Country
Kaki Warner
Western Historical Romance
New Mexico Territory/1871
Blood Rose Trilogy/Book 2
Berkley Trade/June 2010

From the back cover ~

Molly McFarlane is as desperate as a woman can get - even one alone on the frontier. Forced to flee with her late sister's children, she must provide for her words while outrunning the relentless trackers their vicious stepfather has set on her trail. To secure their future, she marries a badly injured man, assuming that when he dies his insurance settlement will provide all they need. But there is one small problem.

The man doesn't die.

Hank Wilkins doesn't remember the train wreck that he barely survived - and he certainly doesn't remember marrying Molly. But he takes her home to his ranch, where Molly is quickly caught up in the boisterous Wilkins family. Molly knows little about caring for children, and even less about caring for a man - especially silent, brooding types like Hank. But even as Molly and Hank discover each other, the specter of the truth of Molly's past threatens to tear them apart - and doom both her and the children she must protect. . .

Book two in Kaki Warner's Blood Rose trilogy is middle brother Hank's story. He was the strong, silent type in the first book and he's fairly quiet this time around, except when Molly gets him riled up. Then Hank can be down right talkative. Molly and Hank together get the sparks flying after a rocky start.

Molly McFarlane is thrown into a situation she's completely unprepared for. She suddenly finds herself the guardian of her recently deceased sister's children. Good thing Molly is smart and resourceful because she seems to be having a run of bad luck. After the train Molly and the children are on derails, Molly finds herself lying to survive. She tries to use logic to excuse the lie but you can tell she doesn't want to lie. She feels she has to if she and the children are to have a chance at getting away from her pursuers. Molly is use to hard work and harsh conditions. She worked with her father, a surgeon, during the war and she's seen enough blood and suffering to last a lifetime. Now she's both waiting for a stranger to die and trying to save his life.

Hank Wilkins is a decent, honest, hard working man who wakes up from nearly dying to find himself married to a women he doesn't remember. Hank has questions for Molly, and Hank's brother Brady. They give him answers and convince him that Molly is his wife. Hank has no reason to think they are lying. I felt bad for Hank because Molly and Brady are deceiving him and believing them, he tries to be a good husband and step-father. He's such a good man and didn't deserve that from his brother. Hank begins to grow suspicious when his memory starts coming back and what he's told doesn't fit with what he remembers. By this point Molly has gotten under his skin and he's fallen for her.

Molly's still hiding from her brother-in-law and the men who are after her. She heads to the Wilkins' ranch with Hank and Brady, hoping she and the children will be safe there. It's here she gets to know the Wilkins family and starts to feel like she belongs. She and Hank live as thought they are married and Molly begins to feel guilt over her deception of Hank. Some readers may not agree with what Molly did, marrying a dying man and then lying to him when he doesn't die. In her situation, I can understand and even excuse it. I do think she should have told him once she realized what a good man he was and wouldn't kick her and the children out.

The suspense of Molly's pursuers keeps the tension high and the story moving with the mystery of what exactly her brother-in-law is after and why. There is also the additional drama of Jessica (heroine from book 1) and her risky pregnancy. Molly's doctoring skills are needed and we're shown how precarious life on the frontier can be.

Hank and Molly were an engaging couple with some major obstacles to over come. They both had moments of foolishness with Brady throwing in his questionable advice. The romance was sweet and tender at times. The interactions between Hank and Molly's niece and nephew were believable and added substance to the story.

The final book of the trilogy, Chasing the Sun, is the story of the youngest Wilkins brother, Jack and his adventures. It's due for release in January. I look forward to reading Jack's story and hope Ms. Warner continues to give us these wonderful western romances.

Rating: B+

Books in Trilogy

Pieces of Sky
Open Country
Chasing the Sun

Review: Pieces of Sky

Pieces of Sky
Kaki Warner
Western Historical Romance
(New Mexico Territory/1869)
Blood Rose Trilogy/Book 1
Berkley Trade/January 2010
Library Book

From the back cover ~

On a stagecoach traveling through New Mexico Territory, Jessica Thornton is a long way from the cool mists and lush gardens of her native England. An authoress and milliner, she carries the weight of a scandalous secret-a horrible shame that has brought her to the West on a desperate search for the only family she can trust: her brother.

No one prepared Jessica for the heat and the hardships. And no one prepared her for a man like Brady Wilkins. For, despite the rancher's rough-hewn appearance and her own misgivings, Jessica must put her life in his hands after their stagecoach crashes. And she begins to see the man behind the callused hands and caustic wit. A man strong enough to carve out a home in the wilderness, brave enough to fight for his own, and passionate enough to restore her faith in herself-and in her heart.

This book got some good buzz when it first came out and since I like westerns I knew it would make it into my reading pile. At times it's a very gritty, realistic view of life on America's western frontier. Even thought it takes place shortly after the end of the American Civil War there is little influence from the aftermath of the war. It certainly would have had a different feel to it had it taken place "back east". The majority of the story is set in and around the ranch RosaRoja. This huge ranch belongs to the Wilkins family comprising of three brothers - Brady, Hank and Jack. And yes, all three will have a book, Hank's story, Open Country, is out now. But this is Brady's story. He's the oldest and the one that everyone looks up to. He takes on all the responsibilities of the ranch and the people who live there.

The story opens with Brady Wilkins and a soon-to-be dead horse. What better way to open a western than with a cowboy and his horse? I just wish the horse didn't have to die but it does give a realistic view of how harsh the west was, and still is. Brady must make his way to the nearest Overland stage stop on foot. It's there he meets an English lady complete with umbrella. Once he gets his breath back, Brady finds Jessica an oddity that fascinates him. She obviously doesn't belong in the rugged environment of the territory but here she is and Brady finds he enjoys poking at her oh so proper views of manners and behavior. She makes him laugh which is always a good start to a relationship.

Jessica Thornton is running away. She does have a destination in mind - her brother. She only has to find him which is proving to be far more difficult than she anticipated. Jessica comes from a proper, if quiet, English background. With her parents dead, her sister and her sister's children are her only family. A horrendous and devastating ordeal happens and Jessica must run. When she runs into Brady Wilkins it's another shock among many that she has had since arriving in 'the Colonies" as she refers to the United States. Jessica is a classic Englishwoman with set preconceived ideas of America and the colonials who inhabit it. What I did like was that she didn't suddenly become "Pioneer woman" and take immediately to life on the ranch. It was a learning experience for Jessica that started with Brady and continued with his brothers and ranch family. Jessica doesn't always do the right thing either but she doesn't have any major TSTL moments so that was in her favor.

Jessica and Brady together, while not the perfect couple, fit in a jagged sort of way. Neither made what I could call a stellar first impression on the other but they did that odd mating dance that so many do when opposites attract. The story takes place over many months, a year maybe, so there is time for that relationship to grow and become more than the physical attraction that each feel for the other. One main problem they had was seeing past their differences in terms of where they come from and where they belong. Brady was far from an English gentleman and Jessica, while she did well on the ranch, Brady still saw as an English lady. I liked how the author showed this side of them, the whole not thinking they will measure up to the other's expectations. That no matter what they do, it wouldn't be enough. This was more on Brady's part than Jessica's. Brady even pulled a major alpha male moment that pissed me off. Yeah, I get why he did it - he thought he was doing the right thing but still, I thought Brady should have had more faith in Jessica.

There are many hardships that both Brady and Jessica face, one in the form of an old enemy of Brady's. This part of the story was done, classic western rancher vs. outlaw. There were also Brady's two brothers that I found interesting. Hank, the middle brother is portrayed as the big, strong, silent type. Liked him a bunch and have requested his book from the library. Jack, the youngest and most volatile of the three, got on my nerves. Good thing his book is third because he has some growing up to do. I really didn't care for his immaturity and found myself wishing he would follow through with his desire to leave the ranch.

There is a secondary story line related to the old enemy that adds a bit of drama to the overall story but I'm really not sure where it's going or if it's going anywhere. What I liked most was the western feel to the story and Brady. Yep, another book where the hero made the story for me. I did like Jessica but she felt a bit faded when compared to Brady. I like that she brought out this playful side of a very serious man. You got the impression that didn't have much time to be less than serious so when Jessica came along and made him laugh, it was like seeing another side to him. But she still came off as a fairly typical Englishwoman transplanted to the American west.

Overall, a good, solid read with a wonderful hero and a love story that left me satisfied and wanting to read more from this author.

Rating: B+

Pieces of Sky
Open Country
Chasing the Sun (January 2011)