Audio Review: Red Country

Red Country
Joe Abercrombie
Narrator: Steven Pacey
Fantasy/Western
The First Law World
Orbit/October 18, 2012

They burned her home.
They stole her brother and sister.
But vengeance is following. 

Shy South hoped to bury her bloody past and ride away smiling, but she'll have to sharpen up some bad old ways to get her family back, and she's not a woman to flinch from what needs doing. She sets off in pursuit with only a pair of oxen and her cowardly old step father Lamb for company. But it turns out Lamb's buried a bloody past of his own. And out in the lawless Far Country the past never stays buried.

Their journey will take them across the barren plains to a frontier town gripped by gold fever, through feud, duel and massacre, high into the unmapped mountains to a reckoning with the Ghosts. Even worse, it will force them into an alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, and his feckless lawyer Temple, two men no one should ever have to trust...

Brilliant!  This was such a treasure to listen to.  Not only did Abercrombie do an amazing job creating a world of fantasy woven into a western-like setting but Pacey's narration truly brought it to life.

It it not necessary to have read the previous books set in the First Law World.  Red Country is written as a stand alone but it did make me want to grab up those previous books in the First Law World and discover how some of the characters fared in earlier installments.

The world Shy South lives in is a harsh world filled with hard work, numerous responsibilities and little enjoyment.  But Shy carries on with her life, if not truly happy, then perhaps nearly content.  All of that is about to change when her siblings are kidnapped.  We see how both Shy and Lamb shed their current roles as farmers and become hunters and killers. It is a violent world they journey into, as they reach back into their pasts to cope with the present.

The story is filled with a host of secondary characters who don't like being kept in the background.  As the plot progresses, an ensemble cast quickly forms to join with Shy and Lamb on their journey.   Abercrombie took the time to develop the secondary characters to give them not only backgrounds but make them standout in their own ways.  From the most powerful to the youngest, the characters' emotions and actions show how some of them must change and grow along with the story in order to survive.  While other characters remain the same to the last, staying true to how they have been portrayed.

The characters are not the only ones who are well developed.  The places Shy, Lamb and the others travel to are brought to life in Abercrombie's vivid descriptions of not just the buildings and harsh environments but the smells and sounds.  Those descriptions help the reader understand what the characters are feeling and thinking when they encounter these uncivilized settlements.  

Red Country is a magnificent blend of action and adventure.  The fight scenes are beautifully startling in their brutality.  But it is the characters that are the driving force in this adventure.  They pull you in and make you, if not like them, then at the very least earn your grudging respect.

Hat's off to Abercrombie for creating these fascinating characters and Pacey for giving them their voices!

Rating: A+

TBR Challenge Review: Mail-Order Bride

Mail-Order Bride
Maureen McKade
Historical Romance/Western
Avon/January 5, 2000

A MATCH

Kate Murphy arrives in the Rocky Mountain mining town as a mail-order bride— just in time to discover she's a widow before she's a wife. Looking to earn the stagecoach fare out of this dangerous town, Kate never expects the true peril to come in the tantalizing form of Trev Trevelyan. 

MADE IN HEAVEN

The handsome mine superintendent desperately needs someone to care for his two young, motherless children, and Kate is delighted to take the job. But first the children capture her heart...and then the leaping attraction between sweet Kate and the smolderingly handsome Trev is too powerful to deny. Although Kate longs for the safety of his arms, will she ever be able to accept the danger of his life?

This month's suggested theme is Westerns and boy do I love a western! I had plenty to choose from and decided to go with one of my favorite tropes - the mail-order bride.  I've read a couple of books from this author so I was curious to see how well she could make me believe in the mail-order bride romance.

A mining town is a dangerous place, not only for miners but for single women. Kate Murphy doesn't plan to stay single long, she just needs to find her fiancé. When Kate learns her intended has just been killed in a mine accident she is desperate to get out of this rough town and to the nearest city, Denver.  Fate places Kate in the path of Trev Trevelyan and she is hired to care for his children.  It's funny because Kate has no experience but Trev doesn't have a lot of options so he trusts Kate. I think her looks helped her get the job if only on a subconscious level since Trev definitely noticed Kate's looks.  I did like Kate's tenacity that was balanced with her ignorance of mining and the culture of the mining town.

Trev Trevelyan is a very busy mining supervisor, putting in long hours with little time for his children.  The time he does spend with them, he cherishes which made me like him.  He did come across as very driven to succeed at all costs.  This was due to him growing up the very poor son of a miner in Cornwall.  If it hadn't been for his relationships with his children he would have felt distant, a character with little warmth.  Eventually that warmth was shown towards Kate but the convenience factor did play a role in their romance.  Kate was there in Trev's home with no other respectable options for earning money.  They did make time to talk and get to know each other but it felt contrived.

The town itself, the mine in particular, play an important role in Kate and Trev's romance.  Trev being the superintendent for a number of mines has his future tied to the wealth and future of the mines.  Kate doesn't like the danger of the mines or the violence that springs up with the miners and talk of unions. The tension between Kate and Trev is fueled by the drama surrounding the mines.  Even with that drama, the plot moved fairly slowly and predictably.  The antagonists were obvious, even the one(s) who were not suppose to be.  The romance too was predictable with Kate determined to leave and Trev wanting Kate to stay and take care of his children and him as well.  Kate was portrayed as an independent woman wanting to make her own way but this was after her fiancé died which didn't fit with a mail-order bride scenario.  

Mail-Order Bride might be suffering from predictability but that won't keep me from trying more western romances from this author. 

Rating: C

Review: Fall From Grace

Fall From Grace
Megan Chance
Historical Romance/Western
Texas/1876
Harper/February 1997

Lily loses her childhood the day the Sharpe gang murders her parents and "adopted" her. They brought her into their world, and taught her who to be ruthless and smart.

Soon, Lily the Cat is wanted by the law. But, in the act of revenge she has planned for twelve years, Lily betrays the outlaws. And then she deceived Texas Sharpe, reluctant heir to the notorious gang--the man who loved her, married her, and defied his father for her. But although he desired her like no other, she used him - and his love.

And he was about to show Lily just how ruthless a man betrayed could be...

Well this is certainly a different romance! In fact, the romance is subdued with Lily and Texas at odds and each others throats for a great deal of the time. Their life of crime not only brought them together, it's pulling them apart. Lily wants more but Texas doesn't want to give her up. Even if he wanted to he can't, his father has ordered Texas to bring Lily back and Texas won't go against his father.

Lily Sharpe's life changed dramatically when she was twelve. She went from a child with two parents who loved her to a tenuous existence in a gang of killers and thieves. Her one goal became to survive. Which she did, integrating herself into the gang and becoming a well known thief herself. Lily is such a unique heroine. She has become cold, calculating and ruthless at times. She knows she is all those things and while she doesn't necessarily like it, her reality is such that she needs to be those things to survive. I liked Lily for what she had survived but she has a cold side to her and the empathy I thought I should/would feel for her wasn't always there.

Texas Sharpe has a code of conduct he tries to follow. He doesn't always succeed and that success often depends on the action of others. Texas doesn't like to kill but he will when necessary. He will kill for the gang and for survival. He's not a cold blooded killer but he does use his upbringing to justify his actions. It can be hard to see Texas as a hero. He's a criminal, a killer and yet the author shows the reader why Texas makes the choices he does. He doesn't see a way out so he makes the best of the situation he's in. He's still nowhere near what I would consider an ideal hero but he did prove to be interesting if only to find out what he will do next with Lily and the problems she creates.

The story is dark with Lily and Texas at turns filled with love and mistrust of each other. The complexity of their relationship makes it hard to believe they could have a strong and loving marriage while still in the gang. There is just too much to overcome, with Lily's relationship with Hank Sharpe, Texas' father, being a huge obstacle. Lily hates Hank but part of her wants to be loved by him. The little girl who watched her mother gunned down is desperate to be loved again. For me, I merely waited and hoped Hank would be killed.

Chance is a skilled writer, giving the reader a distinct feel for the old west and the outlaw lifestyle. It's not pretty but brutal and grim with very little light except for the odd camaraderie these outlaws have for each other. Odd because they can not trust that they won't find a bullet in their back from one of their fellow outlaws at some point. But they still band together when they need to.

Fall From Grace isn't a light, happy romance but rather a look at survival and the cost of loving someone. It's an emotional story with some very serious situations that don't always turn out the way you would hope. Even with its unconventional characters and setting, I found it compelling in the intensity of emotions. It is a novel I think you would need to be in the right mood to truly appreciate.

Rating: B+

TBR Challenge Review: One Cowboy, One Christmas

One Cowboy, One Christmas
Kathleen Eagle
Double D Ranch/Book 2
Silhouette/December 1, 2009

From Goodreads ~

Stranded and half-frozen in a South Dakota snowstorm, bull rider Zach Beaudry reached out for help at the nearest house he could find. And the beautiful rancher-schoolteacher who answered the door was a vision. Zach thanked his lucky stars for the kindness of strangers. But to Ann Drexler, this man was no stranger.

Zach didn't seem to remember their shared night of passion all those years ago—but how could Ann forget? Seeing Zach on her doorstep was as shocking as seeing the ghost of Christmas past. And though running her family's wild mustang ranch gave Ann a thing for strays, she tried to keep her distance. Yet as Zach regained his strength and became indispensable with the horses, Ann had to wonder—was a second chance with this cowboy in her Christmas future?

The first book In Care of Sam Beaudry, which I read, was about Zach's older brother. And while the books are about brothers, the stories are set in different states so the characters may be related but the stories are written as stand alones. Both books are contemporary westerns complete with cowboys and ranch hands and at times a little heavy on the cowboy vernacular.

The life a rodeo cowboy takes it's toll on the body and for Zach Beaudry his body is about to give out, just like his truck does, leaving him stranded. This guy is banged up and in need of some tender care. In walks Ann Drexler who just happens to find the cowboy passed out on her doorstep. Ann and her sister Sally take in Zach and bring him back to life. Zach agrees to help out on the ranch in return for his truck is being fixed.

Ann and Zach have an almost immediate attraction even thought Zach isn't at his best when he shows up at Ann's home. Ann does have an advantage - she remembers Zach and the night they spent together eight years ago. Zach - no clue. They've both changed in those eight years, most notably is Ann's weight loss and increased self confidence. Zach is still himself, only older and we hope, wiser. He has slowed down his partying and given his current circumstances, that isn't going to change.

The romance is kinda sweet, kinda cute but I didn't fall into it like I had hoped. It came across as more of Ann's crush on Zach bearing fruit. I'm not sure why Zach fell for Ann. She's a nice person but would he have fallen for her if they hadn't been so isolated? Not sure. I think this is one romance that could have used more time to develop rather than the week or so that it took for Ann and Zach to fall head over heels.

Rating: C

Double D Ranch Series ~

In Care of Sam Beaudry
One Cowboy, One Christmas
Cool Hand Hank
Once a Father

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)

Review: Tyler

Tyler
C. H. Admirand
Contemporary Western Romance
Secret Life of Cowboys/Book 1
Sourcebooks/March 1, 2011

From the author's website ~

When Tyler Garahan said he'd do anything to save his family's ranch, he never thought that would include taking a job as a stripper at a local ladies' club. But the club's fiery redheaded bookkeeper captures Tyler's attention, and for her he'll swallow his pride...

Emily Langley feels for the gorgeous cowboy. It's obvious that he's the real deal and wouldn't be caught dead at a ladies' revue if he wasn't in big trouble. And when he looks at her like that, she'll do anything to help.

Working days on the ranch and nights at the ladies' club, Tyler would be plumb exhausted if he didn't suddenly discover that the club is in the same boat as his ranch, and his beautiful boss needs him as much as he needs her...

A new series about cowboys - real cowboys, not guys who wear flashy cowboy boots but wouldn't know a steer from a milking cow. Unfortunately for cowboy Tyler Garahan, he has to find work off the ranch so he and his brothers don't loose their ranch. Much of the action takes place at The Lucky Star, where Tyler must shed his clothes along with some of his pride.

Tyler is the eldest of three brothers who inherited the family ranch and run it together. As the eldest, Tyler felt it was up to him to find work to get the ranch out of the red. As it is they are barely hanging on but the money Tyler makes from stripper will go a long way in paying off the bills. He's embarrassed and doesn't tell his brothers what he really does at his night job. It's cute because he knows they will tease him to no end. Tyler is not a complicated man. He's a rancher and that's all he's ever wanted to do. I liked how he stayed steady throughout the book. He didn't suddenly become this smooth talking ladies man because of all the attention from the women he stripped for. He was still uncomfortable with his new job and happy to get off that stage when the show was over.

Emily Langley and her cousin Jolene are as close as sisters. They've come to Pleasure, Texas to run a strip club for women. Things haven't been easy for the cousins and some of the townsfolk are trying to make the women to get rid of the strippers. Em and Jolene are not about to give up. Jolene is the manager and Em is the bookkeeper plus doing anything else that needs doing. Em is a strong, independent woman who isn't afraid to go after what she wants. I was a little surprised that she was so possessive so quickly with Tyler. It was a bit over the top with how she reacted to the women wanting the hot cowboy stripping for them. I don't know what else she could have expected - Tyler was hot, all the women thought so.

Lust at first sight. That's what happens when Tyler and Em first meet. They couldn't keep their eyes off each other. It doesn't take long for them to act on that lust and for that lust to turn to something more. They fell so fast that at first it came across as unbelievable because neither seemed the one-night-stand/casual sex type. When they were out of bed the author does show Em and Tyler getting to know each other, developing more than just a physical relationship. It just felt like it was backwards with them knowing very little about each other before jumping into bed. In bed, things get hot very quickly with both Em and Tyler showing a great deal of enthusiasms for making the time they have together count!

There are outside forces at work against Em and Tyler and the club. Tyler's ex makes an appearance and stirs up trouble. It was surprising the number of barroom brawls that occurred, both with the men and women! Those Texas women do not like sharing their men! The problems with the Preservation Society also continue with attempts at shutting down any business they don't approve of, including The Lucky Star. Em and Jolene didn't take the threats very seriously, I didn't understand how they could be almost casual about threats to their business. They had sunk all of their money into the club and were barely getting by. They do band together with other business women in the town, agreeing not to back down from the threats to their livelihoods.

Tyler turned out to be a playful, sexy story about modern day cowboys and the women who are strong enough and stubborn enough to tame them. Tyler's brothers Dylan and Jesse both look like they will be heroes in upcoming releases. I didn't get much of a feel for either brother enough to know what to expect from them. It should be entertaining to see what kind of trouble they get into.

Rating: B

Books in this series ~

Tyler
Dylan (Fall 2011)

Review: Montana Glory

Montana Glory
R. C. Ryan
Contemporary Western
McCords/Book 3
Grand Central/November 2010

From the back cover ~

They're the McCords. . . three rugged, sexy cowboy cousins who'll inherit the family ranch - if they seek the treasure hidden on it. But even more precious are the women who can tame their wild hearts. . .

Single mom Riley Mason learned how to take care of herself the hard way. . . and keep an explosive secret. But her new job with the McCords has put her and her you daughter under the endless prairie sky and the protective arm of cowboy Zane McCord. The wildest of the McCord cousins, Zane lives as free as the mustangs he tames on his family's land. And even though Riley's unexpected spirit and courage tempt him in ways he never imagined, earning her trust is the hardest challenge he's ever faced. Yet, as a deadly danger from Riley's past threatens to destroy the McCords and their priceless legacy, both Riley and Zane must risk what the fear most to have a future together - and at last claim their. . . Montana Glory

Even though this is the last book in the trilogy, I had no problem following along while learning about the other two cousins, Jesse and Wyatt along with their wives. The story is centered around Riley and Zane and Riley's daughter Summer is also part of the relationship. The Lost Nugget is a working ranch, all three cousins work hard while also searching for the family hidden treasure.

Riley Mason is a recent college graduate, ready to take on the world, as long as that world is far away from Philadelphia. She's hiding out and figures the isolated Montana ranch is the perfect place to keep herself and her daughter safe. I like how Riley didn't expect a man to come to her rescue but was proactive in making a life for herself and her daughter. In fact, she didn't want to get involved with Zane and would rather focus on her new job and taking care of Summer. But this cowboy is very persuasive and doesn't believe in giving up.

Zane is like his cousins in that he loves the ranch and the working cowboy lifestyle. He didn't always live at the ranch with his cousins. When he was a child his parents moved to California taking Zane away from the wild mustangs he loved even then. But he's back and has no desire to ever leave. What he does desire is Riley. He knows pretty quickly that she's hiding something but he doesn't push, letting her learn to trust him, kind of like how he tames horses, earning their trust. He's also learning how to relate to a little girl. Zane knows next to nothing about kids but he's enchanted with Summer. Their scenes were cute without being too sugary sweet. Summer is an adorable minx who, like her mother, seemed a little too mature for her age.

As the romance grows between Riley and Zane and the past catches up to Riley, Zane becomes more protective of her and gets his alpha on. I did like how their romance developed, getting to know each other, and not excluding Summer or having her fade into the background. They made a good couple with both of them mature enough to take the relationship seriously. There was also a very strong family aspect to the story. Zane, his two cousins and their spouses, their Aunt Cora, Cal Randall the ranch foreman all live a the ranch. They take their meals together and are a very close family. Riley and Summer live at the ranch and become part of this close-knit family.

The story was moving along well until it took a sharp turn into action/suspense and I found myself wondering who these previously intelligent characters were. Without giving too much away, they made one mistake after another, that just left me shaking my head, wanting to yell at them to open their eyes because the big bad is right there in front of you! The story bordered on the unbelievable, with shootings and helicopter acrobatics. I was glad to get past those scenes and into the treasure hunt and the HEA of Zane and Riley, and Summer.

Aside from the venture into the unbelievable, Montana Glory was a solid read with sweet and sexy cowboys and a young mother who will do anything to keep her daughter safe.

Rating: B

TBR Challenge Review: The Surgeon

The Surgeon
Kate Bridges
Historical Romance/Calgary 1889
Canadian Mounties/Book 1
Harlequin/December 2003

From the back page ~

A wife shouldn't be a surprise package.

But Mountie surgeon John Calloway suddenly found himself saddled with a special delivery he hadn't signed for - mail-order bride Sarah O'Neill. He had no room in his life for marriage! But why then did he feel compelled to protect Sarah from all things dark and dangerous - including her own unspoken past?

If John Calloway didn't want her, fine! Sarah would survive - an thrive! - without him! The rugged, committed doctor dismissed his proposal as an elaborate prank. So how come the two of them kept finding themselves in each other's arms? And what would Sarah be forced to deny in order to stay there?

One of my favorite romance tropes is the mail-order bride. I don't know why, maybe it's the sense of adventure. The mystery of two people getting to know each other after promising to "love, honor & obey". I think part of the appeal is that the mail-order bride almost always heads west and I love westerns. This month's pick for the TBR Challenge is a Kate Bridges Harlequin. I had a number of Ms. Bridges titles to choose from but chose this simply because it is her first novel.

The Surgeon refers to Dr. John Calloway, a Canadian Mountie stationed at Fort Calgary, Alberta. Dr. Calloway is not just a doctor but also a policeman. He has a very black and white outlook on criminals and never forgets that he is a member of the North-West Mounted Police. John holds the admiration and respect of the men at the fort. He is also a bachelor and at 40 years old, an old bachelor. His men decide to change that with the arrival of Sara O'Neill.

Sarah O'Neill has a unique past for a women of her time. Her father was a gunsmith and a watchmaker who taught Sarah both trades. She comes to Calgary in the hopes of not only becoming a bride but finding her brother. It's with happiness that Sarah greets her intended, only to learn that he knows nothing about her. She is horrified at the turn of events and has little recourse but to find a job so she can stay in Calgary and search for her brother. After a misunderstanding and small town gossip, Sarah and John marry. Their marriage doesn't have the best beginning but they do try to make a go of it.

The reality of the marriage is that Sarah and John are strangers. They have a physical attraction and act on that attraction but they still don't know each other. Sarah wants this to be a real marriage and works towards that end. John wants that too but he doesn't change his routine or his attitude when it comes to making decisions. John was a very static character through most of the book. His harsh view of right and wrong keeps Sarah from telling him why she is searching through records and keeping secrets from him. It takes a dangerous situation to make John realize that life isn't always black and white.

The life at a fort in the Canadian wilderness is harsh and beautiful and not the life for the weak. Sarah is able to fit in through sheer tenacity. She makes a few friends and assists John with his patients. I got why John didn't trust Sarah after he discovered she was hiding something from him but he was so unbending in his views. He was attracted to her but didn't trust her which made him really grouchy! He wasn't any easy hero to like and I never really warmed up to him.

Sarah I liked and thankfully she didn't fall into that trap of relying on her man after marrying. She was still an independent woman with her own beliefs, even when they differed from John's. In some ways the story followed a predictable pattern. With John and Sarah falling in lust before love. Misunderstandings and distrust driving a wedge between them. Then a crisis that brings them together. I liked how Sarah and John worked together, even when they were at odds with each other. And the descriptions of the fort and life at outpost town were interesting and kept this from being merely an okay story.

The setting is different and the Mounties are an added bonus. I only wish I liked the hero more. He came across as too stiff and set in his ways. He was lucky to have a woman like Sarah but he took too long to appreciate her, letting his inflexible convictions stand in the way of his happiness. Still, a quick, entertaining read.

Rating: B

Review: Come Spring

Title: Come Spring
Author: Jill Marie Landis
Genre: Historical Romance/1892/Wyoming
Series: Flowers series/Book 4
Published: October 1992

Nath's Re-Read Challenge 2009

From the inside cover ~

In, 1892, lovely Bostonian Annika Storm is traveling to meet her brother in Wyoming. But her plans go awry when tall, blond trapper Buck Scott mistakes Annika for his mail-order bride - and kidnaps her from her train! By the time he will admit his error, they are snowed in at his tiny mountain cabin until spring.

Passion grows between Annikia and Buck, and when it blossoms into ecstasy she is ready to share his life forever. Then Annika is kidnapped again, by outlaws seeking reward money. Believing she has run away, Buck feels betrayed. Yet he vows to find the woman who has stolen his heart.

Come Spring has been at the top of my potential re-reads for this challenge. What made me choose it this month was the overwhelming need to read a western. :) That was brought about by Kristie, Wendy and Sybil and their Great Western Drive. And while Come Spring may not be a western with cowboys and gunslingers, it was still a very enjoyable read and I loved it this time as much as I did the first time around.

The hero, Buck Scott, isn't a cowboy or gunslinger but a skinner. He's a mountain man who makes his living trapping and skinning animals, then selling their pelts. His trade is not well thought of by most and he is looked down on by many. Buck Scott does come across as a man who prefers his own company to others. He's not open or friendly and he's rather intimidating in size at over 6 feet in height and well muscled. But for all his gruffness there lies the heart of a gentle soul. Buck was such an easy man for me to like. At one point even Annika tells her brother that it's hard to stay mad at Buck. :)

Buck is a very giving individual without being obvious about it. It's the little things that he does that made a big impression on me. His patience with Baby, his 3 year old niece, is amazing given that he has only the very basics to hold her attention. He's rough with Annika in the beginning but that's more out of frustration and urgency than it being his true nature. He gives her his gloves to wear while the travel up the mountain. Once they are snowed in he makes sure she can fend for herself and Baby if something should happen to him. He makes her a coat and carves the buttons for it. He's so sweet when he gives it to her, so afraid she won't like it.

Annika Storm was raised by two loving parents in a home where her every need was seen to. She has never had to work for what she needs or worry about having food or a place to live. She has lived a life of privilege and secure in a family filled with love. I wouldn't say that she's spoiled so much as that she's simply accustomed to wealth and a loving family. All that changes when she is kidnapped and taken to a mountain cabin. It's a crude one room cabin with the basic necessities but none of the comforts that Annika is accustomed to.

At first Annika thinks she will only have to suffer Buck Scott's company for a couple of days but when those few days turn to weeks she is forced to adjust to life in the small cabin in the valley. Annika for all her pampered upbringing adjusts well to life on the mountain. At first she's standoffish and not so easy to get to know but once she spends more time with Buck and Baby she became a heroine worthy of her hero. Annika takes fairly quickly to Baby but with Buck the process was more slow and steady. Each of them exploring the other person that was so different from everyone they had known before. Her relationship with Baby came about a lot easier than her relationship with Buck. With Buck it was anger and fear. Then she just got good and pissed off. LOL This was after Buck realized his mistake, that Annika wasn't his mail-order bride, and he agreed to take her to Cheyenne as soon as the pass was clear.

There was one part where Buck is gone hunting all day. When he gets back Annika is angry that he had left her there alone with Baby. During the day her thoughts had gone from fear at being alone in the cabin to anger that Buck might be with a woman. This happens before they sleep together. When Buck returns it's an angry Annika that greets him. ~

"Where have you been?" she yelled.

"Why are you shouting?" He pushed her aside and stepped over the threshold, intent on getting warm. Walking straight to the bed, he stood for a moment and gazed down on Baby as she slept, then turned to survey the room. The fire was burning brightly, there was a stack of clean dishes on the kitchen bench. He was relieved to note that everything looked fine.

Everything but Annika. She was still glaring at him.

"Close the door," he said softly, so as not to wake the child.

She slammed it shut. Baby stirred and rolled to her stomach.

"Are you going to tell me where you've been or not?"

"I was until you started ranting. What are you so upset about?"

"Upset? Upset? I'm not upset! I'm furious. How dare you leave me here all day to watch over this place and that child while you go traipsing off, God knows where. I won't do it again, do you hear?"

At this point Annika gives him some coffee and biscuits and tells him he's lucky to get that much. LOL Buck's response ~

"If I thought I would have gotten this much kindness out of you I'd have stayed away all daylong before now," he said around a mouthful of biscuit.

She gasped aloud and turned on him. "You are an outrageous imbecile, Buck Scott."

"Anyone every taught you any manners, Miss Storm?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"I mean real manners, like not shouting in the house, not making too many demands on a person, like giving out a bit of the milk of human kindness?"

She lifted her hands and appealed to the ceiling. "And this from a man who dragged me here against my will."

"A mistake you're not ever likely to let me forget."

"Not while I live and breathe."

Buck threw back his head and laughed. It wasn't a mere chuckle, nor was it a quick bark. It was loud and long and came from the depths of his soul.

pages 145-146

It was so sweet and such an intimate moment between these two. They realize that they missed each other, missed the arguing and banter.

For a great deal of the book Buck and Annika are together, along with Baby, aka Buttons. I liked the addition of the child in this story. She played a pivotal role in the plot because she was the reason Buck needed a wife. He couldn't continue to hunt and trap with Baby along and he couldn't leave her alone at the cabin. So he placed the ad for a wife. Buck's relationship with Baby was also a joy to read. This big, mountain man and this adorable little baby who has him wrapped around her finger. He would do anything for this child, even marry a stranger. Or give Baby up to a good home. The emotions that came through in the writing, of Buck's love for Baby, show what a beautiful person Buck is beneath the gruff exterior.

The plot itself is fairly standard. Hero kidnaps heroine, they're forced to spend time together, they are separated, they are reunited through adversity. It's what Jill Marie Landis does with that plot that makes this book stand out. The events that bring these two people, who are such opposites, together and then create this little family are what make this such a wonderful read. The character development is such that the reader gets to know, care and forgive Buck and Annika of their flaws, mistakes and misunderstandings. When they are separated I found myself thinking "they have to get back together" and "he can't just leave her" even though I knew they ended up together I was swept up in their story and worried that their stubbornness would keep them apart.

As you can see from the book info above, Come Spring is the fourth book in the series. The first book is about Annika's parents, Analisa and Caleb, Sun Flower (loved that book!)

The second book is Wild Flower. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't remember this one. All I could find was this:

From the great peaks of the West to the lush seclusion of a Caribbean jungle, two 1830s' lovers discover the deepest treasures of the heart. Dani braves the Rocky Mountains alone, dressed as a man, until a handsome explorer kidnaps her on a dare. Now her heart holds nothing but passion.

If anyone can jog my memory, I would appreciate it. :)

The third book, Rose, is about Annika's brother Kase and his love, Rose. This one I remember as a fun read with Rose a beautiful stubborn Italian cook and Kase a grumpy, good looking sheriff.

Both couples, Analisa and Caleb and Kase and Rose, also appear in Come Spring. It was fun to revisit with this characters and gave me an itch to do some more re-reading of Ms. Landis.

Ms. Landis has a fairly extensive back list with both historical and contemporary novels. She is currently writes Inspirational Western Romances for Steeple Hill Books. Information about Jill Marie Landis and her writing can be found here.

Rating: A+

Review: A Reason to Live

Title: A Reason to Live
Author: Maureen McKade
Genre: Historical Romance/1865/U.S.
Published: September 2006
Series: Forrester Brothers Trilogy/Book 1

From the back cover ~

How could I refuse the wish of a dying man?

May 30, 1865: During the Civil War, I watched over too many young boys in the hospital, comforting them as they cried out for those they loved, as they whispered their final thoughts to me. Keeping a record of their names, families, and last words seemed a small tribute to their sacrifice--until the war ended, and I found a new mission in life.

I would visit the loved ones of those poor soldiers and deliver their messages, so that some comfort could be found even in grief...

But Laurel Covey never expected to find a man like Creede Forrester--an ex-gunslinger who rode all the way from Texas to Virginia in the hope of finding his son, and ended up saving her from a band of ruffians. It pains her deeply to tell him of his boy's death, and she believes that in his heart, Creede blames himself for driving his son away. But there is something more to this rugged, weary man. Something that draws Laurel closer to him...something she cannot resist...

I'm not sure why I picked up Maureen McKade's books from the library. I think it might have been another Kristie influence. :) Whoever suggested McKade ~ thank you! Back in the day when almost all I read were historicals, one of my favorites settings was the American west. I love cowboys, horses, gunslingers (current or reformed) and the women who were just as tough as the men but usually smelled better. :) There's just something about a man who can ride a horse well, it's a thing of beauty. I know I definitely romanticise the great outdoors and just overlook the lack of indoor plumbing but it still has great appeal for me.

This isn't what I would call a typical western. The heroine isn't a young virgin running from a bad guy and the hero isn't the no name bounty hunter that the townsfolk whisper about. The heroine, Laurel Covey, is a war widow in her late twenties. She was a nurse for the Confederacy army but now the war is over. She has no home and her family in Massachusetts disowned her when she married a southerner, choosing to follow his allegiance to the south. What she does have is her journal and the names of the soldiers who died while under her care. In those names are some of the last words that nearly two dozen of those soldiers spoke. Laurel has taken up the quest of delivering those last words to the families of those soldiers. It's all she has to live for.

The widower father of one of those dead soldiers is Creede Forrester. He tries to come across as a simple man but he is so very complex. He's a reformed hired gun who set his gun aside when he fell in love with his wife Anna, becoming a family man. He's older now, mid 30's, and with the losss of his son he's lost his reason to stay on the right side of the law. When he received word that his son Austin was wounded during the war he traveled east to Virginia, hoping to find his son. Creede didn't believe in fighting in the war, living in Texas he didn't feel it was their war to fight. So when Austin left, it was with harsh words and bitter feelings between the father and son. Creede doesn't find his son but finds Laurel instead. He stops two men from stealing from her and worse. When Laurel realizes that Creede's son is in her journal she breaks the news to Creede. Creeded decides to travel with Laurel to Texas, her last stop on her quest.

I really liked both Laurel and Creede but they are not happy-go-lucky characters. There's a dark sadness surrounding both of them. Laurel is suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but she thinks she's going crazy. Creede is grieving for his son and everything he's lost. They've both nearly given up on life. Laurel really can't see her life beyond finishing her quest and Creede has no real desire to return to his home. Escorting Laurel to Texas gives him a reason to return there. Creede, I think latched on to Laurel not only because he felt the need to protect a woman traveling alone but also because he felt something for her. He may not have recognized his feelings at first but just the fact that he actually felt something other than grief and pain was different. They do have bright and funny moments in their travels and their growing relationship. It's like glimpses of the light at the end of the tunnel. They just have to make it through that tunnel.

The people and places that Laurel and Creede travel to all play a part of their discovering of each other. The people they help along the way and the ones that treat them with caution and distrust. The country is a scary place so soon after the end of the war. People are trying to recover from such horrendous loss and deprivation. The mistrust and anger they feel as a defeated people comes through in McKade's writing. The sorrow, desperation and anger is right there along with the seeds of hope and the need to go on. When Laurel goes to the homes of the deceased soldiers she has no idea what type of reception she'll receive. The reactions vary and the weight of of her guilt is such a burden for Laurel. Creede is there to help shoulder that burden even when Laurel continues to tell him she doesn't need him.

So if you're expecting a funny, light romantic read, this isn't it. A Reason to Live does pull the reader in and makes you care about these two people. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It's not an easy read with it's flashbacks of what Laurel experienced during the war. And it surprised me by how short is was, just under 300 pages, but still packed in a heck of a lot of story and character development. I really feel like I got to know these two people and needed to find out how they would get their HEA.

A Reason to Live is the first book in a trilogy. The second book, A Reason to Believe, is the story of Creede's brother Rye Forrester. The third book, A Reason to Sin, is the story of Slater Forrester, also Creede's brother. My guess is that they are stand alone but I'm definitely reading the next two and calling it a trilogy. :) Ms. McKade and her books can be found here.

Rating: A-