Posts Tagged ‘Western’

“Heartbreak Creek,” Kaki Warner

Tuesday, December 4th, 2012

Pros: Heart-warming romance/family story
Cons: Some loose ends and a shaky start
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

Edwina Ladoux is losing her home—and truth be told, it’s been in ruins ever since the Civil War paid an all-too-personal visit. On impulse she sets herself up as a mail-order bride, hoping that starting over in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado, will make everything all right again. She sets off with her half-sister, Prudence, not expecting huge, taciturn Declan Brodie, a widowed rancher who was himself expecting a sturdy farm wife who could mother his four children, not a temperamental Southern girl who can’t even cook.

With some (okay, a lot) of help from Prudence, and her own fiery temper and steel backbone, Ed slowly adjusts to ranch life and even riding herd on a bunch of unruly kids—until an Indian attack leaves the ranch in ruins. Ed finds that just as things are getting dangerous, she’s ready to fight for her new family—and it’ll take all her fire and steel to hold onto what she’s gained.

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Jo Goodman’s “The Last Renegade,” a short take

Friday, November 30th, 2012

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group
Also posted on Epinions.com.

 

Lorraine Berry owns the Pennyroyal Saloon and Hotel, and she’s worried about her little town of Bitter Springs, Wyoming. So worried that she’s sent word to a gunslinger, offering to hire him to come protect the town from a ruthless local rancher.

Kellen Coltrane is having a comfortable train ride when a mysterious encounter sends him on a detour to Bitter Springs to carry out a dying man’s last wish. Once he meets Lorraine, he finds himself swept up in the town’s troubles and pretending to be something he isn’t. And as he learns more about Lorraine, he finds himself wanting to be more than just her protector.

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“Angel’s End,” Cindy Holby

Thursday, August 2nd, 2012

Pros: Super sweet and fun
Cons: Predictable and a little over-the-top in places
Rating: 4 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

Cade Gentry is, more or less, a bad guy. His life has led him to bad places, and about the only good thing he can say about himself is that for once, he did the right thing. His boss wanted him to do something terrible, and instead he warned a young couple and saved their lives. Now he’s on the run, shot, nearly dead on his feet in the Colorado snow—when he has the good fortune to meet Timothy Key, a pastor on his way to take up residence in the tiny town of Angel’s End. Key saves Cade’s life, and in turn ends up losing his own. With his last words he urges Cade to look after his flock, and Cade, hoping to throw off his pursuers, takes Key’s identity and sets off in the direction of the town.

Leah Findley’s husband was the sheriff, but he was killed several years ago, and now she struggles to raise her young son on her own. She had agreed to take on the pastor as a boarder in return for some money from the town, but she certainly didn’t expect him to show up half-dead in the middle of a snowstorm. She can’t put off the feeling that the preacher isn’t who he seems to be, but she becomes less inclined to look too hard as she starts to fall in love with him.

Soon the town will expect Cade to take up his work as the pastor, and he knows he can’t keep up the charade. He also knows that if he stays, eventually his old employer will catch up with him, putting Leah in danger. But the longer he remains in Angel’s End, the harder it gets to leave Leah and her son behind.

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“Pieces of Sky” by Kaki Warner

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Pros: Does a great job of showing how two people can grow close together; emotional reactions to situations feel appropriate and honest
Cons: One of the villains is almost too crazy to be seen as a real threat
Rating: 4.75 out of 5

Review book (uncorrected proof) courtesy of Penguin Group
Expected publication date: January 5, 2010

 

Jessica Thornton has fled England and her home to live with her brother in America because she fears for her safety, and for that of her unborn child. While traveling across the New Mexico Territory, the stagecoach she is riding in crashes and she and the other passengers are taken in temporarily by Brady Wilkins, a local cattle rancher. As she gets to know the man behind the caustic wit she finds someone who can help her to find the strength to get through difficult circumstances and heal from past hurts. But there is danger lurking at the peaceful ranch; one of Brady’s old enemies has a score to settle, and it will take both Brady and Jessica’s strength to get through it.

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