Jan Cox Speas’s MY LOVE, MY ENEMY – Exciting Love Story Brings the War of 1812 to life!

Set in 1813 in Baltimore, London, France and in the Atlantic, this is the story of an American girl and a British viscount. It is one of the wonderful historical romances that comprise the legacy of Jan Cox Speas.

 

Of the seven daughters born to Samuel Bradley, gentleman of the Chesapeake, Catherine Page (“Page”) was a rebel who tried the patience of Duncan MacDougall who worked for her father. But even he could not foresee that the bored 18 year old, wanting to spend her birthday money for some new frippery, would stow away on the small sloop Duncan sailed across the Bay to Annapolis to pick up her father’s Madeira. Once there, she manages to get into further trouble when she rescues a British gentleman from a local mob who want to hang him as a spy. When she and Duncan sail back to get the British man and his servant to safety, they run right into a British warship.

 

Taken aboard the English frigate, Page learns that the British gentleman she rescued is Jocelyn Trevor, Viscount Hazard of London.

 

Lord Hazard claimed to be in America to visit his sister though Page questions that. (He was an officer on Wellington’s staff, and it seemed odd that he’d be allowed to leave the Spanish front for family business.) In fact, he is the spy the mob in Annapolis accused him of being, though Page doesn’t know it. But since Page and Duncan MacDougall end up on a British warship because of him, Hazard vows he will see her safely back to her father.

 

This story reminded me of the statement of Bilbo in Lord of the Rings when he says to his nephew, “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” Page steps out of her door and is swept away on one adventure after another as she gets caught up in the War of 1812 and the life of one particular British lord.

 

Speas allows us to see the conflicting emotions of those on both sides of the war. Lord Hazard is shamed by the British atrocities at Hampton, and Page experiences gracious treatment at the hands of the British officers when aboard their ship. Though there were several reasons America declared war on Britain, Speas deals specifically with the impressment of merchant sailors into the Royal Navy—sailors who considered themselves Americans. We also get to witness America’s clever privateers at work with the character Mason.

 

I love that Speas incorporates her extensive research of the history into this endearing and charming love story. It’s a bit lighter than her others but still quite wonderful!

 

Christine Dorsey’s THE CAPTAIN’S CAPTIVE – English Girl and American Privateer Fall in Love in the War of 1812

Set at the beginning of the War of 1812, The Captain’s Captive is the story of Charlotte Winston, a young Englishwoman who lived in her daydreams while caring for her dying mother. When her mother passes on, Charlotte sails from England to Montreal to join her father, a general in the British army who has arranged a marriage for her to Captain Levid of the Royal Navy.

When Charlotte’s ship is fired upon by the American captain Jonathan Knox, the British captain quickly turns over control and Charlotte becomes Jon’s prisoner. Charlotte tells him she is betrothed to Captain Levid. Jon wants to know where he can find the English captain who impressed Jon’s younger brother (impressment was one of the causes of the war). Charlotte has only a vague idea where Levid is, and doesn’t like the man herself, but tells Knox she doesn’t know. Jon doesn’t believe her and decides to keep her in his cabin until she gives him the information he wants.

 

Initially, I thought the heroine a bit simpering and over theatrical (her voice squeaks and she shuts her eyes when reality is too much for her) and I did get a bit tired of her “fantasy pirate” that supposedly was a twin for the hero. The hero seemed too much of a gentleman. Those impressions changed somewhat as the book progressed, because the characters changed. In the last half of the book, Jon became more "real" and Charlotte acquired a backbone.

 

To my thinking there was a bit too much introspection and too much sex...the latter seemed to be piled on irrespective of the plot (or any concern for her getting pregnant, I might add). Don’t get me wrong; I like a good love scene, but I don’t need one each time the hero and heroine meet. And why was his family surprised to learn she was British and her father in the Royal Army? After all, she was raised in England (Oxfordshire) and I assume had an accent and other characteristics that gave her away.

 

There is no question Dorsey can write well and tell a good story. And I admire how she wove in the history and the abuses of the British military along the Chesapeake. Her battle scenes are realistic, and she captured well the terror of the night the British sacked Washington.

 

Peggy Henderson’s TETON SUNRISE – Adventure and Love on the American Frontier

June is Western and American set romances and I am starting with a great story of love in the American wilderness of the early 19^th century.

Set in 1828, this is the story of Evelyn Lewis, who follows her brother into the wilderness to capture the man they believe killed their parents, a man Evelyn has loved since she was a young girl.

Alexander Walker had a cruel father who abused Alex’s mother. After his mother died, he became a fur trapper and mountain man, known for his stealth (“Shadow Walker”) and his ability to fight the Blackfeet. In the Teton wilderness, circumstances lead to a frontier marriage between Alex and Evie and she must now trust him to survive. Alex’s memories of her are of his best friend’s young sister but now he finds he has growing feelings for the grown woman, his new wife.

The story is well written with some exciting scenes and will definitely take you into the American frontier. A worthy hero and heroine come together for a touching love story and Alex learns he is (thankfully) not his father.

Cindy Nord’s NO GREATER GLORY – Civil War Romance Rich in Historical Detail

A well-researched novel with considerable detail of the various battles around Virginia, this is a romance for those who like to savor the details and want to dive deeply into the Civil War.

Set from 1862 to 1865, it tells the story of Emaline McDaniels, a widow trying to hold onto her Virginia plantation, Shapinsay. Then Colonel Reece Cutteridge, a Union officer, shows up to requisition her home and her livestock to winter and feed his troops. Despite her disdain for the Union, Emaline finds herself assisting the Union doctor and nursing the colonel’s men, all the while fighting an attraction to their commander.

Reece has lost his wife and child and resists Emaline, but quickly finds himself falling in love with her. Separated by war, they will find themselves brought together by fate.

Nord describes what it was like to hold a plantation on the edge of war with intruding soldiers, deserters and miscreants all trying to steal what is not theirs. And in the midst of all that, love blossoms between two people on opposite sides.

Some parts of the book will seem more like historical fiction than romance, the love story taking a back seat to the war, but romance readers who like real history dished up with the love story will love it!

Christine Dorsey’s THE CAPTAIN’S CAPTIVE – English Girl and American Privateer Fall in Love in the War of 1812

July is American Patriotic month on the blog, that time when I feature romances set during America’s wars up to and including the Civil War. I’m starting with one from the War of 1812, the last war fought with the British.

Set at the beginning of the War of 1812, The Captain’s Captive is the story of Charlotte Winston, a young Englishwoman who lived in her daydreams while caring for her dying mother. When her mother passes on, Charlotte sails from England to Montreal to join her father, a general in the British army who has arranged a marriage for her to Captain Levid of the Royal Navy.

When Charlotte’s ship is fired upon by the American captain Jonathan Knox, the British captain quickly turns over control and Charlotte becomes Jon’s prisoner. Charlotte tells him she is betrothed to Captain Levid. Jon wants to know where he can find the English captain who impressed Jon’s younger brother (impressment was one of the causes of the war). Charlotte has only a vague idea where Levid is, and doesn’t like the man herself, but tells Knox she doesn’t know. Jon doesn’t believe her and decides to keep her in his cabin until she gives him the information he wants.

Initially, I thought the heroine a bit simpering and over theatrical (her voice squeaks and she shuts her eyes when reality is too much for her) and I did get a bit tired of her “fantasy pirate” that supposedly was a twin for the hero. The hero seemed too much of a gentleman. Those impressions changed somewhat as the book progressed because the characters changed. In the last half of the book, Jon became more "real" and Charlotte acquired a backbone.

To my thinking there was a bit too much introspection and too much sex...the latter seemed to be piled on irrespective of the plot (or any concern for her getting pregnant, I might add). Don’t get me wrong; I like a good love scene, but I don’t need one each time the hero and heroine meet. And why was his family surprised to learn she was British and her father in the Royal Army? After all, she was raised in England (Oxfordshire) and I assume had an accent and other characteristics that gave her away.

There is no question Dorsey can write well and tell a good story. And I admire how she wove in the history and the abuses of the British military along the Chesapeake. Her battle scenes are realistic, and she captured well the terror of the night the British sacked Washington.

Day Taylor’s THE BLACK SWAN – Civil War Saga and a Classic!

Set in the Civil War between the years 1850 and 1865, it’s a sweeping saga of the South and the love between two people who grew up on opposite sides of the slavery issue but with similar views: our noble hero, Adam Tremain, a blockade-running captain, who moved the Underground Railroad to the sea, and Dulcie Moran, the only daughter of Savannah's most prosperous slave-breeder.

It is divided into three “books”: Adam (1852-59); Dulcie (1850-1862); and The Black Swan (1862-1865). While he was still a teenager, Adam experienced the hatred of the white slave owners for any who cavorted with the slaves, and he wanted no part of it. He vowed to become one who sent the slaves north to freedom. Dulcie, raised as an indulged young woman in the genteel Southern society by a father who considered the slaves mere animals, couldn’t understand why the slaves she loved weren’t treated like family.

The characters were well developed and the imagery vivid. We know exactly what motivated Dulcie and what moves Adam. We experience their young loves and are not surprised when they are attracted to each other. They are not so different really; each believes the slaves should be treated as people, and they lament a society in which they are not. Each has the courage to fight Southern Society for what they believe is right.

There are some wonderful secondary characters, including Tom, the aristocrat from New Orleans who married Ullah, a light-colored slave, because he loved her, the families of Adam and Dulcie, and Adam’s two childhood friends, Beau and Ben, who join him as fellow captains.

Most of this book is “keeper” material, but in the 3^rd “book” the story took a bizarre twist with a shipwreck, a voodoo island and a disturbed family that holds Dulcie captive. Adam and Dulcie are separated and both partnered (willingly or unwillingly) with others. The story finally comes back around for a great close, but you should be aware of this detour.

For more of Adam and Dulcie’s romance you have to read the second in the duology, Moss Rose, set in the Reconstruction Period after the end of the Civil War.

Janelle Taylor’s FORTUNE’S FLAMES – Exciting Privateer Adventure in New Orleans!

Set during the War of 1812, this is the story of Maren Jones, an American, sailing on her cousin’s ship from England to her home in New Orleans when a privateer by the name of Captain Hawk attacks and boards their ship. 

The infamous Captain Hawk is actually Jared Morgan, a patriot from Savannah who is working for President Madison and looking for traitors supporting the British. Maren’s cousin, Eric, tells her he is also working for the President, but it seems he is lying to her about many things.

Maren met Jared when she was 15 and was so enthralled, she disguised herself as a lad and followed the handsome young man around the wharf. So, when he captures her ship and then steals a kiss, she does not resist. Jared finds her enchanting, but he is also suspicious of both her cousin and her.

This is a tale has many twists and turns and wartime treachery as well. Maren and Jared come together to solve some mysterious happenings and find a way to be together. Jared is certainly a worthy hero I could not help but love. And Maren, having lost her father and mother, is determined to make it on her own with the gambling club left to her, Lady Luck.

There’s a surprise at the end, too!

Danelle Harmon’s LORD OF THE SEA – Another Well-written Tale from Harmon—this one of American Privateers in the War of 1812

This is a tale set during the War of 1812 in the Caribbean in 1813. It’s the story of Capt. Connor Merrick, a cavalier Yankee privateer, and Rhiannon Evans, a young British girl.

Rhiannon wants an adventure and so she accepts an invitation to winter at the home of Sir Graham Falconer in Barbados, who happens to be Connor’s brother-in-law. On the way, pirates attack her ship, and Connor saves her and takes her to Sir Graham’s. Intending to leave to hunt British merchant ships, Conner stays long enough to get trapped into marrying the young Rhiannon.

Harmon has woven an entertaining seafaring tale of divided loyalties with an American privateer whose sister is married to a British admiral. Reckless and daring, yet insecure about his ability to be his famous father’s equal, Connor takes one British prize ship after another, all this in his brother-in-law’s backyard. Meanwhile, Rhiannon, a naïve young woman in many ways, quickly grows up trying to keep up with Connor—and keep him out of trouble, an effort that is doomed to failure.

The descriptions of the ships and sails and all things nautical are done exceptionally well and will keep you turning pages as Connor faces pirates, battles at sea and storms. There is deep emotion, too, as Connor comes to terms with his own frailties and the strengths of others.

It’s been a while since I read one of Harmon’s seafaring adventures, so I was a bit lost when characters from her other books made an appearance and there were references to earlier stories. I say this only to suggest you might want to read this book as a part of the series, and in order.

The Heroes of the Sea series:

My Lady Pirate

Captain of My Heart

Master of My Dreams

   The Admiral’s Heart (Short Story)

Lord of The Sea

Sally Platt’s CLYDE CONNOR – Mail Order Brides in Montana Find Their Prospective Husbands Dead… and so begins the adventure!

The first thing you might notice about this story is the author's unique “voice”. Platt is a wonderful storyteller with a unique style. She repeats names and “head hops” between characters in rapid succession to give you a sense for all that is happening but that doesn’t stop her stories from being imminently readable. Suffused with subtle humor and thoroughly delightful. And she gets the Western setting, the cowboys, the women who admire them and the small towns all just right.

This one begins the Montana Lawmen trilogy set in the late 19^th century. It brings us three sheriffs and three mail-order brides, who are cousins. Via correspondence, they make the acquaintance of three men who are hardworking miners who want brides who know each other. It seems a perfect match.

Janette Novak of Philadelphia arrived in Trizbee, Montana with her cousins only to learn the men they were to marry are dead. Sheriff Clyde Connor, together with his two fellow sheriffs, was in the middle of responding to death and destruction when he encountered Janette and, at her plea, took off to rescue her hatbox.

At first, Clyde Connor has no idea what brought Janette Novak—or her two cousins, Abigail Willetts and Lucy O’Brien—all the way to Montana. And it did not matter because he was “taking a break in the Romance Department”. But that soon goes out the window when he finds himself kissing Janette.

Platt has given us some wonderful characters, not the least of which are the three Sheriffs, a wonderful housekeeper at Clyde’s ranch, some funny messengers who deliver letters and the cousins. There is also a woman, Cora, who has long wanted the handsome Clyde as her own. And Platt has us in all their minds with a fun story I highly recommend.

Montana Law Men:

Clyde Connor

Wyatt James

Sam Humbolt

Linda Colwell’s TOWARD THE SUNSET – Great Wagon Train Adventure!

No date is given but since this concerns a wagon train leaving out of Independence, Missouri for the California gold fields, we know it’s the last half of the 19^th century. It’s the story of Tara Muldoon and a “fancy man” named Chase Summers, who stole the map to a gold mine her Uncle Roscoe gave her. But then Roscoe also gave the same map to his niece, Jade. The two women end up on the same wagon train heading to California along with the fancy man.

Just to complicate things, Tara has a secret in her past: she was the madam of Trixie’s Pleasure Palace, a virgin until she fell for Chase. On her trip to California, Tara brings the piano player and two of her “working” girls.

The author clearly did much research for the book as the story contains many historical details of the wagon train experience to include snake bite, Indian attacks, disease and the snow of the Sierra Madre mountains. And, while all that is going on, the two women are falling in love yet unable to do anything about it as Jade married Chase just before the train left as the wagon master wouldn’t allow a woman to travel alone and Chase needed to work for his passage.

It’s a great story, well-told, though the book could use some copyediting.

Ellen O’Connell’s INTO THE LIGHT – Charming, Authentic and Exciting!

This is the sequel to Beautiful Bad Man and, while it can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading Bad Man first. I loved that one, too! Together they form a single story of the Sutton family. There is a third, too—A Grand Race.

Set in Kansas in 1899, this is the story of Deborah Sutton, the prettiest of the three Sutton daughters, but with a scar in her past that keeps her from considering marriage with any man, and Trey Van Cleve, heir to a fortune he doesn’t want. The Suttons and the Van Cleves have been at war for decades (you get a good picture in BAD MAN). When Deborah and Trey first meet, it is in a darkened space and neither knows the other’s identity. But they enjoy each other’s conversation, so they meet again. Deborah, who is shy of men, finds his voice soothing; and Trey finds her interesting and intelligent. So when he decides to take over the local newspaper, of course he wants to hire Deborah as a reporter. And it doesn’t hurt he is drawn to the Sutton family because they possess a warmth his own does not.

I liked seeing Cal and Norah Sutton again. And Deborah’s sister Judith was a kick. The characters, as in O’Connell’s other books were wonderfully drawn. A quote I liked when

Deborah got advice from Norah: “I don’t think people ever get fixed,” Norah said thoughtfully. “Almost all of us are broken in some way, so we patch up the broken places and work around them.”

O’Connell based her novel on solid research which I so appreciate. She gives us a picture of a Kansas town at the turn of the century when automobiles were first being introduced, and the past was giving way to the future with unlimited possibilities.

The story is lighter than O’Connell’s earlier novels, but I enjoyed it all the same. It is a well-written saga that will definitely hold your interest. And there’s enough action with someone trying to murder Trey to keep you wondering what’s coming next.

Another great western from O’Connell!

Johanna Lindsey’s A HEART SO WILD - Well-told Saga with Indians, Gunslingers and the Dangers of the American West!

This is the first of two novels about the Stratton family in 19th century Texas. At that time, Texas was a rough place bringing together gunmen, cowboys, ranchers and Indians. Many who had lived through the destruction of the Civil War looked to the West for a better life. Courtney Harte's father, a doctor and a Southerner (who ended up on the North's side), was one of them. Now disillusioned, he decides to move to Texas. On the way there, in Kansas, they are attacked by Comanches seeking vengeance for a massacre of their people that occurred years before. Courtney's life is spared by a blue-eyed Indian. Thinking her father dead, she stays on to live in Kansas until one day she sees a newspaper photo from Texas and her father is in the background. Courtney decides to hire a gunman to take her to Texas. She chooses Chandos, a ruthless gunslinger.

There are many themes in this romance that Lindsey presents well. First, there is the bias against Indians and the way they were treated (though Lindsey recognizes cruelty on both sides). Then there is the fact the West held many dangers, especially for young, beautiful unmarried women. Courtney grows up as she faces danger and rises to various challenges with great courage. Lastly, there is the tension that comes from a strong-willed father and an equally strong son, a rebel caught between two worlds.

The dialog is very believable and presents a man of few words and a woman of many. I enjoyed their interaction and the chemistry between them was exceptional. I have since read the sequel, All I Need Is You, and it's not as good. I have read others by Lindsey (and gave 5 stars to Hearts Aflame and Savage Thunder).

I really liked this one and recommend it.

Charlene Raddon’s TO HAVE AND TO HOLD – Love on the Utah Frontier

Set in Utah in 1888, this is the story of Tempest Whitney, a widow struggling to survive on her small ranch, Hearts-ease, with her two small children, Angel and Ethan. One day, into her life comes Buck Maddox, who made a promise to Tempest’s dying husband, that he would take care of her. And to seal the deal, her husband deeded Buck half the ranch. But there is another, less honorable man who is scheming to trap her into marriage using her debts to him to gain both her and the ranch.

This is a story of two wounded souls who fight their growing love for each other but finally come together to forge a new life and a family. Raddon portrays the Utah frontier and living in a sod house with great realism (including rats, centipedes and a cow on the roof). The two children, Angel and the toddler Ethan, are adorable and do much to convince Buck he cannot leave as he first intended. Tempest likes to cuss but somehow her sweet daughter has not picked it up.

Buck is a rogue and a gunman but also an honorable man who has suffered. Tempest, having been married to a weak man and having to care for her alcoholic father, wants desperately to be able to stand on her own—until she meets Buck.

A worthy western romance!

Kaki Warner’s PIECES OF SKY – Worthy Western Historical set in New Mexico Territory

This is the first in Warner’s Blood Rose trilogy, named after the roses that surround the RosaRoja ranch owned by the three Wilkins brothers in New Mexico Territory. Set in 1869, this is the story of Jessica Thornton, on the run from her home in England and the brother-in-law who raped her and left her pregnant with his child. She is trying to get to the only man she trusts—her brother.

At a stagecoach stop, Jessica encounters Brady Wilkins, the eldest of the Wilkins brothers. He’s just taken a spill from his horse and looks beat up, and to Jessica, talks rough. But she does love his blue eyes, which appear to her like pieces of sky. Brady finds the Englishwoman’s strange ways funny (their exchange and Jessica’s thinking are very funny)—and he hasn’t laughed in years. And then came the stagecoach crash…

Both Jessica and Brady have scars; and each has sacrificed their own happiness for others. Both are bound by duty, and though from different worlds, inexplicably drawn to each other. I loved their exchanges, her dry wit, his suggestive banter. Warner writes beautifully, expressively (“Like a blind foal on a short lead, Brady knew he would stumble along wherever he was led—as long as she was on the other end of the rope.”)

In this and the two stories that follow, there’s lots of action, a despicable nasty villain and a fair amount of violence (sometimes told through flashbacks that bring the horrible to mind). There’s the budding romance between two unlikely people to add sweetness, but this is no sweet love story. It’s a tale of vengeance.

Warner’s style is unusual, complex and detailed. She gives you the gory details when it comes naturally to the story. She slowly develops her characters like a stew simmering all day on the stove. The three brothers and their interactions are priceless and very well written. This first book also has some great humor early on as Jessica, a very proper British lady, encounters Brady, the rough American rancher and domineering older brother.

Most of the three stories take place on the sprawling RosaRoja ranch. Warner paints vivid word pictures of the historic setting and the environs that give you a sense of the rugged, open West and make you feel like you’ve lived there.

You’ll have to be patient as each story unfolds, but I think you’ll find the wait is worth it. All the stories are related with several common characters, including the brothers. Warner does a great job of tying up all the loose ends in the last book, Chasing The Sun.

Here’s the Blood Rose trilogy—do read them in order:

Pieces of Sky – Jessica and Brady

Open Country  – Molly and Hank

Chasing the Sun – Daisy and Jack

Brenda Joyce’s THE DARKEST HEART – Exciting Western with a Half-Apache Hero

I was really excited to read this story as I loved Joyce’s Fires of Paradise. In that book, the wonderful hero, Shoz Savage, who is part Apache, remembers his parents with great fondness and speaks of their continuing love for each other. Now we have their story.

Set in the New Mexico Territory in 1860, beautiful blonde Candice Carter, a rancher's daughter, has made a foolish decision, eloping with one of her suitors against the wishes of her father and brothers. But the man has no intention of marrying her. He is a despicable cad out to take her virtue. When she realizes he intends to rape her, she shoots him and flees.

Dying in the desert, she is found by Jack Savage, a half-breed Apache, who brings her back to life. Though the attraction is immediate, Jack is honorable and intends to return her to her family unscathed. But when he is wounded, she steals his horse and leaves him. He will rescue her twice more before it's all over in this fast-paced romance that kept me up reading late into the night.

This is a great story of the American west where prejudices against Indians and children with Indian blood ran high. This tells the story of the Apache culture and the wars between Cochise and the white men who betrayed him. Our hero gets caught in the middle, neither white nor red. He is torn.

Joyce weaves a complex tale of love, lies and betrayal. I highly recommend this one.

The Darkest Heart is a prequel of sorts for Joyce's Bragg Saga:

Innocent Fire (Derek Bragg and Miranda)

Firestorm (Storm Bragg and Brett)

Violet Fire (Rathe Bragg and Grace)

Dark Fires (Nicholas Bragg and Jane)

The Fires of Paradise (Lucy Bragg and Shoz)

Scandalous Love (Nicole Bragg Shelton and Hadrian)

Secrets (Regina Bragg Shelton and Slade Delanza)

Shirl Henke’s LOVE UNWILLING – Old California masterfully brought to life through the loves of two brothers!

This was Henke’s second book in the Old California Couplet (Golden Lady was her first). Love Unwilling is really two romances in one and Henke presents them very well, entwining the lives and loves of two brothers who make very different choices.

Set in 1848-1853, it tells the story of David and Miguel Kane, heirs to the sprawling Cien Robles (Hundred Oaks) ranch in Southern California. Their parents’ marriage had been one of necessity in order for the Alvarez family to infuse money into their Spanish land grant after California became a part of the US and subject to Yankee laws. 

The marriage was so divisive that David was named and claimed by his father, the rich Yankee sea captain, and Miguel by his mother the Californio aristocrat (who’d planned for him to become a priest). Years later, when David gets into trouble, killing a man after a card game and flees with an Irish lass he has deflowered named Kate, Miguel’s father claims him as heir and tells him he’ll marry the neighboring rancher’s daughter, Ellie St. Clair, originally intended for David. 

David and Kate flee to gold country where David supports them on his gambling winnings and Kate keeps house, soon falling in love. The other brother, Miguel, stays home to take on the ranch and finds he loves it, but he’s not interested in marrying the St. Clair girl and she doesn’t want him either.

We’ve all seen the family where the oldest son is expected to be the one to assume control of the father’s business, but what if it wasn’t so? What if it were the younger son? (Or, these days, a daughter?) Well, this story shows what can happen when the apple cart is thrown off the intended course. It’s about choices and second chances and making your own life, not just fleeing the bad choices your family might force on you. I have to say my favorite character was Kate…she had the strength of Irish womanhood and was beautiful as well.

The brothers were both cads for much of the book, and for all his faults, David was faithful to Kate. Miguel, on the other hand, had a bad habit of visiting whores before and during his marriage to Ellie. And he believed a cattle rustler over his loving wife. Argh!

Kudos to Henke who sets this story in the Old West at an interesting historical time when the Californio rancheros were fading and their culture losing out to the Americans who were flooding into the state. Meticulously researched, Love Unwilling brings this time to life with great characters, engaging dialog and wonderful descriptions.

Henke is truly a master storyteller. I recommend it!

Shirlee Busbee’s LOVE A DARK RIDER – Murder and Love in Old Texas

June is Western Historical Romance month on the blog and I’m starting with a great one. I promise Love a Dark Rider, a tale of ambition, betrayal and murder, will put you in the Old West.

The story begins in 1860 in Texas where Sara Rawlings, left alone and destitute by her father’s death, goes to live with a cousin, Sam Cantrell, a man her father’s age. Sam has a son, Yancy, by his first wife—a woman of noble Spanish linage—and he has a young wife, Margaret—the woman he stole from Yancy.

As might be suspected, Margaret is threatened by the younger, 16-year-old Sara. And Sara is captivated by Yancy, a man Margaret was once engaged to and now thinks to seduce. The one thing Margaret wants for her unborn child is Casa Paloma, a thousand-acre parcel in the middle of the land Yancy’s Spanish ancestors have owned for generations. Yancy vows he will kill her before she can have his land. And then Margaret turns up with a Spanish dagger in her chest.

Much of the book is taken up with the machinations of the family and its history that has led to the distrust, if not dislike, between its members, all of which Sara must suffer through. In the midst of it, Sara and Yancy find love, albeit like two prickly people coming together.

Busbee’s descriptions of Texas and the hacienda are superb. You will feel you are in the old West. Yancy is a drool worthy hero and Sara finds him so. Oh yes, the murder mystery remains unsolved until the end. Busbee will keep you guessing. Very well done.

For Busbee fans, it will not disappoint.

Shirlee Busbee’s LADY VIXEN: A Classic Privateer Love Story!

I could not put this one down and highly recommend it. It's on both my Best Pirate and Privateer Romances List and my Best American Patriotic Romances list. Oh yes, it’s also a bodice ripper and a keeper.

Set in England during the years 1808-1814, this is one of those rare and wonderful love stories that sweeps you away to another time and place where you are caught up in the lives of people whose actions will affect not only their own and others' lives but America and England during the War of 1812. Deception and treachery born years ago lead to revenge and then to heartache. Busbee uses real characters, such as the pirate Jean Lafitte, to bring realism to her story as she seamlessly weaves history into a compelling tale. It's what I call a "dense" historical: one where the writing is so complex and so tight you're getting double the story you'd expect in the 538 pages.

Young Nicole Ashford led an idyllic life in Surrey with her wealthy parents and her twin brother until a boating accident one summer took them from her. Made the ward of an uncaring and barely related aunt and uncle who only want her fortune, and learning of their plans to marry her off to their ne'er-do-well son, at 13 Nicole dons the disguise of a young boy and runs away to sea as the cabin boy for Captain Saber, an American privateer.

For 5 years, Nicole sails with him as a boy and Saber pays her little attention. When she is 18, Saber observes her swimming naked on a tropical beach and decides he wants her for his mistress. He bides his time and when Nicole and a seaman (who is really a British spy) decide to destroy English codebooks that Saber has captured, the two are caught.

Using the life of the English seaman as a bargaining chip, Saber forces Nicole to become his mistress, until the American, on a mission to spy for his new country, decides to sail home and resume his identity as Christopher Saxon, grandson of a baron.

And so begins a complex, worthy tale of adventure, rich in history (both England's and America's) and a love that could not be denied.

Should you want to read more, here is the whole Louisiana Series (stand alones but each with a connection to Louisiana and with some overlapping characters). Many are available in Kindle:

·               Gypsy Lady

·               Lady Vixen

·               While Passion Sleeps

·               Deceive Not My Heart

·               The Tiger Lily

·               Midnight Masquerade

·               Whisper to Me of Love

·               Each Time We Love