Ellen O’Connell’s WITHOUT WORDS – Fall in Love with a Bounty Hunter!

Set in 1871, beginning in Missouri, this is the story of Hassie Petty who just put her husband in his grave when bounty hunter Bret Sterling shows up to kill her stepson, a thief and a murderer wanted by the Army. Realizing Hassie has no food and is likely starving, Bret takes her with him when he leaves.

 

Both Bret and Hassie have been hurt in the past. Bret paid for his choice to fight for the North in the Civil War. His Southern family will take the bounty money he sends home but deprives him of his place as the eldest and heir. Due to an injury to her neck, Hassie cannot speak above a whisper, and when she does, no one understands her. No one save for Bret who seems to know what she is saying “without words.”

 

O’Connell knows how to serve up a magnetic hunk of a hero. Bret is a tough bounty hunter of noble character with a good heart. He even saves a half starved dog from a man who would take its life. A man who can shoot like he can but still has a soft spot for a girl who can’t speak and her dog (not to mention a horse passed its prime) is a man we can love. And Hassie, who is beautiful and has suffered the lustful advances of men, tries hard to please her savior. Along the way, a marriage of convenience turns into love. It’s a wonderful story of second chances, of love that wipes away bad memories.

 

O’Connell brings the West to life in this fast paced story as Bret and Hassie travel from Missouri to Wyoming in his search for wanted criminals, Hassie his partner in bringing them in. Rich in detail, great characters, exciting action, it’s a story that will warm your heart. The end scenes take place at Christmas so it’s a great holiday read.

 

Superb storytelling, highly recommended.

 

Penelope Williamson’s HEART OF THE WEST - Magnificent Montana Love Story!

This historical romance that will tear at your heart. It covers twelve years (1879-1891) in the lives of Americans trying to carve out a life in Montana frontier. Williamson weaves a masterful tale with incredibly accurate historic detail and dialog that brings to life the people who made the West: Easterners, cowboys, Indians, Chinese, Irish, miners, railroad workers, merchants, ranchers and those who preyed upon them.

 

There are lots of relationship combinations in this romance: Two men loving the same woman; two women loving the same man; one man loving a woman who should never have married the man she did; a good hearted whore who becomes a lady's true friend and the lover of the man her friend loves, different races coming together and children birthed and loved only to die of accident, disease and more. Through the lives of these people, Williamson so beautifully portrays, you will experience the life of the Americans who won the west and who made this country great. And you will experience love that endures through the years though denied.

Williamson takes her time developing the characters. You will feel as if you know them; you will experience their dreams, their tragedies, their disappointments, their happiness and their loves. And, as with the other great romances by this author, you will feel the emotion, whether deep in the pits of despair or soaring with love's sweet reward.

 

And, it is truly a great love story.

The main story is that of Clementine Kennicutt, the highborn daughter of a rigid, demanding and, at times, abusive minister in Boston. She dreams of freedom and of cowboys. When one stumbles into her life, though she doesn’t really know him, she is willing to elope with him to his ranch in Montana.

 

Gus McQueen was raised in the south and in Boston but then as a young man he went looking for his younger brother, Zach Rafferty, who he had lost when they were separated as children. He finds him and they stake a ranch in Montana, which it seems is always just barely making it. When Gus, a man of dreams, meets Clementine in Boston on a trip home to see his dying mother, he knows he can't live without her. So Gus, 25, and Clementine, 18, wed knowing next to nothing about each other.

 

Gus brings Clementine her home to Montana and to a hard life she is not prepared for. Zach, the darker younger brother with a mysterious past (even at 23), realizes soon after Clementine arrives that he covets his brother's wife. And, though faithful to her husband, Zach becomes the passion of Clementine’s life--a passion denied.

 

You can see the potential for great angst here, can't you? Here a sample of the words Zach speaks to her—one of my all time favorite quotes:

 

"A heartfire, Clementine my darlin', is when you want someone, when you need her so damn bad, not only in your bed but in your life, that you're willin' to burn—"

 

Yeah, well, a whole lot of burnin' goes on in this story. It’s a keeper!

 

 

Catherine Anderson’s INDIGO BLUE – 3rd in the Series Does Not Disappoint! Daughter of Hunter of the Wolf Comes into Her Own!

 

Set in Oregon in 1885, this is the story of Indigo Wolf, daughter of Hunter of the Wolf and his white wife, Loretta, from Comanche Moon and Comanche Heart. When she was younger, Indigo fell in love with a young man who broke her heart and betrayed her trust, telling her she was just a “squaw” and good for only one thing. Though his attempted rape was thwarted by her uncle, Swift Lopez, Indigo is still scarred by the experience and wary of men who are attracted to her. She has become her own woman, tending to the wild animals of the forest, wearing Indian dress and helping her father with the mine.

 

When a series of mine accidents have her father, Hunter, laid up with injuries, along comes Jake Rand to offer his hand at managing the mine (though he seems to spend little time doing that). In reality, Jake is the oldest son of a wealthy owner of mines, many of which were purchased when the mine owner was in trouble, as Hunter is now. While Jake originally came to purchase Hunter’s mine, when he finds out his father may be causing the mine accidents, he comes in disguise to learn the truth. He didn’t count on meeting the bewitching Indigo who soon has him forgetting he has a fiancé back in Portland. And he shakes Indigo’s world, too. (“The moment she first saw him, she had sensed it—an inexplicable something, a strange feeling of recognition—as if her destiny had finally come calling.”)

 

As with the first two books in the series, Anderson has captured the time period and the Comanche culture with practiced expertise. She makes it look easy when it isn’t. We see Wolf’s Landing and it’s unusual blending of cultures from Jake’s point of view, a stranger to this part of Oregon. Jake is impressed by the love he witnesses in the Wolf family. He has known poverty as well as wealth, but he has never known such simple joys as the Wolf family shares. So when an unusual happening forces a "shotgun wedding" to Indigo, Jake steps up to do the noble thing even though Indigo rebels at the idea of marrying any man.

 

Anderson tells the story of Jake and Indigo beautifully with elegant dialog and believable twists and turns. And wonderful secondary characters! I loved the family priest, Father O’Grady. He and Jake have a very funny conversation about Indigo that had me laughing out loud. 

 

It’s a great read and I recommend it! I do, however, suggest reading them in order.

 

The Comanche Series:

 

Comanche Moon

Comanche Heart

Indigo Blue

Comanche Magic

 

Kaki Warner’s TEXAS TALL –Charming & Sometimes Exciting Story of Love in Small West Texas Town

Set in 1875 in West Texas, this is the story of Charlotte (“Lottie”) Weyland, who has been on her own since she was fourteen, and Tyree Benton who joined the Texas Rangers seeking revenge.

 

The story begins with a scene where Lottie sets fire to her home with her grandfather in the shed. In Greenbroke, the small Texas town where now Lottie lives, Ty and some rangers come to town with a prisoner. Ty gets wounded in a shootout and Lottie rushes to help him.

 

So the romance begins.

 

As always, Warner writes well with clever dialog, vividly creating life in a small town in 19th century Texas. She obviously knows her subject well, perhaps because she is a Texan. We feel the heat of the hot summers and learn what it means to take any small job just to survive.

 

This story is a bit different from Warner’s other books. The first half of the book is in Lottie’s point of view and we don’t see much of Ty, who is in and out of her life. Only in the second half do we get some of Ty’s inner thinking.

 

Lottie has used her talent for “figuring” to grow a bookkeeping business, serving the town’s businesses and building a nest egg to buy a ranch.  She also learns to invest in land and mineral rights from the town’s banker. Clever girl. To have a ranch is Ty’s dream, but, proud man that he is, when Lottie offers to help, Ty refuses. They are in love, but they can’t seem to make their dreams come together. Then, into the mix comes her past.

 

The end of the book has some exciting moments and a great courtroom scene with a funny judge. Happiness arrives for some endearing characters. Another great story from Kaki Warner.

 

 

Elizabeth Lane’s THE BALLAD OF EMMA O’TOOLE – Unusual Marriage and Utah Mining Make for an Entertaining Tale!

It’s Park City, Utah Territory in 1886 and Emma O’Toole is pregnant by her fiancé Billy John “the only boy who’d ever loved her.” In an attempt to win some money to care for her and their child, foolish Billy cheated at cards and then threatened the life of an old man if the card players didn’t let him leave with his ill gotten gain. Before he could shoot, however, another player shot him.

 

 An unprincipled “muckraking” newspaperman pens a ballad that has everyone singing the story, much to Emma’s chagrin. Then the jury decides Logan Devereaux is guilty of manslaughter and the judge offered Logan prison or marriage to Emma. Logan chose marriage even knowing his bride would hate him. Emma agreed only because the judge said he would otherwise let the murderer of her lover go free. But she intended to make Logan’s life a living hell. When she discovers the horrible conditions in the silver mines, she finds a way to help the miners and hurt her husband.

 

All the time Emma is plotting, Logan treats her well and they find passion together. He never tells Emma he has another identity, that of Christian Girard, a man wanted in New Orleans for murder.

 

A well-researched, well-told tale that will bring you into the lives of those in a western mining town in the late 19^th century. Logan is a drool worthy hero who rises above a bad situation to do the honorable thing—again and again. There are several bad guys in this one and a secret from Logan’s past that will keep you guessing!

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

Western month continues with 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!

 

 

Lorraine Heath’s TEXAS DESTINY – Texas after the Civil War, a Western Romance with Great Heart…a Keeper!

 

Set in Texas in 1876, this is the story of two wounded souls. Broken by the horrors she has seen in the Civil War, and hoping for a new life, Amelia Carson agrees to become the mail order bride of budding Texas rancher, Dallas Leigh. Since he was injured by an untamed stallion, he sends his brother, Houston, to fetch Amelia from the train station in Ft. Worth.

 

Houston has been gravely scarred from his time in the war and only reluctantly agrees to bring Dallas’ bride to the ranch. In the month-long journey, they face the trials of the road: snakes, storms and flooding rivers—and they fall in love.

 

Houston fights his attraction for Amelia, knowing he must deliver her untouched. But they have grown close and, when they arrive at the ranch, Dallas notices.

 

This is a wonderful, well-told story that kept me turning pages. The descriptions of the dangers Houston and Amelia face are so well done, they’ll have you on the edge of your seat. The characters are well developed and the stage is set for the next two stories of Dallas and the younger brother, Austin.

 

Highly recommended.

Parris Afton Bonds’ LAVENDER BLUE – Love, Civil War and Spies in Texas!

Jeanette St. John, a Civil War widow living in Texas in 1862, is looking to aid the Confederacy by trading her cotton for weapons she can supply the South. But the only ship’s captain able to run the North’s blockade is a Frenchman named “Kitt, the Frenchman,” operating out of Mexico. And so she goes to see him and agrees to a strange bargain: her virtue for his successful runs of cotton for arms and ammunition.

 

Meanwhile Jen has a childhood friend, now grown into a handsome man and returned from years in France, one Cristobal Cavazos, who would have her think he is a gay fop when he is anything but.

 

When the war draws near Jen’s home in Brownsville, Jen’s sea captain father orders her to the North where he lives, but she has no intention of going. She thrives on the excitement and danger around her. So she talks Cristobal into marrying her—a marriage of convenience where they will live their separate lives. And then the Frenchman, Kitt insists she keeps the terms of their bargain.

 

Of course I knew that Cristobal was Kitt, but even knowing that, I loved watching Jen stumble around doubting the virility of her husband. Cristobal was a great hero and put up with Jen’s snippy overreactions to learning of his assumed identity. The story is intriguing as both Cristobal and Jen take on the role of spy, her for the Confederacy and he for the Juaristas in Mexico.

 

The story reflects Bonds’ considerable research and events of the Civil War in Texas. It’s a story of second chances and love in the middle of tumultuous times and in a tumultuous relationship. And there are some well-written exciting scenes as Cristobal tries to outrun the Union troops. Very enjoyable!

 

Candace Proctor’s THE BEQUEST – Unusual Western Historical Romance

Set in Central City, Colorado in 1874, this story of the post-Civil War west makes for a most interesting romance. Proctor writes exceptionally well and the story will definitely hold your attention. There is lots of action, mystery and a love that will tear at your heart. If you've ever love a man who couldn't return your love because of his haunted past, this one's for you.

Gabrielle Antoine has been raised in a New Orleans convent, believing she is an orphan. Her dream is to one day have a school for girls. Then one day, as a young woman, she finds out her mother only recently died and has left her a house and a business in Colorado. Gabrielle is most curious and decides to go there to learn more about her mother. It turns out the house and business are the same--a brothel--and her mother was the madam who, while still a beautiful woman at 40, was murdered. Once in Colorado, Gabrielle meets her mother's business partner, a tough ex-Confederate officer and former Texas Ranger named Jordan Hays, whose brothers died in the war and whose pregnant wife was raped and murdered by Union soldiers. He is one cold guy, but he can also be charming and he charms Gabrielle. An innocent virgin, Jordan tells her he will take her innocence and leave her with less than she had when he leaves as he intends to do. He has no desire to marry again. He thinks it will be easy to take her and ruin her. It is and he does. Gee, what a good guy (not!). Gabrielle's one fear is becoming like her mother...and it seems Jordan is willing to help her down that path. Then comes a bad guy who wants the brothel to add to his kingdom, and he doesn't care who he has to corrupt or murder to get it.

There are wonderful secondary characters, the prostitutes in the bordello, their children and the villains (and there are more than one!). As Gabrielle develops a heart for the women and their children, so will you. We are all a product of our pasts and these women had very difficult pasts.

Though Proctor lives in Australia, she writes about Colorado as if she had been a long time resident. Her descriptions of the natural beauty of the place are quite accurate and well done. She is a master storyteller. Suddenly, you are back in the west of the 19th century when people were trying to carve a life for themselves out of the rugged terrain and difficult circumstances.

I recommend this one!

 

Johanna Lindsey’s ONE HEART TO WIN – Handsome Cowboy for a New York Girl

 

Set in Montana in the last half of the 19^th century, this is the story of Tiffany Warren, a young lady of New York who was betrothed to a son of a rancher when she was quite young to end a feud between two families. She wants no part of it but is willing to go there for two months to see her intended, Hunter, the eldest son of the Callahans, the enemies of the Warrens.

On the way, Tiffany experiences a train robbery and then is accosted by the Callahans who think she is the Warrens’ new housekeeper and offer her double wages to work for them. Tiffany accepts in order to secretly assess the man she is supposed to marry. She finds Hunter Callahan to be a charming, sexy cowboy who she vows to resist. However, she doesn’t resist Hunter’s charms for long. They end up in bed in a hayloft. So much for propriety. Apparently ignorant of how that behavior can lead to being with child, Tiffany rebuffs his proposal.

 

It’s a fun read but not my favorite by Lindsey. Hunter is a charmer whose intensions aren’t all bad. He’s a good older brother and good in a fight. The feud between the families seems real enough but Tiffany’s disdain for her father (who actually loves her) seemed a tad contrived. No, he wasn’t in her life but then that was by her mother’s choice. There is a mystery that is resolved in the end, rather quickly. The two love scenes were rushed and strong-willed Tiffany melted whenever Hunter approached. Still, it will bring you to the West and some handsome cowboys.

Shirl Henke’s BROKEN VOWS – Superb Storytelling!

 

Set in Nevada in the late 19^th century (beginning in 1870) during the silver boom on the Comstock Lode, Henke delivers a superb tale of young love, prejudice (against the Irish among others), deception, treachery and love’s second chances. I highly recommend it.

 

Rebekah Sinclair, a small town preacher’s daughter, and Rory Madigan, an impoverished Irish immigrant who worked his way West as a prizefighter, meet and quickly fall in love. In a night of passion, they vow to love each other forever and Rory asks Rebekah to marry him assuring her he will find a way to make enough money to win her parents’ respect. However, an evil rich man who wants Rebekah on his arm as he rises in politics conspires to keep Rory from her; his efforts are aided by the bigotry of Rebekah’s family. As a result Rory and Rebekah are separated, each believing they were betrayed by the other. Rory and Rebekah meet again years later when Rory is rich and influential and bent on revenge. But true love will have its day….

I could not put it down and my emotions were truly engaged. I ended up reading it through much of the night, it was that good. Her wonderful characters are richly drawn and her plot weaves an intriguing story.

 

Henke gives us a taste of the West when it was still wild enough that murder and corruption went without retribution, when powerful men used others for their own greed and lust. Then, too, living in America now, we forget the Irish were not just persecuted by the English in Ireland; they were persecuted here as well. Though Rebekah was poor, her family would never consider an Irish Catholic an acceptable husband, no matter how much she loved him. Thank God it’s a romance and all comes right in the end.

 

You won’t regret getting this one!

Penelope Williamson’s HEART OF THE WEST - Magnificent Montana Love Story!

June is Western month. I’m starting with a classic, a historical romance that will tear at your heart. It covers twelve years (1879-1891) in the lives of Americans trying to carve out a life in Montana frontier. Williamson weaves a masterful tale with incredibly accurate historic detail and dialog that brings to life the people who made the West: Easterners, cowboys, Indians, Chinese, Irish, miners, railroad workers, merchants, ranchers and those who preyed upon them.

 

There are lots of relationship combinations in this romance: Two men loving the same woman; two women loving the same man; one man loving a woman who should never have married the man she did; a good hearted whore who becomes a lady's true friend and the lover of the man her friend loves, different races coming together and children birthed and loved only to die of accident, disease and more. Through the lives of these people, Williamson so beautifully portrays, you will experience the life of the Americans who won the West and who made this country great. And you will experience love that endures through the years though denied.

Williamson takes her time developing the characters. You will feel as if you know them; you will experience their dreams, their tragedies, their disappointments, their happiness and their loves. And, as with the other great romances by this author, you will feel the emotion, whether deep in the pits of despair or soaring with love's sweet reward.

 

And, it is truly a great love story.

The main story is that of Clementine Kennicutt, the highborn daughter of a rigid, demanding and, at times, abusive minister in Boston. She dreams of freedom and of cowboys. When one stumbles into her life, though she doesn’t really know him, she is willing to elope with him to his ranch in Montana.

 

Gus McQueen was raised in the south and in Boston but then as a young man he went looking for his younger brother, Zach Rafferty, who he had lost when they were separated as children. He finds him and they stake a ranch in Montana, which it seems is always just barely making it. When Gus, a man of dreams, meets Clementine in Boston on a trip home to see his dying mother, he knows he can't live without her. So Gus, 25, and Clementine, 18, wed knowing next to nothing about each other.

 

Gus brings Clementine home to Montana and to a hard life she is not prepared for. Zach, the darker younger brother with a mysterious past (even at 23), realizes soon after Clementine arrives that he covets his brother's wife. And, though faithful to her husband, Zach becomes the passion of Clementine’s life--a passion denied.

 

You can see the potential for great angst here, can't you? Here a sample of the words Zach speaks to her—one of my all time favorite quotes:

 

"A heartfire, Clementine my darlin', is when you want someone, when you need her so damn bad, not only in your bed but in your life, that you're willin' to burn—"

 

Yeah, well, a whole lot of burnin' goes on in this story. It’s a keeper!

 

Madison Thames’ GONE OUTLAW – A First Book from a Talented Writer, a Story from the Old West

Set in 1883, this is the story of Dinah Hance, who lost a girlhood friend and part of her family to outlaws who plagued her town. Dinah vows revenge for the murders and insists on joining the posse pursuing the gang. But before she does, she has an encounter with one gang member who seems unlike the others. Joseph Gray has been with the outlaw leader since he was a boy, looking to him as a father figure after the Great War robbed him of his parents. Torn between the gang that is his family and his attraction to Dinah, he’s forced to consider what he really wants in life.

 

There is lots of action in this one to satisfy the reader who likes shoot ‘em ups and enough tender moments to satisfy the romance lover. There is also the element of faith. Dinah’s faith is crumbling in the face of tragedy and Joseph’s faith is only now coming to the fore. The characters are well portrayed, the writing good and the ending sweet.

 

I recommend it.

 

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

Charlene Raddon’s THE SCENT OF ROSES - Western Romance with Mormons, Ghosts, Too Man Wives and a Man Falsely Accused

Set in the mining town of Whiskey Ridge, Arizona Territory in 1889, this is the story of Rosalyn Delaney, who comes to town in search of her husband, Josiah, who vanished six years ago. She tracks him to Rose House, an old mansion, only to discover that her missing husband has been killed, and his business partner, Whip Kincaid, is wanted for his murder.

 

Whip Kincaid had planned to make a fresh start in Whiskey Ridge and open a saloon with his friend Josiah. Now, he’s hiding in his own house, hoping to find the one responsible for his partner’s death. Rosalyn’s presence interferes with his plans, but he’s having fun pretending to haunt the house using its secret passages.

 

Meanwhile, Rosalyn must contend with Josiah’s second wife, about whom she knew nothing until she arrived, and the woman’s brother who was a bit of too much.

 

The story opens with an exciting scene of a mine collapse, well described, and goes on from there to develop a cast of engaging characters, each driven by their own needs and deeds they want to keep hidden. I quite liked the very formal butler who was always there to keep everyone in order. Because the heroine comes from a Mormon family, the Mormons are discussed at some length. Raddon does an excellent job with Whip’s young daughter, an endearing character.

 

Midway through the book, Tempest from To Have and To Hold shows up with family in tow, to help solve some mysteries, so I do recommend reading that one first.

 

An enjoyable Western romance.

Nora Roberts’ LAWLESS – Superb suspenseful storytelling from the Old West!

 

Set in 1875 in Arizona Territory, this is the story of Sarah Conway, who was raised in a convent school in Philadelphia where her father left her when he went west to discover gold. He loved his daughter and saw Sarah had everything but the one thing she really wanted—her father. So, when she was nearly 18, she traveled west to Lone Bluff where her father had settled and built them a fine home. She is shocked to see how stark the land was and to discover her father has been killed in an accident in his mine and there was no fine home. Instead, she finds a one-room shack with a dirt floor.

 

Jake Redman is half Apache and all gunslinger, a hardened man but with a kind, noble heart. Jake thinks the girl he calls Duchess won’t last a day in Lone Bluff. But he was wrong. And for some reason, he wants to protect her.

 

Sarah is a stubborn, determined woman with little respect for the prejudice of others. She falls hard for Jake and befriends a young prostitute—all the while she is making a home of the cabin her father left her and building a seamstress business. Jake is the perfect hero, steel and ice outside and fire inside. Sarah has a steel backbone but is all lady inside.

 

Roberts brings the Old West to life creating vivid images of the rough life on the frontier with lots of action to keep you biting your nails. There are wonderful secondary characters, too, including Lucius, the kind old soldier who Sarah hires to look after her place; Alice, the young prostitute who thought the sun rose with Sarah; Sam Carlson, the smooth rancher who was more snake than gentleman; and Carlotta, the madam of the local whorehouse who wants gold and Jake and doesn’t take kindly to the proper young lady from Philadelphia who has captured Jake’s attention. Great storytelling!

 

I recommend this one!

LaVyrle Spencer’s HUMMINGBIRD – A Second Chance at Love From a Very Unlikely Place

Set in 1879 in Colorado, this is the story of the very proper Miss Abigail McKenzie who decides she needs to make some money to keep herself and her home. So, when two men, wounded on a train in what was thought to be a robbery, show up in her town and the doc says he needs a place to put them—at the railroad’s expense—she volunteers. One is the “hero” and one is the “train robber,” but it matters little to Abigail who is good a tending the sick after caring for her father until his death.

 

The “hero” turns out to be a shoe salesman who is every bit the gentleman that Abigail is a lady. And soon, 33-year-old Abigail is dreaming that she may have a suitor to make up for the one she lost 13 years earlier. David Melcher, whose wound turns out to be only a big toe shot off, is quite enamored with Miss Abigail, but most of her time is taken up with the “robber” who is gravely wounded in his upper leg. Through a series of events, Abigail saves his life and yet when he awakens, he’s like a bear coming out of a cave, snapping at her every move.

 

Spencer does a brilliant job of keeping up the tension and the banter going between Abigail and her most difficult patient, the handsome and darkly sensual man who only gives her his first name, “Jesse.” It is all the more amazing when you consider that most of the book occurs in her home and in a single room, her bedroom occupied by the recovering train robber.

 

Jesse comes to think of Abigail as his “hummingbird” as she is small and flits about in a most efficient way. And he views with disdain the would be hero Melcher who would have Abigail as his own. Jesse and Abigail are not initially attracted to each other: she is too proper, too stiff; and he is too crude, too rough. But Jesse sees deeper into her heart and her past than Abigail does and over time, painfully sorts out what has her bound in the rigid rules of propriety.

 

Sometimes the courtship of two creatures is a mad, frantic dance—a biting, clawing fight before the passion overtakes them. Such is the mating dance of Jesse and Abigail. She resists her feelings for him until she is forced to face them and choose. Will Abigail choose the very proper Mr. Melcher, or the crude Jesse?

 

Spencer deftly weaves a “second chance” story where both hero and heroine learn something of their true hearts’ desires. It is rich in detail with superb dialog, intricately interlaced with just enough action to keep you turning pages. Some of the secondary characters are priceless. Though there is not much of the Old West here, you still get an accurate picture of life in the small town of Stuart’s Junction in late 19^th century America.

 

A splendid romance and a very worthy read.

Penelope Williamson’s HEART OF THE WEST - Magnificent Montana Love Story!

 This historical romance will tear at your heart, I promise. It covers twelve years (1879-1891) in the lives of Americans trying to carve out a life in Montana frontier. She weaves a masterful tale with incredibly accurate historic detail and dialog that brings to life the people who made the West: Easterners, cowboys, Indians, Chinese, Irish, miners, railroad workers, merchants, ranchers and those who preyed upon them.

 

There are lots of relationship combinations in this romance: Two men loving the same woman; two women loving the same man; one man loving a woman who should never have married the man she did; a good hearted whore who becomes a lady's true friend and the lover of the man her friend loves, different races coming together and children birthed and loved only to die of accident, disease and more. Through the lives of these people, Williamson so beautifully portrays, you will experience the life of the Americans who won the west and who made this country great. And you will experience love that endures through the years though denied.

Williamson takes her time developing the characters. You will feel as if you know them; you will experience their dreams, their tragedies, their disappointments, their happiness and their loves. And, as with the other great romances by this author, you will feel the emotion, whether deep in the pits of despair or soaring with love's sweet reward.

 

And, it is truly a great love story.

The main story is that of Clementine Kennicutt, the highborn daughter of a rigid, demanding and, at times, abusive minister in Boston. She dreams of freedom and of cowboys. When one stumbles into her life, though she doesn’t really know him, she is willing to elope with him to his ranch in Montana.

 

Gus McQueen was raised in the south and in Boston but then as a young man he went looking for his younger brother, Zach Rafferty, who he had lost when they were separated as children. He finds him and they stake a ranch in Montana, which it seems is always just barely making it. When Gus, a man of dreams, meets Clementine in Boston on a trip home to see his dying mother, he knows he can't live without her. So Gus, 25, and Clementine, 18, wed knowing next to nothing about each other.

 

Gus brings Clementine her home to Montana and to a hard life she is not prepared for. Zach, the darker younger brother with a mysterious past (even at 23), realizes soon after Clementine arrives that he covets his brother's wife. And, though faithful to her husband, Zach becomes the passion of Clementine’s life--a passion denied.

 

You can see the potential for great angst here, can't you? Here a sample of the words Zach speaks to her—one of my all time favorite quotes:

 

"A heartfire, Clementine my darlin', is when you want someone, when you need her so damn bad, not only in your bed but in your life, that you're willin' to burn—"

 

Yeah, well, a whole lot of burnin' goes on in this story. It’s a keeper!

Ellen O’Connell’s DANCING ON COALS – Heartrending Story of an Apache Warrior and the Woman who Loved Him—Simply superb!

Set in Arizona Territory and Northern Mexico in 1881 (late in the time of the Apache wars), this one tells the story of Katherine Grant, who on her way home to New York, is saved from stagecoach bandits by a band of Chiricahua Apache. (The heroine’s sentiments: "I jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Before long I'll be dancing on the coals.") The bandits were the frying pan; the handsome young Apache who spoke English and saved her from them was the fire; and the coals were Gaetan, the Chiricahua brave who hated all whites and Mexicans for what they did to “the people.” He wanted her dead. But Gaetan promised his dying brother that he would care for the white woman, so he had no choice but to take her with him.

 

I absolutely loved Katherine. She was funny, courageous and an independent thinker. No whimpering, reticent female here. Raised on ships sailing the world with her father and brothers, she is a hellion who became a lady but never gave up her love of adventure and her willingness to take on any challenge. And she has lots of them following the Apache warrior, Gaetan. I was on the edge of my seat with attacks by outlaws, renegade Apaches, Mexican soldiers and miners.

 

As Katherine and Gaetan’s relationship developed, I came to care about what happened to them. My heart was committed to seeing them end up happy and together (thankfully this is romance and so you know you’ll see that in the end!).

 

It’s an absorbing story I did not want to put down. O’Connell said her story was inspired by the “very strong and very masculine” face of the Apache chief Victorio, who fought for his people in the late 1800s.

 

O’Connell does a superb job of portraying the Apache way of life and the impossible situation they faced, wedged between the Mexicans who wanted to annihilate them and the Americans who wanted to imprison them on reservations where they became “the dead.” And in the middle of all that were the two lovers who came together from different worlds, and though unlikely, were absolutely perfect for each other.

 

You won’t be disappointed in this one!

 

Buy on Amazon.