Sandy M’s review of The Cavalry Wife by Donna Dalton
Historical romance released 10 Aug 07 by The Wild Rose Press
Every once in a while you pick up a book and just a few pages in you realize you’ve found a lovely little jewel that sparkles and shines the more you read. This book is one of those for me.
From the moment I met Callie, I felt for her, I wanted her to have the life she wanted and deserved, and I wanted her to have the love in her life she’d lost with the death of her parents. Even her connection to the White House couldn’t protect her from the malevolence harbored toward her by her guardians for something so tragic Callie still blames herself. Even when she takes advantage of an unexpected opportunity that she knows is wrong, you pray she holds on to that moment so that she can really begin to live and experience life.
Captain Chase Brooks is a man who needs the structure and discipline of the military. He’s also a man who’s experienced betrayal, so you can imagine his ire when life takes an unwanted turn and he suddenly has a wife he has no intention taking care of, let alone love. Chase is as determined to remain friends with her as Cassie is to break through his facade and show him how to love again. It’s wonderful to see her break down his defenses one by one, but it takes a near-death tragedy to pull him out of his stubborn ways and acknowledge what his wife has to offer him.
Watching Callie become a more confident and determined woman through her befriending the Negro regiment her husband commands and her snubbing the racist and snobbish women of the fort only causes you to cheer her on. The Indian conflicts and illiteracy of the black troops are highlighted and handled very well.
I’m glad I found this diamond in the rough. Ms. Dalton will continue to shine for some time to come.
Grade: A
From the back cover:
A night of too much whiskey, a wrongly-numbered hotel door, and an angry guardian force dedicated cavalry captain Chase Brooks into marriage, despite his vow never to endure another loveless marriage. He reluctantly agrees to take his new wife with him to his remote outpost, convinced the pampered girl won’t last two weeks in the harsh conditions of the southwest and will beg to be sent back east. The one thing he didn’t count on was a burning desire for his unwanted wife.
Callie Grant embraces the opportunity to start a new life far from the controlling hands of her guardians. Enduring the rough environment of the Indian Territories, she transforms from a timid flower into the poised, self-reliant woman she’s always dreamed of becoming. As her gratitude towards the captain turns to love, she resolves to break through her husband’s formidable reserve and uncover the passionate, loving nature he tries to hide.
Read an excerpt.
I remember this book :::shudder:::
Why didn’t you like this one, Keishon? I thought it was one of those sweet stories you just don’t find very often. Everyone is so caught up in hot and erotic and paranormal nowadays, (and I’m one of those, I admit) these types of books get lost in the shuffle.
It is a sweet love story but I felt that it dragged. I loved the historical setting and cover is gorgeous but I thought the story was slow after the first couple of chapters. Maybe it was my mood but I just remember the story dragging…and I wasn’t engaged in the story and didn’t really care for the characters either and def. didn’t care for the hero’s baggage either, painting all women with the same brush.
That’s too bad. I never felt that way. From page one after meeting Callie and seeing the circumstances of her life, I so wanted her to have her new life. I can see what you mean about the hero’s baggage, but in this case I thought it worked. He’s a military man where everything is cut and dried, no questions asked, no second chances and that’s all he’d ever known. It didn’t surprise me he was so steadfast in his convictions and resistent to change. He had to be for Callie to break through all of it or there wouldn’t have been a story!
This book totally took me by surprise…..I loved it. Callie and Chase….wow…I think I’ll re-read this story this weekend.