Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Rebel And The Lady by Kathryn Albright
Historical romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Sep 08

I’ve made no secret of my love for Harlequin Historical westerns. They’re my comfort read. The books I keep coming back to time and again. Earlier this year I read Kathryn Albright’s debut novel for TGTBTU, and I liked it. It didn’t knock my socks off, but it was a pleasant read and I thought it was a decent debut. Little did I know that the author would take that “pleasant” debut and follow it up with an epic.

Victoria Torrez’s land along the Rio Grande has been in her family for generations. Her blue-blooded lineage can be traced all the way back to Spain. However she soon finds her land and legacy threatened when Santa Anna rolls into town looking to quell the rebellion to liberate Texas from Mexico. Victoria does not want to leave her parents, but her father tells her she must travel to her cousin’s home near San Antonio. Not only will Juan keep her safe, but she can also warn him that the Mexican Army is heading right towards the Alamo.

Victoria makes it to Juan’s home only to become increasingly frustrated by the Texians. They are not heeding the warnings, and very little is being done in preparation for the arrival of the invading army. It’s during these frustrating times when she meets Jake Dumont, a southerner from Charleston who has only come to Texas to look for his wayward younger brother.

The fight between the Texians and Santa Anna isn’t Jake’s fight. In fact, Jake has fought for very little over the course of his entire life. He’s a loner. The kind of man who leaves when the going gets tough, and the kind of man who does not get roped into lost causes. But when Santa Anna arrives, he finds himself spiriting Victoria behind the walls of the Alamo. And when he has a chance to leave, he finds he can’t, because he’s too drawn to a woman well above his station in life, and one that is surely going to be the death of him.

I was awed by the scope and depth of Albright’s story. This one has all the makings of a good, old-fashioned, sweeping historical epic. Victoria is a woman of standing, with family pride, and the tenacity to fight for that legacy. Loyalty is everything to her, and she’s not about to back down from a fight.

By contrast, Jake is a man with a wandering spirit. Life has taught him to not get too close to anyone, because inevitably he’s always disappointed. His father didn’t love him, his mother abandoned him, and when a woman drove a wedge between them, his brother took off. However, Jake makes a promise to that woman to find Brandon and bring him home, and finally realizing that his brother is all he has left, he intends to do just that.

As much as I adored this novel, I can see it not working for all readers. Albright has a lot going on in this story and because of that the romance has a tendency to land in the back seat. Also, the couple does spend quite a bit of time apart from each other in the latter half of the story. I felt it worked in the context of this particular book given the sheer scope of the conflict, but it may not work for readers who want the romantic couple to spend every waking moment together. Also, Jake falls into the old habit that befalls many romantic heroes – he thinks Victoria betrays him when she really doesn’t.  While I tend to have little patience for this sort of thing, I did think it worked well here because the author uses it to ratchet up the emotional intensity between the romantic couple.

My only regret is that this story wasn’t longer. I think Albright does an amazing job given the scope of the external conflict, and the word count she had to adhere to for the Harlequin Historical line. However, if ever a story begged for the revival of the big, meaty historical romance heyday of the 1970s, this one is it. And generally speaking, as a reader who doesn’t get all that excited over “big books,” that’s truly saying something.

The author dedicated this book to her husband by saying, “Here’s your western honey.” Boy howdy, does she deliver. I cannot recommend this one strongly enough to western fans and those historical readers who lament the rise of the wallpaper historical. Do not miss this book.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Two weeks before the eventful day at the Alamo in San Antonio de Béxar, Victoria’s land on the Rio Grande is overrun by the Mexican army. She heads north to warn the Texians unaware that the very person who has helped her escape is now using her to spy on the Alamo’s defenses.

Jake Dumont is good with a gun, but he doesn’t care one whit about the fight for freedom happening in the Texas territory. He just wants to find his foolish brother and haul him back home. Yet when he meets the beautiful señorita, Victoria, and steals a kiss, he’s rocked to the core. Here is a woman who will lay her life on the line for what she believes. Finally he’s found something worth fighting for. How can he leave when protecting her suddenly means more to him than protecting his heart?

Read an excerpt.