Shannon C.’s review of A Desperate Journey by Debra Parmley
Historical western romance eBook released by Samhain Publishing 22 Jul 08
The premise of this book is fascinating. A woman goes on a journey to recover her son, who has been kidnapped, and meets a dark, mysterious man who may or may not have her best interests at heart. Together they weather storms, both literal and figurative, and find happiness. Unfortunately, in A Desperate Journey, the premise did not hold up very well and I was left with a mediocre romance featuring a heroine I began to actively dislike.
The premise goes like this. Sally married a man on a wagon train for… God only knows what reason. And like all ex-husbands that are not the hero, he turned out to suck. One day, Sally returns to her farm in Kansas (woot, home state represent!) and finds that Luke has taken off with her seven-year-old son. She enlists the help of the leader of the wagon train she used to head west before she married Luke, and, along with her three-year-old daughter, she takes off after him. Along the way, she meets Rob Truman, a man who strikes her as terribly dangerous. Rob is looking for Luke for his own reasons, and due to several extenuating circumstances, he finds himself joining Sally and the two immediately fight an attraction to each other.
Most of my issues with the book came from Sally herself. I really hate the ex is a villain trope in romance novels, because, as was the case here, the ex isn’t given enough depth for us to understand how come a perfectly sensible woman would fall for such an obvious loser. I wanted some examples of Luke’s charm, so that I could point to them and say, ‘Yeah, that’s why she was into him.’ But none were provided and I was left feeling that Sally really wasn’t very bright. This was not helped by the fact that she did really stupid things in order to advance the plot. Taking a three-year-old on a mad dash like the one she took seemed a bit silly, and the thing that eventually brings Rob to travel with Sally came about because of something she did. I would have liked to have had Sally fight down her panic for a little bit of forethought before she went tearing off.
Rob is your typical mopey hero. Revenge has eaten up his life, and he wants to get back at Luke. He also doesn’t trust women, but he can’t help but admire Sally’s spirit even while he wants to pat her on the head and chastize her for getting her fool self into trouble. In a word, he is a lot like a lot of heroes out there, so I found him mostly boring.
The secondary characters all line up neatly into their roles from central casting. The most interesting character in the whole book, sadly for me, is one who ends up dead at the climax of the story, and everyone else either bored or annoyed me. Of particular annoyance was Carolyn, Sally’s daughter, who is supposed to be three, but is way too cheerful and cutesy and precocious. She is a Stepford child if ever there was one.
I really wanted to like this book. I love the idea of tortured heroines in general, and this story in particular had a lot of potential. It was just so boring, and featured characters I disliked, that I’m afraid I can’t recommend it.
Grade: D
Summary:
Sometimes a journey of the heart is the most dangerous journey of all.
Sally Wheeler learned the hard way that men aren’t always what they seem. Now she will stop at nothing to track down the bigamist husband who stole her child and abandoned her on their failing Kansas farm. Even if it means traveling with a handsome maverick who could change her mind about men.
Free after spending seven years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Rob Truman aims to balance the scales of justice on the man who sent him there—Luke Wheeler. His quest doesn’t include falling for the one woman who will lead him to his quarry, but Sally’s courage in the face of her fear touches his soul.
Through dangerous days and nights on the trail, neither Sally nor Rob can ignore their growing feelings for each other. Yet both are haunted by the poor judgment that, in the past, led them down the wrong road. Love—and trust—are luxuries neither of them can afford.
But as the bullets start flying, love may be all that saves them—and Sally’s son.
Warning:This title contains ornery mules and ornery men. Get ready to see how the West was really won – one relationship at a time!
Read an excerpt.
