Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Cowboy Christmas by Carol Finch, Elizabeth Lane & Pam Crooks
Historical romance anthology released by Harlequin Historical 01 Oct 09

Holiday time means two things.  1) Harlequin starts churning out the Christmas-themed books and 2) Wendy’s wallet starts quietly sobbing.  It doesn’t help matters that Harlequin has a habit of offering up a western historical anthology.  So I started Cowboy Christmas with some anticipation, settling in for what I hoped would be a solid, heartwarming collection.  Unfortunately, none of the stories inspired more than just an “Meh, it’s OK” reaction from me.

A Husband For Christmas by Carol Finch

Victoria “Tori” Thurston enjoys her life in a tiny west Texas town where she runs her own bakery.  Her parents are major movers in Fort Worth society, which means they have the perfect potential husband picked out for her.  Naturally Tori isn’t overeager to abandon her business to wed some stuffed shirt, so she tells her parents it’s too late, she’s already married to local marshal, Logan Daniels.  However now she’s really in the soup.  Her parents expect her home for Christmas and they want to meet this mysterious husband.  Now all she has to do is convince Logan to play her husband for a quick holiday visit home.  Surely that won’t be too difficult.

This is the humorous story in the anthology, and Finch does a nice job keeping the proceedings fairly light and fluffy.  Unfortunately she skims over a lot of the sticker details in order to achieve that goal.  Tori has always played second fiddle to her gorgeous older sister.  She has a good relationship with The Chosen One, but her parents, while not mean-spirited, are offhandedly neglectful of the more enterprising Tori.  None of this family baggage is really addressed, other than for Tori to realize that her sister’s life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  I also was disappointed there wasn’t more than a passing western flavor to this tale.  Honestly the author could have plucked these characters up and dropped them anywhere else in time or place and the story wouldn’t have changed all that much.

Grade = C







The Homecoming by Elizabeth Lane

Clay McAllister has spent the last three years in prison because of his reckless, stupid younger brother.  All he wants is to return to his ranch, his wife Elise and their young son.  When he arrives though, he discovers the ranch in disrepair and Elise less than happy to see him.  Why had Buck never returned home, delivering the money they made on their last cattle drive together like Clay had begged him to?

I love holiday stories that center around redemption and forgiveness.  However, this one hinges on one of the more insulting plot devices around – The Character Who Won’t Read Letters That Explain Everything.  Yep, you guessed it.  Clay wrote his wife faithfully from prison and she marked them all Return To Sender without reading them.  So naturally while she thinks she knows what happened, she really doesn’t.  Honestly, who the hell does this?  It makes absolutely no sense.  Also, while there is more than enough conflict to keep this story chugging along, there’s really too much conflict to keep this story chugging along.  If ever a story was begging for a full-length treatment, this one is it.

Grade = C







The Cattleman’s Christmas Bride by Pam Crooks

Allethaire “Allie” Gibson is returning to Montana in disgrace.  She’s been accused of embezzling money from a fundraiser she was spearheading back in Minneapolis, and she needs to see her father in Montana to explain her innocence.  That’s when the train is held up by outlaws and they find a whole wad of cash in her trunk!  But she’s innocent!  Before the authorities on the train can take her in for questioning, she’s saved by local rancher,Mikolas “Mick” Vasco who was nearby when he heard the train stop in the middle of the tracks.  He spirits Allie away, determined to help her clear her name.  There’s one small wrinkle though – a few years back Mick was one of the men who kidnapped Allie for ransom!

This is a sequel of sorts to the author’s previous book, The Cattleman’s Unsuitable Wife.  If you haven’t read that story, this one is a bit rocky.  Mostly because the majority of the conflict is a holdover from that book.  Once the author catches the reader up to speed, it sails along at a smoother clip, but too much is glossed over.  Namely the heroine’s compulsion for drinking brandy in secret and the small matter of the stolen money, which is apparently going to be fodder for a future book.  Which ultimately makes this story nothing but a placeholder between books.  If you’re a fan, you’ll likely want to read this one.  Otherwise, there’s not a whole lot here for newcomers.

Grade = C

All in all these stories never rated above OK for me.  This anthology was a quick pleasant read, but it didn’t set my world on fire.  If you’re hooked on Crooks’ series, this one is probably worth a look.  Otherwise, while it’s a decent diversion, it didn’t have a whole lot of staying power.

Overall Grade: C

Summary:

Twelve days of Christmas—three heartwarming romances!

A Husband for Christmas by Carol Finch

To reassure her overprotective parents, Victoria Thurston must convince the town marshal to be her “holiday husband.” But the magical, festive air—and Tori’s luminous green eyes—make it very difficult for Logan Daniels to keep to their marriage in name only!

The Homecoming by Elizabeth Lane

Brooding rancher Clay McAllister paid his reckless brother’s dues in a tough Kansas jail. Now Clay must win back his beautiful wife, Elise. And, after three years apart, some yuletide passion is just what Clay and Elise need to reignite the fire that still smolders between them….

The Cattleman’s Christmas Bride by Pam Crooks

With her reputation cruelly slandered, Allethaire Gibson is forced to flee to the snowy Montana mountains. There the dazzling socialite unexpectedly finds a Christmas romance with a man who has fought for respect just as she has—rugged cattleman Mikolas Vasco!

Read an excerpt – Finch Story, Lane Story, no excerpt found for Crooks story

Other books in this series:

It is only for Kristie and Wendy I would get up early on a Saturday and drive to the post office. They have up wrap up posts today with contests! LOL hence my drive to the post office…

I would wrap but I am not done, this isn’t shocking I am always late. So expect some posts til Wednesdayish but will try to have the last contest posts up Sunday at least two more bet you can guess one of them (to close wed).

Unless we go ahead and update the template and it crashes (Did I mention I am somewhat cynical?) this western drive could go on for weeks… ::innocent blink::

It’s a Western Wrap Wendy Style

It’s a Western Wrap Kristie Style

Now on for some Harlequin Historical reckon…

Turner’s Woman by Jenna Kernan

I mention this book all the time and it is one that when Wendy finally read it – she didn’t like it near as much – we forgive her, she can’t be perfect.  Why do I love this book so much? I mean it is sick, I have put it in the hands of more people than I can remember and noticed I have a copy to send to Renee! I adore Emma and didn’t hate Jake near as much as Wendy.  And the setting… oh man the setting is just amazing.  It is almost another character in the book.  And the women you meet in the story, pretty much all kick ass.  Loves it.

The rest I couldn’t decide on a book so I picked my fave authors and am giving you a few picks.

The Stranger by Elizabeth Lane or His Borrowed Bride

The book we are giving away is the most recent, His Substitute Bride. I admit I adore Quinn but I loved His Borrowed Bride (the first in the series). And The Stranger a hecka lot more than Gwen did. And good new is Elizabeth Lane has a novella coming out plus another story in the current series in March 2010. THEN another one… you can read deets here.

Carolyn Davidson is one of those authors I want to go back to Harlequin Historical. Her last HQN, Eden, was painful to read. The one before that not that much better, although unlike some I really enjoyed Redemption (her first HQN).

But her HH are (mostly) amazing. She is one of the authors who were on my reread spree at the beginning of 2009.

Maggie’s Beau
Loving Katherine
The Midwife
The Tender Stranger
The Wedding Promise – which ties into the HQN novel Redemption
There are more… The Seduction of Shay Devereaux, Runaway all awesome, hope the line sees her back soon

Kate Bridges

Do not know what to rec here.  LOVE her books and omg her next, ALASKAN RENEGADE  looks amazing.  FAB cover. I WANT.  So many to pick from but will say… something old and something newish *g*

Klondike Doctor (1st in Mountie series set in the Yukon Gold Rush) and The Doctor’s Homecoming (noted on her site that “has been reprinted. It’s part of a larger Close to Home Collection offered by Harlequin. It’s included in the fourth shipment. There are lots of popular authors included!” I did not know that but I recently read it for the first time.)

AND holy hell look what it sez on her site:

Kate’s also working on a novella for a Mail Order Bride anthology (title to be determined) with two of her favorite Western writers–Carolyn Davidson and Jillian Hart. Release date is spring 2010.

EVERYONE ssssssqqqqqqqquuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeee those are three of my fave authors all together!

Cheryl Reavis the author I shouldn’t even mention since I don’t think she is going to write for HH again. Moved to SSE line, prolly just to break my heart because it is all about me. They maybe hard to find, not sure, but Prisoner, The Forbidden Bride, & Bartered Bride are three of my faves.

I know you were expecting a different Cheryl but I think we have touched on her.

And three authors you read you might have missed these books were first published as HH:
Lawless by Nora Roberts – one of the few of hers I have read
Reckless Love by Elizabeth Lowell – another fave
trilogy I ::heart:::
Apache Summer by Heather Graham
Dark Stranger by Heather Graham
Rides A Hero by Heather Graham

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of His Substitute Bride by Elizabeth Lane
Historical romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Apr 09

Readers who have read last year’s The Borrowed Bride are already well acquainted with the hero in His Substitute Bride. He’s none other than Quint Seavers , the charmingly handsome adventurer who knocked up his childhood sweetheart before he took off to find his fortune in the Alaskan gold rush. These same readers also know that when Quint seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth, Hannah had no choice but to marry his stoic older brother, Judd. Taking place six years after The Borrowed Bride, I can’t help but think that Quint’s story will work a whole lot better for readers who haven’t read book number one.

Quint left Colorado behind for the life of an investigative reporter in San Francisco. It’s 1906, and he’s currently racking as much muck as he can trying to uncover a political corruption scandal involving the city’s water works. He’s succeeding in stepping on plenty of toes, and powerful men are starting to take notice. However that’s all on hold. His sister-in-law, Annie Gustavson, is bringing his daughter, Clara, for a visit.

Annie has been in love with Quint since she was a girl. Now 23, with a successful career as a seamstress, she’s been turning down suitors left and right. This visit to San Francisco is her last chance; her last chance to convince herself that Quint is too footloose and fancy free to settle down. Annie wants love, marriage and babies. Quint wants adventure and excitement. But her good intentions immediately fly out the window when Quint meets them at the train depot. Damn, the man is even more charming and handsome than she remembered.

What follows is Annie’s inner turmoil between her love for Quint and her desire for a life. At 23 she is officially “on the shelf,” and she knows it will be a lonely life indeed to sit home in Colorado pining for a man who doesn’t know she exists. Plus, she’s convinced that Quint never got over her sister, Hannah, who has always been the real beauty in their family. Adding further complications to the proceedings is Quint’s investigation into city corruption, which puts him squarely in the sights of some very greedy, very bad men.

I give Lane a lot of credit for being consistent with her character development. The Quint in this story is essentially the same Quint we first met in The Borrowed Bride – and therein lies the problem. This is a man whose every decision smacks of selfishness. Certainly, he claims his investigation is for the greater good – but one can’t dismiss the fact that his decisions have a way of hurting the ones he loves. It happened in the first book, and it happens here in the second one. I couldn’t help thinking that Annie deserved better.

I also wasn’t convinced by the happily-ever-after. For one thing, there is not nearly enough fall-out from the events that take place during the second half of this story (oh, like big brother Judd knocking Quint’s teeth in) and for another? I couldn’t shake the feeling that the minute Quint gets an itch, he’ll be off on some adventure to scratch it while sweet Annie is left lingering on the sidelines.

On a final note, I wanted to mention that the author does a wonderful job of bringing early 20th century San Francisco to life, a setting that is criminally under-utilized as a historical romance setting.  It’s rich, evocative, but not enough to convince me that this romance will “last.”  For Annie’s sake, I hope Quint drops the Peter Pan act and grows up.

Grade: C+

Summary:
.
Dashing but cynical Quint Seavers lives for danger. A past betrayal has made him wary of love, and he has no idea that independent, practical Annie Gustavson holds a secret longtime passion for him. Nor does he realize that the only reason Annie has traveled to San Francisco is to win his love—or walk away forever.
.
When disaster strikes the city, Annie’s courage and determination match his own—and suddenly Quint knows that she is exactly what has been missing from his life all along….
.
Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Devon’s review of The Borrowed Bride by Elizabeth Lane
Historical Romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Nov 08

A beautiful girl, her childhood sweetheart, and her childhood sweetheart’s brother…AWK-WARD. Being a lifelong soap fan, I can’t help but be drawn to love triangles, all the tension and guilt (Is that bad of me). But in a romance, I don’t want things to be too tense. One relationship should be stronger than the other, and no one should get too hurt. The Borrowed Bride has delicious tension, a quiet romance, and is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Westerns/Americana.

Hannah Gustavson has loved Quint Seavers forever. Only two things stand between Hannah and Quint: Quint’s cold, disapproving Mother, and Quint’s desire to get out from under the thumb of said Mother. When Quint’s older brother Judd returns to Colorado after a stint fighting with The Rough Riders, it is Quint’s chance. He sets off to hunt for gold in the Klondike, but not before leaving Hannah a parting gift. The baby kind. The upright and super-responsible Judd offers Hannah a marriage in name only, until Quint returns. Ah, the Marriage of Convenience, an oldie but a goodie.

Judd leaves right after the marriage takes place, returns and takes off again. He is already drawn to Hannah and her to him, so it made me a little crazy that they were apart. How can they be falling in love when they haven’t spent any significant time together? Less Hannah stuck with a crotchety old lady, and less brooding Judd, please. When Judd returned, the developing feeling seemed a bit rushed. But the chemistry was good and the tension was involving. I was waiting for that first kiss.

So things are humming along nicely until, uh oh, Quint returns. I didn’t particularly like Quint, even though he was written fairly sympathetically. He seemed rather immature and self-centered. He was likeable enough that I could see why Hannah cared for him. For this all to work Hannah had to be likeable as well, worthy of two men’s love. She was sweet and slightly bland. Although she clung to the idea that she loved Quint, it was very clear that she loved Judd as well. I like heroes like Judd, uptight, moral, burdened with responsibility. He was a very nice guy as well. Could’ve done with a bit less of the mother, personally.

Overall, this was a nice story that kept me reading. There was no real question of who Hannah would end up with, but I enjoyed the developing romance. The turn of the century Colorado setting was a refreshing change of pace as well. Those who like American-set Historicals, or Marriage of Convenience stories should check it out.

Grade: B

The Summary:

“We’re going to have a child. You need to come home so we can get married.”

So wrote Hannah Gustavson to her childhood sweetheart, the father of her baby. But with no response, she was forced to marry another man…her lover’s brother.

Tall, handsome and honorable, Judd Seavers could make any woman’s heart race. Hannah was no exception, and she was awed by the ex-soldier who gave her his name.

A forbidden love as grand as the Rockies crested between them. But a shadow loomed. Would the baby’s father come home? And if he did, would Judd return his borrowed bride?

Read an excerpt

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Borrowed Bride by Elizabeth Lane
Historical western romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Nov 08

In the sake of full disclosure, it should probably be noted that I normally loathe love triangles. This is mostly because I like the characters to at least know their own minds, and love triangle plots have a way of rendering them indecisive, weak, and spineless. Just make a decision cupcake, and stick with it. So when I first read the plot description of Elizabeth Lane’s newest Harlequin Historical western I was naturally skeptical. However, having enjoyed her work in the past, I figured I owed it to her to at least give The Borrowed Bride a shot; and I’m glad I did. While not perfect, it certainly is one emotional read.

Hannah Gustavson has loved Quint Seavers since they were children. It’s a foregone conclusion that they’ll settle down, get married, and have a horde of children. However, Quint has other ideas. He’s a young man itching for adventure, but he’s been tied down to his family’s ranch. Now that his older brother Judd is coming home, wounded in the Spanish-American War, Quint can finally shake off the dust of their tiny Colorado town and head for the Klondike gold rush.

As if pining away and missing Quint wasn’t enough, Hannah discovers some months later that she’s pregnant. That one fumbling moment in the hayloft, in her foolish hopes of keeping Quint home, has resulted in a baby. Worse still, nobody has heard from Quint. Her letters, and the letters his family writes, are going unanswered. When Judd learns that Hannah is pregnant, he only sees one solution. He’ll marry her, give Quint’s baby a name, and when Quint returns (if he returns), he’ll readily sign divorce papers. Until then, he and Hannah will live as brother and sister.

But as the months continue to crawl by, with still no word or news about Quint – Judd’s good intentions are becoming harder to swallow. He’s falling in love with his brother’s girl, and she is developing feelings for him.

This story starts out with Quint happily boarding a train out of town, and the emotional roller coaster doesn’t stop from there. Hannah finds herself married to Judd, mostly because her only other option is scandal. It’s not an easy decision to come by though. While the Gustavson household is poor and hardworking, it’s a home filled with love. The Seavers family consists of a bitter, sickly mother; Judd haunted by the war and nursing his wounds; and Gretel a stern German housekeeper. It’s like walking out of the sunshine, only to find yourself in a tomb.

The romance between Judd and Hannah develops at a believable pace, and as tragedies strike their family; it also draws them closer together. They’re also harboring a ton of guilt over their developing romance, because Quint’s ghost looms large over their home. Judd even goes above and beyond trying to find the lad, only to get confronted by the harsh reality that the boy has dropped off the face of the Earth.

My main quibble with this story is that Hannah comes off a little too good to be true. I wanted her to be angry. She deserved to be angry, and instead she foolishly holds out hope, continues writing letters she know will go unanswered, and stays in limbo. Unplanned pregnancy and baby aside, Quint happily runs off and expects her to happily sit on the shelf and wait for him. Add the burden and stress of a baby? Yeah, I wanted her to be spitting nails. Even when the reader learns of Quint’s fate, she still fails to rally some spunk in dealing with the fallout.

The Borrowed Bride is an emotional read, and Judd is just the ticket for readers who adore haunted, wounded heroes. While I would have liked to have seen Hannah exhibit a bit more fire, this is a page-turning read that keeps readers glued to the emotional turmoil the characters are going through.

Grade: B-

Summary:

“We’re going to have a child. You need to come home so we can get married.”

So wrote Hannah Gustavson to her childhood sweetheart, the father of her baby. But with no response, she was forced to marry another man…her lover’s brother.

Tall, handsome and honorable, Judd Seavers could make any woman’s heart race. Hannah was no exception, and she was awed by the ex-soldier who gave her his name.

A forbidden love as grand as the Rockies crested between them. But a shadow loomed. Would the baby’s father come home? And if he did, would Judd return his borrowed bride?

Read an excerpt.

by Elizabeth Lane

I don’t know about you, but I love ‘em both — the upright, serious, duty bound heroes and the ones who’ll break a girl’s heart without thinking twice, and maybe laugh while they’re doing it.

The bad boys charm us because they keep us guessing-and because we keep hoping that the right woman will turn them around and put their feet on the right road. The good ones are our white knights-even though their unbending honor codes and determination to do the right thing can be annoying as all get out.

Which would you choose, if you could? Which one would you take home for keeps?

In my upcoming Harlequin Historical, The Borrowed Bride (November 2008), readers will be getting a taste of both. To make things more interesting, the two men are brothers — Quint and Judd. And Hannah, our heroine, is forced to choose between them. Ahhh… but there are complications.

What kind of man would seduce his childhood sweetheart, then run off to hunt gold in Alaska and seemingly drop off the face of the earth?

And when the poor girl learns she’s pregnant, what kind of man would marry her to give his brother’s child the family name, then refuse to lay a hand on her-even when she wants more than his hand (I’d say, a lot more)?

Should Hannah choose the sweet, wild, irresponsible father of her baby? Or should she choose the maddeningly honorable man who married her out of duty? I won’t tell you how the story ends, except to say that this book is the first of two. And the rejected brother will get a love story of his own.

How about you? Do you go for bad heroes or good ones? I’d love to hear.

I loved this book. I have to be honest, I didn’t really mean to read the whole thing but once I started it I had to finish it. The Borrowed Bride is, of course, a Western . What else would you expect for me to lurve so? It is set in Colorado, 1899 and there is already a sequel in the works! The new book has a working title of, Suddenly in April. It is set in 1906 San Francisco. And I can’t tell you to much more about that one… yet. Read on for a summary for The Borrowed Bride and an excerpt! Then you can hate me while you wait for November.

The Borrowed Bride by Elizabeth Lane
November 2008

(Summary provided by author)

Young Hannah Gustavson is devastated when her childhood sweetheart, Quint Seavers, sets out for the Klondike to seek his fortune. He promises to write and to marry her on his return, but as the weeks pass neither Hannah nor Quint’s wealthy, widowed mother receive any word from him.

Things get even worse when Hannah discovers she’s pregnant, and Quint can’t be reached. What will she do? Her large, poor farm family doesn’t need another mouth to feed, to say nothing of the scandal.

Quint’s older brother Judd comes to her rescue. Newly returned from the Spanish American War and still suffering its effects, Judd offers to marry Hannah in Quint’s place. The marriage would be in name only. They would draw up divorce papers that could be signed on Quint’s return, leaving Hannah free to marry the father of her baby. The quiet, brooding Judd is a near-stranger to Hannah, but, seeing no other way, she agrees.

The marriage catapults Hannah into a new life. The big house on the Seavers Ranch is like a palace, ruled by Quint’s bitter, antagonistic mother. Judd, her new husband, is brusque and remote. But something in his haunted eyes cries out for Hannah’s understanding. What will happen when she finds herself falling in love with the husband who’s vowed to treat her as a sister?

March 2, 1899

Hannah felt the approaching train before she heard it. Her fingers groped for Quint’s as

the platform quivered beneath her feet. A mournful whistle pierced the rainy distance.

“It’s coming!” Quint strained toward the sound like a tethered hunting dog, eager to be loosed and running. Hannah shivered beneath her shawl as the cold March wind whipped along the platform. Any second now, she would see the gray-white plume rising into mist above the bare cottonwoods. All too soon, the train would be pulling into the station. When it pulled out again, Quint would be waving goodbye from the window of the passenger car.

She gazed at his clean-chiseled profile, memorizing every feature—the chestnut curls that tumbled over his forehead, the tiny bump on the bridge of his nose, the alert hazel eyes, fixed now on the distant curve of tracks where the train would appear. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

It wasn’t fair, Hannah thought. Quint was happy, and her own heart was on the verge of shattering like a mason jar dropped onto a stone floor.

Hannah had loved Quint Seavers for as long as she could remember. They’d been sweethearts since their school days, and the whole town had expected them to marry. So why couldn’t he have just let nature take its course? Why had he gotten this crack-brained urge to run off and seek his fortune in the Klondike gold fields?

At first she’d hoped it was just a whim. But the Klondike was all Quint had talked about for the past year. Only one thing had kept him in Dutchman’s Creek. His older brother Judd had joined the Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and gone off to the Spanish American War, leaving Quint behind to tend the family ranch and look after their invalid mother. But that was about to change. After four months with the Rough Riders and five months in a Virginia military hospital, Judd was coming home. He’d be arriving on the train that had just appeared around the distant bend—the train that would be taking Quint away.

“Do you think he’ll be changed?” Edna Seavers’ white hands gripped the woven cane arms of her wheelchair. A cheerless wisp of a woman clad in widow’s black, she’d been wheeled around in that chair for as long as Hannah could remember.

“War changes everybody, Mama,” Quint said. “Judd’s been through a bad time with his wounds and the malaria. But he’ll come around once he’s been home a while. You’ll see.”

“I wish it was you coming home and Judd leaving.” Mrs. Seavers had never hidden the fact that Quint was the favorite of her two children. “Why do you have to go anyway? You’re too young to go rushing off on your own.”

Quint sighed. “I’m twenty-one, Mama. You promised me that I could go when Judd came home. Well, Judd’s coming. And I’m going.”

Hannah glanced from Quint to his mother, feeling invisible. She’d been Quint’s girl for years, but Edna Seavers barely acknowledged her existence.

The train whistled again, its shrill voice a cry in Hannah’s ears. She shifted her weight, conscious of the raw ache between her thighs. Her mother had lectured her about men’s appetites and made her swear, with her right hand on the Bible, that she would keep herself from sin. But last night with Quint, in the darkness of the hayloft, her good intentions had unraveled like a torn sweater. She had given herself willingly. But the act had been so awkward and painful that when Quint had moaned and rolled off her, she’d been secretly relieved. Later that night, in the room she shared with her four younger sisters, Hannah had buried her face in her pillow and wept until there were no tears left.

Pistons pumping, the engine glided into the station. Half-glimpsed faces flashed past in the windows of the passenger car. For an instant Hannah held her breath, as if she could will the train to keep moving. Then the mail sack thumped onto the platform. The brakes moaned as the line of cars shuddered to a full stop.

There was a beat of silence, then a stirring inside the passenger car. A door swung open. The lone figure of a tall man in a drooping felt hat emerged onto the step. Veiled by misting rain he moved down onto the platform.

Hannah hadn’t known Judd Seavers well. Eight years Quint’s senior, he’d been too old to be counted among her playmates. She remembered him as a taciturn young man with somber gray eyes and hands that were always working. In the years Hannah had been coming around the Seavers place, he’d shown no more interest in her than Edna had.

Now he walked toward them, where they waited under the shelter of the eave. He moved slowly, heedless of the rain that beaded his tan coat and trickled off the brim of his hat. A battered canvas field bag, the sort that a soldier would carry, dangled loosely from one hand. He looked old, Hannah thought. Old before his time. Maybe that was what war did to people.

But why was she thinking about Judd? Minutes from now, Quint—her Quint, the love of her life—would be gone. Certainly for months. Maybe for years.

Maybe forever.

* * * * * * *

Judd clenched his teeth against the pain that shot through him with each step. Most of the time it wasn’t so bad, but the long, jarring train ride had roused every shard of metal that the doctors had left in his body. He was hurting like blazes, but he wasn’t about to show it. Not with his mother and brother looking on.

The nurse had offered him laudanum to ease the trip. Judd had turned it down. He’d had enough opiates to know what they could do to a man, and he’d sworn he was finished. Still, sitting up those long nights with the rhythm of iron wheels rattling through his bones, he’d have bargained away his soul for a few hours of relief.

But never mind all that, he was home now, walking down the platform through the soft Colorado rain. Home from the war with two legs, two arms and two eyes. He could only wish to God that some of his friends had fared as well.

Harlequin Historical is a registered trademark of Harlequin Enterprises Limited. As such all excerpts are copyrighted © and all rights are reserved.

And if you missed it
ON THE WINGS OF LOVE by Elizabeth Lane

He gave her the freedom to fly…

Alexandra Bromley had everything her father’s money could buy. But what she really wanted was excitement, adventure and independence. When pilot Rafe Garrick fell out of the sky and into her arms, Alex discovered a thrilling new world. But how could she live her dream at the price of Rafe’s love?

Alex Bromley was trouble. Rafe knew it the first time he set eyes on her. But he couldn’t stay away. Not even if having her meant making a pact with her devil of a father. Now she was his, and it was up to Rafe to tame Alex’s reckless spirit—or lose her to the sky.

That way you have something to read while you wait for November . Look for Elizabeth Lane’s guest post at 11 am today!

Sandy M’s review of On the Wings of Love by Elizabeth Lane
Historical romance released 1 Jan 08 by Harlequin

It took me a chapter or two to really get into this story, but once I did I enjoyed myself immensely. The early days of aviation is a wonderful backdrop for these two characters who like to push the envelope and live life to its fullest. Living life in such a way, however, has its tragedies and setbacks and Rafe and Alexandra live through more than their fair share.

Rafe’s passion is flying. He thrives on the feeling of independence and freedom when in the skies on the wings he built with his own hands. On a test flight something goes wrong and he crashes on the shore of a beach near the Bromleys’ home, and it is Alexandra who is first on scene, helping rescue the injured pilot. At first these two are going for each other’s throats constantly, a battle of wills. It’s during this period I had a hard time with Alex because of her spoiled attitude, but I still had to admire her for her exuberance and love of life. She goes for what she wants, right or wrong. She needs time to grow up a little more.

There is attraction right away and both fight it, each thinking they couldn’t possibly be attracted to the other. But as time goes on and Alexandra takes a chance and begins to work with Rafe in rebuilding his flying machine, both her passion for aviation blossoms as well as their passion for one another. As much as Rafe tries his damnedest to stay away from the girl because, one, she’s way too young and spoiled, and, two, her father is a force to be reckoned with, their pent-up emotions flare after Alex’s harrowing first flight she practically browbeat Rafe into giving her.

Once Rafe’s plane is rebuilt and their marriage has taken place, he is on the road to show off his creation around the country. He is summoned home after the first of their tragedies hits and he finds a wife who has lost her will to live and doesn’t know what in the world to do for her. Alex finally does begin to live again, but it is her passion for aviation that wakes her up and moves her forward. Despite all of Rafe’s warnings of the danger of flying, his demands as her husband that she not take lessons to become a pilot, Alex’s willfulness is not to be denied. Learning to fly is her dream and because Rafe has the same dream, he should understand, but Alex has no idea the cost such danger can bring into their lives.

The love between these character is real, emotional, joyous, and heartbreaking. It’s a love that can be torn apart by the very same passion that brought them together, but hopefully it’s also a love that can withstand anything, no matter how daunting. I was glad to see Alex grow up and realize all she has to lose because of her recklessness, and she is not unscathed in the process. Rafe is a sensitive and prideful man and knows how fragile life is after seeing the death and destruction his dreams can bring. This is one of those books that will put you through the emotional wringer, but it is a story worth every emotion pulled from you during the read.

Grade: B+

Book summary:

     Alexandra Bromley had everything her father’s money could buy. But what she really wanted was excitement, adventure and independence. When pilot Rafe Garrick fell out of the sky and into her arms, Alex discovered a thrilling new world. But how could she live her dream at the price of Rafe’s love?

     Alex Bromley was trouble. Rafe knew it the first time he set eyes on her. But he couldn’t stay away. Not even if having her meant making a pact with her devil of a father. Now she was his, and it was up to Rafe to tame Alex’s reckless spirit-or lose her to the sky.

     Read an excerpt.

Gwen Reviews some truly bad, or truly so-so, books
Various types of romances from three different publishers

As most of you bloggers know, writing a review post is a labor of love.  It’s time-consuming and requires no small effort.  It’s a true pleasure to write a review post for a book you love, or a book you think others may love (but perhaps you only liked).  Sometimes it’s also a pleasure to write a review post for a book you hate – you want to warn others and, hey, if we’re honest with ourselves, being snarky can be fun in small doses.

So this post has short reviews for six books that fit somewhere in between “love” and “snark.”  Six books that don’t deserve a whole post of their own, but also don’t deserve to be completely ignored – for good or, heh heh, bad.

Here goes nuthin’…

Review 1:  Taboo – Taking on the Law by Cheyenne McCray
Erotica eBook published 27 Apr 07 by Ellora’s Cave



This novella is about a woman who, after a laughably bad day, is pulled over by the town sheriff – a sheriff who is a former boyfriend, is supposedly into BDSM (along with his roommates), and who has a serious hard-on for our heroine.  Go here for the book blurb and excerpt.

This book is terrible on several levels: the characterizations are awful, the sex scenes are laughable, and the premise is so flawed I think I saw the San Andreas in there somewhere.  I mean, the sheriff having sex on the side of the road may not be that unusual, but in broad daylight, outside, and right on the side of the road?  Nuh uh.  As hot as that scene may be in my fantasies, it was just stupid in this book and I was never able to suspend my disbelief long enough to enjoy the eroticism.

Nevertheless, ignoring for a moment the truly silly relationship between the hero and heroine, let’s look McCray’s superficial and, to be honest, insulting treatment of the Dom/sub lifestyle.  While it’s not my cuppa tea, the reasons behind a Dom/sub choice are often profound and, from what I gather, have more to do with emotions than simple sexual titillation.  Ms McCray fails to see that and abuses the premise beyond all rationale.  (For what I think is a more honest view into this lifestyle, check out the third story in Jaci Burton’s “Wild, Wicked, & Wanton“.)

This novella was simply porn that really wasn’t worth the effort to read.

Grade: F

Review 2: Spin Devil by Red Garnier
Erotica eBook published 1 May 07 by Ellora’s Cave



This book is about friends who meet again at a class reunion and rekindle relationships.  The title refers to a “spin the bottle” game where they use a stuffed devil instead of a bottle.  Read the book blurb and excerpt here.

This story, a.k.a. piece of offal, uses gang rape as an acceptable means of seduction.  ‘Nuff said, I think.  Don’t bother with this one.

Grade: F-

Review 3: Naughty Nuptials – Tentacles of Love by Margaret Carter
Paranormal erotic romance eBook published 30 May 07 by Ellora’s Cave



This short story is about a young couple celebrating their engagement by visiting the groom-to-be’s brother.  This brother lives in the attic of a remote house that has the appearance of being abandoned.  The groom-to-be also has a secret to reveal to his proposed bride.  Read the blurb and excerpt here.

This book wasn’t as bad as the others I’m reviewing here, but all it got from me was a “meh” so I didn’t feel like bothering with a full review.  It’s a cute story with some rather silly, bizarre elements.  If you like a little fantasy/sci-fi with your erotic romance, this is the story for you.  Just don’t expect much.

Grade: C-

Review 4: Whisper of the Blade by Anya Bast
Paranormal erotic romance published 16 May 07 by Ellora’s Cave



I dislike when someone qualifies their opinion before they give it.  I think everyone should stand by what they say – good or bad.  Even so.  Let me start this opinion piece by saying that I really like Anya Bast’s work.  I’ve never before been disappointed by it.  But, then I read this short novel and that changed.  It left me wanting.  Oh, and I hate the cover.

The book’s premise is an alternate plane of existence where extrasensory Talents can be found.   Emmia, our heroine, is an empath and a Justice Mercenary – a kind of judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into one.  She is hired by one of our heroes, Quinn, to find out if the other hero, Magnus (another empath), is guilty of murder.  There’s some nice emotional development and hot sensuality, all wrapped up with an interesting story.  Good so far.

There some seriously steamy scenes between Quinn and Emmia, Emmia and Magnus, Quinn and Magnus, and then between Quinn, Emmia, and Magnus.  That’s all fine and good, but somewhere among all the hot, hot sex scenes, we lose the story.  Emmia seems to forget why she’s there – to judge Magnus.  The resolution to the murder mystery literally falls on top of the sex-crazed trio. There’s no Nancy Drew moment.  How disappointing.

Grade: C-

Review 5: A Much Younger Man by Veronica Wilde
Erotic romance eBook published 1 Feb 07 by Liquid Silver Books



This book’s pemise is, wait for it, an older woman who meets a younger man.  They supposedly fall in love and have an HEA.  Read the blurb and excerpt here.  Sybil reviewed it here.

This book just skeeved me out.  It wasn’t the younger man and older woman thing.  I kind of dig that.  I mean, who doesn’t want a young hunk warming their sheets.  What skeeved me out was how emotionally immature both the man and woman were.  I mean, what half-way smart 33 year old woman would let a 22 year old guy (who still lives with his parents) take erotic photos of her with a camera-phone?!  DUH!  How stupid can you get?  And she’s a 4th grade TEACHER!!  Ewww.

Couldn’t the author have picked a more appropriate couple?  The story would have been so much better with just ten more years on both characters.

Grade: D-

Review 6: The Stranger by Elizabeth Lane
Historical romance to be published 1 Jul 07 by Harlequin Historicals



Sybil will probably hate me for including this book in this dump post, but I can’t help it.  I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em.

This book’s premise is a “stranger” arrives on a widow’s ranch and helps her do repairs for food and a dry place to sleep.  They come to depend on each other, love each other, all while managing to overcome some common traumatic events.  She doesn’t know he’s one of the drifters who, 5 years earlier, was involved in her husband’s murder.  Read the book blurb and excerpt here.

This wasn’t a horrible book, but it wasn’t a terribly good one either.  Several of the plot elements were driven home again and again and again and again.  And again.  I got sick of reading about how she would hate him once she found out who he really was – enough already.  I also felt that Caleb’s characterization was inconsistent and he was portrayed as a bit of a coward on more than one occasion – very unattractive.  Too many trite plot devices were used (kid gets sick and is nursed back, hero gets sick and is nursed back, flood, wanted man, rich rancher wants the heroine, etc.)  I yawned big and wide a couple of times while reading this book.

Grade: C-

That’s all folks. For now…

Cheryl St. John‘s Contest

The prize is a copy of a book from her backlist (winner choice but she doesn’t have Joe’s Wife or Colorado Gold). And the winner is:

Sue A.

Elizabeth Lane‘s Contest:

The prize is a copy of a book from her backlist or The Stranger (winners choice). And the winner is:

Maureen

Pam Crooks Contest:

The prize is a copy of UNTAMED COWBOY & HER LONE PROTECTOR. And the winner is:

Well I am not really sure… I have an email addy but not a name. I know silly me. So for right now we will call him/her KN. If you joined Pam’s mailing list, check your email *g*. Or if Pam has a first name I can post I will edit this later.

Thanks to authors for a great time and I hope you found a Harlequin Historical to pick up. And if not… don’t worry there are more coming out. I promise to let you know about the nifty ones *g*. I still have some Q&A questions they humored me by answering last week, reviews and I will have 8 Harlequin Historical novels to give away. (As soon as they get here. No idea what they are other than I do think there will be at least one copy of The Preacher’s Daughter) If you missed them, you can find all the posts here. I will use that tag for the posts this week as well

At over 180 HH novels in a range of setting and authors, I can honestly say some of my favorite novels call Harlequin Historical home as well as some of my favorite authors. Sadly some of faves seem to have moved on to other lines: Carolyn Davidson, Jillian Hart, Cheryl Reavis, Mary Burton and Merline Lovelace are all now writing for different lines in Harlequin. Even Elizabeth Lowell (as Lowell and as Ann Maxwell), Nicole Jordan and Heather Gramham have Harlequin Historicals on their backlist. And for a reason I still do not understand Deborah Simmons is not currently with the line and that makes me sad because I do believe she has more stories to tell. (Why do so many category authors have really bad websites?)

The truly amazing thing is even with so many authors gone, the current talent at Harlequin Historical keep showing us just how good historicals can be. As well as they continue to grown and bring in new talent. And as wonderful as some of my keepers are, I think we ain’t seen nothing yet.

We are lucky enough to have three grand Harlequin Historical authors with us this week: Cheryl St. John, Elizabeth Lane and Pam Crooks. Honestly I didn’t set out to have only western authors and had wanted to showcase more of the line but time being what is it… Fine if you must know the other two authors I had asked were westerns too. But hey since it turned out this way, you really should buy a western in the the next three days. Even if you have never tried one or wanted to because hey, it is a theme! go with it…

Have you ever tried a Harlequin Historical? Did you love it? Hate it? Remember the title? Read it once a year and sigh happily? What would you recommend? Tell us about your keepers. Or if you write for the line, tell us what is coming next! We are book!whores and we only need to know what is coming next that we should be wanting now.

And for the curious… here are the current writing guidelines from Harlequin

Historical Romances promise the reader richly textured, emotionally intense stories set in widely diverse historical time periods, from ancient civilizations up to and including the First and Second World Wars. Regency tales remain ever-popular and cover the range from drawing-room antics that scandalize the ton, to the salacious underworld inhabited by pickpockets and prostitutes, to the hazardous battlefields of the Peninsular War.

Other popular periods range from Viking invasions through to the turbulence of the Middle Ages, from Elizabethan England to 20th-century families at war. Western American and Australasian settings are also welcome, with highly dramatic and emotional stories unfolding in the wilderness at society’s edge.

The central relationship is the key driving force, set against an accurate backdrop. Readers should feel as if they are there. These novels are for born storytellers with a love of history, who have the ability to bring a period vividly to life, and to create characters that involve and absorb the reader from page one.