Sybil’s Review: Wild Heart by Jane Bonander
Historical Romance by Pocket 01 Oct 1995
[Out of Print can be found in ubs]
Wild Heart was written in 95. And was something of a kick off for me last week of reading 90s romance novels.
I liked it. It is an author I had never heard of before I saw a post complaining about how great this book was if it wasn’t for the sex. I can’t remember what the complaint was about the sex – to graphic or word choice or something. It has to be something along those lines to make me hunt it down.
Yes I am odd but I am ok with that.
So we have lots of cliche’s here but cliches are cliches for a reason right? Julia Larson doesn’t like our hero, Wolf McCloud, who happens to be the best ranch hand her father has hired. She is afraid he is going to end up screwing her slutty, beautiful sister. The sister, Josette already has one kiddo – that of course smart, dependable Julia is raising as her own.
Most people know she is Josette’s but not wolf. Wolf leaves after Josette sluts herself around him one to many times and after he decides staying near julia (who he wants) isn’t smart.
Enter daddy, he offers wolf some land if he will come back but before he gets there daddy is dead. The will says they (wolf and julia – josette has run off at this point) must wed if he wants the land and if she doesn’t want the land to go to the bank.
Of course it is in name only.
bbbbbwwwwwaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Really I like the book, the characters are people I cared about and the sex was done well. And I am thinking the tits and such are what the post was about (wish I could credit whoever it was) but a man who lives like wolf has and was raised as he was is a man I can see using the word tits. Sorry, men have been known to use such words while fuc…making love. And they do, make love as well as fuck ;). You can see that there is more to them just the shagging so even though it can get purple I didn’t mind.
Oh and I forgot the worst part of the story! The evol gay villian! I really thought for a while she was going to be able to pull off a gay chacter without making him the bad guy, well I had hope damn it. But alas it wasn’t to be. His mother (who was wolf’s evol mommy too and I did have an issue with being anywhere near a woman who tried to have you buried alive as a child) was worse.
Yes I said there were some cliches didn’t I? And I didn’t even mention the twin…
This turns out to be a book in the middle of three. I enjoyed it and would like to read more of her work.
Grade: C
From Literary Times:
Julia Larson doesn’t like Wolf McCloud. He may be the best man her father ever hired, but he’s dangerous. With her sister Josette around, Julia knows it’s only a matter of time before there’s another baby on the way. Josette has already had one baby out of wedlock– a baby that Julia cares for as if it were her own. Josette is irresponsible and selfish, but the men seem to like her. Since her father refuses to acknowledge that Josette is becoming a tramp, it is up to Julia to make sure that Wolf McCloud stays away from her sister. Wolf doesn’t wait for Amos Larson to fire him, he leaves on his own. But when he receives a note a short time later from the old man asking to meet him, he’s puzzled. Then Amos gives him a proposition. He knows he is dying and offers Wolf a piece of land in exchange for being Julia’s foreman. Wolf is a half-breed, abandoned at birth by a mother he has been searching for. The chance to own land is an offer he cannot refuse. But Amos doesn’t tell him all his plans. Amos dies mysteriously and Julia is left alone to deal with it. Josette has run off with a man, leaving Julia to take care of her baby. Then Wolf shows up, offering to work for free. She doesn’t know what his intentions are– especially since Josette is gone, but she can’t refuse free help. Then she reads her father’s will and finds out that in order to keep the ranch, she has to marry Wolf. How can she marry a man she hardly knows who likes her sister better anyway? Julia is distraught, but determined to keep her ranch. A marriage in name only is what Wolf and Julia agree to. But the feelings between them spark a passion that refuses to go away. Julia, always living in Josette’s shadow, starts to feel beautiful because of Wolf. And Wolf, who has never known kindness and love, finds in Julia everything he ever wanted. As they get to know each other, they become closer. But their new found happiness is threatened when someone starts sabotaging the ranch, and long held secrets are revealed. Will Julia believe in Wolf and learn to trust him– or will the fragile bond they have forged be destroyed?Passionate and suspenseful! Take a wild ride with Jane Bonander! Wild Heart is wonderful! Jane Bonander writes with feeling! Her characters come alive before your eyes! A terrific story from a fantastic author! Ms. Bonander captures all the untamed wildness of the west! Fans of western romances will be thrilled with Wild Heart! A memorable tale!
Kristina Wright — Copyright © 1994-97 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved
