Synopsis: Socialite Juliette Lawson fled west from Philadelphia on a train and in disguise. In Colorado she’d be safe; she’d take work with her uncle at the Rio d’Oro, his smelting operation. Her actions back east had been wrong, but to protect her pregnant sister from scandal she would have done anything. Then she met a man as hungry for answers as she was for independence. A handsome, honorable man. For him, she wished the truth was hers to tell.
From the first, Wes Westmoreland knew he couldn’t trust her. Having grown up in the saloons and brothels of San Francisco, he saw trust, like love, as a luxury an undercover lawman couldn’t afford. Not on a job like this one, not with gold involved. This woman dressed as a widow was clearly hiding something; he’d felt it the moment they touched. But he’d felt other things too, stirrings in his heart, and for the first time ever, he saw riches worth the peril.
Yes, this is another easy-to-read historical romance, but I have to admit that I rather liked it. This is the second book I have read by Terry Blain, and I actually enjoyed this one more than the first (which doesn’t make sense since this book is older, but that is just my preference). I found this book much more historical, and there was actually something happened that I did not see coming.
Julie is an absolutely delightful character–your normal, typical, strong, old-fashioned woman. Though rather stereotypical, I truly found myself pulling for her. And her relationship with Wes does become somewhat complicated. It was interesting to discover that some of this book was actually true when it came to historical facts. That always resonates with me, and it makes me love the book even more.
The profanity in the book was quite mild, but it was there. And the bedroom scene was a little more descriptive than what I like. But I will say that the romance did not strike me as being too sappy. Maybe a bit at times, but it seemed genuine and entertaining.
This author has one of the easiest historical fiction read styles that I have read, and it is nice that you can pick the book up and have it finished in an evening. It does not require a lot of over-thinking, and your mind can even take a little vacation. Until Ms. Blain wakes it up!
Yes, this is predictable, but it is nice and light for the end-of-the-summer read. If you like historical romances set in the West, this should appeal to you.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
Bio: Terry Irene Blain was lucky enough to grow up in a large Mid-western family with a rich oral tradition. As a child she heard stories of ancestors’ adventures with Indians, wildlife, weather and frontier life in general, so she naturally gravitated to the study of history and completed a BA and MA then taught the subject at the college level. Married to a sailor, now retired, she’s had the chance to live in various parts of the U.S. and has traveled to Hong Kong, Australia, England and Scotland.
“My degrees and my teaching experience make me a natural to write historical romance. Writing historical romance gives me the opportunity to pass on stories of who we are and where we come from while exploring the relationship between men and women. What could be more exciting than that?”
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5 Comments
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great review, i want to read this
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Thanks for the great review.
Sounds like my kind of historical book to read. -
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You hooked me–I can’t wait to read the rest of the story! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
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Thank you for the great giveaway – Paul T/Pauline T aka Paul Tran ….. emscout9 at Hotmail dot com
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thanks for this giveaway!
gkuroda(at)gmail(dot)com
