Love & Adventure in the Old West: The Christmas Brides by Linda Lael Miller

This delightful anthology of two previously released Christmas tales has just been re-released by Harlequin. A McKettrick Christmas was first released in 2008 and A Creed Family Christmas was released in 2009. Now they have been put together in this delightful Christmas book and for those of us who did not previously encounter this offering it is a genuine Christmas "gift." Both tales are extensions of the series involving the McKettricks of Arizona and the Creeds of Montana. Set in the early days of the 20th century, they bring the simple life of those times alive even as they detail two stories of romance under unlikely circumstances.

A McKettrick Christmas is the story of Lillie McKettrick who has recently completed Normal School in San Francisco and is now traveling home by train. Traveling with her is Whitley Carson, a man who has been courting her and who is now journeying to meet her family. He is from a wealthy and socially prominent family and is not taking well to the inconveniences of train travel--no dining car, no sleepers, no private compartment. Their journey is abruptly halted by a massive avalanche which derails some of the cars and nearly pushes the passenger car where Lillie and Whitley are seated over the cliff. Also present is Dr. Morgan Shane, a Mr. Christian, John Brennan--a PFC in the Army, a mother and children traveling to join their dad who is the new foreman on the McKettrick ranch, and an elderly couple with their parrot. What may seem like a temporary circumstance--rescue must surely be on the way--eventually turns out to be a life-threatening situation as the days and nights move forward without the arrival of help.

This novella has, at its core, a truth that could be summed up thus: circumstances don't make character, they reveal it. And so it was in this situation. Each of these people is stretched to the capacity for absorbing shock, difficulty, personal emotional and psychological challenges, physical hardships, and the willingness to extend themselves for the welfare of others and the greater good of all. It is a heart-warming story in so many ways that also brings to bear the reality of what family really can be--strength, loyalty, trust, setting aside individual differences, and the love which forms an indestructable link, one to another. I give this novella a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

A Creed Family Christmas tells the story of Lincoln Creed, a widower, who has been seeking a governess/housekeeper for over a year because of his 7 year old daughter Gracie. He is a Harvard-trained lawyer who has taken up the responsibility of the Creed Ranch in order to save his family's legacy--his brother Wes was not really cut out to be a rancher--and now that his wife has died, must find a way to move one and care for their daughter. As a last resort he is even willing to marry a qualified woman who would be wife to him and mother to Gracie. he was not, however, willing to give his heart. Juliana Mitchell is an aristocratic lady from Denver who has chosen to leave her family behind in order to teach and care for Native American children at the local Indian School. However, that school has been closed and she is destitute, out of a paying job, receiving no funds from her inheritance because her brother thinks she is wasting her life. Lincoln finds Miss Mitchell and four Indian children huddled in the General Store, trying to figure out what to do and where to go, with no money for food or shelter. Being the good person he is, he brings Miss Mitchell and the children home to his ranch just a few days before Christmas. Juliana stands to be in trouble with the Bureau of Indian Affairs for not sending the children on to the Indian School in Missoula, but she knows what they would face, and her heart tells her she must find another solution for them.

This is a lovely story that brings so many lives together. There is Lincoln's best friend who lives at the ranch and serves as his foreman, a Native American who immediately bonds with the oldest boy and who is willing to help them return to their families in the Dakotas. There is Wes Creed, who owns and publishes the local newspaper (when he is sober) and who lives with the owner of the saloon. There is Gracie who is 7, going on 40, and who opens her heart to Julliana and the Indian children in a way that is so touching. (She wants them all to be her brother and sisters.) And, of course, there is Lincoln and Juliana and their attraction to one another. It is a gentle story of the realities of living in those times, life in a simpler time in so many ways, but life that is brutal in its lack of safety nets for women and children. The prejudice against Native peoples was so open and harsh. And there was the reality that Juliana faced: returning to her brother's home and facing a life as a poor relation and probably a spinster sister/aunt. There weren't many options for women in those days.

I loved this story and like the first tale in this book, I hated to see it come to an end. But this story is especially about redemption--redeeming lives that face such hardship, renewing family ties, regaining personhood and a sense of place, returning to one's roots and finding joy in being accepted for who one is rather than social position or wealth. This is definitely a 4.5 out of 5 rating story!

Both these stories bear the stamp of Ms Miller's considerable talent and writing expertise. They bring the essence of what we believe Christmas to be, and tell these historical tales with that goal in mind. For readers who have not encountered these families previously, these novellas introduce these characters so beautifully. Yes, The Christmas Brides is one truly great read!

Released in November 2010 by Harlequin Books.

Review: Cocked & Loaded by Desiree Holt

Desiree Holt is one of my favorite romance authors and I was delighted to find this full length novel when so much of her recent work is in the form of short stories or novellas. As is often the case, the main characters are star-crossed lovers, who began a torrid love affair, only to have it end abruptly two days later when bad-boy Zane Cameron was in the hot embrace of another woman right outside the local watering hole, in plain sight of all and sundry including Jamie Randall. Not too long after that Jamie left Amen, Texas for greener pastures and she hasn't been seen or heard from for 12 years--that is, until her career was in the tank, her resources depleted due to legal expenses, and no where else to go. She has now returned to live in the ramshackle hovel in which she was raised as the daughter of the town drunk. Her dad is dead of a recent automobile accident and the house and the land are hers. She wouldn't be here if she had anywhere else to go!!

Unable to believe his eyes, now-Sheriff Zane Cameron spies Jamie Randall leaving the local supermarket. He has nurtured his anger against her for 12 years--anger because she up and left him, anger because her bigot of a father threw him off their property when he was trying to resolve things with Jamie--complete with racial slurs at his half-Commanche origins, anger because he still fantasizes about her and needs to find a way to get her out of his blood. He even goes so far as to try to find a pretense to run her out of town. She's not moving, especially when out of the blue one of the local "fat cats" tries to buy her house and land for an unheard of price. What's with this? Her reporter's instincts also kick in when she sees her dad's pick-up complete with all the new dents from the accident, and they don't seem to square with the accident report. That doesn't seem to go over well with the Sheriff either.

This story is a contemporary romance set in contemporary Texas complete with heat and dust, murder, transporting illegals, a sexy sheriff with a mother from Hell, mysterious goings-on that just seem to get more and more mysterious, a long-lost love that is buried so very deep under layers of hurt and anger, and friendship and loyalty that seem to fill in all the empty holes. There are trust issues between Zane and Jamie, largely because of his flare for infidelity oh so long ago, and working through all the old wounds makes this a compelling love story against the suspense backdrop.

Another major component in their love story is the reality that both Zane and Jamie have really grown up, have established themselves as professionals in their own right, and found out lots about themselves. Zane really finds that he still loves Jamie, but he also knows that he has discovered that there is a dark side to him and he doesn't know if Jamie can accept that dark side of who he is. Jamie needs to restore her good name. She has been accused of wrong-doing in the newspaper business and she can't seem to move on until the entire truth comes out. Can Zane live in that kind of limbo?

I found this novel to be very readable and after reading it the second time felt that it showcased Ms Holt's considerable talent beautifully. Lots of characters, lots of hot loving, lots of situations that come right off the front page of the news, well-written with a plot and storyline that keep the reader engaged--literally on the edge of the seat. I am a Holt fan but that doesn't automatically mean that I feel positively about everything she writes. Some of her work, IMHO, is way too brief and I get the feeling sometimes that she is simply churning little stories out to keep publishers happy. Not so with this novel. It is a story that made an impact on me. There are surprises and twists in the story that I should have seen coming but didn't. That's a good story well told. Ms Holt teases the reader right up to the very final pages--no reading the ending first allowed!

This novel was published a while ago, but I think it is some of her best work. I recommend it to lovers of contemporary romance. I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

Review: Precious and Fragile Things by Megan Hart

Megan Hart is one of those authors who gravitates toward the hard-core edge of human experience and she is not afraid to make those issues and situations the context of her novels. There are quite a few kidnapping novels and stories about the Stockholm Syndrome, but Ms Hart has not necessarily written a story that replicates those. As a testimony of her creativity she has crafted a story that is significantly different.

What actually happens when a young mother, frazzled and tired, truly weary of being the work-horse of her family, overwhelmed with laundry and crying kids and vet visits and husbands who can pick up and take a business trip without creating any ripple in the family life while any time away for her is a major undertaking. Gillian Solomon, or Gilly as she is called in this story, is a woman who has always wanted a family of her own, loves her husband dearly and deeply, yet has this insane desire to run away--to be free of all the hands that pull at her, free to finish tasks that forever go undone, free to just be. On a fateful day in January she stops at her bank's ATM, and in just a few moments her life changes forever. As she is returning to her car she finds that a carjacker has slipped into the passenger side, is holding a lethal knife to her throat and ordering her to just drive. Nothing she offers makes any impression. He won't even stop to let her children out of the back seat. Somehow she manages a quick stop and drops them off at an Amish home, knowing that they will be cared for. Even when they stop for gas she doesn't run. There is a part of her that doesn't want to go back.

For the next three months Gilly and Todd are holed up in his uncle's mountain cabin in Pennsylvania, totally and completely snowed in with drifts up to the roof. He has taken some of his inheritance money and fully stocked the cabin with food. There is sufficient wood and propane. Even when Gilly wrecks the car trying to escape they know that they will not freeze or starve. In a moment of weakness Gilly tries to kill herself and contracts pneumonia for her trouble--a terrible illness that Todd nurses her through. Yet there is always this tension. At first she begs to be let go. He can't do that--he knows she will tell them who he is and where he is--he just can't go back to prison. He is not unkind; he never attempts to assault her; he forces her out of her depression; he is not an uncomfortable companion. He just won't let her go.

This story is one of those that the reader knows must end but how? It is like a huge boulder rolling down the mountainside, but the bottom of the canyon is hidden by thick mists. Where will it land and what will happen when it does? Gilly must deal with her own feelings about her husband and children, about the relationship her feelings now have to do with her growing-up experiences, dealing with dreams and nightmares and trying to find a way to get through one boring day after another. Todd is terribly troubled--he isn't really bad or stupid or uneducated. He has been traumatized in his early childhood by the loss of his parents and siblings; he has survived the foster care system but not without wounds and scars and with responses to life's situations that may be predictable but are still sad and uncomfortable. He had intended to kill himself at the cabin. He never intended to have Gilly there. He makes some surprising discoveries about himself and his family that are very hurtful. But what is one more blow for this man? Yet as the weeks go by he is not sure he wants to end his life now. It becomes apparent that Todd is beginning to care deeply for Gilly, and even when she rejects his tepid romantic advances, he works through his anger and hurt without hurting her. He is not a really bad man. But where does this all leave them?

This is a wonderful novel and once again displays Ms Hart's skill as an author and her expertise in crafting a story many writers would never attempt. This is not beauty and life, it is not love, hearts and flowers. It is sad and hurtful and raw and gutsy. But there are moments of gentleness and caring, demonstrations that Gilly's orientation in her traditions and her depth as a mother and caring person bring some peace and understanding to this troubled man. It is not an easy book to read, but I have to admit I couldn't put it down--read it all, word for word, in one sitting. I felt like I was falling down an emotional well and when I reached the end, I was surprised while not being surprised. It's almost like waiting for the other shoe to drop and when it does, it is still a surprise. There is a sense of the inevitable but the reader has no clue how it will all end.

So if you are a Megan Hart fan, you will like this book. It is not one of her erotic novels--no sex except for Gilly's memories of her times with her husband--but this is an incredibly in-depth novel and a very good read. I give this book a rating of 4.75 out of 5.

Review: Promise Canyon by Robyn Carr

Once again we visit that remote but winsome locale in Northern California, north of San Francisco in Humbolt County, an area with mountain peaks and valleys, some of the world's oldest redwoods, and people who are happy and sad like everywhere else. In this series, author Robyn Carr has crafted a saga that includes the on-going stories of individuals and families in this little community, one that is tucked away and gets little attention by those outside its borders, but within which lives and breathes hearts that are merry and some that struggle to get through each day, and others that work hard to give and take for themselves and the sakes of others.

You still have the delightful cook at Jack's Bar, Preacher by name, one who just seems to be able to bring the best out in food, who is probably a true culinary artisan, but who just keeps on delivering tasty delights without even knowing it. But this novel is about two Native Americans, one a veterinary tech from Los Angeles who needs to be near family and far away from a debilitating relationship with a spoiled former wife, a marriage that should never have happened. The other is a smart, ingenious, hard-working, family-loyal, fun-loving woman who has chosen to live a hidden emotional life because of a teen relationship that damaged her sense of her own worth and her trust in her own instincts. Clay Tahoma is Navajo, loving his family and wanting to be near his sister, her raucous and wonderful family as well as being able now to bring his son from Arizona to be near him. Lilly in Hopi, but she has chosen not to embrace her heritage, still cherishing the relationship with the grandfather who has raised her, but feeling the need to be on her own and independent of the connections that form her sense of herself far more than she realizes. This novel is really their story, but the ups and downs of the community, the hurts and struggles of some of the families that began in preceding Virgin River novels continue on as Clay and Lilly find their way toward each other.

Some reviewers have found that these later Virgin River novels to be "more of the same." I, on the other hand, find them compelling as I would any continuing story. This novel like the others is multi-layered: on the one hand you have the characters that form the core of the novel; on the other hand you have their story over against the backdrop of the continuing story of the Virgin River community. So each novel seems to bring the reader in contact with characters that have become familiar with, whose lives continue on while new residents and their dilemmas are introduced. I like that mix a lot.

I also very much appreciate the effort the author made to bring out the issues that surround the Native peoples of this country. Many are not aware that California has more Native American reservations within its borders than any other state in the Union. The Northern California areas are especially rich in Native culture and tradition, and bringing Clay with his Navajo traditions together with Lilly and her Hopi context made for a wonderful and rich love story. Bring in the conflict caused by a spoiled and dysfunctional ex-wife and you have the stuff of good romance fiction. I have to own up to being in tears when I got to the end--a resolution to Clay and Lilly's story and their concerns that moved me deeply. It is not easy for many Native peoples to live with the clash of cultures represented by the wider American culture as it butts up against their Native traditions, many of which are far more concerned about the integrity of the land and the health of the earth than those who are driven by technology and the personal drive for wealth and power.

So I continue to enjoy and find great worth in this Virgin River Series, and this like the others I have read was a joy for me. I recommend it as a very good read and one that is a fine addition to those which have preceded it. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

This Book is due to be released by Harlequin Books on 01 January 2011

Review: The Debutante's Dilemma by Elysse Mady

Miss Cecilia Hastings has succeeded in achieving what every young lady hopes for in her first London season--in duplicate. She has caught the eye of not one by two of England's most elligible bachelors. Both Jeremy Batterley, Earl of Henley and Richard Huxley, Duke of Wexford are handsome, wealthy and kind, the epitome of English gentlemen. But Cecilia doesn't want proper; whe wants passion. So she issues a challenge to her youngt lovers: a kiss, so she may be able to choose between them.

Friends since childhood and compatriots on the fields of Spain, Jeremy and Richard have found that falling for the same woman has set them at odds with one another and risks destroying their friendship forever. But a surprising invitation to a late-night garden tryst soon sets them on a course that neither of them could have anticipated. And these gentlemen quickly discover that love can take many forms.

It is a known fact that the London Season has stood historically as the great marriage mart of the Western society and the aristocracy that founded and ruled it year after year was religious in seeing to its vitality and continued existence. Into the fray came young men and women--well, some of the men were young, seeking a spouse, a bearer of children, a financial "leg-up" or a bail-out after riotous living and its resulting debt. If the gods of the London Season smiled on the "beautiful people" then there were one or two Incomparables--young women who were so beautiful that their entry into a salon or ballroom was enough to paralyze everyone in awe stricken wonder. Such a woman was Miss Cecilia Hastings, a young woman who not only looked stunning but whose manners and deportment were flawless and whose clear-eyed gaze had only to fall on a young man and he was, for all intent and purpose, smitten. In the case of this particular maiden, two of London's most eligible aristocrats have fallen head over heels in love with her--and they are best friends. Oh my . . .! And not only that, they have been best friends most of their lives and this mutual fixation is threatening to destroy them all.

This is a really fun novella--a woman who is the darling of society, whose manners and mannerisms are the joy of the watch dogs of the ton, and who enlivens every party she attends--yet in private, she is absolutely determined to do her own thing. She actually has responded to both of these men . . . their bodies touching hers during the waltz has resulted in that heated "zing" no one else can spark. Yet which man should she choose, and how can she insert herself between two of London's finest without destroying their regard for one another? Will this not eventually cause her future husband to resent her?

This novella is about individuality in the face of crushing social pressure, knowing one's own mind and find creative ways to be one's own person. It is about trust and the depth of love, insisting on having a relationship that may have to remain hidden, but without which one refuses to live. It is well-written with believable characters and a very good plot and storyline. It is one of those shorter literary works that is fun to read, satisfies the romantic in readers, tantalizes the imagination, all within a historical context. Good writers know how to do that and I think it has been done well here.

So I recommend this novella as a fun read, not taking up an extended amount of time, but manages to be one of those literary treats that fits well into a busy schedule. I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

This novella was released by Carina Press on 08 November 2010.

What Coming Up In the Near Future--It's all Going in the Ole Book Bag!

The Holiday Season is just around the corner and of course if most of us are true to form, we are still trying to find that perfect gift for a family member or friend who really doesn't need another gift--perfect or not, and we have exchanges at work, or we need to do the old gag gift for the silly part, etc. This really translates into some frantic running about while trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. All this up against the background of the national financial downturn, and I get the distinct feeling that all of us are watching our pennies and trying to make every gift dollar as carefully spent as possible--every gift as meaningful as we would hope it can be.

After the first of the year, though, there are still some wonderful literary "gifts" coming our way. In truth, books are really the "gifts that keep on giving" and I, for one, am so glad that they are always there. Just over the horizon is another delightful Virgin River creation: Midnight Kiss, an anthology of stories set in the Virgin River area of No. California, all crafted around that magic moment when the Old Year departs and the New Year arrives. These stories are wonderful and I will be posting a full review of this collection in a couple of weeks.

Next there is another riveting novel from Megan Hart: Precious and Fragile Things. Not a love story, not erotic romance in any way, shape or form. But in that distinct and unmistakable way, it bears the Megan Hart stamp of authenticity--dark, edgy, drawn from a reality that many don't want to acknowledge. A full review of this will be posted on 15 December.

If you haven't planned already to do so, you need to consider reading Allison James' newest: Firewalker, and Lorelei James' latest: Cowgirls Don't Cry. Both are more than worthy additions to series that are, in themselves, spectacular collections of western romance or paranormal romance. Also coming in February is Jaci Burton's The Perfect Play and in March, J. R. Ward's Lover Unleashed. March will also be the occasion for the release of Maya Banks' third novel in her KGI series.

One last comment: I have six grandchildren--three are adults who really like to read and three are still in school, ages 8, 12, and 15. They are all being encouraged to read, read, read. In f act, one already holds the record at her elementary school for the most pages read ever. We are giving books, books, books. I know that I can hook so many childhood and growing up memories to the books that were a part of my life in those years. So hubby and I are hoping to fill the memory banks of our granddaughters with the same anchors--really good books.

So here's a sincere wish that your pre-holiday days and weeks will be as organized as possible and not nearly as frantic as in past years. Happy reading . . .

Review: Her Kind Of Hero by Kathleen Dienne

Young widow Vanessa Bingham is ready to stop grieving. She misses the intimacy and tenderness of a man's touch. It's obvious her old friend Derek Lane wants her, so why does her first attempt at seduction cause her to flee?

Derek has been in love with Vanessa for ever. His feelings have kept him from having a serious relationship--or a casual one--with any other woman. So when she finally turns to him, he doesn't want to settle for being a "friend with benefits" kind of person. But Vanessa is a very hard person to resist for long.

Just as things with Vanessa begin heating up, disturbing photos begin showing up at Vanessa's doorstep. Someone is watching her every move--someone she may very well know. Terrifies by the stalker's very real threats, Vanessa soon begins to realize that Derek may very well be her kind of hero.

Derek was just one of those wonderful friendship kind of guys, the kind that never fail to "be there" when needed. Best friend to her deceased husband, Vanessa knew that Derek was one of those special people who keep everything from becoming disorganized during a crisis, who step in to take on the burdens when someone is hurting, who is the kind of friend everyone visualizes as being a part of their friendship circle. For Vanessa, Derek was the rock that anchored when her 36 year old husband died unexpected causes. Somehow he managed to keep her together, took over the funeral arrangements when she nearly came unglued, kept track of all the floral donations, and continued to support her and to be her rock and general "fix-it" man in the years since she was alone. Maybe it was because he was a research librarian at the local university, but there was a general aura of quiet and calm all around him, all the time. His presence as he repaired her porch, cleaned out the rain gutters, or saw to her house in some way was a sign that his friendship was open-ended. What Vanessa didn't know was that Derek would have walked off the edge of the earth if she had asked it of him.

This novella highlights the kinds of challenges that face women after the loss of a loved one as well as pointing out that close proximity to someone often blinds us to the true value they have in one's life and daily experience. This is a very well-written novella and the characters are everyday people trying to find a common path to contentment and fulfillment. Both Derek and Vanessa are introspective people who are not open with their feelings and their reluctance to share kept them imprisoned in the "same old, same old" kind of life. Even after Vanessa worked up the courage to invite Derek to share a more personal relationship, to deepen their friendship into something more, he fled. The story reveals issues that both Vanessa and Derek must face before they can expect any future relationship to develop between them. Yet they are both charming in their reticence to move forward--Vanessa is wanting a new love in her life. She is a woman who is bone-tired of being alone. Derek is one of those gentle souls many of us are around all the time. This is indeed a tentative but gentle and winsome love story and journey of discovery. I think the story also brings into greater definition the issue of what really lies beneath a carefully crafted and guarded exterior. Both of these people must come to grips with the deeper feelings that are driving them--choosing to remain on the safe and pedantic plain of friendship they currently hold dear, or take some risks and open up those deep wellsprings of feelings that could easily overwhelm and irrevocably change them and their future as friends.

This is the first novella by this author I have read but I must confess that I found it a beautiful story filled with a kind of gentle energy that engaged my spirit and was deeply satisfying for my mind and emotions. It smacked of reality in a way that I found compelling--these two people seemed to me to be reminiscent of so many individuals who stand on the brink of greater intimacy, having to choose whether to hold pat or take a risk and move forward. The path of life is fraught with potholes and this story explores the speed bumps that can confound forward progress in the search for love and fulfillment.

This is not an extensive literary piece so will not take up a vast amount of the reader's time. But I think it is well worth the time investment and will be one of those stories that will feed the cravings for romance so many of us love to have as a part of our lives. I give this novella a 4 out of 5.

This novella was released by Carina Press on 22 November 2010.