What I've been reading...

I've been busy making a dent in my latest haul of books. For some reason reading mostly the westerns. Everything else I pick up I end up putting back down. It's nice to have a little bit of everything to read, but odd that I'm not interested in anything much more than these short westerns.


THE GUNSLINGER'S BRIDE by Cheryl St. John
This was a bit spicier than her Harlequin Historicals but not by much. It is also a part of the Montana Mavericks series. You can read it easily as a stand alone because while other characters are mentioned it isn't in a teaser way or with the previous characters being relevant to this story. Light fare, a quick read set in Montana in 1897. The gunslinger is actually one of three brothers who had left home and worked as a marshal and sometimes bounty hunter. Brock Kincaid wants to return home without dragging his violent past with him. (Excerpt) I noted on Ms. St. John's website that she has written about the other two brothers.


HIGH PLAINS BRIDE by Jenna Kernan
I was disappointed in this one. The plot had lots of promise, but it lacked depth and the dialogue was a bit too modern for me. Sarah West goes searching for her husband's brother, Tom West, to help her find her daughter who was kidnapped from a wagon train by Indians. It turns out that the daughter is actually Tom's. Before Tom left for the gold field of Californa Sarah climbs in his window to give him a goodbye present hoping he will change his mind about leaving. Once Tom's family receives word that he's died in his pursuit of gold, Sarah marries Tom's brother Samuel.

Of course years later Sarah finds out Tom is alive. In the meantime she and Samuel decide to seek their fortune out west.

I started out relieved and happy that the big reveal about the daughter's paternity was dealt with right away. Literally the first 10 pages of the book. Also that most of the "secrets" were brought out into the open as well.

My big disappointment was over the lost potential of telling more of the daughter's story and trauma as a captive. This was dealt with in a conversation between mother and daughter near the end of the book and it was too abrupt and pat for me. (Excerpt)

If you care, or are interested, the best book I've ever read about an Indian captive is THE PRIDE OF HANNAH WADE by Janet Dailey. It's gritty and realistic and a great story of one woman who wants to go home and how she survives as a captive and the censure of the white world she wants to return to.


THE PERFECT WIFE - Mary Burton
Another quick, easy read. Set in 1876 in Saddler Creek, Colorado this is a mail-order bride story. No set up or tricks. Both parties write to one another and Jenna Winslow accepts Rowe Mercer's proposal and sets out from Alexandria, Virgina to Colorado. There is however a secret. ::sigh:: Jenna has told Rowe that the baby she is bringing with her is her own when it is actually the born-out-of-wedlock child of her sister who died in childbirth. Sure there was a scandal in Virginia when the baby was born, but when Jenna's sister died and she decides to go west I don't know why she couldn't just tell Rowe whose baby it was. I didn't really buy into Ms. Burton's explanation. Of course, being a virgin when you have a baby is sort of a give away, don't you think? While that little "detail" bugged me. I'd read another book by Ms. Burton. (Excerpt)

My reviews of these westerns probably make it seem crazy that I keep reading and enjoying them, but I do. They are such quick reads and taken for what they are a preferable way to spend a couple of hours versus summer TV re-runs.


I've also read a couple of spicier books. The current contemporary release BAD AS SHE WANTS TO BE by Thea Devine (don't throw tomatoes at me!) and FORBIDDEN PLEASURE by Lora Leigh.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Thea Devine book. (Excerpt) I haven't read one of her books in probably 3 to 4 years and was intrigued by this one because it is a contemporary. I've only read historicals by her previously. Has she written a contemp before? Ms. Devine's writing here is cleaner than I've experienced in her historicals.

This book is about small town girl Frankie Luttrell who saves rich girl Marianne Nyland from drowning. Almost before she knows what hits her Frankie is swimming in the fast lane of the spoiled rich where the rules of life she's used to just don't seem to apply. Throw in Marianne's obsession and Frankie's fasination for hunky scion Dax Cordrey and let the games begin.

While I can say this book has an HEA of sorts, it is pretty much a straight up erotic read. If you like to read about women in charge of their own sexuality you should definitely give this book a try.


FORBIDDEN PLEASURE by Lora Leigh is about two men and one woman and is a part of her Bound Heart series. (Excerpt) This book is a complete stand alone though. No specific reference to any previous characters or stories in the series are made. While Ms. Leigh has certainly written this sort of story previously, I do think this is a tighter, better written and edited version than I've read by her. The sex and menage scenes are explicitly written. So much so that I don't know if this would be safe to read on the beach. Husbands, boyfriends and BOBs should definitely be on standby. If you like it hot, hot, hot...read FORBIDDEN PLEASURE. Oh, and Ms. Leigh goes out of her way to be sure we know there is NO MAN LOVE!


My apologies for not making the rounds. Beanie just finished his classes last week and Shmoo is taking his finals this week. Computer time has been at a premium. So I've been reading and getting all my annual physical doctor appointments and tests done. Ugh!!!