Carole's Sunday: The Cowboy's forgetful bride - Leslie North

Author: Leslie North

Title: The Cowboy’s Forgetful Bride

(Brothers of the Cooper Ranch)

Genre: Western, Romance

Pages: ebook

Published: December 27th 2018

Where I Got It: My shelf (Netgalley)

Bella Whitmore is the heir to the Whitmore Shipping fortune. Refusing to be pigeon-holed into the socialite box, Bella has worked her entire life to show her father that she can be the son he never had and take over the Whitmore Shipping Empire. So when she wakes up, on a ranch in Montana, missing the memories of the last month of her life, you’d think that would be the worst case scenario. And it is…until she realizes the devil she’d worked so hard to avoid for the last year is now her husband. 

Sawyer Cooper knows he’s a devil. Handsome, charismatic, and with an eye for feeding people’s vices, Sawyer’s reinvented himself as a shark in the business world, but very few realize that he’s actually a Cooper of the Country Coop fortune. But rather than resting on the laurels (and red-neck reputation) of Country Coop, Sawyer wants to show the world exactly how important farming can be. To do this, he needs Bella Whitmore’s help. Every bit as beautiful as her name suggests, and smarter than everyone else in the room, Sawyer knows that she could make his dreams come true, both inside and outside of the bedroom. And after a year of pursuing her, she’s finally said yes -- to everything. 

But after a horseback riding accident, Bella’s brain has reset back to the beginning, and Sawyer was never good at starting a game over. Especially not after he’d already won. Now, Sawyer needs to figure out how to woo her for a second time. Because this time around it’s not just his professional pride on the line: it’s his heart.

Who doesn't love a nice cowboy ;)? 

So the story follows Sawyer and Bella. Sawyer is a hunky cowboy who has an amazing business idea. Bella is the daughter of a business mogul who is a complete jerk and doesn't fully appreciate Bella and her brains. He just wants her to be a dumb socialite and marry a man he can leave the company to one day. Things happen, but we don't get to see them because one minute Bella goes to bed and wakes up a month or so later and she is now married to Sawyer in Montana. She can't remember a thing...

I wanted to slash the tires of Bella's dad. He was an absolute sexist jerk. Grr! *shakes fist* 

Sawyer was hunky and Bella was sweet and sassy and smart. Everything a cowboy businessman needs. 

The drama was good. Not over-the-top. I enjoyed seeing some of the business drama unfold as well. Bella and Sawyer were sweet together and I felt bad. However....I hated Sawyer at first. Sure, everyone has their weaknesses and whatnot, but his original reaction to Bella's memory loss threw me off. Ummmm....she is your wife. I would've slapped him. He gets better and makes up for his moment of selfishness, but still. I was not amused. 

I also wasn't 100% in love in how everything was resolved and "fixed". I GET IT. But....I don't know. I think it was a waste of time and money honestly. 

Overall, this was a cute one with some drama. Sawyer took a while to earn my love and the ending I wasn't really in love with it. However, the rest of the story was good. That would really stink to lose your memory!! D: I'll stamp this with 3 stars. 

Audio: Cowboy, cross my heart - Donna Grant

Audio CD, 9 h

Narrator: Rebecca Estrella

Published September 19th 2018 by Tantor Audio (first published August 28th 2018)

Heart of Texas #2

Romantic suspense

For review

My Thoughts

I do not want to spoil too much here since it is not mentioned in the blurb, but there is a lot of suspense. Something sinister is going on at the rodeo and Bryce and Naomi will be caught in the middle of it.

Naomi loves taking photos and she is good at it. But then she comes back to Texas to visit her friend Whitney. And oh those cowboys. Horses! She sure misses it. And then she spots Bryce. Ok so it happened really fast! But it is romance, I can love with it. It sure is a time of turmoil so why can't they fall fast and hard. Something will connect them and I will not say what.

Bryce is actually someone you met in book 1, but that was 12 years ago. It was fun seeing his sister and husband again, and getting his story too. He wants a ranch of his own, he rides the rodeo, well you get it, he is a cowboy.

And boom sparks fly!

Whitney, well ...

<spoiler>Ok so I get it, I do not blame her. They were men of power, but you only had to leave the rodeo to be free! Is that crown really worth it!? Is your friend's life really worth it? Your friend!</spoiler>

The danger is real in this one. The bad guys are evil, and frankly pretty dumb. Omg plan better! You deserve everything you have coming.

Conclusion

A good thrilling book with both romance and suspense.

Narrator

I always like her cowboys book. She does them really well

Cover

He looks hotter on the print cover

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant takes you deep inside the Texas rodeo scene in the second book in her Heart of Texas series, Cowboy, Cross My Heart, where danger and desire ride side by side . . . Naomi Pierce isn't the type to let a cowboy sweep her off feet. It's not her first rodeo, after all. But when she returns to her Texas hometown, she can't help but be swept up again in the rough-and-tumble world of hard-riding, bronco-busting good-ol'-boys she loved as a girl. She might be here to photograph her Rodeo Queen best friend. But it's one fine-looking cowboy who really captures her eye . . . Brice Harper is all man, all muscle, and all heart. From the moment he rides into the stadium, he can't help but notice the beautiful stranger with a camera watching him from the stands. It doesn't take a zoom lens to see the sparks of instant attraction. But things really heat up when he meets Naomi up-close-and he discovers that someone is stalking her friend. Brice wouldn't be any kind of cowboy if he didn't offer to help the ladies out. But can the rough rider keep this spirited shutterbug out of danger-without risking his heart?

Joint discussion:To marry a Texas Outlaw

Happy September everyone! 

This month Carole and I discussed "To Marry a Texas Outlaw".  Blodeuedd is in blue and Carole in red-brown. 

Author: Linda Broday

Title: To Marry a Texas Outlaw (Men of Legend #3)

Genre: Historical Romance & Western

Pages: ebook

First Published: Will be released November 7th 2017 

Where I Got It: Netgalley

Outlaw Luke Weston survives by his wits. On the run for a murder he didn't commit, the last thing he needs is to go looking for more trouble. But when Luke stumbles across a fiercely beautiful woman struggling against two heavily armed men, it's obvious that trouble has found him.

After all, he never could resist a damsel in distress.

Josie Morgan's distressed, all right―and hopping mad. She has no idea why she's been kidnapped...or who she is...or why her body melts for the mysterious gunslinger who saved her life. But as the lost memories come tumbling back together, Josie is faced with the stark reality of why she and Luke can never be...even as her heart is telling her she will always be his.

Howdy there little miss!

Howdy *spits some tobacco* lol

LOL! I am happy we decided on a western. I was in the mood for a good cowboy tale!

I seem to prefer my cowboy tale, contemporary...strange. One would think these would be hot. Alas, it left me a bit cold.

Really? I like any sort of cowboy. Any time period. But I was disappointed that this outlaw really wasn’t an outlaw. He was framed!!!! No! I wanted a bad boy outlaw flinging guns and not giving a care. I mean...he wasn’t bad….but not what I really wanted.

Ok so I do like a good outlaw…*wait, cranky teething baby* Hold that thought a sec...right. Where was I, sexy outlaws. Yes. But at the same time I was glad he was not an outlaw cos in the end those kill, rob, not so good guys. No Robin Hoods.

True, true. But it is like pirates...you don’t want a nice pirate. You want the bad boy! LOL But yes, besides for that, I liked him. I even warmed up to Josie/Rose. It took a bit, but she grew on me.

LOL. I used to like pirates, but then Jack Sparrow came and destroyed that. A  drunk weird pirate. Thanks a lot Depp!

Josie Josie, I do not think I really liked either of them, or disliked them. Like I said, never warmed up to anything. I really can not say why.

I honestly liked the side characters the best. LOL! I want to know more about his brothers and his dad. I would really like a short story or something of his dad and his mom. That would be cute.

Cute and sad. Id rather see his dad in a new story finding love again, and yes his brothers stories seemed nice

That would be fun! And I also liked that beer drinking horse! LOLLL! What a character. Let’s get book about that horse.

And the ladies hiding out in that house. Theirs would be a good story

See? The side characters stole the show in my opinion.

I have to agree. They were more memorable to me. Even Rowdy and that kid whose mum gave birth

Ooo! Yes. I remember that. She was a hoot. But yeah...the couple were just barely okay overall. I also wasn’t sure how I liked the ending.

Some weird things going on there….I guess you nailed why i never warmed to the book. I blame Luke and Josie, cos i sure did not feel any chemistry

It was weird. Like...it was different way for them to get their HEA. But I can’t decide if I like it or not. I also thought that the insta-love was not fitting. I am glad that Luke did fight it, because he is honorable and Josie is a head-trauma victim and shouldn’t be making life decisions.

Yes not the best time to fall in love.  The end felt rushed too

It did feel a little rushed.

Hmmm, what more to say…..

I liked the adventure part of the story. Finding the baddie and trying to find Josie’s past. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book along with the side characters. However, it just didn’t feel like a romance and that is kinda a bummer to me. LOL

It could have been better. For me it was only ok

Agreed. It could have been better in a lot of different ways. It was entertaining for me, but overall...just okay.

oh , we sure know how to pick them

LOL! We seem to go in waves. Lots of goods and then lots of….just okay or bleh. We are never consistent!

I do not know how we do it...but i do feel my pick next will be good. I feeeeeel it

Ekkk! I hope so! It sure does sound gooooooooooooooood. Hopefully it will be a 5 star one!

Fingers crossed.

Well, is that all? Anything left to say? I think I’m good. I have to get back on my horse and head back into work x_x.

I am good. Bit hard to write with sigrid in my lap but it worked. Have fun at work hehe

Hehehe. It did work! And thankkkkkkkkkkkkks I’ll try.

*tips hat* tell next time partner!! HEEE HAWWW! *rides away*

*waves*

About the Authors

Carole and Blodeuedd have been blogging a long while now. The last couple of years the epic duo have been discussing books, watching movies, and even wetting the pen and sharing their stories with the worldwide web. They both love cats, chocolate, and a good story.

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-In April 24 2015 and Ruthless Heart review

Sun, how did I miss it? Walked something
Mon, 4 km bike, 30 min walk
Tue, 1 h workout class, 8 km bike
Wed, 4 km bike, 30 min walk
Thu, 8 km bike, 1 h zumba
Fri, 4 km bike, 30 min walk

..........................

Sheltered all her life, Eliza Hunter never imagined herself alone in the vast Utah plains, much less trailing a mysterious, rugged man hired to hunt down her beautiful younger sister. Unable to reveal the truth about her pursuit of him, Eliza plays student to his teacher, transforming herself in the process. And when she finds herself sharing the warmth of Grady's campfire, wrapped in his arms, hypnotized by his power, soon she is a naïve spinster no more. . .Grady Wolfe is more than a loner, he's a man forever on the run. With a body and soul finely honed from living off the land, Grady knows he should leave the irresistible woman alone, but she stirs something in him he hasn't felt before. Now he's lost in the woods for the first time in his life--with a dangerous job to do. And no one--not even the luscious Eliza--is going to stop him. . 

My thoughts:

*coughs* Too much smexy times. Haha, yes that got your attention didn't it. So yes if you want your historical with lots of passion then this is the book for you. For me, eh, if I have read one scene I have read them all, I do not need several pages, and then again, and then again. I want to see them fall in love instead. But they wanted to do it like rabbits.

Great and now I forgot his name..Grady? *checks* Ok yes Grady is a bounty hunter, bad and bad. Eliza is a mormon who runs away after her sister runs away. Since Grady is the one after her sister. She just tags along and he lets her..right. But then she does have lovely breasts as he likes to tell her a lot. And the money he spends on her, yikes, are you made of money!?

Eliza was a bit naive, but duh! She was raised that away.

Grady was tough and yes I did like that he showed it. He is not nice. Even if I would have kicked him in the nuts but still....

It was a good book, I could have done with less passion and more on the trail though. They were somewhere? What? She did skinnydip. That is all I learned about nature. I am in such a mood today. Yes smexy scenes bore me. There I said it.

Cover

meh

Kindle Edition, 273 pages
Published July 1st 2010 by Kensington Books
Heart, #1
Historical romance, western
own

Review: The Cowboy's Christmas Baby - Carolyn Brown

Tis the season for...

A pistol-totin' woman who's no angel

A tough rancher who doesn't believe in miracles

Love that warms the coldest nights

After a year in Kuwait, Lucas Allen can't wait to get back to his ranch for Christmas and meet his gorgeous Internet pal in person.

When he pulls in, there's Natalie Clark right in his front yard with a pink pistol in her hand and a dead coyote at her feet.

Lucas is unfazed. But wait...is that a BABY in her arms?

My thoughts:

Sassy women and real cowboys. If you have not noticed by now that I enjoy Brown's books then you can have looked that close. This is the *checks* 11th book that I have read by her. And they are all sweet as butter in the sun. 

The Holidays are close in this book and a Lucas is gonna see the girl he has talked to online for months. You would think it would be all kisses and hugs but Natalie did forget to tell him she got preggers and had a baby. I do get why he got mad, she should have told him but there is a reason why she did not. So it's a rocky start and they has to become friends and fall in love all over again.

Put in a scheming father and granfather. Animals running amok and getting everything ready for xmas and you got this book.

Conclusion:

It's all sweet and fun. But then if I want cowboys I want a Brown book.

Cover

Eh

Paperback, 352 pages
Published September 24th 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca (first published January 1st 2013)
Cowboys & Brides #2
Contemporary romance
For review

Review: To Have and To Hold - Leigh Greenwood

The Blaine brothers learned how to survive at a young age the hard way. But after a life of working odd jobs, Colby thinks he might just be ready to settle down. Until his fiancé jilts him for a man with more money. 

Naomi Kessling is already plagued by nightmares and a violent past when her wagon train is attacked. Colby saves her life, but Naomi is convinced he's been sent by the army to arrest her for a crime she can't remember. 

Colby will help her face her nightmares, but will her love be enough to break down the wall he's built around his heart?

My thoughts:

This was truly a western. They were on the trail west and all the dangers that that meant.

Naomi and her family are heading west (but are the entire town running from something? *insert music of almost doom*.) First we have weather that does what it wants and not what the travelers want. Dangerous rivers, killer snakes and do not forget Indians. The whole caravan is also very tense cos of something that must have happened for them to leave it all behind. Which was a bit extreme but hey their choice.

In comes Colby, all around nice guy who knows about the land and agrees to help these poor lost travelers. Like I said he was a good guy, but he has some issues from his past that makes a romance not in the cards.

Romance. Of course there is romance! Just cos the heroine do not trust Colby and Colby is all arghh issues from my past, does not mean there will not be romance ;) I liked that it happened slow. They became friends and sparks slowly started to form. But they had some things to work through first.

Conclusion:

All in all a nice western romance that shows the hard life and how everyone had to work together to survive.

Would I read more?

Sure

Cover

Works

Paperback, 384 pages
Published November 5th 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Cactus Creek Cowboys #1
Historical romance /western romance
For review

Carole Rae Reviews: Ghost of Lost Eagle - Dean Sault

Author: Dean Sault

Title: Ghost of Lost Eagle (#1 Sweetwater Canyon Series)

Genre: Adventure, Western, and Romance

Pages: ebook

First Published: July 8th, 2013

Where I Got It: Given to me by the publisher/author for an honest and unbiased review

"Mason "Tuck" Tucker meets Sass Thornton when she saves him from death in a flash flood. She dubs him "dumb-ass" for entering a box canyon during a rain storm. It is a label he will hear many times as she fights against her own unwanted attraction to him.

Sass's father, Phil, owns the cattle ranch and has been keeping two secrets from his daughter. Despite her contempt for Tuck, the father hires him to run the bunkhouse and control growing racial tension between white cowhands and Mexican vaqueros who work for him. Tuck surprises Phil with his easy, yet tough, management skill. The old man takes Tuck into his confidence and reveals a deadly truth about a killer who is terrorizing the bunkhouse residents.

Throughout the book, Tuck is haunted by howls of a lone wolf and life-like dreams of an old Indian ghost named Lost Eagle. The spirit medicine man wakes Tuck when he is in danger and repeatedly warns the young man about a coming destiny he must face. Ironically, that destiny will force Tuck to choose life or death for the Indian ghost as well as another.

Read what happens when the ghost of Lost Eagle, the lone wolf spirit guide and Tuck's new found love, Sass, come together in a life and death struggle. How does the murderer in the bunkhouse seek revenge against Sass and her father? Will Tuck leave the woman he loves to save the aunt who raised him, the only mother he’s ever known?"

Like earlier stated I was given this to read and review for the author/publisher for my unbiased and honest opinion.

I  honestly read this in a 24 hour period! I think I needed a good douse of western mixed with romance or something, because I just gobbled this down and nearly in one sitting at that. Kuddos to me. Also major kuddos to Dean Sault with his writing style. There is something about his writing that is so addictive. It might be because its so flowly and....not simple...but not over the top. It was an easy read and you can't help but keep reading even though your feet are falling asleep, because you haven't moved in a couple of hours. The only thing that annoyed me was there was a couple modern references that slipped in. It happens to everyone. Plus I only noticed a couple terms and etc.

More kuddos to Dean Sault for adding a little supernatural stuff to this story. I was worried at first that it wouldn't work well...but it did and I'm glad he added it. It was like...hot sauce. It added a special zang to the storyline. Made it really stand out. Buuut 

WHICH brings me to Tucker who was"cursed" by the supernatural stuff going around. GAH! I can see why Sass called him a "dumbass" throughout the whole novel. He truly was a dumbass. Sometimes I wanted to slap him himself.  I liked him...I did...but he truly was an idiot. WHICH in a way made me like him more, because he wasn't at all the A-typical hero in a romance novel. Sass was the same too...not the A-typical herione either. She was bitchy and didn't take mens shit. Sometimes she was overly mean to people who didn't deserve it, but hell, she had a LOT of baggage.... 

Man, Teresa I wanted to punch her.....

Need to cut myself off, before I give away some big spoilers. 

In the end, this was a good book. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what else Dean Sault has in store for us. His writing is really good, even though a couple oopsies slipped in.  This wasn't your A-typical western/romance. It had some hot sauce - aka supernatural stuff - mixed in. I would recommend this to those who like westerns, hot cowboys, romance, and lots of adventure. Out of five stars I shall stamp this with....4 stars.

Favorite Character(s): Tucker (even though he was a big ol' dumbass), Sass (a bitch, but funny), Phil, Mando, and Manny (super cute).

Not-so-Favorite Character(s): Richard (ass) &Teresa (stupid chit)

Carole owner of caroleraesramblings.com

Review: A Bargain Struck - Liz Harris

Widower Connor Maguire advertises for a wife to raise his young daughter, Bridget, work the homestead and bear him a son. 

Ellen O’Sullivan longs for a home, a husband and a family. On paper, she is everything Connor needs in a wife. However, it soon becomes clear that Ellen has not been entirely truthful.

Will Connor be able to overlook Ellen’s dishonesty and keep to his side of the bargain? Or will Bridget’s resentment, the attentions of the beautiful Miss Quinn, and the arrival of an unwelcome visitor, combine to prevent the couple from starting anew.

As their personal feelings blur the boundaries of their deal, they begin to wonder if a bargain struck makes a marriage worth keeping.

Set in Wyoming in 1887, a story of a man and a woman brought together through need, not love …

My thoughts:

This is not your typical sort of romance, neither is it pure historical fiction. No, it's...romantic historical fiction ;) And this one in a western setting.

Did the romance come quick? No. Did it come easy? No. This couple struggled and my heart wept for her. Ellen was a strong woman who had been through a lot and she acts like a little grey mouse, not voicing her opinion. I shall not say what happened, but she has a secret and it's something others have a hard time handling.

Life on the frontier was not exactly easy either. It's a tough life. 

Connor was a good man. Again, I can't say much, but yes he comes around.

Life on the farm, getting to know a new husband, having a step-daughter who hates her and more creates a good book that was hard to put down. I just wanted to know one thing...will there be love? So I could not stop reading.

Conclusion:

A good book with a story that moved me.

Paperback, 336 pages
Published September 7th 2013 by Choc Lit (first published July 31st 2013)
Romantic historical fiction
From the author for an honest review

Review: Paradise Valley - Rosanne Bittner

Maggie Tucker's life is forever changed when outlaws murder her husband, leaving her alone and lost in the wilds of the Wyoming Territory. She vows to find the men who killed him and who tried to destroy her spirit.

Sage Lightfoot, owner of a ranch called Paradise Valley, is hunting for three men who murdered his best ranch hand. When he finds Maggie collapsed beside an open grave, they embark on a life-changing journey along the famed Outlaw Trail. But a secret Maggie carries and a woman from Sage's past could destroy their fragile love.

My thoughts:

A brutal beginning, but then to have made life easy for Maggie would not have been right. It had to be brutal and leave her angry. It was the time.

Maggie is left with a dead husband and a thirst for vengeance after the outlaws hurt her too. Not something I want to happen to a heroine, but that she would have been left unhurt after something like that, yes not likely. But she was such a strong woman, she did not let it hold her down. She is also a true pioneer woman, ready to work like any man. At first I was a bit wary as her husband was dead after all and I knew she and Sage would find each other. But, a loveless marriage is nothing to cry over in the end.

Sage then, half Indian, owner of one big ranch and with scars of his own. A very colorful past that we learn more of. He is a good man, kind and strong. Now who would not fall for him?

It's a slow building romance as they both are scarred. But it also about the hunt for the outlaws and riding through wild country. Both animals and bad men out there. And with that it was different, because it showed the more brutal side.

Conclusion:

Love can grow in the most unlikely places.

Cover

Ok

Paperback, 352 pages
Published July 2nd 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Historical romance /western
For review

Review: Billion dollar cowboy - Carolyn Brown

A Billionaire Can Buy Anything...

Colton Nelson was twenty-eight years old when he won the Texas Lottery and went from ranch hand to ranch owner overnight. Now he's desperate to keep the gold diggers away. It shouldn't be too hard to find a pretty girl and hire her to pretend to be his one-and-only.

Or Can He?

Laura Baker's got mixed feelings about this--she's on the ranch to work, not to be arm candy. On the other hand, being stuck for a while in the boondocks with a gorgeous cowboy isn't half-bad.

What neither Colton nor Laura expects are the intensely hard lessons they have to learn about the real cost of love...

My thoughts:

You know you will get some sweet romancing when it comes to a Carolyn Brown book, and add sexy cowboys to that too.

In this new series we meet billionaire Colton who is running from the crazy women that want his money. Colton is nice, hardworking, loves his farm, and yes he is also sexy and has lots of money.

Then there is Laura, who has issues from her past and a sister in trouble. Laura is the nerdy girl with glasses. The girl with commitments problems. The sweet girl who loves gardening and has no problems with farm life. So they are perfect for each other, but they just had to get past a few speed bumps first.

The whole premise is nice. She is his fake girlfriend and of course that means they get close. It's a fake romance that blossoms. All while we have a nice atmosphere and get to meet everyone on the farm. It's a close family, a nice family. I enjoyed meeting them all, and seeing Colton and Laura falling in love.

Conclusion:

Cowboys! Romance! You know it :)

Cowboys & Brides #1
Contemorary romance /western romance
Paperback, 352 pages
Published June 4th 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
For review

Review: Gold Mountain - Sharon Cullars

It’s been six months but I remember buying this book because I’d seen a semi-positive review on a blog—Dear Author probably—and because a romance of a mixed-race couple in the 1860’s Wild West sounded intriguing. Especially since neither character is white.

Unfortunately the story didn’t live up to its promise. 

I did like the start of the book, although I did think it somewhat boring. The author spends a lot of time setting the scene and describing the life of a Chinese worker building the railroads for a pittance and the life of a black single woman trying to build a new life and a business for herself and her friend. Bias, racism, sexism, it’s all there and prevalent in the vernacular. 

As if that’s not enough to create obstacles to the couple’s happiness, there’s also their inability to fully understand each other. Quiang speaks but a little English and he and Leah have to communicate through gestures, looks, and touches. 

There’s all this, and what does the author do with it? Nothing. Cullars glosses over all the difficult—and rewarding—steps of a meaningful relationship building and focuses on the paper thin physical attraction instead. There’s a brief mention of how Leah and Quiang learn to communicate with the help of a dictionary, but they don’t really talk to each other. When they’re together they’re either taking their clothes of and having sex or putting their clothes on and thinking about having sex. And those sex scenes are bad. There’s creaming and there’s tumescence, there’s orbs and there’s the infamous “her sex” euphemism. 

After all that, the story and my rating for it could have been saved had I bought Quiang’s interactions with the triad members. I can’t really pinpoint my problem with them, but something in the language used left me unconvinced. It wasn’t just Wao’s refusal to call an erection an erection, it was also how the revelation of the misappropriation was handled. Until then, I had liked Quiang’s willingness to engage in shady businesses for quick profit and that both characters had such defined lives outside each other, after it just felt anticlimactic. 

I didn’t want a happily ever after epilogue, I wanted to read how they get there. 

So what does the book have? Good historical description with nascent characterisations, but without any real character or relationship development, and a whiff of Wild West adventures. It simply wasn’t enough for me. 

1 star

Series: N/A
Pages: 232 (ebook)
Publisher: Loose Id
Published: February 23rd 2010
Source: Bought