The Last Renegade

Berkley Sensational

The Last Renegade
Jo Goodman
2012

The Summary
"As the owner of the Pennyroyal Saloon and Hotel, Lorraine Berry is privy to almost everything that goes on in Bitter Springs, Wyoming--including the bloodshed plaguing its citizens.  With all of the good men dying at the hands of a local rancher and his three sons, Raine hires a shootist to be the town's protector.  But her handsome new employee is more than a hired hand; he's a man who keeps his guns close and his secrets closer.

"After a chance encounter on the train, Kellen Coltrane travels to the Pennyroyal to carry out a dying man's last wish.  But once he meets the hotel's fiery-haired proprietor, Coltrane finds himself assuming the role of the shootist's accomplice and agrees to protect Bitter Springs.  And as he learns more about Raine's own tragedy, Coltrane can't deny his growing desire for the courageous widow, or the urge to protect her from the threat that draws near..."

The Good
Jo Goodman's novel is a western through and through.  It feels like an old western movie:  dashing heroes, fiery heroines, bad guys and good guys, gunfights and outlaws.  After reading so many historical romances set during the Victorian age or the Regency, The Last Renegade was a breath of fresh air.  It was nice to change things up.

Overall, The Last Renegade was a pretty good book.  I can't say I liked the relationship between Kellen and Lorraine.  Don't get me wrong, I was rooting for them to be together; however, after realizing she divulges her entire past to him, I kind of wish he'd offered her the same courtesy and, you know, remained honest with her.  I suppose I can see why he couldn't, but it bothered me a little.  (Personal problem, not a problem with the book, I know.)

I found I enjoyed my visit to Bitter Springs, Wyoming.  It's a quintessential outlaw western:  you have a powerful family that's trying to seize control of the town; a sassy, headstrong lady out for revenge; and a devastatingly handsome gunslinger out to protect a town he's grown to like (more or less).

It's interesting and it's familiar; that is, it's almost comforting.  Bad things might happen in Westerns--there are outlaws, there are murderers, there are bad people in the world--but you get the sense that everything, eventually, will turn out alright.

Besides which, I really liked the Collins family.  They were only secondary characters, but I absolutely adored Mr. Collins' grandsons, Finn and Rabbit.  They're troublesome, they're wily, they're honestly enough to give someone gray hair, but they're good kids and I really like them.  (They're also one of the reasons the mystery as solved in the first place.)

The Bad
Kellen plays his cards carefully, keeping them close to the vest; sometimes, to the detriment of everyone else--well, more accurately, readers.  I sometimes struggled to stay on top of Kellen's plans.  I mean, he obviously didn't share all his plans and ideas with Lorraine; likewise, he doesn't always make them apparent to readers.

He's very secretive and he doesn't tell you outright what he plans to do.  I had an inkling of what would happen, but, honestly, I was wrong just as often as I was right.  Although The Last Renegade did make me realize something about myself:  I'm good at predicting plot points, but I'm very bad at solving mysteries.

The Ugly
Rape.

Winter Fire

Avon

Winter Fire
Elizabeth Lowell
1996

The Summary
"Orphaned at thirteen, a mail-order bride at fourteen, widowed at sixteen, Sarah Kennedy has learned to depend upon no one but herself--reserving all her love for her younger brother Connor, and for the wounded hawks she heals and returns to the air.

"Personal tragedy has taught Case Maxwell to love nothing that can die, and that justice is blind.  But when a confrontation with his sworn enemies, the Culpepper clan, leaves the hardened Civil War veteran near death, Case finds himself under the tender, unwanted care of Sarah Kennedy.

"Destiny has brought the healer and the warrior together--two souls haunted by the bitter ghosts of the past--to brave chilling risks and dangerous truths...as they seek the courage to face the greatest risk of all:  love."

The Good
I mostly enjoyed Winter Fire.  It's a quick, little romance, which quickly endeared itself to me with its quintessential Western qualities:  gun fights, bandits, Spanish gold, stoic heroes, sassy heroines, wild Mustangs, panoramic views of untouched canyons--and that's just the first chapter.  I mean, I found it to be just plain fun (when I wasn't lambasting the main characters for being foolish and/or stupid).

The Bad
Although I enjoyed Winter Fire overall, I found that the story had rather poor character development, unrealistic romantic entanglements, and a not-completely-satisfying conclusion.  I say poor character development, because it seemed like Case and Sarah don't change, not really.  Sarah more so than Case, but even that seems negligible, unless the author purposefully points out that, oh, yes, Sarah actually has been impacted by Case's appearance on her ranch.

Likewise, I wasn't a fan of their evolving relationship.  I mean, I understand that they share an unexpected attraction, but I can't help feeling that it's silly the sudden lack of control they have, especially when Sarah still flinches when a man touches her--remember, she was married to an abusive drunk--and Case is hunting down a band of notorious marauders.  The Culpepper gang is literally next door to Sarah's ranch....and yet you're having sex out in the desert?  Really?

I think there are more important things, like, I don't know, keeping yourself alive.

Moreover, I wasn't a fan of the ending.  It just kind of happened all at once or, maybe, I just didn't see the subtle signs, until the author whacked me over the head with them.  Either way, I wasn't a fan of the ending.  It all just seemed to happen at once and, personally, I found it odd that the heroine was such a deep sleeper.  If I was living out in the desert alone, after spending years under the thumb of an abusive drunk/husband, I would probably be a much lighter sleeper.

Last, I want to point out something that annoyed me throughout the entire novel:  character thoughts.  Normally, I don't mind peeping into a particular character's thoughts to get a more intimate view of what they think, what they feel, what they have experienced; however, I think Winter Fire overused these "thought bubbles."  I dreaded seeing italicized text, because I knew that I was about to get another intimate glance at either Sarah's or Case's most intimate thoughts.

And, as they were basically the same thoughts over and over with different wording, I was sick and tired of reading about them.  I didn't need to hear Case recite 44 different times how wrong it was for him to be attracted to Sarah, how he didn't want to care about her, how all the love had been burned out of him long ago.  It just became repetitive and annoying--and so I just started skipping italicized sections altogether.

The Ugly
Sarah and Case both have, shall we say, rough history.

Sarah was a mail-order bride at fourteen-years-old after her whole family was killed by a hurricane; she married a man who regularly assaulted her and abused her brother; then, when she was widowed, she was forced to care for her twelve-year-old brother, out in the desert, all on her own.  I couldn't have done it.

And Case spent a number of years fighting in the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, only to return home and find his home and his brother's family--his beloved niece and nephew--butchered by the Culpepper Gang.  He subsequently spends the next several years hunting down the Culpeppers, enduring more tragedy and more agony than most men can bare.

Once Touched

Ballantine Books

Once Touched
Laura Moore
2015

The Summary
"The youngest of the three Knowles siblings, Quinn has in her blood the love of the land and its beautiful creatures.  Raising enough money to build an animal sanctuary is a dream Quinn lives every day--while fending off her family's well-intentioned matchmaking schemes.  Though harboring secret fears about intimacy, Quinn soon realizes she cannot fight her growing attraction to a man who has suddenly entered her life.

"Scarred by his months in Afghanistan and the violence he witnessed there through his camera lens, photojournalist Ethan Saunders throws himself into hard ranching work as a prescription for healing.  But falling for Quinn has given him the one thing he thought he'd lost forever:  hope.  Ethan discovers that Quinn, like the innocent animals she rescues, is shy, and afraid of entrusting her heart to a man.  Passion soon awakens Ethan's strength, and his tender seduction may be just what Quinn needs to believe in herself--and in his love."

The Good
Truthfully, I liked reading Once Touched.  Granted, the cover is a little--well, incredibly--provocative, but it's a good, solid story that details a complex romantic relationship and examines the complicated nuances of intimacy.  Some parts feel a little unrealistic, using familiar expectations about sex and relationships that don't feel quite right; however, I think it does a fair job of detailing the intricacy of romance, as well as the unexpected highs and lows all couples have.

Plus, I liked Quinn.  She's a great character:  bright, thoughtful, kind, optimistic, and rather shy.  She's almost too good if we're being honest.  But I grew to like her, especially as she opened up her world to Ethan and shared with him her love of animals.

I mean, a character can be a total troll--like a literal troll--but, if they like animals, if they are kind to animals, I will immediately warm to them.  And Quinn was no exception.  She's willing to sacrifice anything to protect the critters she rescues, and she's always so good with them, including Tucker, her skittish rescue horse.  Honestly, I probably just liked her for that fact alone.

I'm an animal lover.  We tend to base (most of) our impressions on how well people treat their pets.

And Ethan wasn't too bad either.  He's a bit surly, but, considering he just went through some of the most horrific months of his life and recently staggered out of a hospital after surviving an IED, he probably has reason enough to be a bit prickly.  However, as he and Quinn grow closer, it's really very sweet to see the ways in which he shows Quinn how he loves her.

It's the little things.  Like recognizing how much she loves animals and respecting her affection; or putting thought into a gift she'll want and use, one that reflects her personal interests and passions; or bringing her breakfast in bed.  But, most importantly, respecting when she needs time and when she needs a hug or a kiss or just, in general, someone to lean on.  I have to admit, I felt my heart melting a time or two.

Overall, I enjoyed Laura Moore's novel.  It wrapped me up in a wonderful world of warm characters and loving families and unconditional love.  It was a delightful little romance novel, and I was glad I took the chance to read it...even if the cover made me feel a bit awkward.

The Bad
Once Touched is actually the third book in the series.  Although it does well to stand alone, I wish I'd had a little bit more background information on the Knowles siblings and their family ranch.  It would have, I think, cleared up a little bit of confusion about some of the characters and their relationships.

The Ugly
Relationships are hard work.

And, sometimes, heartbreak is inevitable.  This time, I seriously had some doubts they would mend their fragmented relationship.  I mean, it's almost inevitable in romance novels that they break up at least once, but, oddly enough, I was legitimately worried about them.  I've never read Moore and, while I doubted she would just break her readers' collective hearts like that, I felt a hint of uncertainty.

You never know how a book is going to end, and I kind of liked how Moore kept me on my toes.

Out of Control

Image courtesy of
www.barnesandnoble.com

Out of Control
Mary Connealy
2011

The Summary

Julia Gilliland adores geology and spends her days exploring local rock formations, geological wonders, and caves - that is, until someone steals her rope ladder and leaves her stranded in a system of caves in the wilds of 19th century Colorado Territory.

Luckily for Julia, Rafe Kincaid offers her a helping hand.  But, for a man who is obviously used to handling authority, Julia - an intelligent, outspoken outsider - is a force to be reckoned with.  Now, forced to work together to secure their own safety and the safety of their respective families, Julia and Rafe are faced with someone more dangerous than they ever imagined.

The Good

With just enough suspense to keep the novel moving, Out of Control is relatively detailed and structured with some solid characters, a few interesting plot points, and a handful of intriguing mysteries.  Overall, Mary Connealy's novel is enjoyable and entertaining to read during an empty afternoon.

The Bad

Personally, I found certain character quirks annoying.  Julia, for instance, not only has a passion for geology, but an obsession.  Perhaps I've not known enough would-be geologists in my lifetime, but her character occasionally proved frustrating given her focus for fossils when her life is obviously in danger.

While I don't consider Julia to be the "damsel in distress" type - and, admittedly, I doubt I would have appreciated her fully as a character if she was - I find her apparent superiority complex slightly annoying and her willingness to overlook the attempt on her life frustrating.  Likewise, Rafe has his own setbacks as a domineering control freak.

Moreover, their romance, if it could be called such, appears to spring from constant bickering.  Their relationship is strained throughout the text - so much so, it's hard to believe they made any romantic connection at all, beyond their supposed affection mentioned in passing.  In fact, you sometimes get the feeling you imagined it all.

The Ugly

To put it mildly, Out of Control is not a book that compels you to read it.  It's passably entertaining, but, rather than being a story to read and adore from cover to cover, it has only enough of a mystery to hold your attention for a few pages.

In short, it's easy to skim.

The Sisters Brothers

Image courtesy of
www.booksamillion.com

The Sisters Brothers
Patrick DeWitt
2011

The Summary
Patrick DeWitt chronicles the unfortunate misadventures of Eli and Charlie Sisters, the infamous Sisters Brothers who have made a name for their work as professional murders.

Now, working for a man known simply as Commodore, Eli and Charlie are headed for Sacramento in search of Hermann Kermit Warm, in order to kill the man and bring back what he's stolen from the Commodore.

But Eli has begun to question their journey and his brother's motives for wealth and fame - and he wonders whether his life is the one he wants or the one he has been forced to take.

The Good
DeWitt's novel, to say the least, is not your typical western.  (Perhaps, "spaghetti western" would be a more appropriate term?)  Strangely compelling and slightly absurd, The Sisters Brothers has a ring of oddity and truth to it that makes it simultaneously humorous and dark.

More than merely fashioning an odd tale about a pair of bickering and violence-prone brothers, DeWitt's books explodes with unique and off-kilter characters that are strangely likeable, Eli included.  Seemingly the sanest individual of The Sisters Brothers, Eli is a compelling and heart-warming narrator with a story to tell and a hatchet to bury and a life of his own.

The Bad
To be honest, The Sisters Brothers is absurd to the degree of being almost annoying.  Sometimes, it's just plain weird and strangely melancholy - and you have to wonder whether this pair of unfortunate brothers will ever catch a break.

Arguably, DeWitt's novel is very well-written, nicely paced, and enjoyably suspenseful with intricate, if unusual, characters.  But, personally, I didn't find this story spectacularly compelling or addictive.  It's a fine read, but not particularly exceptional.

The Ugly
Murder, insanity, bloodshed, mayhem, cursing and swearing, and death.  I think it's fair to say that there is a disproportionate amount of misfortune and death - of humans and animals alike - within the brothers' lives.  In short, they don't exactly escape unscathed.