Lawless (1989)

A gently bred lady from Philadelphia comes out west looking for her father, only to find that he died right before her arrival and that the fine house he had described in his letters was no more than a fantasy. But a suspicious fire soon suggests that his mine might not have been quite as worthless as people thought. Meanwhile, part-Apache gunslinger Jake Redman finds himself drawn into protecting her, and naturally, sparks fly. This is a fun read, complete with a pot-bellied sheriff, shooting lessons for the lady, a badly behaved puppy, and hookers with hearts of gold (and an evil madam). ( )

This was my first time with Nora Roberts, so I may be sentimental in this review. I really enjoyed this book. Sarah, the heroine, had just the right mix of femininity and spunk. I enjoyed Sarah's back-story, her trials and how she overcame them. This is a great old-fashioned romance novel. ( )

Arizona Territory is wild, rugged and beautiful. It's Jake Redman's country. But when he encounters Eastern lady Sarah Conway, come west to live with her father, Jake is struck by a desire for something more.

Sarah, on the other hand, is stunned to find her father dead in a mine collapse, and the letters he wrote her of his success little more than a pipe dream. Now, left with only a one-room cabin and a mine she has no interest in working, Sarah must decide if she is up to the challenge.

Toss in a plotting rancher, a scheming madame, and of course, an abduction by Indians, and there's plenty of excitement here. Perhaps not Roberts best, but not a bad book for all that. ( )