Rosanne Bittner

Another win from Bittner! After a couple of works that I dropped for various reasons, this book illustrated why I’d fallen in love with her stuff in the first place. She seems to be one of these authors that either writes gold or very mediocre stuff. Like the peaks of Colorado, this one was gold!

The epic family drama and the emergence of Denver as a prominent Western metropolis kept me spell bound. Much along the lines of Outlaw Hearts and Wildest Dreams, this book follows two individuals show more through very trying circumstances and follows their family build up through to the beginning of the modern age. Each generation builds upon the accomplishments of the past to create the next leg in the saga.

Historical romances are not the usual scene for these type of family dramas; in fact, Bittner is the only one I can think of that incorporates it. I feel it adds so much to a romance as we get to see the fruits of labors and the consequences of decisions in such a grand scale, over decades rather than just a few months or years. The actions of each generation impacts the next, and I loved that.

Surviving fire, flood, crime, war, and riot, Denver rose to become one of the jewels of the West, the Queen City as it was called. The vast history of the West was also explored in gold-rush California and arid New Mexico. I was especially intrigued with the history in this book as I’m going to be able to visit several of the spots discussed on a road trip this fall; so I got all the more excited, reading about them and learning some of their back story. Bittner excelled in this book aspect.

Her characters and romance also shined. Every character felt real to me. Even the nasty personalities like Elly and Chad, I was able to see why they acted the way they did, their motivations and inspirations. There is more than one romantic pairing in this book, giving us a more rounded picture of romance as well. As loyal business partners or passionate lovers or healing friends, seeing the different types and levels of romance made for a more well-rounded romantic tale.

For most of the book, our main pairing wasn’t together, which in another historical romance might have killed the book. Yet, the strength of their love and the trials they go through to ultimately find themselves together keep it in the forefront of the story. Even though they marry others and face tragedy separately, I felt their chemistry together even so.

Even though there were a few flaws here or there, they pale in comparison to the work as a whole. The vibrant history, characters, and romance all make for a gripping historical romance read. This is a solid five in my book; works like this are the reason I love and adore Bittner. I’ll be looking out for more! show less

4.5 Stars

I went into this book just expecting a pretty good western historical romance as the description sounded great. What I didn’t expect to find was a western familial EPIC surrounding these two individuals and the family they created. This book became so much more than what I was originally looking for and that was a very pleasant surprise.

First off, no historical romance can do well unless it has leads and a main relationship a reader can get behind. This book has both! Randy and show more Jake are instantly likeable, drawing me in with tragic pasts, very human ways of dealing with those pasts, and hopes (or lack thereof) for the future. I love that both have been so hurt by their respective situations that their journey to healing and romance is all the more magnetic for readers. As individuals they’re both strong and courageous in their own ways. Together, they’re dynamite!

The one weakness this novel has is actually in this area, though. As much as I love and adore both Randy and Jake to death, they are, at the same time, exasperating and downright irritating at times.

Randy is too perfect: beautiful, courageous, forgiving, loyal, a great mother and lover, trusting, gutsy, plucky….. Need I go on?! Her perfection isn’t so in your face that I grew to hate her; however, I really wanted her to have some moments of doubt, fear, or warts.

And Jake? He’s a lot better but almost in the opposite direction. His constant ruminating on certain parts of his past and his not believing he’s good enough for Randy does get old. Once you learn about his past, you’ll definitely be able to see WHY he has these doubts and he dwells on them. Yet, they’re in your face all the time, never really wavering all the way up to the end. I’ll admit I skipped a few pages here and there just to get away them.

Yet, these two together are something else. They have an instant connection, starting out over the flash of a gun muzzle. Now isn’t that the best introduction in a Western romance you ever heard of?! The author has presented a romance so deep in emotional resonance and heart-stopping sweetness that the aforementioned characterization flaws I talked about seem pale in comparison. It’s beautiful, sweet, heart-wrenching, and soulful all at once. If you read this book for anything, read it for the romance. It succeeds in spades there.

The fact that the author spanned this couple’s relationship for decades makes this book stand out. I’ve never run across this before in a historical romance; it’s what makes this just as much a familial Western saga as it does a romance. We get to follow Randy and Jake as they meet, develop a relationship, get married, have kids, and even on into their later years. We get to see this relationship blossom, grow, mature, and just expand in depth. I loved this aspect!!

I do have to give a special shout-out to the effort the author has evidently put into her research. The Wild West has never been so intense. The author uses places she’s actually been to, real historical figures for background, and pays attention to the little details of daily life. Many western romances I’ve read haven’t put in HALF the effort that Bittner did and it pays off. I could smell the gun smoke and feel the heat of the harsh Western sun.

I’m so glad I gave this author another go. The previous book I started by her years ago I ended up abandoning @ 22%. I have since put it back on my to-read list as I must have missed something here! This author is a queen among western historical romances and it shows. Her characters are beautiful despite some teeth-grinding flaws at times. The relationship FAR makes up for this in its intensity. And her unusual attention to decades of romance development and historical detail are just cream on top. Highly recommended!! show less

It could have been a good story, one of those tales of idealist turned cynic, love/hate, betrayal leads to vengeance, etc. except that for all the melodrama, the writing was dishwater dull. There was no emotion in it, the love scenes lacked passion, the conflicts fell flat, the rags to riches theme had no excitement at all, and the H and h had zero chemistry. When they said they loved each other, it had about as much feeling as if they were saying good afternoon to a neighbor. It was all show more about as entertaining as watching a pot of water and waiting for it to boil, which this book never does. show less

Ah Bittner, you know how to take me on an emotional journey. More used to her Westerns, this take on a Civil War tale still pleased on all fronts. I appreciated the new environment but still enjoyed the classic Bittner elements.

At first, I didn’t like Audra; I found her immature and blind to the world around her. Yet, she quickly aged as the Civil War years approached and the harsh North/South divide played a part in her life. By the time we’d reached the climax, she was a strong, show more resolute woman, determined to make a difference in the world and to create new lives with those she never thought to rub elbows with.

Her relationship with Lee was heart-felt from the beginning. Despite such different backgrounds and family circumstances, there’s an instant connection that laid the groundwork for a relationship to develop through the war years. While they may not share much time together page-wise, there’s still a very tangible love between these two that the reader is sure to feel.

From a historical standpoint and as a tale of the Civil War in general, this book also entertains and excels. The harsh reality of a civil war comes to vicious life as the author explores the institution of slavery itself, the toll of the war took on all, and the common place death that stalked the American South.

I was reminded of a mini-series from the ‘80s that I enjoyed, North & South, with Patrick Swayze. That also combined a historical familial saga of the Civil War years with romance. This book is similar in that it has plot points and characters that ring close to those others. I have to wonder if the author didn’t pull some inspiration from Patrick Swayze and his flowing locks. LOL

A nice shake-up from Bittner’s usual Westerns, this tale of Civil War romance and bleakness stands out. The characters change with the circumstances, being relatable to the audience. The romance is sweet and emotional. If you like Bittner, you’ll love this title. show less