Sarah McCarty

Good book that sucked me in from the first chapter and didn't let go until the end. We have a determined and sassy heroine, a gorgeous but deadly hero, and three feisty children brought together by fate.

Jackson is a part-time bounty hunter on the way home after a challenging pursuit and capture. He's looking forward to some rest and relaxation, as well as some time contemplating his future. He gets sidetracked by the signs of life at a property known for its lousy construction and is curious show more to see who was foolish enough to buy it. He expected to find a tenderfoot, but what he found exceeded even his expectations.

Mimi and her three orphans have been on the run for a year. She bought the property, hoping that they were far enough and remote enough not to be found. Unfortunately, one of her first actions ends up with her falling into a dry well with half a dozen rattlers in it. She figures that she's done for until a man with the face of an angel shows up to save her.

I loved the first meeting between Mimi and Jackson. His curiosity morphs into protectiveness as soon as he sees the problem. I loved his calm demeanor as he entered the well despite his feelings about snakes (a la Indiana Jones' "Snakes. It had to be snakes."). Mimi is relieved to see him, and though bowled over by his beauty, retains her natural sassiness. I loved the banter between the two as Jackson carries out his rescue. However, he doesn't make it through unscathed and is bitten by one of the rattlers on the way out of the well. Now it is Mimi's turn for a rescue, as she nurses him back to health in another scene that highlights how unprepared she is. Once he recovers, there's no way Jackson can leave the little family to manage on their own.

I loved watching the development of the relationship between Mimi and Jackson. She is wary and determined to muddle through on her own, though she can't deny the temptation to lean on Jackson. Jackson is attracted and intrigued. He senses that Mimi is on the run from something or someone and is determined to protect her. I liked seeing Jackson become a part of her life so quickly, from sparring with Mimi to taking the boys in hand and falling under Melinda Sue's spell. Jackson's first hint of the seriousness of Mimi's situation came during a scene with Tony, the oldest of the children. My heart broke for Tony and what he'd been through and cheered for Jackson and his reaction. I loved seeing Jackson and Mimi grow closer, and ached for Mimi and her fear of her past catching up with her.

The story intensified when that past did reappear most horrendously. Mimi's fear, not just for herself but also for the children, leaped off the page. I was on the edge of my seat as Jackson and his friends made good on their promise to protect them. The final confrontation was intense as the bad guys finally got what was coming to them. All that was left was for Jackson to convince Mimi that they belonged together. Despite some well-meaning interference from their friends, Jackson's big moment at the end was sweet and romantic and exactly what Mimi needed.

Though I haven't read the other books in the series yet, they will definitely go on my wishlist. All of Jackson's friends seem to have interesting backstories, and I'd like to know more. I also thoroughly enjoyed the women and the way they treated Mimi as one of their own. My favorite of the secondary characters were the three children. Each one had their own personality and way of looking at the world. I would love to see stories for them later on, especially Melinda Sue. show less

While many erotic romance authors seem to fall into the trap of sacrificing story for sex, Sarah McCarty is one of the few who knows how to balance an engaging plot with great character development and scorching hot love scenes to create a beautiful story that's a pleasure to read. It is because of this deft combination that Ms. McCarty has become my current favorite erotic romance author and one of my overall favorite authors too. I had previously read and enjoyed some of her Hell's Eight show more novels. Promises Linger was my first read from her Promises series, and I'm pleased to say that it is her best book that I've read so far. I adored the characters, the plot was well-developed, and the love scenes were smokin'. What more could a romance lover ask for?;-)

When the story opens, Elizabeth marches into the saloon and stands down her “husband” of only one day who stole her money and gave her a black eye. It was absolutely adorable how she was trying to maintain the prim and proper comportment she'd learned at her fancy finishing school back East while holding the man at gunpoint. Throughout the story this dichotomy comes into play frequently, and I loved the delicate balancing act that she performs between trying to be a perfect lady and reluctantly learning to embrace her naturally wild tendencies. Once she dispenses with the evil ex, she immediately offers herself and her ranch to Asa MacIntyre, a man she knows only by his reputation. Having been misinformed at her finishing school, Elizabeth thinks the marriage bed is nothing more than a duty and experiences extreme virginal jitters on her wedding night, but Asa was infinitely patient with her, trying to seduce her little by little. When she still wouldn't warm up to him and he was about ready to leave, not wanting to force the issue, she tells herself she needs to do it to keep him and to save her ranch. At that point, she takes matters in hand, doing something that surprises the heck out of him. Things didn't exactly go the way Asa had planned, but lucky for her, he's an incredibly generous lover who showed her what she was missing the next morning, and the way she responds is just too cute. On the outside, Elizabeth may be starched and buttoned up, always trying to maintain a steel grip of control, but inside, she's fiery and passionate. Lucky girl that she is, Asa is just the man to help her loosen up. Having been treated by her father like the son he never had, Elizabeth is unused to any softness in her life. She is wary of men, thinking that they all like to hit and treat women badly, so sadly, the gentleness and consideration that Asa shows her is a completely foreign concept to her. He constantly makes her feel off balance, like she never knows where she stands with him. Elizabeth may know how to behave like a gently bred lady, but Asa teaches her what it means to be a woman in more ways than one.

[Sigh] Asa is just to yummy for words. The man totally had me drooling for him and has more than earned a spot on my favorite romance heroes list. He may have had a rough upbringing, but he definitely knows how to treat a lady right. All he's ever wanted in life was a place to belong, a nice spread to call his own, and a wife to love and share it with. When Elizabeth offers her proposition, it's like all his dreams have come true in one fell swoop. Asa is immediately drawn to her spunky nature and understated beauty. In fact, he not only respects her feistiness, but finds it amusing. Asa is oh so sexy and just the kind of alpha hero I love. He positively oozes confidence and control and knows how to be dominating without being a jerk. He's the kind of alpha who gets his way through gentle persuasion rather than arrogantly imposing his will on others, namely Elizabeth. If anything, he's rather laid back but is very protective of anyone or anything he deems "his," and yet underneath he has a tender heart of gold. He's the type of man who understands how to use his own self-assurance to build a woman up, not tear her down. I love how Asa is protective of Elizabeth, not just physically, but also of her battered heart and psyche. He won't stand for anyone, not even someone she considers a friend, putting her down or causing her even the slightest bit of pain. Asa is also very intelligent and intuitive, reading between the lines of the things Elizabeth says (and doesn't say), as well as interpreting her moods and emotions to understand what she's really thinking. It was so sweet how Asa cleverly made Elizabeth think he was in control in an effort to put her at ease, when in a sense he was really giving her the reins. One example was when he told her that a man needed to be warmed up to enjoy love-making, so she wouldn't rush it. That scene was just too cute. I also adored the way he gently teased Elizabeth even though she didn't understand it at first. Asa was simply one of those scrumptious, devil-may-care cowboys who gives his all to the woman he loves and treats her like a precious jewel, and I absolutely loved him for it.

Promises Linger introduces a few key supporting players who become main characters in future books of the series. Cougar was another of those sexy, laid-back cowboys who definitely intrigues me. He's a half-breed who apparently has a reputation as being a rough, tough cowpoke on the outside, but inside has the heart of a romantic and believes in true love. Unfortunately, he's smitten with a woman who can't stand him and only wants his money. I'll be looking forward to reading his story, Promises Keep, which is the next in the series, and seeing him get his HEA with a woman who can appreciate him more. There is also Clint, one of the ranch hands on the Rocking C. He helps watch out for Elizabeth and we get a hint that he may have a thing for a woman Elizabeth has occasionally been helping. That lady, Jenna, is mentioned in the background of this book as dealing with a hard-drinking, abusive husband. Clint and Jenna become the hero and heroine of book #3, Promises Reveal.

Overall, Promises Linger was a wonderful read. It had all the things that make a romance enjoyable to me: a to-die-for hero, a spunky but emotionally damaged heroine, likable secondary characters, a tender story that tugs at the heartstrings, and steamy but tasteful love scenes. Need I say more?;-) It definitely has me eager to continue the Promises series, as well as get back to Hell's Eight and pick up more of Sarah McCarty's other works too.

Note: This book contains explicit language and sexual situations including anal sex, which may offend some readers. show less

When I picked up Tucker's Claim, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I had loved Caine's Reckoning, the first book in the Hell's Eight series, but the second, Sam's Creed, was in my opinion, a weak installment that left me feeling pretty underwhelmed. In the end, Tucker's Claim definitely put this series back on track for me with a wonderful character-driven narrative that made me fall in love with both its hero and heroine. It was a lovely story of two lonely people with similar show more traumatic experiences in their backgrounds, but from opposite fringes of society. Neither have ever truly felt like they fit in, but they find love, acceptance and wholeness in each other's arms.

Tucker is a half-breed Indian who was raised in the white world until Mexican soldiers razed the town where he lived, slaughtering everyone in their path. Tucker was one of only eight boys (the eight men who now comprise Hell's Eight) who survived the attack and banded together seeking vengeance. Since then he has started to live a slightly more respectable life as a Texas Ranger who is feared by most for both his large size and fierce reputation, but his mixed blood still makes him a target and leaves him with few options in life. Even before the attacks Tucker's boyhood was one of misery and abuse at the hands of his father. As a half-breed, he never really fit into either the white or Indian world, so except for when he is among Hell's Eight, he has never really known love or acceptance. His longing to be loved for who he is was apparent very early in the story and only deepened as it went on, but he can't seem to believe that any woman, especially one like Sally Mae, could ever care for a “savage.” Not to mention, he fears for what the townspeople might do to both of them if they ever found out about their relationship. I couldn't help but fall a little in love with Tucker right from the start. I loved how he had continued to come back to the little town where Sally Mae lived time after time, just to be near her and protect her, but allowed her the space and time she needed to grieve her husband's murder. When they finally came together, he was an amazingly giving lover, but also scrumptiously possessive. He was absolutely wonderful with animals and kids too. Tucker may have had a hard exterior but inside he had a kind, gentle heart of gold. Given his background, it's pretty astounding that he could be so tender, but Sally Mae always brought out the best in him. By the end of the book, I was positively crazy about Tucker, and he has earned the title of my favorite Hell's Eight hero so far.

Sally Mae was raised by Quakers from the time she was about ten years old, after her parents were killed. Suffering from traumatic amnesia, she can't remember anything prior to the time she started living with the Friends. Their peaceful ways helped to calm her troubled mind and spirit, so that she was able to recover in every way except her memory. She had married Jonah, a man fifteen years her senior, and they moved west, hoping to help people. He was a good man and a talented physician who taught her everything he knew, so that when he died, the townspeople began to look to her when they needed doctoring. Even though Sally and Jonah had a comfortable marriage, she always felt like something was missing. There was an underlying passion within her to which Jonah was not responsive, and she had always wanted a child while he wanted to wait. When Jonah was killed, Sally Mae's world might have fallen apart if Tucker hadn't been there, lending her his strength along with his protection and a helping hand. When Sally finally gave in to her attraction for Tucker she did so with wild abandon, giving him all of herself. Even though marriage between a white woman and a half-breed seemed impossible to outsiders, Sally Mae's Quaker beliefs made Tucker her equal right from the start in spite of their racial differences. I loved how she was always so kind and accepting of others no matter what. She was just a sweet, kind and giving woman toward everyone, but most especially to Tucker. Her beliefs also make her a pacifist, which was the main sticking point between the two of them, since Tucker's life was filled with violence on a regular basis. I respected her choice, because sometimes it takes more courage to choose the path of peace than the path of force. I also thought that Sally had great strength of character in many ways, not the least of which was meeting Tucker half-way so that they could have the future they both dreamed of. I know some readers were off-put by Sally Mae's use of “thee” and “thy” in her speech, but it didn't bother me at all. I thought it rather added to the sweetness of her character, while also being accurate vernacular for a Quaker in that time period. Sally was just a wonderful character who was full of depth and one of those rare heroines who I thoroughly liked and related to throughout the entire story.

As a couple, I thought that Tucker and Sally Mae complimented each other perfectly. I could feel the deep love connection between them from the very first chapter, even though the story for the most part begins with their wild sexual encounters. Normally, this isn't really my cup of tea, but they had known and been yearning for one another for a very long time before giving in to their passion, which made the early love scenes more likable and believable for me. The author also took the time to create a lovely atmosphere of romance and desire in the opening scene. Those first love scenes are darkly erotic, but laced with an undercurrent of deep tenderness and love which made them very beautiful. However, approximately the first half of the book is all about the sex, leaving me wondering when they were going to share their backgrounds, hopes, dreams, and all the little things that add intimacy to a romance. The reader gets to know Tucker and Sally pretty well through their introspections, but it seems that the author decided to wait until the second half to get to the relationship building. From that point on, there aren't any interactions of a sexual nature until the very end. While I was quite relieved to finally have them opening up and getting to know one another, I thought writing it this way left the story with a bit of an unbalanced feel. I did however, love that the conflict is mostly of an internal nature, with Tucker and Sally Mae trying to figure out how to reconcile their differing beliefs on violence, and I think Sarah McCarty did a very good job with that, and with driving home the point that marriage is always a compromise. I felt that both characters grew throughout the story and found their middle ground in believable ways which left me satisfied.

Since Sam's Creed had no input from other Hell's Eight members besides Tucker, it was great to finally see some of the other characters again. Caine and Desi (Caine's Reckoning) are awaiting the birth of their first child back at Hell's Eight. Sam and Bella (Sam's Creed) have settled into running the Montoya ranch, but surprisingly are still not married. I like that Sally and Bella have become good friends and even share a prayer for the safety of their men in spite of the differences in their race and religions. The twins Tracker and Shadow also returned still running down leads on Desi's missing sister, Ari, along with Tucker, and we get to learn just a little more about the pair. It was interesting how Shadow was intuitive enough to recognize that Sally was every bit as lonely and outcast as Tucker. He and Tracker could shape up to be quite fascinating characters if written well. I had speculated from book #1 that Tracker would probably be paired with Ari, and am pleased to know that I was correct in my assessment, as their book, Tracker's Sin, is the next of the series.

Other than the one small issue I mentioned earlier, the only thing that kept Tucker's Claim from being a perfect 5-star read for me was the author's tendency to make silly little continuity errors, things like Sally being in her nightgown and then suddenly fully dressed or a horse changing gender no less than four times, three of which were within a few paragraphs of one another. These might seem like small things, but when there are several of them that are pretty blatant to anyone who's actually paying attention, it can get a little annoying. There were also some parts scattered throughout the story where I thought the narrative could have used a little more clarity. As written, there were passages that I had to reread in order to be certain I was understanding what was happening. Otherwise, Tucker's Claim was a near-perfect read that I thoroughly enjoyed, and it now has me looking forward once again to Tracker's story and the rest of the Hell's Eight series.

Note: This book contains explicit language, violence, and sexual situations, including mild domination/submission, spanking, use of sex toys, and anal sex, which some readers may find offensive. show less

In my opinion, many erotic romances have a tendency to suffer from an overabundance of sex and underdevelopment of plot. Fortunately, Caine's Reckoning has no such issues. It has an interesting and engrossing storyline while still maintaining the steamy sexuality that tends to mark erotic romances. The overarching plot of the series, that of eight mostly unrelated but sexy alpha men who have banded together as a “family” to fight evil and injustice, reminds me in some ways of J.R. Ward's show more Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Although I have to say that since one features sexy cowboys in the old west and the other sexy vampires in a contemporary urban setting, the similarities for the most part, end there. The individual premise of Caine's Reckoning was interesting as well. Between the heart-stopping romance, Desi's struggles to overcome her past, some wild west action, and a light mystery surrounding one of Desi's abusers and his motives, I had a hard time putting the book down. After reading several reviews for this book, I was expecting it to be very violent. While there were a couple of shoot-outs and one short 2 ½- page nightmare sequence that contained an explicit sexual assault, I found that most of the violence was left to the reader's imagination, and wasn't much worse than many other books I've read. That's not to say that it would be easy for everyone to read, and for this reason, I would caution sensitive readers about the content. I think that it simply didn't bother me as much, because in my opinion, the author didn't delve quite as deep into the emotional fall-out to Desi's psyche as some other authors with similar characters have done, and Desi was a very strong heroine as well.

I thought that Desi was an admirable heroine, a young woman who had suffered unthinkable abuse, and yet had never truly allowed herself to become a victim. When the story opens with her courageously fighting her captors like a hellcat while the other women sat passively by, I immediately liked her. Later when she showed tremendous vulnerability, it only endeared her to me further, as did her ability to frequently blush in spite of her “experience.” I also found her to be relatable as a young woman who had been raised as a prim, proper lady, but who always felt a burning passion inside trying to surface. It wasn't until she started stubbornly holding herself at arms length from Caine's gentle, loving overtures, that I had a bit harder time with her character, but ultimately, her actions were understandable in light of her past. Some stubborn heroines can tend to annoy me, but that wasn't really the case with Desi. I think I just spent most of that part of the story worried that her willfulness would cause her to do something really stupid, but when she exhibited intelligence and ingenuity in the end, she truly earned my respect. I also thought that when Desi was finally able to fully let herself go and surrender to Caine, trusting him completely, their resulting lovemaking was both darkly passionate and thoroughly beautiful and romantic, a heady combination indeed.

Caine was an incredibly appealing hero. Having lost his family at a young age, like all of the Hell's Eight men, he has a dark tortured past too, but it wasn't explored in as much detail as I would have liked. I suppose that is understandable though, as there shouldn't be too much darkness in one novel, or it would become depressing. Actually, I thought that Caine had a wry and sometime self-deprecating sense of humor which I enjoyed, and which also helped to lighten things up a bit here and there. He is a very dominating alpha male, but he has a heart of gold and isn't afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Desi. He also pampers her in the most thoroughly romantic ways, and has some of the most swoon-worthy lines I think I have ever read in a romance novel. I absolutely loved the way that he is completely committed to their marriage and being faithful to Desi right from the start, even though he had no intentions of getting married anytime soon and basically only agreed to it out of a sense of honor and duty. Even though Caine's every instinct is to dominate, he puts his own needs on hold and shows Desi an unbelievable amount of patience. I liked that Caine was very intelligent and intuitive when it came to Desi's needs. Time and time again, Caine proves that he is an honorable man who can be trusted with anything and who is the epitome of a true gentleman, a diamond in the rough. Even though I'm raving about him, Caine did have a few impatient moments when he allowed his desires to get the best of him, but I was still able to admire him because he immediately recognized his mistakes and admitted he was wrong. All in all, I thought he did pretty well for a guy in the old west who didn't have access to a psychotherapist for his wife.;-) Caine is definitely a hero I'll remember for a long time to come.

Though Caine's Reckoning was good enough to earn a place on my keeper shelf, it wasn't quite perfect. There were several scenes, a few of the love scenes in particular, that I thought were a little too verbose. I'm all for whispering sweet nothings during lovemaking, but sometimes it seemed like they were carrying on an entire conversation. In my opinion, it made these scenes feel rather forced, like the author was trying too hard to convince me of the character's passion and feelings instead of showing me. I think a few more descriptive details and a little less chattiness in these scenes would have made them flow a bit more naturally. There were also several scenes involving dialog, especially among multiple characters, where I had a difficult time determining who was speaking. Going back and reading the passages a second time usually cleared things up, but having to do this multiple times throughout the book was rather distracting. I would have to say that Desi's ability to overcome her past, not only the abuse but the sexually repressive atmosphere in which she was raised, was a little too quick, taking mere weeks instead of the months or even years that any real woman would have likely needed. However, since this is fiction and it was good otherwise, I can allow for a little creative license. I was also a little disappointed that the mystery surrounding the ringleader of Desi's captors was not fully resolved nor justice fully exacted, but I think this was meant to be something of a cliffhanger ending that is going to carry over into a future book or books. Overall, though this was a very good novel that I would definitely recommend.

Caine's Reckoning is the first book in the Hell's Eight series. It introduces the eight members of the group, some with brief background information and some only by name, but one, Sam, is given a slightly more detailed background and more scenes. He becomes the hero of the next book in the series, Sam's Creed. The third book, Tucker's Claim, is due out next spring with another, currently untitled, volume to follow by the end of 2009. Though she is not directly on the canvas in Caine's Reckoning, Desi's twin sister, Ari, is mentioned and does play a part in the mystery that was left unresolved. I suspect that she may become the heroine of a future book, possibly paired with Tracker, since he was the first to volunteer to search for her. Unfortunately, if my assumption is correct, it could be a while before readers get to experience their story. Caine's Reckoning was my first read by Sarah McCarty, but I am really looking forward to continuing the Hell's Eight series and checking out the other books that she has written too.

Note: This book contains explicit language, violence (as mentioned in my review), and sexual situations, including mild domination/submission, spanking and anal sex, which some readers may find offensive. However, considering the subject matter, everything was handled very tastefully in my opinion. show less