Lorraine Heath

I absolutely loved the first book I read by Lorraine Heath several months ago, so I'm not sure why it took me so long to try another one of her novels. Whatever the reason, I am so glad that I finally got around to it, because she has given me another gem of a read. Ms. Heath is an author who knows how to write deeply affecting stories with complex, multi-layered characters who are easy to love in spite of their flaws. She also has an incredible perception of human nature and emotions which show more she conveys with a masterful hand through those characters. Texas Destiny is just such a tale in which the author takes two wounded and lonely, but very strong, individuals, and brings them together in a believable way to find healing, peace and happiness. Although their experiences differed, Houston and Amelia had both endured the horrors of the Civil War, and as such were able to understand and sympathize with one another in ways that others might not have. The added challenge of braving the harsh trail from Fort Worth to Houston's brother, Dallas' ranch added the necessity of their reliance on one another, which built a beautiful bond of trust and friendship between them and ultimately led to a deep and lasting love. Also, in both of her books that I've read, Ms. Heath has an interesting way of presenting the Civil War and its aftermath. In Texas Destiny, both Houston and Dallas were forced by their father to march off to war when they were still mere boys, no older than my own son. When the reader realizes that Houston faced the horrors of warfare and was gravely injured before he was even old enough to have his first shave or loose his virginity, it really put things into stark perspective, and even though it saddened me to think about it, I like that the author didn't shy away from this reality.

I couldn't help but love Houston. When the reader first meets him at the train station in Fort Worth, it seems like he is going to be one of those intense alphas who is a man of few words, but it doesn't take long to realize that he has the sweet sensitive heart of a beta hero. Houston has suppressed that side of himself, because his father beat him every time he thought that Houston was doing the slightest thing that he considered “unmanly” and constantly berated him as being inferior to Dallas. Houston also believes himself a coward, because of something that happened during the war for which he cannot forgive himself. He is disfigured by extensive facial scarring and lost an eye and his hearing in one ear due to injuries he received in the war, so he hides under his hat and people usually tend to give him a wide berth. He has lived a life of relative solitude until Amelia comes along and takes an interest in him as a person, which brings out another side of his personality that his brothers thought was long gone. I thought it was sweet that Houston didn't think he knew the first thing about taking care of a woman, but he keeps doing such thoughtful little things for Amelia like making sure she had a new wardrobe before leaving town or warming water for her each night on the trail so she could take a sponge bath. He also gently nursed her back to health when she was bitten by a snake, and was incredibly protective of her. I thought it was cute how he kept thinking that he had hurt Amelia's feelings by something he had said and needed to find a way to apologize, even though most of the time she wasn't offended at all. In my opinion, all these things showed what a kind, caring person he was inside. Houston did frustrate me just a little when it seemed like he was willing to give up the best thing that ever happened to him, but I understood the depth of his pain and self-recrimination enough that it made sense. In doing so, events propelled him to finally come to terms with the past and take a bold step to make Amelia his.

Amelia was one of those rare, near-perfect heroines for me. She is strong and determined, having lived through the deaths of her entire family during and following the Civil War. Amelia accepted the marriage proposal of a man she had never met, and courageously ventured forth to a wild, untamed land to become his wife, never expecting to fall in love with his brother along the way instead. No matter how difficult things got, she never complained. I loved how she was always looking for something to be grateful for, even in the midst of perilous circumstances. Amelia was a very intuitive heroine who saw through Houston's facade right from the start. She manages to chip away at the walls around him by simply being her sweet, caring self. I enjoyed the way she teased Houston, simply because she wanted the joy of seeing him smile or hearing him laugh, and eventually her efforts were rewarded. I think the thing I liked most of all about her was that right from the start, she was never the least bit put off by Houston's terrible scars. She was never afraid to touch him or look at him with love and compassion instead of the revulsion he normally got. Amelia also never begged or pleaded for Houston to admit his love for her even though she knew it existed. She simply accepted her lot, and patiently waited for him to make peace with himself even if that meant giving him up.

The only two secondary characters who play a significant role in the story are Houston's two brothers, Dallas and Austin. I warmed up to Austin immediately. Although he is only sixteen, he seems to be shaping up to be a sensitive beta hero as well, with dreams that he fears are “unmanly.” He is still a boy who deeply misses his mother, but is on the cusp of manhood and learning about responsibility. I'll be interested to see him grow and change in the future books of the series. I had a little harder time liking Dallas, at least in the beginning, not because he is unkind, but because he has a very driven, Type-A personality which makes him seem to only care about building things and leaving his mark on the land. He wants a son more than anything else, and although I believed that he would respect Amelia as his wife and treat her well, I never came away with the feeling that he would ever truly love her. There just wasn't any chemistry between them like Amelia had with Houston. As things progressed and more of the pieces of the past started to fall into place, I came to like Dallas more, but still not quite as much as Houston and Austin. I look forward to reading his story anyway, and I'm hoping that Dallas' heroine will teach him that there is more to life than empire building.

I did really enjoy the dynamics of the interactions between the three brothers. Austin has this refreshing honesty about him that makes him say things in Amelia's presence that has Houston dragging him away by his collar which made me laugh. Houston and Austin seem to have maintained that brotherly relationship, while Dallas is more of a father-figure to Austin and someone that he rather fears. Then, there's Houston and Dallas who don't have much of a relationship at all anymore. It was interesting to see the author turn the proverbial “big misunderstanding” on its ear in this book, by having it occur between these two brothers. Each thinks the other hates him for something he did during the war. Both have been too stubborn to ask the questions that needed to be asked to resolve their differences, because they were too afraid of the answer and so have remained silent on the subject for thirteen years. I was quite shocked by a plot twist that seemed like it would ruin any chance of a happily-ever-after for Houston and Amelia. It certainly was not what I expected at all. I came to a point where I thought I had figured out how the author would turn things around, but I was wrong. Actually though, my way would have been “the easy way,” but the way it was written rather ingeniously gave Dallas and Houston both the opportunity to make a huge sacrifice for each other which helped to facilitate a much-needed reconciliation.

There were just so many things to enjoy about Texas Destiny. I loved how the author was able to turn innocent things like shaving, bathing and preparing for bed into a sweetly sensuous experience that was all about a slow build of sexual tension while Houston and Amelia become close friends. Even though there was only one fairly mild love scene that didn't happen until the very end of the book, I hardly noticed because their other interactions were so very satisfying. Amelia's payback request for Houston covertly watching her silhouette as she got ready for bed every night was both funny and sexy, and so was their game of truth or dare which continued throughout the story. I really liked Amelia's spunk and ingenuity in getting what she wanting while still maintaining her sweetness and innocence. The tension between Houston and Amelia wasn't quite as high once they reached Dallas' ranch, because they were no longer together 24/7. Still, the author created enough opportunities for them to spend time with each other to maintain their connection while the rest of the story developed. The ending tied up every loose end I could think of and was so beautiful and romantic, it made it worth the wait. The only thing that could have made it any better would have been an epilogue to show what Houston and Amelia's future would hold, but I'm hoping that they will be back as secondary characters in the rest of the series. Overall, Texas Destiny was a very emotionally fulfilling read that has left me anxious to get to the remaining books in the series as soon as possible, and with two keepers in a row, Lorraine Heath has earned a spot on my favorite authors list too. Texas Destiny is the first book in the Texas Trilogy (aka The Leigh Brothers series). Book #2, Texas Glory features Dallas as the hero, and book #3, Texas Splendor, has Austin as the hero. show less

Wow! I'm beginning to think that Lorraine Heath simply doesn't know how to write a bad book. It's been a while since I last picked up one of her novels, but considering her stellar track record, I'm not sure why. A Rogue in Texas is now the sixth book in a row I've read by her that earned a spot on my keeper shelf. I did initially have a little bit of trouble getting into the story. Trying to skip back and forth between a cultured English accent and a Texas drawl in my head was somewhat show more challenging and distracting, but that was more of a personal issue than any weakness of the writing. I also didn't feel the connection between the hero and heroine at first, but about halfway through, that all changed as their relationship took on a sweetly romantic turn with just a little spice to heat things up. Then there was a major plot twist which made the latter part of the book very emotionally taut with many difficult choices needing to be made with no easy answers in sight. A Rogue in Texas is definitely one of those stories that gradually grew on me as the narrative progressed.

Abbie is a strong woman who has learned to do what needs to be done in order to survive. She was married off at the young age of sixteen to a man who was older than her. He wasn't a bad man per se. He provided for her and never abused her as I initially thought, but he was a man who was already married to the land when he took Abbie as his wife. With him, the land always came first, and sadly, Abbie and their children received little more than scraps in an emotional sense. Abbie's husband was a hard and distant man who never showed her any tenderness or affection. In some ways, she was little more than a slave to cook, clean and keep him company. She always did things to his liking, suppressing her own feelings and preferences. Then he went off to fight for the Confederate army in the Civil War, and didn't return. It was something of a relief to Abbie to have his name turn up on the rolls of the dead, but of course, she felt guilty over not loving him enough to be able to mourn him. Over the years since he left, she has done a very respectable job of holding together their cotton farm, but is in need of some extra help bringing in the harvest which is how Grayson came to work for her. Abbie is rather disconcerted by the charming Englishman. She's a little afraid of him (or at least of the feelings her stirs within her), and isn't quite sure what to make of his gentlemanliness as she has never been treated with that kind of deference before. In spite of being a widow with three children, Abbie might as well have been an innocent for all she knows of desire and love-making. She never knew what true love and passion between a man and a woman meant until meeting Gray.

For all his declarations of being a disreputable rogue, Grayson spends the entire story showing just how much of a gentleman he can truly be. Gray was the eldest son of a nobleman, but a bastard, so even though his father claimed him and paid for his upbringing, Gray is unable to inherit the title and also never felt completely accepted either by his father or society. He came to Texas looking to start a new life and become a land-owner which would put him on more equal footing with his father. At first, I thought his intentions toward Abbie were somewhat mercenary. As a widow who now owned her late husband's farm, she presented a quick and easy way for Gray to gain the land he desired. I think he was rather surprised to actually fall in love with Abbie. Her love in return made him want to be a better man, because the thing he longed for the most in life was simply to feel wanted and loved by someone who didn't care about his paternity. In spite of not having close family ties growing up, Gray understands and relates to Abbie's children extremely well. He has an instinctive sense of how to be a great father, and not too surprisingly, the kids end up loving and respecting him more than their biological father. I love how he likes to read to the family every evening and do fun things with them. The way he and his friends put together the knight's tournament for them was a blast. I thought it was really sweet how Gray brought a dose of gentlemanly behavior to the rough and tumble Wild West. He really knows how to treat a woman right. I love the little romantic gestures he makes toward Abbie like bringing her flowers, but the wicked rogue in him occasionally comes out to play like when he spies on her taking a bath. It was very romantic how he insisted on giving Abbie a day of real rest where she didn't have to do anything at all, and best of all, I loved how he introduced her to pleasures of all sorts.

I enjoyed Abbie and Gray as individuals, but it took a little while for me to warm up to them as a couple. I think this was partly due to Abbie being a bit prickly in the beginning and Gray, as I mentioned earlier, wanting to own the land. They do slowly start to fall for one another, but I wasn't entirely sure why. After her unsatisfying marriage, Abbie has sworn off men, and according to Gray's friends, Abbie is definitely not his type. It just made it a little difficult to relate to their attraction initially which is an uncharacteristic weakness for a Lorraine Heath story. It also didn't help that Gray was pretty set on leaving as soon as the cotton picking season was over, and Abbie fully expected him to go too, which in my opinion put some distance between them, as though they weren't wanting to get too involved. It may have taken a while to get there, but about halfway in, I finally started sensing that distance closing. Their first love scene was tender and romantic with both of them giving freely of themselves. I loved how Gray treated Abbie like an equal and gave her choices in their relationship, which is something she'd never experienced before and was desperately in need of. By the time the plot twist came, my heart was absolutely breaking for them not being able to be together.

A Rogue in Texas is the first book in Lorraine Heath's Rogues in Texas series. It introduces the reader to Gray's two friends, Harry and Kit, who came over from England with him and are also seeking their fortunes. These two charmers become the heroes of the next two books in the trilogy. Before the story is over, the three friends have come up with the idea of going into the cattle business. Harry is a consummate gambler and after spending a number of evenings at the saloon, he has gotten to know the saloon-owner's daughter, Jessye, who is a bit of a spitfire and a tomboy. It looks like she'll be bankrolling their endeavor and going on the cattle drive with them in her and Harry's book, Never Love a Cowboy, which should make for an entertaining story. Overall, A Rogue in Texas was yet another winner from Lorraine Heath's talented pen. I'm constantly amazed at how much I love her stories, and will definitely be looking forward to continuing this series. show less

Rarely have I found an author who is able to write a complete series with every book in the series being consistently good enough to earn keeper status from me, but Lorraine Heath's Texas Trilogy did exactly that. It is also equally rare for an author to tug at my heartstrings in quite the way that Lorraine Heath does, but somehow her stories always manage to make me teary-eyed more than once along the way. Texas Splendor was no exception. It is an emotionally complex tale about how things show more don't always turn out the way we might expect, but something better may be waiting about the bend; about how even our greatest pain and biggest mistakes can turn into something good; about how people's destinies can be intertwined in truly unexpected ways; about dreams lost and found again; and about forgiveness of something that a first glance may seem unforgivable. As with the other books in the series, Lorraine Heath delves deeply into her characters feelings and motivations, making them very relatable and sympathetic. She also has a way with building an emotional connection and exquisite sexual tension between the hero and heroine. For once, I didn't mind this couple making love right after meeting, because the author made it all about them offering mutual comfort during an extremely vulnerable and lonely time for both of them, and didn't have them declaring their love for one another immediately afterward. Although they were both deeply affected by the experience, they were also quite realistic in their expectations and were mature enough to understand that love had nothing to do with it at that moment. In fact, Austin made a stupid mistake in the heat of passion, which caused friction between them that lasted even for a while after they're married. Also, the whole experience brought them closer together when they otherwise probably would have parted ways. I really appreciate Ms. Heath's ability to backtrack after a moment of passion like Austin and Loree shared and then slowly build a real, lasting, and believable love relationship between them.

After seeing Austin as a major secondary character in his brothers' stories, I knew that he was going to be a gentle beta hero like Houston, but still with his own personality and set of talents. Spending five years in prison for a crime he didn't commit hardened Austin, but not enough to make him mean or hateful. That just wasn't in his nature. Even though he was a changed man, I was still able to see glimmers of the boy/young man I came to love so much in the previous books. Austin has always craved a female presence in his life ever since his mother died when he was a little boy, and I think this side of him became a protector to all the women who became a part of his life. In fact, it was his desire to protect the reputation of the woman he loved which landed him in prison in the first place, and when Loree finally divulges her secret, Austin was prepared to once again take the blame in order to protect her too. Although his brother, Dallas, had a hard time seeing Austin as anything but an irresponsible kid, I think that Austin proved his deep sense of responsibility many times over. He is also incredibly sweet to Loree. I loved how he always called her Sugar, and the way he often took her shoes and stockings off to rub her feet and make her more comfortable could be both cute and sexy at the same time. Austin was definitely the type of guy who could make a woman feel pampered and cherished. While he wasn't quite a virgin when he met Loree, he was very much a sexual novice, which just added to his appeal for me. I think the best thing about Austin though, was his amazing musical talent. The horrors of prison had quieted the music within his soul, and the moment he rediscovered it again was so incredibly beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes.

Loree is a strong heroine who was the sole survivor of a brutal, murderous attack which left the rest of her family dead. This event drove her do something she is not proud of, and she harbors this dark secret throughout most of the book. I have to admit that I correctly guessed what it was early on, but this knowledge did not diminish my enjoyment of the story, mainly because it was not so much about the mystery as about how Loree's secret affects her marriage to Austin both before and after it comes out. Because of what she did, Loree also doesn't feel like she deserves Austin's love or to realize any of her dreams. When Austin finds her, she is basically punishing herself, but her self-recrimination isn't overdone. Loree still longs for her dreams very much, and does reach out to grasp some happiness when the opportunity presents itself. Her experiences also make her accepting of Austin and his past in a way that others are not, and eventually, she very bravely admitted her secret and faced the consequences. In her heart, Loree was a kind and gentle person who was driven to do something uncharacteristic because of extraordinary circumstances which was something I found to be very thought provoking.

I love the family saga feel of the Texas Trilogy. All three of the Leigh brothers as well as their wives and families play substantial roles that are interlaced throughout each of the books. It was wonderful to visit with all of them again and see them so involved in each others' lives. Houston and Amelia still have a slight edge as my favorite couple, and it was so much fun to meet their kids and see how their lives have changed. Dallas is still as stubborn as ever, sometimes irritating, yet sometimes making me laugh. It was rather funny when Austin punched him for the exact same thing Houston did in the first book, which goes to show that he apparently didn't learn his lesson, although he was big enough to admit that he'd made a mistake. Dee has come a long way from the timid woman she was in the beginning of book #2, and has expanded Dallas's vision of the town of Leighton to the point that it has almost become a character unto itself. Rawley and the other kids are growing like weeds and really developing their personalities. Becky and Cameron, Austin's first love and best friend respectively, played a big role too. They are definitely at odds with Austin when he returns from prison, because he feels that they betrayed him in the worst possible way. The beauty in the author's portrayal of these characters was that I understood how all three of them felt, Austin being angry because Becky didn't wait for him like she promised, and Becky and Cameron loving each other but feeling guilty for it. In spite of all that had happened between them, I couldn't help but want them to still be friends, and when the reconciliation happens, it was yet another beautiful moment. I also have to say that I loved the nice long epilogue that brought everyone back together a decade in the future, letting me see that this family is still strong and the next generation will definitely carry on the legacy started by the three Leigh brothers.

Overall, I think Texas Splendor may have been the most emotionally charged book of the trilogy, and that's saying quite a lot since the other two were very emotional as well, especially Texas Destiny. I think this may be owing to Austin being so much more demonstrative in his feelings than the other two brothers were. Also, both Austin and Loree are two very tortured souls who must find healing for their battered hearts, and they are quite observant, sensitive and intuitive of the others' needs and understanding of things that happened in their pasts, which only added to the intensity of the romance. My one and only minor complaint is that I've noticed the author has a tendency to repeat certain words and phrases, but although noticeable, it didn't really detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. Ms. Heath is extremely talented at bringing to life complex character-driven plots which really make me think in a deep and profound way and thoroughly satisfies me on an emotional level, and in doing so she also creates flawed but extremely likable characters who I find myself wishing existed in real life. Texas Splendor is book #3 in the Texas Trilogy, preceded by Texas Destiny and Texas Glory. As I predicted in my review of Texas Glory, I'm happy to know how things turned out for this family, but equally sad to let them go. These three books have certainly earned a permanent spot on my keeper shelf, and I hope to revisit them at some point in the future. In the meantime, I look forward to continuing my exploration of Lorraine Heath's back-list. show less

Oh, how I love getting tricked! Heath is so clever! During the parts with Emma, before the secret is revealed, Heath never uses her name to describe her character's words or actions. It's alwayssimply "she." Jim uses the name, which makes you think that everything has been written normally. When Frannie comes over to help prepare for the ball, the name Eleanor is used for the character, because it's actually her and not Emma! Or should I say...swindled *wink* I've always loved Jim's show more character, so seeing his happiness finally come to him was a deight. Normally, I don't like there to be a whole lot of deception in a romance, but I think Heath handles it well in this novel. During the climax of the novel, I was on the edge of my seat, trying to figure everything out before it happened. That's always fun. I look forward to reading Bill's novella, but I'll be sad to say goodbye to these characters. There is, however, the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series for me to look forward to, so I won't be saying goodbye to this world completely. show less