Emma Lang

Good book, as much adventure story as romance. The Graham family is still mourning the deaths of their parents and the kidnapping of their youngest sibling, five year old Benjy. Olivia has taken charge of caring for the family, becoming extremely bossy and hardheaded. When Texas Ranger Brody Armstrong, who has been investigating the kidnapping, arrives with news for her brother Matt, he's dismayed that Matt is away from home. He doesn't have time to wait for his return, and gives in to show more Olivia's insistence that he tell her what is happening, expecting her to inform Matt when he returns. Instead, he finds Olivia insisting on accompanying him.

Brody is a loner who doesn't take on anyone as a partner, least of all a feisty, argumentative female. The events of his past have left him with his emotions buried deep behind walls, content to live his life constantly on the move. He's been attracted to Olivia since he met her, but doing anything about it would be a very bad idea. Olivia had a crush on him when they first met, but as months have passed with no progress in finding her brother, she buried that crush under anger at his apparent indifference to her pain.

I loved their immediate clash when she insisted on going along, and he was equally insistent that she wasn't. He thought he hadn't gotten through to her when he left alone, only to find that she had followed him. It turned out to be a good thing she had when she saved him from two attackers, without losing her head or going into hysterics. He is unwillingly impressed by her, and agrees to let her come along for part of the journey, planning to leave her behind at some point. But Olivia is wise to his plans, and offers him several supremely logical and practical benefits to her presence.

I also found it pretty amusing that each of them had the same effect on the other - neither could think straight when in close proximity. Brody especially found himself agreeing to all kinds of things when his mind was distracted by the way his body reacted to her. The chemistry between them was amazing. Olivia was no inexperienced virgin, and had no trouble making it clear to Brody that she wanted him. He tried to do the right thing at first, especially because of his friendship with her oldest brother, but he was no match for her determination. After their first time together, they had a really hard time keeping their hands off each other. I admit that I found it a little disturbing that they would give in to their desires in the middle of times when their safety was most at risk.

It was interesting to see how their relationship developed. Not only did they have their smoking hot attraction, they also had a pretty good respect for each other's abilities. They were also far more alike than either suspected at the beginning, and as they spent time together those similarities drew them closer together. Because Olivia had been hurt by another man, it takes her awhile to trust Brody and what she is beginning to feel for him. For his part, Brody had never experienced love of any kind, and didn't recognize what he felt for her. He was constantly trying to fight it, certain that there was no way to keep her in his life as a Ranger. Once he finally recognized what he felt, it scared him spitless and sent him running, until he realized what he was doing. At that point it was almost too late, as she was in extreme danger. Olivia had recognized her feelings earlier and had the courage to admit them, but was devastated by his lack of response. I loved the vulnerability that Brody showed when he finally opened up to her. The ending was really sweet as Brody finally found what he hadn't even known he was searching for.

The adventure part of the book was great. From the moment that Brody and Olivia set off together, it was one dangerous situation after another. When they were able to stop arguing long enough to work together, things went well. Unfortunately for them, their own individual issues kept putting them in danger. Unused to working with anyone, Brody isn't accustomed to sharing his plans with anyone. Leaving Olivia in the dark causes her to take things into her own hands, usually putting them into more danger. Olivia isn't known for her patience, and she has a tendency to rush in without considering possible consequences. Tracking down Roderigo gets them a little closer to finding Benjy, but puts them in far more danger than they expected. He is bad news, but his mother and sister end up being even worse. The final confrontation was intense, one that kept me riveted until I knew how it was going to work out.

I liked the theme of the importance of family. It is Brody's lack of family that has made him the man that he is, and also pinpoints his vulnerable side. Though he doesn't realize it at first, he is envious of Olivia's closeness with hers. Olivia may have her moments of frustration with hers, but she knows that they are there when she needs them. I loved her brothers' determination to help Brody with her rescue, even as they hold him responsible for her trouble in the first place. Once the shooting was done, I liked their acceptance of him as part of the family. The youngest Graham girl was really sweet, especially at the end. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series. show less

One thing that was glaring if you read the first book in the series: is this the same Olivia??? It's three months later, and the spoiled, immature princess who was half a villain in the first book is suddenly this brazen, strong, self-sufficient adult? I mean I liked this version a lot better, but it felt like I was reading about a totally different character. Also, why in the world is she so sure Brody loves her??? They've boned a few times, but he seems to go out of his way to make it show more clear he isn't into her (we are privvy to his inner monologue, but she is not).

While this book is much more well-written then the last, I am feeling increasingly uncomfortable about how race is treated in these books: most of the villains are Native American or Mexican, and the few non-villain POCs are mammy types and super one-dimensional. Why don't Eva's sons get books??? And can we talk about Elena? She was a hostage to her abusive brother for years and acted on his orders; I'm not saying she's Good, but to make her out to be a Big Bad... And damn, I was so ready for a hot threesome scene with Brody, Olivia, and Elena but I totally understand that the characters weren't ready for that. Still! Though, I did like the brief piece of narrative about borders, and how they are this artificial, invented, nebulous concept that we've collectively decided to believe in - that was my takeaway from that paragraph, anyways. (2.5 stars) show less

Really 4.5 Stars

Lettie isn’t running, but she certainly is hiding. Left abused and broken by her former husband, she tries to push the world away by making herself unappealing and mean. But no amount of pain can warp the person within and, when a beaten stranger appears on the porch of the diner where she works, she can’t help but try to heal the man with wounds so similar to the ones she used to sport. He may smell like rot-gut whisky, and be wearing clothes that have more lice than show more cloth, but he is a man in need of help. When he throws up all over her shoes, it begins a chain of events that brings her world crashing down around her feet.

Shane Murphy is a mess. Left broken by the death of his wife, he has survived the aftermath of the war in a drunken stupor. He doesn’t quite know how he ends up beaten at the Blue Plate, but he knows that the women there have saved his life. He is grateful to them all, but only one holds his attention, only one holds him when the nightmares leave him curled in a ball out of fear. When he looks beyond the drab clothing and waspish attitude, he sees a caring woman who has been taught to fear men. Can he breach the walls that surround her to try to get close to her heart?

As Shane begins to heal, the pair start to bond on a level they never want or imagine. Shane plans to leave once he has healed fully, can the fledgling relationship develop into something strong enough to make him want to stay? Or will the baggage that makes them cling so desperately to the pain of the past stop them from embracing the one person in the world who will be able to help them weather any storm? It seems that only in their dreams can they truly accept the feelings that blossom between them and allow love to take root.
I love Emma Lang’s writing. Whether it is as this name, or as Beth Williamson, her story telling is flawless. This western tale of romance and healing hit the spot in so many ways and, with its slightly erotic edge, it was more than enough to satisfy the perv in me J This book also delved a little into supernatural territory; it was a nice touch that allowed for a speeding up of a relationship that otherwise could have seemed improbable to develop.

Lettie is a character broken in so many ways. Her first husband was a Mormon who took her as his second wife when she was little more than a child. He caused her immense pain, using her to satisfy his own twisted wants and needs. God, I didn’t like her at the beginning of this tale. Don’t get me wrong, I felt sorry for her, but she was so twisted up in her pain that she was very bitter and waspish. It took Shane’s slow erosion of her walls and bitterness for me to feel anything warm to her. She had felt nothing but pain and humiliation from sex with her husband; it is the major reason why she shy’s away from the feelings that she has for Shane. But once the dreams start happening, she is powerless to stop the feelings that start to bloom (on a side note, the dreams are hot as hell....they were amazing). It’s not until a scene which made me a little warmer that she accepts that she can’t control herself around him (see the scene where she bathes him...wow *fans*). It’s at this point she starts to come out of her shell and I really started to like her. Without all the layers of fear, she is quite a ballsy woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to ask for it.

"You are my dark Angel, Lettie. You brought me back from the dead whether or not I deserved it. There isn't anyone in this world who cared about me, or whether I lived or died.......Right now you are the only important person to me"

Shane is not a hard character to like. Yes, he has made some stupid choices, but in hearing his back-story, I could forgive him pretty much anything. He married a woman who wasn’t right for him, and in doing so made himself so unhappy he turned to drink. It was this choice that led to his feelings of guilt over his wife’s death; he blames the fact he was drunk for his inability to help her. When he meets Lettie, he doesn’t want to feel for her. He has done marriage, he has proved that he is a terrible husband and a man; he wants only to be left alone. But once the naughty dreams of him and Lettie together begin, he starts to notice more and more about her. He notices the woman beneath the drab costume and he finds he isn’t as emotionally dead as he first thought. I loved the way he was with her, loved the way he helped her out of her shell and then didn’t let the woman she truly was faze him. He was a fabulously flawed hero... I only hoped that he stuck around!

I loved this book. I loved the romance, I loved the drama, I loved the sauciness and I loved the Wild-West setting. You can read it as a stand-alone but I truly recommend reading the previous two first; you will get to know some of the characters better and that will make the book all the sweeter. Also, the cover is awesome.....look at that cowboy show less

I love, love, LOVE this series. In this book, Emma Lang (AKA Beth Williamson) has blended the perfect amount of American Frontier plotlines with sexy romance and it kept me hooked from the start. It is a series which should be read in order as the overarching series arc is vital to the sub-plots within the individual tales.

Caleb has decided that serving the state of Texas and searching for his little brother is more important than living with his family. When he goes to “evict” Rory from show more her forge (because women couldn’t own property at this time so the land had defaulted to ownership of the state of Texas), he doesn’t expect to find someone as feisty, or female, working as a blacksmith. I loved the fact that she amused him rather than shocked him. She wore trousers, did a man’s job and swore like a sailor but he didn’t bat an eyelid as he saw the woman that she felt she had to hide to succeed in her career. He seemed to understand, and even respect, her lifestyle choices. When she got hurt, and had to be taken to the baddies ranch to be treated, he didn’t baby her or treat her as a lesser being. He cajoled and supported her in such a way that she was able to help herself as much as she could and I swooned. J

Writing strong heroines is something that Emma Lang is very good at and Rory is amazing. She is larger than life without becoming a cartoon character. She portrays herself in a way that she feels she needs to, but has had to suffer the consequences because of it. I felt that she didn’t know how to feel like a woman and I adored that Caleb made her feel slightly more feminine. Throughout the tale, she was strong and compassionate when she needed to be and it made me want her to get her happy ever after. I knew her home was gone (stupid laws) and I got so angry that she was forced away from everything because of gender; it made her HEA even sweeter.

The romance was well fleshed out and completely satisfying. As Caleb and Rory transitioned from enemies to lovers, I was willing the story on at every step of the way. I loved the way that Caleb complimented her character without ever belittling her choices and I loved the way she made him softer. They made such a dynamic couple I wanted to keep reading about them. There were no real obstacles to them getting together as the conflict come more from the external storyline. I enjoyed the fact that I could sit and relax into the budding romance, content in the knowledge that these two wouldn’t fall foul of any communication issues. The sex scenes were scorching hot; neither of these two was shy about getting pleasure from the other. They were a fascinating couple to read about in a brilliant storyline....I do adore this series.

Overall this was a compelling story just like I knew it would be. With a dreamy cowboy hero, who just wants to make his family whole again, and a heroine who just wants to do the job she loves inspite of her gender, this was bound to keep me interested! I would highly recommend this book. show less