Friday, January 08, 2010

Recent Read

Cash by Linda Devlin

Why This One: Well (my family groans when I start something with the word well – knowing a long story is coming and if Lisa or Nancy is reading this – know they are groaning – though they probably aren’t as they don’t read the “romancy” blog stuff) it’s a long story (see what I mean??)

You can tell by the cover this is a Western and I love Westerns. Last year I was doing some blog hopping and noticed on Wendy’s blog that there was a contest being held and the prize was not one, not two, not three – but SIX Westerns!! SIX fellow readers. So lickety split I headed over there and lo and behold I won!! It was a very happy day when they arrived in the mail.

Now for Part II of the long story. Not only do I love Western romance, I love an old fashioned Western on television. I grew up on them; Bonanaza, Rawhide, The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, Bat Masterson, these are just a few of them. I don’t remember how I came to discover this but there was a television series back in the late 90’s based on the movie The Magnificent Seven. Somehow that series went zoom – right over my head. But I recently ordered it on DVD. The series is about seven – well – they aren’t really cowboys – but let’s say seven Western guys who save a small town from some really bad dudes and then decide to stay in the town as they are all kind of rootless. I’ve watched some of the episodes and really enjoyed what I’ve seen so far. The only thing missing – and it’s a big missing for me *g* is a romance element.

I picked up this book the other day as they’ve been calling to me and their voices have been getting louder. Considering there are six in the series, that only makes sense. It was weird that I found it. I think the others must have elected Cash during the night to kick my ass into gear into reading this series. As I was looking at it, I kept thinking of The Magnificent Seven DVD’s I have. And then I read that this was the basis of this series. Yes!!

So anyway – that’s why this one

Steam Level: Oh my Yes. There is lots.

Blurb: A Face From His Past

To the folks in tiny Rock Creek, Texas, Daniel Cash was a ladies' man with a smile as quick as his draw. Yet the infamous gunslinger with the legendary charm harbored painful memories of the girl he'd left behind when the War Between the States demanded his duty. Cash believed Nadine Ellington was better off without the man he'd become, but when she rode into town, dragging his past
with him, Cash was tempted to consider another future...with her by his side.

Nadine had long ago given up waiting for Cash to return--she was too busy raising the son he didn't know he had. And though she'd never forgiven Cash's betrayal, she needed him now--to prove to their reckless, headstrong child that the life of a gun-for-hire is no life at all. But seeing Cash again awakens feelings she'd thought long dead--and soon she's wondering if the boy she
once loved still lingers beneath the hardened fa cade of the man she can't resist...

My Thoughts: Well Day-um there’s nothing better than a great Western and this is a great one!! I didn’t realize it at first and then it didn’t matter, but this one is actually the last book in the series. I’m going to have to go back and read them in order now and then read this one again ‘cause I think it will be even better having gotten to know Cash in the preceding books. But even without knowing anything about him, I loved this book.

At first glimpse, Cash comes across as a hard and bitter kind of hero. He’s a gunfighter by trade and likes to spend time with ‘fancy’ women. The story starts out with a bang when he is almost gunned down whilst enjoying some tart time. The story then moves to the town of Rock Creek where Cash calls home when he’s not doing his gun slinging business. His world is rocked though when the girl he used to love comes to town to ask him a favour – can he try and talk her son out of his desire to become a gunslinger too. When Cash wonders why he should do a favour for the woman who broke his heart many years ago, she informs him because JD, her son, is also his son.

Although Cash tries to be all hard and devoid of feelings, we the reader can see the inner Cash, a man who feels he’s ruined his life and can’t settle down with the woman he loves for fear of putting her and their son in danger. While seemingly uncaring on the outside, he’s really a marshmallow on the inside and bitterly regrets the life he’s lived.

He is the kind of hero that makes me love a good Western hero!!

And Nadine is an equally strong heroine. Forced to wed a man she doesn’t love when it’s discovered she is pregnant, she has lived a lonely life. She lays it all on the line to Cash. It doesn’t take long for the feelings she has always had for him to come roaring back to life.

She’s a doctor and it doesn’t take long before she begins to make a life for herself in this town that needs a doctor.

This is the kind of book that makes it clear why I love the Western genre so much. It’s everything I could ask for. I wasn’t very far into it when I went searching for the other five. I’ve found four of them so far and have plans this weekend not to rest until I find the (temporarily) misplaced sixth book. I was looking at Wendy’s Keeper list and I see that she has at least 3 of this series on it. I’m rubbing my hands in anticipation of reading the rest!!

Grade: 4.90 out of 5 (the only reason it didn’t get a 5 is because I think I’ve missed a lot of background on Cash and when I finish the other books and read this one again, I’m thinking the grade might go up .10.



19 comments:

Jill D. said...

Kristie - This does sound great. Your enthusiasm is catching. Now I want to read it too! When was this book published?

Kristie (J) said...

Jill: It's an older one - back from the heyday of the Western. It was published in 2002. And one thing I forgot to mention is the author is aka Linda Winstead Jones.

Anonymous said...

You just made my day! I am so tracking these down!

Jane A

Wendy said...

I saw the book cover on this post and I swear to God I screamed, "Oh noes, she started with book six!!!" LOL

That's OK though, because I actually read book three (Rico) first, then went back and read the other five :) So they can stand alone, it's just INCREDIBLE to read them in order.

And yes, I have all six books on my keeper shelf. And since I know you'll ask - my favorites in this series are Jed, Nate and Cash. I also really like Rico - but I have a soft spot for younger romance heroes.

azteclady said...

What's the name of the series? What are the titles of the other books, in order?


Where can I get them?







*ahem*


Nice review, Kristie.


me, want!

Wendy said...

Not Kristie. But AztecLady:

The Rock Creek Six series. In order:

Reese by Lori Handelan
Sullivan by Linda Devlin
Rico by Lori Handelan
Jed by Linda Devlin
Nate by Lori Handelan
Cash by Linda Devlin

And every blessed book is out of print. So start your Internet and UBS searching....

Wendy said...

Sigh - that's Lori HANDELAND! When I copied and pasted I cut off the D.

Kristie (J) said...

Wendy: LOL I figured you'd be excited when you saw I finally started reading these ones. Sullivan is the one that's missing at the moment and I think it's book 2 so I'd better find it soon so I can read the rest in order! I'm ripping through Reese - and loving it!! Damn but I'm excited about this series. I want to yell out

THESE!!! THESE ARE WHAT MAKES WESTERNS SO GREAT!!

And although I'm not far into Reese yet - already Cash is an intriguing character and when I finish Nate, I plan to read Cash again. That's why I had to leave a tiny bit of space for Cash to move up *g*. They make me want to haunt UBS's again so I can find extra copies for others.

Jane: After reading Cash and part way through Reese I can honestly say they are worth tracking down!! The exemplify what makes Westerns so good and why I love them so much. It's like revisiting my youth - with romance and luscious love scenes in them!!

AL: Wendy has it right - they are all OOP :-( but hopefully easily found online, Paperback Swap or UBS's.

Lea said...

Great post and review Kristie! "Cash" is such a great name for a cowboy - lol.

Hot western romance and a 4.90 (very concise) make it one to add to my list which unfortunately stretches to infinity and beyond. But WTH?

I like detailed the background history with respect to your love of the western!

Best
L

azteclady said...

*writing down titles*

Thank you, Wendy and Kristie--now it's just a matter of hunting them down ;-)

orannia said...

Kristie - try http://www.bookfinder.com It searches US, Canadian, UK, NZ and Australian secondhand bookstores. Fingers crossed you find the last book.

Oh, and you didn't mention The Virginian (or as I liked to call it when I was young: The Man in the Hat :) in your list of TV series. I was addicted to western TV series (and Sesame Street :) when I was young *grin*

Kristie (J) said...

Orannia: *laughing!!* Oh I have it - it just wasn't with the other books. So I've only to look around the house to find it - but with books all over the place IN the house - that in itself is rather daunting. And yep m'am, The Virginian was another one I watched when I was ever so much younger.

AL: After almost completing Reese - I'd say start with that one in your search.

Lea: *g* I don't normally do such a long explanation as to why I pick a certain book - but this one had a history *g*. And hopefully for anyone now curious to try these books, they won't be too hard to find.

ReneeW said...

I can't believe I have never heard of this series and all out of print - sigh! Great review, now I must go find them. I'm still trying to find some of the books mentioned in the Great Western Drive.

You really bring back memories. I loved most of those shows. Especially Bonanza.

Lorraine said...

I used to love a good western back in the day. This book sounds great. I like that Nadine fesses up that JD is Cash's son and doesn't pretend he belongs to her husband.

I'll definitely search these out at my local UBS.

Loved Duel in the Sun starring Gregory Peck. It was a great movie and he was ever so yummy. Right up there with Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns.

Anonymous said...

I have some of them coming from Paperbackswap and I wishlisted the rest from them. If you're in the U.S. that's a great site for OOP books.

I love westerns, especially the classic oldies, and now I'm salivating to get my hands on these! I'm glad I saw this blogpost, Kristie!

Jane A

Kristie (J) said...

Jane: I'm glad you saw it too *g*. I just finished Reese and after a brief intermission of a contemporary and while I search for Sullivan - the next one in the series, and it was most excellent too. I hope the wait isn't too long for the ones you ordered - or for them to show up on Paperback Swap. Sadly, they don't cater to us Canadians. I sent them an email once asking if they had plans on expanding here but alas they didn't. These ones really are great examples of what is so good about the genre!!

Lorraine: I really liked that she told Cash right up front too - that's why I included that in the review. I hate secrets that are kept throughout the book and was glad this wasn't. I haven't seen Duel in the Sun, but now I'll have to keep my eye out for it *g*. And Clint Eastwood made for a fine cowboy didn't he? I also loved him as Rowdy Yates in Rawhide. All these many years since then and I still remember his name. That and the way he wore a cowboy hat!!

Renee: Being as you and I share such similar tastes *heh, heh, heh* I'd be willing to bet you would really enjoy this series too! I'd never heard of them until I won them - and then it still took me a while before starting to read them. But I surely am glad I did get around to it - better late than never says I!

Anonymous said...

This series is on my keeper shelf; I waited eagerly for each book to come out and re-read them about once a year. Nate and Cash are my favorites thought I love them all.

Amy said...

I got one or two from PBS, I think. I bought a couple at my UBS, and then Wendy rounded out my collection. I just unearthed them all in my massive TBR last month and plan to read them this year. Great review, KristieJ -- and sweet cowboy hunk pics too!

Kristie (J) said...

Ooooh - Amy - Lucky you!! You simply MUST read them. If both Wendy and I say they are good reads - well..... *g* And to have the whole collection right on hand even!!

Anonymous: The two I've read are definitely on my keeper shelf and I have a feeling that they all will be!! Now *sad sigh* if only we could get Westerns like these on a regular basis!!