Recent Read

First off - I must apologize for my absence lately. Last week I worked the afternoon shift which really screws up my living/reading/blogging plan *g*. And then we switched to a new database on Monday. In preparation for this, they needed people to work overtime on the weekend. I must have forgotten how old I am anymore, or else I got overtime money hungry as I signed up for both days.

Then yesterday - being Monday - and the new system in place, my brain has reached it's quota. I came home last night and again tonight very zombie like - and just kind of vegged until bed time. Well - in truth not kind of vegged. I totally vegged last night. I didn't even have the energy to make dinner. The day was so stress filled I wanted to smash all the cars in the parking lot at work - my own excluded of course. I really, really wanted to destroy something. I don't often have that kind of reaction. The only consolation was everyone else was feeling the same way!! Thankfully all cars escaped undamaged.

Good thing the following review was 98.7% already written!


Sullivan by Linda Devlin

Why This One: After reading and loving Cash, the final book in the series, I had to go back and start at the first one. Then I skipped this one as it was missing. But the second I found it, I started reading it.

Steam Level: Just about perfect

Blurb: A half breed bastard, Sinclair Sullivan knows he has no place in the world, not with the white men, not with the Comanche - and certainly not with the beautiful Eden Rourke, the sister of one of his only friends. But when Eden meets him on the road to Rock Creek, she insists that he accompany her to town. With two orphaned waifs in her wagon, and and enough determination to fell a much more stubborn man, Eden's demand is irresistible -- and once in Rock Creek, Sullivan finds himself unable to resist stealing more than one kiss. She's certain that their love is written in the stars, despite her brother's objections..and yet, Sullivan must first convince himself that he's the man his lovely Eden deserves.

My Thoughts: I had a feeling from just the blurb of this book that I was going to enjoy it! And I was right - I enjoyed it very much. I love when that happens! It didn't take over the number one spot that Cash holds, but it's now my second favourite of the series.

Sullivan is a member of the Rock Creek Six, a group of men who banded together during the War between the States. When one is in trouble, the all come together. The have made Rock Creek their home of sorts. While most still travel around, Rock Creek is where they head back to. Eden Rourke is the sister of Jed, one of the six, and is on her way to Rock Creek to join her brother whom she hasn't seen for years. While in another town, she spies a gang of men beating up on one man and as she thinks this extremely unfair, she stops the fight and 'rescues' Sinclair Sullivan. Already I was pumped up with this set up. I love it when the heroine rescues the hero. Eden is instantly smitten with Sullivan and he is likewise smitten with her. But there are a number of reasons why Sullivan won't give in to his feelings. Eden is the sister of one of his few friends and he feels she is much too good for him.

But Eden is a force to be reckoned with when there is something she wants and what she wants is Sullivan. Whenever he plans to leave town and leave her, she comes up with some reason as to why he has to stay and help her. In a less likable heroine, this could be downright annoying, but Eden is such a lovely character that her manipulations don't seem like manipulation at all.

And though he protested, Sullivan was a goner right from the beginning. He didn't stand a chance against the force that was Eden and her crew of orphans. Although her protested that he wasn't good enough, Eden just plowed through any objection he threw her way.

There was also some delightful humour in this book. When Jed, Eden's brother and the hero of a future book, comes back to town and discovers Sullivan and Eden wed, he dissolves the marriage, though of course he can't really do that. After some initial issues and a major screw-up by Sullivan, he and Eden try and hide their feelings from Jed, pretending that they've gone along with is declaration of a marriage ended.

This book was adorable from beginning to end and I am SO glad I've finally gotten around to reading them. I know this is another one I'll read more than once.

****~~~~****

And though I'd love to post more - the brain is not up to the task tonight so I will have to wait until it's recovered, but the poll results at AAR are up and I'm a happy camper as my favourite book of 2009 was the big winner!!

I'm adoin' the happy dance for The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie!!!

IT BE FOUND!!!!

Finally!!!! Yes people, out of the thousands of books I have - in every room of the house, the one book I most wanted to find was the one I couldn't. But last night just before heading for bed I turned off the living room light and noticed a very small box of books under the end table. I thought 'hmmm, I wonder???' But as it was late and I'm on the earlier shift, thought I'd check it out this morning. It was the one place I don't remember looking. I just checked - and low and behold there it was - just waiting for mama to find it.

Yes - I'm talking about......




It's funny how the book you can't find is the one you want to read the most and then when you find it...... it's a WONDERFUL feeling

Recent Read

Less (or is it lest?) you think I’ve been doing nothing but looking for Sullivan – I haven’t. Though I have been since it’s his turn up to bat in the Rock Creek Six – I have been reading also – a lot of reading. I’m still that reading machine!!

Reese by Lori Handleland

Why This One: One guess

Steam Level: While not as hot as Cash – still nice and toasty.

Blurb: Their friendship forged during the bloody battles of the War Between the States, they are men with nothing left but their honor. When one calls, the others answer--and this time they will gather in the tiny town of Rock Creek, Texas, where their brand of justice is the only possible salvation...and where each man will find a woman determined to open his heart to love.
Could He Outrun The Past?
Haunted by the war, Reese has vowed to keep his past--and his pain--to himself. Now a gun for hire, he can't refuse schoolteacher Mary McKendrick's request to rid Rock Creek of the outlaws who threaten to destroy the town, as long as one thing is clear: When the job is done, he'll move on. Yet stubborn, pretty Mary is determined to unearth the secrets he guards like a hidden treasure--and with each soulful, passionate kiss, Reese is finally tempted to dream of a future by her side and in her arms, hoping she'll want the only thing he has left to offer--his love.

My Thoughts: This book was written during the hey day of the Western romance – a hey day I hope with all my heart will cycle back – the sooner the better. Lori Handleland has since moved onto paranormals and day-um – we lost a good Western author.

This is the first book in the Rock Creek Six series and focuses on Reese, the reluctant leader of the group. He doesn’t seem to be up to a whole lot when Mary McKendrick, the heroine tracks him down to ask for his help in getting rid of a gang who is scaring away the citizens of Rock Creek. Mary, raised in an orphanage, has always longed for a home, but with the gang led by El Diablo terrorizing the citizens, and so many of them leaving, she is worried there might not be much of a town left. She is the local teacher and is quite set in her ways. But her stubbornness and her lack of fear of Reese intrigues him enough to agree to help out, along with his small group of fellow former Rebel band of soldiers.

There isn’t anything too terribly new about the story – I think it’s pretty standard fair of opposites attract. But it is so well written and so enjoyable that I really enjoyed this book. Both Mary and Reese are natural leaders with their own unique styles. They often clash; Mary isn’t used to backing down and letting someone else take charge and I found myself laughing and chuckling in a number of places.

As mentioned in the blurb, Reese has some tragedies in his past. He’s a very reluctant leader. The author does an excellent job of letting us know about the rest of his friends and it’s a great thing that they all have their own stories to look forward to. And while he may be a reluctant leader, Reese makes for a very fine Western type hero. And as a spinster ‘school marm’, who thinks she is too unattractive and too bossy, I also really liked Mary too.

While this one didn’t give me quite the same punch as Cash did, I still liked it quite a bit it’s an excellent first book to the series. She doesn’t have much on her web site about this series which is kind of a shame as probably not many readers know at one time she wrote westerns. I can only hope that some day she just might do so again.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

So far so good!!

I've become a mean lean reading machine since the beginning of the year. All right, all right, lean is something I'm not. And if asked to describe myself in one word, mean isn't the first word that comes to mind. But I have become a reading machine. I usually start out rather slow at the beginning of a new year but already I've read six books. Last year I think it was towards the middle of February before I read that many. And in light of all the books I have read so far, I rewarded myself with - what else - a trip to Chapters! My latest buys are on the right.

But all is not good. I read Reese, the first book in the Rock Creek Six series - thinking after reading the final book first, I should read the first one next. I really enjoyed it and will have the review coming soon. The next book up after that is Sullivan and it's the one that's gone missing. I've been forced to do something I don't often do. I've had to hunt - high and low - for the book - and so far no luck in finding it!!!

Arrrrggghhhh!!! I know I have it. It's in the spreadsheet. It's listed in my LibraryThing. It's in Shelfari and Goodreads. That means I've listed it in four different places do damn it all - it's here - in the house - somewhere. So of course the longer I look for it, the more I want it. So thus begins..........

The Search for Sullivan

It's not in the 'library'. At least I haven't seen it. It's not in the living room. At least I haven't seen it. It's not in the bathroom. At least I haven't seen it. It's not in the computer room. At least I haven't seen it. Though I did find a missing bag of jewellry. And I still haven't finished in that room. I still haven't looked in the other two bedrooms. I found all the fridge magnets I collected in Washington that kind of disappeared. I found all my pens. But I haven't found Sullivan.

So here's hoping I find Sullivan. I shall be unbearable to live with if I don't. But in the meantime, until I find Sullivan, I shall keep reading!! Not Sullivan - as he's gone missing - but I have others that will keep me company until I find him.

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.