Parsen Holt - Slinger

A taut, gripping western filled with unexpected encounters, interesting characters and exciting adventure!
Join Parsen as he's forced to layover in a small town that he doesn't want to be in. And whose residents don't want him there either.
Will Parsen make it out of town alive?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Novella Parsen Holt - Slinger, by Robert Dellamano, puts a renowned gunslinger in a small town that is more dangerous than it seems. Stuck for a few days because of an ailing horse, Parsen Holt faces death more often than most men and must hold his own if he wants to survive. 

Parsen Holt is a seemingly good man. His background includes being a soldier in the Civil War, which demonstrates to readers his bravery, courage, and loyalty. Readers also learn that during the war, Holt killed fellow soldiers in order to save a young girl from being raped. His morals and strong sense of justice may have readers raising an eyebrow, but they will undoubtedly understand his actions. Holt is also a very unreactive man. He doesn't anger easily and tends to think things through, though he will definitely defend himself if need be.

The plot is simple. Holt is waiting on his horse to rest and heal in a western city that is known for both sides of main street. The good and the bad. Holt faces down multiple people in this novella, each with a different reason to kill him. Or try, rather. The writing style and character background is interesting and it makes me wish there was more to the story. I thought Holt's stay could have been extended a little longer so the plot could build to a more exciting climax. With a deeper background, I also feel I could have connected with Holt a little more. Though, I did like his smirk and vigilante style of justice. 

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

South of Rising Sun

In a Legendary, Forgotten Town, Destiny Awaits . . .

U.S. Marshal Alistair Taggart has spent almost seven years protecting the citizens of Bleeding Kansas from the lawlessness surrounding its push to achieve statehood. Now, Kansas has entered the Union as a free state, but the violence threatens to continue when the Civil War erupts only three months later.

During one of Taggart's regular visits to the former Kansas territorial capital of Lecompton, local rancher James Harper enlists the marshal's help to catch the cattle rustlers intent on stealing his livelihood. But Kansas is just beginning its reign as the wildest state in the Union, and Taggart must also deal with Jayhawkers, highwaymen, unpredictable weather, and those hell-bent on revenge. Taggart finds his job further complicated by a runaway slave and animals gone delinquent, along with his own concerns that age may finally be catching up with him.

Solving the case will prove harder than Taggart ever imagined, and its resolution will cost him dearly. Sometimes, justice only comes with a price...

*May Contain Spoilers*

J.D. McCall takes readers to the past with his novel, South of Rising Sun. Set just before the Civil War, this novel combines the joy of the western genre with crime and the underground railroad. Weaving a complicated tale, McCall intrigues and entertains readers with an accurate representation of Kansas in the 1850s and 60s. 

Alistair Taggert is the main character in this delicate plot. He's a United States Marshal who values morality above the law, and serves both when they happen to coincide. Readers will like his honesty, loyalty, and dedication. These three traits will quickly lead to respect as the story continues. Taggert displays understanding and compassion to those who need it but also takes crime seriously, often treating criminals with more than they deserve. He believes in second chances and thinks the best of people until proven otherwise. Readers will connect with Taggert as a both a friend and a respected community official. Though Taggert sometimes seems too good to be true, the writer does share his past follies with the readers to make him more realistic. 

The plot is quite long and tangled, but the details and side stories are no less entertaining than the main story line. When Taggert is pursued by James Harper in need of aid to stop cattle thieves, Taggert vows that he'll help the man keep his livelihood. In the same town, Taggert comes across a runaway slave. Though the law dictates he should return the slave, his morality pushes him to aid the runaway. Add in some pesky behaving animals and a best friend who likes to blow things up, and readers will surely not be bored in a town South of Rising Sun. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Her Heart for the Asking

Promises made...secrets kept...

Mandy Morgan swore she’d never step foot in Texas again after Beau Gentry left her for life on the rodeo circuit eight years before. He once promised he'd love her forever. But he'd abandoned their love for the rodeo and she hadn't seen him since. Now she's back in Texas. Her uncle’s heart is failing and Mandy has to convince him that surgery will save his life. She never dreamed the first thing she’d see when she stepped off the plane would be her biggest nightmare...the one man she’d never stopped loving.

Beau Gentry had the fever for two things: the rodeo and Mandy Morgan. But for Beau, loving Mandy was complicated by his father’s vendetta against her uncle and a promise he'd made to an old friend. Hank Promise, Mandy's uncle, was more like a father to Beau than his old man had been. The hardest thing Beau had ever done was leave Mandy behind for the rodeo. He can still see the bitterness and hurt on her face. It has killed him all these years to think Mandy had forgotten him...maybe even in the arms of another man. But now they’re both back in Texas, and Beau's going to do all he can to win back her love.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Lisa Mondello reveals the truth behind the secrets of love in her novel, Her Heart for the Asking. After Mandy returns to Texas neither she nor her old flame, Beau, waste any time in rekindling old feelings. Though the main reason she returned isn't for him, but for her Uncle whose heart is running out of time. 

Mandy is the main character and the book is mainly told in her point of view. She's a very loving character, though wary about her feelings. She often flips back and forth between uncertainty and security when it comes to Beau. Readers will bond with Mandy because of her naive past and ideal first love memories. The bond will strengthen when readers realize that she's grown into a stronger woman who needs a strong man. 

Beau Gentry is the love interest, one of the main characters, and also shares the narrative with Mandy. However, it isn't quite easy to tell when they've switched. At certain points, it took me over a paragraph to realize that the POV had changed characters. Though Beau did lie to and hurt Mandy in the past, the reader learns that there's much more to the story. Readers will connect with Beau based on his reasoning and his love for Mandy. 

The plot is interesting, but flies by! The novel is only 182 pages, but it seems much shorter than that. I really wanted to see more of the surgery and how it affects the main characters. That part of the novel was little more than a single page. Though it was entertaining, I didn't feel the book was long enough as a whole to create a convincing love story.

Not that I won't consider the next books in the Texas Hearts series. =) Recommended for a short, light, fun read. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Her Heart for the Asking

Where the Wind Blows

When Chase Logan, wandering cowboy, appears on Jessie's doorstep to tell her that her husband has died, the strangers both receive much more than they bargained for in the novel Where the Wind Blows by Caroline Fyffe.

Expecting a quick visit with Jessie, Chase is caught off guard when owners of a New Mexico orphanage show up to drop off Sarah, a little girl that Jessie and her late husband were going to adopt. Mistaken for Jessie's husband, Chase finds himself signing adoption papers and calling Jessie "honey." 

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Jessie's wracked with grief upon learning that her husband has died and is relieved when Chase, with his good heart and better intentions, steps up to help her, even if for only a few days, before he leaves Wyoming to ride to his next job. 

Within a few days, Chase realizes that his feelings for Jessie are growing. The idea of a family is not one Chase often allows himself to think about, but the people around him are becoming just that. If only he could let himself love again... but after Molly it isn't an option. He'll stay only as long as he's needed and then he'll leave before anyone gets too attached. 

If things only worked out the way they're planned. 

***

I loved this story! I have never read a historical western romance and for the life of me, I don't know why! Fyffe carefully constructs a story that warms the deepest chambers of your heart, giving you the understanding required to make a connection with each character. Just as Chase moves closer to his new "family," Fyffe assures that the reader does too. 

Jessie becomes the caretaker to the lot of strangers and the further the novel carries the reader, the deeper the love for Jessie grows. On the surface she's a simple woman, but underneath lay scars that run deep creating a complex and interesting character. 

The only problem I had with this novel were the spelling errors. However, they were few and far between. :) In its entirety, the novel was a wonderful read for this rainy Thursday and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. 

Where the Wind Blows on Amazon

rating: 4/5 cups