A Heart Divided
It is 1878 and the
Caldwells and Wainwrights have been feuding for decades. Still, Sarah
Caldwell has misgivings when her father pressures her into distracting a
ranch hand while he and her brothers rob the Wainwright place. When it
becomes clear that hand is actually Cord Wainwright, Sarah realizes she
needs to lay low. But Cord spots her in town and, with the sheriff away,
makes a citizen's arrest, dragging her off to the Wainwright ranch
until the sheriff's return. As the feud boils over, Cord and Sarah make a
most inconvenient discovery--they are falling in love. Can they betray
their families for love? Or will their families betray them?
Against
the beautiful and wild backdrop of the Rocky Mountains comes this
sweeping saga of romance, betrayal, and forgiveness from beloved author
Kathleen Morgan.
My Review: 3/10
I got bored halfway through. Definitely had to echo sarahs frustration at why couldnt the conflct just END already?!
Some minor period discrepencies and time issues. Other than that the story line just got old quick.
Head in the Clouds
Adelaide Proctor is a
young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life
storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle
leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a
central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings
behind.
When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to
make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to
become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a
word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new
governess concerns Gideon--and intrigues him at the same time. But he
can't afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee,
and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate.
When Isabella's
uncle comes to claim the child--and her inheritance--Gideon and Adelaide
must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. And
soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many
heartbreaks, will Adelaide be willing to get her head out of the clouds
and put her heart on the line?
My Review: 2/10
I tend to like books less
when I listen to the audio version (something about the annoying voices
they always give the characters, ESPECIALLY Isabella's voice and
ohmygosh the sleazy Jose, gah) so maybe this is unfair. But I really
didn't like this book. I'm used to Ms. Witemeyer's style, but this was
just way too melodramatic, even for her. Adelaide was too back and forth
for me. I hate that she accepted Giddeon's proposal. Isabella was not
at all lifelike to me. I have a six year old and this child was too
babyish and too perfect for much of the time. Actually, I think that's
the issue I have with these books- the characters do not seem to be
given any flaws. They don't change, they don't grow. The villain's were
too over the top. Nothing in the book was subtle or slow building, and
therefore none of it felt lasting.
I really enjoyed the first
book of Witemeyer's that I read, Short Straw Bride, and though I have
not read them in chronological order, it seems that they are getting
more and more desperate with the violence, threats, declarations of
love, and obstabcles, and so I'm liking them increasingly less (if that
makes sense).
