Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collections
Publication
Brilliance Audio (2008), Edition: Unabridged Audiobook, Downloadable WMA/MP3 Audiofile, 8 hrs 46 mins
Description
Desire came like a wildfire to the Colorado hills...to claim a woman's property...and her heart. For five years after her father died, lithe, beautiful Dee Swann held on to Angel Creek valley and her independence. The homestead was hers, and she vowed no one else would ever own it...or her. Then Lucas Cochran came back to Colorado. In the drought-cursed high country, he needed Angel Creek and its cool water to turn his Double C ranch into the cattle dynasty he craved. His ruthless ambition guaranteed he would fight to take it away from the black-haired, green-eyed spitfire who claimed it. But the passion that blazed when Dee Swann and Lucas Cochran met shocked them both. Unbidden, unexpected, their kisses swept them toward a dangerous destiny where dreams might be scattered...men could be killed...or love would be born as wild and unfettered as this glorious frontier.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member EmScape
Dee Swann has carved a life out for herself in Angel Creek valley. Her parents died several years before and since then she has lived alone in her cabin, tending her vegetable garden and fiercely guarding both her privacy and her independence. Lucas has returned to town intending to enlarge the
In general, I'm not a big fan of the alpha male romance hero who decides what's best for the heroine and sets about convincing her of it. However, this spitfire might actually be able to stand up to him, and that's worth reading about.
Show More
family ranch and find a suitable wife, but isn't prepared for the fireworks between himself and the decidedly unsuitable hellion who is Dee. (Also, a couple sets of friends of theirs get together, for extra added steaminess and sexy parts).In general, I'm not a big fan of the alpha male romance hero who decides what's best for the heroine and sets about convincing her of it. However, this spitfire might actually be able to stand up to him, and that's worth reading about.
Show Less
LibraryThing member readinggeek451
Howard's trademark alpha male meets stubborn woman as rich rancher Lucas and orphaned farmer Dee butt heads over water rights--and other things--in frontier Colorado. Bonus romances between the banker's daughter and a Mexican tough guy and between another rancher and a saloon girl.
Add half a star
Add half a star
Show More
if you're a fan of Western romances. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lost_Lenore
A love story about the land, hopes, dreams and bravery.
For those who like a romantic western, this is the book to read and enjoy.
For those who like a romantic western, this is the book to read and enjoy.
LibraryThing member WhiskeyintheJar
3.5 stars
I read this for the Interracial Couple for Romance Bingo and my Series Headway selection.
This book had three couples, with Dee and Lucas having about 50% of the spotlight, Olivia and Luis with 40%, and Tillie and Kyle sneaking away with about 10%.
This story kind of delighted me.
He wasn't
Dee was a strong awesome heroine who probably had a smidgen too much '90s heroine stubbornness to her but trust me, you will love her backbone and will. The way Lucas was attracted to Dee's personality made my face hurt from grinning, but he also had a bit of '90s hero alpha "listen here, little woman." to him. However, when he pulled an alpha-hole move, he learned from it, felt bad, and either corrected it or never made the same mistake again because he saw how it affected Dee and that changed his perspective. Which since this takes place in the mid-1800s I'll give him historical gender role lee-ways.
Desire mingled sharply with anger until she wondered if they weren't the same thing after all.
These two were such cats on a hot tin roof. They bicker and straight up fight but there was also a thread of exasperation that leaned toward humor, teasing, and affection that saved it from feeling mean or hateful.
He felt like banging his head against the wall in frustration, and then suddenly he laughed, because he hoped she would be driving him crazy like that for the rest of his life. Maybe he was already crazy, because he could swear he'd seen a glint of amusement in those witch-green eyes. She loved making him lose control.
Dee and Lucas internally declare love pretty quickly, which I think was forced because of the other couples taking up some room. Olivia, who is Dee's bestfriend, and I'm going to interrupt myself here to give a huge thank-you to the author for portraying not only two women pretty far apart on a societal dictated femininity scale as both kind, passionate, and courageous but also showcased their caring friendship. Anyway, Olivia the rich banker's angel daughter and Luis the Mexican drifter gunman had a swift romance that also managed to make me happy for them. Olivia leaned a bit too heavily on the naive innocent '90s virgin and Luis (I kind of want a novella of Luis' lifestory before he met Olivia) leaned a bit older worldly man sort of being patient and sort of manipulating, not manipulating? her into a sexual relationship. If you hadn't realized this book was published in the '90s,hence the '90s feel but I still think it has aged well. The last couple easily could have been brushed away by cardboard cutout tropism but Howard gives just enough backstory and heart to Tillie the smart and caring prostitute and Kyle the good-looking villain to give them depth and have you caring about them.
This older published book was a wonderful surprise. This started a little slow but all the couples added to the story in their own way and even though the romances felt rushed, I still enjoyed them. Dee and Lucas' feisty, passionate, teasing, snappy, and strong relationship was fun to read.
"God, you're stubborn."
"I know," she said placidly, the words muffled because her face was against his chest. "As stubborn as you."
I read this for the Interracial Couple for Romance Bingo and my Series Headway selection.
This book had three couples, with Dee and Lucas having about 50% of the spotlight, Olivia and Luis with 40%, and Tillie and Kyle sneaking away with about 10%.
This story kind of delighted me.
He wasn't
Show More
a raw kid who felt the need to boast about his women in order to impress others with his masculinity. For another thing, damn if he didn't respect her for what she had accomplished out there. It had taken a lot of hard work, but she hadn't flinched from it, rather had risen to the challenge and gloried in it. The pristine condition of the farm was a true measure of her fierce spirit.Dee was a strong awesome heroine who probably had a smidgen too much '90s heroine stubbornness to her but trust me, you will love her backbone and will. The way Lucas was attracted to Dee's personality made my face hurt from grinning, but he also had a bit of '90s hero alpha "listen here, little woman." to him. However, when he pulled an alpha-hole move, he learned from it, felt bad, and either corrected it or never made the same mistake again because he saw how it affected Dee and that changed his perspective. Which since this takes place in the mid-1800s I'll give him historical gender role lee-ways.
Desire mingled sharply with anger until she wondered if they weren't the same thing after all.
These two were such cats on a hot tin roof. They bicker and straight up fight but there was also a thread of exasperation that leaned toward humor, teasing, and affection that saved it from feeling mean or hateful.
He felt like banging his head against the wall in frustration, and then suddenly he laughed, because he hoped she would be driving him crazy like that for the rest of his life. Maybe he was already crazy, because he could swear he'd seen a glint of amusement in those witch-green eyes. She loved making him lose control.
Dee and Lucas internally declare love pretty quickly, which I think was forced because of the other couples taking up some room. Olivia, who is Dee's bestfriend, and I'm going to interrupt myself here to give a huge thank-you to the author for portraying not only two women pretty far apart on a societal dictated femininity scale as both kind, passionate, and courageous but also showcased their caring friendship. Anyway, Olivia the rich banker's angel daughter and Luis the Mexican drifter gunman had a swift romance that also managed to make me happy for them. Olivia leaned a bit too heavily on the naive innocent '90s virgin and Luis (I kind of want a novella of Luis' lifestory before he met Olivia) leaned a bit older worldly man sort of being patient and sort of manipulating, not manipulating? her into a sexual relationship. If you hadn't realized this book was published in the '90s,hence the '90s feel but I still think it has aged well. The last couple easily could have been brushed away by cardboard cutout tropism but Howard gives just enough backstory and heart to Tillie the smart and caring prostitute and Kyle the good-looking villain to give them depth and have you caring about them.
This older published book was a wonderful surprise. This started a little slow but all the couples added to the story in their own way and even though the romances felt rushed, I still enjoyed them. Dee and Lucas' feisty, passionate, teasing, snappy, and strong relationship was fun to read.
"God, you're stubborn."
"I know," she said placidly, the words muffled because her face was against his chest. "As stubborn as you."
Show Less
LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
This is one of those historical romances from the '90s where the heroine is feisty, and the hero is an aggressive alpha male. It doesn't feel like a romance because Lucas, the hero, is determined to have the heroine, Dee, and it all happens pretty fast, even though Dee is determined not to succumb.
There's a secondary couple Olivia and Luis that is a bit sweeter and stands in marked contrast to the first couple's 'romance.' I enjoyed the story as it's a bit different from most other Western historicals.
Show More
Dee is independent though, and the story is pretty good as she farms her homestead and takes care of her valley, keeping marauders away with her shotgun. Lucas is one of those guys who always knows what's best, but he does save her in the end, and Dee is able to stand up to him too. There's a secondary couple Olivia and Luis that is a bit sweeter and stands in marked contrast to the first couple's 'romance.' I enjoyed the story as it's a bit different from most other Western historicals.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1990-01
ISBN
1423362993 / 9781423362999
Similar in this library
Burn by Linda Howard