Roseanne Bittner's novels have become new favorites. DESPERATE HEARTS is a stand-alone novel with lots of action and drama. This author writes gripping stories that keep the reader turning pages at a furious pace.
It is obvious that this book's villain, Alan Radcliffe, is awful when he stoops to blaming his stepdaughter, Elizabeth Wainright with the death of her own beloved mother. He is a grasping man who can never be satisfied with anything less than total control. He wants Elizabeth for his new wife and he wants Elizabeth's valuable heirloom necklace. But Elizabeth makes a mad dash away from the only life she's known -- to a wild place she thinks will be safe -- Montana.
A product of New York City, Elizabeth is poorly prepared for the violence and savagery Montanans take for granted. During a stagecoach holdup, 5 men are in the process of attacking Elizabeth when lawman Mitch Brady shoots three and forces the remaining men to strip. I knew this was a different kind of story when the 'lawman' asked injured Elizabeth if she was a 'lady of the evening.' When she told Brady no, he was downright disappointed.
This story is gritty and what Montana lacked in amenities at that time, it certainly made up for it in death and hard living. This book is stronger because the romance between Mitch and Elizabeth/Emma is not the main focus. Life is hard and this story shows life very clearly.
It is obvious that this book's villain, Alan Radcliffe, is awful when he stoops to blaming his stepdaughter, Elizabeth Wainright with the death of her own beloved mother. He is a grasping man who can never be satisfied with anything less than total control. He wants Elizabeth for his new wife and he wants Elizabeth's valuable heirloom necklace. But Elizabeth makes a mad dash away from the only life she's known -- to a wild place she thinks will be safe -- Montana.
A product of New York City, Elizabeth is poorly prepared for the violence and savagery Montanans take for granted. During a stagecoach holdup, 5 men are in the process of attacking Elizabeth when lawman Mitch Brady shoots three and forces the remaining men to strip. I knew this was a different kind of story when the 'lawman' asked injured Elizabeth if she was a 'lady of the evening.' When she told Brady no, he was downright disappointed.
This story is gritty and what Montana lacked in amenities at that time, it certainly made up for it in death and hard living. This book is stronger because the romance between Mitch and Elizabeth/Emma is not the main focus. Life is hard and this story shows life very clearly.
