Helpful Score: 3
Victoria Waverly has traveled to New Mexico to marry a Western Rancher in order to save her family. Little did she know that she was marrying a murderer. 20 years ago, Jacob Sarratt had seen his parents murdered. Now he was back at the ranch, posing as gunslinger and biding his time until he could take over his family's ranch again.
Most of the Linda Howard books I've read have been suspense. This is a solid western romance that was very entertaining. My rating: 4 Stars.
Most of the Linda Howard books I've read have been suspense. This is a solid western romance that was very entertaining. My rating: 4 Stars.
Helpful Score: 2
Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors. I have read nearly all of her books and have had A Lady of the West in my "to be read" stack for over a year now. I had not chosen to read it because of its three and one-half star overall rating. I wisely use the tools offered on this site and seldom read a book rated less than four stars. But I wanted to read another Howard book and picked up A Lady of the West. I was able to determine three things rather quickly:
First: This was unlike any of Howard's other books I had read.
Second: The hero's behavior is politically incorrect - to say the least. He is the first hero I have ever read who hit the heroine and he also plays the "forced seduction" game which many of us would consider rape.
Third: I quickly realized the overall rating on this book must be due to the hero's mean-spirited behavior rather than the quality of the writing. Sure enough, when I checked the reviews, most of the negative reviews are because of the second item detailed previously. Make no mistake - this is a dark book.
Victoria Waverly is the daughter of a formerly wealthy, Southern family who has been impoverished by the Civil War. Victoria is basically sold into marriage to a wealthy rancher, Frank McClain, and is bravely attempting to do the right thing for her family. Once she meets her future husband, she is repelled and frightened. He is one bad villain and Victoria has no idea that he killed and literally stole the large ranch he now calls his own. But Victoria is ever vigilant - intent on protecting her family from literal starvation - especially the two family members who have come with her to live at the ranch. She must consider her cousin and her younger sister's situations as well. She believes that they will be safe and taken care of at the ranch. She is a strong yet gentle heroine written in true Linda Howard fashion. She is surprised to find that she is strongly attracted to one of her husband's main men, Jake Roper, and finds his actions towards her frightening yet very sensual.
Jake Roper is a hired gun and one of the best. Twenty years ago, his mother and father were murdered; the two sons wounded and assumed dead, in a takeover of the large Sarratt ranch. He finds himself almost obsessed with his boss's new wife and finds it most inconvenient. You see - Jake is planning revenge on Frank McClain. He hates the man and will avenge his parents' death at the hands of this worthless thief and reclaim his family's home.
Actually, I found Lady of the West to be out of the ordinary with a fragile tenderness and strong sensual overtones. There was not a boring page and the book contains several strong and very interesting secondary characters. While considering the reviews, I read repeatedly that this book is a product of its time - written either in the 1980s or 1990 at the latest. It is a book that holds a common thread with many books written during that timeframe - mistreatment of women. Now, I was personally appalled when the hero struck the heroine. I had never read that before - at least not the heroine. But I also read it as part of the overall story. Yes, it was very wrong for Jake to treat Victoria in such a manner. But he was never glorified for it. He certainly was not proud of himself. I know situations such as this occurred much more often than we want to admit. This story takes place over a hundred years ago - women weren't always treated with a lot of respect. But I am certainly not defending the hero. He was definitely a tarnished hero - he never gets rid of that stain. And THAT is part of the story. This is a story that contains revenge, hate, and mistreatment by many more than the hero. Taken with the context of the story, a mean hero only plays out his part. I don't think that Jake is ever redeemed of this behavior. That is one thing that makes this an unusual romance - it's HEA ending has a few spurs - and the ending is probably closer to reality and therefore, the sting.
First: This was unlike any of Howard's other books I had read.
Second: The hero's behavior is politically incorrect - to say the least. He is the first hero I have ever read who hit the heroine and he also plays the "forced seduction" game which many of us would consider rape.
Third: I quickly realized the overall rating on this book must be due to the hero's mean-spirited behavior rather than the quality of the writing. Sure enough, when I checked the reviews, most of the negative reviews are because of the second item detailed previously. Make no mistake - this is a dark book.
Victoria Waverly is the daughter of a formerly wealthy, Southern family who has been impoverished by the Civil War. Victoria is basically sold into marriage to a wealthy rancher, Frank McClain, and is bravely attempting to do the right thing for her family. Once she meets her future husband, she is repelled and frightened. He is one bad villain and Victoria has no idea that he killed and literally stole the large ranch he now calls his own. But Victoria is ever vigilant - intent on protecting her family from literal starvation - especially the two family members who have come with her to live at the ranch. She must consider her cousin and her younger sister's situations as well. She believes that they will be safe and taken care of at the ranch. She is a strong yet gentle heroine written in true Linda Howard fashion. She is surprised to find that she is strongly attracted to one of her husband's main men, Jake Roper, and finds his actions towards her frightening yet very sensual.
Jake Roper is a hired gun and one of the best. Twenty years ago, his mother and father were murdered; the two sons wounded and assumed dead, in a takeover of the large Sarratt ranch. He finds himself almost obsessed with his boss's new wife and finds it most inconvenient. You see - Jake is planning revenge on Frank McClain. He hates the man and will avenge his parents' death at the hands of this worthless thief and reclaim his family's home.
Actually, I found Lady of the West to be out of the ordinary with a fragile tenderness and strong sensual overtones. There was not a boring page and the book contains several strong and very interesting secondary characters. While considering the reviews, I read repeatedly that this book is a product of its time - written either in the 1980s or 1990 at the latest. It is a book that holds a common thread with many books written during that timeframe - mistreatment of women. Now, I was personally appalled when the hero struck the heroine. I had never read that before - at least not the heroine. But I also read it as part of the overall story. Yes, it was very wrong for Jake to treat Victoria in such a manner. But he was never glorified for it. He certainly was not proud of himself. I know situations such as this occurred much more often than we want to admit. This story takes place over a hundred years ago - women weren't always treated with a lot of respect. But I am certainly not defending the hero. He was definitely a tarnished hero - he never gets rid of that stain. And THAT is part of the story. This is a story that contains revenge, hate, and mistreatment by many more than the hero. Taken with the context of the story, a mean hero only plays out his part. I don't think that Jake is ever redeemed of this behavior. That is one thing that makes this an unusual romance - it's HEA ending has a few spurs - and the ending is probably closer to reality and therefore, the sting.
Helpful Score: 2
I like Howard in how she sets her western books, very descriptive, and a good read.
Helpful Score: 1
A good Western Romance with some interesting twists. Better storyline than usual for this author.
This is a terrific novel! The characters are interesting and multifaceted, plot has plenty of surprises, and the writing is effective. I read it, and went to start another Howard, but stopped and went back to Lady and reread it! I don't do that often. Sign of a quality tale. Highly recommended.
One of my favorite Linda Howard books.
I enjoyed this book. I enjoy her alpha male characters even though I would probably not really like if my husband were as alpha male as those she writes about!
love Howard's early stuff.
A hired gunman on a quest for revenge finds passion with the widow of his sworn enemy. Fun summer read.
On the wild frontier, vengeance was her challenge.
Victoria Waverly was a noble daughter of the war-ruined South, sold in marriage to a ruthless Western rancher. Only honor and pride could help her endure her painful role as wife in name alone.
Victoria Waverly was a noble daughter of the war-ruined South, sold in marriage to a ruthless Western rancher. Only honor and pride could help her endure her painful role as wife in name alone.
Classic Howard, early west. Wonderful.
Classic Linda Howard first published in 1990 - this is a relatively new paperback
Victoria Waverly, noble daughter of the war-ruined South, is sold in marriage to a ruthless rancher. Honor and pride help her endure life as a wife in name only but nothing can quench her forbidden desire for hired gunman Jake Roper. His gaze is hard, but tenderness he can't hide promises to unveil to Victoria the mysteries of love.
Jake curses his burning need for Victoria, for he wants nothing to stand in the way of his drive to reclaim Sarratt's Kingdom--the ranch that is his legacy and obsession. But ancient wrongs and blazing passions will bind together the aristocratic beauty and the powerful cowboy. In a bloddy land war, they will fight for Jake's birthright...and seize at all costs the love that is their destiny.
Jake curses his burning need for Victoria, for he wants nothing to stand in the way of his drive to reclaim Sarratt's Kingdom--the ranch that is his legacy and obsession. But ancient wrongs and blazing passions will bind together the aristocratic beauty and the powerful cowboy. In a bloddy land war, they will fight for Jake's birthright...and seize at all costs the love that is their destiny.
Good story.
Good Book.
I've just started reading Howard and find that I am enjoying her books. Mystery Romance.
very good book
Great story!
western romance. Victoria, a daughter of the war-ruined South, is sold in marriage to a ruthless rancher in New Mexico but becomes involved with Jake Roper, the man who is trying to get his homeplace back from Victoria's husband who robbed and killed his parents to get it. A bit graphic, but a good read.
Victoria Waverly, noble daughter of the war-ruined South, is sold in marriage to a ruthless rancher. Honor and pride help her endure life as a wife in name only but nothing can quench her forbidden desire for hired gunman Jake Roper. His gaze is hard, but tenderness he can't hide promises to unveil to Victoria the mysteries of love......
Jake curses his burning need for Victoria, for he wants nothing to stand in the way of his drive to reclaim Sarratt's Kingdom....the ranch that is his legacy and obsession. But ancient wrongs and blazing passions will bind together the aristocratic beauty and the powerful cowboy, In a bloody land war, they will fight for Jake's birthright....and seize at all costs the love that is their destiny.
Jake curses his burning need for Victoria, for he wants nothing to stand in the way of his drive to reclaim Sarratt's Kingdom....the ranch that is his legacy and obsession. But ancient wrongs and blazing passions will bind together the aristocratic beauty and the powerful cowboy, In a bloody land war, they will fight for Jake's birthright....and seize at all costs the love that is their destiny.
Victoria Waverly was a noble daughter of the war-ruined south,sold in marriage to a ruthless western rancher.Only honor and pride could help her endure her painful role as wife in name alone.Yet honor could not quench Victoris's forbidden desire for the hired gunman Jake Roper.
Victoria Waverly, noble daughter of the war-ruined South, is sold in marriage to a ruthless rancher. Honor and pride help her endure life as a wife in name only but nothing can quench her forbidden desire for hired gunman Jake Roper.
His gaze is hard, but tenderness he can't hide promises to unveil to Victoria the mysteries of love.
Jake curses his burning need for Victoria, for he wants nothing to stand in the way of his drive to reclaim Sarratt's Kingdom -- the ranch that is his legacy and obsession. But ancient wrongs and blazing passions will bind together the aristocratic beauty and the powerful cowboy. In a bloody land war, they will fight for Jake's birthright...and seize at all costs the love that is their destiny.
His gaze is hard, but tenderness he can't hide promises to unveil to Victoria the mysteries of love.
Jake curses his burning need for Victoria, for he wants nothing to stand in the way of his drive to reclaim Sarratt's Kingdom -- the ranch that is his legacy and obsession. But ancient wrongs and blazing passions will bind together the aristocratic beauty and the powerful cowboy. In a bloody land war, they will fight for Jake's birthright...and seize at all costs the love that is their destiny.
