Victoria Dark - Carolyn Davidson
Dark, Victoria - LOVING ELIZABETH (Zebra - 9/99) (4)
After a killer storm hit Kansas and Elizabeth McKay brought a wounded man home, she found herself alone with him during his recovery. Tall and handsome Dalton McClure knew this young woman was special, but he resented finding her at this time in his life. He confided that he had been wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to hang, and because he was on the run from the law he could not make a commitment or any promises. Realizing her love for him, Elizabeth wanted at least one night of passion
before he moved on. The result, unknown to Dalton, was a baby daughter.
When news reaches Kansas of the outlaw Dalton McClure's death, Elizabeth accepts an offer to become a mail-order bride—a decision that isn't difficult to make since the townspeople shun her and she has been mistreated by her greedy brother. This is a chance for a new beginning, however. But when Elizabeth and her daughter Becca arrive at Willow, Oregon, there is a surprising turn of events. Becca falls from the ferry into the raging river and nearly drowns. She is rescued by none other than Dalton McClure, now known as Rand Matthews, the town's sheriff.
The former lovers are equally surprised to see each other again and sparks still fly between them, but Elizabeth is determined to honor her commitment to her future groom. Rand is just as determined to change her mind though, especially when he sees Becca's little face and realizes it's like looking into a mirror. He is not a rogue or rascal, but a man in love—a man who believed he was doing the best thing for Elizabeth by not telling her he was still alive. Of course, Elizabeth's brother hadn't helped matters either by keeping that information from her.
In LOVING ELIZABETH, Victoria Dark vividly brings the time period (circa 1870s) to life as she writes about a typhoid epidemic, primitive doctoring, unfair conditions surrounding the building of the railroad, and everyday life in a small town. While the heart of this book is the strong love between a man and a woman and the special bond between a father and his daughter, the story is enriched by the western setting, the Americana feeling, and the secondary characters. I found LOVING ELIZABETH to be an entertaining read. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Davidson, Carolyn - FOREVER MAN, THE (Harl. Hist. 385) (4)
Johanna Patterson is a lonely spinster who believes she can never marry because of a secret she has carried with her for the past ten years. Tate Montgomery is the father of two motherless little boys, and even though he has a few secrets of his own, he offers Johanna a safe and celibate marriage. This is a story about trust, common goals and enduring love; a sensually sweet romance, reminiscent of books I've read by Pamela Morsi and Stephanie Mittman. It wasn't an I-can't-put-it-down read, but it did flow nicely, with interesting descriptions of farm life at the turn of the century. ~Connie (C1rams@aol.com)
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