Alice Duncan - Judith Duncan
Duncan, Alice - ONE BRIGHT MORNING (Harper - 1995) (4)
When Maggie Bright opened her cabin door that miserably cold February morning, little did she realize her life would never be the same again. As she stared at Jubal Green, bullet-riddled and bleeding to death, he mumbled an apology, closed his eyes and passed out cold at her feet.
With the help of his partners, Dan Blue Gully and Four Toes Smith, Maggie nursed Jubal back to life while she cared for her baby daughter and worked her rundown farm. All would have been well, but Prometheus J. Mulrooney insisted on continuing his feud with the Green family. This forced Jubal to escort Maggie and her baby daughter back to his vast Texas ranch, where he could better protect them.
Another typical Alice Duncan cast of characters abounds in ONE BRIGHT MORNING. Decent, good-hearted, sweet-spirited heroines and heroes. Bad, evil-hearted, mean-spirited villains and accomplices. This story does have occasional, brief encounters with reality as the melodrama sweeps you through New Mexico and Texas in the 1800s. You sense the villain evilly twirling his mustache while the tall, blonde and handsome hero rescues the damsel in distress. Another "Duncan Delight!" ~Mona Montana for Bookbug on the Web
Duncan, Alice - SECRET HEARTS (Dell - 1998) (3+)
Setting: California, post-Civil War
Miss Claire Montegue, wears drab, unflattering clothing, keeps her hair tightly braided in coils, and gives every appearance of being a very proper spinster. Hired by Mr. Gordon Partington to be the housekeeper of his grand estate when she was just seventeen, Claire managed to put the dark secrets of her childhood behind her. Through the years she learned to be a lady, as well as an efficient manager of Mr. Partington's large household; but hidden beneath the prim and proper exterior lies a passionate woman, whose bold thoughts have become unwelcome and very upsetting to her. Putting her vivid imagination to work, and fueled by Mr. Partington's tales about his nephew Tom's exciting exploits in the Army, Claire has been secretly writing dime-store novels about "Tuscaloosa Tom Pardee."
Although the books have certainly helped to promote the reputation of the real Tom, at the same time they have made him an object of ridicule among his friends...and caused him no end of embarrassment. When he arrives at Partington Place to claim his inheritance, he recognizes Claire as an invaluable asset and asks her to continue her employment as housekeeper for the estate. At the same time, Tom also senses there is much more to Claire than her outward appearance suggests. Some very humorous scenes follow when Tom decides that he is just the man to teach Claire about her passionate nature, which, up until now, she has kept so well hidden.
SECRET HEARTS is a fun story that has a very bewildered Tom trying, every which way he can, to learn more about Claire. He knows she is hiding something from him, but Claire is determined to keep her past a secret. She also fears the probable repercussions should Tom ever find out that she wrote the novels that made his life so miserable. Add to this some goofy, artsy secondary characters, and you have the makings of a lively tale told with much humor. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Duncan, Alice - TEXAS LONESOME (Harper - 1996) (4+)
Setting: San Francisco, 1895
Emily Von Plotz, also known as "Aunt Emily" the lovelorn columnist for the local paper, must stretch her meager salary in order to support her eccentric aunt and uncle. One day while she is working on her column in the park, her uncle's Dachshunds suddenly tear after another dog. As they pounce on the unsuspecting animal, the amused owner slips from his horse and comes to the lady's aid. Will Tate, impressed by Emily's physical attributes, decides to charm her with his slow Texas drawl. She immediately assumes he is "Texas Lonesome," a wealthy man who has written to her for advice on finding a wife. Since he wants to spend some time with this lovely lady, Will lies and tells her he is Texas Lonesome. With her family nearly destitute, Emily decides to trap the rich Texan into marriage—and he falls head-over-heels in love. She refuses Will's marriage proposal, however, after realizing she has fallen in love with him and knowing he could never forgive her deceitful actions.
Alice Duncan takes the reader on a fun romp as she unravels this romantic tale about a prim and proper lady and a devilish, determined Texan. You will not be disappointed in TEXAS LONESOME if you like a lot of humor mixed in with sensuality and sweet romance. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Duncan, Alice - WILD DREAM (Dell - 1997) (3+)
Charlie Wilde was born and raised in Georgia in a wealthy, genteel family. He and his friends were members of the prestigious America City Brass Band, which served as a Southern brigade band during the Civil War. As their leader, Charlie promised the surviving members that they would always stay together. No longer able to return to war-torn Georgia and their former jobs, they attempt to travel to Albuquerque to reestablish their band and gain employment. But en route, they find themselves near to starving and they have to resort to robbing for food. They bungle two robbery attempts, and while fleeing from the last attempt, they separate and Charlie is shot. He and his buddy Lester seek refuge at a farm belonging to Addie Blewitt and her Aunt Ivy.
Addie, raised on the frontier with no friends her age, grew up hearing Aunt Ivy's repeated tales of the genteel side of life. She is the queen of daydreamers, and when Charlie and Lester ride up, "Princess" Addie believes one of them must be her Prince Charming or White Knight coming to sweep her away. She greets them as though they are her heroes. Charlie agrees to accept Miss Addie's hospitality in return for his carpenter's skills while he recovers, but he feels guilty since he plans to rob her of the Blewitt rubies to help get his band established. Charlie tries to live up to the image of a gentleman, but he becomes so in lust with Addie that she drives him crazy. He is continually amazed at how effortlessly she runs the ranch and takes care of problems, and she has the entire town in awe of Charlie and his band—except for the bungling sheriff, who just knows they are crooks and repeatedly tries to prove it.
WILD DREAM is a light, fluffy, nonsensical kind of story. The hero and heroine are fun, but there are too many unbelievable characters, and the humor was too slapstick for my reading pleasure. Also, the author repeats some of the same thoughts over again, which is distracting. But the story covers such redeeming qualities as trust, forgiveness, and good family values, and it is a fun read. This would be a good reading choice when you need a break between darker, more serious stories. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Duncan, Judith - DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION (Silh. Int. Mom. 704) (4)
Maggie Burrows can't help but be attracted to Tony Parnelli, the sexy ex-cop who lives next door, even though he is almost ten years younger than she is. When Tony turns on the charm, this good guy with bad-boy appeal is hard to resist; and soon it's more than just a matter of chemistry driving Maggie to distraction—her heart is involved. Before she can make a commitment, however, she needs to overcome her insecurities and learn to trust. You can always depend on Judith Duncan for a knock-your-socks-off emotional read. ~June F. (bookbug@oocities.com)
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