Eva Ibbotson - Sharon Ihle
Ibbotson, Eva - COMPANY OF SWANS, A (5)
In this charming and romantic book by a writer I find truly delightful, a young girl escapes her repressive life in Edwardian England and journeys with a troupe of ballet dancers to the lush Amazon city of Manaus, where she blossoms and finds happiness with a rather remarkable hero. Vivid settings and characterizations, including a host of quirky minor characters, are trademarks of a writer praised by romance fans and mainstream critics alike. In fact, for me, the only problem with Ibbotson's romances is there aren't enough of them! ~Elena P.
Ihle, Sharon - BRIDE WORE SPURS, THE (Harper - 1995) (5)
Kathleen Lacy O'Carroll grew up in a mental hospital believing she was a little bit "fey," but she was only the victim of childhood trauma. When she learns her only friend, nurse Katherine Quinlan, is leaving for America as a mail-order bride, Lacy persuades Katherine to take her along as a bride for her intended's neighbor.
Hawke, a half-breed hunk of a man, is the neighbor and best friend of Katherine's husband-to-be (Caleb). He considers himself an undesirable and believes no white woman would ever want anything to do with him, let alone marry him. Caleb persuades Hawke to consider the idea of marriage, but Lacy lacks in the "wifely skills" of cooking, cleaning and sewing—she is as innocent about life as a baby. After seventeen years in the hospital, she is happy to be free, but she guards the secret of her past, believing no one would want to marry a "mad" woman. The story moves quickly as Hawke is nearly forced into marriage when Kate and Caleb mistakingly believe he has compromised Lacy. While she sweet talks herself into his heart, there is a lot of humor as the new bride learns how to cook, sew, and milk a cow. Hawke's frustration at Lacy’s reluctance to bed him also results in a unique lesson in mating. THE BRIDE WORE SPURS is full of humor, tenderness, and charm. I enjoyed every last word! ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Ihle, Sharon - LAW AND MISS PENNY, THE (Harper - 1994) (4)
Take one Kickapoo Princess, add a hard-nosed, hard-eyed Federal lawman, mix in a dash of lovesick canine, and what do you get? A whopping good tale from the talented pen of Sharon Ihle.
The infamous Doolittle gang is on the prowl in 1880's New Mexico
Territory, and US Marshal Morgan Slater is hot on their trail. Diverted from the chase by Doc Zachariah's Kickapoo Medicine Show and the lovely Princess Tanacoa, Marshal Slater feels compelled to protect the citizenry of Bucksnort from these snake oil charlatans. None too politely, he escorts the show out of town; and when a wallop on the head erases his memory, the Princess (a.k.a. Mariah Penny) decides to get revenge on the Marshal, and retrieve some lost revenue at the same time. Dubbing him "Cousin" Cain Law, she gives him a brand new identity and a job in the medicine show.
Thrown together by time and proximity, the lawman and the Princess have a real hard time remembering they are related. It soon becomes obvious that there's a heavy dose of chemistry at work, which has nothing to do with the secret formula Mariah is testing on her new "cousin." The trouble is, the Doolittles are out for their own brand of revenge against the Marshal, and they are mighty unsavory characters. How will he be able to protect himself and his new family from the bad guys, especially when he has no idea that they're skulking around plotting to take him out? There are some very interesting twists and turns in the story before that question gets answered.
THE LAW AND MISS PENNY is full of tongue-in-cheek humor and cleverly drawn characters. The story didn't have the belly-laugh scenes that made TEMPTING MISS PRISSY my very favorite Sharon Ihle read, but I loved the dialogue and interplay between the characters just the same. For a dose of pure Kickapoo magic, I heartily recommend a visit with Miss Penny and her very unique family. ~Connie Ramsdell for Bookbug on the Web
Ihle, Sharon - MAGGIE'S WISH (Kensington - 1998) (4+)
Setting: Prescott, Arizona Territory – 1881
Maggie Thorne is tall, with a large body to match, and she
has accepted the fact that she will live as a spinster for the
rest of her life. But Maggie is determined not to face any
more tears from her six-year old daughter, Holly, whose only
Christmas wish is to have her very own daddy. She hires a
retired Texas Ranger, Matt Weston, to track down and bring
back Holly's father, Rafe Hollister—the rogue who shipped a young, pregnant Maggie to Prescott with a broken promise to join her later.
Expecting to meet a crippled old man, Maggie is quite surprised when she sees Matt for the first time. The large, handsome man is closer to her own age than even she had hoped for. Direct and intense in manner, he begins to fire questions at her, and even though he knows Maggie is not telling him the whole truth about her past, he agrees to take the job. Matt finally breaks through some of Maggie's lies to get to what he believes is the truth, and he vows to bring back her "no-good scoundrel of a husband" or die trying. Before he leaves Prescott on his assignment, he meets Holly, a bespectacled little imp who slowly steals his heart. And Maggie would have been astonished...and flattered if she had known what Matt thought of her five-foot-nine-inch frame. He is determined not to get entangled emotionally, but while he is waiting for news about Hollister's trail, he cannot get the "sturdy, unpretentious female" off his mind.
This fun romp really begins when Matt returns with Rafe Hollister, whom the Ranger thinks is "the luckiest son of a b**** on the face of the earth." Sharon Ihle delivers another winner—a western romance filled with colorful dialogue and characters, humor, and sensuality. She will have you laughing out loud during some scenes and teary-eyed at other times. MAGGIE'S WISH is a wonderful holiday treat that will bring enjoyment all year round. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Ihle, Sharon - TEMPTING MISS PRISSY (1996) (3+)
Priscilla Stillbottom runs away from an abusive husband on her wedding day and goes in search of her best friend, Verity. She arrives in Central City almost penniless, and because she has always dreamed of being a singer on stage, applies for work at a bar. Payton Cobb, the owner, agrees to give her a chance, and Prissy is soon a comedy hit with the bawdy crowd. Payton knows she is running from something and he can't abide a lie. Prissy does her best to skirt the issue, telling him everything except that she is married. Payton really falls for Prissy, but when he proposes, she turns him down. Then her husband shows up. He has come to get Prissy, but Payton's dog Thunder, who has a bad habit for which he is named (grin), saves the day. TEMPTING MISS PRISSY has a lot of humor, yet it is also a tender love story. A very pleasurable read for me. ~Carol C. (angelca@ibm.net)
Ihle, Sharon - UNTAMED (Zebra - 9/99) (4+)
Setting: Montana, 1886
Josephine "Josie" Baum is curious about the act of making love, or "hurdy-gurdy" as she calls it, wanting to discover what kept her mother pregnant until she died giving birth to her sixteenth child. Unfortunately, Josie's stepfather walks in on her little smooching and petting experiment with the neighborhood boy, Henry, and she receives a stern beating. Afterwards, he takes Josie into town and leaves her at Lola's Saloon and Pleasure House, disowning her.
Upon the death of his Indian wife, half-Cheyenne rancher Daniel McCord is forced to leave his twin sons with his mother-in-law because the ranch consumes all his time. When he breaks his leg, Daniel's brother-in-law, Long Belly, moves in with him for a while to help with the chores. In a discussion one night, the rancher flippantly states that he would rather wed a white woman than to marry another demanding Indian woman, so Long Belly rides into town and "buys" Josie. She reluctantly agrees to marry Daniel, and there is sexual tension aplenty, but Josie doesn't want to hurdy-gurdy because she's afraid she will end up like her mother.
In UNTAMED, Sharon Ihle's liberal use of humor makes for a delightful, engaging romance. Josie has a rough way of talking (which is understandable since she had fourteen stepbrothers), and some of the dialogue had me laughing out loud. The scenes between her and Daniel's sons, Two Moons and Bang, are also lively and fun. There are heartwarming moments, too, as Josie gets to know her new family; and the love scenes between her and Daniel are so intense I could almost see steam coming from the pages! Add a secondary love story between Sissy, one of Josie's friends from the saloon, and Long Belly (I just love that name), as well as several surprises along the way, and you have a book that is simply hard to put down. If you're "hankering" for a humorous western romance with action that never lets up, do yourself a favor and read UNTAMED. ~Pat Cavender for Bookbug on the Web
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