Connie Mason
Mason, Connie - GUNSLINGER (Leisure - 6/99) (3+)
Setting: Texas - Late 1800s
As a young boy, Logan Ralston had been sent away from his home and the father he loved because his stepmother didn't want the little half-breed around. He grew up to become a hired gun, the infamous Desperado Jones; and eight years has now passed since his last visit to Trouble Creek, when he returned home to attend his father's funeral.
Shortly after Desperado rides into town, he is approached by his stepsister, Chloe Summers, who inherited the family ranch. She is in need of a bodyguard and wants to hire him. However, Desperado receives another offer from the villainous Calvin Talbot, who wants the gunslinger to pretend to accept Chloe's offer and then sabotage her plans for the ranch. He'll be paid well, and Desperado doesn't care what happens to the ranch since Chloe inherited what should have been his anyway, so he agrees to Calvin's plan.
At this point, Desperado isn't aware that Chloe had intended to marry Calvin Talbot's son, Tate. He also doesn't know that Tate raped her. Chloe can't forgive Tate for that, and she also refuses to give in to his father, who wants her ranch—the home she loves and is determined to keep. She needs her stepbrother's help to keep her out of harm's way during the upcoming cattle drive to Dodge, and afterward, on the return trip home. Desperado admires Chloe's spirit and persistence...and much more. He desires her, too, but he doesn't plan on staying around for anything else. He'll do what he was paid to do, then be on his way. When Chloe's life is later put in danger, however, our reluctant hero has a change of heart and tells the Talbots that the deal is off. How will Chloe react when she discovers he was really working for the Talbots all along? She had trusted Desperado with her life, and he had betrayed her. Even worse, she had lost her heart to him.
With GUNSLINGER, the unflappable Connie Mason once again delivers a highly sensual romance brimming with adventure. Set against a rugged backdrop, she shows how two strong, independent people learn to trust each other, forgive, and realize true love. Ms. Mason's many fans will be delighted, and the hard-edged but vulnerable hero will win even more fans for the author. ~Jolene Ehret for Bookbug on the Web
Mason, Connie - TO TAME A RENEGADE (Avon - 1998) (4)
Two years have passed since bounty hunter Chad Delaney left his family's ranch, after witnessing several deaths for which he felt responsible. While on a bank robber's trail, he rides into Carbon, Wyoming and rescues a small lad, Abner, from a group of belligerent boys. Ready to give his mother a lecture about not tending to her son, Chad takes Abner home. Sarah Temple, the boy's mother, is not at all what he expects though, and they clash immediately!
Disowned by her family, Sarah works hard as a laundress, barely supporting herself and her son. When her hands and arms are accidentally scalded, the bounty hunter sets out to find help for her. After a neighbor volunteers, Chad hastily rides out of town. He wants no commitments, responsibilities, or entanglements—he had left a prosperous ranch to escape such obligations. Sarah is glad to see him go; the last thing she wants is any man's help. However, after being gone for a few hours, Chad's conscience forces him to return. He discovers that Sarah and her son are gone—they have been abducted by the bank robber, Jackson, whom Chad has been hunting! Our hero rescues the pair and decides to take them to his family's ranch in Montana, where they will be safe from harm while he continues his search for Jackson. Along the way, Chad and Sarah begin to fall in love, but because both are distrustful of love and the opposite sex, they fight the attraction. Can they overcome their traumatic pasts and learn to love again?
TO TAME A RENEGADE, a continuation of the Delaney brothers' series that began with TO LOVE A STRANGER, is a very sensual western romance about two strong-willed, independent people. Sarah and Chad are a likable couple, surrounded by numerous interesting secondary characters who add to the plot. Connie Mason delivers a well-crafted story that keeps you turning the pages and enjoying one adventure after another! ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug On the Web
Mason, Connie - TO TEMPT A ROGUE (Avon - 7/99) (3)
Setting: Arizona, 1884
Arizona rancher, Bert Lowry, wasn't aware he was a father until he received a letter from his ex-lover shortly before her death. After an unsuccessful five-year search for his daughter Kathryn, Bert asks his best friend's son, Ryan Delaney, to find her.
Ryan tries to track down Kathryn's stepbrother Lex Johnson, an outlaw who rides with the Barton gang. When he happens upon a bank robbery and is mistaken for a member of this notorious gang, he flees with the outlaws after Lex is shot. He pretends to be a wanted man and gains admittance to their hideout, where he discovers a lad named Kit—who turns out to be Kathryn disguised as a boy.
After receiving word of Lex's death, Kitty (as she is now known) heads to Tombstone, but Ryan is hot on her trail and persuades the little wildcat to travel with him to meet her long lost father. By the time they arrive at Bert's ranch, "Rogue Ryan" realizes he's met his match. However, the pair will have to deal with Bert's vindictive stepdaughter, who resents Kitty and Ryan for various reasons and seeks revenge. Kitty must also come to terms with her relationship with Bert, as well as Ryan's inability to commit, while she struggles with her own lack of self-confidence.
Connie Mason concludes the Delaney trilogy with another sexy, action-packed tale. Although the story kept my interest, I never really felt that the hero and heroine's relationship progressed beyond lust. If you're looking for a book that will engage your emotions, you may be disappointed in TO TEMPT A ROGUE; but if you enjoy fast-paced western adventure and a lot of sizzle instead, chances are you'll find this to be an entertaining read. ~June Folk for Bookbug on the Web
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