Rosalyn West - Mary Wibberley - Susan Wiggs
West, Rosalyn - OUTSIDER, THE (Avon - 1998) (4)
As I began reading THE OUTSIDER, "something" kept niggling
at the back of my mind. It didn't take long before it dawned
on me that I was visualizing the hero and heroine as looking
and acting like Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable from the movie
GONE WITH THE WIND. The setting of this book is post-Civil
War Kentucky, not war-torn Georgia, but there are more than
a few similarities, both in appearance and temperament, between Starla Fairfax and Hamilton Dodge and their counterparts in the film. As a result, I think I was expecting a lighter read, ala "fiddle-dee-dee," but I certainly wasn't disappointed when the book turned out to be a totally engrossing tale which delved
into some very intense issues.
By all appearances, raven-haired southern belle Starla Fairfax was returning home to Pride County after a four-year absence to celebrate the wedding of her childhood friend, Patrice Sinclair. At first glance, ex-Union officer Hamilton Dodge (the groom's best man) thought Starla personified everything he'd ever heard about Confederate women. Vainly beautiful, with the bratty selfishness of a true southern coquette, he imagined her conquering men's hearts as easily as Sherman had conquered the Atlanta countryside in his infamous march to the sea. His second look convinced him—and this honorable, battered Yankee hero was totally entranced by the teasing Miss Starla. In a move that startled even their best friends, Hamilton and Starla found a common ground of need, and entered into a marriage of convenience. With determined patience (which, in my mind, makes him a front-runner for a knight-in-shining-armor award), Hamilton overcomes overwhelming odds to make their marriage more than one in-name-only.
THE OUTSIDER is the second book in a series about the men of Pride County, Kentucky. Probing deeply into the emotionally charged issues of greed, incest and evil, the strength of this book for me was the unrelenting honor that the hero displayed throughout—in the face of extremely difficult circumstances. With an insight into human motives and actions that made the story very believable, Ms. West tells a tale about people and a culture that were often less than noble. As an aside, I'd really be interested to know if the author had Scarlett and Rhett in mind when she fashioned her characters. Whatever the case, I prefer her ending to that of Margaret Mitchell's. *grin* ~Connie Ramsdell for Bookbug on the Web
West, Rosalyn - PRETENDER, THE (Avon - 6/99) (3)
Setting: Kentucky, 1866
The Men of Pride County series continues as we meet Deacon Sinclair, a southerner expertly trained in the art of espionage. Commanded to enter the Davis farm and use whatever method necessary to gain the code used by the North, Deacon dresses in
a Northern officer's uniform and wounds himself in order to gain entry. Not realizing the seriousness of his injury, he passes
out before getting into the farmhouse; and a sweet country girl, Garnet Davis, tends to the unconscious man. During his recovery, Deacon loses his heart to this innocent young woman and they share a night of love before he leaves.
Five years later, Deacon and his mother are preparing to meet the new owners of the Sinclair family estate after losing it to a shyster who sold it out from under them. With much bitterness, our prideful hero is introduced to none other than Garnet and her husband, Montgomery Prior, along with their little boy, William. Having no place to go, the Sinclairs accept an offer to stay and work for the Prior family.
Rosalyn West weaves a story of two proud people who have much to learn about truth and forgiveness; they must do a lot of soul searching before they can begin a life together. If Deacon and Garnet had communicated their true feelings for each other earlier in the story, however, this would have been a more pleasurable read. Even so, THE PRETENDER offers a warm cast of characters, along with intrigue, suspense, and enlightening details about Southern aristocracy. Readers will experience the toughness and tenderness of life during and after the American Civil War in Ms. West's moving tale. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
West, Rosalyn - REBEL, THE (Avon - 1998) (4)
When attempting to ambush a Union supply train, Confederate Major Noble Banning and his men are betrayed, captured and later sent to a Union prison. Noble and his surviving soldiers are offered conditional freedom by Union Colonel John Crowley, who is quite impressed with the troop. The Colonel is headed to an Army post in the New Mexico Territory and needs good fighting men. Noble is very reluctant to join up with the enemy, but because he has seen so many of his men die as a result of poor prison conditions, he wants to provide a better means for survival. Also, he hopes to find out who among his men betrayed them all by leaking information about the train ambush.
Juliet Crowley has followed her father from Army post to Army post all of her life. Although she believes the Colonel is foolish for taking the enemy soldiers to Fort Blair, she is intrigued by Major Banning, nonetheless. During the journey, Noble finds himself drawn to his commanding officer's daughter, even though she is everything he is not looking for in a woman: intelligent, stubborn and spirited. In turn, Juliet thinks he is arrogant, but charming and annoyingly honorable. Following their arrival at Fort Blair, Noble discovers there is another man after Juliet's heart. When more than one attempt is made on her father's life, our heroine doesn't know whom to trust, however. Is Noble trying to kill her father so he and his men can return home, or is Noble's traitor trying to silence the Colonel?
THE REBEL, the third book in the Men of Pride County series, centers around friends who marched off to the Civil War and are now trying to rebuild their lives. Even though it is part of a series and the previous main characters make a short appearance, this book stands alone very well. Noble and Juliet are reluctant lovers, and there is plenty of sexual tension and verbal play between them. The intriguing secondary characters add even more interest and conflict to the story. THE REBEL will appeal to readers who like a romance that delves deeply into the relationship between a man and woman, coupled with an action-packed western—a book that is difficult to put down. ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
Wibberley, Mary - MOST DANGEROUS GAME, THE (Scarlet - 1998) (3+)
Romance and political intrigue merge in this story about a Government agent who becomes the bodyguard of an alleged traitor's daughter. As the hero and heroine evade enemies and search for answers, they must also battle the passion that threatens to consume them. THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME is reminiscent of a Harlequin Presents, but much longer and sexier. The strong, capable hero adds punch to an otherwise average story. ~June F. (bookbug@oocities.com)
Wiggs, Susan - DRIFTER, THE (Mira - 1998) (5)
A wonderful story about a lady doctor who has never learned how to make herself happy, although she cares a lot about the people in her little town—including the drifter who drags her out of bed at gunpoint one night and forces her to treat his wife. The story takes place in 1890's Washington and shows Wiggs' versatility as a writer. Very highly recommended. This goes in my top ten of all-time-great reads. ~Maudeen W. (maudeenw@aol.com)
Wiggs, Susan - LIGHTKEEPER, THE (Mira - 1997) (4)
Jesse Morgan has exiled himself to a lonely outpost in an effort to atone for sins he committed in the past. The victim of a shipwreck, Irish immigrant Mary Dare is washed ashore near his lighthouse. She is pregnant with nowhere else to go. What follows is the compelling story of two lonely people learning to trust and be trusted. I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the beauty-and-the-beast theme. ~Connie (C1rams@aol.com)
Wiggs, Susan - VOWS MADE IN WINE (Harper - 1995) (5)
After a close call, Oliver gives up his life of debauchery and mindless pleasure to help Lark, who is devoted to the Protestant cause. A wonderful book in an unusual setting. There is plenty of period detail without it overwhelming the story, and the hero and heroine are richly characterized. I almost cried when I realized the book was ending. ~Karen W. (kwheless@rockland.net)
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