Review: Very Few Pages Given Over to Romance
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 22, 2013
In this second book about the MacLaren Family, the story focuses on Jamie MacLaren, U.S. Marshall and the woman he was engaged to 8 years ago - Victoria.  Right after their engagement, he left to go on a cattle drive and while he was gone, she married another man.  Jamie has stewed in anger for 8 long years wondering why the love of his life left him for another man.  She has lived in San Francisco during these 8 years and he has never seen her even once.*Minor Spoilers*When Jamie receives word that Victoria has been kidnapped for ransom, in his role as U.S. Marshall, he searches until he finds her so he can return her to safety.  Once he completes his mission, he will barely speak to her on the trip home. Unbeknownst to Jamie, she has had a very difficult life during the past 8 years but she's not going to bare her soul to the man who acts as though he detests her. Along the way home, it seems Ms. Davies must include a couple of encounters between Jamie and his whore of choice at the local saloon while he leaves Victoria in the hotel lonely and hurting.  This part I hate.Once Jamie gets Victoria to her parents' home, days and weeks go by before they have a semi-friendly encounter.  Then, more days and weeks go by before the ice begins to break.  There is very little romance in this book.  The book is 75% complete before Jamie and Victoria actually have any breakthrough in their relationship.  In fact, they are barely speaking to one another.I enjoy romance novels and the build-up toward the characters HEA.  In this and in the first book in this series - Tougher than the Rest - there is quite a bit of strife and very little romance until the end of the book(s).  Both books in this series are rather short - more novellas than novels.I do find the MacLaren Family to be a very interesting family. Also, minor characters such as Gloria and Sam and their relationship brings an added flavor to the series.  I love the fact that someone like Gloria, former saloon owner and prostitute who has a heart of gold, has the potential to marry a good man like Sam and have friends and people who accept her in spite of her past.  This is quite rare in books written about this time period.Shirleen Davies is an excellent writer and I look forward to Will's and Drew's stories.  I wish the books were a little longer but only if more pages could be be given over to romance between the H/h and I'm not talking about a lot of sexual details - just plain old kindness, a dance or two, some comfort, loving conversation, hugging, kissing, sitting in lap stuff - that's what I'm talkin' about!