Review: Angel by Johanna Lindsey


The Particulars: Historical Romance, Avon, available as e-book and in print.
The Source: The bookshelf
The Grade: B
The Blurb:

Hoping to cool off a twenty-five-year-old feud between two neighboring families, Cassie Stuart only succeeds in pouring kerosene on the flames. Both sides have warned her to get out of Texas pronto. . .or they will burn her father’s ranch to the ground. What Cassie needs is a peacemaker but she ends up with a widow-maker instead.
He is called Angel, a ruggedly handsome hired gun with eyes as black as sin. Unwanted and unwelcomed by his ungrateful employer, he would just as soon leave Cassie to fend for herself. But a stubborn sense of duty, and a desire to taste the sweetness of her kiss steels Angel’s resolve to make Cassie want him, come hell or high water. . .and for more than his gun alone.


The Review: 
This is one of the classic, old skool, historical romances. I bought it years ago, and had forgotten about it when I found it in the wardrobe at my mum’s place. (My wardrobe there is BIG and filled with books.)
I know from experience that some books doesn’t survived the test of time. But I was happily surprised when I started to re-read this one.
I fell in love with the characters, especially Angel and Cassie. Cassie’s nosiness and tendency to poke her nose into other people’s business made me laugh. Angel had a core of honor that I liked, even though I had to blink away tears when .he spoke about his childhood.
And the setting.The setting felt well researched. It was interesting to get a glimpse of the wild west, and one that at least felt believable. In fact, it felt so believable that I sometimes could feel the burning sun, and taste the dust in the air.
The plot was fast paced. I admired Cassie for her refusal to back down, and do the sensible thing which would have been to head back to Wyoming. I loved how Cassie’s stubbornness kept Angel on his toes. There were plenty of plottwists that took me by surprise, yet in hindsight they made sense.
I enjoyed this book, for ¾ of the book ,but after awhile I started to get a bit annoyed, since it felt  like their road to their HEA was stretched out a bit too long. But it was a good read, and one I plan to re-read.

Review: When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas

When Strangers Marry (Vallerands, #1)When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The particulars: Historical Romance, Avon, available as e-book

The review:

The blurb:

Lysette buried her face against Max’s throat. “But he’s going to take me away. Don’t let him, don’t — ” “You’re not going anywhere,” Max interrupted. “Calm yourself, Lysette. It’s not good for you to become excited.” His possessiveness made her strangely giddy. As far as he was concerned, she was his, and no one was going to take her away from him. Max stared at Etienne. His voice was soft, but it contained a note that chilled Lysette’s blood. “If you so much as disarrange a hair on her head, I’ll tear you apart.” Lysette couldn’t believe it, but she didn’t care about her ruined reputation. The only thing that mattered was that she wouldn’t have to marry Etienne.

My impressions:

This was one of the first romance novel I bought in English. I loved it then, and I love it now. It isn’t the most gripping romance novel, and it is probably a bit dated since it is almost 20 years old. But, I just love reading about Maximilien’s and Lysette’s whirlwind romance. It is set in New Orleans, against a backdrop of change and intrigues. No matter how many time I have read it, the story sucks me in. The plot has enough twists to keep up my interest, but what makes me coming back again and again is the characters. The characters is a part of the era, but it feels logical.

I think it is out of print, but if you finds it in the library, grab a copy!

View all my reviews