Customer Reviews

Angel Creek

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Plot Summary: This historical western romance features two love stories between best friends - there is the independent wild-cat farmer, Dee Swann, and her friend, the proper town heiress, Olivia Millican. Dee sits on the one parcel of land that never runs dry, the aptly named Angel Creek. All the local ranchers would love to buy her out, but Lucas Cochran soon decides that he wants Dee in the bargain too. Meanwhile Olivia has been steeling herself to accept Lucas since the whole town assumes they're an item, but she is drawn to a Mexican drifter who packs some serious iron. When a drought turns the countryside dry, Dee comes under attack and Lucas betrays her in order to save her.

This is the sure sign of a good, but forgettable story. I'm having really hard time coming up with anything to say for this review. There's nothing glaring or ugly for me to criticize, but I know I won't remember this one too well in a week or so. While I certainly don't have any complaints in the sensuality department (the love scenes were scorchers), I didn't get sucked into either romance on any deep emotional level. I've noticed that often happens in stories that feature more than one romance, and it felt like Ms. Howard was spread thin, trying to define two relationships in a little more than 300 pages.

I thought the historical details were adequate without being jaw-dropping. I've noticed that Ms. Howard is an expert at providing just enough backdrop to make things believable, but she doesn't go above and beyond in this particular story. I thought she had a nice balance between the lovers, although I probably liked alpha brute Lucas the least. He just didn't have enough endearing qualities to make up for his riding roughshod over everyone and everything. I actually would have liked to see the story focus on Luis Fronteras, the Mexican drifter who was all wrong for the demure banker's daughter, but he appreciates women as so few men do. That gentle quality when dealing with the female sex is appealing, especially when juxtaposed with Lucas, who would kiss Dee so hard he'd make her mouth bleed.

It's not bad, it's not great, and it's certainly not embarrassing. I'd say western romance fans would like it, but it's not one of Ms. Howard's barn burners.

Set in the late 1800s, Prosper, Colorado. Dee Swan has lived alone for 5 years after her parents died. She lives in a little cabin on a plot of land called Angel Creek just outside of the town of Prosper. She is self suffient, growing her own vegetables, enough to feed herself and to sell to the local grocery store in town. The rest of her land lies fallow but is much prized by the local ranchers for its lush fields fed by the abundantly flowing creek.

One of those ranchers is the dark and handsome Lucas Cochran, who owns the most prosperous ranch in the area. As Lucas woos Dee they find themselves falling head over heels into a heated and passionate affair. But nothing will make Dee give up her independance which she has through owning Angel Creek. Lucas is not the only person after Angel Creek. Others in the area will try all ways to persuade Dee to give up her beloved land, even violence.

I loved the character of Dee because she is such a strong heroine, looking after herself and protecting her land. Lucas was a real gentleman and treated Dee as an equal, even though she is not from the same social circles as himself. Their encounters are sensual and passionate. The story is also held together by danger and suspense. This is my first book by Linda Howard and I was pleasantly surprised. I can't wait to order more books by Linda Howard. A very enjoyable read indeed!

Lea Ling Tsang

Lucas is a rather dashing rancher type..Dee is a smart, sassy and independant farmeress. When these two meet and wrangle over the Angel Creek valley sparks (and clothes) fly. I enjoyed this one very much, but will give it only four stars because the side romance of Olivia and the ranch hand fellow was distracting.

The story is set in Prosper, Colorado. A story of an ambitious man (Lucas Cochran) that goes back to Colorado after a ten year absence. In order to make his ranch sucessful, he needs the water from Angel Creek owned by Dee Swann. Fights and tension are present thoughout the book and like many of other Linda Howard books, the love scenes sizzle!

In the late 1800s in a small town in Colorado returns the prodigal son of Prosper's most powerful family. Ten years after abandoning the family ranch to his father, Lucas Cochran returns to take over the Double C. Focused in turning the already prosperous ranch into an empire, Lucas sets his sights on the nearby land known for its rich soil and abundant water supply. But if he thought he could just ride into the property and throw his weight around, then he is in for a shock when he meets the defiant owner of Angel Creek.

Orphaned five years ago, Dee Swann relied on her need for survival to keep Angel Creek. While young ladies her age were enjoying the delights that came with being courted, she worked from sunup to sundown to make the small valley the abundant land that it is now. But with her land's prosperity always comes the threat of other ranchers who wish to acquire her land. And while she has managed to keep them away, she is in for a tougher fight with the owner of Double C.

Although I'm not a real fan of romance novels set in the West, I had a great time reading this novel. I liked Dee's character; her strength and iron will is truly admirable. As for Lucas, I liked how he can easily change from a ruthless rancher to a tender lover where Dee is concerned. The way he comes to respect what Angel Creek means to Dee and what it represents to her is quite touching. The secondary characters are good too. I enjoyed reading the romance that blossoms between Dee's best friend Olivia and the Mexican gunman Luis Fonteras, who is actually from Howard's other book, A LADY OF THE WEST. If you happen to buy the book that combines these two novels, I recommend reading A LADY OF THE WEST first to give you a better understanding of Luis.

Overall, ANGEL CREEK is a nice and entertaining read. It is not only the setting that is hot, but the seductive encounters between the characters make the page sizzle too!

Had it been any other author I would probably have given this book a 3, but I can't do that to LH. Love her books!!!! This is not as good as Touch of Fire or Lady of the West but it still has all the LH touches. A real man for the hero and a fiesty independent woman for the heroine who is forced to accept our hero's help (thank goodness). Sexy love scenes, shoot 'em up fight, and a happy ending. It's a keeper as far as I'm concerned!

ANGEL CREEK by Linda Howard boasts compelling characters like Dee Swann and Lucas Cochran in a Western frontier. Dee is a resilient woman ready to defend her Angel Creek from the ambitious Lucas in his expansion of his ranch, but is unwittingly caught in a web of passion with this man who had roused her desires like no other.

The secondary romance between Olivia and Luis Fonteras is much more subtler and tender. Both of the stories are served with passionate love scenes bound to keep readers fanning off the heat. However, the chemistry between Dee and lucas seemed just a tad too fast and developed.

Nevertheless, LINDA HOWARD did it with this one again - strong-willed characters in a tussle of love in a glorious frontier. It is an emotional read with Dee fending herself and letting go of her assuring independence for Lucas and her Angel Creek.

ANGEL CREEK is no doubt one compelling read that sizzles and brings out all that heated smoldering flames in the wild,wild west.

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't get enough of it. It grabs your attention from the very start & makes you not want to stop until the end. Dee & Lucas were very likable & since she was so feisty & stubborn it was a lot of fun. There is also a secondary romance in this book with Luis from A Lady of the West. I usually don't have any feelings one-way or the other on secondary romances but I loved Luis & Olivia.

Although this book is considered part of a series it can certainly stand-alone also. It's been several years since I read A Lady of the West. At the time I didn't know that this book followed it. Since Luis was the one linking the 2 books & he wasn't the main character in either book you don't feel like you missed anything.

I'm a huge Linda Howard fan. My favorite author actually. I would highly recommend this book as well as many other books by her. If this is your type of book then you won't be disappointed.

Nothing surprised or delighted me, but the story was still good. The characters were good. The heroine Dee was a strong independent woman who was fun to read about. Because this is one of my favorite authors, I am reading all of her books. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: eleven. Setting: about 1866, small town called Prosper, Colorado. Copyright: 1991. Genre: historical western romance.

This book is one of the reasons why Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors. The only reason why people have given it such low ratings is because they are used to the standards they have set for Linda Howard books. But on its own, compared to the books by most of the authors out there, Angel Creek is definitely one of those rare finds that makes putting up with having to skim through mediocre novels worthwhile.