Catch a Fallen Angel [Mass Market Paperback]

Kathleen Kane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2000

Could this devil-may-care stranger...be her angel in disguise?

Gabe Donovan's regrets for a life of gambling and drinking come fast and hard when he finds himself hanging from the short end of a rope, framed for a crime he didn't commit. But fate has a little detour on the road to the afterlife, complete with a bargain from Old Scratch himself. The deal: two months of life in exchange for the soul of the scoundrel who should have hung in Gabe's noose.

Maggie Benson realizes that only a desperate woman would hire a dusty, down-on-his-luck stranger with a past, but she has a hotel to run in Regret, Nevada, and handymen aren't exactly lining up at her door. Destiny, however, comes in strange packages, and after one magical kiss, she knows Gabe is hers. Come Hell or high water, she's not about to let go of this fallen angel, even if she has to take on the Devil himself...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers will have to suspend disbelief for this fantasy historical that mixes popular romance elements: "randy" cowboys, gamblers looking for their next mark, straight-laced, God-fearing townsfolk and the redeeming love of a good woman. Gambler and con man Gabe Donovan, innocent for once in his 32 years, is hanged instead of pal Henry, his sometime partner and the real culprit. Gabe knows he's bound for Hell, and sure enough, the Devil appears to offer him more time on earth if Gabe brings him Henry's soul in return. Although he recognizes a cool con when he sees one, Gabe agrees and goes to Henry's hometown of Regret, Nevada, to lie in wait for him. Gabe presents himself as a willing and able handyman to the feisty yet needy widow Maggie Benson, whose family has long been the subject of scandalous gossip. Maggie, a calamitous cook, operates a restaurant her father bought for her on one of his infrequent visits home. As much as he tries to resist, Gabe falls in love with Maggie. Readers who can't predict how the rest of the story will unfold will be few and far between; Kane's otherwise strong writing can't make up for a weak plot. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gambler and con man Gabe Donovan is killed by a group of vigilantes outside Reno in 1880. By the time Gabe realizes he is no longer living, the Devil, in the guise of a gunman, makes him a Faustian offer: two more months of life in exchange for the soul of the friend whose con caused Gabe's hanging. Gabe eagerly agrees and finds himself in Regret, Nevada, waiting for his old friend to show up. Looking for a job and a meal, Gabe goes to the only restaurant in town even though the locals inform him he's taking his life in his hands because the owner, Maggie Benson, can't cook. Gabe finds more than what he's looking for and, deeply attracted to Maggie and her young son, soon regrets making the deal. Kane offers her readers highly unusual characters and a clever plot, which add up to a surprisingly charming story of redemption. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 309 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (November 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312975759
• ISBN-13: 978-0312975753
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #377,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely magical!, November 5, 2000

By 

A. Fetzer (SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catch a Fallen Angel (Mass Market Paperback)

Catch a Fallen Angel is WONDERFUL! Kathleen Kane has done it again. Her 'Fallen Angel,' Gabe is so real he leaps off the page with a vibrance that only Kathleen Kane can do! She brings the west to life so effortlessly that you can taste the dust of Nevada and feel the six shooter on your hip. Gabe is my favorite hero of hers so far (I know there will be more to come) and I felt his pain and his hunger for a good life and a woman to love so deeply I cried for him and his unusal heroine, Maggie. Maggie lights up a room, and her lack of ability to cook for her own restaurant is a riot. I loved every word! Bravo!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Of Course I Love It--I Wrote It!, November 3, 2000

By 

Maureen Child "author" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catch a Fallen Angel (Mass Market Paperback)

Okay, so why not give myself five stars on a book I really loved writing?

This book was so darn much fun. First, we have a hero who's willing to cut a deal with the Devil to gain two more months of life. Then a heroine who can burn water and is forced to cook for a living. And a town with more busybodies than they know what to do with. Not to mention an angel, a con man, a preacher and the Devil himself.

I hope you enjoy reading CATCH A FALLEN ANGEL half as much as I enjoyed writing it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, January 3, 2008

By 

Gemma "bookworm" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catch a Fallen Angel (Mass Market Paperback)

From the back cover:

Could this devil-may-care stranger be her angel in disguise?

Gabe Donovan's regrets for a life of gambling and drinking come fast and hard when he finds himself hanging from the short end of a rope, framed for a crime he didn't commit. But fate has a little detour on the road to the afterlife, complete with a bargain from Old Scratch himself. The deal: two months of life in exchange for the soul of the scoundrel who should have have hung in Gabe's noose.

Maggie Benson realizes that only a desperate woman would hire a dusty, down-on-his-luck stranger with a past, but she has a hotel to run in Regret, Nevada, and handymen aren't exactly lining up at her door. Destiny, however, comes in strange packages, and after one magical kiss, she knows Gabe is hers. Come Hell or high water, she's not about to let go of this fallen angel, even if she has to take on the Devil himself...

And my review:

This book was such a delight to read! I hardly know where to begin. I will state that Kathleen Kane also writes contemporary romances under the name Maureen Child, for anyone interested.

First off, the characters were great. I would have expected not to like a man who would literally make a deal with the Devil, yet I could see that Gabe had a heart of gold underneath his rogue exterior. Maggie was charming as well--she was more than just the cliche of a woman who can't even boil water. I loved how vibrant and alive she was. I thought that these two were a great match for one another. And the heroine's son Jake was adorable as well. Even the villains were more than just caricatures. They had motivations that the reader could understand, and even sympathize with to some extent.

I'd been starting to get sick of "small-town" books, but this one reminded me of why they are so popular. I loved the whole cast of characters, and they felt like more than just quirky cliches thrown in for laughs.

I also really liked that the hero and heroine fell in love with each other for more than just sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude, but I don't like romances where there is an overemphasis on sex. I like it as an added bonus to love, not as the sole reason for a relationship between the hero and heroine. While they were physically attracted to one another, this wasn't a "when can we hop into bed?" book. Nor was it an "I hate you, come here" story. It was refreshing to read about a couple falling in love without petty bickering, stupid misunderstandings, or overactive libidos. I also liked that the book didn't turn into a boinkfest once the hero and heroine did consummate their love, a complaint I often have with many historical romance.

I would have expected a novel where the hero makes a deal with the Devil to be dark and depressing, but this was not the case. I found myself laughing out loud several times will reading this book, and by the end, I had a serious case of the warm fuzzies. I absolutely loved the plot twist at the end. I will not give it away here--I don't want to ruin it for anyone.

I'm a VERY picky reader, but I thought this book was wonderful. Really, my only complaint is that at just over 300 pages, it was over too quickly! Recommended for anyone who reads romance.