Customer Reviews

Cold Night, Warm Stranger

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Trapped by a blizzard that enveloped the Montana countryside provided Maura Reed freedom. Her two abusive brothers were away, leaving her time to dream of a day when she could leave and never look back. The cold loneliness is preferable to her everyday life. Until Quinn Lassiter blows into her hotel.

Quinn is a loner, cold from the inside out. This hardened gunfighter was looking for a place to come in from the storm, and lucky enough to find a willing woman as well. Things are just as he likes them--hot and impersonal. To Maura however, abandoning herself to this handsome stranger, if only for one night, fulfills her dreams in a way she's never imagined.

When a desperate Maura tracks Quinn down a few weeks later, he doesn't remember her. When she asks that he wed her, he is stunned. Marriage was never in his future. However, he decides to marry her--in name only. Things go smoothly, until their growing affection gets in the way. While confronting their feelings, they must also face a dangerous outside threat that could shatter their fragile family.

Jill Gregory draws her reader in effortlessly with this delicious story. Great characters, familiar yet satisfying plot.

This book was thoroughly enjoyable. The hero was strong and very sexy and the heroine resilient considering the situation she found herself in.

Despite a previous review that stated the 2 main characters did not spend alot of time together, they spent very little time apart in this book. There was approx 1 chapter between when Quinn left Maura at the hotel and she found him later at a saloon in Whisper Valley.

Maura did not fall in love with Quinn immediately and her decision to confront him, based purely on a decision on what was best for the unborn child was quite selfless and was an indication of her strength of character.

That Quinn was initially belligerent when she first accosted him in the saloon was not unexpected and his treatment of her after the suspicion faded was very thoughtful and considerate. Really there was very little that I could fault him in his treatment of her - giving her money to buy a new dress to get married in, waiting aroung in Hope to set her up comfortably at the ranch, teaching her how to dance then taking her to the dance.

It's great seeing a strong and capable man being so thoughtful and caring and eventually so loving towards a woman and Quinn certainly was that. I would recommend this book to anyone.

All Maura Jane Reed knows is she desperately needs to escape from her vicious step-brothers, Judd and Homer. Due to her siblings, Maura Jane has no friends in her hometown of Knotsville, Montana. The dastardly duo beat up any suitor before running their victim out of town. Judd and Homer use Maura Jane to clean, cook and manage the family's Duncan Hotel. However, that wintry night, gunfighter Quinn Lassiter arrives, demanding a room. Al alone in the hotel with a blizzard outside, Quinn coaxes Maura Jane to sleep with him.

A few months later, Maura Jane realizes she is pregnant. She escapes from her odious relatives in search of Quinn, whom she finds at his Hope, Wyoming ranch. Acting honorable, he agrees to marry Maura Jane so their child could have a legitimate name. However, her nasty siblings have followed because they think she stole the diamonds they robbed.

Jill Gregory is one of the better writers of western romances because she instills traits in her lead characters that generate empathy from readers. Her current novel, COLD NIGHT, WARM STRANGER, is a wonderful tale that provides readers with two enthralling lead protagonists. Maura Jane is an intrepid survivor and the mighty Quinn is a tough man with a strong moral bent. The story line is complex with two major subplots that at times fail to gel. However, Ms. Gregory provides an action-packed tale that never lets up, leaving the audience fully satisfied and desiring more novels by this gifted writer.

Harriet Klausner

All right, so maybe my motivation for buying this book was rather silly, but it had the model John desalvo on the cover, who is the most gorgeous man I've ever laid eyes upon. As I delved into the story, I couldn't put it down. I thought this book was more about the human condition, than a violent western. It's interesting to see these characters take on very human qualities of saying one thing but really meaning the other. For example, Maura claims she is marrying Quinn only for the baby's sake, but soon she wants more even though she must deny those yearning according to the pact made between them. Quinn, on the other hand is not as cold as he makes himself out to be, he can't help but want to be fiercely protective of Maura's vulnerability. It is because of the way the characters developed that made the book realistic. Actually, the violence in it was overdone. Quinn kills at least six or seven people throughout the course of the book. The deaths he inflicted raise totally different questions. It is interesting to see how an author can make the "hero" kill, but the deaths caused are for supposedly justifiable reasons. Well, I guess this is what makes romance, and what keeps the novel entertaining, so who am I to judge? I thought overall, this was another fantastic novel for Jill Gregory.

Great story. Very touching and very romantic. I put this with my top favorites along with Anything, My love by Cynthia Simmons and Fantasy Lover by Kenyon. All page turners you should not miss.

This is the 2nd book I've read from Jill Gregory & I rated both of them 5 stars. I love this author's simple style of writing. There were no dull spots for me. I couldn't put the book down for anything. There is plenty of stuff going on in this book to keep you glued. Usually at the end of a book I feel that there are some loose ends that weren't tied up & I'm left wondering what ever happened to some of the other characters. Not in this book. I'd have to say that this book had made it to my top 3 favorite books & I can't wait to read more from this author. Highly recommended!!!

I enjoyed this book very very much. This was the first book by this author that I have read and I have already ordered several more. The book moves at a fast pace and the characters are likeable and beleivable. If you havent read any of this Authors books I would compare her style to Norah Hess or Rosanne Bittner.

Cold Night, Warm Stranger is the best book I have read in quite some time. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. At first glance it seems like any other Western romance, but it's unlike anything I've read recently.

First of all, Maura's transformation from shy, oppressed girl into fiery, independent woman is sudden, permanent, and very real. She turned away from her old life and never looked back. No wishy-washy frail flower here!

Quinn is a gorgeous hero. He may be jaded and hard on the outside, but inside he is tender and honorable and is truly the perfect man for Maura.

The chemistry in this book sizzles. The love scenes are full of passion and tenderness. The inner battles that Maura and Quinn both fight are real, not silly or contrived. Aside from the somewhat irritating and far-fetched subplot with the diamonds, the plot is smooth and seamless. The diamond subplot is annoying--much like the fly buzzing around your head at a picnic--but it is such a small part of the overall story that it doesn't really have the negative effect you might think.

The gunfights and danger only help characterize Quinn and Maura, and they really do add to the story.

If you want a beautiful love story filled with action, passion, and tenderness, do not pass this one by. It is wonderful!

The characters were - blah! I didn't understand him at all. He was just mean. Didn't explain why until late in the book. She was vapid. She spends one night with him, knows nothing about him,exchanges a handleful of conversations with him(in which he is mean to her) and FALLS IN LOVE WITH HIM! Please, I know the hero's are supposed to be mean, rakish and not care about anyone's feelings, but he wasn't even present half of the book. It was all about her and how she loved him. So how could this be a romance? They were never together. It was disappointing after all the good reviews.

This was the 2nd book i've read by jill gregory and so far the best. I absolutely loved this book. I couldnt put it down. It had everything you could want in a book; passion, romance, suspense, murder, and love. I cant wait to read more by her.