Dangerous [Paperback]

Anita Mills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

Journeying to Texas to settle her late father's estate and overcome a broken heart, Verona Howard finds the frontier hostile and dangerous before meeting on-the-run Matthew Morgan, who sees Verona as his perfect cover.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Most of my books come into the world like babies - they are conceived joyfully, gestate about nine months, and are delivered only after considerable travail. Fortunately, every now and then there is that rare one that almost writes itself - the one that springs from my mind like Diana from the head of Zeus, the one with characters who never stop talking, who almost relegate me to the role of a scribe hurrying after them, trying to get everything they say and do down on paper before I lose it. In the case of Dangerous, my newest book, I almost couldn't keep up with Matt and Verena in this lively, almost comical duel of wits.

Matthew Morgan, alias Matthew McCready, is not only fleeing a hangman's noose, but also his very roots. Born the youngest son of a poor Tennessee farmer, he grew up yearning for the good things in life, and once he escaped into the Confederate Army, he knew he was never going back. At war's end, he headed for New Orleans, where his good looks and uncommon skills with cards carried him into the finest drawing rooms in the city. But that was before he killed the son of a prominent Louisiana politician. Now he's on the run, headed for an outlaw haven called Helena, Texas. Until he sees Verena Howard in Galveston.

A determined spinster, the pretty twenty-two-year-old schoolteacher is en route to San Angelo, hoping to settle more than her late father's seemingly worthless estate. She has to know why Jack Howard deserted his country, why he never returned home to her and her mother. At times, the bitterness she feels toward him is almost overwhelming. Sharing her mother's heartbreak has left her wary of men, particularly the handsome ones.

But when facing a rough and tumble Texas frontier, where life is cheap and women scarce, she discovers her aloof manner and sharp tongue provide little protection from drunken, amorous cowboys - or from the handsome, dark-eyed gambler who comes to her rescue, then offers to pose as her husband until the cowboys get off the train. So begins an adventure neither can foresee, where neither quite believes the other, where everything goes wildly awry, and where the law becomes the least of Matt's worries.

About the Author

The twist of fate which led Anita Mills to leave her niche in education administration after nearly eighteen years was certainly the best thing that could have happened to her. At least her fans wholeheartedly believe so. Anita's husband urged her to take her knowledge and love of history and English to create fiction. Just eighteen months later, in 1986, Anita had finished an enchanting medieval romance, acquired a first-rate agent, and sold the book, Lady of Fire, to New American Library, now Penguin USA.

Since then, Anita has published sixteen romance novels, including five with Penguin USA's Topaz Historical Romance imprint - Falling Star (1993), Secret Nights (1994), Comanche Moon (1995), Comanche Rose (January 1996), and her latest novel, Dangerous. In the past few years her books have been nominated for more than twenty writing awards and she has consistently received critical praise from Romantic Times, Affair de Coeur, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal.

A devoted mother of four, Anita lives on a rural farm near Plattsburg, Missouri, with her husband Larry, five cats and three dogs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Topaz (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451407083
• ISBN-13: 978-0451407085
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,345,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Average, December 13, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: Dangerous (Paperback)

From the back cover:

A lady in danger...

From the moment Philadelphia-born Verena Howard first laid eyes on the smooth-talking gambler, she knew he was trouble. He was everything her mother had ever warned her about--a darkly handsome man with something to hide. But as she embarked on a journey across the untamed Texas frontier, fighting off amorous ruffians and sinister strangers, he came to her rescue by pretending to be her husband and proving himself as handy with his gun as he was with a deck of cards.

A man on the run...

To Matthew Morgan, the pretty Verena looked alone and decidedly vulnerable when he first saw her, making her the perfect cover for his flight from the hangman. But once he persuaded the independent-minded beauty that she needed his company, everything went wildly awry, and he was in the game of his life, risking everything--and discovering the greatest trick of all just might be keeping his own heart.

And my review:

I discovered Anita Mills when I read her novella THE CHRISTMAS STRANGER, found in Harlequin's Christmas Rogues collection. Her story was wonderfully told, so I was eager to try out a full-length novel by such a talented author. First off, I will admit that this author has a wonderfully engaging writing style. Her prose is flowing and easy to read, she refrains from jarring point-of-view switches and head-hopping, her humorous situations are actually funny (not forced) and her descriptions make you feel like you are really there.

Of course, feeling like you're really there turned out to be one of this novel's downfalls. As another reviewer has said, the descriptions of filth, smelly people, and bodily fluids was a bit much. Yes, I know that the old West was untamed and not clean (no such thing as indoor plumbing yet!), but the author kept harping on it. I really got sick of hearing about how gross the privies were, or about the mess of spit and tobacco juice on the train floor--and when the heroine then has to pretend to faint and lands in such a disgusting mess, I nearly gagged. I know that history was not clean, but I really think the author could have toned down the "gross" factor a lot. After all, this is romance, and reading about spit (and worse) getting all over the heroine's dress is not my idea of a romantic escape.

Still, I'd enjoyed this author's work before, so I was determined to push on and finish the book. Unfortunately, rather than being a romance, this was more historical fiction with a relationship tacked on for added spice. I never really felt any chemistry between the two leads. It felt like they were together just because they happened to be thrown together so much, not because they were a good match. Convenience and proximity don't automatically equal love. The sparring between them was well done, but it skated very close to the line of bickering at times. So when they suddenly decide to hop into bed together, I was left scratching my head, wondering where that came from.

I also felt that the character development was a bit lacking. The hero was a card sharp on the run, a man who would be reluctant to settle down and live a law-abiding life. The heroine was distrustful of men, especially handsome ones, after watching her mother live in heartbreak when her father abandoned them. Unfortunately, I never felt that it went beyond that. I couldn't see what would draw these two together. And being great in bed together isn't enough of a reason for me. (Not that this was a lust-soaked book, but there just wasn't much of anything else to the relationship.) I just didn't feel any real tenderness or affection between them.

As I mentioned before, there was a lack of romance in this novel. The relationship was on the back burner for most of it. A lot of "screen time" was given to the subplot of the desperadoes attempting to track down Verena, believing that she can lead them to a cache of gold that her father had stolen. While I like a good intrigue subplot, I don't like when it detracts from the romance. Unfortunately, almost half the book was given to this subplot, and the romance suffered as a result. Every time the author would take us back to the villan's camp, I was annoyed, because I wanted her to get back to the romance. That's what I read romance for: the relationship between hero and heroine. Also, the author spent a lot of time introducing a whole set of new characters in the middle of the novel who didn't really add much to the story, and never showed up again. It kind of felt like "padding" to make the book longer.

One last complaint: the love scene had some really bad wording. For instance, it makes references to the "nipples on her breasts." Uhh...as opposed to the other various nipples on her body? Instead of being drawn into the love scene, I was snorting with laughter at the ridiculous image that immediately popped into my head. I'm positive that was not the intended result when the author wrote the love scene.

I ended up skimming about the last half of the novel, just to see how it ended. There were no big surprises or plot twists; but I wasn't expecting any. If you've never read a historical western romance before, you might enjoy DANGEROUS. But if you've read a lot of them, this book isn't going to cover any new ground. I don't mind old plots, but the characters have to jump into my heart for me to really enjoy a book. That just didn't happen here. I would be willing to give this author another try, as I know she can write well. I just don't think this novel represents her best work. Not recommended by this reader.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Talented writing, entertaining story, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dangerous (Paperback)

I was reluctant to read this, due to the cliche back cover description of a pure girl falling in with a gambler. But the story is more than that tired description. The author is well-studied on this setting, her writing style is good, her dialogue seems natural. You can easily submerge yourself in the story and feel like you are witnessing the events.

4.0 out of 5 stars The flow of the words, saved the rating., February 1, 2004

By 

MaryGrace Meloche (Ontario, Canada.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dangerous (Paperback)

The description in this story is remarkable. Realistically, the reader journeys through southwestern Texas, after the civil war. Anita Mills' knack to convey the long, hot, dusty days or the sluggish train traveling through the barren wilderness is astonishing. Her writing skills shine, her words flow, and the reader basks in the effortless ride.

The author has written Matthew Morgan as a self-made southern gentleman dripping finesse and savoir-faire. This smooth gambler successfully charms the reader creating playful entertainment. Regrettably, Ms. Mills has written, the heroine, Verena Howard as a standoffish lady. This northern schoolmarm constantly clashes with our hero and generally succeeds in making their life together a state of misery. However, there are moments when this conflict is humorous and it is during these moments when Mills' talent is dazzling. Nevertheless, the constant discord makes the journey long.

I found the shortage of romance in this story a burden. Still Anita Mills is a crafted writer and I would urge this book to admire the author's ability to deliver her reader to the compelling scenes she so aptly dramatizes.

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.