Customer Reviews

Desperado (Timeswept)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Helen is a Major in the army and is nicknamed "Prissy" by an old friend named Rafe. Rafe is a Captain in the army and they run into each other after 12 years in California as the paratroopers are about to make a jump. There is an old rivalry between the two and both are secretly attracted to the other. On the plane the bickering soon begins and old anger is spewing forth before you know it. A fluke of nature spirals the two back to 1850 California during the Gold Rush. When they run into Mexican bandits they are mistaken for Angel, the notorious outlaw who has a striking resemblance to Rafe and his mistress Elena, who looks like Helen. You can imagine the scrapes these two get themselves in already. Helen accused of being a prostitute who knows a sexual trick called the "corkscrew" and the men won't leave her alone. Well, the "corkscrew" is the least of her worries as her and rafe finally realize they have gone back 146 years in the past. They must depend on each other for survival and have to learn to put their differences aside to get out of this mess. Sandra Hill makes the situations they find themselves in hilarious to say the least. Rafe is a sexy and caring man who is misjudged by Helen and tries to right himself in her eyes. The things he does for her are heartwarming and will make you stand up and say, "Where are these men in real life?" Hill makes you feel as if you are there during the Gold Rush with Rafe and Helen and seeing the past through their eyes. It was an amazing journey for them, but will their new found life exist beyond the past? This book is well worth the money spent, I am in the process of purchesing all her books. they are all humorous and romantic. By the way, this book is loosely connected with her other book called, "Frankly My Dear...". ...

Rafael is the perfect hero - sexy, caring, passionate, with piercing blue eyes - just itching to teach Helen how to "let go" of her inhibitions and explore the passion between them. Helen is...well, let's just say that "prissy" is an apt nickname for her. Helen initially irritated me tremendously, with her misunderstanding of Rafe, as well as her oft-issued "Aaaaargh!". She also had a tendency to pull rank on Rafe, in a situation where her rank meant diddley-squat. In all honesty, she irritated Rafe as well, but he was still attracted to her.

Sandra Hill's trade-mark hot love scenes are present, and I would suggest keeping a pitcher of ice handy. This book was not as great as her others, but I would still recommend it highly. Reason being, that Sandra Hill spoils us with her excellent writing style, and her "not-so-great" is still fantastic.

Ok, well I could start all of Sandra Hill's reviews that way. She has a way with words that even makes a scene where the charactors are NOT naked hot (that is the sex scene I love most). She is a fantastic writer that makes a very unloveable Prissy, not quite so unloveable by the end of the book, and also both charactors grow more then in most of her books. Rafe learns that it is not always a bad thing to fall into rank every once in a while, and Prissy learns that listening to a man, and following his lead when he knows best, does not make you less of a women...just smart.

This is the first time travel I've read and the first of Sandra Hill's books. I thought it was great. I loved the verbal combat Helen and Rafe had between them. It was hilarious and crazy. I loved the sense of humor and found myself smiling and laughing along with them and at the things they did and said to each other. Rafe is definitely a hero to fall in love with. I would love to read about the rest of Rafe's family!!!

"Desperado" is the funniest and wackiest romance novel I've read in a long time! The characters are so easy to relate to, they seem almost realistic. Helen is a tough woman who realizes by the end of the book that it's okay to be emotionally vunerable, especially if it's to a guy like Rafe! I've lent this book to friends and then must fight to get it back from them. A thoughtful, fun read for anyone. Don't judge this book by it's cover or you'll be missing a lot of laughs!

I thought it was just me. I read the first thirty pages based on reviews here and stopped. I came back to this site and read the reviews again and thought I was being unfair. That said, I managed to finish the rest of the book and I still thought it was stupid. I should have known better.

Supposedly Helen was a major in the military. Her character does a disservice to all those brave women who are in the military today. And Rafe is a lawyer; he is a letdown for the Hispanic community. Checkmarks on a board, taunting, sparring, waffling back and forth between wanting each other, then not wanting the other, insults, yelling,...they are suppose to be 34 years old with careers! No wonder they have never been married or had a deep relationship before now.

Helen and Rafe's characters wanted sex or should I say Rafe wanted sex from the beginning of the story. Supposedly he always wanted her...where was he the past decade if he thought about her so much? I didn't feel the love was there until the last eleven pages of the book.

**Spoilers** Did I believe Rafe went from never wanting a child to suddenly willing to take on another man's child? Not in the least.**

If you like time travel, as I do, read The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser. It is soooooo much better.

As much as I enjoyed the premise-- two Army officers get thrown back in time to the California Gold Rush by a mysertious training accident-- I would have liked to see more. Helen and Rafe have some history (they attended college together at a military institution) that I found more intriguing than the history they were living. Both Helen and Rafe are marginalized figures in their chosen professions, Rafe because of his race and Helen because of her gender. I think this could have been explored much further. Instead this book was a romance novel, first and foremost. Character development, exploration of important themes, and a realistic portrayal of the circumstances all took a back seat to the superficial sexual attraction and predictable plot of heroine and hero hooking up and getting it on. Maybe the genre is making strides by portraying an "interracial" relationship like this, but I'd like to see less stereotyping and sanitization. Romance novels don't have to be mindless fluff.

That said, the mindless fluff was good for what it was. The dialogue was engaging, the characters likable, and the setting interesting. All in all, a quick read worth my time but not full cover price.

I love time-travel romances and Sandra Hill writes some of the best. I loved the hilarious banter between "Prissy" Prescott and Rafe. And keep your paper fans handy, ladies, because this one is red-hot, as far sensuality goes. It'll definately warm you up on those cold winter nights.

I have never laughed as much as I did reading this book. The scrapes Rafe and Helen got into will make you howl. Sandra has a wonderfull talent for making the story so believable. You feel you are right there in the middle of the California gold-rush. I agree with the reviewer that a story about the rest of Rafe's brothers and sisters would be fantastic. Do give this idea some thought Sandra, please. I'd love to read more of Rafe's and Helen's life together. Thank you so much for a great read Sandra.

This was absolutely the best book I've read in a very long time. I love stories about prim and proper women who fall for bad boys. Helen's prissy ways are perfectly balanced by Rafe's earthy sensuality. I plan to buy every book written by Sandra Hill and enjoy them all.