Customer Reviews

Desperate

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

 

 

....of three, and "Desperate" starts the triology followed by "Dangerous" then "Defiant." Rafe Bodine followed his older brother Ethan into a career with the Texas Rangers. However, after marrying his childhood friend Ellie, he quit rangering to settle down to be a proper family man for Ellie and the child they're expecting. But, he returns home one day to find his expectant wife has been murdered and even in his grief, instantly realizes the deed was done by a crazed criminal that he had once arrested and his loathsome relatives known as the Slaughter Gang.

Rafe sets out to avenge his wife's death and along the way is put in a position of coming to the aid of Emmaline St. Joseph, an heiress from Boston on her way to California with 5 orphaned children. The storyline quickly heats up as Rafe tries to stay detached from the strong willed redhead and the enchanting children who look to him for help. Aiding them will slow down his search for the men he's hunting. His principals as a man, his skills as a Texas Ranger, and his rage at the savage murder of his family are put to the test as he directs his energies into helping the children and the socialite.

"Desperate" won't win any litary awards; the theme isn't that much different then dozens of other westerns....but, it is plain entertaining reading that is hard to put down. For this reason I gave it 5 stars.....because it held my interest from start to finish.

Rafe Bodine is an ex texas ranger who decides to settle down with 'best friend' Ellie. However some of Rafe's ex-prisoners seek revenge and murder Ellie. Rafe goes on a vengence quest to find the "slaughter gang", aptly named, and runs across an elite boston spinster transporting 5 orphans to an orphanage in calif.
Rafe, reluctlantly, agrees to help her get the children to a safe town. This is your typical western fare. Opposites attract and havethe typical firey encounters with emma learning some cowboy stuff and riding out to help Rafe find the bad guys. The children are precious and add levity and the story ends with Rafe leaving the state with Em and the kids with a wanted poster out on him for killing the slaughter gang. The book is a one day read and I wouldn't search it out however, the ending works. This 1rst book of a trilogy has me looking for the 3rd book,sequel, when rafe gets caught and goes on trial......with his brother as his lawyer.... The 2nd book about hard nose ranger brother Ethan sounds too "typical" to bother with but I would like to see how Rafe gets out of trouble...and of course what happens to the 5 orphans!

The story is too much like too many stories of people travelling across the west. There was nothing original about the characters or the plot to be of any real interest. It's an okay story. Borrow it from a friend or pick it up at the library, but I definitely do not recommend that you buy it. It is yet another book with an open ending in hopes of snagging the reader into purchasing an entire trilogy of books.

Great, Great, Great. This author is hot. I read Dangerous and loved it, but Desperate is a book all to it's own.

A great story of two lonely people finding happiness together even with 5 children in tow. Both adults learn about love. I can't wait for a book on big brother Ethan and maybe the female bounty hunter?

The book was predictable and far fetched.

SPOILER******************************************
The hero's wife is savagely murdered and a month later he is sleeping with a new woman? The author never really explains this away and the hero comes off as unfeeling. Also the part at the end was just foolishness. The hero is tracking down his wife's murderers(who killed her just bc she was his wife) so he takes along another woman(who has no experience in using a gun or tracking men) that he loves to track the men down!! Also for him to be such a good tracker he got caught unaware a lot. END of SPOILER. **************************
Basically this book wasn't worth the time it took to read it. The supporting characters are simple and lack depth. The plot had me rolling my eyes at the impossiblity(even for a romance novel).