Devil in Spurs [Paperback]

Norah Hess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1990

Raised in a bawdy house, Jonty Rand has posed as a boy all her life to escape notice of the rowdy cowboys who frequent the place. When her granny's dying wish makes womanizer Cord McBain her guardian, Jonty finds herself in the hands of the man who promises to change her from a "sissy" into a rawhide-tough wrangler. Until the stormy night Cord discovers that Jonty would never be a man--only the wildest woman he'd ever taken in his arms.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Leisure Books (Mm) (March 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843929340
• ISBN-13: 978-0843929348
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,420,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First Norah Hess Book I've Read, But Not The Last, April 1, 2005

By 

Susie Morris "Book Junkie" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Devil in Spurs (Love Spell historical romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first Norah Hess book that I've read, so I'm not sure if this is her typical style. After reading The Devil in Spurs, I can say that I will definitely be finding out!

I have to admit that I picked up this book for a quarter at a local yard sale because the title struck a funny bone. Ok, so maybe that's not the best reason to pick up a book, but I figured for a quarter, I couldn't go wrong! I'm glad I did.

The Devil in Spurs is a western and has a somewhat typical plot for a western romance (cowboy romance). The characters are strong, well developed and most are interesting in their own right. Others are downright despicable which is exactly the emotion for which Hess was striving.

Jonty Rand is a woman disguised as a boy (something that she's had to do all her life to not be noticed by cowboys who visit the "bawdy house" in which she is raised. On her grandmother's deathbed, she asks Cord McBain to make sure Jonty is taken care of.

Cord McBain takes that promise seriously and brings Jonty along as he goes out west on a wagon train to set up the ranch of which he's always dreamed. He figures Jonty is a skinny teenaged boy who needs to be toughened up and doesn't let up on him at all during the wagon trip.

Jonty's secret is out when she's attacked by a mountain lion and her shirt it torn open. Cord at first feels duped and then realizes it's too late to do anything about it. And so begins the love story of Cord and Jonty...

This book would have been mediocre at best if not for the strong subplots and support cast. I wondered about LaTour the owner of a saloon, and who's relationship with Jonty gives Cord many sleepless nights and many days filled with jealousy. I found myself laughing at the antics of Tillie, the retired prostitute turned cook who keeps LaTour in line. I found myself grimacing whenever Paunch would enter the plot again - he was such a disgusting character that each time his name was mentioned my skin would crawl. Then there was Johnny the Indian who is always there to protect Jonty.

Even with the typical plot and outcome, there were a few surprises along the way, which kept my attention. There were a few subplots that I found difficult to believe, but those were few and far between.

Overall, this was enjoyable and whetted my interest enough to pick up another Norah Hess novel.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, December 5, 2002

By 

Cindy Fegan (Plymouth MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Devil in Spurs (Love Spell historical romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

great story. Lots of fun and romantic tension like any Lindsey and "Anything,My love" by Cynthia Simmons. Devil in Spurs is a wonderful read. .

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was a great romance., February 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Devil in Spurs (Paperback)

This was a great romance story. I don't normally go for westerns but on the advice of a friend, I read this one....read it in one day! It was great. The tension between the main characters is intense. Waiting till he found out her "secret" was almost unbearable. I highly recommend "Devil in Spurs".