Customer Reviews

Drifter

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In 1894 Rising Star, Texas, the town sheriff requests U.S. Marshal Joel Santana pursue escaped murderer Jackson Underhill and his wife Carrie. Though Joel feels there is more to this case than the local is letting on, he begins his chase to capture the outlaw. Jackson and Carrie manage to sail their dilapidated schooner to Whidbey Island, Washington, where he kidnaps Dr. Leah Mundy to tend to Carrie, who is very ill. It turns out that Carrie is three months pregnant, a fact that irritates Jackson. Though he feels guilty about leaving Leah's other patients without medical care, the desperate Jackson decides to force the doctor to accompany them to Canada so that she can continue to tend to Carrie.

Instead, Leah disables his schooner, forcing them to remain on Whidbey Island. Carrie loathes the small island town and flees with the first available wealthy man. This allows Jackson and Leah the time alone needed to fall in love. However, even after learning that Carrie has died, the law remains after him. Even more so, though Leah trusts, believes, and loves her man, he must surmount his traumatic past if they are to enjoy an enchanting future together

THE DRIFTER is former RITA award winner, Susan Wiggs at her absolutely best. The lead characters are a charming couple. Jackson will steal hearts with his melancholy past and Leah is a role model who does not allow gender to interfere with her dreams. The story line is fast, exhilarating, and romantically interesting. Readers who enjoy the blending of historical romance with bits of suspense will take great pleasure in Ms. Wiggs' latest offer, THE DRIFTER.

Harriet Klausner

If this is an example (a weak example if old reviews are to be believed) of Wiggs' writing, I'm buying everything she ever wrote. Jackson and Leah are complicated, interesting, appealing people, and the character of Caroline is finely drawn. Great story, realistic portrayal of morphine addiction, accurate depiction of education and life of a woman doctor in the late 19th century. Picked it up on a whim, but it's a keeper.

What a beautiful story, beautifully told. Two damaged people who make each other whole. Yes, I cried, but I also cheered in the end. Endearing characters.

I am quite surprised to see all the glowing reviews here for this book. Don't get me worng, I enjoyed reading about Leah and Jackson, but I did not think this was 5 star material. The plot was interesting, with a few levels not usually found in romance novels. I liked Ms. Wigg's use of Cassie as a character and her role in the plot. I do not have much of a psychological back ground, but I would have liked to have seen a more in depth view of what made her tick. Ms. Wiggs gave me enough to keep me interested, but I would have liked to become absorbed.

Leah and Jackson obviously have a lot of baggage to sort thru, and eventually they did, but something just seemed to be missing. I wish I could put my finger directly on the problem, but I'm afraid I can't. They skirted each other, letting down their gaurds a little at a time, but it just seemed a little...brief. Again, I would have liked to have seen more. As with many romance novels today, I felt the end extremely rushed. The sherif's story, the Indians, our new female doctor and the marshall all seemed to rush together to end at once, with out a saticfactory explination. Oh, the explination was there, it just rushed by.

On the whole, this is not a bad book. If you want a time filler on the beach or on the ride to work, pick it up. If you're looking for in depth descriptions and an intricate plot, look elsewhere.

This is a delightful story set in an unusual locale, Whidbey Island, WA. I read a lot of romances, and I'm happy to say, Leah and Jackson aren't your typical, cliched characters. I'm in awe at this wonderful book and intend to read it again. Ms. Wiggs can count me among her many fans.

Having never read anything by Wiggs before, I took a chance and ordered this one, expecting a run-of- the-mill story. I WAS WRONG! Thoroughly enjoyed the story, characterizations, and writing style of the author.

Was it the best book i've ever read? No. There were a couple of parts i ended up skimming, but it was definitely worth reading. I also look forward to reading other books by this author.

The way Susan grabs the attention of all readers was facinating. She fully described each setting with exquisite detail and made me, the reader, want to know more. It made me dream and understand the trials that Jackson T. Underhill had to face while taking care of himself and both Carrie and Dr. Leah Mundy. Over all, I loved it.

A perfect 10 for this heartwarmer of a book. Jackson T. Underhill can crawl under my covers any time. He is the sexiest outlaw since Butch Cassidy!

I am new to this author's work but this book was a real find. It dealt with so many difficult sociol issues as well as human frailty issues. The editor outlined the bk well so I won't do that. The story uses the angst of abandoned children (Jackson
and Carrie), the verbally abused and neglected child (Leah) and one gets to wondering which is worse. We have the effect of non-parenting on children, the orphanage abuses that were rampant in that era (and probably more than we know in more recent times) and the desparate need to make onself feel needed and worthwhile which drives our hero and heroine.Then we run into the bias against women doctors, the realization of how far we've come in treating illnesses and trying to fit into a culture that keeps women in the kitchen. Less this all sound despressing, it isn't. It's wonderful to see the characters cope with what life has dealt them and evolve into happy adults with a wonderful life companion. It has witty dialogue and is easy to relate to the feelings. And of course our hero Jackson who is the "bad guy" who always seems to be saving someone. It's a wonderful love story but when it's done the reader feels richer for the experience.

Whidbey Island, 1894. One of the lush, green islands dotting the Pacific Northwest coastline, and home to Coupeville, a sleepy little seaside town. Dr. Leah Mundy, the town physician, awakes in the middle of the night to find a stranger with a gun trained on her, demanding her help. The stranger is Jackson Underhill, a man on the run from a dangerous past, and the patient is Carrie, his childhood sweetheart.

Leah has devoted her life to the study of medicine and caring of patients and even though the circumstances are unnerving, she agrees to treat Carrie, who is suffering a miscarriage and who is also in the throws of wicked withdrawal symptoms from a morphine addiction. Leah and Jackson become closer as they struggle to help Carrie get well. But just when it seems Carrie has turned a corner and is on the road to recovery, she leaves town with another man and Leah learns that all is not as it seemed between Jackson and Carrie.

Jackson has discovered he likes the way of life on Whidbey Island and he likes the serious, yet vulnerable Dr. Mundy. Though he feels his past could catch up with him at any moment, he yearns for the quiet, stable life that has thus far eluded him but could be within his reach. But of course, there are complications: suspicious townfolk, a corrupt sheriff, a smuggling ring and the U.S. Marshall on his trail. I won't go into more detail about the plot because there are some twists and turns and I don't want to give anything away.

Ms. Wiggs has a talent for creating multi-dimensional characters that every reader can relate to and that talent shines through again in this book. It's a better than average romance, with lots of sexual tension, mystery, action and excitement. I have not read her contemporary romances, and of her historicals her Calhoun series is still my favorite. But this one is good, too, and I recommend it to fans of historical romances.