Customer Reviews

Loving Mercy (Zebra Debut)

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

 

 

It seems that Western Romance is back on the upswing and this turn around is due to several new books that have come out in recent months. Teresa Bodwell's debut effort is a read that I would recommend if you enjoy western romance and engaging characters.

Without going into great detail this is a story of one woman who has choosen to lead a life that...well, lets just say she runs a cattle ranch and wears trousers and is tall and rather curvy. In other words she is not a dainty little thing waiting to be rescued. She is on a trip to Abiline to sell her cattle when she has a run in with Thad Buchanan. Thad needs someone to lead him into Colorado so he can see his sister. He is desperate to get there but not fool-hardy enough to make the trek not knowing the way. He has no idea that he has just taken a step in the direction of his future. But first he must make sure that the sassy, and sexy Mercy has her say...

Mercy and Thad were fun characters. I love a good western romance (the setting, the time period) and this story managed to feed that need. I look forward to reading Ms. Bodwell again in the future. For a debut effort this was a good strong read.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

Hungry for a super Western? Well saddle up partner, slap iron and wrangle Teresa Bodwell's Loving Mercy. It's set post Civil War era and gives you all the dust, doggies and a sexy cowboy that any dyed-in-the-wool Western fan can want. Mercy Clark is a widowed rancher. She's driven her herd of cows to Abilene to market them, desperate for the money they will bring. Now she has to make the return trip. Should be easy since she doesn't have the cows? Well, she has to travel five hundred miles through untamed frontier, carrying all that cash. It's important she get back with all the money, because she needs it to save her land from a greedy neighbor who will use anything to get Mercy's ranch.

Enter Thad Buchanan, Civil War veteran, he has been making a living off his poker playing. He needs a guide to get him from Abilene to his sister's home in Fort Victory - yeppers, five hundred miles away! Mercy needs a bodyguard, but the handsome gambler is not quite what she had in mind. He offers to pay her in gold if she will guide him to Fort Victory, but being an intelligent woman Mercy doesn't entirely trust the too handsome man with the gentle manners and a smooth way about him. After all, she's sworn off men for good...hasn't she? Looking into Thad's sexy eyes has her forgetting that promise. Used to handling women with the same skill he handles the cards, Thad isn't quite prepared for a pistol packing, whip-snapping Mercy.

Bodwell has a strong voice, is rich in her period detail and is able to draw the readers into this vibrant tale. She is another of the fresh new writers coming through the Kensington Debut line and one I am sure we will be hearing more from in the near future.

This book has it all - a great plot, plenty of surprises and best of all - wonderful characters. I fell for the poker-playing, handsome young Thad in the first chapter or two. It takes our heroine, Mercy, a bit longer but she comes around. The interplay between these two is great - entertaining, romantic and hot, hot, hot. The secondary characters in this book were also warm and engaging. I couldn't put this book down.

Description from the back of the book:

THE WILD, WILD WEST

Mercy Clarke had no trouble getting a hundred head of cattle to Abilene. Getting back home through five hundred miles of untamed frontier is something else again, especially with a handsome gambler like Thad Buchanan tagging along. He swears to pay her in gold if she guides him to Fort Victory, but she doesn't quite trust his fine manners and gentlemanly ways. And then there's that look in his eyes--he could almost make her forget that she's sworn off men for good . . .

As Thad sees it, the same rules apply to playing poker and loving women: it's all about knowing when to hold `em. And come to think of it, a pretty lady like Mercy Clarke would fit very nicely in his arms. Now, if she could be persuaded to put down that rawhide whip and tell him exactly what she has in mind, he has no doubt they could come to an agreement that will satisfy them both. No doubt at all...

* I enjoyed this book & although I liked it I don't feel that I was ever truly pulled into the book. At one point I had to stop & ask myself how these 2 met & what happened at the beginning & stuff like that. I felt like I was really into the book but then I realized that everything was forgettable to me. This rarely happens to me when I read a book. I'm usually right there with the people & remember everything that goes on. At the end of the story when Mercy finally met with the "bad guy" he had actually revealed himself before she found another clue that it was him. Mercy didn't pick up on this so I'm guessing that the author didn't realize that she had given this hint.

Overall it was pretty good but just didn't hold my attention like it should've. I'm hoping the 2nd book to this series is better. For right now I'd say take it or leave it but if you want to know how I feel after reading Loving Miranda then my review should be there after a few days of this review.

If you think this guy's hot on the cover, just wait 'til you get him under the cover! Thad's a good-hearted man who has his work cut out for him. Mercy has a heart of gold, as well, although there are some tough layers Thad must go through to reach it. As someone who lives in the west (and has traveled across a lot of it), I can vouch for the fact that the book does a wonderful job of transporting the reader to the region, with all its glories and headaches. I can also attest to it being a great way to spend a snowy afternoon!

I SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF THIS BOOK LOOKING AT THE COVER AND FINALLY DECIDED THAT TO SHOW 'THAD'S' FACE, HANDSOME THOUGH I'M SURE IT WAS, WOULD DETRACT FROM THE COVER. IT IS SOOOO HOT!!!
IN THE BOOK, THAD IS WONDERFUL. ALL THE THINGS U WANT IN A HERO PLUS A BIT MORE VULNERABLE AND DOMESTICATED THAN MOST HEROS. HE'S A NEW BREED OF 'STAR' AND A REAL KEEPER. 'MERCY' DIDN'T DO MUCH FOR ME. SHE'S A TOUGH COOKIE AND THE READER ONLY GETS TO SEE BENEATH THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE STORY. SHE IS JUST ABOUT THE PERFECT 'COWBOY' BUT I THOUGHT OUR HUNK DESERVED A BIT MORE 'WOMAN'. A GOOD READ BUT NOT A KEEPER ON MY SHELF.

In "Loving Mercy" Ms. Bodwell captures the atmosphere and times of the untamed plains of Kansas and Colorado. She also writes a delicious romance theme intertwined as well.

Mercy Clarke is a widow that has, through hard work, managed to hold on to the family ranch and kept her family together, but, at the sacrifice of her own personal love life.

Enter a handsome military veteran of the Civil War and you have the foundations of a solid, entertaining romance.

There is excitement, drama, and caring love scenes for you to enjoy as you join Mercy and Thad on the trail.

this book was pretty good but i wish i had know that it had a sequel to it.. buy them both and read them in order..

loving mercy
loving Miranda

Every once in a while I like to read a good Western - like the ones that Cheryl St. John writes. There are a few other writers that do justice to this time period and Bodwell is one of them.

Mercy Clark is like no western woman anyone has ever met. She runs her ranch were she has acquired some English Beredford cows so she can breed them with her longhorns.

She is a widow - her husband having died when a bull charged him. Mercy is all-alone in her quest to make her ranch successful. She has her sister and pa to take care of and she takes to the trail to sell half of her herd in Abilene. She profitably sells her cows and now she has to head back - with her sister Miranda back home and whole lot of cash in her pockets.

The problem lies that she doesn't want to make the trek alone with her sister and even though Mercy can outride and can outshoot any man - she fears for her sister's safety and being ambushed on the trail and her money stolen. She has a deadline to return borrowed money to her neighbor other wise she will have to forfeit her ranch.

Thad Buchanan needs a guide to take him to Fort Victory to meet up with his younger sister and her family. He was infantry in the Civil War - where his pa and brothers died fighting the Yankees. He is guilt ridden that his brothers and father died and he was unable to make a go at their farm where subsequently his ma dies as well. All he wants is to get to the fort where his sister owns the mercantile store, marry and settle down.

Traveling 500 miles of unfamiliar territory is making him mighty uncomfortable - he is a good fighter and swift with his gun - but getting bushwhacked would be plain loco in any language!

Mercy and Miranda are alone - and she agrees to have Thad ride along - but mind you.... she makes it perfectly clear that she is trail boss. She ain't having no green horn, no matter how sexy and interesting he may be distracting her. He will be a disruption and since she doesn't know him at all - she isn't about to babysit him if he can't pull his own weight along the trail. Mercy has seen his kind before - poker player and whisky drinkin' men don't fit with her outfit.

The premise has a good storyline. Both Thad and Mercy are immediately attracted to each other - but there is no way in Hell that Mercy is going to be cozin' up to good looking Thad - no matter how amazing his muscles are or how devastating sexy his smile can be - dimples an' all.

As they start putting miles and dust behind them - Mercy is vigilant of any one trying to bushwhack them and steal her precious cash. She gets more belligerent and ornery with each passing mile, until she is forced to depend on Thad when they are attacked and her sister Miranda is almost killed and her young man Harold is shot.

Even though the sparks fly between them, Mercy is becoming more and more attracted to Thad with each passing day - and Thad - who has had his fare share of women - cant quite get used to the brusque, whip crakin' and pistol tottin' Mercy, though he can tell that inside of the rough and rowdy exterior beats the heart of a sweet and loving woman, with the most amazing long, shapely legs he has ever seen.

Teresa Bodwell does a great job in her debut novel. Her description of the period is wonderful and her characters are very enjoyable. Anyone who is looking for a fast read, a sweet and enjoyable story, LOVING MERCY is the ticket to loose yourself in a good Western. Ride `em up cowboys! Yiiihaaaa!

Loving Mercy is a sensational debut novel by Teresa Bodwell.

Mercy Clarke has taken on a lot of responsibility since her husband died. She is trying to save her ranch by selling her prized cattle. She offers to guide Thad Buchanan home to see his long lost sister. Mercy doesn't trust Thad and has a very low opinion of him. But he is slowly getting throw all the walls she has put up to protect her heart.

Thad wants to see his sister and find a gentle woman to marry. He wasn't planning on this beautiful, hardheaded woman filling his mind and arms.

I will admit the cover was what attracted me to this book at first. But I really enjoyed the story. Mercy and Thad's banter and chemistry made this story special.

Will be looking for more from this author.