Customer Reviews

Nate (Devils on Horseback, Book 1)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I won't spell out the plot of this post- Civil War story since other reviewers have done it so well, but I will say that I loved this little western romance; it was extremely fast paced, had a good plot, and really held my interest. At times it was also very erotic. Nate and Elisa were sympathetic characters; each had pasts filled with emotional pain.

Elisa was not your typical romance heroine; she was uneducated, rough around the edges, tomboyish. She was a tough little soldier--she had a lot of responsibility placed on her shoulders at a young age. She was also bold, stubborn and strong willed. By the time she met Nate she was almost completely worn out. She really needed someone to help lighten the load.

Nate was esentially a southern gentleman, poor but educated. The war turned his life upside down. Circumstances hardened him to near desperation and forced him to choose between survival and doing what he knows is right. His feelings for Elisa initially confuse him, and he trys to fight it but can't. He has a deep sense of reponsibility, is an honorable man, and I liked that about him.

The romantic interludes, while not many, were intense and erotic. I liked the fact that Elisa was often the aggressor, sometimes comically. She also had a cute 'pet' name for Nate that was funny. I felt that both of these characters just really deserved, and needed, someone to love.

This is a start of a new series, and I can well imagine each of the other four "devils" with a story of their own. There was just enough background on each of the friends to have me intrigued about what path their stories would take.

This one's a keeper, one I highly recommend!

Returning from the Civil War, Nate Marchand and his friends find nothing but death and destruction in their hometown. Deciding to head west, Nate and his friends want to begin again. Joining to form D. H. Enterprises, the men are almost starving and have no money. With little choice, Nate heads into the town of Grayton, Texas, and while there he meets a man who is interested in hiring Nate and the rest of his friends who call themselves the `Devils on Horseback' using the nickname they were given during the war. The job is simple thinks Nate. All he and his friends have to do is get rid of three squatters living on a parcel of land that is no longer theirs. Easier said than done when Nate realizes the woman that caught his attention in town is the woman whose family he is supposedly been hired to make homeless.

Elisa Taggert has spent the last year protecting her land and running off the man that allegedly bought her ranch. Knowing without a doubt that the bill of sale is false, Elisa is unable to get anyone to listen to her. When she sees a stranger in the town mercantile, her interest is piqued, that is until she sees him talking to the very man that has made her life hell since the death of her mother. Vowing before God and everyone else, Elisa refuses to give up her land without a fight and it is too bad that the man she has to pit herself against is the very man who fascinated her so completely while in town.

Nate and the Devils figure that they can oust the squatters in just a matter of time. What starts out as a simple job, turns complicated once Nate and Elisa realize their attraction to each other as well. When Nate discovers that the man who hired him has ulterior motives up his sleeve, the fight for Elisa's land turns personal.

What can I say to emphasize how much I loved Devils on Horseback: Nate? My personal epitome of a post Civil War gentleman is Nate Marchand; he's learned, well-spoken, and respectful to women. Having no choice but to take the first job he was hired to do, Nate finds himself at odds with his conscience as well as his heart. Elisa Taggert surprised Nate and he was unprepared for the feelings she invoked in him. Nate was not alone with those unfamiliar thoughts as Elisa experienced the same type of emotions herself. Forced from an early age to take care of herself as well as her brother and emotionally scarred father, Elisa had been running on empty for a long time. No wonder these two lost souls found each other. Their coming together was fiery, passionate, and extremely real. It bordered at times on desperation and when I looked beyond the obvious defense mechanisms employed by both Nate and Elisa when around each other, I saw two people who just craved emotional closeness and love.

When I am in the mood for an exciting, passion-filled western historical romance, I turn to Beth Williamson. She never fails to capture the emotions of her characters, and her books always grip me from page one and refuse to let go. Devils on Horseback: Nate is this type of novel. Beth Williamson's books should never be missed and I find myself constantly perusing her coming soon page for a look into future books. I just finished Nate's story and I am on pins and needles waiting for the next installment about this loyal band of devils on horseback. Nate's story deserves two thumbs up and a huge Rebel yell. Yee-haw!


Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I just couldn't take it anymore. I felt like I was reading erotica written by a teenager dying to lose her virginity. Very unbelievable story and just plain bad. No depth to the characters at all.

Elisa is trying to protect her family ranch when along comes Nate and the rest of H.D. Enterprise. They are hired to get her and her family off the land because it no longer belongs to them. The characters are awful. The language and characters are not fitting for the time period. The plot is weak at best. Im not sure how I finished the book..... I kept thinking it would get better....finally I got to the point I was skipping over parts. Dont waste your time on this one.

Just after the civil war, five soldiers are looking for jobs and are quietly starving when they arrive in Grayson, Texas and are hired by local businessman O'Shea. They are to get rid of the Taggert family, whose land O'Shea has previously bought.
The plot is what it is : typical western with land wars, cattle, gun fights, small towns, ex confederate soldiers etc. Nothing new but nothing really bad.
What annoyed me to no end are the actions of the heroin, Elisa Taggert. Call this erotica and you might excuse the sort of behavior this young woman displays. Otherwise, please respect the time period of your novel.
I did not find the love story romantic and actually came to actively dislike Elisa for her brash ways and unrestricted actions.
If you get this for the sexy scenes, don't bother, they are pretty boring.
This was a kindle freebie and I will not bother with the other books in the series.

I kept hoping it would get better - but it didn't. The graphic language and sexual attitidude of the heroin were totally inappropriate given the era in which the story is supposed to take place.

It was an OK story, but didn't have any depth. I was rolling my eyes, as well. It had potential, but didn't really come together for me. Not much character development, heroine not very believable, and lead guy kind of a dolt. Ok for a free book, but I would never have paid for it.

One thing that is annoying is when a writer applies "today's" ideology to a past historical story. For instance the Irish slanderous term "Mick" that the reader is told the character should take offense to the usage; that just didn't happen back in the time that this story took place.

The plot was iffy and not put together well. The seduction scenes were laughable. The characters were not fleshed out enough for the reader to understand the characters' actions. The book was in need of a editor, grammar and spelling errors almost on every page.

This was OK - wasn't so bad I bailed on reading the whole thing, but not good for me to want to find other books the author has written.

Glad it was free. Started out ok. Became very unrealistic quickly. I tried, but couldn't finish it. I really wanted it to be great since I love American romances. Wonderful idea that fizzled out.