Naughty Marietta (Mass Market Paperback)

by Nan Ryan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The bare-bones plot and stock characters in Nan Ryan's overwrought western romance, Naughty Marietta, provide a weak framework for the book's explicit sex scenes and rip-roaring action sequences. Controlling Cole Heflin and aspiring singer Marietta Stone are thrown together when Marietta's estranged, dying grandfather hires Cole to bring her to Texas. Naturally, complications ensue. In between sex and shouting matches, Cole and Marietta square off against a thug named Lightnin', a band of bloodthirsty Comanches and a herd of stampeding buffalo. Marietta loses her heart to Cole, but he, believing she's a gold-digging whore, doesn't profess his love until he learns she was a virgin when they met. Even fans of alpha males may be put off by Cole, and Marietta's easy acceptance of his many flaws seems out of character. Still, Ryan's speedy erotic escapade delivers the sexual and emotional highs her fans have come to expect.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
When she was good, she was very, very good. And when she was bad, she was . . .

She looks like an angel, acts like a vixen and sings like an alley cat.

Marietta Stone had big dreams -- to sing opera, to be famous, to see the world. And if her rich gentleman benefactor was a tad over protective, well, it was a small price to pay. She had a glorious future ahead.

But it did not include being kidnapped by Cole Heflin, who seemed to be the only man on earth she couldn't wrap around her delicate finger. He was a ruthless, conniving scoundrel who'd literally been unstrung from the gallows and paid to bring her back to the one place she'd vowed never to set foot again -- home.

Cole had never met a woman he didn't like, nor one he wasn't happy to love. Until now. Sure, Marietta was a little wildcat who drove him crazy with desire, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing it. They had a lot of miles to cross on the way back to Texas, with her benefactor's hired gunmen on their trail and a dangerous frontier ahead. But the trip home was not nearly as dangerous as the temptation naughty Marietta inspired . . .

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Mira (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551666766
• ISBN-13: 978-1551666761
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,120,068 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bravo!!!!!!!!!!, August 9, 2004

By	Samantha (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews

I only saw two reviews for this book, and let me tell you something the book was very well written. I loved the love scenes....specially the one in the barn.....helloooo. Keep doing what you do best Nan writing beautiful love stories for us women to keep reading. Tu es vraiment Brilliante!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun western romance, April 13, 2003

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In 1872 Galveston, Texas, septuagenarian Maxwell Lacey nears death but needs to right the wrong he committed when he tossed his pregnant unmarried daughter from their home twenty-five years ago. Maxwell cannot do anything for his deceased daughter, but wants to see his granddaughter Marietta Stone before he dies. Only her poster as a diva in the Central City, Colorado opera house keeps him alive. Maxwell uses his wealth and influence to save former confederate officer Cole Heflin from the gallows. Cole agrees to bring Marietta to Maxwell in exchange for $10,000 that the pardoned felon will provide to the widowed mother and sister of a deceased friend.

In Central City Cole attends the opera where Marietta performs. He is stunned by her beauty, but shocked when she sings in front of the packed house because her voice stinks. Cole learns that a middle-aged patron sponsors Marietta and three of his henchmen guard her around the clock. Cole abducts Marietta from underneath the protection of her local patron. As she tries every trick, including seduction, to gain her freedom, he safely takes her past her patron's chasing guards, Comanche, mountain men, and buffalo. On the trail they fall in love but she resents his forcing her to see her detestable grandfather.

This is a fun western romance that is loaded with non-stop action though Marietta's protectors seem a bit too pathetic. The story line is absolutely superb when Marietta and Cole battle one other for control of a relationship that changes from captive to forever love (no Stockholm syndrome with this couple). Sub-genre fans will have a good time reading NAUGHTY MARIETTA.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Worst book I ever forced myself to finish., March 30, 2004

By A Customer

This book was awful. Cole, an ex-lawyer saved from the hangman's noose goes to bring home Marietta, an opera singer who can't sing, to her dying grandfather. Marietta is spoiled until she suddenly (and unbelievably) "sees the light" and becomes thoughtful and kind. Cole is actually a pretty good character, but he and Marietta are stuck with stilted conversations, inappropriate summations of things that the author seems to have been unable to write dialogue for, and sex that seems shoved into the book for the sake of sex. If I had known this was going to be such a bad book, I wouldn't have picked it off the $1 shelf at the used book store. No wonder it ended up there. I can only hope some of Nan Ryan's other books are better.