Never Love a Cowboy [Mass Market Paperback]

Lorraine Heath (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2000

"I would not make a good husband. I do, however, make an excellent lover..."

Harrison Bainbridge, the second son of an English earl, left his home seeking a scandal-free life away from society's stuffy restraints. Then he arrives in Texas, never expecting that a sassy saloon-keeper's daughter would capture his eye. With her outspoken ways and flashing eyes, Jessye Kane is more than tempting. But although she is willing to be his partner in a daring business venture, she is unwilling to take the passion he offers.

Jessye knows that noble-born Harrison isn't for the likes of her, but beneath his devil-may-care exterior, she senses a deeper vulnerability. Then he's suddenly injured, risking his life to save her from mortal danger. And Jessye vows to do anything to make him whole again--forcing this rugged scoundrel who claims he has no heart to take the greatest risk of all...on love."I would not make a good husband. I do, however, make an excellent lover..."Harrison Bainbridge, the second son of an English earl, left his home seeking a scandal-free life away from society's stuffy restraints. Then he arrives in Texas, never expecting that a sassy saloon-keeper's daughter would capture his eye. With her outspoken ways and flashing eyes, Jessye Kane is more than tempting. But although she is willing to be his partner in a daring business venture, she is unwilling to take the passion he offers.

 

"I would not make a good husband.I do, however, make an excellent lover..."Harrison Bainbridge, the second son of an English earl, left his home seeking a scandal-free life away from society's stuffy restraints. Then he arrives in Texas, never expecting that a sassy saloon-keeper's daughter would capture his eye. With her outspoken ways and flashing eyes, Jessye Kane is more than tempting. But although she is willing to be his partner in a daring business venture, she is unwilling to take the passion he offers.

Jessye knows that noble-born Harrison isn't for the likes of her, but beneath his devil-may-care exterior, she senses a deeper vulnerability. Then he's suddenly injured, risking his life to save her from mortal danger. And Jessye vows to do anything to make him whole again---forcing this rugged scoundrel who claims he has no heart to take the greatest risk of all...on love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Heath is known for her deft characterizations, attention to historical detail and mastery of small moments, so it comes as no surprise that the second installment in her trilogy of Englishmen in Texas (after A Rogue in Texas) features all of the above, and more. There are moments of adventure and suspense to complement the quieter times, exquisitely rendered love scenes and a hero and heroine so lonely that watching them find each other is truly joyous. At the end of the Civil War, Englishman Harrison Bainbridge finds himself dirt poor in Texas, so he embarks on a business venture with Jessye Kane: driving cattle to sell for a profit up North. Jessye, a saloon owner's straight-talking daughter, seeks nothing but her financial independence. Though attracted to each other, Jessye assumes Harrison is little more than a lazy scoundrel and, with no successful romance in his past, Harrison does not believe love is his to give. Through the events on a cattle drive, Jessye comes to learn the Englishman's true character, but a villain from her past threatens the possibility of a romance and leaves Harrison gravely injured. As exciting as the cattle drive is, the illumination of Jessye and Harrison's characters, often through the eyes of others, shines brightest. A sub-plot involving a little girl may seem a bit too convenient, but it is one of Heath's strengths to take a standard plot point and make it new and vital. Though these characters are somewhat larger than life than those earlier in her career, Heath has more than enough talent to handle them. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"She writes the most powerfully moving love stories in romance today." -- -- Jill Barnett, RITA Award-Winner

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Avon (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380803305
• ISBN-13: 978-0380803309
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lorraine Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases for a publicist, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. In 1990, she read a romance novel and became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since, for both adult and young adult readers (as Rachel Hawthorne). Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA(R), a HOLT medallion, a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, three Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards, and several Texas Gold Awards. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA Today, Waldenbooks, and most recently, the New York Times.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You won't regret this one!, May 24, 2000

By 

"kleo76" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Never Love a Cowboy (Mass Market Paperback)

I discovered Lorraine Heath about a month ago, and since then I've read 5 of her books, Never Love a Cowboy being the 5th. She has a way of creating heroes to fall in love with, heroines that you like and identify with, and she writes storylines that have me crying usually more than once.

Never Love A Cowboy epitomizes Heath's writing. Harrison is a tortured hero - he had a very troubled childhood. But he doesn't wallow in it, and in general this just adds to his scoundrel-ness, without making him a jerk. Jessye is a spitfire if there ever was one, but she's also generous, friendly, and very compassionate. She too has a pretty troubled past. When they get together, sparks fly and the dialog is fun to read.

But the book is really about the journey these two characters take together. It's not just about falling in love, but about really being in love. Something pretty traumatic happens about halfway through, and it's when the two characters try to overcome this event that you begin hoping the book will never end (and wishing you had more Kleenex handy!). Talk about a couple that breaks your heart.

So if you're in for a great love story, some wonderful characters, and a storyline that never lags, this is it. Enjoy!

(and then check out Heath's other books... none of them disappoints)

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an Emotional Read!, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Never Love a Cowboy (Mass Market Paperback)

Harrison (Harry) Bainbridge, the 2nd son of an English Earl, and Jessye Kane, a salon keepers daughter are two wounded souls who belong together. Harry is exiled to Texas, by his father, after amassing huge gambling debts. Once in Texas, Harry and his friend, Christopher (Kit), decide to make their fortune by rounding up cattle and driving them to market in Missouri. They have no money to invest in this venture but Jessye agrees to back them by using her life savings. She becomes their partner and insists on going along with them to protect her investment. As Harry and Jessye roam the Texas plains to gather the cattle, they gradually get to know one another, and realize they have misjudged one another badly. As they talk, we learn secrets about both of their lives and find out what has lead both of them to stake their future on this cattle drive. There are delightful secondary characters in this book, Kit and Grayson (the 2 friends Harry came with to Texas), Abby (Grayson's wife), Jessye's father and a whole caste of new characacters that are hired to help with the cattle drive. I was delighted that Grayson and Abby showed up in this book because, after reading their story in the 1st book, I wanted to see what happened to them later. The characters are so richly drawn that I felt many of the emotions that they felt as I was reading about their lives. To me, that is the hallmark of a great story, that as I read the book I feel what the people in the book must be feeling and that I can see myself in them. I cried throughout this book as I read about the pain that Harry and Jessye have endured in their lives. I cheered when they overcame every obstacle and got together in the end. I did not want this book to end! I look forward to Kit's story, the final book in the Englishmen in Texas trilogy.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A "good" read but not my favorite Heath, June 20, 2000

By 

BarkLessWagMore (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Never Love a Cowboy (Mass Market Paperback)

Jessye works in her father's saloon serving drinks. When she was sixteen she fell in love with a handsome, smooth-talking dude who promised her the world and instead left her heart and reputation in tatters. Jessye believes that she is unworthy of a husband and a family of her own because of her past. She dreams of becoming independent from men and making her way on her own. This is why she agrees to finance a half-cocked idea thought up by two Englishmen to round up cattle and deliver them eastward. They guarantee she'll make a fortune and since she knows more about cattle rustling than the Englishmen she goes along with them on the cattle drive.

Harrison (Harry) is the second son of an earl sent by his father to Texas to clean up his act. Because of his past Harry believes he is incapable of love and spent his youth drinking, gambling, and driving up huge debts. Harry believes he is indeed the scoundrel he presents to the world but deep down lurks a kind, generous and even insecure man. Because Harry doesn't enjoy working any harder than he has to he intends to make this cattle venture a success.

Harry is strongly attracted to the outspoken Jessye and turns on the charm full-blast in order to get her into his bed. Although Harry tempts Jessye (he is gorgeous after all) she turns him down and tells him flat out that he will never get her in his bed until he can offer her his heart - the one thing that Harry knows he can never do.

The two spend most of the book doing all they can to avoid falling in love. Harry because he believes he simply can't love and Jessye because she refuses to give her love again. These two characters are very wounded souls and have multiple layers to their character which is exactly what I've come to expect from a Lorraine Heath novel. But because Harry's reasons for holding out were not explained fully or early enough his refusal to admit that he was falling in love exhausted and frustrated me. I guess I've just burned out on the stubborn "I don't have a heart" hero. A terrible accident occurs about half way through which adds more fuel to Harry's refusal to love Jessye but it also makes him a much stronger man. This section was written believably and with much compassion.

Jessye is an admirable heroine who has had to make a heartbreaking choice and her reasons to avoid love were much more understandable than Harry's. There is a subplot involving a little girl that was just way too coincidental for me to believe but I was able to over look it because it did create some painfully emotional scenes and added much to Jessye's characterization.

"Never Love A Cowboy" has a good mix of action and emotion and is definitely worth a read. It managed to move me to tears and made me smile in quite a few places but it is not my favorite Lorraine Heath novel. I reserve that spot for TEXAS DESTINY.