Customer Reviews

Rebel In His Arms

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

 

 

"IN THE HARSH LAND OF THE CALIFORNIA SIERRAS, A WILD LOVE STRUGGLES TO BE BORN...

Kathryn Durham was familiar with hardship-raising her younger brother, Jeremy, without a mother; keeping her house for her father. But Katie loved their homestead, adored her family. Then one day, her father is fatally shot, the only clue to his murderer the initials he drew on the dirt before dying: M D.

MACE DONOVAN: the man who had offered to buy up the Durham spread. The man with the muscles that rippled like a stallion in motion, and eyes as cold and as fierce as a puma's. Mace Donovan: virile, powerful, wealthy-and a murderer.

Determined to avenge her father's death, Kathryn is thwarted at every turn by this man who makes her churn with rage and tremble with emotions she is helpless to stop. Like two wildcats, they claw at each other, tempers as brutal as the land they live on. She is a shrew, and he intends to tame her. He is a killer, and she wants him to hang.

Only when Jeremy becomes a pawn in a deadly game does Kathryn finally admit her deep love for Mace Donovan-a love that may have come too late to share."

I have been rereading this novel for over twenty years and can remember exactly the night I purchased it. What a revelation! I love California history and Mrs River's early novels were all steeped in it. The intense conflict between the characters is very exciting. The writing is superb.

Mace Donovan is a supremely arrogant male who is patient (sometimes) with Kat, the stubborn one. I laughed and smiled throughout this book and often thought that Mace should stuff Kat's pride down her throat. Charming book that I have re-read for several years.

Great read with suspense and mystery. Although this is classified as a romance novel, the story is the main plot the romance is tasteful, not graphic and fits as part of the story not the main focus. The female character is strong and smart. I liked it.

Lately I've been re-reading old favorites and wanted to re-visit this book to see if it had stood the test of time; I lost this book and was happy to see it was offered on amazon. I'm very pleased I bought it again. I first read this book in 1981 and what I remembered most was that Mace was a very dominant male and that Kat was his spitfire love interest. The sparks fly off the page whenever they are together. There is only 1 sex scene it is not graphic but fits well within the story. I had forgotten this book was written from Kat's point of view, but it is a testament to FR writting skills becuz you are always aware of what Mace is thinking and why he treats Kat the way he does. Mace may be an alpha male but he has a heart and really cares about Kat and her brother. Yes there is a spanking scene and Mace gets a bit rough w/h Kat but again it flowed with the plot. Kat was so refreshing, she may have been young and sheltered but boy did she have a mouth on her. The verbal sparring between the H/h was very good, also the dialoug between the other characters were exceptional as well. What I luv about FR writing is she does not have dumb or meaningless dialoug in her books.

This book is 1 of a few historical romances FR wrote before she changed her styly to christian inspirational inspired themes. I have never been disappointed with any of her books. My favorite one is Redeeming Love, it was the first inspirational themed romance she wrote.