Customer Reviews

Renegade Moon (Half-Moon Ranch)

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

 

 

From the back cover:

Half-moon ranch...

Somewhere in the lush grasslands of Texas hill country was a place where the sun had once shone on love and prosperity, while the night hid murder and mistrust. There, three brothers and a sister fought t o hold their family together, struggled to keep their ranch solvent, while they awaited the return of the one person who could shed light on the secrets of the past.

Quince...

No sooner had he rescued spitfire Glory Townsend from deadly gicksand than Quince found himself trapped in a quagmire of emotions far more difficult to escape. His homecoming after five years tracking renegades hadn't changed his father's drinking, lessened his rivalry with his brother or resolved the mystery surrounding his mother's death. But those issues felt like easy going compared to the shaky ground he traversed with Glory. Every time he looking into her flashing green eyes he felt himself sinking deeper. Maybe it was time to stop struggling and admit that only her love could save him.

And my review:

As another reviewer has stated, this is pretty standard fare. This is a 350 page book, but only because the print it quite large (almost the size of a largeprint book). I'd guess this is more of a 200 page shorter story than a full-length novel.

One really annoying thing was that this book doesn't really work as a stand-alone. There are a lot of loose ends left dangling, in an effort to entice the reader to read the next book in the series. Most authors can manage to write linked books that still work on their own, but unfortunately, that didn't happen here. Still, nothing about this book was compelling enough to induce me to read the next one.

The character were rather flat and uninspiring. He's a tortured hero. She's a spitfire. Yawn. Been there, done that a hundred times over. I've got no problem with the same sort of plots or characters, but the author needs to be able to breathe new life into them. That didn't happen here. And I had a hard time liking the heroine. Instead of coming across as "spirited", she came across as more of a shrew. I mean really, when a man saves your life, you should be thanking him, not spewing venom at him. It wasn't like he tried to take advantage of her after saving her or something. If he had, the heroine's reaction would have been understandable. As it was, I was left wondering why someone would be so immature as to return kindness with witchiness.

I do think that Barbieri has writing talent, but I think she needs to develop more likeable characters. If I had been able to like the heroine, I would probably have enjoyed this book. As it was, I was left wondering what the hero saw in her.

Since somebody else already provided the description from the back of the book I'd just like to say that I enjoyed this book. This is the 2nd in a 4 book/4 author Half Moon Ranch Series. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book but it was still pretty good. You see a tiny bit of Brent in this book from book #1 not really any of his wife Crystal. In book #1 we fell in love with these 2 so I would've liked to see just a bit more of them but there's still 2 more in the series so hopefully it will happen. Overall though this series is off to a really good start & I highly recommend it.

Loved this whole series of books. Keep you guessing what would happen next.
Could not put the book down once I started reading.

This was the first book by Elaine Barbieri that I ever read, and I didn't know what I was missing! This is the second in the Half Moon Ranch Series, and it did not disappoint. It caught my interest from page one and held it till the very end!

Again I will stress - characters make the story - and sometimes we must deal with an idiot female.

But do you know, we are not dealing with a contemporary romance - this is the 1880's. Where the gal must struggle against a male dominated society.

Quince Hunter - 29 and not ready to meet up with his father yet answers his sister, Abby's request to return home. He leaves the man he has befriended and scouted for, Major Jonah Tremain recovering from his wound and heads for Half-Moon Ranch.

Glory Townsend - age not even hinted at - makes a mistake in trying to save her mare, Cinnamon from the quick sand and almost goes down herself.
This mare was to be the foundation of her father and hers breeding stock to help put their Diamond C ranch on its feet. She also has the fiery-tempered attitude of a red-head.

Brent is now married and Crystal is expecting their first child. But both Brent and Quince are strong willed self-confident men and continue to clash.

An Army contract is being offered to ranchers to supply horses. No one moves to apply for it until Quince decides to. Due to that buzzard Edmund, owner of the Diablo State Bank, wanting to keep Jack Hunter in debt, the Half-Moon ranch wranglers are off to round up Jack's mares.

In the meantime we meet Blanche, 17 from the saloon who has made the mistake of taking up with the bum, Lobo. Lobo comes around when he wants money and <g> a little nookey. He enjoys his brutality. Except when Quince belts him one. Blanche wishes for the fairy-tale romance to develope between her and Quince and hopes he will save her.

Edmund clashes with Dr. Gibbs over his wife, Iona's use of medicinal sherry and laudnaum. Mixing them can be dangerous.

Well we follow the mustang round-up - the clashes between Glory and Quince, he wants to protect her and she, who will not acknowledge the danger she could put them in. Attraction between two such opinionated people - just don't forget the pheromones we can't smell.

And we must occasionally have these idiot females who think they can solve their problems by themselves and want to prove that they are equal to men. Don't they wish! They just don't know how to acknowledge their own value.

We are let into the underhanded dealings of the stinker, Edmund and his henchman, Kane. As for the story standing alone - who would want it to as this is the Saga of the day to day lives of the Hunter family and the problem of survival against greed, [lust] and evil machinations that began 30 years ago.

There are deaths, intrigue, danger and romance incompassed in this Saga - whats not to enjoy - I hate drawn out stories but this is worth reading - the pace is good just not the intensity of spine-tingling danger. But I can live with it.

Definitely Recommended --M - I probably have not touched on all the intriguing characters but I am now into Abby's story with Major Jonah Tremain. Happy reading.

average western that didn't quite meet its potential. Hated the loose ends that tend to force you to read the sequel......but I'll pass. sorry EB. I've enjoyed your other books greatly, but this one wasn't your best effort.

By 1880, after several years as an Army scout in the Arizona Territory, Quince Hunter realizes how hopeless the situation is as this remains Apache land. When his "friend" dies and his sister's letter tells him she needs him, Quince decides to come home to the Half Moon Ranch in Texas, the place where his father killed his mother ten years ago and he and his brother had a falling out five years ago.

Quince rescues horse farmer Glory Townsend from quicksand, but cannot save her steed. Both are attracted to one another, but neither want to follow up on the feelings that course through them. It is even worse on the family ranch where Brent remains angry for Quince walking out on them. When Quince and Glory compete for the same army contract, they realize they need to work as a team or both will lose their spreads to the bank. Love naturally blossoms.

RENEGADE MOON is a fine follow-up to Bobbi Smith's HUNTER'S MOON, but is a fine stand-alone. It is that ability to provide a complete western romance inside a series written by other authors that displays the talent of Elaine Barbieri. This novel is exciting as the lead couple refuses to give in to something as pathetic as love. Readers will enjoy this tale immensely. Readers will also look forward to the final two tales MOON RACER by Constance O'Banyon and DARK OF THE MOON by Evelyn Rogers coming out in August and September respectively.

Harriet Klausner

Favorite scene with Glory-
Jan making Glory see things differently.

Favorite scene with Quince-
Making up with Brent.

Together-
Angry at Quince for getting the contract.

What did you like about Glory-
Her stubborness and her love for her dad, her ranch and the ranch workers and her horses.

What did you not like about Glory-
Blaming herself for her father's death.

What did you like about Quince-
His love for his sister, wanting to help his father and befriending Blanche.

What did you not like about Quince-
Although he wanted to protect Glory because of his feelings for her, he was too protective of Glory and wasn't willing to give Glory the same chances and consideration he gave his sister.