From Publishers Weekly
In this tale of love on the frontier, Harmon ( Colorado Ransom ) once again brings freshness and high spirits to the western genre. When Ben Barnes, mayor of Elk Fork, Colo.--and proprietor of the local saloon--acts on his customers' suggestion to improve business by importing a few ``sportin' women,'' he little realizes the ruckus he'llraise. The incensed townswomen stage protests but are not mollified even when Barnes relents: they want him to procure mail-order brides for the local bachelors. With the help of a less than upright Boston lawyer, Ben complies with their ``request.'' One of the brides is Elizabeth Butler, who has unfortunately been betrothed to the scruffy, ornery Thornton ``Trap'' McRae--already blessed with wife and child. The settling in of this ill-matched pair forms the heart of this unconventional western. The author brings a rare humor and gentleness to her realistic, often poignant tale that will likely catch readers up in its easy, unforced pace.
Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In her second Western, Harmon (Colorado Ransom, LJ 12/91) presents a female spin on how the West was won. Elizabeth Butler, a mail-order bride, arrives in Elk Fork, a small mining town, to marry Trap McRae. Trap, however, still considers himself married to Blue Flower, the Ute Indian who is the mother of his son. Trap knows he should forsake his Indian family, both for his sake and theirs, but he remains drawn to Blue Flower. Trouble between the Utes and the Arapaho threatens the safety of the townsfolk, and Blue Flower and Elizabeth put aside their mutual distrust and discomfort to work together to foil the plans of Blue Flower's Indian husband, Night Wind. This fast-moving novel features a good supporting cast of characters. An excellent choice for public library genre collections.
Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
