15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Forgive if not forget, May 16, 2001
This review is from: Do You Take This Rebel? (The Calamity Janes, Book 1) (Paperback)
Nine years ago, Cassie Collins left Winding River, Wyoming pregnant and unmarried. Cole Davis, the young man she'd loved, had turned his back on her and abandoned her. Determined to make a life for her and her child outside of the small town she grew up in, Cassie works as a waitress and manages to provide for her son and herself. While a life of luxury is impossible, they don't want for anything. But when her son Jake hears that she has been invited back to Winding River for her ten-year high school reunion, he can't pass up the opportunity to help her get the money to make the trip possible. His illegal scam on the Internet has the sheriff suggesting the two lie low and suddenly a trip back home doesn't seem so bad after all. Jake will be able to visit his much missed grandmother and Cassie will be reunited with the rest of the Calamity Janes, four girls she befriended way back when. The only cloud in her sky is the possibility of running into Cole and having him discover the truth about Jake's paternity.
Cole Davis had planned to leave Wyoming and move out from under his father's thumb. But when Frank suffers a stroke, Cole finds himself back where he was though he has determinedly made a success of himself in the computer industry. When he runs into Cassie, he can't help but feel betrayed by the fact that she wouldn't wait for him. But soon, Cassie and Cole uncover the truth behind their separation and are slowly renewing the friendship and love that once meant so much to them both. But this second chance hits a snag when Cole begins to wonder about her son. Soon the roles are reversed and Cole discovers he has to make a choice. He can either move forward with his life with Cassie and Jake or he can wallow in the disservice done by those he should have been able to trust.
Sherryl Woods is off to a promising start with her new series The Calamity Janes. "Do You Take This Rebel?" is a charming story that won't fail to move you. The bond between the five women is still strong though they differ in many ways. Their loyalty towards each other is very much at the core of this book. But Woods doesn't allow them to usurp the development between Cole and Cassie as they struggle to piece together a family from the betrayal and mistrust of their past. Woods paints a very strong picture when it comes to Cassie who has struggled for the past nine years to raise her son and to give him the best life possible. She is painfully aware that she cannot offer him the wealth the Davises can and is also threatened by Cole's father whose machinations are never worked through completely. This is perhaps the one flaw of the story. Of the two, Cassie is the stronger character because she isn't afraid to risk her heart proving that despite years of caution and lessons painfully learned, she is still a rebel at heart. Cole has a lot more to work through though he faces a lot less pressure. Still, what he does for Cassie, despite his lack of faith in her, proves he is an admirable man who can slowly, but surely, work through his resentment. This is a good start to an interesting new series and I recommend picking it up.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific beginning of Calamity Janes--Highly recomended, April 25, 2001
This review is from: Do You Take This Rebel? (The Calamity Janes, Book 1) (Paperback)
Sherryl Woods begins a delightful new miniseries, The Calamity Janes, with DO YOU TAKE THIS REBEL? Five friends share an enduring friendship, begun in high school, self-named for their penchant for broken hearts and troubles. Though their lives are widely divergent now, these women are still as close as sisters, despite their infrequent contact. If this first installment is any indication of the quality of the miniseries, then readers will be eagerly awaiting each month's continuation.
Cassie Collins never told nine-year-old Jake that trips to her hometown of Winding River, Wyoming were infrequent because his beloved grandmother wanted it that way. She'd always seemed more comfortable visiting them far from judgmental stares. So when the invitation to the ten-year high school reunion arrives, Cassie uses lack of money as an excuse to forgo the event.
Jake however, is determined to visit his grandma, and chooses a calamitous path to assure the trip. He simply places a number of items for auction on the internet, saving the payments to ensure that his mother can afford to take the time off for the trip. Never mind he doesn't actually have the toys or baseball cards he "auctioned." So when the Sheriff steps in, he strongly suggests Cassie move back to Winding River and make a fresh start. Cassie returns to Winding River with the Sheriff's advise ringing in her ears.
Even though Winding River's a small town, Cassie hoped avoid Cole Davis, the father of her child. Fate has other intentions, throwing them together frequently. Time hasn't dulled Cassie's sense of betrayal, nor Cole's, it seems. Soon they both realize that parents had something to do with the way things ended between them. And it also doesn't take Cole long to realize that Jake's his son, even if Cassie never told him.
Cassie's spirited nature when she painted the water tower a shocking pink still lingers. Jake's use of the internet certainly reflects his mother's daring nature, and lends the novel a hook that starts DO YOU TAKE THIS REBEL? with a bang! Further, Wood's title is a marvelous play on words, considering the fact what most readers would assume that the word "rebel" would apply to the hero. Cassie's rebellious spirit, vulnerability, and spunk make her a delightful character, especially contrasted with the more staid hero. The second installment of this miniseries, COURTING THE ENEMY will be released in August. Highly recommended.
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