Customer Reviews

A Texan's Luck

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Thought to be bad luck, members of a western wagon train abandoned Lacy Dillavou and two other women. The three young women were simply left behind. The rejected trio headed south, toward Texas, and came across one bad hombre, Zeb Whitaker. Whitaker was an evil man, who tried to exercise his manhood on Lacy, a man who thought nothing of rape, abduction, and murder. Violently, the women reacted; they took turns and clubbed this monster to death. Bravely, in Cedar Point, Texas, they surrendered. Except, the local sheriff couldn't find a body and he couldn't let them depart! Instead this sly, old sheriff held a wife lottery; it seemed Cedar Point, Texas needed women! Lacy married Captain Walker Larson -- by proxy. In his distant army fort, Captain Walker Larson was unaware of his new marital status, was unaware that his father had purchased him a lovely, young wife.

They pulled Captain Walker Larson from his military duties and assigned him a one month leave. They told him to protect his estranged wife, Lacy -- Zeb Whitaker was out of prison. The Captain and Lacy were not happy. Neither wanted the interference, both wanted to forget the other existed. Captain Walker Larson did not want a wife. He was romantically wounded once and was not eager to jump back into the fire. What right did his father have to buy him a bride? Lacy Larson was not happy. She tried once, to reach out to her soldier hero husband, to fulfill her dreams of a happily-ever-after marriage, but the Captain's cruel rejection crushed and humiliated her. For all she cared, the Captain could take his life and her dreams and stuff them. Who cared if she was lonely?

Whew, Jodi Thomas tantalized me with the opening of her book and I was planning to grant my sacred 10 rating! But somewhere along the way my tantalization stumbled and I think I know why. Although Jodi Thomas wrote a wonderful homespun western, it had a major drawback - the romance was too slow in advancing. The couple's reluctance grew thin. The `I don't want to be married to you' theme was overworked and the `let's JUST kiss and cuddle' was a MAJOR unlikely happening and overplayed.

Yet, the writer's words are very nice, sometimes tender, sometimes sweet, and the cast of secondary characters is great! Yes, I liked A TEXAN'S LUCK very much. This was a `make you feel good' kind of book. It came close to being splendid but the author delayed the romance a little too long. Nevertheless, with her simple comfortable style, Jodi Thomas kindled my interest in her work and I DO plan to read this author again. Grade: B+

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

This is the 3rd book in this series & it follows Lacy & Walker. I found that I liked Lacy far better then I did Sarah from the last book & Walker was a great match for her. This was a great ending to this series & it was fun re-vising some of the previous chrachters. I do have to agree with another reviewer who said that the romance took too long to devolop. This has happened in all 3 of these books but then again how can you marry a stranger & then just jump right into the bed? You need time to get to know one another.

For those of you who have been hoping for a story about the ranger & Two Bits (Nell) I've read off of Jodi's website that she is writing a story about them. It's going to be called The Texan's Reward. She states that she's finishing it up so hopefully we will see it soon.

In 1886 Cottonwood, Texas, Captain Walker Larson is moving the women and children from the town because of a pending cattle war. A young woman arrives claiming to be his wife Lacy, whom he never met before. Walker had given his now deceased father power of attorney when he joined the military and so his dad legally married him to Lacy, who runs the family printing plant in Cedar Point. Lacy insists they make love once as she wants to be a "real" wife. Walker complies before sending her safely home.

Two years later, Sheriff Riley informs Lacy that Zeb Whitaker, who tried to rape her, is out of prison and heading this way because he believes the women has his gold. Walker arrives because Riley sent a letter to his superior officer, insisting that his spouse was in danger. Walker is assigned to protect Lacy for thirty days. Lacy tells him to leave, but he refuses; instead he escorts her around town. As Lacy keeps track of how many days are left before Walker leaves, they fall in love, but the duo must stop Zeb, overcome their previous encounter and their different lifestyles to forge a permanent relationship.

The third "Texan" tale (see WHEN A TEXAN GAMBLES and THE TEXAN'S WAGER) is a wonderful finish to a fabulous trilogy with all the key threads except perhaps a budding romance between secondary characters resolved. Though the squabbles can become tedious when the heroine refuses to accept she might be in peril, the strong lead couple and the return of heroes from the previous books inside an exciting western romance plot make for a fine read.

Harriet Klausner

A Texan's Luck is a hard one for me to review because I have mixed feelings about it. If I was asked what I thought about the first half of the book I'd say it was horrible. There wasn't one bit of romance until more than half way through the book, in fact Lacy did nothing but be nasty to Walker through the first half. I didn't think she was anything like she was in the previous two books. I wanted to slap her most of the time, she was hateful to Walker. All she did was say don't do this to me, don't do that to me, leave me alone etc. She even slapped him once and tired to again. If I were Walker I would have packed up and said good riddance. I didn't like her in the first half of the book but later ended up loving her. She was written very different in the second half. The first half of the story was boring and dragged on and on with nothing really happening. It was hard to keep reading.

Now the other side. More than half way through it started to pick up, things were happening and Lacy started to soften up. I thought it strange she went from being a shrew to the "Captain" as she called Walker, then all of a sudden she does an about face for no reason. No gradual change of feeling at all. Walker was a bit stiff but you could tell he was soft underneath, he just needed to be in control on the surface. That made him endearing, especially further into the book. I ended up loving these two in the second half of the book, the story was fast moving and really good. I loved the ending and also loved visiting Bailee and Carter, though I would have liked to have read more about them in this book. There was a good amount of sex in the book which I really liked, sometimes Jodi just skims over it and doesn't give it its due. I wish the first half of the book was better (I'd give it a 1 star) because the second half was really good (5 stars!).

I read this last night and finished this morning before starting my day. There was excitment throughout this book as well as a really endearing story of a family's disfunction yet the love of a father that weaves throughout time the love he really held for his youngest son.
It was neat having Bailee and Carter's family involved. I would like to have read more about Sarah and her family.
I hope there is a book about Dr. Timothy and the old maid in the works that will blend Sarah, Lacey, and Bailee's families into its storyline.

LOVED THIS BOOK i thought this was a good ending to the trilogy, Lucy and the Captain were great together, took some time for them to get really really physical but understandable if you meet your husband once in 5 years but worth the chemistry in the end. The other characters are just fun to read and of course the humor is always good the 3 books within the series was my first JODI THOMAS read and won't be my last..

Its a simply written, fun, romantic & witty book WORTH THE SERIES,,,,(:D)

I love Jodi Thomas and after reading the first two i had to get the third. It was excellent. She did not disappoint. I was reintroduced to characters from the past two books and it brought a great conclusion to this trilogy.

This was my third book my Jodo Thomas, and I really enjoyed it. I find that I am drawn to the male character, he is at first shown as cold, but we soon see that he really is just a man with a job that is his life and all that he is. Lacy is my favorite of the three ladies from the wagon trail. She makes the book much more fun than the first two female characters. I came away from this trilogy for w good feeling of knowing the charactes all meant well and did make it too a happy ending. The story was good but it did go from one problem to the next and putting those together it seems was a bit difficult for the writer. Overall the book was very enjoyable and I plan on keeping it for a reread, but I am confused as to why Jodi Thomas books are so expensive?? You find most authours for 50. to 5.00, but Ms. Thomas's books are very high in cost at second hand sites.

This story was worthy of the series. It is my second favorite after Sarah's story.

I found Lacey really likable, a surprising turn since she was annoying in the fist two book.

Walker made a great hero, even if his motivations were unclear. I mean, really, why DID he stay away so long, especially after falling for Lacey to the extent that no other woman would do?

This book was an easy read, but left too many questions unanswereed. Just what did happen to Jeb's gold? Who was the old woman who aided in Lacey's abduction. Walker's sister-in-law? If so, why didn't Lacey recongnize her? What was to become of the newspaper? Why did Walker not leave the military at the end? There were hints that he would, but he never did.

Despite the frustrations, I am glad I read it.

The Texan's Luck was the third in an interesting series. I wanted to know about the personalities of the men and how the author would develop them. In most romances the men are everything that a woman wants. In these stories we get to "hear" the mans side also. I enjoyed the stories...all of them.